New York Islanders Acquire Pierre Engvall
The Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed that the team has traded forward Pierre Engvall to the New York Islanders for a third-round selection in 2024. After already trading away defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals earlier this afternoon, the Maple Leafs send another player out the door. Headed for unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of this season, Engvall adds another large and imposing forward to the mix for the Islanders. Standing at 6’5″, Engvall becomes a valuable player that the Islanders will now have on their roster.
As likely the team and fan base with the most desperation for Lord Stanley’s glory, GM Kyle Dubas continues to cultivate the Maple Leafs into an even more legitimate Stanley Cup threat. After having already acquired players such as Ryan O’Reilly, Jake McCabe, and Erik Gustafsson in various moves, Dubas was able to create even more flexibility for the Maple Leafs with this move. Set to become a free agent at season’s end, Engvall was on a one-year, $2.25MM contract this year. Drafted in the seventh round by the Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Draft, Engvall became one of the better depth forwards for the team over the course of the last several seasons. Scoring a career-high 35 points last year, Engvall will have the ability to show off his skill with another team in the playoff hunt.
Immediately becoming one of the tallest forwards on the team, Engvall will allow the Islanders to employ an even more imposing offense. Having already supplemented their goal-scoring issues with the acquisition of Bo Horvat earlier this year, Engvall takes more of a defensive approach to the game. With a Corsi-for above 50% in the last two seasons, Engvall’s team was controlling the puck more with him on the ice. One of the more defensively sound teams in the game, the Islanders will benefit from adding another forward who fits their mold and style of play.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report that Pierre Engvall was headed to the Islanders.
Roster Notes: Kings, Shore, Stars
The Los Angeles Kings have announced via a press release that forward Carl Grundstrom has been activated off of injured reserve, while forward Trevor Moore has been placed on the injured reserve. Grundstrom returns from a rather lengthy stay on the IR, having not played since January 11th against the San Jose Sharks. A very physical player, Grundstrom is known to rack up over 100 hits a season, adding a certain physicality to the bottom six of the King’s lineup.
Unfortunately for the Kings, they will lose an important piece of their roster for the near future. Since being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2019-20 season, Moore has really come into his own in Los Angeles. Scoring a career-high of 23 points in his first full year with the Kings in 2020-21, Moore followed that up with his coming out party in 2021-22, scoring a total of 48 points last year. After that impressive run, the Kings decided to keep Moore around long-term, signing him to a 5-year, $21MM contract, ending after the 2027-28 season. Continuing close to a 0.5 PPG pace this year, Moore will be leaving a hole in the King’s roster.
- After trading away Jesse Puljujarvi to the Carolina Hurricanes this morning, Devin Shore has been recalled by the Edmonton Oilers from their AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors. Playing in under nine minutes a night this season, Shore has scored a total of five points in 33 games. Only 28 years old, Shore is now in his 8th season in the NHL. Not serving on the powerplay or penalty kill once this year, Shore will likely see limited action with the Oilers in the coming days.
- Continuing on their carousel, the Dallas Stars announced that they have once again loaned forwards Frederik Olofsson and Fredrik Karlstrom back to their AHL affiliate Texas Stars. As he is loaned back to the minors for the 8th time this season, Olofsson has managed to suit up in 17 games for the Stars. Registering only four points on the year, Olofsson has been used sparingly by Stars’ head coach Peter DeBoer, failing to average over 10 minutes of action a night. Similarly, Karlstrom will be loaned back to Texas for the 5th time this year. Having served in only three games this year for Dallas, Karlstrom has been employed much the same as his Swedish counterpart.
Washington Capitals Acquire Rasmus Sandin
The Toronto Maple Leafs said this week that there were ways to recoup some of their recently traded draft capital, and it didn’t take long. The Washington Capitals have acquired Rasmus Sandin from the Maple Leafs in exchange for Erik Gustafsson and Boston’s 2023 first-round pick, as confirmed by Toronto.
The move comes just after the Maple Leafs landed Jake McCabe to shore up their defensive group, ultimately pushing Sandin out of the regular lineup. The 22-year-old defenseman has been unable to keep a grip on that full-time role, even with outstanding underlying metrics through his first few NHL seasons.
In 140 career games, Sandin has ten goals and 48 points, averaging just under 17 minutes a night. It seemed as though he was turning a corner with Toronto this season, but instead will have to find his way with a new organization.
Signed to a two-year contract last summer, Sandin carries a very reasonable $1.4MM cap hit and can contribute in several ways for the Capitals. After they moved Dmitry Orlov, he should find playing time next season and could run the team’s second powerplay unit. There’s plenty of upside still left in the first-round pick, though his size and foot speed will always likely limit him to a middle-pairing ceiling in the NHL.
Still, you can see that the Capitals aren’t content with a full rebuild while their core is still in place. Flipping a first-round pick (despite how late it will be in the first round) for a young defenseman gives them a chance to quickly rebound and try to compete again in the 2023-24 season.
For Toronto, that pick might not be in their pocket for very long. The team still has to make another move to clear enough cap space to activate Matt Murray, and they now have another chip to waive in any trade discussions.
Not to be forgotten in this deal is Gustafsson, who has 38 points in 61 games this season as an all-offense defenseman. The curious thing is where he fits into the lineup right now, as like Sandin, he currently projects outside of their top group. The Maple Leafs essentially kept their defensive depth intact with this move, though with Gustafsson being a UFA, they are sacrificing it in future seasons.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to break the trade.
Minnesota Wild Acquire Marcus Johansson
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin has been clear that he thinks his group deserves an addition at the deadline, and now he’s made one. The Wild have acquired Marcus Johansson from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick.
This is Johansson’s second stint with Minnesota, though he may still have nightmares about his first go-round. After being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in 2020, the versatile forward would play 36 games for the Wild during the regular season before breaking his arm in a game three playoff loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Surgery and a seven-game elimination followed, ending his time with Minnesota prematurely. Johansson will get to rewrite history this time, joining the Wild ahead of another playoff run.
With a bit of a rebound after some disappointing seasons, Johansson has 13 goals and 28 points in 60 games for the Capitals this season. The left-shot forward can play center in a pinch, and adds another capable NHL option to the Minnesota lineup—one that currently leans heavily on one line to do most of the heavy lifting. Johansson’s goal and point totals would put him fifth on the Wild, who have gotten little production from players like Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway.
For Washington, expiring contracts are must-trades unless an extension is possible. The club has already thrown in the towel on this season by trading long-time defender Dmitry Orlov, and might as well sell off anything else that’s not tied down.
Getting a third-round pick for Johansson is a nice return, though it should be pointed out that they invested more than just the one-year, $1.1MM contract he is currently playing on. Last year at this time, it was Washington trading for him at the deadline, sending Daniel Sprong and two draft picks (a fourth and a sixth) to the Seattle Kraken. This is the fifth time he has been traded in his career, and the third at the deadline.
Kevin Weekes of ESPN broke news of the deal on Twitter.
San Jose Sharks Acquire Henry Thrun
The San Jose Sharks said they would be going after prospects and young players instead of draft picks, and today they proved it. The Sharks have acquired the rights to Henry Thrun from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick. Thrun currently plays for Harvard and would need to sign an entry-level contract this summer, or become an unrestricted free agent.
The 21-year-old defenseman wasn’t going to sign with Anaheim. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek explained:
While we are disappointed Henry chose to not sign with our club, we appreciate being notified of his intentions in advance of him becoming a Unrestricted Free Agent. We wish him the best of luck in his career.
For a player they weren’t going to sign, Anaheim has done rather well to recoup a third-round selection. Thrun was picked 101st overall in 2019, meaning they’re moving up quite a few spots, regardless of where San Jose finishes in 2024.
Still, with how well the 6’2″ defenseman has developed in college, it is disappointing for the Ducks to lose him. Thrun has always been an excellent puck-mover for Harvard, and has 26 points in 28 games this season. While there’s no guarantee that production will carry over to the NHL level, Anaheim is still looking for all the talented prospects they can as they move through a rebuild.
For San Jose, nothing is guaranteed, either. Thrun could still decide to wait until August to become a free agent, able to choose which team to land with as he starts his professional career. We’ve seen that scenario play out in the past, like when the Buffalo Sabers acquired Jimmy Vesey‘s rights, only to have him sign with the New York Rangers instead.
Still, the Sharks are excited about Thrun as a prospect. General manager Mike Grier released the following:
Henry is a very good two-way defenseman with high character and leadership skills. He was named captain for Harvard this year and has a solid pedigree as a player, earning All-American honors last season after helping guide Harvard to an ECAC Championship.
It is a reasonable risk for the Sharks, and one that hints at their plans moving forward. The team is not satisfied tearing things down and collecting draft picks—they want players that can make an impact much quicker than that.
K’Andre Miller Suspended Three Games
Feb 28: As expected, Miller has received a three-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct. He will be forced out of the Rangers lineup and miss games against the Flyers, Senators, and Bruins.
Feb 27: After being ejected from the game last night, New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller will have a hearing to determine any supplementary discipline. Miller earned a match penalty for spitting at Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty.
Today, Miller released a statement on the incident:
I wanted to take a moment to address what occurred in last night’s game. I have all the respect in the world for Drew Doughty and what happened was completely accidental. I would never intend to do something like that on purpose, it goes against everything I am as a person and player. I felt awful about it and I am thankful Drew gave me the opportunity to apologize and explain myself in person after the game.
Despite the apology, Miller could very well face a multi-game suspension. In 2019, Garnet Hathaway was given a three-game suspension for a similar incident. Interestingly, in that case, the suspension was handed down directly from the league, not the Department of Player Safety. The DoPS announced Miller’s hearing, though perhaps that is simply for public announcement, and this, too, will go directly to the commissioner’s office.
A suspension for Miller would complicate the Rangers’ delicate cap dance in preparation for an expected Patrick Kane trade. If he does get ruled out, the team may have to delay any acquisition an extra day (or two).
Anaheim Ducks Claim Scott Harrington
After being traded from the San Jose Sharks to the New Jersey Devils, Scott Harrington is quickly on his way back to California. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the depth defender has been claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Ducks.
While the Devils likely hoped they could sneak Harrington through, this isn’t a big loss as the prize of the deal was Timo Meier.
In Anaheim, the 29-year-old defender will get a much bigger opportunity at the NHL level, especially if the Ducks move out some of their expiring contracts in the next few days. Harrington, quietly, has racked up 238 regular season games in the NHL, mostly playing the seventh defenseman role.
There is at least a chance that the Ducks could even flip him, should another team be interested in adding Harrington as a depth piece. Anaheim would have had the second crack at him on waivers, given they sit in 31st place, only ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Michael Houser Clears Waivers
Feb 28: Houser has cleared, but Harrington was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks.
Feb 27: The Buffalo Sabres have signed Michael Houser to a midseason contract for the third season in a row, and placed him on waivers for the purpose of an assignment to the minor leagues. Houser was playing with the Rochester Americans on an AHL deal (again), and would need to clear waivers to remain there. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that Scott Harrington, recently acquired by the New Jersey Devils, is also on waivers.
Houser, 30, has actually been incredible in his limited NHL opportunities with the Sabres, stepping into emergency situations and playing very well. Last season in two games he allowed just four goals on 77 shots, winning both appearances and posting a .948 save percentage. He’s never been that effective at the minor league level but has now cashed in with three consecutive one-year NHL contracts.
It is unclear why exactly the Sabres are signing him now, but it could suggest one of their other goaltenders will be traded away in the coming days. There has been some rumbling that Craig Anderson has drawn a bit of interest, and Eric Comrie‘s contract is likely one the team is ready to move on from.
This was always the likely scenario for Harrington after joining the Devils, as he won’t have a full-time NHL role with his new team. That doesn’t necessarily mean he will spend the rest of the season in the minor leagues, but at this point the team doesn’t need him on the active roster and can stash him in the AHL. That is, of course, unless a team wants to take him, but Harrington already cleared waivers twice this season, so the risk seems minimal.
Trade Deadline Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning
The trade deadline looms and is now just a few days away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have become the class of the NHL in the last decade. With two Stanley Cup championships and a third trip to the finals in the previous three years, the Lightning are poised to make another deep run. But first, they will likely have to battle the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.
The Maple Leafs have made some big adds in the past few weeks, which prompted Tampa Bay to make a splash this past Sunday with the expensive addition of Tanner Jeannot. While Tampa Bay may have spent big on the rugged forward, GM Julien BriseBois boasted that he had no issues dealing future draft capital for a team firmly entrenched in win-now mode.
After the Maple Leafs made another addition yesterday, could BriseBois feel the need to make another move?
Record
37-18-4, 3rd in the Atlantic
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
Deadline cap space $769,967, 0/3 retention slots used, 49/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: TB 6th, TB 7th
2024: CHI 4th, TB 5th, TB 6th, TB 7th
Trade Chips
Tampa Bay has very little in the way of draft capital in the next three entry drafts. They have already dealt their next three first-round picks and don’t have a second-round pick until 2025. Should they stand pat, the Lightning wouldn’t pick until the sixth round this season.
Tampa Bay also don’t have much flexibility for another trade deadline addition, as they have less than $1MM in cap space available for the deadline. This would mean any potential deal would need a third party to facilitate the move or be a dollar-for-dollar trade.
On the prospects side, Tampa has emptied the cupboard during their three runs to the finals, but it is not without good young players. Despite dealing picks seemingly every year, BriseBois and company have found value in the later draft rounds. Nick Perbix is a former sixth-round pick in 2017 who has established himself on Tampa’s backend, and Ross Colton was a fourth-round pick who scored a Stanley Cup-winning goal just three years ago.
Team Needs
BriseBois has stated publicly that he would like his team to be harder to play against; this was an area he addressed with the Jeannot addition. It could be a development to keep an eye on as Tampa is staring down two tough series in Toronto and potentially the Boston Bruins. BriseBois may want to add further toughness to his lineup like an Austin Watson-type player. Watson is a pending UFA in Ottawa and could be the type of addition BriseBois would look at.
The Lightning would also do well to add to their defense core. The back end is the only glaring weakness on the club, and is something BriseBois would do well to address. His ideal target would likely be a right-shot defenseman, as Zach Bogosian currently occupies the top right-side spot next to Victor Hedman. Bogosian is a battle-tested warrior but probably isn’t equipped for those hard minutes at this stage of his career. The cost to acquire this type of player is likely out of Tampa’s price range, but never count out the creativity of Julien BriseBois.
Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Jesse Puljujarvi
The Jesse Puljujarvi saga in Edmonton is ending. The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired Puljujarvi from the Oilers today, after months (if not years) of trade speculation. The rights to Patrik Puistola are going back to Edmonton in the trade, and the Oilers will not be retaining any of Puljujarvi’s contract.
This ends a long, disappointing tenure for Puljujarvi in Edmonton, starting the moment they selected him fourth overall in 2016. Despite his size, speed, and relative success in the Finnish professional league, he was completely overwhelmed when he entered the NHL in 2016-17. Bouncing up and down between the NHL and AHL hindered his development, and a few years later, Puljujarvi had enough.
In 2019-20, when his entry-level deal expired, he refused to sign a contract with the Oilers and asked for a trade. He would return to Finland to play for the entire season, once again finding great success in a more offensive role back home.
Upon returning to Edmonton the following year, Puljujarvi turned in a relatively good performance, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in 55 games. But his game had inconsistent swings in production, and it was hard to know exactly where his place on the Oilers really was.
Now, with Edmonton looking to make a big splash at the deadline but pushed right up against the salary cap ceiling, Puljujarvi needed to go. His $3MM will come off the books, meaning the team can add something significant in the coming days.
Puistola, 22, may never actually play for the Oilers. The 2019 third-round pick is unsigned and would need a contract by June 1, or his exclusive draft rights will expire. That gives Edmonton a few months to work something out with the young forward, who scored 38 points in 56 games with Jukurit in Finland this season.
In Carolina, Puljujarvi should feel a little more at home. The Hurricanes’ roster is filled with Finnish players, including 2016 World Junior teammate Sebastian Aho. There’s a real chance that he finally shows some of the offensive potential that has been locked up for so long, though that is by no means guaranteed after so many tumultuous development years.
At the very least, Puljujarvi—who has some very good underlying defensive and possession metrics—will add another big-bodied forward to the Hurricanes attack, and lengthen their forward depth chart even further. The injury to Max Pacioretty gave Carolina some wiggle room in terms of cap space, and they’ve used it to take a swing on a move that could still pay huge dividends down the road.
Puljujarvi is still scheduled for restricted free agency at the end of the year, and would be due a $3MM qualifying offer. Given the money coming off the books in Carolina, there’s no reason why they would be afraid of that number, meaning they could get a longer look at Puljujarvi with a long-term commitment if finds a fit down the stretch.
It is a disappointing outcome for another high pick in Edmonton, but fans will quickly forget the sacrifice if they can turn this cap space into a difference-maker at the deadline.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic broke news of the deal on Twitter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images