Brandon Davidson Signs In SHL
It’s off to Sweden for former NHL defenseman Brandon Davidson, who has signed a contract with Farjestad BK for the rest of the season. Davidson had previously been playing on an AHL deal with the Cleveland Monsters, which had followed a PTO with the Rochester Americans.
Last appearing in the NHL during the 2020-21 season, the 31-year-old Davidson has 180 games under his belt at the highest level in a long professional career. Most of those came with the Edmonton Oilers over two stints following his selection 162nd overall in 2010.
He has also played for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, and Buffalo Sabres, as he bounced around trying to find a home. Now it’s off to Europe to try and keep that professional career going, with little chance of an NHL return in the future.
Davidson scored nine goals and 23 points in the NHL, and appeared in the postseason on three occasions.
Wayne Simmonds Clears Waivers
Feb 15: Simmonds has cleared waivers, meaning the Maple Leafs can now send him to the minor leagues (at least on paper) when necessary.
Feb 14: The Toronto Maple Leafs have again placed Wayne Simmonds on waivers, according to Ryan Rishaug of TSN, allowing them to move him up and down when necessary. Simmonds has already cleared twice this season.
The veteran forward is essentially a practice player at this point in his career, suiting up just 13 times for the Maple Leafs so far. He isn’t going to play in the minor leagues – in fact, he has never suited up for a minor league club in his 15-year professional career – but the team will move him down whenever they have a bit of a cap crunch.
That is likely in preparation for the trade deadline, which Simmonds will now be waiver-exempt through should he clear tomorrow. If the Maple Leafs add a forward, which is expected at this point, cap will need to be opened up.
One thing to remember is that after the deadline, there is no longer a 23-man roster limit. If you have the cap space, you can carry as many players as you want. In Toronto’s case, Simmonds will likely be up whenever someone is injured, and at the very least is going to be with the team for the playoffs, staying ready to go in if necessary.
Morning Notes: Knies, Shore, Studenic
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the teams rumored to be interested in several top names at the trade deadline, but they might have their late-season addition already in the system. Matthew Knies has 17 goals and 31 points in 30 games this year for the University of Minnesota and is “likely” to sign with the Maple Leafs at the end of the college season, according to Joshua Kloke of The Athletic.
Knies also joined Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill and explained he believes he can be a production pro player this spring, after choosing to go back to college last year. The 20-year-old winger recently came in at No. 42 in Scott Wheeler’s ranking of the best drafted prospects across the league.
- Devin Shore has been sent back to the AHL once again, leaving the Edmonton Oilers with the opportunity to activate Kailer Yamamoto if they can clear just $1.125MM in cap space. That happens to be the exact amount that is buried when a player costing more than that is sent to the minor leagues. Jesse Puljujarvi remains the most likely player to be waived, though there are countless other ways the Oilers could clear the room, including the trade market.
- Speaking of bouncing back and forth, Marian Studenic is on his way back to the Texas Stars today. The 24-year-old forward played fewer than ten minutes for the Dallas Stars yesterday, his third appearance of the season. As one of the few teams not currently using long-term injured reserve relief, Dallas can bank cap space between games by reducing their roster as much as possible.
Alex Ovechkin Away From Capitals For Personal Reasons
Feb 15: Ovechkin has announced the death of his father. Though no official timeline has been given for his return, head coach Peter Laviolette told the media, including Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, that he does not expect him back this week. That throws his status for Saturday’s Stadium Series game in jeopardy.
Feb 14: The Gretzky chase will have to wait. Alex Ovechkin will be away from the Washington Capitals to attend to a family matter and the health of a loved one.
After going scoreless in his last four, Ovechkin sits at 32 goals through 54 games this season and 812 for his career. Every time he lights the lamp, he inches closer to hockey immortality – and helps the Capitals fight for a playoff spot in the tough Metropolitan Division.
It is not clear how long he will be absent but will be missing at least tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. The club also takes on the Florida Panthers on Thursday before meeting Carolina again on Saturday night.
Hopefully, the superstar winger will resolve whatever is taking him away and return to the team before long.
In the meantime, the Capitals have recalled Joe Snively to take his place. The 27-year-old winger has played six games with Washington this season, recording one point. The 5’9″ forward certainly isn’t a replacement for Ovechkin but is a nice offensive piece that the team can move around and potentially put on the powerplay.
Alex Steeves Reassigned To AHL; Auston Matthews Expected To Return
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their roster tweaks, this time sending Alex Steeves back down to the minor leagues. The move comes with Wayne Simmonds on waivers and Auston Matthews appearing to be ready to return after taking in a full practice yesterday.
Steeves, 23, will be down in time to rejoin the Toronto Marlies for their morning match against the Utica Comets today, but likely means he won’t be playing for the Maple Leafs this evening. The young undrafted forward has been outstanding at the AHL level, scoring 39 points in 44 games this season and generally being one of the team’s most reliable players.
Through two games this season and three last year, Steeves has just one point at the NHL level and hasn’t recorded a goal just yet. After becoming a star at Notre Dame, he signed an entry-level deal with the Maple Leafs that keeps him under contract through the 2023-24 season.
If this indicates Matthews’ return, it will be nearly bang on the three-week timeline he was originally given. The star forward last played on January 25 against the New York Rangers, before being shut down due to a knee sprain.
Without him, Toronto has gone 2-3, including an embarrassing loss to the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, in which they were outshot 40-29. Getting him back ahead of the deadline is no small thing, as the Maple Leafs can assess the strength of their group at full health.
Injury Notes: Pageau, Tinordi, Faber
The New York Islanders are without one of their best depth pieces tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Jean-Gabriel Pageau is out for tonight’s game against his former team with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, per the team.
Pageau sustained the injury at practice yesterday, says Stefen Rosner of NYI Hockey Now. Reportedly, Pageau was “clipped” during a drill and was slow to get up, yet stayed on the ice for the remainder of practice. The 30-year-old center has 10 goals and 29 points in 56 games this season. This is his first absence of the 2022-23 campaign.
- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi is out for the remainder of tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury, the team said. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope notes that Tinordi had fallen awkwardly on a shift in the first period. Tinordi, 30, was claimed on waivers by the Blackhawks at the beginning of the season and has suited up in 26 games, recording five points.
- One of the best prospects in hockey on one of the best teams in college hockey is out long-term. The Athletic’s Michael Russo agreed with reports today that Minnesota Wild defense prospect and University of Minnesota captain Brock Faber is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in the Kevin Fiala trade, Faber has 20 points in 30 games with Minnesota this year after representing the United States at the Olympics and World Junior Championships last season.
Trade Rumors: Meier, Gavrikov, Demko
The latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading saw analysts such as Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston discuss some of the highest-profile names available on the market ahead of the trade deadline. One of those is San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier, and LeBrun gave significant updates on the two apparent frontrunners for his services: the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.
On the New Jersey front, LeBrun says things are heating up, with talks accelerating between the two parties over the last 48 hours. Meier’s status as a pending restricted free agent is likely jamming up the works in getting a trade finalized, though, as LeBrun reports the Devils’ interest in Meier hinges on an extension as part of the trade. That’s a complicating factor, as LeBrun reported days ago that the Sharks have not yet permitted Meier’s agent, Claude Lemieux, to discuss potential extension terms with interested teams.
For the Hurricanes, it’s the opposite. LeBrun called them the more “open-minded” of the two front-runners, as they reportedly don’t need an extension worked out as part of the trade.
- LeBrun also gave an update on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who’s scratched tonight for asset protection. He named the Edmonton Oilers as a fit for Gavrikov, as while their interest in San Jose Sharks superstar Erik Karlsson is well-documented, the financial aspect of the trade is likely too tough to work out. A swap with Gavrikov and oft-maligned forward Jesse Puljujarvi would save Edmonton money, as Gavrikov’s $2.8MM cap hit comes in $200,000 under Puljujarvi’s $3MM hit. Johnston also added that there may be some “sticker shock” for teams calling on Gavrikov, as Columbus is holding firm to an ask of a first-round, third-round, and fourth-round draft pick.
- Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko told reporters including CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal today that rumors of a trade request are unfounded. Dhaliwal added that Demko’s agent, Jordan Neumann, had reiterated to him that Demko didn’t want out of the Canucks organization. After a two-and-a-half month absence due to injury, Demko is close to returning to the Canucks lineup in the near future.
Anton Malmstrom Garnering NHL Interest
Defenseman Anton Malmstrom from Bowling Green State University is drawing some NHL interest as the end of the college hockey season approaches, reports Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland. After attending St. Louis Blues development camp last summer, Strickland says they remain the front-runner to sign him.
Malmstrom is not a name most hockey fans will be familiar with. Passed over in his draft year, 2018, Malmstrom spent two more seasons in his home country of Sweden before crossing the Atlantic to play at Bowling Green.
He’s far from an offensive force, but strong defensive structure in his game earned him a four-game call-up to the SHL’s Djurgardens IF in his last year in Sweden, 2019-20. In three seasons since with Bowling Green, including the current year, Malmstrom has seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 85 games.
While those offensive numbers aren’t eye-popping, Malmstrom hasn’t produced much above U18 play. It’s clearly not the calling card of his game, though, and his defensive play has been strong enough to warrant past and present interest from NHL teams. Malmstrom also participated in the Boston Bruins development camp in 2021.
His 6’4″, 203-pound frame certainly adds to the appeal. Now with another season under his belt in North America, Strickland’s report suggests NHL teams are ready to extend a financial commitment to Malmstrom’s furthered development.
Vladislav Gavrikov Held Out For Trade-Related Reasons
4:55 pm: While Gavrikov has likely played his last game in Columbus, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes doesn’t expect a trade to come tonight. He tweeted Tuesday afternoon that “nothing is imminent” regarding Gavrikov and that Columbus remains aggressive in trying to find a trade partner.
9:34 am: We have a new catchphrase in the NHL. Vladislav Gavrikov will be held out of tonight’s Columbus Blue Jackets’ lineup for “trade-related reasons.” The big defender has been one of the top trade targets for weeks, given his expiring contract and versatility.
Gavrikov, 27, carries a cap hit of just $2.8MM, meaning basically any contender in the league could fit him in with some creative accounting. Given that Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets is reporting no trade is imminent, this move will likely cause all interested teams to put together their best offer.
This isn’t a player that will wow you offensively, but Gavrikov can do just about everything else. He is physical, defends hard, blocks a ton of shots, and can help any penalty kill. Plus, even though offense isn’t his calling card, he can effectively move the puck out of his end – not just bang it off the glass. That’s how he ended up with 33 points last season, even if that number is probably going to be a career-high or close to it.
At last year’s deadline, defensive defensemen with expiring contracts brought back a significant amount at the deadline. Josh Manson cost a second-round pick, and prospect Drew Helleson, while Ben Chiarot even landed a first-round pick for the Montreal Canadiens. The former ended up winning a Stanley Cup and re-signing, while the latter didn’t contribute much in the postseason, and then moved on in free agency.
You can see how it might be difficult to jump into the bidding on a player like Gavrikov, even if he fits a need. In this case, Gavrikov’s agent has already been given permission to discuss an extension with interested teams. That will maximize the Blue Jackets’ return and give acquiring clubs a bit of security past this one playoff run.
Given his age, an extension is buying out prime years for the big Russian. Gavrikov won’t turn 28 until late November.
Detroit Red Wings Place Lucas Raymond On IR, Recall Jakub Vrana
After he missed the last two games, the Detroit Red Wings placed forward Lucas Raymond on injured reserve today, retroactive to February 10. The team announced that Jakub Vrana has been recalled from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to replace Raymond’s roster spot.
It’s an unfortunate absence for Raymond. Last Friday, he sustained a lower-body injury after colliding with teammate Ben Chiarot in practice. He’ll miss at least the team’s next two games, a back-to-back in Alberta against Edmonton and Calgary.
Again in a top-six role, Raymond has 15 goals, 18 assists, and 33 points in 50 games with Detroit. He’d yet to miss a game in his young NHL career until last weekend’s absence.
For Vrana, it’s been a long road back to the NHL since entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last October. He was out of action for two months until returning to Red Wings practice in mid-December, but he hasn’t played a game for Detroit since then. The team assigned him a conditioning stint to Grand Rapids days later, where he’s remained since, clearing waivers in the process.
Vrana ended up suiting up 17 times for Grand Rapids, recording six goals and five assists for 11 points. It’s not the type of production you’d like to see in the minors from a player who’s been a bona fide top-six winger over the past three seasons. But the reported deteriorating relationship between Vrana and the Red Wings might need to be considered as a factor.
With this year and next left on a contract paying him $5.25MM per season, this could be a showcase move for Vrana. He does have some trade value, especially if Detroit retains salary, and especially if he can put up some points in his return to the lineup. The 26-year-old has been on pace for at least 20 goals in four consecutive seasons, although injuries and COVID have hampered his numbers since 2020.