Washington Capitals Recall Aliaksei Protas
The Washington Capitals have brought forward Aliaksei Protas back to their NHL roster, per a team announcement. His recall from the AHL’s Hershey Bears comes after the team sent him to the AHL to get a few games in during the Capitals’ break.
The Capitals play the Boston Bruins tomorrow, so this recall gives head coach Peter Laviolette an extra forward to work with as he prepares to take on the league leaders. Protas, 22, is a hulking six-foot-six forward who already has 75 games of NHL experience under his belt.
Protas has played most of this season in Washington, and has scored seven goals and ten points in 42 games. Last season, Protas split time between Washington and Hershey, scoring 24 points in 42 AHL games and nine points in 33 NHL games.
Protas has played in a depth role this season, and he averages just under eleven minutes of ice time per game, the least of all Capitals skaters with more than ten games played. He’s making $795k against the cap this season and will have a $789k cap hit next season before becoming eligible for restricted free agency.
Florida Panthers Extend Josh Mahura
After struggling to make an impact at the NHL level for years, Josh Mahura seems to have found a home with the Florida Panthers. The team has rewarded his play with a one-year contract extension, locking him up for 2023-24. CapFriendly reports that the one-way deal is worth $925K. General manager Bill Zito released a short statement on the young defenseman:
Josh joined our club just prior the start of the season and we felt his positive impact on our defensive group immediately. He brings consistency and energy to our blueline.
A third-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2016, it looked like Mahura would quickly climb what was (at the time) a loaded depth chart. His post-draft junior seasons went extremely well, and he showed well in the AHL immediately. But then, it just never clicked for him at the NHL. He would see seasons of 17, 11, 13, and 38 games, failing to ever really establish himself as an everyday NHL defenseman.
But this year, after the Panthers claimed him at the start of the season, he has settled in as a third-pairing regular. He has suited up 54 times, nearly matching his total from years with Anaheim, and is averaging just over 14 minutes a night. He’s not asked to do much, but he’s done his job well enough to earn the trust of the organization and some financial security with this new deal.
That’s not to say his spot is safe for this year. The Panthers could use an upgrade on the back end, which would ultimately push Mahura either further down or off the lineup card completely. Next season though, there should be minutes to go around. Radko Gudas and Marc Staal are both scheduled for unrestricted free agency, leaving room for someone like Mahura to take another step forward. At worst, he’ll serve in the same role he is this year, providing value as a low-minute defenseman that can do a little bit of everything.
Troy Terry Placed On Injured Reserve
After playing just three shifts before exiting Monday’s game against the Dallas Stars, Troy Terry has been placed on injured reserve. The Anaheim Ducks forward is dealing with an upper-body injury and missed Tuesday’s match against the Chicago Blackhawks. In his roster spot, the Ducks have recalled goaltender Olle Eriksson Ek from the AHL.
With Anthony Stolarz listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury Eriksson Ek will likely serve as John Gibson‘s backup tonight. The young netminder has never appeared in an NHL game and has an .851 save percentage in 13 games for the San Diego Gulls this season.
Terry, meanwhile, has been excellent once again, racking up 42 points through 51 games to earn a trip to the All-Star game. The 25-year-old now has 109 points in 126 games over his last two seasons, experiencing a true breakout after some middling performances early in his career.
For a contending team, removing that from the lineup would be devastating. For the Ducks, it might realistically be a good thing. Anaheim is 5-1-1 in their last seven games, the opposite of what they want to accomplish this season. They have pulled within three points of the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division race and are now well ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets in the race for the top draft lottery position.
It could be good for the Ducks on a different level, too. Terry is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent at the end of the year, and with the excellent point totals he has recently put up, he will be looking for a huge raise on his current $1.45MM cap hit. Some time out of the lineup will help the Ducks in those negotiations, even if they want to be icing their young star as much as possible.
Libor Hajek, Linus Hogberg Clear Waivers
Feb 10: Both players have cleared waivers. That means Hajek can be sent to the minor leagues, and Hogberg is free to pursue other opportunities overseas.
Feb 9: As we await the official announcement of Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers, the team has started clearing some space. Libor Hajek has been placed on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. The Philadelphia Flyers have also placed Linus Hogberg on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
Hajek, 25, came into the Rangers organization with high hopes as part of the return for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, but never lived up to expectations. The 2016 second-round pick has 110 games played over parts of five seasons (all with New York), and has produced just 12 points, averaging fewer than 15 minutes in his appearances.
While he was never supposed to be a big offensive threat, the 6’2″ defenseman hasn’t been effective in his own end, either, At this point, he was a potential candidate to go unqualified in the summer. That doesn’t guarantee he’ll pass through, though, as teams often give high draft picks (especially defensemen) extra chances to prove their worth at the NHL level. On a one-year, $800K contract, it might be worthwhile for a rebuilding club.
Hogberg, meanwhile, played just five games for the Flyers last season and had been buried in the organizational depth chart this year, sitting in the press box even at the AHL level. The 24-year-old will likely return to Sweden to continue his career overseas after the short stint in North America.
Snapshots: Tarasenko, Anderson, Puljujarvi
Hitting the ice today as a member of the New York Rangers, Vladimir Tarasenko was skating beside Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, as many expected. The former St. Louis Blues star spoke with the media, including Mollie Walker of the New York Post after practice, and confirmed what had been reported over the last few months:
There was no chance I was staying in St. Louis. No deal was offered, so I knew I was going to be moved. I talked with Artemi and they want me here. I want to be here, too…it’s a chance to win a Cup again.
The good vibes were clear when Panarin explained how happy he was to have a long-time friend join the team. Tarasenko, of course, is only signed through the end of this season at the moment. A pending unrestricted free agent, it will be interesting to see if the Rangers will offer him the extension that never came in St. Louis.
- The Montreal Canadiens are sort of flying under the radar as a potential seller at this year’s deadline, mostly because of their lack of expiring contracts. Arpon Basu of The Athletic argues that if Josh Anderson is drawing interest, though, the team has to investigate what they could get in return. The 28-year-old is signed through the 2026-27 season and carries a cap hit of $5.5MM. It hasn’t worked out exactly as planned, with Anderson’s offensive game never really materializing past his individual power and speed. He has 25 assists in 170 games with the team, but still is so intriguing because of his heavy, made-for-the-playoffs style.
- With the Edmonton Oilers approaching something of a cap crunch, as Kailer Yamamoto gets healthy enough to return from LTIR, Chris Johnston openly wondered on TSN’s Insider Trading about whether Jesse Puljujarvi would end up on waivers. As Jason Gregor of TSN points out, if Yamamoto is coming back this weekend, today is probably the day Edmonton uses waivers.
Latest On Timo Meier
The Timo Meier-to-New Jersey train has been gathering speed for the last few weeks. It seems like a perfect fit, and now with the New York Islanders and New York Rangers both loading up with Bo Horvat and Vladimir Tarasenko respectively, the Devils might have to keep pace.
Today, though, on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman suggested that two other teams could be involved in Meier trade talks. The first, which shouldn’t surprise many, is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Friedman noted that Kyle Dubas’ recent comments about not spending high picks and prospects were contingent on the term “rentals,” which, technically, Meier isn’t. The San Jose Sharks forward has a $10MM qualifying offer this offseason and has reportedly been open to potentially signing an extension wherever he lands, should it make sense.
One guy said to me that there are teams out there thinking that Toronto, at the very least have considered: ‘do we go get Meier for this run, and then sort it out later.’ Basically punt the decision to the summer.
Toronto isn’t the only one, though. Friedman notes there are a number of Eastern Conference teams after Meier and at least a few from the West. One of those is the Winnipeg Jets, apparently, who Friedman has also heard about in regard to Meier. With a new coaching staff the Jets look like a lock for the playoffs again and could even still compete for the Central Division crown with a good stretch run. With Blake Wheeler coming off the cap after the 2023-24 season, they’ll also have some flexibility in terms of a long-term extension if they were to land the star winger.
Almost everything surrounding Meier right now is speculative, though. The Sharks appear ready to wait out the market and make sure they get the biggest haul possible, and for a good reason. The 26-year-old Meier is a legitimate difference-maker, who already has 30 goals this season and can drive a line by himself. You don’t always have a chance to acquire in-their-prime assets at the deadline, especially not forwards that can play 20 minutes a night.
If Toronto and Winnipeg do get involved, it won’t be an easy bidding war. Things are set up to be quite beneficial for the Sharks, even if they are selling off a beloved homegrown star.
Montreal Canadiens Extend Jordan Harris
The Montreal Canadiens may be out of the race, but they’re not on vacation. Today they announced a two-year extension for Jordan Harris, locking him up through the 2024-25 season. The contract carries an average annual value of $1.4MM.
Signed less than a year ago out of Northeastern University, it was always going to be a quick turnaround for Harris. His entry-level contract was limited to two seasons because of his age, and the first year was burned with his ten-game stretch run. Now, after spending the entire season with Montreal, he would have gone into the summer as a restricted free agent.
To avoid any complications there, the team has handed him a pretty hefty contract for a player with just 57 games under his belt. The hope is that his upward progression continues, and he quickly becomes a bargain for the Canadiens.
It’s easy to bet on Harris. The 22-year-old has averaged over 18 minutes this season and has 11 points, playing mostly in a defensive role despite his relatively small stature. He isn’t the big, bruising behemoth that most imagine when thinking of a shutdown defender, but Harris is effective in his own end, will throw his weight around, and is improving on the penalty kill.
If the Canadiens are going to say goodbye to Joel Edmundson at the deadline, a player like Harris will likely get even more opportunity to play in that shutdown role – even if there does appear to be a little more offensive upside yet untapped.
Trade Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes
With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is less than a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Carolina Hurricanes.
After narrowly losing in the second round of the playoffs to the Rangers last season, the Hurricanes made a pair of key veteran additions over the summer to look to cement themselves as a contender. One of those players (Max Pacioretty) is now out for the season but that actually opens up some different opportunities for them to consider from a salary cap perspective with the veteran’s $7MM AAV now on LTIR.
Heading into action tonight, Carolina sits first in the Metropolitan Division and second in the Eastern Conference. Accordingly, it’s not a matter of if they make a move but rather when they make it.
Record
34-9-8, 1st in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$10.16MM in LTIR relief, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR/PHI 3rd*, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, VAN 5th, CAR 6th, CHI 6th, CAR 7th
2024: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, PHI 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
*-Carolina will keep the lower pick between the two
Trade Chips
While they’ll be a buyer, that isn’t to say that Carolina can’t sell as well. With Frederik Andersen returning to the lineup just before the All-Star break and Pyotr Kochetkov back in the minors, it’s possible that they could look to move Antti Raanta and take advantage of what could be a light goalie trade market. The pending unrestricted free agent has a very manageable cap hit of $2MM and has a nice 2.46 GAA in 19 games this season, almost identical to his output from 2021-22. Such a move would come with some risk given Andersen’s injury history but if they’re able to get a decent asset for the veteran netminder, it might make it easier to part with one of their other trade chips.
One other roster player that seems like a reasonable candidate to move is Dylan Coghlan. The defenseman was the sweetener that Vegas attached for them to take on Pacioretty’s contract and after playing in 59 games with the Golden Knights the year before, it felt like he’d be a useful depth piece. However, the 24-year-old has only played in 16 games and has been a healthy scratch the rest of the way. A pending restricted free agent, Coghlan’s $762.5K cap hit is easy for just about any team to absorb and chances are that some selling squads might want to take a look at him for the stretch run.
From there, they’ll turn to their futures pool of picks and prospects. On the latter front, Jack Drury is likely to be of some interest. The center has gotten his feet wet with Carolina this season, suiting up in 21 games and while he hasn’t produced much (just two assists), he’s only a year removed from putting up 52 points with AHL Chicago. There’s some offensive upside to work with potentially. 2019 first-round pick Ryan Suzuki has yet to see NHL action and is in the midst of another injury-shortened season, playing in just 20 games with the Wolves so far. Noel Gunler slid a bit further than expected in the 2021 draft, lasting into the second round. His first full season in North America has gone well and his stock should be fairly high as a result.
Defensively, Scott Morrow will get some attention. The 21-year-old is having another strong season at UMass and is getting relatively close to being NHL-ready. That type of profile is always enticing to sellers. Dominick Fensore is certainly an undersized blueliner (5’7) but he has had some success at Boston University. He’s in his senior year and isn’t a lock to get a contract from Carolina. If another team wants him, Fensore could be a secondary part of a swap. Joey Keane’s rights might also be of small interest; after a decent showing on his entry-level deal, he somewhat surprisingly opted to play in the KHL this season where he has done relatively well.
Other Potential Trade Chips: F Dominik Bokk, F Patrik Puistola, F Justin Robidas
Team Needs
1) Top-Six Forward: While Pacioretty’s injury opens up some LTIR room, it also opened up a sizable hole in their top six to try to fill. Carolina generally hasn’t favored going the rental route so it shouldn’t come as much surprise that Pierre LeBrun linked them to San Jose’s Timo Meier in TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment (video link). That forward could also be a center with Martin Necas being more of a winger and the trio of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jordan Staal, and Paul Stastny not really being suited for top-six duty.
2) Playable Defensive Depth: It seems evident that there isn’t much faith in Coghlan when the team is fully healthy. Finding a defender (or even two) that they’d be more comfortable using when injuries arise or to spell Calvin de Haan or Jalen Chatfield would be worthwhile.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Toronto’s Trade Chips, Senators, Paul
The Maple Leafs are certainly going to be looking to buy heading into next month’s trade deadline but as a result of the team making some splashes in recent years, their prospect pool and collection of draft picks isn’t the deepest to deal from. Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he can’t see the team dealing away their top chips, either their first-round pick or top prospect Matthew Knies. He wouldn’t entirely rule out the idea of one of those pieces moving but for the time being, it appears that they’re not going to be in play. Toronto has three other guaranteed selections plus potentially their own third-round pick depending on if Arizona opts to take it or a 2025 second-rounder as part of a previous swap.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Still with the Maple Leafs, while Knies has been speculated to be turning pro at the conclusion of his college season, he told TSN’s Mark Masters that he hasn’t decided which route to take yet and will wait until after Minnesota’s campaign comes to an end before considering his decision. The 20-year-old averaged a point per game in his rookie year last season and is ahead of that pace in 2022-23 with 17 goals and 13 assists in 28 contests.
- Senators defenseman Artem Zub is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). He has been out for a little under a month with a lower-body injury, his third extended absence of the season which has limited him to just 21 games so far. Meanwhile, Garrioch tweets that while goalie Cam Talbot also skated today, he won’t play this weekend. The veteran is dealing with a lower-body issue of his own and with Ottawa potentially wanting to move him by next month’s deadline, they’ll want to be cautious and make sure he’s fully healthy before bringing him back. Talbot has retroactively been moved to injured reserve but can be activated as soon as he’s ready to return.
- Lightning winger Nick Paul was a late scratch before tonight’s game against Colorado with the team announcing (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old has been a capable secondary scorer in his first season with the team, notching 16 goals with 10 assists in 50 games. Notably, with less than $720K in LTIR room per CapFriendly, Tampa Bay does not have enough space to call up a replacement for him on the roster.
Central Notes: Hynes, Toews, Coyotes
Even though the Predators find themselves outside the playoff picture and have been one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league this season, don’t expect a coaching change for the stretch run. GM David Poile told Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean that John Hynes’ job is “absolutely not” in jeopardy and that he feels the coaching staff is doing a great job. Nashville had quite a few players have career years in 2021-22 but that hasn’t been the case through the first two-thirds of this season. They’ll need a few players to catch fire if they want to stay in the mix down the stretch; they sit four points out of both third place in the Central Division and the Western Wild Card race.
More from the Central:
- The Blackhawks will likely be without center Jonathan Toews for their next two games, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). Chicago’s captain missed Tuesday’s game due to illness and while he returned to the gym today, head coach Luke Richardson indicated that the veteran likely won’t be recovered enough to play through the weekend. Toews, a speculative candidate to be moved by March 3rd if he’s willing to waive his trade protection, sits third on the team in scoring with 14 goals and 14 assists in 46 games so far this season.
- There was a Coyotes-related element to today’s trade that sent Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers. In order for the conditional third-round pick to be included, it first had to be made available to New York to move as Arizona held that selection as part of the Patrik Nemeth swap last summer. That trade gave Arizona the option to take the 2024 pick or New York’s 2026 selection. CapFriendly confirms (Twitter link) that the Coyotes have opted for the 2026 choice, which ultimately helped pave the way for Tarasenko to be swapped.