Snapshots: Pastrnak, Krebs, Dumba
The Boston Bruins have had a dream start to their Jim Montgomery era. After hiring their newest coach in the offseason, the Bruins have stormed out the gates in 2022-23 to rank first in the NHL with an extremely impressive 33-5-4 record. A major reason for Boston’s success has been the play of David Pastrnak, who is up to 33 goals and 59 points in 42 games on the season. But what does cloud the Bruins’ future is the upcoming unrestricted free agency of Pastrnak, whose contract expires in the summer.
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Bruins are trying to prevent reaching that point. Friedman reported yesterday on Sportsnet’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast that the Bruins were making “progress” on a new deal with Pastrnak. The Bruins signed Pastrnak’s countryman Pavel Zacha to an extension last night, and are seemingly hard at work on a new deal with their star forward, who will undoubtedly earn a major raise from his current $6.66MM cap hit.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- The Buffalo Sabres made a roster move that local media, including Noted Hockey’s Joe Yerdon, have reported is a paper transaction. The team has recalled forward Peyton Krebs from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, and loaned down goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Luukkonen is expected to be back on the roster in time to help the Sabres navigate back-to-back games on Monday and Tuesday.
- Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin gave an interview to The Athletic’s Joe Smith yesterday and issued a few notable updates on current Wild players. (subscription link) One such player is pending unrestricted free agent Matt Dumba, who has been the subject of trade rumors thanks to his expiring deal. Guerin told The Athletic that they are “not actively shopping” Dumba, and that any Dumba trade “would have to be something that works extremely well for [the Wild]” in order to get the team to part with him. Some might believe that this is simply Guerin attempting to put himself in a strong bargaining position ahead of the trade deadline. But it’s likely that Guerin, who is often straightforward and clear in his thinking, is communicating a genuine desire to retain Dumba, who has been with the Wild for his entire professional career.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Goalies
With the new year upon us, the NHL season is in full swing. Teams are jockeying for playoff position, and many players with expiring contracts across the NHL are playing games that could ultimately determine what type of payday they might receive in the summer.
In a multi-part series, we’ll take a look at each position group of the upcoming free agent class, and do a rundown on how those upcoming unrestricted free agents have performed this year. Which players have increased their odds of landing a massive contract? Which players have potentially hurt their earning potential with their play? We’ll break it all down here.
The Marquee Names
Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes
Andersen didn’t have the best platform year heading into his last trip to unrestricted free agency two years ago. The Danish netminder lost the starting role on the Toronto Maple Leafs to Jack Campbell, relinquishing a number-one slot he’d held tightly to for four straight seasons.
Andersen had posted a .909 save percentage in 2019-20, and had an .895 in his final year in Toronto, the first time in his professional career that his save percentage dropped below .900. Past the age of 30, he wasn’t nearly the type of sure-fire investment he had once seemed to be, and he settled for a relatively modest two-year $4.5MM AAV guarantee from the Carolina Hurricanes.
In his first year in Carolina, Andersen completely flipped the narrative surrounding his career trend. He was no longer a declining asset, he was now a two-time Jennings trophy winner who may have been a contender for the Vezina trophy had Igor Shesterkin not authored the most impressive season by a goaltender since Carey Price‘s Hart Trophy-winning campaign.
In 52 games played Andersen went 35-14-3 with a 2.17 goals-against-average and a .922 save percentage. Although some might attribute such impressive success to the fact that the Hurricanes have one of the NHL’s best defenses, Andersen still ranked near the top of the league in goals saved above expected, meaning he was making more than just the saves any goalie would be expected to make.
This season, Andersen hasn’t had as much success thanks to an injury that’s knocked him out for quite a while. He has just a .903 save percentage in 10 games played, but that sample size isn’t large enough to make any larger claims about a decline from last season’s impressive form.
If Andersen hits the open market, he’ll do so in far better standing than he was two years ago, and his next contract is likely to reflect that.
Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins
Like Andersen, Jarry was in a shaky place after the 2020-21 season. That year was his first as the unquestioned starter in Pittsburgh, and although he was impressive at times in the regular season, he lacked consistency.
In addition to that up-and-down regular season, Jarry made several significant mistakes in the Penguins’ playoff series against the New York Islanders, mistakes that were a major reason why the Islanders were able to eliminate Pittsburgh. As a result, there were serious questions as to whether the Penguins could afford to trust Jarry as the goaltender to carry them through the twilight years Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang‘s careers.
Jarry has answered those questions resoundingly with his performance in these past two seasons, though. Last year he played 58 games and posted a .919 save percentage, a performance that earned him one Vezina Trophy vote.
An unfortunate late injury kept him from playing a major role in the Penguins’ brief playoff run, although one could certainly make the case that with a healthy Jarry, the Penguins would have likely prevailed over the Rangers. The Rangers took seven games to eliminate Pittsburgh, despite the Penguins being backstopped by third-stringer Louis Domingue for a significant portion of the series.
Had he not lost time due to injury, it’s possible Jarry would have shown the Penguins organization that his ability to play on hockey’s biggest stage wouldn’t be defined by the mistakes he made in the series against the Islanders. But the injury cost him that chance, although he will get another opportunity if the Penguins make the playoffs.
Jarry, who will turn 28 in April, is in a strong position heading into the expiry of his contract. A deep playoff run could potentially vault him above Andersen to the top of this free agent class.
The Solid Contributors
Cam Talbot, Ottawa Senators
Just a year ago, Talbot looked to have found a nice landing spot as a starter with the Minnesota Wild. Then the team acquired Vezina Trophy winner Marc-Andre Fleury, and, after an offseason saga not lacking in drama, Talbot was off to Ottawa.
With the Senators, Talbot has performed solidly, although perhaps not quite to the standard he set in Minnesota (or all the way back in 2016-17, when he was a workhorse starter for the Edmonton Oilers.) Talbot has posted a .906 save percentage in 24 games played, and has had some hot stretches and some games he’d likely want to have back.
For example, from December 10th to December 27th, Talbot went 5-1-1 with a .927 save percentage. Since that point, in his last four games, Talbot has gone 1-3 with an .854 save percentage. While judging a goalie by his hot and cold stretches is always going to yield a semblance of inconsistency, the reality is Talbot has not provided the Senators with the type of goaltending they’d need to emerge as a playoff contender.
Over the course of his full tenure so far in Ottawa, Talbot has been adequate, but nothing more. At 35 years old, the market for solid-if-unimpressive goaltenders isn’t known to be robust, so Talbot may not receive the type of deal he was lined up for just a year ago. But for a team looking to stabilize their situation in the crease and add an experienced veteran, Talbot is a highly respectable option.
Martin Jones, Seattle Kraken
Jones’ season isn’t the easiest to explain. His career path has been a bit of a rollercoaster, as he’s gone from promising young Sharks starter to underperforming salary cap anchor, to unexciting backup with the Philadelphia Flyers. Last summer, Jones signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Kraken after the team’s presumptive backup goalie, Chris Driedger, went down with a major injury.
Jones has taken the opportunity afforded to him in Seattle and run with it, seizing the role of number-one goalie from Philipp Grubauer. He’s played in 31 games to Grubauer’s 14, and has posted an extremely impressive 21-5-3 record, bolstered by back-to-back shutouts against Montreal and Boston.
But despite all that good news, Jones’ save percentage remains below .900. Whether that says more about Jones’ performance or the value of using save percentage as a be-all-end-all metric to evaluate goalie performance is for others to decide, but the fact remains that goalies posting below .900 save percentages aren’t typically hot commodities in free agency, especially when those goalies haven’t been above .900 in a half-decade.
That’s the battle Jones could be fighting if his numbers remain where they currently are, although given his current performance there’s strong reason to believe they’ll improve. Given his age and inconsistent track record, it’s difficult to imagine any team investing in Jones on a long-term basis with an expensive average annual value.
But if a team is hoping Jones’ breakout performance can continue on their roster, it’s possible Jones could net a nice raise from the $2MM he’s making this season.
James Reimer, San Jose Sharks
Jones’ replacement in San Jose, James Reimer, has long been a respected veteran option for NHL teams looking to add a tandem netminder.
Last season, Reimer set a career-high in games played, appearing in 48 contests and posting a .911 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against-average.
Reimer’s performance is made all the more impressive by the fact that the Sharks defense he was playing behind was among the NHL’s weaker units.
Reimer has been particularly good on the penalty kill in San Jose, but this season he’s seen his overall numbers decline sharply.
He’s at an .895 save percentage now and has an .879 since returning from injury on December 13th. If his numbers remain around this range, let alone get worse, Reimer will likely go from being one of the better tandem options on the open market to more of a bounce-back candidate.
Semyon Varlamov, New York Islanders
As Ilya Sorokin has taken the reins on Long Island and become one of the NHL’s top netminders, Varlamov has faded somewhat from where he once was. The Russian earned a first-place Vezina Trophy vote in 2020-21, posting a highly impressive .929 save percentage in 36 games.
Since that point, Varlamov has ceded his role as the Islanders’ number-one goalie to Sorokin, and his save percentage has declined from .920 and above to the low teens. Since he’ll be 35 years old when the market opens, it’s possible that teams now view Varlamov as more of a tandem or backup option than the slam-dunk starter he was just a short time ago.
Even so, it’s undeniable that Varlamov was seen as one of the NHL’s best goalies quite recently. If he’s able to be had at a more affordable price than some of the big-name goalies on the open market, signing Varlamov could pay major dividends. There’s risk to investing in any player getting into their mid-thirties, but there also is a precedent for goaltenders being able to play well even to the age of 40, as we saw with Mike Smith.
He may have to take a pay cut from the $5MM he’s making now, but Varlamov should have a solid market to consider should be be available on the open market in the summer.
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings
One of the more legendary playoff performers in modern NHL history, Quick’s performance in recent years has been highly uneven. In 2020-21, it looked as though Quick’s days as a number-one goalie were over, as Cal Petersen played in far more games than Quick and posted a far better save percentage.
Then last season, Petersen struggled and Quick re-took the starter’s crease, leading the Kings back to the playoffs with a 23-13-9 record, 2.59 goals-against-average, and .910 save percentage. It seemed Quick was back.
Now, this season, as the Kings have struggled as a whole in their own end, Quick’s numbers have taken a major hit. He’s rocking an .883 save percentage and ranks near the bottom of the NHL in MoneyPuck’s goals saved above expected metric.
Quick will turn 37 later this month, and with players his age it’s more likely that sharp declines in performance end up permanent, rather than temporary setbacks.
If there’s anything Quick has shown over the course of his storied career, it’s that people who bet against him will end up paying a high price. So knowing how well he’s played in the past, it’s impossible to write him off after a difficult 23-game start to this season. But if he keeps letting in goals at this rate everything is on the table.
Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
There are few netminders in the NHL who have been dealt a worse hand this season than Korpisalo. The Blue Jackets have been besieged by injuries, particularly on the blueline where they quickly lost franchise defenseman Zach Werenski to a long-term injury.
The severe struggles of Elvis Merzlikins have put even more pressure on Korpisalo to play well, and all things considered, he has done an admirable job tending the crease for one of the NHL’s worst teams.
Through 18 games Korpisalo has a .908 save percentage, one that is significantly higher than the .865 mark Merzlikins has posted in just about the same number of games. That .908 mark also represents a massive improvement from the save percentages he’s had in the last two years, including the nightmarish .877 he posted last season.
All things considered, there’s a lot for Korpisalo to be proud of in his performance this season. MoneyPuck’s work marks him as having a higher goals saved above expected than netminders such as Jarry, Vitek Vanecek, and Stuart Skinner, starters for teams that are likely to be in the playoffs.
Whether his impressive performance through 18 games will earn him a solid next contract is still a mystery, though. Korpisalo’s inconsistency looms large over any strong runs he has this year, and it could be difficult for interested clubs to justify a sizeable investment in a player with such a shaky track record.
But the struggles Korpisalo faced in the past are not something he can change now. All he can do is attempt to weather the storm the Blue Jackets have faced this season and play well in these adverse conditions. So far, he’s done exactly that, and his efforts won’t go unnoticed by other clubs.
Antti Raanta, Carolina Hurricanes
Raanta, now 33 years old, has settled into a comfortable role as a backup netminder in Carolina. Due to injuries to Andersen, the team’s starter, Raanta has been able to showcase his talent on a bigger stage than he’d likely anticipated, and under that microscope he’s impressed.
He posted a .922 save percentage in 13 playoff starts last season, a hugely impressive performance in a league that places major value on playoff goaltending. In the regular season, he went 15-5-4 with a .912 save percentage. This year, Raanta’s save percentage is down, but he’s still winning the Hurricanes hockey games and his 2.63 goals-against-average is only a minor decline from last year.
This decline in save percentage likely won’t be the largest factor working against Raanta on the open market, it’ll be his struggles to stay healthy. Raanta hasn’t started more than 32 games since 2017-18, and hasn’t been able to stay consistently healthy throughout his NHL career.
When he does manage to get on the ice, he’s shown he can be one of the better backups in the NHL, capable of even providing impressive performances on hockey’s biggest stages. But one of the best things a backup goaltender can provide, beyond quality performances, is reliability and consistent availability.
That’s been Raanta’s biggest weakness in his NHL career, and despite solid performances in Carolina it’ll likely be what costs him in his return to unrestricted free agency.
The Role Players
Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
In the summer of 2021, the Sharks surrendered a second-round draft choice in order to acquire Hill from the Arizona Coyotes. Yet just a year later, they traded him to Vegas for a fourth-rounder. Hill never quite found his footing in San Jose, posting a .906 save percentage in 22 starts.
He had some strong performances, but injuries took their toll and by the end of the year the Sharks made the choice to look elsewhere to fill out their crease. In Vegas, Hill’s numbers are remarkably similar to what he posted in San Jose, only he’s already at 15 starts this season, just seven away from his total from the entirety of 2021-22.
By staying healthy, Hill has enhanced his value. He’ll be 27 if he hits the open market in the summer, and if he can keep up his sound run of health he’ll be a quality option for a team looking to add a younger option to their crease.
Kevin Lankinen, Nashville Predators
After an impressive rookie season that resulted in him picking up some down-ballot Calder Trophy votes, Lankinen had a nightmarish 2021-22, his save percentage crashing from .909 to .891 and his goals-against-average ballooning from 3.01 to 3.50.
That decline led to his departure from Chicago, which paved the way for him to sign in Nashville to be Juuse Saros‘ backup. In a more minor role than the one he shouldered with the Blackhawks, Lankinen has thrived.
He’s posted a .918 save percentage in 10 games, and his performances have been a moderate help toward the Predators’ efforts to remain in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. That ten-game sample size is, of course, not enough to make any long-term decisions about Lankinen’s future.
But what it does indicate is that Lankinen is perhaps better suited to perform well in a role as a true backup, rather than as the number-one goalie he was in his rookie year or the tandem netminder he was last season. Lankinen is earning $1.5MM against the cap this season, and if he can keep up his performances for a full year, he’ll get a pay raise as one of the better backups on the market in the summer.
Alex Nedeljkovic, Detroit Red Wings
The Hurricanes made a somewhat controversial decision in the 2021 offseason, trading Nedeljkovic, a Calder Trophy finalist and goalie they had spent several years developing, rather than give him the contract he felt he’d earned as a restricted free agent.
The Red Wings were happy to pounce on a still-young goalie who had posted a .932 save percentage that year, but it’s fair to say at this point that the Hurricanes’ choice to go with Andersen over Nedeljkovic was the right one.
While Andersen became a Vezina Trophy contender in Carolina, Nedeljkovic struggled in Detroit. On a team far weaker than what he’d played behind in Carolina, Nedeljkovic’s numbers declined, and he finished 2021-22 with a .901 save percentage through 52 starts.
Nedeljkovic’s lack of size means he relies more on his athleticism than other goalies, and on a team less capable of playing quality defense in front of him Nedeljkovic suffered. With an .880 save percentage this season in nine games played, Nedeljkovic finds himself battling with Magnus Hellberg for the right to back up Ville Husso.
Heading into free agency, it’s likely Nedeljkovic will be viewed as a bounce-back candidate rather than someone to invest in for a role where a team requires reliability and consistency.
Pheonix Copley, Los Angeles Kings
With only 45 NHL games to his name, Copley’s resume is far thinner than most of the goalies he’ll hit the open market with in the summer. Yet unlike many of the goalies with more extensive track records, Copley has performed well this season, posting a hugely impressive 12-2 record in 14 starts.
His actual performance hasn’t been all that flashy, but he’s given the Kings a chance to win in each night he’s played, which is something any team can appreciate.
Without a major track record, it’s difficult to imagine Copley having a massive market when his contract expires. But if he keeps winning like this, anything’s possible.
Others Of Note
Anthony Stolarz, Anaheim Ducks
After posting a rock-solid .917 save percentage in 28 games on a bad Duck’s team last year, Stolarz has declined to an .895 this season. Stolarz has proven all he can prove at the AHL level, meaning his floor in terms of role is as a team’s number-three goalie.
Whether he is signed to be a backup or as a competitive third-stringer could depend on how well he performs over the course of the rest of the season.
Alex Stalock, Chicago Blackhawks
Stalock has seemingly overcome the major health issues he faced in recent years and re-established himself as a legitimate NHL goaltender. That alone is worthy of celebrating. But Stalock’s actual performance this year makes his return to the ice all that more impressive.
On a team stripped for parts and built for the future, Stalock has posted a .918 save percentage in 14 games. MoneyPuck’s goals saved above expected stat ranks him in the upper portion of the NHL, ahead of some big-name players.
At 35 years old, it’s not particularly likely that Stalock has suddenly become an elite goaltender, despite his elite numbers. But what he’s done this year has definitely raised his stock leaguewide, and could earn him a raise on his next contract from the $750K he’s making this season.
Pictures courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Boston Bruins Extend Pavel Zacha
As soon as they put the finishing touches on a statement win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins announced a contract extension for Pavel Zacha. The four-year deal will carry a cap hit of $4.75MM and keeps Zacha under contract through 2026-27.
Zacha, 25, was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in an offseason trade last summer and agreed to a one-year, $3.5MM deal as an RFA. That would have walked him right to unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, and after a great performance so far, earned a serious extension.
The defensive forward has fit in nicely for the stingy Bruins, adding 25 points in 41 games. That has him on pace to set a new career-high (his previous is just 36), though only five of them are goals.
His scoring talents have become secondary over the years though, as Zacha refined his defensive game more and more. He can now be deployed on any line, at any point in the game, and help tilt the ice in the Bruins favor.
While it is certainly no guarantee that continues, the Boston front office must believe he can be a core piece moving forward. The Bruins have a massive contract negotiation still pending with David Pastrnak, which will eat up a ton of cap space moving forward.
Luckily, there’s plenty of money coming off the books even with Zacha signed. Nick Foligno, Craig Smith, Tomas Nosek, Chris Wagner, Anton Stralman, and Connor Clifton are all pending UFAs, not to mention Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci who are going year-to-year at this point.
With Zacha in place, the team still has more than $20MM to work with as they try to rebuild the roster for next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Columbus Blue Jackets Listening On Gustav Nyquist
Though it looks like it might change tonight, when the day began, the Columbus Blue Jackets were in last place in the NHL. After signing Johnny Gaudreau to a massive free agent contract, just about everything has gone wrong this season, with a long list of injuries dropping the Blue Jackets out of playoff contention almost right away.
It makes sense, then, that Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen would be looking at ways to turn expiring contracts into future assets. One of those expiring deals is Gustav Nyquist, who is finishing up a four-year, $22MM contract this season. On the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek explained that the team is now listening to trade offers for Nyquist.
Now 33, Nyquist has long been an effective offensive player in the NHL. In all right of his full seasons in the league, he has scored at least 42 points, and just last season posted 18 goals and 53 points in all 82 games. This year hasn’t been quite as good, with just 18 on the board, but at least some of that is due to the poor performance around him.
Most notably, perhaps, is that he doesn’t rely on powerplay opportunities to get his offense. Nyquist hasn’t cracked 12 points with the man advantage since 2014-15, and actually had just as many shorthanded goals (4) as powerplay markers last season. Two of his eight goals this year are while penalty killing, another attribute that will certainly make him attractive come deadline time.
The Blue Jackets have selected five times in the first round the last two years, and now look like they have a legitimate shot at Connor Bedard. If they can continue to add pieces, there could be much better times just around the corner in Columbus.
Jake Evans Suffers Lower-Body Injury
One of the interesting developments recently for the Montreal Canadiens has been the play of Jake Evans. The 26-year-old forward has taken over the second-line center role and was receiving more minutes than he has seen through most of his career. The top eight ice times of his seasons have all been since the start of December, with a 19-minute effort coming just two nights ago in a win against the Nashville Predators.
Unfortunately, he won’t come close to that number tonight. Evans left the game against the New York Islanders after getting landed on during a scrummed faceoff. He needed help to get off the ice and the team quickly ruled him out for the rest of the night with a lower-body injury.
With four points in his last four games, Evans was playing his best hockey of the year. If he’s out for any length of time, all of that momentum will be stopped, and he’ll have to try to build it back up down the road.
This isn’t a player that is headed to the open market or a potential trade candidate. Evans signed a new three-year contract in the summer to be part of the solution in Montreal. That $5.1MM deal was expected to pay him as a fourth or possibly third-line center, so anything more is a huge boost for the Canadiens. If he can keep playing like he has the last few weeks, they would be getting lots of value for his $1.7MM cap hit.
Hopefully, this injury won’t be as bad as it looks, and Evans will be back out there in the next few games. But if not, the team will have some minutes to fill, and not a ton of natural centers to take them.
Injury Notes: Duclair, Pettersson, Kane
The Florida Panthers had a nice bonus at practice today when Anthony Duclair joined the group, albeit in a non-contact sweater. The injured forward is coming back from an Achilles tear last summer, and finally getting closer to getting back into game action. Head coach Paul Maurice spoke with reporters including David Dwork of WPLG Local 10, explaining that the timeline.
I’m hopeful we can get him into a full practice prior to the [All-Star] break, where he’s banging. That way he knows how to train in the break. There’s a chance [he could play] before, but realistically we’re thinking just after the break he can be a player for us.
Maurice went on to explain that as soon as he is fully healthy, Duclair will go right back into the lineup, even if there is some rust on his game. Of course, to activate him the Panthers will need to make some other transactions, as some of his $3MM in cap space is currently being used while he is on long-term injured reserve. Duclair had 31 goals and 58 points in 74 games last season.
- Not only is Marcus Pettersson out of the lineup tonight for the Pittsburgh Penguins – he’s not even on the trip. Pettersson did not travel and is still dealing with the illness that has kept him off the ice. The 26-year-old has turned into one of the team’s most reliable players this year, logging nearly 21 minutes a night and providing outstanding defense in a bigger role.
- As expected, Patrick Kane confirmed to reporters including Mark Lazerus of The Athletic that he will make his return to the Chicago Blackhawks lineup tonight after missing a few games with a lower-body injury. All eyes are on Kane as the trade deadline approaches, and while he continues to climb up the all-time points list. His 1,207 regular season points put him 48th, just two behind Bernie Nicholls and three behind Bobby Clarke.
Latest On Erik Karlsson
It has been an incredible first half for Erik Karlsson. The two-time Norris Trophy winner has 56 points through 44 games, and leads the entire league in even-strength scoring. He’s healthy, playing more than 25 minutes a game, and looks a lot more like the player that the San Jose Sharks paid for in 2018.
That cost is what usually comes up in any conversation about Karlsson’s time in San Jose. The Sharks sent Dylan DeMelo, Chris Tierney, Rudolfs Balcers, Joshua Norris and a package of draft picks that ended up being Tim Stutzle, Zack Ostapchuk, and Jamieson Rees. Talk about a haul.
All that and they still needed to sign Karlsson long-term. That ended up looking like an eight-year, $92MM contract that essentially took him out of any further trade talks for the next few years. Not only did he have a full no-move clause, but Karlsson’s $11.5MM cap hit was a conversation-ender – at least when he was struggling with injuries and inconsistency.
But with his performance this season, that may have changed. Rumors have swirled all season about a potential move, ever since general manager Mike Grier admitted that he would listen to any callers. Now, speaking with Corey Masisak of The Athletic, Grier confirms that the Karlsson trade market is real (at least in theory):
There is interest in him. There’s some teams who have reached out about him. I think it’s only natural for teams to kick the tires, and it’s my job to listen to all the offers and see what I think is best for the organization short term and long term.
Any deal would be an incredibly difficult puzzle to sort out, given all the factors involved. Trade protection. High salary. Several years left. Lots to get in the way of talks. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff breaks down the whole situation, including a potential asking price.
Reports indicated the Sharks are looking for three first-round picks, and are only willing to retain 18% of his remaining contract. But Grier threw some cold water on those numbers when speaking with Masisak:
I’m not going to really get into what we’re asking for, but I don’t think that’s totally accurate. Whatever it would be, it would have to be an offer that we feel makes us stronger in the future and gives us the ability to help kind of turn this thing around quicker. It’s got to be something that makes sense for us as an organization.
Given the unprecedented nature of a player like this being dealt at this point in his career (and contract), it’s a mystery what that return could actually look like. Some would argue that just getting out from under the contract itself would be enough to make sense for San Jose, given their current situation.
The Sharks sit 28th in the league, without any real hope to turn things around soon. No matter how well Karlsson is playing, it’s not enough to put them in contention.
Could he help another team reach that goal? It’s going to be a difficult move to make, even if they do get his blessing.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Metropolitan Notes: Texier, Pacioretty, Rangers
There was some surprise when it was announced that Blue Jackets winger Alexandre Texier would play this season in Switzerland instead of Columbus at his request to play closer to his family. GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that he’s hopeful that the 23-year-old will be able to return next season. Texier has six goals and 14 assists with SC Bern of the NLA this season, good for seventh on the team in scoring with five of the six ahead of him also having NHL experience. He has been a bit more productive in Champions League action, notching two goals and five assists in six games so far. Texier is in the second and final year of his bridge deal with Columbus but is not counting against their salary cap during his absence.
More from the Metropolitan:
- The Hurricanes won’t have Max Pacioretty in the lineup tonight while he is listed as doubtful tomorrow due to a lower-body injury per team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). However, head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated that he believes the winger’s injury isn’t believed to be too serious which suggests that Pacioretty shouldn’t be out much longer. He just returned from a torn Achilles earlier this month and was off to a good start with his new team with three goals in four games.
- Rangers winger Chris Kreider skated on his own today but is listed as doubtful for their upcoming games on Sunday and Monday, relays Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). He suffered an upper-body injury earlier this week and missed Thursday’s game against Dallas. While he’s not scoring at the rate he was last season when he had 52 goals, Kreider has still been productive with 19 goals and 11 assists through 42 games. Meanwhile, Staple adds that winger Julien Gauthier, who was injured in a collision with teammate Sammy Blais on Thursday, has yet to skate and is out for Sunday’s game and likely Monday’s as well. He has a career-high six goals in 32 games this season.
Golden Knights Recall Byron Froese
The Golden Knights have made a roster move in advance of their game tonight against Edmonton, announcing (Twitter link) that they have recalled center Byron Froese from Henderson of the AHL. Vegas had two open roster spots so no corresponding move needed to be made.
The 31-year-old is in his first season with Vegas after signing a two-year, two-way contract with them last summer in free agency following three seasons in Calgary’s organization. He has made just one appearance with the Golden Knights this year (coming a week and a half ago) but has 117 career appearances at the top level over parts of five seasons.
Froese has been productive at the AHL level with the Silver Knights so far, collecting eight goals and 19 assists in 36 games. That ties him for the team lead in assists with Sheldon Rempal and gives him a share of the points lead with Gage Quinney. He will take the place of Mark Stone in the lineup with the veteran being set to miss some time; Froese will likely play on the fourth line while someone else moves up to take Stone’s spot on the top line.
Blue Jackets Activate Three, Assign Marcus Bjork To AHL
The Blue Jackets have made a series of roster moves in advance of tonight’s game against Detroit. The team announced that center Boone Jenner, winger Eric Robinson, and goaltender Daniil Tarasov have been all activated off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, defenseman Marcus Bjork was sent to AHL Cleveland. Meanwhile, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo is unavailable tonight due to personal reasons.
While several veterans have struggled for Columbus this season, Jenner was one of the exceptions. Prior to fracturing his thumb last month, the 29-year-old had 11 goals and 11 assists in 30 games, a 30-goal and 30-assist pace over a full season. Additionally, Jenner is logging over 20 minutes a night and is winning 55.9% of his faceoffs, a career-high. In his absence, the Blue Jackets won less than 40% of their draws. Sophomore middleman Cole Sillinger will come out of the lineup to make room for Jenner in the lineup.
As for Robinson, he had missed the last five games due to an upper-body injury sustained earlier this month. After setting benchmarks offensively in 2021-22 with 10 goals and 17 assists, the 27-year-old has struggled on that side of the ice this season with just three goals and seven helpers in 38 games so far despite his playing time hovering near 14 minutes a night for the second year in a row. Blueliner Gavin Bayruether will be a healthy scratch to open up a spot for Robinson to return as Columbus will go back to a standard alignment of a dozen forwards and six defensemen.
Tarasov, meanwhile, was injured in practice two weeks ago, causing him to miss the last seven games and delaying their decision on whether or not to carry three goaltenders a little longer. The 23-year-old has a .907 SV% in a dozen appearances with the Blue Jackets with his save percentage being just a single point lower than Korpisalo’s.
There haven’t been many bright spots for Columbus this year but Bjork has been one of them. After signing an entry-level deal back in May, the 25-year-old started the season in the minors before being brought up in November and scored in his NHL debut. Bjork has played in 26 games with the Blue Jackets this season, collecting 11 points while logging just over 19 minutes a game. However, having sat out the last game and the fact that he’s waiver-exempt, they’ve decided that he will be the one to lose his roster spot for the time being.