East Notes: Kapanen, Hathaway, Maroon, Okposo
Kasperi Kapanen’s second stint with the Penguins has been bumpy, to put it lightly. He impressed in 2020-21 with 30 points in 40 games and it looked like he had finally become a consistent top-six winger. However, his per-game production slipped last year to the point where there were questions about whether or not he’d be tendered last summer by Pittsburgh. He ultimately was, inking a two-year, $6.4MM contract but has slid down the depth chart to the point where he has recently been a healthy scratch.
Accordingly, Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now argues that the time has come for the Penguins to part ways with the 26-year-old. Playing a limited role (or not playing at all) isn’t going to help his trade value so he suggests that waiving him is the next best course of action (assuming there isn’t a viable trade out there). If he clears, he’d get an opportunity to play a bigger role and perhaps rediscover his scoring touch while giving Pittsburgh a bit of cap flexibility ($1.125MM of his AAV would come off). At this point, with the alternatives being having him struggle or in the press box, it’s an option that GM Ron Hextall might be considering.
Elsewhere in the East:
- The Department of Player Safety announced that they’ve fined Capitals winger Garnet Hathaway $4,054 and Lightning winger Patrick Maroon $2,703 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Those amounts, which work out to 50% of their daily pay, are the maximum permitted in the CBA. The incident occurred during last night’s game during a review of the check to the head from Nicolas Aube-Kubel on Cal Foote; both players received a five-minute major and a ten-minute misconduct on the play.
- Sabres winger Kyle Okposo will miss tonight’s game against Boston, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. The captain is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. While the 34-year-old only has one goal in the early going, he’s tied for third on Buffalo with eight assists through 14 games. Jack Quinn will return to the lineup in Okposo’s place after being a healthy scratch on Thursday night.
Predators Recall Juuso Parssinen, Assign Jordan Gross To AHL
Juuso Parssinen’s strong start in the minors has earned him his first NHL opportunity as the team announced that they’ve recalled the forward from AHL Milwaukee. To make room for him on the roster, the Predators assigned defenseman Jordan Gross to the Admirals.
Parssinen is in his first full season in North America after getting a taste of AHL action late last season when he played in nine games during Milwaukee’s playoff run. The 21-year-old is tied for third in scoring for the Admirals with two goals and seven assists through his first ten games which is certainly appealing to a Nashville squad that has averaged just 2.71 goals per contest through their first 14 games this season while sitting 29th in power play percentage.
As for Gross, his demotion is a bit of a curious one. It’s not for a lack of production, as the 27-year-old has two goals in three games with the Preds this season while picking up seven points in six contests with Milwaukee. The move also leaves Nashville with just six healthy blueliners and 15 forwards on their active roster, a combination teams don’t like to stick with for long. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gross or another defender recalled in the coming days with a forward going down to balance things out a little.
Colorado Recalls Jayson Megna
With Shane Bowers suffering an injury early in his NHL debut on Thursday, the Avalanche needed to make a move to recall another forward for their game tonight against Carolina. That move has now been made as the team announced (Twitter link) that Jayson Megna has been recalled from AHL Colorado.
Megna is no stranger to being shuffled back and forth this season as this is already his fourth recall and has been sent back down within two days each time. Despite the limited time on the NHL roster, the 32-year-old has played in three games this season with the Avs already, logging 5:33 per contest on the fourth line. He also has three goals and three assists in nine games with the Eagles.
It’s worth noting that Colorado entered today with just $500K in LTIR space, per CapFriendly. Even though Megna’s on a league minimum contract, that’s not enough room to work him in. Accordingly, they had to transfer another one of their injured players to LTIR, joining Darren Helm who was recently put on there. Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin were the logical candidates on that front since both will miss the required minimum of 10 games and 24 days and CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that it is Landeskog that has been moved to LTIR.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
Following an incident last night that saw Capitals winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel receive a match penalty (which carries an automatic suspension pending league review), the Department of Player Safety has announced (Twitter link) that Aube-Kubel will have a disciplinary hearing later today.
The incident occurred partway through their game against Tampa Bay when he hit Lightning defenseman Cal Foote in the head, a clip of the hit can be seen here. Foote left the game and did not return with head coach Jon Cooper telling reporters including Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link) that the blueliner is doubtful to suit up tomorrow against Washington in a rematch from last night. Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak both left Friday’s game as well after blocking shots so the Lightning’s back end is thinned out all of a sudden.
While Aube-Kubel doesn’t have any prior suspensions, he has been fined twice by the league back in January and October of 2021. He was claimed off waivers from Toronto last Saturday and has played in three games with his new team so far but he may have to wait a little while before he suits up in his fourth contest with Washington.
Devils Exploring Goaltending Options
Goaltending has been a position that has been in some flux for the Devils recently. The team struggled mightily between the pipes last season in large part due to injuries. Things were looking good early on this season but Mackenzie Blackwood is now hurt, Jonathan Bernier is still a long way from potentially returning, and Vitek Vanecek left Thursday’s game with an injury as well. Speaking with Ryan Novozinsky of the Newark Star-Ledger prior to that contest, GM Tom Fitzgerald indicated that they’re open to making a move when it comes to the goalie front.
We’ll explore anything and everything. If it makes sense to keep us from overworking certain goalies or if we prefer to keep our guys in AHL.
The good news for the Devils is that Vanecek made a brief appearance at practice Friday which bodes well for his short-term availability. But in the meantime, Akira Schmid finished up Thursday’s contest (picking up his first career victory) and is the short-term starter until Vanecek is cleared to come back. Blackwood is going to miss another three-to-six weeks with his MCL injury while there is no timeline for if or when Bernier might return as he works his way back from hip issues. Accordingly, if Fitzgerald wants Schmid back in the minors, he may have to look for another goalie.
The uncertainty with Bernier makes that idea a lot easier said than done. If they knew that the 34-year-old wouldn’t be back, they could comfortably spend most of his $4.25MM AAV which would give them ample space to add a capable veteran second netminder. However, since it’s possible he returns, they can’t really do that as they’ll need to be cap-compliant if Bernier is able to come off LTIR and suit up.
Accordingly, it’s possible that Fitzgerald turns to the approach he used last season and looks for a veteran depth option to serve as the backup, a move he made twice in 2021-22 when he added Jon Gillies and Andrew Hammond in separate swaps. Such a swap shouldn’t cost a lot in terms of acquisition cost and would involve a player that could be waived and come off the cap entirely, presenting no risk if Bernier is able to return. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Devils make a small move to add a little more goaltending insurance over the next little while.
Kraken Place Philipp Grubauer On LTIR, Recall Gustav Olofsson
With Seattle only carrying six defensemen on their roster, it felt like some more roster moves were on the horizon. Those moves have now been made as CapFriendly reports (Twitter links) that goaltender Philipp Grubauer has been placed on LTIR. They become the 18th team in the league that is currently utilizing LTIR. Using the cap space created by that placement, defenseman Gustav Olofsson was recalled from Coachella Valley of the AHL.
Grubauer has been out for close to three weeks due to a lower-body injury sustained against Colorado last month. Prior to going down, he was off to a slow start to his season with a 3.77 GAA and a .860 SV%, numbers that were considerably worse than his totals from 2021-22 which were by far the worst of his career. Martin Jones has certainly stepped up in his absence as the Kraken have reeled off five straight victories heading into tonight’s contest against Minnesota. Magnus Hellberg was reacquired yesterday off waivers and will serve as their backup for the time being. It’s worth noting that Grubauer resumed skating earlier this week so even with this move, he’s likely not too far away from returning to the lineup; the minimum time he’ll have to miss is 10 games and 24 days from the original injury date, not today’s placement.
As for Olofsson, the 27-year-old is in his second season with Seattle and has yet to play for them in the NHL; his last action at the top level came with Montreal back in 2019-20 when he made three of his 59 career NHL appearances. This season, Olofsson has played in eight games with the Firebirds, picking up four assists. His addition to the roster puts the Kraken back at the maximum of 23 players.
East Notes: Reilly, Johnson, Atkinson
While the Bruins sent Mike Reilly back to AHL Providence earlier this week, he’s not in their lineup tonight and Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports (Twitter link) that the defenseman is hoping for a trade. Reilly cleared waivers back in training camp in large part due to his contract which carries a $3MM AAV through next season. Unsurprisingly, no one wanted to pick up that full deal but if Boston is open to retaining part of the salary, then a swap might become more palatable. The Bruins are currently carrying a $1.875MM cap charge with the 29-year-old being parked in the minors so being able to offload even some of that would help alleviate a tight cap situation. Divver notes that it’s unknown if there is something in the works at the moment.
More from the Eastern Conference:
- It was a tough day on the injury front for the Blue Jackets today with Zach Werenski being ruled out for the year while Nick Blankenburg will miss several weeks as well. However, there was one piece of good news as Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch relays (Twitter link) that forward Kent Johnson will return to the lineup on Saturday after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury. The 20-year-old is off to a nice start to his first full professional campaign with three goals and three assists through 11 games.
- Flyers winger Cam Atkinson skated with the team yesterday in Columbus as he continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury, notes Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The injury, one that originally had him listed as day-to-day in training camp, has now caused him to miss the first 13 games of the year and counting as there remains no timeline for his return. Atkinson was second on the team in scoring last season with 50 points and would be a welcome addition to a Philadelphia lineup that sits in the bottom five in goals scored in the early going.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Boston Bruins
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2022-23 season and beyond. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Boston Bruins
Current Cap Hit: $84,435,581 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
G Jeremy Swayman (one year, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Swayman: $150K
Swayman had a very nice rookie season that saw him serve as part of an effective platoon which was the role he was expected to play this year although an early injury has stalled that somewhat. Generally speaking, a fairly limited track record should limit him a bit on his next contract (almost certainly a bridge deal) although his camp will be using Spencer Knight’s three-year, $13.5MM extension as a comparable. Something a bit less than that could certainly be doable.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Patrice Bergeron ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Connor Clifton ($1MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($3.8MM, UFA)
F Trent Frederic ($1.05MM, RFA)
G Keith Kinkaid ($750K, UFA)
F David Krejci ($1MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($1.75MM, UFA)
F David Pastrnak ($6.67MM, UFA)
F Craig Smith ($3.1MM, UFA)
D Anton Stralman ($1MM, UFA)
F Chris Wagner ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Pavel Zacha ($3.5MM, UFA)
Potential Bonuses
Bergeron: $2.5MM (already reached)
Krejci: $2MM ($1MM already reached)
Bergeron and Krejci agreed to team-friendly one-year deals that gave this core one last chance to go for it but the downside is the bonus overage penalty that is on the way. You might have noticed above that $3.5MM in bonuses have already been hit while Krejci will hit another $500K within the next few weeks if he stays healthy and the other $500K is attainable if they make the playoffs which is looking likely. Both players could get considerably more on the open market if they wanted to but have made it clear they don’t want to go anywhere else. They could sign similar contracts next summer or the Bruins might have quite a vacancy to fill next summer. Right now, they’re benefitting quite nicely from these contracts with the big hit coming in 2023-24 when those bonuses will hit the cap. Zacha was brought in to potentially audition for one of Bergeron’s or Krejci’s spots a year from now but he continues to be hit or miss in the offensive zone, a trend he has had throughout his career. Still, as a young center with size, there will be lots of interest but it’s likely to come around the $3.5MM mark on a multi-year agreement.
Pastrnak is the most notable player of the many on this list. While there are some prominent wingers that are set to hit the open market this summer, Pastrnak is the best of them all (and also the youngest). Heading into the season, an extension around the $10MM mark looked possible but with the start that he’s having to his year, that feels like it could be on the low end now, especially with there being some speculation that the salary cap may jump a bit more than the expected $1MM next summer. Could Artemi Panarin’s $11.643MM (the record for a winger) be attainable? If he keeps up the current pace, he’ll have a very strong case to make to eclipse that mark on a max-term deal.
Foligno’s first season with Boston was nothing short of a disaster as he had just two goals in 64 games. To his credit, he has gotten off to a better start this season and already passed the two-tally mark but at this point of his career, he’s closer to being a fourth liner than an impact middle-six option and his market should correct accordingly next summer. Smith is usually good for double-digit goals and 30-plus points each year and is the type of player that can fit on a third line and move up in a pinch. The market for those players has really cratered in recent years so a dip in pay seems likely although he could still get a multi-year deal.
As for the other forwards, Nosek continues to be a faceoff specialist that can kill penalties and even with limited production, he’ll still have some suitors. That said, as fourth lines get cheaper, he might come up a bit short of this price next summer. Wagner is currently in the minors but as a physical energy player, he’ll have some interest in July but it’s likely to be on a deal that’s either at or a little under $1MM. Then there’s Frederic, the lone RFA in this group. He has settled in as a capable fourth liner and while that’s not a great return on a first-round pick, he should be able to get a small increase on his $1.15MM qualifying offer.
Clifton has been a role player for most of his career, working his way into a regular spot on the third pairing. Generally, that profile tends to stay around this price tag. However, he has picked a great time to take a step forward and has done well in a top-four role in the early going this season. If that holds up, he could market himself as a 28-year-old top-four right-handed defender. That could push him past the $3MM mark if the demand is high. Stralman took a PTO deal and eventually got converted to a full contract but has played sparingly this season. If that holds up, he’ll be hard-pressed to make this much on his next deal.
Kinkaid is currently on the roster because of Swayman’s injury so he gets a quick mention here. He has been a serviceable third-stringer in recent years which should allow him to get a good two-way agreement that guarantees more than half of what his NHL pay would be, similar to the deal he has now (which has a $400K AHL portion).
Signed Through 2023-24
F Jake DeBrusk ($4MM, UFA)
D Derek Forbort ($3MM, UFA)
F A.J. Greer ($762.5K, UFA)
D Matt Grzelcyk ($3.6875MM, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($3MM, UFA)
D Jakub Zboril ($1.1375MM, UFA)
After some prolonged stretches and a lengthy trade request that was eventually rescinded, DeBrusk is starting to produce more consistently. If he can score 25 goals this year and next (matching his 2021-22 total), he’ll be in good shape to command a pricier contract with a longer-term agreement than he has been accustomed to at this point of his career. Greer is getting his first taste of regular NHL action and is doing rather well. If that continues, he could have a chance at doubling his price tag.
Grzelcyk never really has been able to take a big step forward offensively but he has settled in nicely as a second pairing player that will chip in with 20-25 points per season on average. He’s also a strong skater which helps in this era of teams coveting mobility from the back end although, at 5’9, he’s one of the smaller defenders in the league. That might hurt his market a bit in the end but he should be able to get a bit more than this in free agency. Forbort is more of the old-school type of defender, bigger and more physical but he has had a bit more of a limited role with Boston compared to his time with Winnipeg or even Los Angeles earlier in his career. It’s possible that in 2024, he’ll be viewed more like a fifth option which would make it difficult to get as much as he is now at that time.
Reilly has been a depth defender for most of his career but turned a strong 2020-21 year into this contract, one that is on the pricey side right now. Clearing waivers notwithstanding (cap troubles mean a lot of quality players would clear), he’s someone that should settle in closer to half this price tag on the open market. Zboril dealt with injuries last season, putting Boston in a spot where they could get him on the cheap. He has been a sixth or seventh defender in the early going, similar to his usage before this season. If that continues, this could wind up being close to his ceiling in terms of his next contract.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Taylor Hall ($6MM, UFA)
F Brad Marchand ($6.125MM, UFA)
G Linus Ullmark ($5MM, UFA)
Marchand is another veteran that has long been on a team-friendly contract. It’s fair to surmise that he might slow down by the end of this (he’ll be 37 when he next is UFA-eligible) but even if he does, they’ve gotten enough surplus value to make up for it. It wouldn’t be surprising to see history repeat itself with Marchand taking a cheaper team-friendly one-year deal in 2025. Hall never really was able to get back to the level of his Hart-winning year with New Jersey although he has settled in as a quality second liner. This price tag is reasonable for that role and with the cap expected to be much higher by 2025, a similarly-priced contract could be achievable if he’s still playing at a similar level by then.
There was some risk cooked into Ullmark’s contract considering he had all of 117 career NHL appearances at the time and had never made 34 starts in a season. This is an expensive contract for a platoon goalie although with the way he’s playing this year, he looks like more of a true starter. Swayman will eventually cut into his playing time but Ullmark’s performance early on with the Bruins should be enough to convince a team he’s a legitimate starter which will either make him a good trade candidate in a couple of years or help him earn at least a small raise on the open market.
Capitals Activate John Carlson, Place Dmitry Orlov On IR
It has been a particularly tough start to the year on the injury front for the Capitals who have been without several key players for the full season while several other regulars were injured within the first few weeks. However, There’s at least some good news coming as NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti relays (Twitter link) that defenseman John Carlson has been activated off injured reserve, paving the way for him to return tonight against Tampa Bay. To make room for him on the roster, Washington has transferred blueliner Dmitry Orlov to IR.
Carlson, who has been one of the most productive blueliners in the NHL in recent years, got off to a strong start to his campaign with six points in nine games but suffered a lower-body injury two weeks ago against Nashville. While Washington won that game, they only were victorious in one of the six contests that Carlson missed.
As for Orlov, he suffered a lower-body injury last Saturday against the Coyotes. Accordingly, Washington can back-date the placement which means he technically is eligible to return on Sunday at which point they’d need to make another roster move to free up a spot for him. Orlov has made an early impact with five assists in 13 games while logging over 21 minutes a night.
Even with Carlson’s return, the Capitals are still quite banged up at the moment as joining Orlov on the injured list are forwards Carl Hagelin, Tom Wilson, Nicklas Backstrom, Connor Brown, T.J. Oshie, and Beck Malenstyn; they’ll even be without head coach Peter Laviolette for at least the next two games after he entered COVID protocol earlier today. Despite the lengthy injury list, they’re hanging around at close to a .500 points percentage as they enter tonight’s game with a 6-7-2 record.
Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Jake Christiansen; Re-Assign David Jiricek
Just hours after being recalled under emergency conditions, 2022 sixth-overall pick David Jiricek finds himself back in the AHL. The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Friday afternoon that the team has recalled defenseman Jake Christiansen from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, re-assigning Jiricek there in his place.
The move comes hours after Columbus announced injury updates regarding defensemen Zach Werenski (out for season), Nick Blankenburg (two months), and Erik Gudbranson (day-to-day) forced Columbus to recall three defensemen from Cleveland under emergency conditions, including Jiricek. Gavin Bayreuther and Marcus Bjork, the other two emergency recalls, remain on the active roster.
Columbus does not play until tomorrow night against the New York Islanders, so there’s a chance this could be a paper transaction to get Jiricek into Cleveland’s game tonight against Rochester before returning to the Blue Jackets tomorrow.
It could also be a chance for Christiansen to get some NHL looks in 2022-23 after playing eight games last season, and recording his first NHL goal. He’s off to a bit of a tampered offensive start with the Monsters, recording four assists through 11 games, but he is coming off a 45-point campaign in the minors last year.