Golden Knights Sign Ben Hutton To Two-Year Extension
3:40 PM: The team has officially announced the extension for Hutton.
2:25 PM: The Golden Knights added some defensive depth back in late October with the signing of Ben Hutton to a one-year, one-way contract worth the league minimum of $750K. It appears that Vegas likes what they’ve seen as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the team is expected to sign Hutton to an extension at some point today. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports (Twitter link) it’s a two-year deal worth $800K next season and $900K in 2023-24, meaning his cap hit will be $850K.
The 28-year-old has wound up playing close to a regular role since joining them, suiting up in 35 games this season, collecting nine points while averaging just under 15 minutes a game. That ATOI is well below his career average (19:22) but it’s a reflection of how strong their defensive core is. Hutton has 414 career NHL appearances under his belt with five different teams and collected his 100th career point last night with a goal against Anaheim.
While Hutton could have opted to test free agency next summer, that didn’t go well a year ago which resulted in him signing a PTO deal with San Diego of the AHL (Anaheim’s affiliate) before joining the Golden Knights a few weeks later. Now, he’s rewarded for his efforts with a bit of job security and a small raise, a nice piece of business for both sides.
Injury Updates: Perunovich, Kassian, Karlsson, Rowney
Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich recently completed his five-game LTIR conditioning assignment with AHL Springfield where he had a goal and an assist. However, as Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic points out (Twitter link), the 23-year-old remains on LTIR and head coach Craig Berube indicated that Perunovich is still being evaluated. It’s unclear if this is a flare-up of his upper-body injury or something else entirely but it appears as if St. Louis will be without the young defenseman for a while yet. His continued presence on LTIR will make it that much harder for them to bank any cap space in an effort to give themselves any sort of wiggle room to try to add before the upcoming trade deadline.
More injury news from around the NHL:
- The Edmonton Oilers had Zack Kassian back on the ice today as he continues to recover from a broken jaw, according to Ryan Rishaug of TSN. The veteran forward hasn’t played since February 9, when he left a game against the Chicago Blackhawks after taking a puck to the face. Kassian was wearing a full cage to protect the injury and it is still not clear when he’ll actually be back in the Oilers’ lineup.
- The Sharks are hoping to have defenseman Erik Karlsson back in the lineup on Thursday, relays Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. He has been out for the last six weeks with a shoulder injury that has been giving him trouble since the start of the season although it hasn’t held him back offensively as the 31-year-old has 26 points in 31 games. Pashelka adds that blueliner Jaycob Megna could also return on Thursday. The 29-year-old underwent surgery last month to repair a foot fracture, one that carried a recovery timeline of four-to-six weeks. It appears he’ll be on the short end of that range.
- Red Wings winger Carter Rowney left Friday’s game with what appeared to be a foot injury, notes Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. He had just come back from a lower-body injury that cost him 17 games, scoring in two straight before last night. Veteran penalty killing forwards are often something playoff teams look to add by the deadline but this injury may end any chance of Rowney being on the move by March 21st.
Kraken Activate Two Players, Place Austin Czarnik On Waivers
The Kraken are set to welcome a pair of key forwards back to the lineup as they announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated center Jared McCann and winger Jaden Schwartz off injured reserve. To make room for them on the roster, they’ve also placed winger Austin Czarnik on waivers.
McCann has been out for nearly two weeks with an upper-body injury but he has still managed to hold onto the team scoring lead with 21 goals and 12 assists in 48 games. Selected from Toronto in expansion, the 25-year-old pending RFA has already hit a new career high in goals and is only three away from setting a new benchmark in points.
As for Schwartz, their big free agent signing up front has missed two months with a hand injury, one that was originally supposed to only take four to six weeks to recover from. The 29-year-old still leads Seattle in points per game this season and has six goals and 14 helpers in 29 contests. While the Kraken won’t be vaulting their way back into the playoff picture this season, they’ll still benefit from getting these two players back in their lineup.
Czarnik was picked up off waivers from the Islanders last month but has played in just six games since then, collecting two assists in just under 11 minutes a game. The 29-year-old was more productive in New York, however, notching a pair of goals and three assists in 11 games with them in nearly identical playing time. He’s in the final season of his contract which actually carries a cap hit below the league minimum, checking in at just $725K. While Czarnik has never been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL regular, that price tag could be intriguing for a cap-strapped team that’s simply looking to add depth. If the Islanders opt to put in a claim and are the only team to do so, they’d be permitted t assign him to AHL Bridgeport if they so desire.
Panthers Place Olli Juolevi On Waivers
When Florida acquired defenseman Olli Juolevi from Vancouver at the beginning of the season in exchange for defenseman Noah Juulsen and center Juho Lammikko, they were hoping they’d be able to unlock some of the potential that made him the fifth-overall pick in 2016. That hasn’t happened and they’ve decided to try someone else in that roster spot as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Panthers have placed the 23-year-old on waivers.
Juolevi has been limited to just 10 NHL games this season, only one of which has come in the last six weeks. As has often been the case throughout his career, injuries have been an issue as he has missed 29 games due to injury plus three more for a stint in COVID protocol. When he has been in Florida’s lineup, he hasn’t done a whole lot, averaging just 12:27 per game while not recording any points.
The Panthers recently signed Petteri Lindbohm after his deal overseas ended when Jokerit pulled out of the KHL and it’s likely that he will get a look in that seventh defenseman role in the short term while Florida has been looking to add to their back end between now and the trade deadline.
As for Juolevi, it’s certainly possible he gets claimed. With a league-minimum contract, it’s one that most teams would be able to afford and a rebuilding team may be inclined to take a look at him with the pressure off. He’s set to become a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration eligibility.
Snapshots: KHL Departures, AHL Signings, NHL Trade Market
Amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the exodus in the KHL continues. While many North American players had already left their respective Russia-based club and two non-Russian teams left the league altogether, perhaps the largest blow yet occurred Friday as European players across the KHL left their teams en masse. The move takes place as the Gagarin Cup playoffs are underway.
The Eastern Conference first round match-up between Salavat Yulaev Ufa and Sibir Novosibirsk will look decidedly different moving forward. Ufa, the No. 3 seed in the conference, announced that all of their import players have left the team. This includes names familiar to NHL fans like Markus Granlund, Teemu Hartikainen, and Philip Larsen. Granlund and fellow departure Sakari Manninen led the club in scoring this season. Novosibirsk revealed that a pair of former NHLers had left their ranks as well in goaltender Harri Sateri and defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka. Leading scorer Nick Shore had already left the team and is now joined by the starting goaltender and arguably their best defender. Perennial favorite CSKA Moscow is not immune to this movement; the team announced that they have lost recent NHL contributors Joakim Nordstrom and Lucas Wallmark, both of whom served in top-six roles. Finally, regular season champion Metallurg Magnitogorsk may have lost their title hopes with the departure of starting goaltender Juho Olkinuora. The former AHLer and University of Denver standout was among the best keepers in the KHL this season. This is not the extent of the departures of foreign players, nor will it be the last.
- There has been a flurry of activity in the AHL of late, headlined by an extension for veteran forward Tanner Fritz. The Hartford Wolf Pack announced that their plus/minus leader has inked a new contract for the 2022-23 season. Fritz, 30, has played his pro career almost exclusively in New York and Connecticut, spending five years with the New York Islanders and their affiliate in Bridgeport before moving to Hartford this season. While appreciative of a new contract, Fritz is probably eyeing a contract with the New York Rangers next, if possible. In Toronto, the Marlies have elevated NHL veteran Joseph Blandisi from a PTO to a contract for the remainder of the season. Blandisi, 27, has been a near point-per-game player for the Marlies this season and is well-deserving of a real contract. Down in Charlotte, the Checkers are bringing in some fresh blood from the junior ranks. Defenseman Robert Calisti of the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and forward Xavier Cormier of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic have each signed two-year contracts with the club, beginning next season. The two combined for 72 points in 81 games this season and the Checkers hope that production translates to the pros.
- If it seems like all the action right now is outside of the NHL, while the trade market remains all bark and no bite, it’s true. Despite the usual speculation, there have been nearly no early moves made this season with the deadline just over two weeks away. Outside of Tyler Toffoli and Nick Ritchie/Ilya Lyubushkin, the only trades made of late have included future considerations, seventh-round picks, and third-string goaltenders. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the holdup on the market comes from the buyers rather than the sellers. He believes that the salary cap concerns, especially from those teams managing long-term injuries, is slowing deal-making. However, there may be hope that things will pick up soon, as LeBrun notes that sellers are getting antsy. Contenders with cap space, such as the Predators, Rangers, Wild, and Bruins, could be the beneficiaries if other cap-strapped teams continue to drag their feet.
Arizona Coyotes Extend Travis Boyd
When the Arizona Coyotes signed Travis Boyd to a one-year, minimum salary contract this offseason, they certainly did not believe that they were signing their top line center. Yet, that is exactly what has happened in the desert this season as Boyd emerged as the best fit between Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz for the rebuilding club. The ‘Yotes didn’t want to let the surprise standout slip away as an unrestricted free agent this summer; they have announced a new two-year deal with Boyd, rewarding him with a $1.75MM AAV that becomes the highest of his career.
Boyd, 28, is enjoying a career year in 2021-22 and has only played in 46 games. His 10 goals and 24 points are already career marks and he has reached new heights defensively as well. He is closing in on new highs in assists and games played and it is virtually impossible for his current 16:23 average time on ice not to stand as a career best. Beyond just personal success, Boyd is also among the top five in per-game goals and points among Coyotes forwards – a place he has never been close to previously in his NHL career.
Of course, Boyd’s role on the Coyotes would not be occurring anywhere else in the NHL but with the league’s most shallow roster. This lends itself to why Arizona’s “No. 1 center” commands only a sub-$2MM cap hit. Nevertheless, Boyd has risen to the occasion for the ‘Yotes this season and – while for the good of the franchise the hope is that he does not remain in a first line role for much longer – the team knows they can trust him moving forward.
AHL Shuffle: 03/05/22
It is a busy Saturday across the NHL with 10 games on the docket over the course of 12+ hours. The St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders kick things off at 11:30am CT, followed by at least one game starting nearly every hour from 2:00pm CT until the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche square off in one of the most highly-anticipated match-ups of the season thus far at 9:00pm CT. If all of these teams aren’t too busy preparing and the other dozen not playing aren’t too busy themselves watching all the action, perhaps we will see some roster movement today.
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have demoted defenseman Jake Christiansen, a player who has been up and down regularly this season. The team announced that Christiansen has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he has played in 39 games this year. While he has only suited up for four with the Blue Jackets, Christiansen has spent considerable time on the NHL roster.
- Kevin Hayes is back with the Philadelphia Flyers. The veteran center has been out since mid-January after undergoing surgery and his recovery exceeded the expected three-to-four week projection. However, he has finally been activated from the injured reserve. Philadelphia may not have many playoff hopes left this season, but will be glad to have a locker room leader back. The timing is poor for Wade Allison, who has also been activated from the IR but with Hayes taking the open NHL roster spot, Allison will head to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Allison suffered a knee injury in his season debut back in January and has been out ever since, but certainly hoped to return to the Flyers lineup after playing in 14 games as a rookie last season.
- The New York Islanders recalled two players in time for their game against the St. Louis Blues earlier today, a 2-1 win for New York. Forward Otto Koivula was recalled from Bridgeport and played in the game for the Islanders, who were without forwards Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. This was just Kiovula’s fourth game of the season, last playing December 2nd for the Islanders. Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon was also recalled from Bridgeport, but was immediately sent back down after the game. Wotherspoon has yet to make his NHL debut, but has been a solid contributor for Bridgeport the past few seasons.
- The Carolina Hurricanes recalled goaltender Alex Lyon from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves on an emergency basis. The 29-year-old Lyon has only played in two games this year for Carolina, but has had an impressive 23 games in the AHL, carrying a 2.14 goals against average and .911 save percentage. Lyon’s emergency recall suggests that one of Antti Raanta or Frederik Andersen are unable to go for Carolina tomorrow night.
Central Division
Pacific Division
- The Edmonton Oilers recalled defenseman Philip Broberg from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Broberg was immediately inserted into the Oilers lineup as they square off against the Montreal Canadiens at home. The 20-year-old Broberg has just one point in 17 games this season for Edmonton, but has excelled in the AHL, tallying 19 points in 27 games.
Atlantic Notes: Paul, Vrana, Sabres
The Senators and pending UFA forward Nick Paul are not believed to be close on a contract extension, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. Ottawa’s last offer was reportedly a three-year deal with a $2MM AAV, a bit of a raise on his current $1.35MM cap hit. However, with him being on pace for a career year and the market for players that can play down the middle being strong, that isn’t the type of offer that’s going to make it worth not testing free agency. Seravalli adds that there has been little contact between the two camps in recent weeks. If they can’t reach an extension, the 26-year-old should be on the move by March 21st.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- While Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana was a full participant in the morning skate today, there remains no timetable for his return, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Head coach Jeff Blashill has expressed optimism that the 26-year-old will be able to make his season debut soon as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery back in October. Detroit currently has a full roster and will need to make a move in order to activate Vrana off IR in the coming days.
- Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons returned to practice today for the first time in nearly six weeks after re-aggravating a lower-body injury, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. However, he will miss at least the next two home games for Buffalo next week. Meanwhile, Hoppe adds that winger Vinnie Hinostroza could return at some point next week from his lower-body injury. The pending UFA could be of interest as a depth addition so him being able to get back in the lineup before the March 21st trade deadline is of particular importance for Buffalo.
Trade Candidate: Max Domi
With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we continue our look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and March 21st.
Last season wasn’t a great one for Max Domi. He struggled to fit in with the Blue Jackets in his first year with the team and certainly didn’t live up to his contract. Then he suffered a long-term injury and the combination of that was enough to cause Seattle to pass on him for free in expansion (where they instead picked someone that went back to Columbus days later as a free agent). However, this season has gone a bit better for him which may be enough to help him land a new home with a playoff-bound team in the near future.
Contract
Domi is in the final season of a contract that carries a $5.3MM AAV. He has a $6MM salary and will be an unrestricted free agent in July. As his deal only covered RFA-eligible years, he wasn’t eligible for any type of trade protection.
2021-22
Domi went through a bit of a roller coaster in the early going this season. He came back from shoulder surgery much earlier than expected and was in the lineup on opening night, collecting three points. Then he had a fractured rib and soon after returning from that, he landed in COVID protocol, missing another three weeks.
Since then, Domi has managed to stay in the lineup, albeit not quite in the role GM Jarmo Kekalainen envisioned when he acquired the 27-year-old from Montreal in 2020. He has played exclusively on the wing this season instead of filling a spot down the middle as originally planned. Domi has also spent time on all four lines without really being able to settle into one spot.
Domi has also been very unproductive on the power play. He has played over 56 minutes on the man advantage this season and has one assist to show for it. That’s the negative slant. The positive slant is that all but one of his points have come at five-on-five and the role that contending teams will want him to fill is one that even strength production is more important than producing on the power play.
Season Stats
44 GP, 9 goals, 16 assists, 25 points, -1 rating, 30 PIMS, 65 shots, 13:24 TOI, 47.4 CF%
Potential Suitors
While Domi can play in the top six if needed (he has at times throughout his career), that’s not the role teams should be eyeing him to play. With that in mind, his suitors should be those that want him for more of a depth spot in their lineup. That said, Domi’s price tag for that role will limit the number of teams who could realistically fit him in without having to move a roster player the other way.
In the East, I had the Bruins pegged as a possible suitor for Domi at the beginning of the season where his positional flexibility can be useful. He won’t be their top target but he would add some scoring to their bottom six. The same can basically be said for the Panthers if some of their stronger targets go elsewhere. The Rangers have the cap room to add a few pieces and they’re a team that would benefit from adding some offensive skill to their bottom six while still trying to fill other areas. The Maple Leafs have come up as a speculative fit as of late but depth scoring isn’t their top need; they’d need to strike out on filling those and have Jake Muzzin stay on LTIR for the rest of the season for that to really be an option.
Out West, the Kings may be more inclined to do a smaller deal or two that doesn’t involve giving up any longer-term assets and play it safe. That’s more of the range that Domi should fit in as he won’t command a significant price in return. The Predators also have ample cap space and could stand to upgrade their bottom six. They’re another team where it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll make a big splash so some smaller, safer moves like this may be more in their wheelhouse.
Likelihood Of A Trade
At this point, it doesn’t seem like Domi is a strong candidate to return to the Blue Jackets. While Columbus has been on a bit of a nice run as of late, they’re still longshots to reach the playoffs. As long as they’re willing to retain on the contract, there’s a very good chance that Domi is in another uniform after the deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Metropolitan Notes: Yandle, Hayes, Boqvist, Matheson
Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle has had a rough season. While he has set the new ironman record for the most consecutive regular season games played (975 and counting), his offensive numbers have been underwhelming with a goal and 14 assists in 52 games. He has a full no-move clause in his one-year, $900K contract and told reporters, including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, that he hasn’t given any consideration as to whether or not he’d be willing to waive that trade protection. Yandle could have an opportunity to be a depth option for a contender or two but he almost certainly wouldn’t play regularly, meaning his ironman streak would end. On the flip side, with Philadelphia out of contention, they may agree to keep him in their lineup and allow that streak to continue. The 35-year-old has a couple more weeks to make his decision.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Still with the Flyers, they’re set to welcome back center Kevin Hayes from injured reserve on Saturday, relays Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 29-year-old has missed the last 16 games after needing to undergo surgery to remove an infection in his groin. Hayes has been limited to just 20 games so far this season where he has collected nine points.
- The Blue Jackets announced that they’ve placed defenseman Adam Boqvist on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury. The injury was sustained back on Sunday against Pittsburgh and the placement was back-dated to that point. As a result, Boqvist could be activated as soon as Monday for their game against Toronto.
- The Penguins have moved defenseman Mike Matheson to injured reserve, relays Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). The blueliner has been out with an upper-body injury that was sustained back on February 24th and the placement has been back-dated so he’s eligible to come off at any time. The purpose of the move is to free up a roster spot for them to bring someone up from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the time being.