Trade Deadline Primer: Florida Panthers
With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now 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 Florida Panthers.
After an impressive first season at the helm of the Florida Panthers, GM Bill Zito made moves in the offseason to shore up the Panthers’ roster, adding Sam Reinhart from Buffalo and extending his previous additions in Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, and Anthony Duclair. Despite some early-season upheaval with the resignation of head coach Joel Quenneville, interim head coach Andrew Brunette has steadied the ship and has the Panthers surging to the top of the league’s standings. This is a very well-constructed team, and their success this season has certainly earned their players the right to expect some reinforcements from the trade market, which is why Zito is expected to be among the buyers during this trade deadline.
Record
35-11-5, 1st in the Atlantic
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$3.845MM today, $3.845MM in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 41/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2022: FLA 3rd, FLA 4th, FLA 5th, FLA 6th, CGY 6th, FLA 7th
2023: FLA 1st, FLA 2nd, FLA 3rd, FLA 4th, FLA 5th, FLA 6th, FLA 7th, ARZ 7th
Trade Chips
Given their results this season, the Panthers are not likely to make moves that would send away key components of their NHL lineup. Expecting Zito to trade a player like Anton Lundell, for example, who is currently playing a major role as the team’s third-line center, would be a mistake. Instead, most expect the Panthers to deal from their stable of prospects and draft picks in order to make upgrades. One player attracting attention is winger Owen Tippett. Tippett, 23, was the tenth-overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft and has been so far unable to establish himself as a legitimate NHL-caliber scoring option. After a stretch of 42 games where Tippett registered six goals and 14 points, he found himself a frequent healthy scratch and was recently sent down to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, where he now has four assists in two games. Tippett plays an offensive style of hockey that is best suited for one of his team’s scoring lines, but he has not been able to stay on a scoring line in Florida given the team’s significant pre-existing depth at each winger position. Tippett represents a sort of asset that has depreciated in value since his draft season and could be ideal for a team seeking to unlock the upside that made him a top prospect in the first place.
The Panthers’ next first-round choice after Tippett was Russian winger Grigori Denisenko, who they drafted 15th overall in 2018. Denisenko is in a similar position to Tippett, in that he’s a scoring winger who has been so far unable to establish himself in the NHL and is therefore mentioned in trade rumors regarding the Panthers. Denisenko, stylistically speaking, is a bit different from Tippett. Tippett plays an honest, relatively straightforward offensively-oriented game. Denisenko, on the other hand, has a rambunctious, swashbuckling offensive style that can be both endearing and frustrating for fans and coaches alike. He is a genuinely interesting prospect, but one has to question his trajectory given that he has tallied in the fifth-lowest NHL games played of the entire 2018 first round, which plays into why he is listed as a “trade chip” rather than considered an untouchable core prospect.
If a team trading with Florida wants to acquire someone with more NHL experience than either of those prospects, they could opt for winger Frank Vatrano, who has fallen out of his normal place as a regular in the Panthers lineup. Vatrano, 27, is an undrafted player who broke out in the 2018-19 season, when he scored 24 goals and 39 points playing next to Aleksander Barkov. Vatrano followed up that campaign with two seasons where he scored 16 and 18 goals, respectively, and seemed to have solidified his place as a reliable top-nine goal-scorer. But this season has not gone as planned for Vatrano, and he has been a healthy scratch as of recent weeks. He has only eight goals and 14 points in 40 games played, a reduction in his normal offensive production. He is a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $2.53MM, so it is definitely possible that he is included in trades in order to balance the cap going each way, especially as it seems that he is no longer part of the Panthers’ long-term plans.
Other Potential Trade Chips: F Serron Noel (894k through 2022-23), D Markus Nutivaara ($2.7MM through 2021-2022), F Mackie Samoskevich (unsigned prospect)
Team Needs
1) Top-Four Defenseman (preferably left-handed): The Panthers currently run a top pairing of MacKenzie Weegar and Aaron Ekblad, who are elite together, but they likely would prefer to get Ekblad a different (but still capable) partner so that Weegar could return to playing with Gustav Forsling as he did last season. Being paired with Weegar helped Forsling reach new heights in his career, and while he has been solid this season with a different regular partner it is clear that the team could be best off reuniting the two. Additionally, the Panthers’ sixth defensive spot has rotated between Olli Juolevi and Lucas Carlsson this season. A team would ideally have three solidified defensive pairings going into the playoffs, and adding a proven defenseman would allow the Panthers to have that. In terms of who they may target, the Panthers seem to be interested in shopping for a significant addition to fill their defensive need, as Jeff Marek of Sportsnet has linked the Panthers to Arizona Coyotes star defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
2) Additional Forward Help: As things currently stand, the Panthers are set to play Maxim Mamin as the first-line right winger next to Barkov. Mamin is a player who has scored at decent levels in the KHL (35 points in 55 games for CSKA Moscow in 2020-2021) but has yet to translate that into consistent NHL production. He has only 13 points in his 57 career NHL games, for reference. For a team that rightfully considers itself a legitimate contender to win the Stanley Cup, it is reasonable to expect them to pursue some sort of upgrade along the wings to bolster that section of their lineup.
3) Backup Goaltender: If the Panthers are steadfast in their intent to let Spencer Knight develop with the Checkers in the AHL, backup goaltender could be a need the Panthers address at the trade deadline. Their current backup to Sergei Bobrovsky is Jonas Johansson, who has yet to make an appearance for the team this season. Johansson had a .885 save percentage in 9 games for the Avalanche in 2020-2021 and is unlikely to be someone the Panthers feel confident in, should Bobrovsky become suddenly unavailable down the stretch. Injuries are commonplace given the physical nature of playoff hockey, so in order to prevent one injury from wiping away their playoff dreams, the Panthers could look to upgrade their insurance policy behind Bobrovsky.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Montreal Canadiens Promote John Sedgwick
When new leadership takes over a front office, quite often the staff that has been there for years quickly find themselves looking for new employment. In Montreal, where there is not only a new general manager but a new executive vice president of hockey operations, it would be easy to see the entire front office cleaned out.
Not so for John Sedgwick, who has been with the Canadiens since 2013. Sedgwick was promoted to assistant general manager today, from his previous position as vice president of hockey operations and legal affairs. His duties for Montreal include player contract negotiation and daily management of the salary cap.
In today’s salary cap-driven league, having an expert in that field is incredibly important. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes obviously agree, and have decided to keep Sedgwick on after a number of other high-level Canadiens staffers were let go or resigned earlier this season.
A few days ago, Eric Engels of Sportsnet wrote how Gorton is tasked with more than just fixing the Canadiens roster, but modernizing the entire organization. The executive told Sportsnet that there was a “bit of an old-school feel” to the Canadiens, something that he is looking to change. Among those changes has been the additions of Vincent Lecavalier and Nick Bobrov to the front office in various capacities, and now includes the promotion of Sedgwick as well.
Blue Jackets Notes: Nash, Laine, Korpisalo
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be raising Rick Nash‘s No. 61 to the rafters on March 5. Nash will become the first player in franchise history to have his jersey number retired and it will just happen to be when the Blue Jackets are facing the team he finished his career with. The Boston Bruins will be present for the ceremony, a team that Nash played just 23 games for before hanging up his skates in 2018.
The franchise leader in games played, goals, assists, and points, Nash is the first player that comes to mind when many picture the Columbus organization. He currently serves as the team’s director of player development and is involved heavily in the front office, as he continues on his post-playing career.
- If Nash was the most talented goal scorer in Columbus history, Patrik Laine might already be number two. The enigmatic forward has been on an absolute tear lately, including scoring two goals last night. One of those was another overtime winner, marking the sixth time he’s scored the game-winning goal this season. Through 31 games, Laine has 18 goals and 35 points, showing exactly why he was selected second overall in 2016. That outstanding play is coming at the perfect time for the 23-year-old Finn, who is set to become an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the offseason. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic recently asked Laine if he would be open to signing a long-term contract, to which he responded “of course” and that he likes everything about Columbus.
- The Blue Jackets have placed Joonas Kospisalo on injured reserve retroactive to February 15, meaning they’ll hit the road with Elvis Merzlikins, Jean-Francois Berube, and Jet Greaves. Berube was excellent again last night, stopping 39 of 42 shots from the Toronto Maple Leafs to earn his second win in as many games. This latest issue for Korpisalo only complicates his position as a trade deadline target, though likely not as much as his inconsistent play this season. The 27-year-old pending UFA has an .887 save percentage 18 appearances.
Marian Studenic Placed On Waivers
The New Jersey Devils have placed Marian Studenic on waivers, according to CapFriendly. Studenic cleared waivers earlier this season but has spent enough time with the NHL squad to need them again before being assigned to the minor leagues.
The 23-year-old forward has suited up 17 times for the Devils this season, scoring a single goal and averaging just under 12 minutes of ice time. A fifth-round pick from 2017, he hasn’t quite found where he fits in the organization yet, bouncing back and forth between the AHL and NHL the last two seasons.
Given the fact that he comes with just a one-year, two-way contract that carries an NHL cap hit of $750K, Studenic could potentially attract attention on waivers. Still, it seems more likely that he will clear and can return to the Utica Comets in the coming days.
For New Jersey, it is likely the result of Dougie Hamilton‘s impending return to the lineup. The team needed a roster spot to activate the defenseman, and Studenic is one of the most likely to sneak through waivers. Hamilton hasn’t played since January 2, when he suffered a broken jaw that required surgery.
Snapshots: Murray, PHF, Johnson
The Calgary Flames have hired former Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray as a scout, according to Eric Francis of Sportsnet. The long-time executive resigned his position with the Ducks a day after the team put him on administrative leave while an investigation was conducted into improper professional conduct. When he resigned, he indicated that he was entering an alcohol abuse program. Anaheim has since conducted and completed a search to fill the vacant GM position, hiring Pat Verbeek earlier this month.
According to Eric Stephens of The Athletic, Murray attended the Ducks’ recent game against the San Jose Sharks in a scouting capacity for the Flames. Murray and Flames head coach Darryl Sutter played together with the Chicago Blackhawks and have been connected several times since, most recently when Sutter was hired by the Ducks in 2019 as a coaching advisor.
- The PHF has tweaked some salary cap and roster rules as they head into the last part of their season, allowing teams to sign up to two new players from other professional leagues, spend over the salary cap, hold an extra skater on the roster, and dress an extra skater for each game. The league is set to more than double the salary cap for next season, after securing huge private investments earlier this year. In a statement, commissioner Tyler Tumminia–who will be moving on from the PHF after the 2022 Isobel Cup playoffs–used the words “attracting world class talent” in regards to this new rule tweak. That could indicate teams are going to target players from the PWHPA, which still includes many of the best women’s hockey players in the world.
- Tyler Johnson appears to be ready to return to action in the coming days, as Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago notes that the injured forward is practicing on the first powerplay unit at practice. Should he make his return on Friday as Roumeliotis suggests, it would mean a recovery period even shorter than Jack Eichel‘s, who had the same artificial disk replacement surgery. Johnson last played for the Blackhawks on October 29 and underwent the procedure on December 3.
AHL Shuffle: 02/23/22
Five games grace the NHL schedule this evening, including a classic matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings. While the rivalry isn’t exactly what it used to be, there’s still a lot of importance for both clubs. The Avalanche are trying to get back in the win column after a disappointing loss to Boston on Monday, and they’ll have to do it without the services of Nathan MacKinnon, who is out with a minor injury. Detroit meanwhile will test their young talent against one of the best teams in the league; Moritz Seider has averaged more than 25 minutes of ice time over his last four games, recording six points in the process. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have re-assigned Filip Gustavsson to the minor leagues, suggesting that Matt Murray will be rejoining the club soon after his wife gave birth this week. The team won again yesterday, with Anton Forsberg making 40 saves on 43 shots against the Minnesota Wild. Later in the day, the team also re-assigned Mark Kastelic to the AHL.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Joe Veleno from the AHL while also activating Carter Rowney. Veleno got into a couple of games with the Grand Rapids Griffins over the weekend, recording three points.
- David Alter of The Leafs Nation points out on Twitter that on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster page, Jake Muzzin is now listed on injured reserve, while Brennan Menell and Kristians Rubins have been recalled. Rasmus Sandin is also no longer on the roster–likely signaling that the team is getting as close as the salary cap ceiling as possible before moving Muzzin to long-term injured reserve, in order to receive the maximum salary cap relief.
Metropolitan Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Kasper Bjorkqvist from the AHL, though he skated as an extra at practice. The 24-year-old forward has six points in 33 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season and one goal in six matches with Pittsburgh.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Emil Bemstrom off the COVID-19 protocol list and leaned him back to the Cleveland Monsters. Bemstrom, 22, has four points in 13 games this season for the Blue Jackets in what has become a nightmare year. The fourth-round pick has just 16 games played between both levels to this point.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Jalen Chatfield from the minor leagues, after injuries to both Brendan Smith and Tony DeAngelo recently. Chatfield signed a two-year extension with the Hurricanes last month for exactly this reason, serving as strong injury insurance for Carolina.
Central Division
- The Chicago Blackhawks have activated Kevin Lankinen from injured reserve, meaning Arvid Soderblom is on his way back to the minor leagues. Soderblom, 22, has played in three games with the Blackhawks but is still looking for his first win at the NHL level.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Mason Shaw, as Michael Russo of The Athletic notes that Jordan Greenway is still doubtful to play tomorrow. Shaw, 23, has played in just two games for Minnesota this season but has 33 points in 41 games at the minor league level.
Pacific Division
This page will be updated throughout the day
Jujhar Khaira Undergoes Surgery
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that Jujhar Khaira underwent back surgery yesterday and is expected to be out between 10-12 weeks. Khaira hasn’t played in over a month and is currently on long-term injured reserve.
Signed to a two-year contract last summer that carries a cap hit of $975K, Khaira has played in just 27 games this season for the Blackhawks, and has just three points (all goals) to his name. With this new surgery, it is turning out to be a lost season for the big forward, who was supposed to add some size and versatility to the team’s bottom six.
This kind of timeline likely keeps him out for the rest of the regular season, meaning unless the Blackhawks go on an incredible run and make it into the playoffs, we won’t see Khaira again in 2021-22.
Dominik Bokk Loaned To DEL
It hasn’t worked for Dominik Bokk in the Carolina Hurricanes organization, and his time there may be coming to an end. The young forward has been loaned from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL to Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL for the rest of the season. He is expected to join the team tomorrow.
Bokk, 22, was the 25th overall pick in 2018 by the St. Louis Blues and ended up in Carolina as part of the package for Justin Faulk. In two seasons with the Wolves, he has recorded just 12 goals and 28 points in 61 games, finding himself further and further down the lineup. As Scott Wheeler of The Athletic points out on Twitter, this move “feels like it may be the end of the NHL road for him” though he’s obviously still young enough to prove otherwise, should his career turn around in Germany.
The German forward was selected after dominating the Swedish junior level with Vaxjo and has shown ability, if inconsistently, to produce high-end offensive results in the right environment. He was a big reason why his country worked its way back into the top division at the World Juniors, and then dominated at the 2020 event, scoring six goals in seven games.
Still signed for the 2022-23 season under his entry-level contract, it’s not clear where Bokk will spend next year. He would be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023.
Rodion Amirov Diagnosed With Brain Tumor
The Toronto Maple Leafs released a shocking and heartbreaking message to fans today. Rodion Amirov, the team’s first-round draft pick from 2020, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. The young forward is receiving medical attention at a facility in Germany after extensive testing the last few months led to this discovery. General manager Kyle Dubas explained:
Rodion commenced the 2021-22 season with Salavat Ufa of the KHL but suffered an injury to open the season. During the course of his recovery from this injury, he developed some new, unrelated symptoms that required ongoing extensive investigations over the last few months.
Rodion is currently undergoing treatment at a medical facility in Germany and will not return to play for the remainder of the season.
Our medical staff has been involved throughout the process alongside Ufa’s and we are in direct contact with the facility on an ongoing basis to monitor his treatment and care. Rodion has the complete support of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and we will continue to ensure he receives the best care possible throughout this process.
Out of respect for Rodion and his family, the Club will not have any further comment at this time.
Amirov, 20, has played just ten games this season with Ufa Salavat Yulayev, his KHL team. Speaking with Sportsnet, Amirov explained that he wants to “stay positive” and for people to “think positively” about him.
The young forward will not play again this season as he continues treatment, though his agent released a statement that includes some encouraging news. Amirov is still skating three times a week and working out every day. He is in “good spirits” and is “determined to return back to professional hockey.”
Bruins Acquire Rights To Michael Callahan
The Bruins have added some prospect depth, acquiring the rights to blueliner Michael Callahan from Arizona in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2024. Both teams have announced the trade.
The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick of the Coyotes (142nd overall) back in 2018 and is in his fourth and final season with Providence of the NCAA. Callahan is in his third season as captain of the Friars but is having a quieter season offensively with three goals and 11 assists in 34 games. By comparison, he had 28 points in 34 contests two years ago. Over his four years with Providence, he has 13 goals and 53 helpers in 134 games.
This move suggests that Arizona either didn’t want to sign Callahan by the August 15th deadline or the blueliner had indicated he didn’t want to sign with them. By doing this, GM Bill Armstrong recoups a draft pick, albeit one that’s two rounds lower than the one that he was drafted in. Meanwhile, Boston believes they can sign the Massachusetts native and if they can, that’s a low price to pay for a prospect defender.