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Golden Knights Interested In Erik Gustafsson

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Earlier on Wednesday, the Golden Knights made a big addition to their back end with the acquisition of Alec Martinez.  If they have their way, they may not be done there as Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Vegas has shown interest in Blackhawks blueliner Erik Gustafsson.

The 27-year-old picked up 60 points last season to finish sixth in the NHL in scoring by a defenseman.  However, he hasn’t been anywhere near as productive this year; although he leads all Chicago blueliners in points, he only has 26 points in 58 games.  He recently admitted that his contract situation – he’s a pending unrestricted free agent – has weighed on him this year.

Vegas had to do considerable salary cap maneuvering simply to fit Martinez in which involved moving Alex Tuch to LTIR and recalling three players so their cap space is limited.  However, with Gustafsson carrying a $1.2MM cap hit (just $500K above the league minimum), it’s one that they should be able to afford.

However, many other teams can also afford someone at that price tag and while his numbers are down, Gustafsson is still one of the more intriguing blueliners out there that could be moved by Monday’s trade deadline.  Contenders could use him in a sheltered role with power play time which is probably his ideal role anyway so Chicago should have considerable interest outside of Vegas.

The Golden Knights have shown a distinct preference to avoid rental players but with nearly $69MM in cap commitments to just a dozen players for next season, it’s unlikely that they would be able to afford to give Gustafsson an extension.  That means for this occasion at least, they’ll have to go against that strategy.

Maple Leafs Acquire Max Veronneau

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The Maple Leafs have swung their second trade of the day as they have acquired winger Max Veronneau from Ottawa in exchange for center Aaron Luchuk and a conditional 2021 sixth-round pick.  Both teams have confirmed the deal.  TSN’s Frank Seravalli adds (Twitter link) that the pick will be transferred to the Senators if Veronneau plays in ten NHL games this season or Toronto re-signs him this summer.

Veronneau was one of the most sought after players in last year’s college free agent market after a strong college career at Princeton but ultimately signed with his hometown team.  He played in a dozen games with Ottawa down the stretch that year, recording two goals and two assists but has spent the entirety of the season with AHL Belleville, recording just five goals and five assists in 33 games.  Ottawa had made him available earlier this month.  He’ll require a qualifying offer of just over $874K this summer.

As for Luchuk, he returns to the organization that originally signed him as an undrafted free agent out of the OHL.  However, his scoring prowess with Windsor and Barrie has failed to carry over to the pros and he has spent the bulk of his time this season with ECHL Newfoundland where he is averaging over a point per game.  His inclusion is likely almost solely for matching contracts (teams can carry a maximum of 50).  He’s a restricted free agent this offseason as well and at this point, is a strong non-tender candidate.

Moments after this trade was announced, their AHL affiliates announced a swap of players under AHL contracts as well that is likely part of this trade with the Marlies acquiring defenseman Trent Bourque from the Senators for winger Darren Archibald.  Bourque has spent most of the season with ECHL Brampton while Archibald, a veteran of 55 NHL games and more than 400 AHL contests, has a dozen points in 34 AHL contests this season.

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Zajac, Clutterbuck

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If Penguins GM Jim Rutherford has his way, there is another trade to come for Pittsburgh.  Speaking with NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger, he indicated that he’d like to try to add another forward to add some more balance to their top-12.  With their remaining cap room, another big addition is unlikely but someone to contribute on their third or fourth line would give them a small boost and hedge against injury trouble, something the team is quite familiar with this season.

One possible trade chip they have is goaltender Casey DeSmith who has played well this season for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while posting a .917 save percentage over his two seasons with the Penguins.  However, Rutherford stated that he has no intention of moving DeSmith (or one of his current NHL goalies) and instead will keep the 28-year-old as insurance.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • With the Devils clearly selling, some have speculated if center Travis Zajac may be willing to reconsider his previous unwillingness to waive his no-move clause. However, he told Abbey Mastracco of The Bergen Record that right now, he wants to remain with the team while interim GM Tom Fitzgerald indicated that the veteran isn’t going anywhere.  The 34-year-old has spent the entirety of his 14-year NHL career in New Jersey and still has one year left on his contract after this one with a $5.75MM AAV.
  • The Islanders appear to be closer to getting one of their veteran forwards back in the lineup. Newsday’s Andrew Gross notes that the team hopes that winger Cal Clutterbuck will be able to return to practice by Monday.  He has been out for the last two months due to a wrist injury and him potentially practicing over the next few days is a good sign that he could be nearing a return.  While the 32-year-old isn’t a big offensive producer, he is one of the most physical forwards in the league and is one of their most-used penalty killers.

Trade Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers

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With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Philadelphia Flyers.

They changed their coach, bringing in a veteran in Alain Vigneault. They changed their defense, bringing in veterans Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun. They even changed the center position, spending $50MM on veteran Kevin Hayes. Unfortunately all that change has the Philadelphia Flyers exactly where they’ve been for nearly a decade—fighting to barely make the playoffs.

Obviously that opening paragraph is a bit of a pessimistic look at the Flyers season, given that they currently have their best points percentage since 2011-12, but their tenuous grasp on a Metropolitan playoff spot will inform the upcoming trade deadline. The team is just a single point ahead of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets, meaning this trade deadline could really decide who gets the final divisional spot.

Record

33-20-7, third in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$1.33MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 4th, NSH 4th, PHI 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th, MTL 7th
2021: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th

Trade Chips

The first thing to mention when talking about how the Flyers might go about the deadline is cap space, or lack thereof. Not only is the team extremely tight to the cap right now, they also have Nolan Patrick looking like he will return off long-term injured reserve at some point. That doesn’t completely rule out any moves, but it might mean they have to move a roster player or two if any big additions are to be made.

With that in mind, it’s hard to not immediately think of Shayne Gostisbehere once again. The 26-year old defenseman has another three years on his current deal that carries a $4.5MM cap hit, but has been nowhere near the rookie who put up 17 goals and 46 points in 64 games or the third-year player who scored 65. In fact, Gostisbehere has just 12 points this season in 41 games and has seen his playing time drastically reduced. You can bet that other teams are wondering if they could buy low on Gostisbehere and try to coax out that first-pairing puck-mover again, but his contract and history make it a complicated deal.

Defense however is an interesting position to watch with the Flyers, given just how many young options they have in the organization. Look past Niskanen and Braun for a moment and you’ll see six other players 26-or-under that can handle (or even dominate) NHL minutes. If one of them had to go, even if it wasn’t Gostisbehere, the Flyers could still have a strong depth chart moving forward.

Even past those young rostered defensemen are some top-end prospects on defense in Yegor Zamula, Cam York and Adam Ginning (though the latter has taken a step backwards this season) which makes things even more expendable. It’s hard to see them moving Zamula or York at this point, but you can bet teams would be trying to pry something out of the Philadelphia system.

Goaltending prospects may also be a group to watch, given that the Philadelphia net will belong to Carter Hart for the next decade or more. Kirill Ustimenko and Felix Sandstrom are both high-upside goaltenders in the system that may be coveted, even if they are still relatively far from NHL duty.

Five Players To Watch For: D Shayne Gostisbehere, D Robert Hagg, F Michael Raffl, D Adam Ginning, D Mark Friedman

Team Needs

1) Center Depth: A lot of this depends on the health of Patrick, who has been practicing with the team of late. It’s not clear when the young forward will be back from his migraine issue, but even when he does the team could probably still afford an upgrade down the middle. It’s why Jeff Carter’s name has been thrown around recently, even if a deal of that magnitude would be difficult given their current cap situation.

2) Top-Six Winger: In a perfect world, adding another high-flying winger like Chris Kreider might appeal to the Flyers as well, given the fact that the team has just one player with 20 goals on the year. They can score with a deep offensive group, but when Oskar Lindblom was ruled out for the year, one of their most talented pure goal scorers was ripped from the roster. Again, it might be tough acquiring someone like this given their salary restraints, meaning it would have to probably be a bigger deal than just draft picks for a rental.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, Foote, Brodeur

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The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has released his midseason draft prospect ranking (subscription required), where he takes a detailed look at the top 31 prospects while also ranking the second round. It won’t surprise you that Alexis Lafreniere is at the top, though the rest of his first round comes with some surprises.

One of those may be Jake Sanderson, who is the lone American-born player in the top-31. Sanderson sits at No. 25, making it quite a weak draft for the United States (especially compared to last year’s loaded class). The piece has enough information for you to spend an afternoon picking apart, especially as draft picks are swapped over the next several days.

  • The Kelowna Rockets of the WHL have made a change behind the bench, releasing former NHL defenseman Adam Foote from his duties as head coach. This is almost unheard of for a team to do just before they host the Memorial Cup, but with Kelowna sitting with a losing record obviously they felt a change should be made. Foote’s son, Nolan Foote, just had a big change in his career path as well after being traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the New Jersey Devils. He’ll have to chase that Memorial Cup without his dad looking over his shoulder.
  • Another famous hockey name is in the news today, as Jeremy Brodeur has signed with the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. Son of legendary NHL goaltender Martin Brodeur, the 23-year old netminder went undrafted and played last season in the ECHL.

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Alec Martinez

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Wednesday: The trade for Martinez has been officially announced. Vegas receives the veteran defenseman in exchange for their 2020 second-round pick and St. Louis’ 2021 second-round pick. The Kings will not retain any of Martinez’ salary.

The Golden Knights have also recalled Jimmy Schuldt, Zach Whitecloud and Nicolas Roy, while placing Alex Tuch on injured reserve.

Tuesday: The Vegas Golden Knights are trying to get in on the defenseman party, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports they are working on a deal that would see Alec Martinez arrive from the Los Angeles Kings. In return, McKenzie believes the Kings would receive a package of two second-round picks. The deal has not been completed yet, and may not be officially announced until tomorrow, even though Martinez will not play for Los Angeles this evening.

Martinez, unlike the other rental defensemen traded today, has another year left on his contract. He also carries a $4MM cap hit, meaning the Golden Knights would need to make some extra room by either sending down a player or having the Kings retain some of Martinez’ salary. That also could be the hold up in the deal, as by waiting another day they will open enough cap space to fit Martinez in without any salary retention. Vegas sent down Zach Whitecloud earlier today and sit with just 20 players on the roster.

The Golden Knights do have two second-round selections this season (their own and Pittsburgh’s) and three next year (their own, New Jersey’s and St. Louis’). They also have a desperate need for some help on defense if they are to compete in the Pacific Division, which is so tightly packed there is just two points between first and fifth. More specifically, the Golden Knights need a player who can quickly get the puck up to their talented forwards to take some pressure off Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore. While Martinez hasn’t had the same offensive impact the last few years in Los Angeles, he was once a staple on the team’s powerplay and has multiple 30+ point seasons.

The fact that he is signed for another season is also a huge bonus for the Golden Knights, who currently have three regulars in Nick Holden, Jonathon Merrill and Deryk Engelland set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer. Though Whitecloud, Nicolas Hague and Jimmy Schuldt all could be up in the NHL next year, Martinez gives Vegas another legitimate top-four option.

Over each of the past five seasons, Martinez has averaged at least 21 minutes a night for the Kings, playing in all situations. His versatility is maybe his best attribute, especially the fact that he has no problem playing the left or right side (despite being left-handed). That will certainly come in handy (pun intended) during a playoff run, as teams often deal with injuries on the back end.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Stefan Matteau

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have rewarded one of their minor league forwards, signing Stefan Matteau to a two-year, two-way contract. The deal takes Matteau through the 2020-21 season, and replaces the AHL contract he had been playing in the minor leagues under. PuckPedia reports that the deal carries a cap hit of $725K in the NHL.

Matteau will join the Blue Jackets before Thursday’s game. GM Jarmo Kekalainen explained why he made the deal:

Stefan has played very well while serving in a leadership role with our AHL affiliate in Cleveland this year. He has earned this opportunity and we are excited to see him continue to develop as a member of our organization.

Matteau, 25, settled for a AHL contract after becoming a group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of last season. A first-round pick by the New Jersey Devils in 2012, Matteau never did grow into his potential and has only played 64 games in the NHL. During his tenure in the minor leagues he has been a solid contributor, but his 28 points this year actually set a career-high.

For Columbus, Matteau is just another call-up in an injury riddled season that they’ve somehow managed to navigate. He likely won’t play a major role, but does give them some professional experience in the bottom six.

Minor Transactions: 02/19/20

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Six games are on the schedule for this evening, including an interesting matchup between the division leading Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. It will be a real test for the Oilers without Connor McDavid or Oscar Klefbom, against one of the true Stanley Cup contenders this season. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed John Marino on injured reserve after his recent surgery, meaning they had a spot on the roster for another defenseman. Zach Trotman is that defenseman for now, after he was recalled today from the AHL.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Nicolas Meloche from the AHL to fill Brenden Dillon’s spot, after the veteran was traded yesterday. Meloche has yet to play an NHL game in his young career, but was the 40th overall selection in 2015.
  • Christian Folin has been recalled by the Montreal Canadiens, after Victor Mete left last night’s game with an injury. Folin has played in seven games for the Canadiens this season, recording two points.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Mark Friedman from the minor leagues, giving them another defenseman for tomorrow’s road game in Columbus. Friedman has played five games for the Flyers this season.
  • Glenn Gawdin has been returned to the AHL by the Calgary Flames, who only recalled him two days ago. The 22-year old forward is still waiting to get his first NHL game action.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Evan Bouchard

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The Edmonton Oilers have recalled top prospect Evan Bouchard from the AHL, as they deal with the injury to Oscar Klefbom. Markus Granlund has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, while Klefbom moves to injured reserve.

In 50 games this season with Bakersfield, Bouchard has recorded seven goals and 33 points, easily leading all defenders and trailing only Josh Currie and Tyler Benson for the team scoring lead. The 20-year old defenseman was selected 10th overall by the Oilers in 2018 and played seven NHL contests with them last season before returning to the London Knights of the OHL.

A two-way horse that regularly logged more than 30 minutes in a single game while in junior, the 6’3″ Bouchard’s real upside is in his offensive ability. Though he doesn’t have the same skating ability or puck skills of some other top rookie defensemen like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, his quick decision making and precision passing (even at great distances) can create countless chances for his teammates. His shot has also always been a weapon, including getting him to a 25-goal season in his draft year.

Klefbom is dealing with an injury that will keep him out a few weeks, meaning Bouchard may get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level. The question is how many games will he get, as his contract is still slide-eligible. That means if Bouchard plays in fewer than ten games with the Oilers down the stretch his entry-level contract would still not kick in until next season, giving Edmonton another cheap year. Of course, many teams look much more closely at the 40-game threshold that would move a player one year closer to unrestricted free agency, something that Bouchard can no longer hit this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Denis Malgin

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Just moments after announcing that Andreas Johnsson will miss six months following surgery, the Toronto Maple Leafs have potentially replaced him in the lineup. Toronto has acquired Denis Malgin from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Mason Marchment. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Malgin had asked several times for a trade out of Florida.

Not only does Malgin bring a bit more skill to the Maple Leafs’ group, he’s also a familiar face for one of their brightest stars. Auston Matthews was a teammate of Malgin during the 2015-16 season with Zurich of the Swiss NLA. It’s hard to imagine the two playing on the same line in Toronto, but after head coach Sheldon Keefe has repeatedly called out his bottom-six for not producing enough of late, there will be opportunity for the former Panther to find playing time.

Malgin, 23, has just four goals and 12 points in 36 games for Florida this season, but has at least shown an ability to compete at the NHL level. The same can’t really be said for Marchment, who despite being more than a year older has just four games under his belt with the Maple Leafs. The son of a former NHL defenseman, Marchment went undrafted but was developed by the Toronto organization into a physical forward that can contribute some offense at the minor league level.

In terms of cap implications, Malgin actually carries a slightly lower hit this season at $750K but would require waivers to go to the minor leagues. He is also a restricted free agent at the end of the year with arbitration rights, though his production so far would not warrant much of a raise. Marchment, who was sent back to the Toronto Marlies yesterday, is waiver-exempt for this season but will also become an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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