John Klingberg Trade Talks Ramping Up
As the trade deadline approaches, many eyes have turned to the Dallas Stars after John Klingberg spoke publicly about the lack of extension negotiations making him feel underappreciated. Klingberg’s representatives received approval from the club earlier this season to approach other teams to try and find a fit as the veteran defenseman approaches unrestricted free agency, but there hasn’t been a deal completed to this point.
Through the first part of the season, Klingberg had been getting his normal ice time, well over 20 minutes on most nights. Recently though, those numbers have dropped and tonight will be a huge change, as the former Norris Trophy nominee is skating on the third pairing against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet spoke about the situation on tonight’s 32 Thoughts segment:
The Dallas Stars have stepped up their efforts to trade John Klingberg. We believe very much that he is getting dealt. Hard to say exactly when, but Dallas does seem aggressive in wanting to get something done soon-ish.
Today, Stars head coach Rick Bowness told reporters including Saad Yousuf of The Athletic that if he could have, he would have made some “surprising” healthy scratches tonight as he looks to get his team back on track. Dallas doesn’t really have the option to do that right now as several players are on the COVID protocol.
Whether Klingberg would have been one of those isn’t clear, but it’s obvious that the team is preparing for a time without the pending UFA. At the time of this writing, he has the fifth-most ice time among Dallas defenders tonight, only ahead of partner Joel Hanley.
One thing to note when it comes to Klingberg speculation is that the 29-year-old defenseman has does not have any trade protection in his current contract and could be sent anywhere. His $4.25MM cap hit could also make him rather palatable for even the most cap-strapped contenders, depending on what comes back to Dallas. Through 29 games this season (before tonight), Klingberg has 17 points.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Vancouver Canucks
In the spirit of the holiday season, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season approaches the midway mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Vancouver Canucks.
What are the Canucks thankful for?
New leadership.
Quite frankly, former Canucks GM Jim Benning should have been fired a long time ago. After a stint with the Boston Bruins front office, Benning took over as general manager of the Canucks in 2014. After making it back to the playoffs in year one, Vancouver missed in five of the next six seasons, only making it to the postseason in the 2020 bubble.
Not only did they fail to have any substantive on-ice success, but they also routinely missed on high draft picks despite Benning earning a reputation as a good scout. Jake Virtanen (sixth overall 2014), and Olli Juolevi (5th overall 2016) were both huge whiffs for the organization, while second-round picks like Jonah Gadjovich, Kole Lind, and Jett Woo have also failed to make much of an impact at the NHL level to this point. Even with a team still quite far from contending for a Stanley Cup, the Canucks ranked 28th in Scott Wheeler’s recent prospect pool rankings for The Athletic.
It’s not that Jim Rutherford is guaranteed success in Vancouver, but fans have been clamoring for change longer than most bases. Just having a different voice is important after so much failure.
Who are the Canucks thankful for?
There have been a lot of astute hockey minds saying things like “Travis Green is a good coach, he’ll land on his feet elsewhere” since the Canucks made a change behind the bench, but there was no doubt a new brand of coaching needed to be brought in. Boudreau has gone 8-2-1 since arriving in Vancouver, continuing his history of finding immediate success when he arrives in struggling markets.
Once again, it’s not that there is a guarantee this will continue–in fact, it looks as though the new coach bump might already be wearing off–but there needed to be a new voice behind the bench. Notably, the veteran coach appears to have a positive impact on Brock Boeser, the team’s struggling sniper. Five of his nine goals this season came in the six games leading into the holiday break, all under Boudreau.
What would the Canucks be even more thankful for?
An Elias Pettersson sighting.
One of the most puzzling things to happen to the Canucks this season has been the disappearance of their young star. Pettersson, the 2019 Calder Trophy winner and a player who earned Hart Trophy votes in 2020, has looked completely lost at times. After scoring 153 points in his first 165 games in the NHL, Pettersson has just 17 in 36 this season, good for sixth on the Canucks’ roster.
The team was never expected to really contend for a Stanley Cup this season, but without Pettersson playing to the level he once did, it will be difficult to even stay competitive in the Pacific Division. There are excuses that could be used–a long injury and a missed training camp in particular–but after signing a three-year, $22.05MM deal in October, Pettersson has to be better.
What should be on the Canucks’ wish list?
Cap relief.
When Benning and his staff went out and acquired Conor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson last summer, they ensured that the team would be capped out not only this season but moving forward as well. The Canucks have more than $71MM owed to just 15 players for 2022-23, not leaving much flexibility.
If Rutherford realizes that this group isn’t going to get it done, biting the bullet on some tough trades would be the move at the deadline. Moving out Ekman-Larsson or Tyler Myers would probably be the best options, but names like Boeser, J.T. Miller, and even captain Bo Horvat will have to be discussed at some point. It’s not that these are all players that can no longer contribute, but right now the Canucks are basically locked into this group, with free agent negotiations on the horizon and no real success to show for it.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Injury Updates: Martinez, Murray, Wild, Oshie
It appears that the Golden Knights will soon be getting a key defenseman back in their lineup. In an interview with SinBin.Vegas (audio link), owner Bill Foley indicated that Alec Martinez was nearing a return had it not been for the veteran contracting COVID-19. Martinez has been out since mid-November with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss at least ten days due to his protocol placement, meaning it’s not an asymptomatic case so he won’t return until the middle of next week at the earliest. Martinez and his $5.25MM AAV are currently on LTIR and Vegas will likely need to transfer winger Max Pacioretty onto LTIR in order to activate the blueliner back onto the active roster.
Other injury news from around the league:
- Avalanche defenseman Ryan Murray left Friday’s victory over Arizona with an upper-body injury, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The oft-injured 28-year-old has struggled with Colorado this season, averaging just over 14 minutes per game in 21 contests. The expectation is that Kurtis MacDermid, who had been playing on the wing recently, will now go back to his natural position on the back end to take Murray’s place.
- The Wild could get defenseman Jared Spurgeon and goaltender Cam Talbot back in the lineup for their upcoming home-and-home set against Chicago, suggests Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). Those games are slated for Friday and Saturday of next week. Spurgeon has missed the last three weeks with a lower-body injury while Talbot has missed nearly two weeks with a lower-body issue of his own.
- The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that winger T.J. Oshie sustained an upper-body injury in today’s game against the Islanders. It has been a tough season for the veteran from a health perspective as he has already missed time due to three separate injuries while missing a game in COVID protocol. In between all of those, the 35-year-old has been fairly productive with 13 points in 17 games.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Calgary Flames
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 2021-22 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.
Calgary Flames
Current Cap Hit: $79,991,525 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
No regulars in Calgary’s lineup are on entry-level deals.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
F Johnny Gaudreau ($6.75MM, UFA)
D Erik Gudbranson ($1.95MM, UFA)
F Trevor Lewis ($800K, UFA)
D Oliver Kylington ($750K, RFA)
F Andrew Mangiapane ($2.325MM, RFA)
F Tyler Pitlick ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Brad Richardson ($800K, UFA)
F Brett Ritchie ($900K, UFA)
D Michael Stone ($750K, UFA)
F Matthew Tkachuk ($7MM, RFA)
D Nikita Zadorov ($3.75MM, UFA)
Gaudreau is obviously the UFA to watch for here. After a couple of quieter years, he has bounced back somewhat this season and is averaging just over a point per game, a mark he has only reached twice in his career. That will certainly give his value a boost at the right time. There are two big questions here – what is he worth and is it worth it for Calgary to pay that? He’ll be 29 to start next season so a max-term contract isn’t out of the question (eight years for the Flames, seven for everyone else) with the last couple being a little cheaper in salary to lower the AAV. Still, it’s quite possible that Gaudreau pushes past the $8MM range and since he is part of a core group that has largely underachieved, should Calgary willingly pay a fair bit more to keep it together? If Gaudreau wants top dollar, I’m not sure it comes from the Flames.
The other big one to watch for obviously is Tkachuk. He’s subject to the old qualifying offer rule which means a $9MM offer needs to be tendered to retain his rights. It’s hard to see him willingly taking a long-term deal at that price point so GM Brad Treliving will need to go higher than that to stop the 24-year-old from taking the offer and heading straight to UFA eligibility in 2023. Another RFA in line for a significant raise is Mangiapane, their top goal-getter this season. With arbitration eligibility and potentially a 30-goal year under his belt (he’s more than halfway there at 18), it’s not unrealistic to think he has a shot at doubling his current price tag. If Calgary pays all three of those, they could be looking at adding $7MM or more just to retain their current forwards let alone add to the group.
As for the other forwards, Pitlick hasn’t had a good season and has struggled since coming over from Seattle. He’ll likely have to settle for something closer to the $1MM range next year as a result. Ritchie, Lewis, and Richardson have all recently gone through the UFA market and deals at just above the minimum were all they were able to get. None have done enough to drastically improve their fortunes much beyond what they’re making now.
On the back end, Zadorov hasn’t quite fit in as well as Calgary hoped as he has been scratched at times and on the third pairing for most of the year. That’s only going to hurt his value instead of the change of scenery from Chicago helping it. His value is tough to peg as someone in his role should be making less than half of what he currently is but it still wouldn’t be surprising if he wound up with a deal in the $2.75MM or more range in the summer. Gudbranson continues to be a physical player on the third pairing and after taking a cut last summer, another small dip is likely. Kylington will be in a much different situation as he has been one of Calgary’s best offensive blueliners this season and will have arbitration eligibility this time around. Some sheltered minutes could play a factor in a hearing but him landing something around $2MM is probably doable. Stone is a depth player and has been for a few years now and he’ll either re-sign for the minimum or they’ll find another depth player willing to play for that salary.
Two Years Remaining
F Milan Lucic ($5.25MM, UFA)*
D Connor Mackey ($913K, RFA)
F Sean Monahan ($6.375MM, UFA)
D Juuso Valimaki ($1.55MM, RFA)
G Daniel Vladar ($750K, RFA)
*-Edmonton is retaining another $750K on Lucic’s deal
Monahan has seen his value dip in recent years and this season hasn’t gone particularly well either. He’s not the number one center they hoped he’d be but lately, he hasn’t even been a second-line pivot. If Monahan can get back to that level, a contract that’s only a bit below his current AAV is still manageable. However, if his current trend continues, something in the $3.5MM to $4MM range becomes more realistic. Lucic is nowhere near the player he once was and is now more of a role player (although with eight goals this season, he’s still contributing a bit offensively). If he gets another contract beyond this one, it will be more commensurate with a fourth liner.
Valimaki’s bridge deal seemed reasonable at the time but after hardly playing in the first two months of the year, he’s in the minors. Waivers will take that option off the table next season but if he’s still barely playing at that time, his $1.86MM qualifying offer could be an issue. Mackey is on a one-way deal which warrants at least a mention here although he has been in AHL Stockton all season. Again, that won’t be an option next year without waivers which could earn him a spot and if he can do that, he could be kept around the $1MM mark.
Vladar has impressed in his first full-time NHL role, albeit in sporadic minutes as the backup goaltender. With how head coach Darryl Sutter is using Vladar, it’s going to be hard for him to command high-end backup money two years from now although something beyond the $2MM mark is certainly a possibility.
Three Years Remaining
F Mikael Backlund ($5.35MM, UFA)
F Dillon Dube ($2.3MM, RFA)
D Noah Hanifin ($4.95MM, UFA)
F Elias Lindholm ($4.85MM, UFA)
D Chris Tanev ($4.5MM, UFA)
Backlund has been a reliable secondary scorer for Calgary while being a key piece defensively for most of the contract. The scoring part hasn’t been there this season, however, and with Monahan and Lindholm also in the fold, he looks like a possible candidate to be moved if Treliving wants to shake things up. Given the demand for centers, there will still be a good market for him. Lindholm has become quite the bargain since coming over from Carolina as he has become the consistent scoring threat that he wasn’t able to be with the Hurricanes while transitioning to playing back down the middle full-time. Assuming he can continue on that trajectory for the next few years, he could land a few extra million per year in 2024. Dube had gradually taken some steps forward over the last couple of seasons, convincing Calgary to give him this three-year deal last offseason. The early returns haven’t been great as he has been more of an energy player than a secondary producer but there’s still time for him to turn it around.
Hanifin isn’t a top-pairing defender as his draft stock suggested he would be when he went fifth overall in 2015 but he’s a quality top-four player who can log some heavy minutes. He’ll hit the open market at 27 in the prime of his career and should be able to command close to a max-term contract with a fairly significant bump in pay at that time. Tanev, on the other hand, is in the back end of his career. While he remains a quality defender, his injury history and a lack of production make this a contract that might not age well over the last few seasons.
COVID Notes: Halak, Sabres, Connolly, Sheary, Oilers, Stutzle, Sillinger
The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Jaroslav Halak has been placed into COVID protocol. The veteran was set to get the start for today’s game against Carolina but instead, that will go to Thatcher Demko with Spencer Martin coming up from the taxi squad. Halak has made just eight appearances this season and has a $1.25MM bonus pending when he gets to his tenth. He’ll now have to wait a little longer to get that bonus, one that has recently landed himself in trade speculation as well.
More COVID news from around the NHL:
- Sabres winger Tage Thompson and center Peyton Krebs have both cleared COVID protocol, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Thompson will suit up tonight in Detroit while they will take it a little slower with Krebs and re-assess his status on Sunday.
- Blackhawks winger Brett Connolly has entered COVID protocol, relays John Dietz of the Daily Herald (Twitter link). The veteran has only played in four games with Chicago this season and has spent most of the year in the minors. Defenseman Ian Mitchell was recalled from AHL Rockford just a day after being sent down.
- The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that winger Conor Sheary has been placed in COVID protocol. The 29-year-old has impressed in his second season in Washington, notching ten goals and nine assists in 31 games, good for third on the team in goals.
- The Oilers have taken wingers Warren Foegele and Tyler Benson plus defenseman Slater Koekkoek out of COVID protocol, mentions Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels (Twitter link). With those activations, Edmonton – who last played on January 5th – will be able to dress 18 skaters against Ottawa tonight.
- The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have removed winger Tim Stutzle from COVID protocol. The just-turned 20-year-old has had a bit of a quieter sophomore season than expected, collecting five goals and ten assists in 29 games.
- The Blue Jackets have placed center Cole Sillinger in COVID protocol, per a team release. The rookie has held down a regular spot in the lineup with Columbus this season, notching 13 points in 35 games. Liam Foudy has been recalled from the taxi squad to take Sillinger’s place on the roster.
Alex Stalock Clears Waivers
Saturday: Stalock has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
Friday: It’s not often a positive outcome when a player is put on waivers, but that’s exactly the case today. Alex Stalock has been placed on waivers by the Edmonton Oilers, meaning that he passed his physical and will attempt a comeback with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Stalock had missed the entire first part of the season with a heart condition and it was not clear at all if his career would continue.
There is a chance of a claim, but it is very unlikely in this case as Stalock is not ready to play in the NHL. Any claiming team would have to keep him on the active roster, not really something that is possible for a netminder who hasn’t seen game action since August 2020.
In 2020-21, Stalock was listed out to start the year with an upper-body injury. Michael Russo of The Athletic reported last March that it was actually myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, that was keeping Stalock out. That diagnosis followed a bout with COVID-19, one that he tested positive for but did not experience any symptoms during. Waivers at that point were supposed to get him to the Minnesota taxi squad, but the Oilers claimed him as added goaltending depth not only last season but into the future. Stalock was only on the second season of an inexpensive three-year deal, one that he is currently still playing under.
After initially being ruled out for the entire 2021-22 season, Stalock’s return to Bakersfield will be the first step in his comeback attempt. Waivers are usually a demotion, but this time it’s a step in the right direction.
Rangers Have Shown Interest In Artturi Lehkonen
The Rangers have been looking to add to their bottom six group for several weeks now following the season-ending injury to Sammy Blais. It appears that one of the players that they’re interested in is Canadiens winger Artturi Lehkonen as Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that GM Chris Drury has reached out to Canadiens Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton to discuss Lehkonen’s availability with those discussions being termed as preliminary.
The 26-year-old hasn’t been able to repeat the 18-goal performance he had in his rookie season but has become a reliable defensive forward for Montreal over his six-year NHL career. Like many Canadiens this season, he has struggled offensively, notching just four goals and eight assists in 33 games but also leads all Montreal forwards in penalty killing time.
He would likely have a similar role if he was to be acquired by the Rangers, one that would see him primarily in their bottom six while playing a significant role on their penalty kill, giving them another above-average forward on that front along with newcomer Barclay Goodrow.
While Lehkonen is on an expiring contract, he still has one year left of arbitration eligibility with a qualifying offer of $2.3MM, matching his current cap hit and salary. To that end, this isn’t a situation where it’s a guarantee that he’ll be moved by the March 21st trade deadline. Accordingly, the asking price may be higher than it would be for someone in a similar role that’s set to hit the open market in July.
With ample salary cap space (nearly $10MM per CapFriendly), the Rangers have the opportunity to try to add multiple players over the next couple of months but with pricey extensions already in place for Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad for next season, their cap flexibility will be short-lived. As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Drury also on the lookout for some pending unrestricted free agents in the weeks to come.
Mattias Ekholm Added To COVID Protocol
When the Nashville Predators take the ice against the Boston Bruins this afternoon they will be missing another one of their cornerstone players. The team has announced that defenseman Mattias Ekholm has been placed into the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol. With forward Filip Forsberg also still on the COVID list, the Predators will be missing two impact players for the foreseeable future.
Ekholm is part of Nashville’s dominant top pair alongside Roman Josi, who each play over 23 minutes of ice time per night. While the second pair of Alexandre Carrier and Dante Fabbro have performed well this season, Ekholm’s absence will be felt, especially if he misses an extended stretch. The Predators have a busy week ahead, starting a stretch of five games in eight days on Saturday, with divisional match-ups against St. Louis and Winnipeg among them. While the Preds have the appearance of a division leader due to total points, their record is in fact fourth in the Central, sandwiched between the Blues and Jets. Ekholm’s stable play in big minutes and critical penalty kill role are not easily replaced, so the Predators will hope he can return to the lineup sooner rather than later.
Nashville did get one name back from the COVID Protocol though and that is forward Yakov Trenin. The physical winger has cleared the protocol’s requirement and is back in the lineup on Saturday. Trenin is fifth among Predators forwards with nine goals this season and in the top ten in points too, well on his way to a career year.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/15/22
Today marks the busiest slate of games in the NHL since the calendar flipped to 2022, even with a schedule change. All 32 clubs were in fact expected to play today, but with three postponements in Canada, 26 teams will hit the ice on Saturday with the start times for 13 match-ups ranging over 10 hours. With so many teams preparing for action – three of whom will suit up again tomorrow as well – look for a flurry of roster activity today:
Atlantic Division
- A top Senators prospect is getting another chance to stick in Ottawa. Defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker has been recalled from the taxi squad, the team announced. A first-round pick in 2018, Bernard-Docker played in five games with Ottawa last season after leaving the University of North Dakota, but has only seen five NHL games so far this year. However, his consistency with AHL Belleville combined with his clear upside will make it hard for the Senators to keep him out of the lineup moving forward.
Metropolitan Division
- The New York Rangers have been keeping busy today. The team first announced that goaltender Keith Kinkaid has been reassigned from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack with prospect Tyler Wall recalled in his place. This is likely an effort to get the veteran third-stringer some playing time in the minors while Wall, an impressive collegiate product of UMass Lowell, earns some experience working with the NHL group. Next, the team made the welcomed reveal that forwards Julien Gauthier and Ryan Reaves, as well as head coach Gerard Gallant and assistant Mike Kelly, have cleared COVID Protocol. As a result, they announced the corresponding move of forward Anthony Greco returning to the taxi squad. Greco made his Rangers debut on Thursday, his first NHL game since 2018 and just the second of his six-year pro career despite strong AHL numbers.
- Young New Jersey Devils netminder Akira Schmid has cleared COVID Protocol and has been reassigned to AHL Utica, the team announced. With the Devils off this weekend, Schmid will be able to shake off the rust by suiting up for some AHL action instead. The big Swiss keeper has made the uncommon and impressive jump from the USHL directly to the NHL this season, with three appearances for New Jersey as a 21-year-old first-year pro.
- The Washington Capitals have announced the recall of veteran defenseman Michal Kempny from the taxi squad. The 31-year-old has only suited up three times this season in the NHL, instead spending most of the year with Hershey of the AHL after clearing waivers. He has seven assists in 24 games with the Bears.
Central Division
- Alex Goligoski has been activated from the league’s COVID Protocol, which has had a domino effect in Minnesota. The Wild announced that fellow defensemen Calen Addison and Dakota Mermis have each been demoted as a result, with Addison moving to the taxi squad and Mermis to AHL Iowa. Goaltender Andrew Hammond and impressive rookie forward Matt Boldy have also re-joined the taxi squad. In the case of Boldy, the placement should be temporary; the 2019 first-round pick has logged three points in his first three NHL games.
- The Nashville Predators have reshuffled their taxi squad forwards. Matt Luff has been promoted to the active roster, where has logged three points in eight games in his first season with Nashville. Meanwhile, Cody Glass has been demoted to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. In his first season in Nashville, the 2017 No. 6 overall has played in just four NHL games and has been kept off the score sheet.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled Alexey Toropchenko from the taxi squad. The big winger has played in four games with the Blues so far this season, but with no points to show for it. Playing for his fourth different team in four years, Toropchenko has found some success with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds this season with 11 points in 26 games, but hopes he can translate that scoring into a longer stay in St. Louis.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have made their seemingly daily roster moves, recalling winger Samuel Fagemo and defenseman Jacob Moverare from the taxi squad. Fagemo is tied for second in goals with AHL Ontario having scored ten times in 26 games while Moverare has eight points in 22 contests in his first full season with the Reign.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
AHL Notes: Malone, Trade, Signings
Veteran minor leaguer Sean Malone is set to miss an extended period of time following recent surgery, reports Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Malone is a familiar name to Buffalo Sabres fans; the Harvard product has spent four of five pro seasons with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and three of those under contract with the Sabres. After leaving last season to sign with the Nashville Predators, Malone returned to Buffalo this off-season and has been enjoying the best season of his career with nine goals and 22 points in 23 games with Rochester. However, Hoppe writes that an undisclosed lower-body injury that has plagued the 26-year-old throughout much of his career finally caught up with him, forcing him to opt for surgery. The decision will keep Malone out at least six weeks, according to Americans head coach Seth Appert. Though Malone has only two NHL games to his credit, one with Buffalo and one with Nashville, the veteran is a trusted member of the Sabres’ organizational depth chart and one whose absence in the minors will be noticed. Appert states that Malone is a leader and “go-to guy” who has been instrumental in the development of top Sabres prospects like Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka. Though Malone is expected to be out until at least March, hopefully the veteran can return to action at full strength and hit the ground running at his current career scoring pace, perhaps even earning another chance in Buffalo.
- The Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes completed an AHL trade on Friday, with forward Stephen Harper moving from the Chicago Wolves to the Tucson Roadrunners in exchange for future considerations. Harper was the hero of the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Playoffs last season, earning postseason MVP honors for leading the Fort Wayne Komets to a title behind 13 points in 12 playoff games – all as a rookie no less. He has continued to excel at the “AA” level this year too, with 18 points in 15 games. However, the power forward hasn’t earned much more opportunity this year as a result of those efforts. Harper has played in just six AHL games this season in a limited role, which is likely what prompted a trade. The 26-year-old USports product is not exactly an NHL prospect, but has earned a chance to show what he can do at the next level and the Roadrunners appear willing to give him that opportunity.
- Is a Daniel Briere pipeline forming between the ECHL’s Maine Mariners and the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms? The Mariners may be affiliated with the Boston Bruins, but they share an owner with the Philadelphia Flyers in Comcast Spectacor and GM and President Briere is a former long-time Flyer himself. For the third time already this season, a Mariner has signed an AHL contract with the Flyers’ affiliate in Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms announced that they have signed forward Alex Kile to a contract for the remainder of the season. Kile was the first ever signing by the Mariners when they joined the ECHL back in 2018 and the University of Michigan product has 162 points in 201 ECHL games ever since, with some AHL loans mixed in as well. With five goals and 12 points in seven games with Maine so far this year, the Phantoms decided that the 27-year-old Kile was worthy of a more permanent AHL stay.
- The Washington Capitals have seen enough from USports forward Derek Gentile this season to put an end to his collegiate season with a pro contract. The Dalhousie University standout signed a contract with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, though he will begin his pro career in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. Gentile, the captain of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in 2019-20, missed his first collegiate season in 2020-21 but you wouldn’t know it by his play this season. Gentile recorded 15 goals and 27 points in 18 games for Dalhousie prior to his departure. And he stayed hot in his pro debut on Friday, posting two goals and an assist in his pro debut. Gentile could be in Hersey very shortly if that keeps up.