What Your Team Is Thankful For: Columbus Blue Jackets
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter 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 Columbus Blue Jackets.
What are the Blue Jackets thankful for?
Their future down the middle.
After moving Pierre-Luc Dubois to Winnipeg last season, Columbus’ center depth was extremely limited. However, that changed over the offseason. Kent Johnson was picked fifth overall in the draft and has been nothing short of stellar at Michigan. Cole Sillinger went seven picks later and has acquitted himself well while playing a regular role for the Blue Jackets this season. All of a sudden, the center position went from a significant question mark to a long-term asset almost overnight. Add Boone Jenner getting locked in on a four-year extension and there’s their top three for the foreseeable future. That’s a foundation to build on as they continue to rebuild.
Who are the Blue Jackets thankful for?
The list of high-end players that have left the organization either through free agency or trade (due to dissension or declining an extension) over the last few years is quite significant. Werenski could have been the next one to do so. The top of the market for defensemen increased sharply over the summer and Werenski appeared to be the next one poised to potentially leave. He could have simply filed for arbitration in July, taken a one-year award, and gone to the open market in 2023. But he didn’t. Instead, the 24-year-old opted to lock in a six-year extension, ensuring he’ll be with Columbus throughout the prime of his career. He was certainly well compensated for it; he’ll have the third-highest AAV of any NHL defender next season. But other players turned down lucrative money to stay before. Werenski is the recent exception and they’re quite thankful for that.
What would the Blue Jackets be even more thankful for?
Max Domi to stay healthy and productive.
It has been a rocky year for the 26-year-old. He was left unprotected in expansion and Seattle passed on taking him. He had shoulder surgery which cost him most of training camp. Then he fractured some ribs and along the way, caught COVID. That’s not a fun way to start a contract year. But in between all of that, he has had a decent season with nine points in a dozen games. If he can stay healthy and keep producing, Domi would become a prominent trade chip heading into the deadline as an intriguing piece that can play down the middle or on the wing. Another decent prospect or pick wouldn’t hurt as they look to stockpile assets.
What should be on the Blue Jackets’ Holiday Wish List?
Assuming they fall out of the playoff mix (they’re hanging around a Wild Card spot at the moment), picks and prospects will be at the top of GM Jarmo Kekalainen’s wish list. They don’t have many notable pieces to sell beyond Domi and backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo (and his start to the season isn’t going to have general managers calling to try to get him). But Columbus has plenty of cap space at their disposal and that could be a way to try to add some of those future assets. Are they willing to be a third-party facilitator or take a bad contract back to add those assets? On the other hand, if they happen to still be in the mix by mid-March, they can leverage that cap space to add a piece or two without giving up a significant return. The Blue Jackets shouldn’t be overly busy on the trade front over the coming months but there will be a chance to add to their stockpile.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dallas Stars Shopping Anton Khudobin
The Dallas Stars have a goaltending tandem they trust – and it doesn’t include veteran Anton Khudobin. Free agent addition Braden Holtby leads the team with ten appearances and has looked like his old self, posting a .927 save percentage and 2.30 GAA. Yet it is young Jake Oettinger who has been making headlines, recording a stunning .951 save percentage and 1.41 GAA in six games. In contrast, Khudobin is playing the worst hockey of his NHL career with an .837 save percentage and 3.73 GAA in seven appearances. While the Stars have been hot of late, currently riding a six-game winning streak, Khudobin has not played since November 18.
With Holtby and Oettinger having earned the NHL jobs and (though easy to forget) former starter Ben Bishop still trying to work his way back from a long-term knee injury, Khudobin has become expendable. However, despite his struggles, the Stars will not simply just waive the respected veteran, at least not yet. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that the team is actively shopping Khudobin in hopes of finding a trade partner.
While the Stars surely will not receive nearly the package they might have commanded for Khudobin just a couple years ago when he led the NHL with a .930 save percentage, the Stars still have incentive to search for a trade rather than keeping him for depth. The first is obvious; Khudobin may still have some value around the league. In fact, Marek states definitively that the Buffalo Sabres have expressed interest in the experienced netminder and there are certainly other teams that could also use help in net. With confidence in their current options, there is no reason for Dallas to pass up potential trade capital. However, Khudobin’s contract is another factor that the Stars need to manage. Simply waiving and demoting Khudobin only saves the team $1.075MM of the goaltender’s $3.33MM cap hit. That contract also carries an additional year. Dallas needs the space that could be opened up from moving Khudobin’s contract in its entirety, which means they will work to find a team with enough need in net to trade for the veteran. The next step would be to waive Khudobin and hope he is claimed; even if he is unclaimed the Stars will continue to shop Khudobin, who will have some extra transactional versatility should he clear.
One way or another, it seems like the Stars have come to the conclusion that they can benefit more from being rid of Khudobin than continuing to keep him around. At some point, it is likely that the veteran keeper will find a new home this season.
Ducks Captain Ryan Getzlaf Out Week-To-Week
12/5: The Ducks have transitioned Getzlaf to the injured reserve, the team announced. In his place, the team has recalled young two-way center Benoit-Olivier Groulx from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Anaheim did not issue any update to Getzlaf’s condition, but the IR stint will keep him out a week minimum- though they also did not disclose if the placement was retroactive to the initial date of Getzlaf’s injury on Tuesday.
12/3: Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, per a team tweet.
Getzlaf appeared to suffer the injury about halfway through the first period in Tuesday night’s 5-4 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings. He took just four shifts and played 2:48 before exiting the game. The captain didn’t play Wednesday night against Vegas.
The 36-year-old Saskatchewan native has already eclipsed his point total from last season, scoring a goal and 19 assists for 20 points in 23 games. He was playing 19:01 per game, his most ice time in three years.
Needless to say, the leading scorer in Ducks history has been a huge part of his team’s unexpected success so far this season. He and Troy Terry have teamed up for a combined 45 points already this season, guiding the Ducks to a 13-8-3 start.
With Getzlaf out, it looks like 23-year-old Sam Steel will get a chance on the top line between Terry and Adam Henrique. The 2016 first-round pick has just five points in 17 games this year, but it’s a big opportunity for him to demonstrate he still has the ability to be an NHL player.
Minor Transactions: 12/05/21
Notable in-season roster moves are not limited only to NHL trades, claims, recalls, and reassignments. Transactions in the minors, European leagues, and junior and college ranks often include familiar names or impact current NHL prospects. Keep up with all of these moves here:
- New Jersey Devils prospect Jaromir Pytlik is on his way to play with none other than Jaromir Jagr. The young Czech forward has had a disappointing season in Finland, loaned by the Liiga’s KalPa to the second-tier Metsis. Pytlik has opted to move on from that situation and return home, signing a contract for the remainder of the season with Rytiri Kladno. Kladno, of course, is most famous for player-owner Jagr and also features a number of other former NHLers. Pytlik, a big, well-rounded center selected by the Devils in the fourth round in 2020, will now have the opportunity to take a big step in his development by learning from one of the best to ever play the game.
- Former Boston Bruins prospect Cedric Pare has signed his first AHL contract, as the Belleville Senators have announced a one-year deal with the young center. Pare had been with the team on loan from the ECHL, but earned an official promotion with four points in 13 games. Pare, 22, was an underwhelming prospect for the Bruins, who ultimately opted not to offer him an entry-level contract. However, Pare then rose to relevance as the center for eventual top overall pick Alexis Lafreniere for the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic in 2019-20. After the big, two-way center excelled in the ECHL last season as well, he looks to have the makings of a capable pro.
- Another former QMJHL star is getting a shot at the AHL, though for now on a loan basis. The ECHL’s Trois-Rivieres Lions have announced that leading scorer Peter Abbandonato has been recalled by the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Abbandonato recorded 111 points for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in his final junior season in 2018-19 and, though not immediately considered a future NHLer, at least looked to be an intriguing pro. He recorded 27 points in 55 games with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch over the past two years, but could not find an AHL deal this summer. Back home in Quebec though, he will get his shot in Laval after notching 11 goals and 23 points in 17 games with the Lions.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
No Supplemental Discipline For P.K. Subban, Marcus Foligno
Despite considerable media attention paid to both situations, New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno will not receive any discipline from recent altercations. The NHL Department of Player Safety has reviewed each scenario and determined that neither rises to the level of a suspension or fine.
In the case of Foligno, this appears to be a perfectly appropriate decision. The incident in question occurred on Saturday night as the Wild took on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Just as Foligno had jumped off for a change, a scrum ensued right in front of the Minnesota bench. Foligno got back on the ice to engage with the Leafs’ Wayne Simmonds. Typically, leaving the bench in this scenario would be a an automatic ten-game suspension, one of the NHL’s most harsh penalties. However, as The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports, the league did not consider this to be a case of Foligno leaving the bench, as no one had yet replaced him on the ice. Kirill Kaprizov was supposed to sub in for Foligno, but given the budding altercation in front of him smartly stayed put, which allowed Foligno, who was still straddling the boards, to legally get back on the ice. The Wild just narrowly avoided losing one of their veteran leaders for an extended period of time.
As for Subban, the lack of retribution from the league continues to be a strange phenomenon. Subban appeared to slew foot the Winnipeg Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers on Friday night, though it was not called on the ice. The general understanding in this scenario is that the incident does not meet the league’s textbook definition of “slew foot”. Call what you will, but this shockingly marks his fourth dangerous trip this season. Yet, the veteran defenseman had not received any punishment and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that this will continue with this latest incident. It remains a mystery how Subban continues to get off scot-free with obvious slew foots, especially when the Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand recently received a three-game suspension for a slew foot that received no attention from the officials nor the visiting Vancouver Canucks. Seravalli states that extra attention is being paid by the league to both Subban and slew foots, yet it made no difference yet again.
Edmonton Oilers Activate Darnell Nurse
A big boost for an Alberta team is coming, as Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been activated from injured reserve.
Nurse, undoubtedly Edmonton’s best defenseman, has been out since November 19 with a finger injury. While he’s been held goalless this season, he has 11 assists in 16 games while playing over 26 minutes a night.
It’s a huge deal for the Oilers’ defense, which is currently missing its entire left side of regulars. Duncan Keith and Slater Koekkoek remain sidelined with separate injuries. With Cody Ceci on protocol as well, it was an undermanned group going to battle for them.
The team’s goalies have been up to the task in their absence, as Mikko Koskinen‘s .914 save percentage and Stuart Skinner‘s .921 mark have both been good enough to keep them afloat.
Nurse brings reinforcements for a tough schedule ahead, as after their game against Los Angeles tonight, the Oilers play four straight against Carolina, Boston, Minnesota, and Toronto.
AHL Shuffle: 12/05/21
It’s a perfect, snowy Sunday morning for hockey across much of Canada and the northern United States. As the NHL gears up for a six-game slate tonight, expect there to be some moves in the recall and reassignment department. Keep up with a list of today’s movement between the AHL and NHL today right here:
Atlantic Division
- After recalling forward Oskar Steen and defenseman Jack Ahcan from AHL Providence on Saturday, the Boston Bruins have returned the duo to the minors today, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Only Ahcan played against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, a last-minute replacement for the ill Charlie McAvoy.
- In order to make room for Kyle Clifford, who was seemingly floating in the ether on neither the NHL or AHL roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs have returned Michael Hutchinson to the AHL Marlies. With Petr Mrazek also in the AHL on a conditioning loan, this leaves impressive youngster Joseph Woll on the Maple Leafs roster as the understudy to starter Jack Campbell.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have activated forward Patrick Brown from the injured reserve and have given him Max Willman‘s roster spot. The team announced that Willman has reassigned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in order to activate Brown, who has only played in six games since being claimed off waivers earlier this year.
Central Division
- In response to activating Riley Stillman from injured reserve, the Chicago Blackhawks sent defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk down to the Rockford IceHogs this morning. The 24-year-old undrafted left-shot defenseman had no points in three games this season with the big club. He’ll return to Rockford, where he’s got a very strong 13 career points in just 12 games.
Pacific Division
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Chicago Blackhawks Activate Riley Stillman From Injured Reserve
After spending the last week and a half on the shelf with a left knee injury, defenseman Riley Stillman was activated from injured reserve today by the Chicago Blackhawks according to a team tweet.
In a corresponding move for roster space, the team assigned defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
Stillman is in his first full season with the Blackhawks organization after being acquired from the Florida Panthers last season as part of the Brett Connolly trade. He promptly signed a three-year, $4.05MM extension with the team in April.
He’s struggled to find an everyday role with Chicago this season, however. Stillman has two points in 12 games but is averaging only 14:11 per game, compared to the 18:13 he averaged after the trade last season.
Still, he’s made a decent impact on both sides of the puck and could see an increase in playing time under a new head coach in Derek King. He’ll likely draw back into the lineup Sunday against the New York Islanders.
Snapshots: Wheeler, Khudobin, De Haan
The Winnipeg Jets could get quite the emotional boost tonight, as captain Blake Wheeler is expected to play in his 1,000th career NHL game Sunday at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Winnipeg is just 4-5-1 in their last ten games and has fallen out of playoff position in the Western Conference, but they’re carrying some momentum after a chaotic 8-4 win against the New Jersey Devils on Friday. The Leafs, however, enter the game without the services of Mitch Marner for a second straight game and are on the second half of a back-to-back. Saturday night saw them erase a 3-0 second-period deficit against the Minnesota Wild but only took home one point with a 4-3 shootout loss. It’s an important game for the Jets and Wheeler, who’s yet to score a goal this season and has just 10 assists in 18 games. It’s a slow start for the normally consistent Wheeler, who’s had at least 15 goals in every season of his 14-year career. He enters his 1,000th game with 279 goals and 538 assists for 817 points.
Some more snapshots from around the NHL on this Sunday morning:
- Coming in at No. 5 on The Fourth Period’s Trade Watch List 2021-22 is Dallas Stars goalie Anton Khudobin. Over the weekend, multiple reports appeared suggesting the Stars were actively trying to find a trade partner for the 35-year-old Khudobin. With just a 3-3-1 record and .873 save percentage on the year, he’s quickly becoming the odd man out in a crowded goalie situation in the Lone Star state. Offseason addition Braden Holtby is having somewhat of a renaissance season with a .927 save percentage in 10 starts, while up-and-comer Jake Oettinger has yet to lose this season and has a .951 save percentage in five starts. Oettinger began the season in the AHL but it’s becoming apparent that after a promising rookie campaign last year, he’s simply too good for a third-string role. Khudobin has two seasons left on his contract with a $3.33MM cap hit and has a four-team no-trade list in effect this season, per CapFriendly.
- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan also finds himself on that same Trade Watch List. Listed at No. 7, de Haan has no points in 21 games this season but has been solid defensively on a Blackhawks team that sits in the bottom-ten in the league in goals against. The 30-year-old has oft appeared in trade rumors, and as he’s in the final year of his contract with a $4.55MM cap hit, those won’t be quieting down anytime soon.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Colorado Avalanche
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads towards the one-quarter 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 Colorado Avalanche.
What are the Avalanche thankful for?
That Matt Duchene trade.
The impact of a single trade is rarely as extreme as that 2017 deal. The Avalanche, coming off one of the most dreadful seasons in NHL history, ended up sending Duchene to the Ottawa Senators in a three-team deal that netted them Samuel Girard, Vladislav Kamenev, Shane Bowers, Andrew Hammond, and three draft picks. The best of those, Ottawa’s first-round pick in 2019, became Bowen Byram, meaning with Girard, Duchene had landed the team–at a minimum–two top-four defensemen.
But it doesn’t end there. In the 2018 draft, when the Avalanche had Nashville’s second-round pick, they decided to trade down when No. 58 was on the board. The team traded that pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who used it on Filip Hallander, for a third and a fifth. The third became Justus Annunen, who has quickly developed into the team’s “Goaltender of the Future.” Annunen is making his NHL debut tonight, coming on in relief of Jonas Johansson, and could find himself battling for regular appearances in the coming years.
Who are the Avalanche thankful for?
Quite simply, Makar is one of the best defensemen in the league at age-23. The fourth-overall pick from 2017 is scoring at a better than point-per-game rate once again and is in the race for the Norris Trophy in year three. He finished ninth in that race as a rookie, was the runner-up as a sophomore; it appears as though it’s just a matter of time before he takes home the award.
Notably, it’s Makar’s ability to play so much and so well that allows the rest of the defensive group to slot into more appropriate roles. Veteran Erik Johnson might be miscast as a top-four option if he were on another team given his history in the league and pricey contract, but some nights he’s able to play just 15 minutes because Makar is soaking up so much ice time. As the Avalanche move forward, that will make it possible for the team to fit everyone in under the cap–Makar’s $9MM hit through 2026-27 was a bargain from day one.
What would the Avalanche be even more thankful for?
A healthy Darcy Kuemper.
This piece is dropping at perhaps an inopportune time, as Avalanche fans may not be thankful for much after tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators. After Kuemper was injured a few days ago, Johansson has shown that he simply can’t carry the load as an NHL starter. He won’t have to for long, as Pavel Francouz is on the verge of finally returning, but Kuemper’s injury has highlighted an issue for the Avalanche.
After being unable to retain Philipp Grubauer in the offseason, the team was forced to make a move for Kuemper–and his long injury history. The 31-year-old netminder has only started 30 games or more once in his entire career, and is on the shelf once again. He hasn’t even been very effective this season when he’s been in the net, but his availability is the most important thing to consider.
What should be on the Avalanche’s Holiday Wish List?
A goaltender.
That’s why another NHL-level netminder is an absolute must for the Avalanche before the trade deadline. Even if Francouz comes back healthy, the team can’t go into the playoffs with this kind of uncertainty again. In the 2020 bubble, with a team that looked poised to compete for a Stanley Cup, Michael Hutchinson was forced into the net after two injuries. The team has to have a better option this time around.
That’s certainly going to be a difficult task, given the team already has barely enough cap space to even activate Francouz when he’s ready to come off long-term injured reserve. After handing out big deals to Makar and captain Gabriel Landeskog, things are tight in Joe Sakic‘s front office. The team has always been creative, but will have to find a way to add an NHL goaltender without selling off too much of the current group.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images