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Central Notes: Vejmelka, Blackhawks, Landeskog, Jankowski

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Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka’s name has come up in trade speculation in each of the last two trade deadlines.  It doesn’t appear as if that will be the case this time around as Pierre LeBrun wrote in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that Arizona GM Bill Armstrong doesn’t intend to break up his current tandem of Vejmelka and Connor Ingram.  Their netminders have played to a combined .902 SV% this season, a number that’s around the league average which isn’t bad for a rebuilding team.  However, Vejmelka’s rate is a career-low .891 so even if Armstrong was looking to move him, Vejmelka’s value wouldn’t be at its highest.

More from the Central Division:

  • With the Blackhawks locking up most of their notable pending UFAs to extensions already, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times posits that their cap space might be their best asset before the March 8th trade deadline. Doing so could allow them to act as a third-party retainer to pick up an extra draft pick while they could also take on a bad contract as they did last season with Nikita Zaitsev to also add draft capital.  However, Pope notes that Chicago won’t be willing to take on a contract that runs past next season, similar to Zaitsev last season with his contract set to expire this summer.
  • Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog has become a regular participant in team skates as he works his way back from a knee cartilage transplant procedure back in January, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston noted on the latest TSN Insider Trading segment. The 31-year-old last played in June 2022 but a return at some point in the playoffs this season hasn’t been ruled out yet.  If the team feels that there’s a good chance that he’ll be able to suit up in the postseason, that could affect their trade deadline approach.
  • A day after being sent down, Mark Jankowski is back up with the Predators, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 29-year-old is one of the top scorers in the minors this season, notching 47 points in 40 games with Milwaukee while also chipping in with a pair of goals in seven games with Nashville while averaging a little less than 12 minutes a night of playing time.

Kings Place Viktor Arvidsson On LTIR, Recall Jordan Spence

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It was less than two weeks ago that the Kings got Viktor Arvidsson back from his back injury.  However, after already returning to injured reserve recently, the team has gone a step further, announcing that they’ve transferred him to LTIR for the second time this season.  Meanwhile, the Kings also recalled defenseman Jordan Spence from AHL Ontario.

Arvidsson missed the first four months of the season before returning to the lineup on February 15th.  The 30-year-old picked up two assists in his first three games but then suffered a lower-body injury on his first shift on Tuesday versus Columbus.  The good news is that this injury won’t carry as long of a recovery time as the first one did as he is expected to be back before the end of the regular season.  Assuming that the placement was back-dated to the time of injury (their release didn’t specify the effective date), Arvidsson could be eligible to return as soon as March 15th against Chicago.

As for Spence, his recall was needed due to Michael Anderson suffering an upper-body injury on Thursday versus Nashville.  The exact timeline for his recovery isn’t known but he has been ruled out for tonight’s game against Anaheim already.  That would have put the Kings down to five defenders and they had nowhere near enough cap space to bring Spence up, resulting in them needing to transfer Arvidsson to LTIR to create the short-term cap room.

It’s the fourth recall of the season for Spence, who has spent the majority of the campaign in the NHL.  The 22-year-old has played in 44 games so far with Los Angeles, collecting 16 points (all assists) while averaging just shy of 15 minutes a night on the third pairing.  Spence has made just one AHL appearance with the Reign which was one Wednesday; he was held out of Ontario’s lineup on Friday with his recall pending.

Maple Leafs Assign Marshall Rifai To AHL

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After making his NHL debut earlier this week with a pair of appearances, the Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have re-assigned defenseman Marshall Rifai to AHL Toronto.

The 25-year-old was brought up earlier in the week to give the Maple Leafs a bit of extra depth on the back end and suited up twice where he had four hits and averaged a little under 12 minutes per contest.  Rifai, who is on his first NHL contract after playing on an AHL deal last year, has spent most of the season with the Marlies where he has 11 points and 38 penalty minutes in 34 games.

William Lagesson (injury) and Morgan Rielly (suspension) both returned to Toronto’s lineup on Thursday which pushed Rifai back to the press box.  Mark Giordano has also been away from the team for a little more than a week following the death of his father; the timing of this assignment suggests he might be ready to return.

Toronto now has an open roster spot which is notable with Joseph Woll’s LTI conditioning loan set to expire in a few days.  With Rifai’s demotion, they could elect to carry three goalies upon Woll’s recall and activation to avoid the risk of having to place Martin Jones on waivers who might be more likely to be claimed this time around.

Lightning Recall Max Crozier, Assign Alex Barre-Boulet To AHL

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The Lightning made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game this afternoon against the Islanders, announcing they’ve recalled defenseman Max Crozier from AHL Syracuse.  To make room on the roster, winger Alex Barre-Boulet was sent to the Crunch.

Crozier has played in seven games for Tampa Bay this season, all coming last month.  The 23-year-old has a pair of assists in those outings along with ten hits and ten blocks while averaging 14:30 per night in his first taste of NHL action.  Crozier also has played in 32 games with Syracuse, collecting a goal and seven assists.  His recall is likely a precautionary one with Erik Cernak’s status being uncertain for this game having missed Thursday’s contest.

As for Barre-Boulet, his demotion shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after he cleared waivers on Friday.  The 26-year-old has six goals and three assists in 36 games with the Lightning so far and has yet to see any action in the minors despite also clearing waivers at the beginning of the season.  Barre-Boulet finished second in AHL scoring last season with 84 points in 69 games and will be a big boost to a Syracuse team that enters play today four points out of first in the North Division.

Rangers Have Shown Interest In Alexander Wennberg

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With Filip Chytil (concussion) out for the season and on LTIR, there has been plenty of speculation that the Rangers would look to make a move to add to their center depth heading into the playoffs.  It appears they’re looking to do just that as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported earlier this week that the team has shown some interest in Kraken middleman Alexander Wennberg.

The 29-year-old is in the third and final season of a contract that carries a $4.5MM AAV.  Considering he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, he’d fit New York’s plans of a short-term addition while keeping their cap space open if Chytil can return as planned next season.

Wennberg has recorded eight goals and 14 assists so far this season in 56 games, a level of production that is slightly below his first two seasons with Seattle.  However, Wennberg isn’t known for being a true offensive threat but rather more of a two-way secondary option.  He’s a frequent member of their top penalty killing unit which could help what is already a strong Ranger penalty kill that sits sixth in success rate heading into tonight’s action.

Of course, it’s worth remembering that the rental center market is quite thinned out following the trades of Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan so this will be a case where more teams are looking for one than there are rental centers available.  That means the cost for Wennberg’s services could be relatively high should Seattle opt to sell closer to the trade deadline; as they’re three points out of the last Wild Card, there’s no guarantee GM Ron Francis will move out his rentals.

At the moment, the Rangers have a little under $4.4MM in full-season LTIR space, per CapFriendly.  While they could add a bit more to that by sending a player down which would then free up enough space for Wennberg, it stands to reason that New York – or pretty much any interested team – would want the Kraken to retain up to the maximum 50% of that.  Of course, that should only increase the asking price from Seattle’s end.

The trade deadline is now just two weeks away so teams still have a bit of time to decide what direction they’re going to go from a buyer and seller perspective.  It’s safe to say that the Rangers and several other teams will be keeping an eye on Seattle to see if they make Wennberg or any of their other expiring veterans (including Jordan Eberle, Tomas Tatar, and Justin Schultz) available.  If they don’t sell, that thin center market is going to get a whole lot thinner.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Tarasenko, Tomek, Bruins

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With the Senators being nowhere close to a playoff spot, pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko sits atop their list of trade chips.  However, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that there is some talk that the 32-year-old might prefer to finish the year in Ottawa.  Tarasenko can control his fate as he has a full no-move clause.  Sticking with them might allow Tarasenko to play a bit higher in the lineup which certainly doesn’t hurt from a negotiating perspective but at the same time, the potential to go deep in the playoffs and contribute could also help his case for securing a multi-year deal on the open market, something he wasn’t able to do last July, instead settling for a one-year, $5MM pact.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Flyers goalie prospect Matej Tomek has signed a one-year extension with Litvinov of the Czech Extraliga, per a team release. The 26-year-old was a third-round pick (90th overall) back in 2015 but struggled in limited college action, resulting in him heading back overseas in 2019.  Since then, Tomek has spent time in both Slovakia and Czechia.  This season, he has a 3.00 GAA and a .911 SV% in 31 games with Litvinov.  The Flyers hold his rights indefinitely so this extension won’t have any impact on that front.
  • A day after recalling defenseman Ian Mitchell and assigning Justin Brazeau to the minors, the Bruins reversed those moves, per the AHL’s transactions log. Brazeau scored in his NHL debut back on Monday after his AHL deal was converted to a two-year NHL pact.  Mitchell, meanwhile, has been shuffled back and forth several times this season.  He has two assists in 13 NHL games so far while adding 14 points in 22 games with Providence.

Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

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With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Ottawa Senators.

This season has not gone according to plan for the Sens.  A popular pick to push for a playoff spot, they have instead languished for most of the year and find themselves at the basement of the Atlantic Division even after a coaching and GM change.  Despite that, there is still a capable young core to try to build around so GM Steve Staios might not necessarily operate as a true seller in his first trade deadline at the helm.

Record

24-27-3, 8th in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Seller and Light Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$109.9K on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: BOS/DET 1st* OTT 1st^, OTT 2nd, DET 4th, OTT 4th, TB 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th
2025: OTT 1st^, OTT 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th, OTT 7th

*-Ottawa will receive the lowest of Boston and Detroit’s first-round picks as part of the Alex DeBrincat trade.

^-Ottawa must forfeit its own first-round pick in either 2024, 2025, or 2026 as punishment for failure to disclose Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade list in a voided 2022 trade.

Trade Chips

From the moment that they signed Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year, $5MM contract, speculation began regarding a possible trade if Ottawa found itself out of the playoff race as it clearly is.  After being one of the prizes of the deadline a year ago, he could be a key pickup again for someone this time around as he has 37 points in 52 games so far.  However, he does have a full no-move clause so he can control where he goes and he has recently changed agents.  The Sens are believed to value his off-ice contributions with their young core group so it’s not a guarantee that he moves.  If he does, Ottawa will likely need to retain the maximum 50% of his contract to maximize their return, one that should get them a fairly high draft pick.

The Senators added Dominik Kubalik from Detroit as part of the DeBrincat trade but he has struggled.  After putting up 20 goals and 45 points last season, he has been limited to just nine tallies and a dozen points overall.  At a $2.5MM price tag, the Sens likely won’t be able to get much for him but he could be a buy-low candidate with a bit of upside for a team looking for depth.

On the non-rental side, Jakob Chychrun’s name has come up in plenty of speculation as well.  The Senators have made it clear that they’re not shopping him but with the 25-year-old having another year of team control at an affordable $4.6MM, they’re going to get plenty of calls.  Chychrun has 30 points so far, the second-most of his career while he’s averaging nearly 23 minutes a night.  If a team strikes out on landing Calgary’s Noah Hanifin, Chychrun could very well be a fallback plan although the price to get him should be high; it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they match the return they gave up for him a year ago (a first-round pick and two second-rounders).

Another non-rental option is blueliner Erik Brannstrom.  While he’s on an expiring contract, he’s controllable through restricted free agency through the 2026-27 campaign.  An offensive defenseman at the lower levels, Brannstrom has failed to make a significant impact on that front, notching just 12 in 48 games so far while he’s averaging just 15:43 per game.  Owed a $2MM qualifying offer, it feels like he’s trending toward non-tender territory if he stays in Ottawa so he’d be a potential buy-low candidate if a team wants to take an early look to see if he’d fit better in another system.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Mathieu Joseph, F Mark Kastelic, F Jiri Smejkal, D Lassi Thomson

Team Needs

1) Cap Space – If Ottawa wants to try to add a piece, they need to free up cap room.  If they need to call up a player for the stretch run, they need cap room.  Basically, the Sens need to move out someone first to give themselves some much-needed flexibility before they can attempt to do much of anything else.

2) Veteran Leadership – This has been a long-reported goal since Staios took over for former GM Pierre Dorion.  While the Senators have some veterans including Claude Giroux and Travis Hamonic, this is still a fairly young core for the most part.  They believe that bringing in the right veteran piece or two could help this team take a step forward.  They’re known to have interest in Chris Tanev as the type of veteran addition they want for the back end but that would make more sense for an offseason move than an in-season one.  But if they can find a bottom-six forward that fits the bill, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them try to add that piece now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and the rumor cycle continues to ramp up. The Blue Jackets’ recent firing of GM Jarmo Kekäläinen means interim GM John Davidson will manage their deadline approach as a major seller. At the same time, an injury to Penguins winger Jake Guentzel may have taken one of the top potential rental options off the table.

With much more to come in the next few weeks, it’s time for more answers to your questions from our Brian La Rose in the #PHRMailbag. Our last edition ran in two parts during the All-Star break. Part one focused on the Kings’ struggles, Calder Trophy challengers, and some recent coaching changes, while Part Two discussed the Sabres’ crash-and-burn year, a potential deadline haul for Ducks forward Adam Henrique, and what the Red Wings could do with Patrick Kane.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.

Devils Place Nathan Bastian On IR

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Devils winger Nathan Bastian landed on IR Friday after he was on the receiving end of a hit from Rangers rookie Matt Rempe in last night’s contest, per the team. New Jersey recalled winger Brian Halonen from AHL Utica in a corresponding transaction.

Officials assessed Rempe a match penalty on the play, which occurred 2:25 into the game. He will not be subject to supplemental discipline. Bastian took only two shifts later in the contest and did not play at all in the third period.

The IR placement indicates Bastian will miss at least one week with his lower-body injury, ruling him out of the Devils’ next three games. The 26-year-old has appeared in 54 of 56 games for New Jersey, posting five goals, seven assists, and a -10 rating while averaging 10:09 per game. The 6-foot-4, 205-lb winger signed a two-year, $2.7MM deal to return to the Devils last summer after briefly hitting free agency and will be a UFA again in 2025.

The 25-year-old Halonen gets his first NHL recall after signing with New Jersey as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan Tech in 2022. In the back half of his entry-level deal, the Delano, Minnesota native has missed a good chunk of 2023-24 with injuries but has been Utica’s best goal-scorer when healthy, potting 13 markers in only 21 games.

Halonen is unlikely to dress for tomorrow’s game against Montreal while the Devils opt for a more veteran fourth-line complement of Tomáš Nosek and Chris Tierney to youngster Alexander Holtz. He’ll be available to the team as a 13th forward in case of an additional injury or unexpected scratches among their forward group.

 

Capitals Recall Hendrix Lapierre

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The Capitals summoned 2020 first-round pick Hendrix Lapierre from AHL Hershey on Friday, per a team release. Washington must open a roster spot to execute this recall, meaning either Nic Dowd or T.J. Oshie has likely been placed on IR. Dowd has been out for the last three days with an upper-body injury, while Oshie sustained a non-contact lower-body injury against the Lightning yesterday and is still undergoing evaluation, head coach Spencer Carbery said. Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports that Dowd will be the one heading to IR, ruling him out of Washington’s next two games.

Lapierre, 22, skated in 25 games for the Capitals earlier this season, scoring twice and adding five assists with a -3 rating while averaging a paltry 9:34 per game. He’s been in Hershey for the last month, where he’s taken a leap forward in his development with 17 points in 21 on the AHL’s best team.

Viewed as a top prospect heading into the 2020 draft, serious injuries limited his draft stock and allowed him to slip out of the top 15. He’s rebounded nicely, averaging over a point-per-game in juniors after his draft and demonstrating linear growth with Hershey.

Lapierre is a projected scratch for tomorrow’s game against the Panthers, although he may slot into the lineup in a bottom-six role if the Capitals opt not to have another recent call-up, Pierrick Dubé, make his NHL debut.

The Gatineau, Québec, native remains waivers-exempt in the second season of his entry-level deal. He carries a cap hit of $863.3K and will be an RFA in 2025.

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