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Flames’ Martin Pospisil Suspended Three Games

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The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday that Flames winger Martin Pospisil has been suspended for three games for boarding Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn in the third period of Monday’s game. His suspension opens a roster spot for the Flames as they continue to work out a trade to send top-four blue-liner Noah Hanifin to the Golden Knights.

Pospisil was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct on the play. Dunn sustained an apparent head injury and did not return for the game’s final minutes.

The Department of Player Safety said Pospisil’s actions constituted supplemental discipline because “the onus is on Pospisil to avoid this hit entirely, change his angle of approach and deliver this check legally, or, at the very least, minimize the impact of this hit. Instead, with time to make a different decision, Pospisil chooses to drive Dunn forcefully into the boards from behind.”

Pospisil, 24, has not been fined or suspended throughout his 45-game NHL career. Since making his Flames debut in early November, the 2018 fourth-round pick has worked his way into a full-time role, posting six goals, nine assists, and 15 points with a +8 rating. The Zvolen, Slovakia native has demonstrated a willingness to play on the edge and has gotten burned for it, garnering 72 PIMs. It’s otherwise been a promising rookie season for Pospisil, who boasts a 53.5 CF% at even strength and a +0.9 expected rating while logging 12:06 per game.

His suspension means Nazem Kadri is now without both his most common linemates this season, Pospisil and rookie Connor Zary. Zary is on injured reserve and listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. In their absence, Kadri is expected to center midseason trade pickup Andrei Kuzmenko and 2019 first-round pick Jakob Pelletier.

Latest On Tyler Toffoli

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The Devils are one of a handful of teams potentially in both buy and sell modes ahead of Friday’s deadline. A goaltending upgrade remains a short-term and long-term necessity, but as they’re now eight points out of a playoff spot with three wins in their last 10 games, it might behoove GM Tom Fitzgerald to recoup some value on their pending UFAs.

Their leading goal scorer, Tyler Toffoli, is the most prominent name on that list. While the Devils reportedly prefer to continue discussing an extension with their number-two winger, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Toffoli is still a candidate to be on the move in the next two days and could garner a significant return.

Kings fans may wish for a reunion with the winger, who won a Stanley Cup in Los Angeles as a rookie in 2014, as they deal with injuries to Viktor Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe down the stretch. That could still be in the cards, as GM Rob Blake had reported interest in Toffoli last week.

A Pacific Division rival is creating some competition, though. The Golden Knights, who are still finalizing a massive trade to land top-pairing defender Noah Hanifin and have already added winger Anthony Mantha for added scoring depth this week, have also demonstrated interest in Toffoli, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

A Toffoli trade likely isn’t indicative of a step back in the Devils’ rebuild. Nearing completion of a four-year, $17MM deal signed with the Canadiens in 2020 that’s seen him traded twice, Toffoli and the Devils haven’t agreed on the length of a potential extension as of Tuesday. It doesn’t appear there’s been progress in the last 24 hours, making it a prudent move on Fitzgerald’s part to retain assets for Toffoli instead of potentially letting him walk for nothing on July 1. Moving him out at the deadline doesn’t mean New Jersey couldn’t circle back with Toffoli if he heads to market over the summer.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic says not to expect a trade tonight, so the Devils will continue gauging the market tomorrow and potentially Friday morning before electing to move him.

Kings Sign Jacob Moverare To Two-Year Extension

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The Kings signed defenseman Jacob Moverare to a two-year contract extension Wednesday, per a team release. The deal carries the league minimum salary of $775K in both seasons, making him a UFA upon expiry in 2026.

While the timing of such an extension may seem random, it’s likely a calculated move by the Kings’ front office. The team placed Moverare on waivers earlier Wednesday in an attempt to assign him to the AHL’s Ontario Reign, and attaching an additional two seasons to his term is likely to dissuade teams from placing a claim for short-term help.

Moverare, 25, was selected by Los Angeles in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Despite signing his entry-level contract just a few days after the draft, it took him a while to join the Kings. He spent two seasons in major junior hockey with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads and another two seasons with Frölunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League before making his North American professional debut with the Reign in 2021.

He’s since played in 31 games for the Kings, recording two assists and a +1 rating while averaging 15:50 per outing over the last three years. 10 of those showings have come this season, during which time he’s been held without a point but has decent possession impacts with a +0.9 expected rating and a sparkling 65.3% expected goals share through 75 minutes partnered with Matt Roy, per MoneyPuck.

A decent two-way presence at the minor-league level, Moverare also has 18 points and a +16 rating in 34 games with the Reign this year. He doesn’t grade out as much more than a seventh defender on a contending team. Still, he’s shown the ability this season to be inserted into the lineup without being a liability.

Moverare was to be a Group VI UFA this summer after completing a two-year, $1.525MM extension signed with the Kings in June 2022. While his cap hit increases slightly from $762.5K to $775K, he isn’t getting a pay raise – the second year of his extension was structured as a one-way deal with a $775K salary, the same as what he’ll earn for the next two years.

Anaheim Ducks Recall Pavol Regenda, Glenn Gawdin

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After trading away Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to the Edmonton Oilers earlier today, the Anaheim Ducks had two roster spots up front that needed to be filled. To solve the problem, the team has recalled Pavol Regenda and Glenn Gawdin from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

With both Regenda and Gawdin serving as offensive depth options for the organization, neither has played in an NHL game yet this season. Lining up in a contest against the Ottawa Senators tonight, both will likely make their season debut.

Signed out of Slovakia last year, Regenda has been more than solid at the AHL level. Factoring in a 13-goal, 29-point performance in 38 games for the Gulls this season, Regenda has scored 29 goals and 54 points in 88 total games over his short minor-league career. Even though he is already 24 years old, Regenda has every opportunity to be a main piece in Anaheim’s middle-six next year.

As more of a veteran presence, Gawdin is very similar to Regenda as far as production. With limited experience at the NHL level playing for the Ducks and the Calgary Flames, Gawdin has been much more productive in the AHL. With over 300 games played over the last six seasons, Gawdin has scored 80 goals and 221 points in total, making him one of the more consistent offensive threats in the minors.

Avalanche Notes: Foudy, Pavel, Nichushkin, O’Connor

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A few hours ago, the Colorado Avalanche made a pair of trades, sending Ryan Johansen to the Philadelphia Flyers as a part of a trade to land Sean Walker in the Mile High City, as well as sending Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres for Casey Mittelstadt. In doing so, with both Walker and Mittelstadt unavailable to the team tonight, two roster spots opened up in the active lineup before the team’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

To solve the issue, the Avalanche have recalled forwards Jean-Luc Foudy and Ondrej Pavel from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. Both players should feature in the team’s bottom six, with Foudy taking over as the center of the third line, and Pavel joining Chris Wagner and Andrew Cogliano on the team’s fourth line.

Both players have primarily played on the Eagles this season, with Pavel registering one game with the Avalanche back in November. At the AHL level, Pavel has suited up in 48 games for the Eagles, scoring three goals and seven points in total. Foudy, however, has had his season severely limited by injury, only registering 12 games in the AHL, scoring two goals and six points up to this point.

Other notes:

  • Making his way back from the NHLPA Player Assistance Program, the Avalanche are hoping that forward Valeri Nichushkin will be able to make his way back to the lineup on Friday against the Minnesota Wild (X Link). Although not playing since early January, Nichushkin is still sitting fourth on the team in scoring, putting up 22 goals and 42 points in his first 40 games this year.
  • Another player who will not be in the lineup for Colorado tonight will be forward Logan O’Connor, who is out with a lower-body injury according to Ryan Boulding of the NHL. Previously missing time in mid-February with a similar injury, O’Connor has still put together a quality season for the Avalanche. Suiting up in 57 games for Colorado this season, O’Connor has scored 13 goals and 25 points overall, with three of those goals coming on the penalty kill.

Pacific Notes: Canucks, Emberson, Bordeleau, Barabanov

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Pittsburgh Penguins beat writer, Josh Yohe, is reporting that although several teams remain in the mix for forward Jake Guentzel, the Vancouver Canucks have been far and away the most aggressive team. This reaffirms multiple reports over the last several days listing the Canucks as one of the top suitors for Guentzel’s services.

Yesterday there was a report from TSN’s Chris Johnston, which indicated that Vancouver was working on a potential trade that would land them Guentzel as well as shipping Elias Lindholm to the Boston Bruins. With just over 48 hours left until the trade deadline, a trade of this magnitude may have too many moving parts to be completed, but would be a fascinating shift from Vancouver after acquiring Lindholm just over a month ago.

In his own right, Guentzel does make a lot of sense for a team like the Canucks, with many of the team’s top players having minimal playoff experience throughout their careers. Playing for the Penguins over his entire career, Guentzel has been a standout playoff performer, scoring 34 goals and 58 points in 58 postseason games as well as a Stanley Cup ring in 2017.

Other Pacific notes:

    • In an announcement coming from the organization, the San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Ty Emberson on injured reserve, and have recalled forward Thomas Bordeleau in a corresponding roster move. This will mark Emberson’s third stint on the IR this season, losing time in December and January as well. However, when healthy, he has been a solid performer in San Jose this season, scoring one goal and 10 points in 30 games played, coupled with a 91.7% save percentage in all situations as well. Bordeleau, on the other hand, has only appeared in six games for the Sharks this season, scoring one goal and one assist while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time per night.
    • Sticking with the Sharks, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that extension talks have broken down between the team and forward Alexander Barabanov, and they are actively shopping the veteran to a Stanley Cup contender. Experiencing something of a down season due to injuries earlier in the year, Barabanov has only been able to muster 10 points in 38 games for the Sharks this season. However, Barabanov is only one year removed from a 15-goal, 47-point performance, which may entice some contenders as a secondary-scoring option down the stretch.

New York Rangers Acquire Alexander Wennberg

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3:11 pm: The Rangers have made the trade official, announcing that Wennberg will be headed east to New York.

2:18 pm: With a flurry of trade activity today, the New York Rangers have decided to enter into the madness. Emily Kaplan of ESPN is reporting that the Rangers are working on a deal with the Seattle Kraken that would land Alexander Wennberg in the Big Apple.

TSN’s Pierre Lebrun is reporting that the deal is done, indicating that the Kraken will be receiving the Rangers 2024 second-round pick, as well as New York’s fourth-round pick in 2025. Seattle will also be retaining 50% of Wennberg’s remaining salary, bringing his AAV down to $2.25MM with the Rangers.

Ever since the Rangers lost center Filip Chytil back in November due to a concussion, the team has been looking to fill the void for nearly the entire season. The organization has tried both Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski in this role but had their eye on a bona fide forward to add down the middle.

Not as much of an offensive threat as he was during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the addition of Wennberg should help in multiple areas of the Rangers lineup. Initially, he is readily available to center the team’s third line, and will also be able to serve on the team’s penalty kill unit as well.

Coming over to Seattle as an unrestricted free agent in the 2021-22 offseason, Wennberg is in the last year of a three-year, $13.5MM contract. Throughout his tenure in Seattle, Wennberg has played in a total of 142 games for the expansion franchise over the last three years, scoring 22 goals and 63 points in the process.

Although Wennberg doesn’t have the amount of success in the dot teams might be expecting out of their bottom-six centers, his possession metrics show that he brings solid defensive awareness to the table. Wennberg will also be able to help a New York penalty kill unit that is already top five in the league, recording an 83.15% success rate being a man down.

The General Manager of the Kraken, Ron Francis, is using a similar deadline strategy as he used two years ago, as he went on to acquire 10 total draft selections leading up to the deadline in 2022. In this deal, Seattle will now have five total selections in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft, and 17 total selections over the next two years.

Avalanche, Sabres To Swap Casey Mittelstadt, Bowen Byram

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Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to correctly reflect that Byram was the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft.

The Avalanche are making their second high-impact deal of the day, acquiring center Casey Mittelstadt from the Sabres in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram, per a team release. With the two trades made today, Colorado has increased their salary cap space to $4.9MM leading up to the deadline.

This trade will mark the third attempt by the Avalanche to fill in the second-center void left by Nazem Kadri two years ago. With Alex Newhook and Ryan Johansen not working out in the role, Colorado is taking a swing on Mittelstadt amidst his breakout campaign in Buffalo.

Largely inconsistent during his first four years with the Sabres, Mittelstadt has become a formidable offensive threat over his last two campaigns. In 144 games for the Sabres since the start of the 2022-23 season, Mittlestadt has recorded 29 goals and 106 points, as well as leading all Buffalo players in scoring this year.

He will leave much to be desired in the faceoff dot as well as defensive play in his end, but the Avalanche carry enough defensively-minded forwards to shore up Mittelstadt’s shortcomings. Nevertheless, as they already sit atop the league in GF/G, the introduction of Mittelstadt, coupled with the eventual return of Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog, will create a nearly unstoppable offense for Colorado come playoff time.

The elephant in the room, when it comes to Mittelstadt, is his looming restricted free agency this summer. With Mittelstadt playing himself into a hefty raise upon his current $2.5MM salary, it will be difficult for the Avalanche to keep him in the fold for the long-term future of the organization. Heading into the offseason, Colorado will only have around $10MM available in cap space with plenty of depth pieces headed for unrestricted free agency.

In Byram, the Sabres will acquire the former fourth-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, joining Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on Buffalo’s blue line of former top-five selections. Still only 22 years old, Byram is in his fourth professional season, already having a Stanley Cup victory under his belt.

Limited by concussion issues in the past, Byram has put together back-to-back respectable seasons in Colorado, with a slight downtick in his production this season. Over the last two years, Byram has managed to suit up in 97 games for the Avalanche, scoring 18 goals and 44 points while averaging 20:44 of ice time per night.

Unfortunately, throughout his tenure in Colorado, Byram had to play second fiddle to the defensive pair of Cale Makar and Devon Toews and may be finding himself in a similar situation in Buffalo. With the top defensive unit of Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson set in stone, the Sabres have at the very least found a viable alternative to put next to Power on the team’s second defensive pairing.

If Byram’s development process continues on an upward trajectory, there is every indication that Buffalo could deploy one of the league’s most formidable defensive cores. With Dahlin, Samuelsson, and Power all signed to long-term contracts, the Sabres still have another year after this season to lock Byram up to a similar contract.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was the first to report the trade.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic was first to report that the trade was one for one.

Avalanche Acquire Sean Walker From Flyers

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The Avalanche traded for one of the more highly-coveted right-handed defensemen on the market Wednesday, announcing the acquisition of Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Flyers in exchange for center Ryan Johansen and a 2025 top-10 protected first-round pick. The Flyers subsequently placed Johansen on waivers. If the first-round pick ends up being a top-10 selection, it would transfer to 2026, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Walker, 29, began his NHL as an undrafted free agent signing by the Kings in 2018 after spending a season with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He made his major league debut that year, impressing with three goals and 10 points and a -8 rating on one of the league’s worst offensive teams. His possession numbers out of the gate were strong, posting a relative CF% of 3.6 at even strength in primarily defensive-zone usage. He quickly became a full-time fixture, playing in the majority of the Kings’ games across the COVID-shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns. However, a torn ACL and MCL ended his 2021-22 campaign after just six games.

While he was cleared to play when 2022-23 rolled around, he didn’t look like the same player. Walker tumbled out of top-four consideration in L.A., averaging a career-low 14:50 per game while posting a 51.4 CF% at even strength that was slightly below the team average. He was a healthy scratch at times, too, making his $2.65MM cap hit an unaffordable expenditure for a Kings team looking to load up last summer.

As such, he was traded to the Flyers last summer in the three-team blockbuster that also saw Ivan Provorov head from Philly to the Blue Jackets. It turned out to be a necessary change of scenery for Walker, who’s rediscovered his confidence and has once again blossomed into a capable top-four blue-liner. With six goals and 22 points in 63 games, he’s on pace to break his career-high of 24 points set in 2019-20, and he’s also averaging a career-high 19:36 per game. He’s had impeccable possession impacts, too, logging a +13.9 expected rating and a 53.6 CF% at even strength, playing primarily alongside journeyman shutdown blue-liner Nick Seeler, who’s nearing an extension to remain in Philadelphia. Both were pending UFAs.

Walker will slot in as a more defensively responsible partner for Samuel Girard on the Avs’ second pairing. He replaces 2019 fourth-overall pick Bowen Byram, who Colorado dealt to the Sabres in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt in a subsequent trade Wednesday. Notably, three of the Avalanche’s top four defenders are listed at under 6 feet, but their core is still remarkably similar to the defense that led them to a Stanley Cup championship just two years ago.

With all their first-round picks in store for the next three years (and after making two first-round picks in 2023), parting with one for Walker is a sensible cost to pay for a team looking to capitalize on the primes of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar for a second championship. Ridding themselves of Johansen, who fell short of expectations with 23 points in 63 games this year, also clears a crucial $4MM off their books through next season. If he clears waivers and reports to the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he’ll cost a slightly reduced $2.85MM against Philly’s cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the trade.

Sportsnet’s Eric Engels was first to report that the Flyers received a first-round pick, while Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports specified it will be in 2025.

TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report that Johansen was heading to the Flyers.

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta was first to report that Johansen was being placed on waivers.

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick

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2:31 pm: The Ducks have made the trade official per a team announcement.

12:23 pm: The Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks are working on a trade that will send both Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Alberta. With the full trade details before either team has confirmed, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that Anaheim will acquire a 2024 first-round selection as well as a conditional 2025 fifth-round selection that can be upgraded to a fourth-round pick if the Oilers win the Stanley Cup.

Although the Ducks are already retaining 50% of Henrique’s salary in the deal, the Tampa Bay Lightning were also brought in to retain 25% of the salary as well, earning a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick from the Oilers in the process. Aside from Henrique and Carrick, Edmonton will also be acquiring Tampa Bay’s 2024 seventh-round selection and goaltender Ty Taylor, who is currently rostered on the Evansville Thunderbolts of the SPHL.

Further reporting has indicated that Anaheim will be retaining 50% of Carrick’s contract as well, bringing his total salary with Edmonton down to $425K for the remainder of the season. Because the Ducks retained money on both players, they no longer have any retention spots available for any remaining trades they may make leading up to the deadline.

With Henrique now in the mix, Edmonton will have the opportunity to get creative in their top six. Understandably, they will likely keep their first line together heading into the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs but now can move either Evander Kane or Mattias Janmark around the lineup to create a more balanced offensive approach.

Speaking of balance, that is exactly what Henrique brings to the table for the Oilers as one of the more consistent two-way forwards in the NHL. Formidable offensively, Henrique has scored 18 goals and 42 points in 60 games for the Ducks this season but also boasts a 52.9% faceoff win rate.

Aside from helping out both offensively and defensively at even strength, Henrique should also be able to improve the Oilers’ pedestrian penalty-kill percentage this year. Centering Anaheim’s top penalty kill unit for much of his tenure in California, Henrique should be able to slide next to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the team’s top penalty kill unit or be the focal point of the team’s second unit.

Carrick, on the other hand, gives the Oilers an upgrade to a portion of the offensive unit they have been craving for much of the season. Experimenting with Connor Brown and Adam Erne on the team’s fourth line, Carrick gives Edmonton a more bona fide player to utilize in that role.

In 61 games for Anaheim this season, Carrick has scored eight goals and 11 points in total as well as throwing 137 hits against his opponents. Carrick has mostly played down the middle for the Ducks this season but does give the Oilers some flexibility to move Dylan Holloway to the wing on the bottom line.

With the inclusion of a first-round pick going to Anaheim in this deal, General Manager Pat Verbeek has added yet another top selection for the 2024 NHL Draft, with the Ducks now having seven total selections in the first three rounds of this upcoming summer’s draft. With 11 picks in total for 2024, the Ducks will now have added 20 new players to the organization via the draft in the last two years alone.

In Tampa Bay, even by retaining a total of $1.45MM of Henrique’s salary, they will still have plenty of cap maneuverability to make a big splash come deadline day. Essentially purchasing a later-round pick from the Oilers, the Lightning could use this extra draft selection as a sweetener of their own in a few days.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports images. 

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to report trade talks heating up between Edmonton and Anaheim. 

The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to report the trade had been completed. 

TSN’s Chris Johnston was the first to report that draft picks would be headed to Anaheim. 

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