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Shayne Gostisbehere Sent To AHL On Conditioning Stint

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The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Shayne Gostisbehere to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a conditioning stint, giving him a chance to get some action while he continues to work his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery. Gostisbehere did play for the Flyers once earlier this month, but has missed the last five as he tries to get back to full strength.

Of course, Gostisbehere’s name has also continually surfaced in trade rumors, at least in part because of the struggles he has had this season. Whether those are due to injury or just a change in system under new head coach Alain Vigneault, the former Calder Trophy finalist hasn’t looked like himself all season.

With just 12 points in 41 games, Gostisbehere is an enigma that the Flyers will need to solve before any playoff run. Whether the end of the maze is a trade out of Philadelphia or a rejuvenated performance, the team can’t afford to have his $4.5MM sitting out or underperforming for long.

New York Rangers Acquire Jean-Francois Berube

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In a late-night move, the New York Rangers added even more goaltending depth to their organization, acquiring Jean-Francois Berube from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers will receive future considerations. Berube will stay in the minor leagues, giving the Hartford Wolf Pack another option with Igor Shesterkin staying in the NHL.

As expected, those future considerations are actually an AHL trade between the two organizations. The Hartford Wolf Pack have sent Tom McCollum and Lewis Zerter-Gossage to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Players on AHL deals cannot be including in an NHL trade, meaning the teams needed to use the “future” tag.

For the Flyers, this will open up some playing time for prospect Kirill Ustimenko while still giving their lower minors an established professional goaltender in McCollum. As we mentioned recently in their deadline primer, Ustimenko has some impressive upside and is regarded well as a goaltending prospect. In 31 games for the Reading Royals of the ECHL he has a .919 save percentage.

Trade Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers

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

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

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

Record

33-20-7, third in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

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

Upcoming Draft Picks

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

Trade Chips

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team Needs

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

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

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Philadelphia Flyers Considering Jeff Carter

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  • Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column is filled with lots of speculation on the upcoming deadline, but one note is of considerable interest. That’s No. 5 on the list, which suggests that the Philadelphia Flyers have looked into Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings. The Flyers obviously have a long history with Carter, given he played nearly 500 games there to start his NHL career. The 35-year old center has 17 goals on the season but just 26 points and is signed through 2021-22 at a $5.27MM cap hit—the end of an 11-year contract signed in 2010 with Philadelphia.

Sabres Sign Taylor Leier To NHL Contract

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Last January, the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers swapped prospects, with Justin Bailey heading to Philly and Taylor Leier going to Buffalo. The duo had remarkably similar numbers at both the NHL and AHL levels and were each headed to restricted free agency, but the teams hoped a change of scenery might help to push them into NHL roles. However, when the time came for qualifying offers, both players found themselves as free agents rather than sticking with their new teams. The reasons however were very different.

Bailey got an immediate tryout with Philadelphia last season, skating in 11 games with the Flyers down the stretch. Unfortunately for the big winger, he failed to impress with just one point in that span and was not much of a difference-maker in the AHL either. The Flyers let him walk and he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Vancouver Canucks this summer, which has so far paid off with immense minor league production and even a pair of NHL appearances.

Leier, on the other hand, spent the remainder of last season with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and was a valuable asset. By all accounts, the Sabres had planned to re-sign him. However, the young forward suffered a freak accident while training in May that completely changed the status quo. While practicing his stickhandling on rollerblades at a local tennis court near his Saksatoon home, Leier fell and put his arm out to break his fall. His shoulder popped out, tearing his labrum. Suddenly, his future was in doubt. With a long road ahead of him, including surgery and rehab, Leier knew that an extension with Buffalo was likely no longer an option. Yet, finding employment anywhere else was likely even more unlikely. The team and player agreed that staying where he was, that being AHL Rochester, was the best course of action, and so Leier signed a one-year AHL deal with the Americans.

Leier returned to game action in late December, finally having healed from his accident. In the 17 games since, the skilled forward has recorded seven goals and eight points, among the team’s scoring leaders. Regardless of whether they need him this season or not, the Sabres have decided to reward Leier’s hard work and dedication. The team announced today that they have signed him to an NHL contract for the remainder of the season. While it is a two-way deal worth the minimum $700K, the move is more of a symbolic gesture anyhow that shows Leier that the club continues to support him. It will also keep him under team control into next season as a restricted free agent.

Of course, Leier will have to clear waivers today before he can be re-added to the Rochester roster. If he continues to produce in the AHL, the Sabres could finally give him an NHL look down the stretch as well, especially if they move out current roster pieces at the trade deadline. Leier has 55 NHL games and seven points under his belt and after working hard to return from injury and earn an NHL contract, the hope is that the young forward will have the chance to build upon those totals moving forward.

East Notes: Muzzin, Flyers, Bogosian, Hischier

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently in discussion with pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Jake Muzzin. However, with the team’s cap situation next season and the fact that their top two blueliners, Muzzin and Tyson Barrie, will both be UFAs this summer, it becomes quite an interesting negotiations.

In fact, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) writes that the Maple Leafs have a challenging negotiations in front of them. While Muzzin is a local, the team has to consider his age before signing him as he will turn 31 next week and the team cannot afford to be loaded down with a player down the road with a long-term deal. Unfortunately, Mirtle writes that Muzzin isn’t signing with Toronto on a short-term deal and suggests that it likely would be a four to five-year pact at about $5MM.

If the team does sign him to a contract similar to that, it is important that Toronto signs him to a front-loaded contract, which might make him more attractive to other teams later in the deal, which might allow Toronto to move him later on in the deal if he doesn’t age well. That might be the best-case scenario for the franchise, according to Mirtle.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers are in an interesting position as the trade deadline nears. After falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, the Flyers are now holding onto the last wild card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Yet, The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) writes that the Flyers will be buyers no matter what at the trade deadline. Regardless, the team likely won’t be going after the big names on the market as the team lacks the cap space to do that and in reality, Philadelphia isn’t really a Stanley Cup contender just yet. Nor is the team ready to move a first-round pick for player either. However, O’Connor adds that the team is far more likely to add a lower-level target, most likely upgrading at the wing.
  • The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that while defenseman Zach Bogosian has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, Bogosian’s agent, Darren Ferris said the two will meet in the next couple days and to discuss his next step, which will include whether Bogosian accepts the assignment to Rochester. The injury-prone 29-year-old has only appeared in five AHL games in his career, back during the 2008-09 season and may not be too keen on returning there at this point in his career.
  • NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that there is a good chance that all-star center Nico Hischier could return to the team on Sunday. Hischier, who has been out of the lineup since Feb. 1 with a knee injury, would give the team a significant boost if ready to return. Hischier has 13 goals and 32 points in 46 games.

Flyers Recall Mark Friedman

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  • The Flyers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Mark Friedman from AHL Lehigh Valley.  The 24-year-old has played in five games this season with Philadelphia where he recorded his first career NHL point (an assist).  Friedman has spent the bulk of the year with the Phantoms where he has 13 points in 38 games. The team followed that up hours later by announcing that Friedman has been returned to Lehigh Valley. The team obviously didn’t need him.

Snapshots: Matheson, Toffoli, Handemark

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The Florida Panthers iced a unique lineup on Tuesday night with not one, but two defensemen skating as forwards. While Mark Pysyk has served in that hybrid role frequently this season, Michael Matheson also tried his hand. The result was a win and goal and two assists for Matheson. While Matheson does not receive a tremendous amount of attention, the Boston College product has been a reliable two-way blue liner for Florida since day one and other teams are beginning to take notice. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Panthers have explored the trade market for Matheson this season. He believes that a number of teams are interested and after Tuesday’s display of versatility and offensive touch, there may now be a few more. The stumbling block to any trade though would be Matheson’s contract. The dependable defender actually has a very fair $4.875MM cap hit, but it is term that could be a problem. Matheson is in just the second year of a maximum eight-year contract that carries through the 2025-26 season. Any team looking to acquire Matheson has to be more than just interested, they have to be dedicated, as Matheson could be around for a long time. The Panthers probably won’t take a discount on a return due to the term of the deal though. Florida was happy to have Matheson in the fold for many years to come just a couple of seasons back and they likely will not move the homegrown defenseman without a strong return.

  • Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli continues to be one of the hottest names on the market with a number of potential suitors. However, some think that the Philadelphia Flyers have emerged as the favorite to land the two-way winger. Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer added fuel to that fire by reporting that former Flyers GM Ron Hextall, now an employee of the Kings, is in Florida scouting Flyers-Panthers on Thursday night. The Kings have been scouting the Flyers frequently, but Hextall’s presence takes things up a notch. No one in L.A. knows Philadelphia better than Hextall and the team would likely not make a move without his seal of approval. Perhaps they will get that nod from Hextall on a potential return for Toffoli after tonight’s game.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are hardly buyers in the trade market, but they will be looking to add in the off-season. One player that the team has been linked to is Swedish forward Fredrik Handemark. The 26-year-old center is a big, two-way center who has impressed for several years with the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL. In a season in which he has already matched his career high in points with weeks still to play, the consensus is that Handemark has outgrown Sweden and will look to make the jump to the NHL next season. Swedish news source Aftonbladet reports that there is interest from NHL teams, including the Red Wings, who Handemark calls his childhood favorite. Detroit has had great success with Swedes in the past, including a fellow two-way pivot in Henrik Zetterberg, and Handemark could be an affordable, effective addition for GM Steve Yzerman’s rebuilding club. Aftonbladet also mentions Orebro’s Mathias Brome, Farjestad’s Gustaf Rydahl, and HK Sochi’s Malte Strömwall as other Swedish standouts who have been linked to the Red Wings this season.

Evening Notes: Lauzon, Raanta, Kuemper, Hart, Olofsson

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The Department of Player Safety announced that they will have a hearing Sunday for Boston Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon for an illegal check to the head of Arizona Coyotes forward Derek Stepan.

The incident happened at 19:34 of the first period of Saturday’s game between Boston and Arizona when Lauzon caught Stepan with a high hit against the boards (video here). Stepan was shaken up, but returned for the second period of the game. Lauzon received a five-minute major and a match penalty. The 22-year-old has appeared in seven games for Boston this season and has one goal.

  • Before their afternoon game Saturday, the Arizona Coyotes announced that Antti Raanta would start against the Boston Bruins. However, the team instead put backup Adin Hill into the starting lineup not long after. The Athletic’s Craig Morgan reports that it was announced after the game that Raanta missed the game due to a lower-body injury. That could be disastrous, Morgan adds that head coach Rick Tocchet did say that starter Darcy Kuemper, who has been out since Dec. 19 with a lower-body injury, is expected to practice with the team in Montreal on Sunday and, if all goes well, could be available for Monday’s game against the Canadiens. Kuemper has been terrific this season for the Coyotes in 29 appearances. He boasts a 2.17 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart could be back as soon as Monday against Florida. The second-year goalie has been out since Jan. 13 with an abdomen injury. Head coach Alain Vigneault said that he believes Hart could be ready soon, but much will defend on how Hart feels on Sunday before a final decision can be made. The 21-year-old has a 2.61 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 32 games this season.
  • The Buffalo Sabres need to wait at least another week to get back rookie forward Victor Olofsson. Head coach Ralph Krueger said that Olofsson was close. “When you see a player back from an injury from this time period, you know that we are nearing a re-entry, but I would definitely say it will be a week or more still…We are really pleased to see him back out there today.” Getting Olofsson back would bring a much needed scorer back into the lineup. The 24-year-old has 16 goals and 35 points in 42 games before going down with a lower-body injury on Jan. 2.

Trade Rumors: Connor, Gostisbehere, Center Market

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With the Winnipeg Jets continuing to slide further and further from playoff contention this season, the team will have to begin entertaining trade offers. While impending free agents like Dmitry Kulikov, Luca Sbisa, and Gabriel Bourque could be the most likely trade casualties, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press writes that the team is receiving considerable interest in top line winger Kyle Connor. Normally, a player like Connor, who is skating more than 20 minutes per night and leading the team in goal scoring at the age of 23, would be untouchable. However, the Jets are deep up front and in desperate need of a new cornerstone on defense and the possibility of landing an elite young player or prospect who could fill that void may have them at least listening to offers for Connor. The division rival Colorado Avalanche are reportedly leading the hunt, with 2019 No. 4 overall pick Bowen Byram being the core piece that would head to the Jets. A young defenseman of Byram’s caliber would be a huge addition to the Winnipeg pipeline, but would not be able to play a top-pair role for a few years still to come. Is that enough to part with a player like Connor? McIntyre is skeptical and reiterates that in no way are the Jets shopping their young star. After all, they just signed Connor to a seven-year, $50MM extension back in September. However, given their disappointing season and bleak outlook on the blue line, it cannot be ruled out that the right price – Byram or otherwise – could entice the Jets to move Connor.

  • A difficult season for Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere continued not only in his last game, but in his last practice as well. Gostisbehere, who has missed 13 games this season due to injury and has struggled even when healthy, drew back into the Flyers’ lineup on Thursday night. The team proceeded to drop an embarrassing 5-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils, in which the pairing of Gostisbehere and Justin Braun were of little help. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ed Barkowitz recounts that Gostisbehere’s frustration boiled over in practice on Friday. The blue liner whiffed on a shot late in practice and responded by hurling his stick over the glass and storming off the ice. While Barkowitz makes no mention of any possible discipline for Gostisbehere as a result of this incident, there is a strong chance that he will take a seat for Saturday’s match-up against the Washington Capitals. While it may seem like Gostisbehere is wearing out his welcome in Philly with lacking results and now visible distress, head coach Alain Vigneault did acknowledge to Barkowitz that the team likely erred in rushing Gostisbehere back from his knee surgery rather than allowing him to serve a rehab stint in the AHL. But with the deed done, both sides have to live with the current situation. Or do they? Gostisbehere remains a hot name on the trade market and with the Flyers fighting for a playoff spot and needing help up front, a trade seems like a strong possibility. Gostisbehere is only 26 and has three years remaining on his current contract, but this seems like a situation where both sides might benefit from a fresh start. With each of their next five games coming against an Eastern Conference team currently in playoff position, a crucial stretch for the Flyers’ own postseason hopes, perhaps a Gostisbehere deal will come sooner rather than later.
  • The Flyers are one of a number of teams who could benefit from bringing in a center at the deadline. However, TSN’s Frank Seravalli points out that this is the weakest position in the current trade market. The top available option is Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who some believe the team would rather re-sign than deal. Beyond that, the only other two centers on TSN’s Trade Bait List are Nashville’s Kyle Turris, and his remaining four years and $24MM, and Detroit’s veteran pivot Valtteri Filppula. Beyond that, Seravalli lists impending UFA’s Derek Grant of Anaheim and Nate Thompson of Montreal and younger players like San Jose’s Barclay Goodrow and Ottawa’s Chris Tierney as the top options. Once Pageau is off the board – or worse, if he isn’t traded at all – it is slim pickings down the middle on the trade market. Seravalli lists the Oilers, Capitals, and Jets as teams joining Philadelphia in the pursuit of a center, but not all of these teams will leave the deadline happy.

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