Trade Rumors: Connor, Gostisbehere, Center Market
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.
Extension Notes: Kreider, Miller, Willman
New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered the top rental player on the market and has been for some time. Yet, through it all the Rangers have maintained that they would like to re-sign their All-Star winger. It seems GM Jeff Gorton has finally decided that it’s time to talk details if the two sides are going to work out a deal ahead of the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Gorton and Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, will sit down within the next few days to discuss a contract extension. While LeBrun thinks that it could be a tough extension to work out given Kreider’s status as arguably the second-best potential free agent this summer behind only Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In a weak market, Kreider could capitalize more on a bidding war than he likely would be able to re-signing with New York before testing the waters. However, the career Ranger may also see that he is on an up-and-coming team and wish to stay at the right price. Gorton and Keator will discuss what that number might be in the coming days and a decision on Kreider’s future, one way or another, will be made within the coming weeks.
- He may be 39 and noticeably declining with each season, but the Anaheim Ducks remain interested in bringing back veteran goaltender Ryan Miller for another year. That is, if he wants to play another year. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that Miller has earned the ability to decide how his career will end. Despite his struggles this season, Miller would have value on the trade market if the Ducks were to make him available, but Teaford believes that he will have the final say on a potential move. Miller could decline the opportunity to play for a playoff team down the stretch, as he did last season. He could also accept the trade with the knowledge that he would be welcomed back to Anaheim as a free agent this summer. Miller may also land with a legitimate Cup contender and decide to call it a career after a long playoff run. Or, and the only future the player himself is considering at this time, Miller may just stay in Anaheim and revisit his options in the off-season. While a decision on where Miller will play for the rest of the season must be made within the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline, there is still time to consider his future beyond this season. However, the cushy role of backup to workhorse John Gibson in sunny Southern California is not a bad way for Miler to continue his career into his 40’s.
- A notable AHL rookie signed an extension on Tuesday. Former Brown and Boston University forward Max Willman signed on for another year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Willman, 24, played five seasons of college hockey, a tenure extended by a senior season at Brown lost to injury. While Willman struggled to get back to full strength with BU last season, he still managed to make enough of an impression on the Philadelphia Flyers to earn a deal with their affiliate. Willman looked like his old self to begin the year, scoring at a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Since being called up to Lehigh, he has three goals and five points in 15 games. The Cape Cod native works hard and plays a smart game and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could one day be signing an NHL contract.
Minor Transactions: 02/06/20
After the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings completes a late-night trade yesterday, eyes are now peeled for the next move around the NHL. With 12 games on the schedule for this evening there will be plenty of minor moves as teams prepare, and we’ll keep track of them right here.
- The Kings have recalled Cal Petersen after moving Jack Campbell to Toronto, giving them a second goaltender for the remainder of the season. Petersen should get a look down the stretch to find out if they really have a potential starter, as Jonathan Quick has struggled mightily this season.
- Similarly, the Maple Leafs have demoted Kasimir Kaskisuo after acquiring Campbell. The trade gave Toronto 24 men on the roster and reassigning the now third-string goalie was the obvious solution to get them back down to 23.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Matiss Kivlenieks, Andrew Peeke and Kevin Stenlund, the former two returning after just one day in the minor leagues. The Blue Jackets will take on the Detroit Red Wings tomorrow night and are still dealing with various injuries.
- Sebastian Aho is headed back to the New York Islanders, recalled once again. The young defenseman has been up and down all season, but still hasn’t worked his way into the NHL lineup.
- Andy Andreoff has been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers, as they prepare for a divisional matchup against the New Jersey Devils tonight. Andreoff has played in 13 games for Philadelphia this season, but has just one assist.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Matt Bartkowski to the NHL while Carson Soucy deals with an illness. The Wild are facing the Vancouver Canucks this evening.
- Robbie Russo is up with the Arizona Coyotes as Jason Demers deals with another injury. Demers has been placed on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least a little bit of time.
Minor Transactions: 01/30/20
The hockey world got what it was waiting for last night when Zack Kassian and Matthew Tkachuk finally dropped the gloves in what was a fiery edition of the battle of Alberta. While many gave the decision to the bigger Edmonton Oilers forward, the same can’t be said for the outcome of the game. The Oilers were defeated in a shootout by the Calgary Flames and are now two points behind their provincial rivals in the standings. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league today as teams prepare for their own battles this evening:
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Karson Kuhlman and Jeremy Lauzon from the AHL, as they prepare to return to action after ten days off. The Bruins are on a two-game road trip that will stop in Winnipeg and Minnesota on back-to-back nights, and need all the healthy bodies they can get.
- The Jets made a pair of moves themselves as they prepare for Boston tomorrow night, recalling Cameron Schilling and Logan Shaw. The 31-year old Schilling still hasn’t played in an NHL game this season, but does have 20 points in 42 games for the Manitoba Moose.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled both Riley Stillman and Sam Montembeault, as they get ready for an afternoon tilt on Saturday. Florida can potentially put a fork in division-rival Montreal with a win, putting them 12 points up in the standings.
- Givani Smith, Filip Zadina and Dennis Cholowski have all been recalled as the youth movement continues for the Detroit Red Wings. All three players figure to be core pieces for the squad moving forward and will get a chance down the stretch to really establish themselves.
- Connor Bunnaman and Alex Lyon have been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers, who are still waiting on Carter Hart‘s return from injury. The team will use Brian Elliott for the time being, but need their young star goaltender back as soon as possible.
- After being taken along on the road with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tyler Gaudet is on his way back to the AHL. Toronto gave Gaudet a chance to come with them when they visited Nashville, the organization that had him for parts of the last two seasons. He isn’t expected to see any NHL action for the Maple Leafs.
- Chase De Leo is on the way back the San Diego Gulls, assigned today to the AHL. The 24-year old has played just a single game this season with the Anaheim Ducks, and just four in his career.
- With Marc-Andre Fleury forced to miss a game after pulling out of the All-Star festivities, the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Oskar Dansk. Nicolas Roy is coming with him with William Karlsson and Cody Glass still injured.
Trade Rumors: Jets, Dillon, Pageau
As Tessa Bonhomme pointed out on Tuesday night’s “Insider Trading” segment on TSN, the Winnipeg Jets are in the unenviable position of needing help at center and on defense, often hard positions to replace in-season. Injuries down the middle have caused center to become an issue for the Jets, but few will be surprised to hear that Darren Dreger says that addressing the blue line remains Winnipeg’s priority ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. Defense was an obvious weak point for Winnipeg from day one of the 2019-20 season, following the departures of Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot this off-season and the unexpected absence of Dustin Byfuglien as well. While Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk have played well this season, the rest of the D corps remains underwhelming and ill-equipped to handle the pressures of the postseason. Dreger confirms that the Jets are specifically looking for a top-four defenseman, as they need more than just depth additions to fix the blue line. He says that the team will consider both rentals and term players when evaluating trade options but will have to keep in mind the team’s salary cap situation, both this year and moving forward.
- One player being targeted by the Jets as a possible stopgap to their defensive woes is San Jose Sharks rearguard Brenden Dillon, according to Pierre LeBrun. Dillon has been one of the most talked about trade candidates in recent weeks, as the Sharks are eager to sell, but short on impending free agents, making the big defenseman a near certainty to move. LeBrun believes that at least six NHL teams are firmly in on Dillon, which is a number likely to increase as the trade deadline grows closer. LeBrun speculates that the asking price for Dillon, who is strictly a stay-at-home, shutdown defender, could rise to a second-round pick and prospect. Other than Winnipeg, two other teams that LeBrun named as suitors are the Boston Bruins, who are looking to add physicality and grit to their lineup, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost Dougie Hamilton to injury but have the cap space to replace him regardless of their blue line depth.
- Another player sure to have a number of suitors is Ottawa Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators will try to re-sign him, but Pageau is enjoying a breakout year and the market for centremen is very thin. LeBrun states that Pageau is the top pivot available and Ottawa could command a first-round pick. Whether they opt to re-sign him or not could depend on how far the bidding war reaches for his services. LeBrun does note that a number of teams with obvious needs down the middle are also not locks for the postseason, which could influence Pageau’s price and possibly convince the Senators to pull him off the market. The teams specifically named by LeBrun include the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Philadelphia Flyers. Of course, the Jets could also be contenders if they decide to load up.
Shayne Gostisbehere Could Return On Friday
- Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere may be available when Philadelphia returns from their bye week on Friday, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. He has missed the last seven games after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and the team has performed well in his absence, posting a 5-2 record over that stretch. The 26-year-old has struggled considerably in the offensive end this season which could make him available before next month’s trade deadline although they would be selling low on him if they were to move him now.
2020 NHL All-Star Skills Participants Announced
Before Saturday’s All-Star Game three-on-three tournament, the NHL’s best will take the ice on Friday night in the annual All-Star Skills event. There has been considerable hype around this year’s competition, given both the new “Shooting Stars” event, in which players will fire the puck at targets on the ice from platforms in the stands, and the participation of stars from the women’s game, including their own three-on-three scrimmage. Now, the league has announced who specifically will be taking part in each event, both new and classic. Below is the lineup for each event:
Fastest Skater
Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
Chris Kreider, New York Rangers
Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Save Streak
David Rittich, Calgary Flames
Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks
Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Accuracy Shooting
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils
Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks
Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
Hardest Shot
Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Shooting Stars
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
David Perron, St. Louis Blues
Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
American Women’s Elite All-Star (TBD)
Canadian Women’s Elite All-Star (TBD)
Women’s Three-On-Three
Team Canada: Meghan Agosta, Mélodie Daoust, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Renata Fast, Laura Fortino, Rebecca Johnston, Sarah Nurse, Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull
Team USA: Kacey Bellamy, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson, Annie Pankowski, Alex Rigsby Cavallini, Lee Stecklein
All the action kicks off at 7:00pm local time in St. Louis, with coverage from NBCSN in the U.S and CBC, SN, and TVAS in Canada.
Pittsburgh Penguins Activate Justin Schultz From IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins do not return to action for more than a week, when they square off with the rival Philadelphia Flyers on January 31st. However, fans now have even more to look forward to than just the return of their team. Joining them back on the ice will be defenseman Justin Schultz, who CapFriendly reports has been activated from the injured reserve.
This news comes just days after Schultz made his return to practice for the first time since his injury occurred back on December 17. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh wrote on Tuesday that Schultz was all but ready to return than night – also against the Flyers – after participating fully in practice, but the team had opted to exercise caution with the long break ahead. While Shultz has reportedly been activated today, it is nothing more than a paper move with the team disbanded for the All-Star Game and bye week. He will get extra rest during this time, with the hope being that he can hit the ground running in his return.
Schultz suffered his lower-body injury in mid-December as part of a rash of injuries for the Penguins. Captain Sidney Crosby has recently returned from the injury he suffered in November, but Pittsburgh still awaits the returns of Schultz, fellow defenseman Brian Dumoulin, and forward Nick Bjugstad, who has been out the longest with a core muscle injury. Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust have also missed substantial time due to injury this season, while Jake Guentzel saw his season ended by a shoulder injury not long after Schultz went down.
It has been a difficult season health-wise for the Penguins, but their absences have not been all that apparent. The team has had miraculous success given their numerous injuries, not only keeping pace in the competitive Metropolitan Division, but in fact making a play for the division lead. Pittsburgh sits just four point back of the Washington Capitals with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. If they are able to accomplish that with so many big names out the lineup, who knows how they might perform once everyone is healthy. There is hope that Dumoulin and Bjugstad will soon be healthy, but in the meantime the return of Schultz should make an immediate impact. The 29-year-old defenseman, who is in the final year of his contract, struggled with injuries last season as well, but when healthy has recorded 109 points in 215 games since arriving in Pittsburgh in 2015. Capable of playing big minutes and putting up big points, with a history of playing his best in the postseason, plus the additional motivation of a free agency payday, Schultz could be a game-changing asset for the Penguins in his return.
Minor Transactions: 01/22/20
With just two games remaining on the schedule before the entire league breaks for the All-Star Game festivities, there will be many minor moves today seeing players head down to the AHL. Anyone that isn’t tied down by waiver eligibility will be heading down to get some extra work during the break and save their NHL club a few cap dollars. As always, we’ll keep track of those moves right here.
- The New York Rangers have sent down Igor Shesterkin and Phillip Di Giuseppe, though the former is still not expected to take part in the AHL All-Star event. Shesterkin was selected for the minor league game after going 15-4-3 with a .932 in his first taste of North American professional hockey, but was replaced earlier this week as he continued to play with the Rangers.
- Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy have both been sent back to the AHL by the Vegas Golden Knights, a trip both of them got used to earlier in the season. While Roy has continued to bounce up and down between the two leagues, Hague has been in the NHL since the middle of November and playing regularly for the Golden Knights. The 21-year old defenseman has 11 points in 38 games.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have returned Brandon Hagel and Dennis Gilbert to the AHL. Hagel still hasn’t suited up for an NHL game, but he’s obviously getting closer to that dream after several call-ups in recent days.
- Andrew Agozzino, Joseph Blandisi, Sam Lafferty and Kevin Czuczman have all been assigned to the AHL by the Pittsburgh Penguins, allowing the NHL club to bank a little extra cap space as they continue to push for the playoffs. The Penguins have quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to deadline additions thanks to some savvy saving and the potential long-term injured reserve cap room created by Jake Guentzel‘s injury.
- The Penguins cross-state rival have also sent several players to the minors, as Alex Lyon, German Rubtsov and Connor Bunnaman are all leaving the Philadelphia Flyers for now. The Flyers don’t play again until January 31st, giving them a chance to sort out their roster in a week’s time.
- Sebastian Aho, no not that Sebastian Aho, has been sent to the minor leagues by the New York Islanders. The young defenseman has been brought up a few times as injury insurance since Adam Pelech went down earlier this month, but still hasn’t found his way into an NHL game this season.
- The Detroit Red Wings are one of the few teams in action today, and have recalled Dennis Cholowski ahead of their game against the Minnesota Wild. Cholowski has split his time between the NHL and AHL this season, suiting up 29 times for the Red Wings.
- Karson Kuhlman, Jeremy Lauzon and Dan Vladar have all been returned to the AHL by the Boston Bruins. Lauzon, 22, scored the second NHL goal of his career last night for Boston, even while playing his off-side.
- The Florida Panthers have returned Riley Stillman and Sam Montembeault to the minor leagues over the break. Stillman has played in 16 games with the Panthers this season, but is still looking for his first career NHL goal.
Minor Transactions: 01/20/20
After a flurry of activity yesterday with half of the NHL’s teams entering their bye weeks, things should slow down today with those teams now officially on bye. In fact, there are only two games on the docket tonight and eight games total scheduled this week before the All-Star break begins on Thursday. Yet, those teams remaining in action may still be active with roster tweaks over the coming days. Keep up with all of those moves here:
- The Chicago Blackhawks witnessed Patrick Kane’s 1000th NHL point last night, and Dennis Gilbert and Brandon Hagel got as good a view as anyone, watching from the press box. The two have now been returned to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, the Blackhawks announced. Gilbert has been a frequent call-up of the ‘Hawks this season, skating in 20 games with Chicago versus just 11 with Rockford. Hagel has been in the opposite position, spending his time almost exclusively with the Ice Hogs, where he leads the team in goals, except for a few games spent watching – but not playing with – the Blackhawks. However, that could change for the first-year pro if he continues to produce in the minors. (UPDATE: Both players have been recalled again, meaning it was just a paper transaction)
- German Rubtsov is on his way to Philadelphia, the Flyers announced this morning. The 2016 first-round pick made his NHL debut earlier this season, skating in three games with the Flyers. However, he has was held scoreless. Rubtsov has just 12 points in 28 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms as well, so Philly could be looking for the young forward to re-discover his scoring tough with a call-up to the big leagues.
- The Vancouver Canucks have reassigned Zack MacEwen to the AHL’s Utica Comets, but that might mean very little. MacEwen has been back-and-forth between the two clubs all season, including several paper transactions, so expect the forward to be back in Vancouver before too long.
- Joseph Blandisi has been recalled once again by the Pittsburgh Penguins, a normal occurrence for the minor league forward this season. This will be the seventh time he has been recalled, and he has actually played more games in the NHL than the AHL.