2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap
The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):
To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff
To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons
To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick
To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid
To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes
To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)
To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal
To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput
To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations
To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations
To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)
To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick
To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid
To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick
Michael Raffl And Brian Elliott Drawing Trade Interest
While Wayne Simmonds is the most notable Philadelphia player in play today, he’s not the only one that teams are looking to acquire. Craig Custance of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that a pair of other pending unrestricted free agents in winger Michael Raffl and goalie Brian Elliott are also garnering interest.
Raffl has had a down season after scoring 13 times one year ago. In 48 games so far this year, he has five goals and eight assists but his average ice time has dipped to just 11:25, a career low. However, he can play both wings and kill penalties so teams looking for affordable depth up front could certainly have some interest. The 30-year-old has a cap hit of $2.35MM.
As for Elliott, injuries have derailed his season as he has played in just 17 games so far this season. On top of that, the emergence of Carter Hart (who is on IR for at least one more week) and the recent addition of Cam Talbot have taken away Elliott’s path to much playing time down the stretch. He could still represent an upgrade at the backup spot for a handful of teams with playoff aspirations and carries a cap hit of $2.75MM.
Trade Deadline Notes: Lightning, Ristolainen, Stone, Simmonds, Valimaki
The Tampa Bay Lightning are sitting pretty at the top of the NHL with 98 points, 15 points ahead of any other team in the NHL. There seems to be little need for the Lightning to be involved with any trades with the way they are playing. In fact, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports that head coach Jon Cooper said he isn’t going to lose any sleep if the team doesn’t make a trade.
“It’s not make a trade to make a trade,” Cooper said. “We like our group… Whatever happens, it’ll be good for us. And that could be nothing”
Regardless, Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland contends that a rumor that the Lightning have been talking to the Buffalo Sabres about acquiring defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen won’t go away. Ristolainen, who had been considered the franchise’s No. 1 defenseman until this year when they drafted Rasmus Dahlin, could be a valuable trade chip and might be sought after, especially considering that Tampa Bay have three defensemen who will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Ristolainen has three more years at $5.4MM and could be a good fit in Tampa Bay.
- With Ottawa already having moved on from Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, who were both separately traded to Columbus in the last two days, many eyes have focused on the third member of Ottawa who is expected to be traded in Ryan Stone. The market for the 26-year-old is starting to heat up and the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that as many as eight teams are considered to be serious suitors for Stone’s services. Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg reports that the price for Stone is still considered “ridiculously high.”
- Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that a Philadelphia Flyers’ source reports that Wayne Simmonds has probably played his last game in Philadelphia. “Likely but not 100% decided yet.” Simmonds is one of the most targeted players in the league at the deadline behind Stone as the 6-foot-2 winger could give a playoff team that needed physical player they can play anywhere in their lineup.
- With multiple reports suggesting that teams are asking the Calgary Flames for young defenseman Juuso Valimaki, Sportsnet’s Dean Molberg reports that fans don’t need to worry. He reports that Valimaki is as close to untouchable as any player on the team. The 20-year-old has played sparingly for the team this year, making him an interesting trade chip, but the 2017 first-rounder is considered to be a big part of the team’s future. He’s played in 22 games this season for Calgary, posting two points.
Penguins’ Brian Dumoulin And Kris Letang Suffer Injuries
Ahead of last night’s Stadium Series game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins at Lincoln Financial Field, there was some concern that rain – and the dangerous ice conditions it can cause – would force the Flyers to sit Wayne Simmonds, their top trade chip. With the NHL Trade Deadline only days away, an injury to Simmonds would have made him nearly immovable. Philadelphia decided to take the risk and play Simmonds and the result can only be described as ironic. Rather than Simmonds getting injured, he was the cause of another injury. A high hit by the physical winger on Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin forced Dumoulin out of the game late in the first period.
To make matters worse, Dumoulin’s top pair partner also left the game early. Kris Letang suffered an injury, although it was not immediately clear what happened, in the scrum following the hit on Dumoulin. With Dumoulin and Letang out, the Penguins skated with just four defenseman for much of the game, leaving Justin Schultz and Jack Johnson to each play more than 30 minutes in the game. The effort simply wasn’t enough to overcome the losses, as the Flyers stormed back from two goals down to win in overtime.
As disappointing as the result may have been, one overtime loss is nothing compared to what may happen to the Penguins if both Dumoulin and Letang are out long-term. After the game, head coach Mike Sullivan announced that Dumoulin had suffered a concussion, which was the expected result of the high hit. He also added that Letang was being evaluated for an upper-body injury, but refrained from going into detail. While a concussion is a serious matter, Letang’s injury may be of even greater concern. The All-Star blue liner missed more than a quarter of the regular season and the entire postseason in 2016-17 with a serious neck injury and the understandable worry in Pittsburgh is that it is another neck issue for Letang.
If one or both of the top defensemen are set to miss time, the Penguins are ill-suited to handle that absence. With Olli Maatta already on the injured reserve with no timeline for a return, injuries to Letang and Dumoulin leave Pittsburgh in difficult shape on the blue line. Schultz, who himself just returned from injury, should be able to fill a top-pair role if need be. However, Johnson has had a miserable season and would be a major liability if his ice time increased. Youngsters Marcus Pettersson and Juuso Riikola have played well enough, but neither is quite ready for an increased workload. Chad Ruhwedel has only played in 17 games with the Penguins this year as a frequent healthy scratch, while no defenders in the AHL have seen NHL action this year. The likes of Zach Trotman and Ethan Prow are likely the next men up in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Just last month, Pittsburgh felt comfortable enough with their defensive depth to trade Jamie Oleksiak back to the Dallas Stars. Now, the tables have turned and GM Jim Rutherford has about 24 hours to evaluate the initial injury news on Dumoulin and Letang and decide if he needs to add another defenseman before the deadline. The rental defenseman market isn’t very encouraging and the Penguins have limited cap space, but a player like Adam McQuaid or Michael Del Zotto might make sense for Rutherford to pursue if the Penguins will be without one or both of their top defenders for an extended time. However, with the team battling for a playoff spot still – currently tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the final wild card spot in the East – a minor trade addition may not be enough to save the season if Letang and Dumoulin are out long-term. This could be the beginning of the end for the Penguins’ season.
Minor Transactions: 02/23/2019
With the NHL Trade Deadline just two days away, some key match-ups took place last night as several teams jockeyed for playoff position. The Columbus Blue Jackets – and new addition Matt Duchene – Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets all picked up important wins, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks suffered frustrating losses. Every result is amplified with the deadline this close and teams trying to figure out what do do before it passes. There are 22 teams in action tonight and each will be trying to gauge their team’s needs and playoff chances and how to address them before Monday afternoon. In that same vein, it will be all hands on deck for every club this weekend, which means several minor transactions are on the way. Track them all here:
- Heading to Columbus alongside Duchene yesterday was AHL defenseman Julius Bergman. However, he never actually landed in Columbus and may never suit up for the Blue Jackets. The team announced that Bergman has been reassigned to their affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, where he can reasonably expect to play out the season. Then, Bergman is expected to return to his native Sweden next season. His move to the Blue Jackets was simply a way for the Ottawa Senators to open up an additional contract slot for the organization as they continue to deal at the deadline and hope to add multiple pieces in return.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled a pair of forwards and may have some ulterior motive for doing so. The Sabres announced that Danny O’Regan and Scott Wilson have been promoted from the AHL’s Rochester Americans. O’Regan, 25, has not played in the NHL all season and as a result is headed for Group 6 unrestricted free agency this summer. Wilson, 26, also has yet to make his NHL debut this season and has been buried in the minors of late. He has an additional year remaining on his contract at $1.05MM, but doesn’t appear to have a place in Buffalo’s long-term plans. Without any attachment to either player moving forward, it seems likely this call-up could be used to showcase the capable forwards. Whether the Sabres choose to buy or sell, there’s reason to believe both O’Regan and Wilson could have value to a variety of teams.
- In a corresponding move, CapFriendly reports that the Sabres have reassigned defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL. The return of Casey Nelson has pushed Pilut to the No. 8 spot on the Buffalo blue line and the team clearly prefers he get some play time in the minors instead. The 23-year-old has shown some flashes of brilliance at times this season, but overall has yet to prove he is an everyday NHLer. Meanwhile, the team announced that winger C.J. Smith has also been sent to Rochester. He has played in 11 games with Buffalo so far this season but has been a point-per-game player in 41 contests with the Americans.
- Henri Jokiharju‘s latest stint with the Blackhawks was short-lived as the team announced that he has been returned to Rockford of the AHL. He was recalled just yesterday but suited up when Carl Dahlstrom (flu) was unable to play. However, the 19-year-old played just 9:14. Jokiharju was a regular for Chicago early on but has not had the trust of head coach Jeremy Colliton to the point where they’ve decided he’s better off in the minors for the time being.
- The Senators have assigned defenseman Maxime Lajoie to Belleville of the AHL, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie. The 21-year-old rookie surprised many with a strong start to his season with seven points in his first six games. However, he has cooled off considerably since then with only eight points over his last 49 contests while his ice time has dropped a lot as of late. A chance to go back to the minors and log some more minutes would certainly be beneficial for his development.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Corban Knight from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, according to Sam Carchidi of Philly.com. Knight, who has missed most of the season with a broken collarbone, was placed on waivers two weeks ago and sent down to get him some playing time. The 28-year-old has fared well in four games with the Phantoms, posting two goals and six points.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled star prospect Sam Steel from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL and have assigned forward Brian Gibbons there instead, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Steel, the team’s first-round pick in the 2016 draft, had 15 goals and 32 points for the Gulls, but has struggled in Anaheim’s lineup in 13 games this season. The team hopes that after a significant time in San Diego, Steel can contribute the offense the team needs to turn around their season. Gibbons had just two goals and five points in 44 games for Anaheim this season.
- To make room for Ryan Dzingel on the roster, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have assigned defenseman Adam Clendening to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The 26-year-old was faring well with Cleveland with three goals and 28 points in 33 games. However, he has appeared in just four games for Columbus this year with no points.
Trade Rumors: Hart, Elliott, Tolvanen, Rangers, Senators
Some bad news on one player could turn out to be a blessing in disguise in regards to another. The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that rookie sensation Carter Hart will be out at least ten days with a lower-body injury. Hart has been playing phenomenally this season and his absence could end what little hope the Flyers had of reaching the postseason this year. However, it will force the team to start Brian Elliott tonight in their Stadium Series game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philly’s final game before the deadline. Recent acquisition Cam Talbot is still new to the team and unable to jump in net just yet. However, Talbot’s presence makes Elliott expendable and the Flyers are known to be shopping him. The team tried to move Elliott to the Edmonton Oilers as part of the Talbot return, but ended up trading away the younger Anthony Stolarz. However, with playoff-bound teams like the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights in need of reinforcements in net, Elliott is very much still in play. A strong performance on a grand stage tonight could be enough to convince those kicking the tires to take a shot on Elliott. Moreso, the injury news on Hart could be the final straw for new GM Chuck Fletcher, as he is still allegedly unsure of whether to sell or not at the deadline. With Elliott, Wayne Simmonds, Michael Raffl, and several others drawing interest, Fletcher should be more encouraged to part with those pieces now that his stud goaltender is out for what could be weeks.
- The New York Rangers are one of the most talked-about teams as the deadline approaches, as rentals Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, and Adam McQuaid and even term players like Chris Kreider and Vladislav Namestnikov are drawing considerable interest. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Nashville Predators are one of the teams in talks with the Rangers, but it appears that one of their best assets may be off the table. Brooks reports that the Predators will not trade 2017 first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen for a rental this season. Nashville does not have interest in Hayes, but has looked into Zuccarello, however they won’t offer up Tolvanen to land him. Brooks believes Tolvanen would only be available to the Rangers in a deal for Kreider. The talented Finnish forward has only seen limited NHL action thus far, but is still coveted by sellers – not only the Rangers – for his potential. In this scenario, it’s the sellers who may have to ante up with a signed player to get the prized prospect. As for the Rangers, they may have better luck getting a top return for Zuccarello elsewhere. Brooks states that the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the teams pursuing the veteran winger, while a report yesterday stated some contenders are willing to pay the price to package Zucarello and Hayes together.
- Meanwhile, the price for McQuaid has gone up significantly today following the trade of Ben Lovejoy to the Dallas Stars. McQuaid is arguably the top rental defenseman left on the market, currently ranked No. 21 overall on TSN’s Trade Bait List. With the trade statuses of Alex Edler, Niklas Kronwall, Cody Ceci, and others still unclear, McQuaid looks like the top target for defense-needy teams versus the likes of Michael Del Zotto and Bogdan Kiselevich. McQuaid is by no means a star or season-changing acquisition, but he is likely the best available defenseman even as just a physical, stay-at-home defender. If the New Jersey Devils can draw a third-round pick and young roster player for Lovejoy, the Rangers are suddenly looking at second-round territory with McQuaid. To protect their top trade assets, New York will not play McQuaid, Zuccarello, or Hayes today, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
- Many have felt that the allure of the free agent market for Matt Duchene and Mark Stone and the caliber of return the Ottawa Senators could get for trading them left Ryan Dzingel as the most likely of the trio to re-sign with the team. That certainly isn’t going to be the case. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Dzingel recently turned down a five-year extension offer worth more than $20MM, a significant pay raise over his current $1.8MM cap hit. After that, the team made the definitive decision to trade him before the deadline. Garrioch adds that Stone also rejected the Senators’ last offer, and eight-year pact of unknown value, but the team has not yet completely closed the door on a new deal. They continue to take offers on the star winger though, as Garrioch writes that the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning are the team’s most involved in Stone talks. He believes the Bruins are also interested in Dzingel. It remains to be seen who ends up with Stone or Dzingel and how the returns compare to that of Duchene, but one way or another the Senators are walking away from the deadline with a complete lack of star power on the roster, but a massive influx of picks and prospects to show for it.
Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers
With the trade deadline now just days away, we continue our look at the deadline situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue previewing the Metropolitan Division, here is a look at the Philadelphia Flyers.
It has been a weird season in Philadelphia. They’ve changed the GM, changed the coach, and while they haven’t made a bunch of significant roster changes, they were on quite the run to get themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot. That is, until this week where they lost badly in two straight games. As a result, their fortune doesn’t appear to be fully set with the deadline now less than 72 hours away.
Record
28-26-7, sixth in the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$37.608MM in a full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2019: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, NJ 3rd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, ARI 6th, PHI 6th, MTL 7th, PHI 7th
2020: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th
Trade Chips
Winger Wayne Simmonds has been a very productive member of the Flyers since the 2011-12 season. In that span, he has become one of the more prominent power forwards in the league while showing a pretty consistent scoring touch. However, it appears that his days in Philadelphia are pretty much numbered. It doesn’t appear as if progress on a contract extension have been made (with either of their GMs this season) as there is some concern over the term of the deal that the 30-year-old is seeking. While that matters in terms of free agency, it doesn’t matter as much for his short-term future as there will be no shortage of suitors for his services. He will be one of the more prominent players to move by February 25th.
Goaltending has been an area of concern for Philadelphia for most of the season although Carter Hart’s play is certainly cause for optimism. However, with the acquisition of Cam Talbot, there doesn’t appear to be a spot for Brian Elliott for the rest of the season. Now healthy, he’s a candidate to be moved for teams in need of goalie depth. If Michal Neuvirth was healthy, he’d be here too. If they have plans on extending Talbot, that could make Alex Lyon available as well.
In terms of other skaters, winger Michael Raffl could be interesting as a buy-low candidate. He can play both wings and while his production is down this season, he’s only a year removed from scoring 13 goals. Teams looking for a bit more pop from their fourth line could turn to him.
Five Players To Watch For: G Brian Elliott, G Alex Lyon F Michael Raffl, F Wayne Simmonds, F Mike Vecchione
Team Needs
1) Scoring Wingers: With Simmonds likely to be on the move, they’re going to have a vacancy that needs to be filled long-term. Finding someone that can help 2017 number two pick Nolan Patrick take his game to another level is also going to be a priority. It’s unlikely that the Flyers will look to address this now given that they’re going to be sellers but they may look to bring in a young winger or two to experiment with in the short-term before looking to the trade market or free agency this summer.
2) Make Room For The Youth: Phillipe Myers was recently recalled but he has seen minimal playing time since then. Samuel Morin is on his conditioning stint and should be back soon. These blueliners are key parts of the Flyers future but right now, there isn’t a regular top-six spot for them. There has been some speculation regarding the likes of Shayne Gostisbehere and Radko Gudas in recent weeks but a move involving them may be easier to make over the summer which doesn’t do anything to solve the looming logjam. If it isn’t addressed now, watch for it to happen closer to the draft.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Trade Rumors: Ho-Sang, Simmonds, Bruins
While the trade deadline generally centers around the teams and the general managers making the big decisions, the players are usually well aware of what is going on and where they stand as well. New York Islanders prospect Josh Ho-Sang has been the odd man out this season and knows his time with the club could be be up. He spoke honestly with The Athletic’s Arthur Staple today, saying that he is open to being traded:
I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know what they want to do with me. I’m not opposed to (being traded) if it helps the Islanders get better. For me, obviously I want to play in the NHL, that’s my main focus. For them, if they need to trade me for pieces to go further in the playoffs, improve the great team they have, then I’m all for it.
It’s a well-put statement by Ho-Sang, but one easily interpreted as being from a player ready for a change of scenery. The 2014 first-round pick has only played in ten games with the Islanders this season, after skating in 20+ in each of the past two years. Meanwhile, this has been his best AHL season, as he has scored at a near point-per-game clip through 39 games. Ho-Sang’s game can be streaky and frustrating at times, but his ability is undeniable. As the Islanders move toward adding a top rental ahead of the deadline, a seller will likely be interested in taking a waiver on Ho-Sang’s upside if his time in New York is truly over.
- It’s been pretty quiet around Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds of late, but TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that “interest has intensified” over the last couple of days. LeBrun speculates that the Flyers’ recent streak of success may have quelled the Simmonds market as the team became re-focused on a playoff push, but he feels the results of their next few games will ultimately determine if and when Simmonds is dealt. More likely than not, the impending free agent power forward will be playing elsewhere by Monday.
- Even after the Charlie Coyle acquisition, many believe that the Boston Bruins are not done. TSN’s Darren Dreger applauded the trade, but noted that the Bruins did not have to give up much and are likely still in the market for another scoring forward. The Bruins announced this evening that center Trent Frederic has been assigned to the AHL and winger Peter Cehlarik has been recalled, further enforcing the idea that Boston prefers to play Coyle at third-line center. That would still leave a hole on the second line next to David Krejci. Dreger names New York Rangers Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes as among those the Bruins are targeting to further help out their secondary scoring.
Mike McKenna, Joseph Cramarossa On Waivers
Thursday: Both McKenna and Cramarossa have cleared waivers.
Wednesday: After recalling and activating Brian Elliott yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers found themselves with four goaltenders on their active roster. Today they went about changing that, by placing Mike McKenna on waivers. The Pittsburgh Penguins have also placed Joseph Cramarossa on waivers, meaning they’ve signed him to an NHL contract for the rest of the year. Cramarossa had been playing with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an AHL contract, meaning he couldn’t have been recalled if the team wanted to have him help in Pittsburgh.
It’s been another tough year for McKenna, who by the time he retires might go down as the most well-traveled goaltender in the history of the NHL. The 35-year old has been part of three organizations just this season, suiting up for the Flyers, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks (not to mention their minor league affiliates). After being selected in the sixth round in 2002, McKenna has failed to gain any real traction in the NHL and still has just 35 games to his name. Still, he may be on to another team once again as he provides reliable minor league service wherever he goes.
Cramarossa meanwhile is just 26 but hasn’t played a game in the NHL since 2016-17 when he suited up 59 times for the Canucks and Anaheim Ducks. He has just nine points in 32 games for the AHL Penguins, but is a physical bottom-six presence that could be used as an injury replacement if necessary. The two-way contract carries an average annual value of $650K in the NHL.
Radko Gudas Suspended Two Games
The Department of Player Safety has issued their rulings, and this time Radko Gudas will miss only two games. The Philadelphia Flyers defenseman has been given a two-game suspension for his high-stick/slash on Nikita Kucherov last night. In addition to the suspension, Robert Hagg has also been issued a $3,091.40 fine for interference, the maximum allowable under the CBA.
As the accompanying video explains:
While we agree with Gudas’ assertion that this slash excessively forceful or violent, this is an intentional play by Gudas. A player who intentionally brings his stick down on the head of an opponent with a two-handed slashing motion, can expect to be penalized by the on-ice officials and in most cases be met with some form of supplementary discipline, be it a warning, a fine or a suspension. What causes this play to rise to the level of a suspension is Gudas’ disciplinary history. Specifically, his history of similar behavior.
The league goes on to explain this history of the Flyers defenseman, which includes a much longer ban for a more forceful slash to the head of Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault not even two years ago. It’s clear that the league is fed up with the fact that Gudas has repeatedly used his stick to attack the head of a player, even if in this instance it was not an extremely violent slash.
With Gudas’ history he’ll be looked at even more closely in the future and if another incident like this occurs you can bet the league will increase the suspension even further. While an effective defender, Gudas must start to avoid situations like this or risk much lengthier bans.