Flyers Place Corban Knight On Waivers
Sunday: Sam Carchidi of Philly.com reports that Knight cleared waivers and will be sent to Lehigh Valley in the AHL. The Flyers announced they have officially loaned Knight to Lehigh Valley.
Saturday: Corban Knight‘s time with the Flyers has been short-lived. He recently was cleared to return from a collarbone injury but he has been placed on waivers according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).
Knight hasn’t had much luck staying healthy this season. He sustained an upper-body injury during the preseason that cost him three weeks and upon returning, he suffered the dislocated collarbone in just his third game of the season although it was his first NHL action since 2015-16.
The 28-year-old center had spent the previous two full seasons with Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. He was fairly productive last year with 14 goals and 23 assists in 58 games and should serve as a top-six forward with the Phantoms should he pass through unclaimed on Sunday. Considering he doesn’t have a lot of NHL experience under his belt (32 games in total between the Flames, Panthers, and Flyers), it’s likely that he won’t be taken. Knight’s in the second and final year of a two-year, league minimum deal that carries a $250K salary at the minor league level.
Minor Transactions: 02/10/2019
After a 14-game slate yesterday, several teams are back in action today as the NHL trots out eight more games, including six matinees. Among the match-ups, St. Louis and Nashville will complete their weekend home-and-home series, in-state rivals Tampa and Florida are set to square off, and Chicago looks to extend their league-best six-game win streak as they host Detroit. Meanwhile, many teams will be tinkering with their rosters in anticipation of a new week of games. Tomorrow marks two weeks out from the NHL Trade Deadline and some minor moves could be clues of bigger things to come. Stay tuned right here:
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled a recently-acquired piece. The team has announced that forward Justin Bailey has received his first call-up since coming over from the Buffalo Sabres last month. Bailey, 23, was swapped for Taylor Leier and since arriving in Lehigh Valley has five goals and seven points in ten games with the AHL Phantoms. Bailey has NHL experience with the Sabres, but this is the first test of how he fits in the Philly lineup. Ideally, Bailey will challenge to fill a starting winger spot next season in the likely absence of impending free agents Wayne Simmonds and Michael Raffl.
- Another player traded away by Buffalo is getting the opposite of an NHL opportunity. First-year pro Cliff Pu, the centerpiece prospect of the Jeff Skinner trade, has been reassigned by the Carolina Hurricanes from the AHL to the ECHL. Pu, a 2016 third-round pick, heads to the Florida Everblades after recording just six points through 42 games with the Charlotte Checkers, the team announced. Admittedly, Pu was joined by future second-, third-, and sixth-round picks in the Skinner return, but the optics are poor for the Hurricanes that Pu has struggled mightily in the minors while Skinner’s 33 goals are second-best in the NHL.
- The Florida Panthers announced they have recalled forward Jamie McGinn from Springfield of the AHL and have placed Colton Sceviour on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. McGinn was just placed on waivers on Feb. 1 and has looked impressive in four games with the Thunderbirds with two goals and four points. The 30-year-old underwent back surgery in September, but has shown he might be ready to return to the team’s bottom-six. Sceviour played a full shift Saturday against Washington and has five goals and 14 points.
- With the loss of Sven Baertschi, who will be out for a while, the Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled Zach MacEwen from the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 22-year-old was brought into the system as an undrafted free agent, but has thrived with Utica, especially this year where he has 17 goals and 42 points in 49 games along with 49 penalty minutes. He gets called up one day after posting a four-point game against Rochester.
Carter Hart Expected To Remain With Flyers For Rest Of Season
With the impending return of goaltender Brian Elliott as well as the potential return of Michal Neuvirth and the presence of Anthony Stolarz, there are some who are worried that the Philadelphia Flyers might consider sending 20-year-old Carter Hart back to the AHL to make room for some of their veterans. Of course, Hart’s numbers would suggest that might be a mistake as he has won eight-straight games, which ties him for the NHL record for the most consecutive games won by a goalie under 21 years old (Jocelyn Thibault also had eight straight wins in 1995).
However, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher confirmed reports today that Hart has been told that he’s staying in Philadelphia for the rest of the season.
“Yes most likely,” Fletcher said. “But he will be eligible for AHL playoffs if we don’t make it in Philly.”
Heralded as the CHL Goaltender of the Year two straight years, the belief was that Hart would need to play one full season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. However, with numerous injuries in net in Philadelphia and a change in leadership both in the front office and eventually behind the bench, Hart was recalled on Dec. 18 and has put up impressive numbers, including an 11-5-1 record, a 2.45 GAA and a .926 save percentage in 17 games. His current eight-game winning streak has vaulted the Flyers, long thought out of a playoff spot, back into the race as they are just six points out of a wildcard spot, although there are a number of teams in between them.
The team has already indicated they will consider keeping three goaltenders on the roster as Elliott is expected to return to game action next week. Regardless, the team has gotten solid play from both Hart and Stolarz recently and Philadelphia has made it clear, they don’t want to overwhelm the youngster by playing him too much, so adding a third goaltender shouldn’t have detrimental effects.
Talks Not Progressing Between Flyers And Wayne Simmonds, Brian Elliott Could Return Next Week
The Flyers have not made any recent progress in contract extension talks with winger Wayne Simmonds, reports Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News (Twitter link). The veteran is slated to become an unrestricted free agent and GM Chuck Fletcher indicated last month that either an extension would be reached or he would trade Simmonds by the upcoming trade deadline.
Presumably, a big sticking point here is the term of the contract. There’s no doubt that Simmonds will land a significant raise on his current $3.975MM AAV but how long will the Flyers (or other teams) want to sign him for? His rugged style of play has made him quite successful thus far in his career but also makes him a prime candidate to be susceptible to injuries while he turns 31 in August. It’s likely that Simmonds is looking for a deal that would take him to retirement but that might be a tough sell to Fletcher at this time.
- Still with the Flyers, goaltender Brian Elliott is now participating in full practices and is likely to return to game action next week, suggests John Boruk of NBC Sports Philadelphia. However, it’s likely that those appearances will come with Lehigh Valley of the AHL in the form of a conditioning stint. Elliott has an outside chance of being moved by the deadline if a team decides they want some extra depth between the pipes so a good showing there may ultimately determine his fate when it comes to the trade market.
Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers Agree To Four-Player Trade
The Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers have agreed to a rather rare trade, in which each club has sent two players that have not worked out with their team to the other, with neither really trading anyone that they considered valuable. The Canadiens have announced that veteran forward Dale Weise is returning for a second stint with Montreal and will be accompanied by defenseman Christian Folin. Heading to Philadelphia is journeyman defenseman David Schlemko and minor league forward Byron Froese.
Weise, 30, signed a four-year, $9.4MM contract with the Flyers as a free agent in 2016, but quickly fell out of favor in Philadelphia. After two and half seasons and a total of 34 points in 152 games, the Flyers waived Weise and, after he cleared, sent him to the AHL last month. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that it was around that time that the Canadiens and Flyers began putting this trade together, as Weise was done in Philly and desperately wanted to return to Montreal. Weise previously played for the Habs for parts of three seasons from 2014 to 2016 and found his greatest success with the team, recording 59 points in 152 games. Montreal hopes he can return to that level of production, as he is signed for one more year at $2.35MM, but for now they will take advantage of his waiver status. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Weise has been assigned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
Folin though could be an asset right away for the Canadiens. The impending free agent was used sparingly in Philadelphia, skating in just 26 games for the team, but just last year played in 65 games and registered 13 points for the Los Angeles Kings. The 28-year-old is a bargain depth addition, as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the Flyers will retain $150K of Folin’s $800K salary, bringing his cap hit down to just the $650K. The addition also gives Montreal another right-handed option on the blue line and a solid physical defender who plays well in his own zone. Karl Alzner has again been placed on waivers in an effort to bury him in the AHL to make room for Folin.
As for Philadelphia’s return, they add a veteran piece not all that different from Weise. Schlemko, 31, also cleared waivers and was sent to the AHL in January. The Canadiens initially acquired Schlemko, and his four-year, $8.4MM contract, from the Vegas Golden Knights after he was selected from the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Hoping he could be a fixture on their blue line, injuries and simply poor play have instead limited Schlemko to just 55 games with the Habs over two years, as well as several minor league stints. While his cap hit next season, especially while buried in the AHL, is less of a burden for the Flyers, Schlemko is not even as much of an NHL option at this point in his career as Weise was. Case in point: NBC Sports’ John Boruk reports that youngster Phil Myers will be recalled to Philadelphia to fill Folin’s spot, while Schlemko will report to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Also headed to the Phantoms is Froese, who has not played in the NHL this season. Froese is a veteran of 110 NHL games and set a career high with 11 points in 48 games with Montreal last season, but has struggled to show that he is anything more than a fourth-liner at the top level. However, Froese is enjoying a strong AHL campaign and was the captain of the Laval Rocket. Lehigh Valley could use his leadership and production down the stretch and in the postseason and perhaps Froese will even get a look in Philly at some point. The 27-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will try to show the Flyers’ brass that he is worthy of an NHL contract.
All things considered, this is a big trade in terms of the number of players and some notable names, but means very little. New Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher saved himself some cap space next season by swapping out Weise for Schlemko and strengthened his AHL roster this year by adding Froese. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, whose team is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, adds some needed depth in Folin and a fan-favorite who has a chance to rebound next season in Weise. Weise is a slight risk as a salary cap burden, and neither player has extraordinary upside, but it cost Montreal nothing of value to acquire them. Could the Flyers have gotten more? Probably, but at the end of the day neither team will likely end up regretting this trade as it is.
Jori Lehtera Placed On Waivers
Thursday: Lehtera has cleared waivers and was immediately assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Wednesday: The house cleaning continues in Philadelphia, where the Flyers have once again placed a veteran forward on waivers. Today GM Chuck Fletcher announced that Jori Lehtera will be placed on waivers at noon.
It’s been a struggle for Lehtera since joining the Flyers to say the least. The 31-year old forward has recorded just 11 points in 89 games since being part of the package that sent Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues, and never fit into the Philadelphia lineup in any real consistent role. Playing just a handful of minutes whenever he did get into the lineup this season, there was little reason to keep him on the roster other than a hope he would somehow crack open that potential he once showed.
As a 27-year old rookie in 2014-15, Lehtera recorded 44 points and earned himself an expensive contract extension. The decision to hand him a three-year, $14.1MM extension on the first day he was eligible for it almost immediately seemed like a mistake, as Lehtera struggled in his sophomore season and recorded just nine goals for the Blues. Things got even worse the following year when the extension actually kicked in, and he was included as a salary dump in the Schenn trade.
For the Flyers, who already waived and sent Dale Weise away from the team, this was an inevitable next step even as they try to climb back into the playoff race with a late push. Lehtera was by no means part of the plan going forward, and there is little reason to keep him on the roster at this point. Burying him would remove just a prorated $1.025MM off his full season cap hit, but would open up a roster spot for one of the Flyers prospects—though, roster limits will also open up after the trade deadline.
Moving forward, a return to the KHL or his native Finland may be in the cards for Lehtera, who found great success overseas before coming to the NHL in the first place. He certainly won’t be receiving anything near his $5MM salary from an NHL organization next season.
Snapshots: Seabrook, Three Stars, Capitals
This weekend Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet made headlines with a report that stated the Chicago Blackhawks had asked Brent Seabrook to waive his no-movement clause, fueling plenty of questions for the veteran defenseman today. In response to the story, Seabrook clearly denied that he had been asked and told reporters including John Dietz of the Daily Herald that he doesn’t know where the report came from.
Seabrook, 33, has five years remaining on his contract after 2018-19 and carries a $6.875MM cap hit. Largely considered one of the toughest contracts in the entire league to trade, the Blackhawks legend also has a full no-movement clause until 2022-23, at which point he will still have a partial no-trade clause.
- The NHL has released their three stars of the week, and a pair of youngsters lead the way. 22-year old Jack Roslovic has earned the top spot after a promotion to Winnipeg’s top-six resulted in him recording five goals and six points in four games. Carter Hart meanwhile has taken the second star after going 3-0 with a .931 save percentage while helping the Philadelphia Flyers continue their winning ways. Mika Zibanejad, the elder statesman among the group at 25, comes in as the third star after a six-point week.
- Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters including Chris Kuc of The Athletic that the team is “active” in trade discussions at the moment, believing that there are “hockey trades” to be made. The Capitals are struggling to hold onto a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division and may need a shake up to get them back to their championship level. Washington already signed Pheonix Copley to a three-year extension earlier today, and could be involved in several moves over the next few weeks.
Snapshots: Islanders’ Trade Deadline, Byron, Elliott, Crawford
The New York Islanders are expecting to get back two significant players from injury in the next few days as defenseman Thomas Hickey and winger Andrew Ladd took part in the Islanders’ optional morning skate Saturday in non-contact jerseys, according to New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis. Hickey has been out with a concussion since Dec. 17, while Ladd has been out since Nov. 13 with a lower-body injury.
However, while many people look at their eventual returns as like picking up a couple of deadline acquisitions, Cyrgalis writes that Hickey and Ladd won’t stop general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Barry Trotz from going out and adding to the team at the trade deadline.
“We sat down and talked about where we are, our chemistry, our team. We’ve discussed maybe some of the areas we could improve,” Trotz said. “Lou is as diligent as anyone you’re ever going to meet in terms of making calls and seeing what’s out there. And if he’s going to do anything, it’s going to be in the best interest of the New York Islanders. He’s not going to do anything that’s — he’s looking to improve us all the time, either internally or externally.”
With the team in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 66 points, four points in front of both Washington and Pittsburgh, the Islanders are in a position to be buyers and have plenty of roster flexibility and cap space to make the right deals for the team. The team has a number of players on expiring deals, including Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and goaltender Robin Lehner, but it doesn’t make any sense for the team to move them if their goal is to bulk up for the playoffs. So while many don’t know what to expect, Lamoriello is well known for pulling off some big moves at the deadline.
- It’s a season to forget for Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron. Already having made a six-month recovery from offseason surgery on his right shoulder, Byron went down again Sunday after getting his left shoulder jammed after taking a hit from Edmonton’s Matt Benning. The forward was ruled out of the game Sunday, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, and was steaming mad on his way off the ice. The 29-year-old has only appeared in 36 games. He has 10 goals and 19 points in that span. No word on how serious the injury to Byron was.
- Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reports that Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott is making progress. The veteran goaltender practiced with the team Sunday, but there remains no timetable for his return, but could be back within two weeks. Elliott has been out of the lineup since Nov. 15. No word on whether he will go to Lehigh Valley on a conditioning stint, but early rumors suggest that Philadelphia will likely keep three goaltenders once he returns.
- The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that while Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton said he didn’t have an update on injured goaltender Corey Crawford, he does expect Crawford to return this season. The veteran goalie has been out since Dec. 16 with a concussion. He already missed the second half of the 2017-18 season as well as the start of this season with a concussion.
Dallas Stars Are Expected To Sign Free Agent Tye Felhaber
The Dallas Stars are expected to land free-agent prospect Tye Felhaber, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required), who reports that the two sides have finalized a deal that will be announced soon.
Felhaber, considered a late bloomer, has been playing as a 20-year-old with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL and has been lighting it up there this year as he already has potted 51 goals in 50 games and is on pace to break the 70-goal mark, which hasn’t been done since John Tavares scored 72 goals in the 2006-07 season. Shapiro writes that Felhaber has said recently that he has received interest from 20 NHL teams this season.
The 6-foot, 183-pound forward scored 31 goals with Ottawa in the OHL last season and received a four-game tryout with the Laval Rocket of the AHL, but failed to register a point. Felhaber also attended training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but was cut an early casualty. One reason for his recent success is his offseason dedication to his physical part or his game, as he spent the offseason working with Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux.
Dallas is well known for signing undrafted players as two of their top prospects include Joel L’Esperance and Ben Gleason, while Gavin Bayreuther has already appeared in 19 NHL games this season. Unless Ottawa goes on a deep playoff run in the OHL, Felhaber is expected to join the Texas Stars of the AHL this spring.
Philadelphia Flyers Looking To Add Depth
The Philadelphia Flyers have become the most interesting team to watch over the last few days. Not because of anything spectacular captain Claude Giroux did at the All-Star game, but because of comments coming out of their front office. Just yesterday, Flyers chairman Dave Scott explained that the team will be aggressive in free agency this summer and today GM Chuck Fletcher spoke about their plans in the second half of this season. Most notably, Fletcher explained that he is “trying to make the team better at all costs” and is looking to “add better players and add depth.” Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer put it more simple terms, tweeting that Fletcher made it seem like “everyone is available in a trade except Claude Giroux” before adding that Carter Hart is probably on that hands-off list.
If there is one name to focus on in Philadelphia of course, it’s Wayne Simmonds. The veteran power forward has been on everyone’s mind the last few weeks as the trade deadline approaches, and once again was a key point in Pierre LeBrun’s latest for The Athletic (subscription required). LeBrun makes the case for Simmonds playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning down the stretch, but also notes that Western Conference contenders like the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets will surely check in before the deadline.
It is important to remember though that Fletcher was brought in to make changes to this group, after former GM Ron Hextall was criticized for being too patient. The team has a huge number of top prospects still developing, but hasn’t been able to find the goaltending or defense to really compete in the Metropolitan Division even while they pay Giroux and Jakub Voracek like some of the best forwards in the league. James van Riemsdyk was inked to a huge deal in the offseason but has dealt with injury and inconsistency upon his return to Philadelphia, and the crease has been a carousel of names from the start of the year.
Now that Hart is in place and looks like the goaltender of the present, not just the future, you can bet the Flyers aren’t interested in any sort of rebuild. The team wants to compete right away, and that makes them one of the toughest teams to read heading into the trade season. While they might move out some expiring pieces, don’t think they won’t add as well even with their eyes on next season. Players with a few years under contract could be of interest, especially given the team has only a handful of forwards under contract for next season.
With 14 games left before the deadline and nine of those at home, Fletcher might wait just a little while longer to make sure that there’s no chance of sneaking into the postseason this year. But even if that stretch doesn’t go well, don’t think it’s just going to be a tear down in Philadelphia.