Deadline Primer: Pittsburgh Penguins
With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re going to start taking a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
The defending Stanley Cup champions are aiming to be the first team to win two in a row since the Red Wings did so in the late 1990s. However, their quest to repeat will be hampered by injuries and a severe lack of cap space. Captain Sidney Crosby is dominating, leading the NHL in goals with 34 and second only to Connor McDavid in points, despite playing in eight fewer games. GM Jim Rutherford has a goaltending controversy on his hands, but appears comfortable waiting until the summer to deal with it.
Record
38-14-8, 2nd in the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
Current cap space: $0
Deadline cap space: $0
LTIR: $4.495MM
45/50 contracts, via CapFriendly
Draft Picks
2017: PIT 1st, PIT 3rd, PIT4th, OTT 5th*, PIT 5th, PIT 6th, PIT 7th
2018: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, PIT 3rd, PIT 4th, PIT 5th, PIT 6th, PIT 7th
* The Penguins acquired Ottawa’s fifth round pick back in November for Mike Condon. Condon played just one game for the Penguins after they claimed him off waivers from the Canadiens to cover for an injury to Matt Murray.
Trade Chips
The Penguins have already traded their second round pick to acquire Ron Hainsey from the Hurricanes. They could also be willing to move their first round pick in a weak draft to bolster their lineup, but they would need to send money out in almost any deal made. In addition to draft picks, the Penguins could trade someone like Derrick Pouliot. The young defenseman has struggled to earn a permanent slot in the Penguins lineup, and would be of interest to building teams.
Of course, Rutherford could take the nuclear option and trade Marc-Andre Fleury. It would clear $5.75MM off their cap, in addition to the player(s) coming back. While Rutherford has said he would prefer to wait until the summer to make a goaltending move, he has also said what he does will depend on how Fleury feels.
Player To Watch
G Marc-Andre Fleury, D Derrick Pouliot
Team Needs
1) Goaltending clarity – The Penguins will need to make some kind of move in the blue paint before the expansion draft. Because Fleury has a no-move clause (NMC), he must be protected; that would leave Murray vulnerable, and Vegas would need to be heavily bribed not to select him. Instead, expect the Penguins to either convince Fleury to agree to a trade now or before the expansion draft, or at worst to waive his NMC and head to Vegas. The Penguins could make a move now and acquire a goaltender in return for Fleury to maintain their depth, but improve their roster elsewhere. Despite below-average numbers this season, Fleury still has value. What Rutherford needs to determine is whether Fleury has more value on the bench during the playoffs or in a trade.
2) Good health – The Penguins have a solid defensive core and three of the best offensive players in the game. While they can’t acquire “health” at the deadline, they can improve their overall depth to fight back against injuries. Look for a few minor additions from Rutherford to boost the depth of their roster as they prepare for another long playoff run.
Brandon Manning To Meet With Player Safety
The Philadelphia Flyers lost to their biggest rivals in the latest outdoor game, and now may be without one of their top-six defensemen after a late hit in Saturday night’s game.
NHL Player Safety announced that Brandon Manning will have a hearing on Monday morning for his hit on Penguins rookie Jake Guentzel. Early in the second period, Manning hit Guentzel high and late after the young Penguin used his skate to deflect a pass up ice to Sidney Crosby (link to video on Sportsnet’s YouTube page). Guentzel did not see Manning coming, as he was watching the play move up the ice. The hit came approximately two seconds after Guentzel was no longer in possession of the puck. It appeared that Manning had stepped up to throw an open-ice hit, but the puck was moved faster than he anticipated, making his hit interference. Guentzel was not injured on the play.
There was no penalty called on the play, however NHL Player Safety referred to the play as interference in their tweet. Manning has no prior history of supplemental discipline, so while this will probably lead to a suspension, it likely won’t be very long.
The Penguins defeated the Flyers 4-2 at Heinz Field. Guentzel finished the game with a pair of assists, giving him 14 points in 23 games played this season. Manning was held off the scoresheet, save for a holding penalty late in the second.
Metro Division Snapshots: Rangers, Flyers, Helgeson
While many believe the New York Rangers need to upgrade their blue line before they can be safely be considered Stanley Cup contenders, head coach Alain Vigneault is content with the team’s current roster, writes Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News.
“For me, right now I like my team,” Vigneault said Friday. “I like the way the guys prepare and their work ethic and how they compete. Jeff (Gorton) and I communicate every day on our team and obviously our needs, etc. But I’m focused on the group that I have now and on the next game that’s coming up, and I’m preparing them. He knows my opinion on our group and if there are areas we can improve. He knows that, he’s known that for quite some time. I’m really focused on this group and what we need to do.
“I’m happy with what we have here. I think we’ve got a good team, a good, young group that’s hungry, and that’s what I’m focused on.”
It’s common for coaches, and in particular Vigneault, to direct much of his focus on the players available to him at the moment and on how to get them playing their best hockey as a group. It’s understandable for the coach to take this public stance, even if the club is actively looking to add ahead of the deadline, as he wouldn’t want to weaken his GM’s position by advertising that the team isn’t comfortable with the roster as is. But the Rangers have been in “go for it” mode for the last several seasons and there is still much doubt whether the team as currently constructed is good enough to go all the way. If Rangers GM Jeff Gorton finds a deal that makes sense, one that improves the team without sacrificing NHL talent and/or mortgaging the club’s future, expect him to pull the trigger.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- With the Philadelphia Flyers falling further away from a playoff spot (the team is currently five points behind the Islanders for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card slot with two teams to pass) GM Ron Hextall has made it clear his team will not be a buyer at the trade deadline, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Instead, Hextall has indicated he will wait to see where the team resides in the standings after this weekend’s slate of games before determining just how much he is willing to sell off. The team will undoubtedly listen to fair offers for any of their five pending UFA’s, a group that includes Michael Del Zotto, Mark Streit, Nick Schultz, Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth. But should the Flyers fall further out of the race, would Hextall consider dealing away players with term left on their deals? “Not to make us a worse team,” he said. “If we make something happen [with trades] and if we can bring someone up and we take a lateral move, yeah, that’s kind of where you want to get to. That’s why you don’t want to bring up 20-year-olds that aren’t ready to play.” It’s a reasonable tact to take given where the organization is in terms of their rebuild/retool. With plenty of quality young talent yet to come, it makes sense to remain patient and avoid making any impulsive trades, whether to fortify the current roster or to add additional young assets.
- Seth Helgeson, whom the New Jersey Devils placed on waivers yesterday, has cleared but will remain with the team for the time being, tweets Andrew Gross of NorthJersey.com. In a subsequent tweet, Gross relays that Devils head coach John Hynes indicated the decision to keep the defenseman on the big league roster was made to maintain “roster flexibility.” Helgeson has appeared in nine contests this season for New Jersey, registering his first NHL goal.
Injury Updates: Marner, Bozak, Penguins
Injury notes around the NHL this morning:
- Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner will not play tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Marner suffered an upper-body injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets last week, and will miss his fifth straight game. The rookie forward skated with the team this morning as a defenseman, so media had an inkling that he would not dress tonight. Coach Mike Babcock told media—in apparent disagreement with the team’s medical staff—that Marner “looked like the best player out there to me, I don’t know why he’s not in tonight.”
- The Toronto Maple Leafs may also be without forward Tyler Bozak tonight. The team announced that Bozak will be a game-time decision after missing the morning skate, reports the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby, but the team declined to specify what ails Bozak. Forward Ben Smith would replace Bozak, centering James van Riemsdyk and Connor Brown. Smith currently has 2G and 2A in 34 games for the Maple Leafs, and averaging under 12 minutes a night.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that defenseman Kris Letang will miss tonight’s Stadium Series game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Coach Mike Sullivan called Letang day-to-day. Furthermore defenseman Justin Schultz will be a game time decision. If both Schultz and Letang miss tonight’s game, newly acquired defenseman Ron Hainsey should be expected to shoulder a large load. The Penguins are already missing Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley, so Ian Cole would become the top defenseman outside Hainsey. Tonight’s game takes place at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers
With the trade deadline less than a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the most depressing stories of the season so far (sorry Flyers fans) after their hot start has crumbled in front of their eyes. Once winners of ten straight, the Flyers have gone 9-15-4 since then and have almost seen their playoff hopes vanish entirely. They are currently five points out of a playoff spot with two teams between them, and are in danger of being overtaken by the surging Tampa Bay Lightning and perhaps even the Buffalo Sabres.
It’s not all bad for the Flyers though, who have seen Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny have solid debuts as teenagers, and Wayne Simmonds continue to make his deal look like one of the best in the NHL. They have two games remaining before the deadline, one against their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins, and one against the lowly Colorado Avalanche. Perhaps they will decide the fate of the Flyers come the deadline.
Record
28-25-7, 6th in Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Likely Seller, but with eyes on a quick reload.
Deadline Cap Space
$740K – full-season cap hit, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly.
Draft Picks
2017: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 3rd, BOS 3rd, PHI 4th, NYI 4th, PHI 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th
2018: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th
Trade Chips
It’s all about the rental defensemen for the Flyers, who have a few options to sell at the deadline. If they want to move on from both Mark Streit and Michael Del Zotto, there will be takers for both. While neither is a defensive dynamo, both provide offensive ability and can be used to boost a powerplay. Their value is fairly low, as both have been healthy scratches at times this season and aren’t reliable enough in their own end to warrant a high draft pick or top prospect.
Both Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth are free agents at the end of the year, but neither has played well enough for a team to think they could help them win games down the stretch. Philadelphia is likely stuck with them for the rest of the year, unless they can convince someone to take Mason’s hit in a salary-swapping deal.
It will be interesting to see if the Flyers push any of their other assets into the fray, and try a little rebuild on the fly. They’ve benched Shayne Gostisbehere at times this season to try and help his development defensively, and could get a ransom for him if they made him available. Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier would both be considered among the best available names if they listened on them, and could bring back packages close to the ones Joe Sakic is looking for in Colorado.
Likely though the deadline will come down to shopping defenders for Philadelphia, who would listen on Radko Gudas and Andrew MacDonald if anyone called. Both players (especially MacDonald) likely have too big of a contract to deal in-season though.
Five Players To Watch: D Michael Del Zotto, D Mark Streit, D Radko Gudas, C Nick Cousins, F Chris VandeVelde
Team Needs
1) Expansion Draft Goaltending: The Flyers have a decision to make at the expansion draft, as currently the only goaltender that fills the requirement is Anthony Stolarz, a prospect they likely wouldn’t want to lose—though they do also have Carter Hart and Alex Lyon in the pipeline. They’ll either have to re-sign one of the two pending free agents, or bring in another goaltender to expose. It doesn’t have to be anyone who will play for the team next season, but look for them to at least address that situation by the deadline.
2) Young Roster-Ready Players – The Flyers won’t want to undergo a complete rebuild, with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek right in their prime and signed long-term. Mid-round draft picks are nice to keep a pipeline full of talent, but the Flyers need to get better now. Look for them to go after any pre-prime player that is available, though those are few and far between this season. The crunch up front in Tampa Bay, or the crop of good young defenders in Carolina and Anaheim could be targets but will likely have to wait until the summer to get anything done.
Evening Snapshots: Radulov, Fleury, Oilers
If not for a certain one-for-one swap in late June, Alexander Radulov would have been the most fascinating move of the summer for the Montreal Canadiens.
Radulov spent the better part of eight seasons in the KHL, with two controversial stints in Nashville, before signing a one-year, $5.75MM contract with the Canadiens. The term suggested this was very much a “show-me” contract, and show them he has. Radulov has been one of the Canadiens best players, with 42 points in 59 games thus far. Now, the Canadiens will have to lock up their Russian star long-term.
They won’t be the only team with interest in the big winger. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reported that Radulov is a “strong position” to negotiate with the Canadiens (link in French). Radulov and T.J. Oshie are the only big names under the age of 35 set to hit unrestricted free agency. The KHL is also an outside option for Radulov, but staying in the NHL with Montreal appears to be his first choice.
[Related: PHR’s Midseason UFA Power Rankings]
This advantage give Radulov “every reason” to wait until July 1st, according Lavoie. Even though he’s expressed interest in staying in Montreal, this summer is likely his last chance to hit a home run in free agency. His former coach and friend Barry Trotz suggested he would be “shocked” if Radulov didn’t end up signing long-term in Montreal. Last Saturday, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported that Radulov wants to sign long-term, perhaps even looking for a six-year pact. That would take him to age 37, which might make the Canadiens uncomfortable. Power forwards tend to drop off a cliff sometime in their mid-thirties, so GM Marc Bergevin would be taking a risk to sign Radulov for that kind of term.
Kypreos suggested the Canadiens could offer Radulov a five or six year contract worth somewhere around $4.5 or $5MM per season, but would need to go to the $7MM neighbourhood to keep the term to three years. The Canadiens have some money coming off their cap this summer, but have Radulov, franchise goaltender Carey Price, and captain Max Pacioretty due for new contracts in each of the next three summers. With those big money signings on the horizon, it’s no wonder that Bergevin is considered “all-in” on this playoff run.
- Despite needing to address his goaltending situation before this June’s expansion draft, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford would prefer to keep both Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury for the remainder of this campaign, according to Adam Gretz of NBC Sports. Murray has been significantly better this season, and with Fleury’s no-move clause (NMC), the Penguins need to make a move to avoid losing their young starter. If Rutherford doesn’t trade Fleury before next Wednesday, then the wily GM will have to convince him to waive his NMC in the spring for either the Golden Knights or a trading partner. Two teams to watch are the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. Bob McKenzie of TSN reported on Thursday that the Flames are looking to improve their current goaltending duo of Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson; while there hasn’t been any reports of interest on the part of Winnipeg, they’re currently two points out of a wildcard spot while only one of their three goaltenders have a SV% above 0.900 (Connor Hellebuyck). Should the Jets get stable netminding, then they could be a darkhorse candidate in the Western Conference.
- Speaking of goaltenders, an interesting tidbit came out of Edmonton today regarding their 2015 acquisition of Cam Talbot. The Oilers acquired Talbot at the 2015 NHL Draft, trading three picks (2nd, 3rd, and 7th) for the then-unproven goalie and a seventh round pick. While discussing the Oilers’ interest in trading for Kevin Shattenkirk, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported that Talbot “told the Oilers point-blank ‘don’t trade for me because I’m not going to re-sign here.'” Just six months later, Talbot signed a three-year extension to stay with the rising Oilers. Talbot has been the Oilers’ MVP (non-Connor McDavid category) with 30 wins and a 0.921 SV% in 54 games so far this season. Seravalli’s anecdote is notable as Talbot and Shattenkirk share an agent, and it shows GM Peter Chiarelli has previously been able to pitch Edmonton to players who were originally not interested in staying long-term.
Poll: Who Will Be The Next Player To Be Dealt?
The trade deadline festivities are kicking off, with a couple of moves for rental defensemen already being completed. Calgary sent a couple of picks to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday for Michael Stone, a player that jumped in to fire with 17 minutes in his first game and will move up to the second pairing tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flames scratched Dennis Wideman, who is now open to a trade if it means he’ll be “wanted” in his new locale.
Then today, the Pittsburgh Penguins showed the league how much a second-round pick is really worth in this “weak” draft class, acquiring 35-year old Ron Hainsey from Carolina. Hainsey couldn’t be happier about the deal, as reported by Jason Mackay of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
If you could pick a place, this would be the place. The group that they have coming off last year, there’s a lot of excitement when you hear you’re going to Pittsburgh. Not having a great opportunity like this for so long, it’s something to get pretty excited about.
Hainsey hasn’t seen the playoffs once in his entire 15-year career, but now is set to hit the postseason as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. The team will need him too, they announced that Trevor Daley would be out for six weeks just a few moments after the deal.
So now we ask you, the reader, who you think will be the next on the move in the NHL. Will we see another Arizona rental head to a contender, or will Colorado start selling off their whole team? Vote now, and make sure you let us know where you think they’re headed in the comments below.
(Mobile users click here to vote)
Snapshots: Penguins, Capitals, Jones
After Jim Rutherford pulled off his latest deadline deal, acquiring Ron Hainsey for a second-round draft pick today, he met the media to answer questions about his team and rest of the trade deadline. At the same time, Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was meeting with media to discuss his team’s aspirations at the deadline. Here are the highlights from both, plus other news from the hockey world.
- Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported several things on Twitter, including that Rutherford thinks the next 24 hours will determine whether the Penguins add another defenseman at the deadline. Since the Penguins don’t play until Saturday, he’s likely referring to both Kris Letang and Justin Schultz and their battles with injury.
- Schultz hit practice without a non-contact sweater today and took part in nearly all the drills. After a successful practice, the plan is to get him into a game on Saturday night against the Flyers.
- Letang on the other hand is day-to-day with an upper body injury suffered Tuesday night against Carolina. His health is likely a determining factor in the deadline for Pittsburgh.
- Rutherford also mentioned, according to Mackey, that Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley who are both out for over a month, will not be placed on LTIR and could return before the end of the season. Six weeks from today would be April 6th, just a few days before the playoffs begin. The Penguins face the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers on back to back nights to end the season (April 8 and 9). Perhaps we’ll see them back by then.
- On the Capitals, Isabell Khurshudyan of the Washington Post gives us a series of tweets from MacLellan. He has been in touch with T.J. Oshie‘s camp and wants to sign him. He doesn’t think it will get done in-season though.
- MacLellan doesn’t think the team will do anything at the deadline except perhaps in the “fringes” of the roster. He mentioned a third goaltender as a possibility.
- Max Jones of the London Knights will face a 10 game suspension, according to Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press. Jones was the first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks this past summer, and has faced multiple suspensions this year limiting him to just 29 games.
- The Alaska Aces of the ECHL will shut down their doors after this season, leaving the state without a professional hockey team. Winners of the Kelly Cup three times in their fifteen years, they once rostered players like Scott Gomez, Nate Thompson and Brandon Dubinsky and are currently the affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.
Ben Bishop Has A Limited No-Trade Clause In His Current Contract
During the blitz of this morning’s Ron Hainsey deal that saw the defenseman move to the Pittsburgh Penguins, CapFriendly tweeted out a bombshell about pending UFA Ben Bishop. Bishop has been long thought of to be on the move at the deadline if the Tampa Bay Lightning feel they’re out of the playoff race, but it may be harder for Steve Yzerman and company to do that than previously believed. According to the site, Bishop actually has an eight-team list that he cannot be traded to. While there isn’t any clarification on which teams those may be, it definitely makes it harder to trade him. 
The goalie market is more robust than year’s past because of the sheer number of teams that are still in the mix for the postseason, but if that list contains some specific teams it could completely tie the Lightning’s hands at the deadline.
New York (Islanders), Calgary, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Winnipeg could all have various interest in the goaltender, depending on how the next week shakes out for them and their own confidence in their current situation. His recent play has looked more like the Vezina-quality netminder than the one we saw earlier this season, including a shutout of the Los Angeles Kings earlier this month. The Lightning, who are making a case for their own playoff spot, may choose they are better off with him but risk losing him for nothing this summer.
The 30-year old netminder ranked fifth among our Top Midseason UFAs, and he is destined to be sought after this summer by multiple teams looking for a change in goal. All this NTC does is make it even tougher for the Bolts to move him, should any of the above teams fall on his list. He could, however choose to waive the clause to go after a Stanley Cup somewhere else if the Lightning fall out of it—with just two games before the deadline, it could very well hinge on Monday night’s tilt against the Ottawa Senators to decide which way the team goes at the deadline.
Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Ron Hainsey, Trevor Daley Out Six Weeks
The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Ron Hainsey from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Danny Kristo and a second-round pick. The Penguins have fired the first Eastern Conference salvo as they acquire the veteran defenseman. With the injury to Olli Maatta, it seemed just a matter of time until Pittsburgh addressed their defense and Hainsey seems like a perfect fit. The team announced just after the deal broke that Trevor Daley underwent knee surgery and will also miss six weeks, another blow to the blueline. Carolina will be retaining 50% of Hainsey’s $2.83MM cap hit for the remainder of the year. 
A veteran of 891 NHL games, Hainsey’s streak of never reaching the postseason is certain to come to an end now. Capable of logging big minutes for any club, he’ll likely be asked to do a little less in Pittsburgh than in Carolina where he was playing over 22 minutes a night. His ability on the penalty kill is likely what interested GM Jim Rutherford most—who actually signed Hainsey to his current deal while with Carolina in 2014—as the Penguins currently have the 22nd ranked PK in the league.
Hainsey has an incredible record of durability, something that will be tested as he heads to the playoffs for the first time. The 35-year old (36 in March) has played in at least 80 games each of the past three seasons and seven times in his career. With Maatta, Daley and Justin Schultz all either out long-term or battling injury, the fact that he can be penciled in every night is important to the Penguins.
Despite that durability though, the Penguins paid a steep price for this addition. Hainsey is a capable defender and excellent penalty killer but doesn’t come with much offensive upside at this stage in his career. It’s the salary retention that likely bumped the pick up to a second-rounder, as it leaves room for the team to make another addition if necessary.
Kristo is a former second-round pick in his own right, though has never broken into the NHL. A consistent scoring threat in the minor leagues, he is now 26 and is barely a prospect. Though he does come with some value as organizational depth on the wing, he shouldn’t be seen as much going forward.
Carolina now holds ten picks in this summer’s entry draft, including six in the top three rounds. They also could still sell more at the deadline, shedding pending free agents like Viktor Stalberg and Jay McClement or trade deadline favorite Lee Stempniak if they choose. With a young core and more coming, they are a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference, despite struggling this season.
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports was first to report the trade on Twitter, with Pierre LeBrun of ESPN providing details on the retained salary.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.