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Alec Martinez

West Notes: Martinez, Hrenak, Lizotte, Sharks, Tarasenko

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Alec Martinez is wrapping up his first ‘full’ season with Vegas and the pending unrestricted free agent told reporters, including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that he’s hoping this won’t be his last season with the Golden Knights.  However, his agent Alec Schall told Schoen that no offers have been received from the team just yet.  The 33-year-old has been an integral part of their back end this season, logging over 22 minutes a game while chipping in with 27 points in 47 games, the best point per game average of his career.  He’s certainly in line to land a raise on his current $4MM AAV which could make it tough for the Golden Knights to re-sign him as they only have about $6MM in cap room for next year, per CapFriendly, with several players needing to be signed to fill out the roster.  GM Kelly McCrimmon declined to comment other than saying talks will happen “when appropriate”.

More from the West:

  • The Kings have been in discussions with unsigned prospect David Hrenak, reports John Hoven in a piece for LA Kings Insider. The 22-year-old goalie wrapped up his college career with St. Cloud State this season, posting a 2.66 GAA with a .904 SV% in 27 starts and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in mid-August if he doesn’t sign.  Los Angeles Director of Player Personnel Nelson Emerson noted that they have two other youngsters in need of playing time (Matt Villalta and Jacob Ingham); with only two minor league affiliates, finding ample time for all three youngsters to play if Hrenak could be tricky.
  • Still with the Kings, center Blake Lizotte is unlikely to play this weekend due to an upper-body injury, notes Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. His second full NHL season has been a struggle as the 23-year-old has managed just three goals and seven assists in 41 games which is hardly an ideal stat line for someone that is in need of a new contract for next season.
  • It could be a trying offseason for the Sharks when it comes to freeing up salary cap space, suggests Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription link). High-priced veterans that have underachieved like Erik Karlsson, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Martin Jones will be tough to deal but some of their younger higher-paid players like Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc are in the midst of down seasons as well.  They have over $69MM in commitments for next season already, per CapFriendly, and by the time they round out the roster, that won’t leave them with much flexibility unless they can clear out a contract.
  • Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko missed tonight’s game against Minnesota due to a lower-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). It has been a tough season for the veteran who, after coming back from shoulder surgery, has only managed four goals in 23 games although he has chipped in 10 assists.

West Notes: Martinez, Simek, Avalanche

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Defenseman Alec Martinez was the big addition for the Golden Knights at last year’s trade deadline and he fit in quite well with his new team.  Now, the 33-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible for an extension.  For the time being at least, that doesn’t seem to be on the forefront, as he told reporters including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

I think if the team’s successful, then individuals are successful. The business side will take care of itself. To answer your question if I put a whole lot of thought into it, no, I haven’t. I’m just trying to get ready for this year.

While Martinez has never been a big point producer, he has been an effective top-four shutdown defender for several years now.  As a result, he should be able to land a raise in free agency on his current $4MM AAV.  Vegas only has a little over $5MM in cap room for next season with multiple roster spots to fill though so they may have to get creative if they want to keep him in the fold.

More from the West Division:

  • Sharks defenseman Radim Simek missed time with two separate knee issues last season, ultimately undergoing surgery. However, he told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that the pain was coming back while skating in the spring and continues to linger in training camp.  Despite that, head coach Bob Boughner is confident that the 28-year-old will be good to go for opening night.  Even so, the fact that these issues are persisting is hardly ideal considering Simek is in the first season of a four-year deal that was signed last March.
  • While Colorado got goalie Philipp Grubauer plus wingers Gabriel Landeskog and Brandon Saad back at practice yesterday, defenseman Erik Johnson remains unfit to participate with no word yet on when he’ll be available, relays Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. Meanwhile, blueliner Keaton Middleton, invited to camp as a PTO player as he is only signed to an AHL contract, has left the team to seek a second opinion after failing his physical.

Winnipeg Jets Looking To Trade Jack Roslovic

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The Winnipeg Jets have been shopping restricted free agent forward Jack Roslovic with more intensity today with the hope of moving him for a top-four defender, according to the Winnipeg News’ Mike McIntyre. Several teams have expressed interest in the young center with the Vegas Golden Knights being at the top of that list, although the Columbus Blue Jackets are also interested in the Columbus native.

The scribe writes that there has been talk of dealing Roslovic, who has expressed an interest in a change of scenery. The 23-year-old Roslovic has steadily improved in his three years in the league with the Jets. He posted career highs in goals (12) and assists (17) and has been starting to show the potential to be a No. 2 center on the team, a role he has not been able to seize up until now. However, after making $1.1MM last season, Roslovic could get a considerable raise, something that other teams will have to take into account.

While the Golden Knights are just one candidate to acquire the young center, several names have already been mentioned by McIntyre, including Nate Schmidt and Alec Martinez. Winnipeg, who is looking for a left-handed defenseman, has already completed one trade with the Golden Knights recently when it acquired Paul Stastny just before free agency opened on Friday.

The Golden Knights are rumored to be close to signing No. 1 free agent, Alex Pietrangelo to a long-term deal, but still would need to move out some salary to make the deal work. With little known progress on moving goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, it would make sense to move on from one of their top-four defenders, likely Schmidt or Martinez. Both offer different advantages to Winnipeg if they choose to take one. Schmidt is locked up for another five years at $5.95MM with a 10-team no-trade list, which would give the Jets some security at that position. Martinez, on the other hand, will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 season, but comes in a little cheaper at just $4MM.

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Alec Martinez

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Wednesday: The trade for Martinez has been officially announced. Vegas receives the veteran defenseman in exchange for their 2020 second-round pick and St. Louis’ 2021 second-round pick. The Kings will not retain any of Martinez’ salary.

The Golden Knights have also recalled Jimmy Schuldt, Zach Whitecloud and Nicolas Roy, while placing Alex Tuch on injured reserve.

Tuesday: The Vegas Golden Knights are trying to get in on the defenseman party, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports they are working on a deal that would see Alec Martinez arrive from the Los Angeles Kings. In return, McKenzie believes the Kings would receive a package of two second-round picks. The deal has not been completed yet, and may not be officially announced until tomorrow, even though Martinez will not play for Los Angeles this evening.

Martinez, unlike the other rental defensemen traded today, has another year left on his contract. He also carries a $4MM cap hit, meaning the Golden Knights would need to make some extra room by either sending down a player or having the Kings retain some of Martinez’ salary. That also could be the hold up in the deal, as by waiting another day they will open enough cap space to fit Martinez in without any salary retention. Vegas sent down Zach Whitecloud earlier today and sit with just 20 players on the roster.

The Golden Knights do have two second-round selections this season (their own and Pittsburgh’s) and three next year (their own, New Jersey’s and St. Louis’). They also have a desperate need for some help on defense if they are to compete in the Pacific Division, which is so tightly packed there is just two points between first and fifth. More specifically, the Golden Knights need a player who can quickly get the puck up to their talented forwards to take some pressure off Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore. While Martinez hasn’t had the same offensive impact the last few years in Los Angeles, he was once a staple on the team’s powerplay and has multiple 30+ point seasons.

The fact that he is signed for another season is also a huge bonus for the Golden Knights, who currently have three regulars in Nick Holden, Jonathon Merrill and Deryk Engelland set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer. Though Whitecloud, Nicolas Hague and Jimmy Schuldt all could be up in the NHL next year, Martinez gives Vegas another legitimate top-four option.

Over each of the past five seasons, Martinez has averaged at least 21 minutes a night for the Kings, playing in all situations. His versatility is maybe his best attribute, especially the fact that he has no problem playing the left or right side (despite being left-handed). That will certainly come in handy (pun intended) during a playoff run, as teams often deal with injuries on the back end.

Trade Rumors: Flames, Maple Leafs, Martinez, Simmonds

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Trade deadline season is in full swing and TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment this evening with Darren Dreger and Piere LeBrun was chock full of hints as to what may happen over the next few weeks. The pair began with the most pressing story, which is in regards to the news earlier today that Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano is out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. The situation reportedly could have been worse and Giordano may have needed surgery that would have kept him out long term, so in a way Calgary got lucky. However, with the Flames fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, this major absence is bound to shift their plans at the deadline. The team has been focused on acquiring a right-shot forward, even allegedly dangling impending UFA defenseman T.J. Brodie to get a deal done, but LeBrun notes that Brodie is now much more unlikely to move. Not only are Brodie and fellow free agent-to-be Travis Hamonic likely safe, but LeBrun adds that the team will consider adding on defense as well if Giordano’s availability remains in question. As for what the Flames may use as their primary trade bait now, Dreger reports that Sam Bennett could finally be on the move. The disappointing young forward is not necessarily on the block, but Dreger hears from many around the league who feel Bennett needs a fresh start and Calgary may oblige him if it helps to land them another top-six forward.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs may have unofficially launched the trade deadline frenzy on Wednesday when they acquired goaltender Jack Campbell and forward Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings. Yet, even for a team currently on the outside of the playoff picture, Dreger reports that the Leafs are not done. He notes that the deal with L.A. did not address Toronto’s biggest need, which is a top-four defenseman. He says that the recent injury to Cody Ceci, expected to be out for at least a month, combined with the continued absence of Morgan Rielly will keep the Maple Leafs in the defense market if they want to contend for a postseason berth. Dreger mentions that the Kings’ willingness to retain salary should allow the Leafs to land a top-four defenseman if they can find the right deal, assuming one of Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, or Alex Kerfoot would be heading the other way.
  • The Kings, of course, are also not done. They are having another fire sale this year and a number of valuable pieces may still move. Among them is veteran defenseman Alec Martinez. LeBrun believes that the Maple Leafs were not interested in Martinez, but other teams are. One such suitor is Toronto’s biggest competition for an Atlantic Division playoff bid, the Florida Panthers. According to LeBrun, the Panthers are “absolutely looking” at Martinez, who still has one year remaining on his contract. Another team looking to upgrade their blue line who have an eye on Martinez are the Winnipeg Jets. Whether Florida, Winnipeg, or another contender ends up landing the capable defenseman, the buyer will not be getting any sort of discount. LeBrun relays that the asking price is a second-round pick and either another good pick or a good prospect.
  • In Vancouver, the season is going as well as anyone could have expected and the team is hoping to solidify their lineup before the postseason. While the team seems unlikely to spend immensely, they are hoping to plug some holes. One such gap has been created by the injury to Micheal Ferland. Ferland has been out for almost two months and the team is missing his physical play and goal scoring ability. Ferland signed with the Canucks this summer and was expected to play a major role, but has been unable to stay on the ice. As a result, LeBrun reports that the Canucks are revisiting a player that nearly chose over Ferland this off-season in Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds, who instead signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, again finds himself as a rental candidate and Vancouver remains interested. LeBrun believes that the team will wait to see what the long-term outlook on Ferland is for the remainder of this season, but bad news could trigger a trade to bring in Simmonds.

Snapshots: Kings, Ryan, Giordano

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The Los Angeles Kings are a team to watch as the trade deadline approaches, and they took up a pair of notes in Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column. The Sportsnet scribe writes that even though Kings’ head coach Todd McLellan wanted to re-sign Tyler Toffoli, the forward will “more likely than not” be traded in the next few weeks. The Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers are all linked to Toffoli, who has turned around his season and has 17 points in his last 23 games.

Another player to watch according to Friedman is Alec Martinez, who is linked to the Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights in the piece. It’s clear the Kings are looking to rebuild their squad after struggling in consecutive seasons.

  • Bobby Ryan returned to the ice at Ottawa Senators practice today for the first time since taking an indefinite leave of absence to enter the player assistance program in late November. Head coach D.J. Smith told reporters that Ryan is still “a ways away” from returning to the lineup, but expressed his support for the veteran forward and explained how the rest of the team welcomed him back.
  • Mark Giordano is undergoing an MRI this afternoon after suffering an unfortunate injury on Tuesday night. The Calgary Flames captain fell as he shot a puck and seemed to injure his leg, but it is not clear how long he will be out for until the results come back. Eric Francis of Sportsnet examined the situation and the options the Flames have if Giordano does miss a significant stretch of time.

Trade Rumors: Ducks, Senators, DeMelo, Duclair

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When action resumes following the All-Star break, it is the unofficial start of NHL Trade Deadline season. In fact, with a relatively early deadline day of February 24th this year, things should pick up sooner rather than later. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch came prepared to handle the transition from All-Star exit to trade mania, reporting on a number of situations in his latest “Insider Trading” column. Garrioch begins with the further shift in the status quo of the Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim began the season hoping to return to being contenders with a talented mix of veterans and youngsters. However, it has not played out that way on the ice, as the Ducks hold the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Recently, a report came out that the team was willing to use their cap space to take on bad contracts if it meant that they could add prospects and picks in return. Garrioch now reports that the team is taking it one step further, perhaps in response to winning just three of their past 15 games. He hears from multiple league sources that the Ducks are preparing for a full rebuild and are at least willing to listen on just about every player. For a team with so few valuable impending free agents – Michael Del Zotto and Derek Grant lead the way – this shift in the status quo could make for a much bigger deadline in Anaheim. Ondrej Kase, who has previously been rumored to have fallen out of favor with the team, could be one possible casualty, as could defenseman Josh Manson, who has recently been linked to a few other teams. What about Rickard Rakell, one of the best value contracts in the league and a player that any contender would like to get their hands on? Or long-term players like Cam Fowler, Adam Henrique, and Jakob Silfverberg? Franchise faces Ryan Getzlaf and John Gibson and top defender Hampus Lindholm are likely off the table, but nearly anyone else in Anaheim over the age of 24 appears to be a candidate to move at the right price.

  • Garrioch mentions a number of available players, many of whom won’t comes as much of a surprise, including L.A.’s Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez, San Jose’s Brenden Dillon, and the Rangers’ Chris Kreider (if the team can’t re-sign him). However, he states definitively that the New Jersey Devils’ impending UFA’s are also up for grabs. This means Andy Greene, Sami Vatanen, and Wayne Simmonds, three players who many were unsure the Devils would part with, could very well be on new teams in a month’s time. As for teams in the mix, Garrioch claims that the Islanders and Jets are leading the search for defense, while the Bruins, Blues, Flames, and Coyotes are the most eager to add forwards.
  • The Ottawa Senators have ten impending UFA’s on the roster, but not all of them will survive the trade deadline. Garrioch reports that GM Pierre Dorion plans to sit down with each one before the deadline and discuss the possibility of an extension before putting them on the block. At this point in their rebuild, the Senators cannot afford to let valuable players walk away as free agents, meaning the likes of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Vladislav Namestnikov, Ron Hainsey, Mark Borowiecki, and Dylan DeMelo and more need to have made a decision on their commitment to Ottawa soon or they could be sent packing.
  • On the DeMelo front in particular, Garrioch reports that the Florid Panthers are the leading suitor for the 26-year-old defenseman, should Ottawa opt to move him. He mentions that that the Carolina Hurricanes are another team with definite interest. Garrioch adds that Florida is also looking for a backup goalie, which could potentially put former Panther Craig Anderson on their radar.
  • As for one player who has made up his mind on his future with Ottawa, All-Star Anthony Duclair tells Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that he hopes to re-sign long-term with the Senators. The 24-year-old has excelled since arriving in Ottawa late last season and wants to continue to play a central role for the team through their rebuild:

I just want to focus and really end the season on a positive note like I did last year, and really make a statement to the management and the coaching staff that I want to be a big part of this rebuild. I’m still a young guy. When the change is gonna happen, when Ottawa’s gonna become a contender, I want to be part of that. So I’m working as hard as I can.

Alec Martinez Available For Trade

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The Los Angeles Kings will be a team to watch at the 2020 trade deadline once again, as they continue to try and find a way to turn things around. The team sits just a point ahead of the Anaheim Ducks for last in the Western Conference, with little to celebrate on a nightly basis. Last year at this time the Kings decided to move on from defenseman Jake Muzzin despite having him under contract for an additional season, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic now writes that they could make a similar move this time around.

Alec Martinez is the lead subject of LeBrun’s latest column (subscription required), as the scribe indicates that the Kings would be open to moving the defenseman. Martinez is signed through the 2020-21 season and carries a $4MM cap hit, but the Kings are obviously not going to be competing for the Stanley Cup this year and could cash out early. One of LeBrun’s sources indicated it might take a “second and a prospect” to get the 32-year old.

Martinez has been a solid contributor for the Kings for more than a decade now, debuting in 2009 before joining the lineup on a full-time basis the following year. His most noteworthy moment with the team is obviously the 2014 Stanley Cup-winning goal against the New York Rangers, when he jumped into the rush and cleaned up a rebound in double overtime.

That ability to play at both ends of the rink should be intriguing to many teams looking to shore up their blueline before the playoffs, as is his ability to play either defensive position. Martinez is a left-handed shot but was forced to play the right side quite a bit during his time with the Kings, at times beside the aforementioned Muzzin.

For Kings fans, it is important to remember that among the current roster defensemen, only Martinez, Drew Doughty and Matt Roy are actually signed for next year. If they decide to move in a different direction, youngsters like Tobias Bjornfot and Kale Clague may be asked to play substantial roles on the team next year.

Los Angeles Kings Make Several Roster Moves On Defense

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The Los Angeles Kings made a few roster moves with their defense in advance of Saturday night’s game against the Nashville Predators. The team is expecting back one of their top defenseman as Alec Martinez has been activated off of injured reserve. The team has also recalled defenseman Derek Forbort and placed defenseman Joakim Ryan on injured reserve, according to Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris.

Martinez went down on Nov. 25 when he suffered a laceration to his wrist against the San Jose Sharks in which he underwent surgery to repair a radial artery and two superficial radial nerves. He has been out week-to-week, but has now missed 18 games, a tough pill for a struggling L.A. team to deal with. Next to veteran Drew Doughty, Martinez is the most experienced blueliner the team has and relies on him greatly, especially his defense. While the 32-year-old’s offense has decreased over the last couple of years, he has been a steady influence on the other side of the ice.

The team will also get back Forbort, who has spent the past five games on a conditioning stint with the Ontario Reign in the AHL. Forbort, has sat out all season so far with a back injury, but if he can prove to be healthy, could add another defensive blueliner to their team. Forbort played five games with the Reign, scoring one goal. However, much will be determined by Ryan’s absence. He was placed on IR with an undisclosed injury retroactive to Dec. 27, which means he’s eligible to be activated at any time. If Ryan is ready to return, however, Forbort could be sent back to Ontario.

Los Angeles Kings Make Multiple Roster Moves

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The Los Angeles Kings have recalled both Paul LaDue and Matt Luff from the minor leagues ahead of their game against the New York Islanders tonight. To make room, the team has sent Carl Grundstrom to the AHL and placed Alec Martinez on injured reserve. The team has also placed Derek Forbort on long-term injured reserve while assigning him to the AHL on a conditioning stint.

While LaDue and Luff coming up is no surprise, the demotion of Grundstrom may perk up some eyebrows after he got into the lineup the last several games. The 21-year old forward is still looking for his first goal this season but does have four points in nine games despite averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. Acquired as part of the package for Jake Muzzin last season, Grundstrom represents a real part of the Kings’ future up front and has shown a strong ability to contribute offensively at the NHL level so far.

Forbort’s assignment is the real news here though, as the veteran defenseman gets closer to a return after a back injury stole the first part of the season. The 27-year old has turned into a trusty partner for Drew Doughty over the last three seasons and is an important part of their group, but is also one of the team’s best trade chips if they decide to move him at the deadline. Forbort is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer and if the Kings want to open more room for younger options during their rebuild, he could fetch a pretty penny after showing he’s healthy and back to full strength.

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