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Andreas Martinsen

Overseas Notes: Lagesson, Sproul, Martinsen, Koppanen

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Edmonton restricted free agent defenseman William Lagesson has signed a contract, but not with the Oilers. Lagesson has inked a one-year contract with HC Vita Hasten of the Allsvenskan, the Swedish second tier league. The team announced the contract and emphasized that the deal covered the entire 2020-21 season, but don’t expect the promising young defender to follow through on that commitment. PuckPedia reports that the contract contains an NHL Out Clause, allowing Lagesson to leave Vita Hasten once the NHL season begins, assuming he has a contract. By all accounts, the Oilers are planning to re-sign the 24-year-old RFA, who played in eight games in Edmonton last season. A standout in the Swedish junior ranks and at the University of Massachusetts, Lagesson doesn’t project as a top-four defenseman for the Oilers, but is a valuable, two-way depth option. Expect Lagesson’s contract with Vita Hasten to essentially act as a loan, with the defenseman in Edmonton camp as soon as it opens.

  • Long-time Detroit Red Wings prospect Ryan Sproul left North America last off-season to sign with the KHL’s Chinese contingent, the Kunlun Red Star. The puck-moving defenseman had a strong season and was seeking a contract back home this summer, but has now opted to return to Kunlun. The Red Star announced a new one-year deal with Sproul, retaining yet another of their numerous former NHLers. Playing on a roster that is chock full of fellow North Americans, Sproul will continue to play a familiar style alongside his peers, all in the hopes that another good year can earn him more attention among NHL clubs the next time around.
  • Former NHL grinder Andreas Martinsen is headed home. The big forward has signed a one-year deal back in his native Norway with Lillehammer, the team with which he has played the most games in his pro career. Lillehammer was excited to announce the homecoming of the iconic Norweigian forward, who is one of just five from his country to play in 100+ NHL games. Martinsen, who last played in the NHL in 2018-19, spent the first half of this past season in the AHL before departing for the Swiss NLA. At 30, it is unclear if Martinsen’s return to Norway could mark a retirement phase of his career or if he is simply most comfortable back home given the many repercussions of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
  • The Boston Bruins have loaned prospect forward Joona Koppanen to KOOVEE of the Finnish minor league Metsis, the team announced. As the press release details, Koppanen’s opportunity has been limited in North America, which begs the question whether this loan could extend beyond NHL training camp unlike most others. Koppanen, a 6’5″, 200-lb. forward who plays center and wing, showed improvement in his second full season in North America in 2019-20, recording 18 points in 43 games with AHL Providence. Yet, he was not a full-time player and saw time in the ECHL for the second straight season. With the 2016 fifth-rounder’s entry-level contract expiring after the coming season, the Bruins may prefer to see how Koppanen performs as a top-line forward in the Metsis rather than a part-time bottom-six forward in the AHL.

Overseas Notes: Martinsen, Hartikainen, Jaskin

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After clearing unconditional waivers on Saturday, veteran forward Andreas Martinsen is already well on his way to the next stage of his career. Martinsen has signed a contract with EV Zug of Switzerland’s NLA for the remainder of the season, the team announced. The Norwegian winger is no stranger to the European pro ranks, having played in Norway, Sweden, and Germany before making the leap to the NHL. Martinsen, 29, was somewhat of a late bloomer, going undrafted and not making his North American debut until 2015-16. However, he was an effective role player once he did arrive in the NHL, contributing 23 points but more importantly 446 hits in 152 NHL games between three teams. Although Martinen’s NHL opportunities have dried up in recent years, he can still be a difference-maker for Zug. The team has specifically been on the hunt for a physical forward, and will get that and more from Martinsen, who flashed 40-point potential in previous European stops. Zug currently leads the NLA and look like the favorites to win the championship this year, especially after adding an experienced forward like Martinsen. If everything works out, the two sides could be headed toward a title and possibly even an extended relationship beyond this season.

  • A European standout who won’t be making a return to the NHL any time soon, if at all, is KHL forward Teemu Hartikainen. A late round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2008, Hartikainen developed into a player beyond what many expected and looked like he could be an impact player in the NHL. The Finnish winger made his NHL debut in 2010, yet by 2013 he was out of the league. Hartikainen was a productive player in the AHL, recording 111 points in 164 games, but less so in the NHL, where he notched just 13 points in 52 games. Still, many felt that Hartikainen’s departure from North America was based more on his desire to play a major role for a major league team than it was on his lack of NHL ability, making him a candidate for a possible future return. However, Hartikainen is now 29 and in his seventh season with the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa, where he has been one of the club’s most consistent and well-rounded contributors. Hartikainen seems content to remain as a core member for Ufa rather than try his hand at an NHL comeback, as the team has announced a three-year extension with their star. In all likelihood, this means we saw the last of Hartikainen in the NHL back with the Oilers in 2013.
  • One player who could be primed for a return though is Dmitrij Jaskin. Jaskin, who spent the past two seasons on Stanley Cup winners in St. Louis and Washington (just not in the right order), was a free agent this off-season and held out nearly all summer for an NHL deal. He begrudgingly accepted a one-year pact with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow in late August and has made the best of his year outside of North America. The two-way winger is currently tied for second in the league in scoring with 51 points in 49 games and has been a dominant force all season. Granted, the one player ahead of him in the scoring race is teammate Vadim Shipachyov, but the two have been the only consistent contributors on a shallow Dynamo roster. In fact, the team may not even make the playoffs despite the output from their top scorers. A poor team result, even if he has excelled personally, alongside an obvious desire to be in the NHL, could push Jaskin back to North America this summer. NHL clubs have seen him play a strong defensive game, but now have witnessed his offensive upside in the right situation as well. Jaskin certainly seems like a player who is worthy of a second chance.

Andreas Martinsen Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Saturday: Martinsen has cleared waivers, CapFriendly reports which will pave the way for Pittsburgh to terminate the rest of his deal.

Friday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Andreas Martinsen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.

The Penguins are setting up to be players at the February trade deadline for another season, thanks to some incredible play by the depth that GM Jim Rutherford has built. The team has lost every star player on the roster for long stretches but performed well in the standings anyway, including an 18-6-4 run without captain Sidney Crosby. The fact that Crosby is back healthy alongside Evgeni Malkin and others should embolden Rutherford as the deadline approaches.

To that end, Martinsen’s termination will clear a contract slot for the team to work with. The Penguins had been sitting at 48 on the year meaning they could only add a maximum of two players. This move will give them a little more flexibility in terms of what they can take on and what they will have to give up.

Martinsen meanwhile could be finished in North America after struggling to find a role this season. The 29-year old forward played 24 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL after being acquired in the Erik Gudbranson trade earlier this season, but had just three points.

Anaheim Ducks Acquire Erik Gudbranson

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The Anaheim Ducks have acquired Erik Gudbranson from the Pittsburgh Penguins, sending back Andreas Martinsen and a 2021 seventh-round pick in exchange. That return shows just how little value Gudbranson represented at this point, after struggling early in the season but still carrying a cap hit of $4MM through the 2020-21 season. The Penguins, in cap trouble with players returning from injury, needed to move out at least one defenseman.

It is incredible just how far Gudbranson’s value has fallen in a few short years. In 2010 he was selected third overall by the Florida Panthers—just ahead of Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter, Brett Connolly and Jeff Skinner—as a potential franchise-changing shutdown defenseman. The 6’5″ behemoth could basically do anything he wanted in his own end at the junior level, pushing smaller competition off the puck with ease.

Unfortunately in the NHL, that defensive ability was tested right away. With no offensive game to speak of to help him move the puck quickly out of his own end, Gudbranson put up poor possession numbers right from the start of his career with the Panthers, and never did become that minute-munching defensive stalwart. Through his first five seasons—309 games—he averaged fewer than 18 minutes a night and racked up just 43 points.

Then came trades to Vancouver and finally Pittsburgh, where he actually showed well in short spurts. Paired with Marcus Pettersson for a time last season, Gudbranson played perhaps the best hockey of his career for the Penguins.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough to save him from this new fate.

Pittsburgh not only had too many bodies on defense, but they have also been pushed right up against the cap all season. Moving Gudbranson’s entire $4MM cap hit was obviously worth it, and the fact that they didn’t need to include any “kicker” is even better. Martinsen represents a minor league addition and will likely not play many games for Pittsburgh, though he will give the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins another experienced body.

In Anaheim, the team will hope they can bring out the good parts of Gudbranson’s game and make him into the player he was once projected to be. The team has been looking for right-handed defense help for some time, and will at least get plenty of experience in the 27-year old.

Waivers: 09/26/19

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With the NHL regular season approaching quickly, many players will be put on waivers over the next several days. We’ll keep track of all of them right here:

Anaheim Ducks

F Andreas Martinsen
F Andrew Poturalski
F Chase De Leo
D Jani Hakanpaa
G Kevin Boyle

Boston Bruins

F Paul Carey
F Brendan Gaunce
D Alexander Petrovic*

Calgary Flames

G Jon Gillies

Chicago Blackhawks

F John Quenneville

Colorado Avalanche

D Jacob MacDonald
D Dan Renouf

Montreal Canadiens

F Matthew Peca
F Phil Varone
F Dale Weise
D Karl Alzner
D Xavier Ouellet

New York Islanders

F Travis St. Denis
F Matthew Lorito
F Cole Bardreau
D Kyle Burroughs
D Seth Helgeson
G Christopher Gibson
G Jared Coreau

New York Rangers

F Steven Fogarty

Ottawa Senators

F Nick Paul
F Jordan Szwarz

Vegas Golden Knights

F Patrick Brown
F Curtis McKenzie

*Petrovic was in Bruins’ training camp under a professional tryout. Waivers would indicate that the team has signed him to a standard player contract.

Ducks Sign Andreas Martinsen

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The Ducks have added some depth and grit on the wing.  They announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Andreas Martinsen to a one-year, two-way contract.  Eric Stephens of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that the deal is worth $750K in the NHL and $250K in the minors.

The 29-year-old split last season between Chicago and their AHL affiliate in Rockford.  In 24 games with the Blackhawks in the first half of the year, he had a goal and three assists while chipping in with 83 hits; his 3.46 hit per game average was in the top ten league-wide among players with at least 20 games played.  Meanwhile, with the IceHogs, he had a bit more of an offensive impact with three goals and eight helpers in 38 games.

Martinsen has a total of 152 NHL games under his belt between Colorado, Montreal, and Chicago.  It’s likely that he will start next season in the minors and having cleared waivers at some point in each of the last two seasons, he will probably once again pass through unclaimed.  However, as someone that can hold his own on the fourth line when needed, he should see some action with Anaheim at some point in 2019-20.

Blackhawks Notes: Deadline Status, Kampf, Crawford, Snuggerud

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When the Boston Bruins snapped the Chicago Blackhawks’ winning streak at seven games last night, it brought to light how little the run actually meant in the bigger picture. The Blackhawks have certainly improved in the second half, but are still on the outside looking in by a substantial margin. Even after stockpiling points over the last few weeks, Chicago is currently 12th in the Western Conference and virtually tied with the Edmonton Oilers in points percentage, who trail by two points but have two games in hand. The Blackhawks are four points behind the Minnesota Wild in for the final wild card spot and would have to leapfrog three more teams to get there, two of which hold games in hand, too. The upcoming schedule for the ’Hawks is light; it features five home contests and six non-playoff teams out of eight games. However, the schedule is not as easy the rest of the way. If management takes another small stretch of success before the deadline to mean that the team should not be sellers this season, it could be a mistake. Given that Chicago’s top rentals are not imperative to winning anyway – Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz, Andreas Martinsen, Cam Ward – the best and most likely course of action will be for the Blackhawks to entertain all trade offers over the remaining days before the deadline and not engage in any buyer talk.

  • The Blackhawks announced today that center David Kampf has been placed on injured reserve. Although the placement is retroactive to February 5th, do not expect Kampf back soon. NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis notes that the timeline to return is three to four weeks, making a reappearance by Kampf before the end of the month unlikely. Kampf has 16 points in 50 games for the Blackhawks this season and has been a solid bottom-six forward for the team in his second year since making the jump from Europe.
  • The silver lining to Kampf’s injury, as Roumeliotis points out, is that it opens up a roster spot for goaltender Corey Crawford to potentially make his return. Crawford has reportedly been getting close to game readiness and after missing the past two months while battling concussion symptoms. If Crawford is able to return and at least show that he is capable of splitting time with rookie Collin Delia, that would give the Blackhawks even further encouragement to peddle veteran backup Ward before the deadline rather than carry three goalies.
  • Luc Snuggerud worked quickly to find a new team after his contract was terminated by the Blackhawks on Monday. The young defenseman has signed with a rather obscure club, the Stavanger Oilers in Norway. The team announced a contract for the remainder of the season with Snuggerud. While hockey is growing in Norway, the national pro league is not considered to be among the elite in Europe. In fact, on the entire Oilers roster, including eight North American skaters, only Greg Mauldin has any NHL experience. As such, Snuggerud is expected to step in and make an immediate impact for Stavanger, which is what he was unable to do in the Blackhawks organization.

 

Minor Transactions: 01/05/19

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It’s the first weekend of the new year and the NHL is ready to roll out some marquee match-ups. Two cross-conference contests start the action, with matinees from the Flames and Flyers, as well as the Wild and Senators. Later, P.K. Subban and the Predators visit Shea Weber and the Canadiens, the division rival Sabres and Bruins battle it out for the final time this season, and some of the game’s biggest names clash when the Sharks host the Lightning. With nine games on the docket today and another seven tomorrow, teams are sure to be shuffling their rosters. Expect some movement today and keep track right here:

  • Recently-named AHL All-Star Jacob Middleton has been recalled by the San Jose Sharks, CapFriendly reports. The 23-year-old defenseman has shown off his well-rounded game this season with the San Jose Barracuda, with 12 points and a team-leading +15 rating in just 26 games. At 6’3″, 210 lbs., Middleton has NHL size, but over the past year or so has begun to show NHL talent as well. The 2014 seventh-round pick is exceeding expectations for San Jose, becoming yet another capable option on their deep blue line. The only question now is whether he makes his debut on this recall and, if so, how he performs under the pressure. In confirming the recall, the Sharks also announced that Justin Braun has been placed on injured reserve, which may provide Middleton the opportunity to see some action.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced, somewhat unsurprisingly, that Kasimir Kaskisuo is on his way back up today, courtesy of an emergency recall. With starter Frederik Andersen still sidelined with a groin injury and backup Garret Sparks currently in the concussion protocol, the Leafs turned to newly-acquired Michael Hutchinson to start on Thursday and will apparently ask him to do so again tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. There was optimism that Sparks could be ready to at least dress as the backup tonight, but Kaskisuo’s call-up would indicate that won’t be happening. Toronto simply has to hope that Hutchinson can manage the game well enough, as Kaskisuo’s season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies has been nightmarish (.871 SV% and 3.82 GAA) and he should be nowhere near an NHL net right now, if possible.
  • Another team to frequently swap their goalies around has done so again, as the AHL lists the St. Louis Blues as having recalled Jordan Binnington and reassigned first-year pro Evan Fitzpatrick to the San Antonio Rampage. Fitzpatrick, a 2016 second-round pick, earned his first NHL recall earlier in the week as the organization dealt with the losses of Chad Johnson (waivers) and Ville Husso (injury), but the green 20-year-old did not see any action. Following the acquisition of Jared Coreau, ironically from the same Anaheim Ducks that claimed Johnson, the Blues now have another veteran option in the AHL and apparently feel comfortable bringing Binnington back up. Binnington has enjoyed a strong season in the minors and is St. Louis’ best option behind starter Jake Allen, even if his limited NHL experience does leave a lot to be desired.
  • After clearing waivers, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andreas Martinsen is headed to the AHL, the team announced. Joining him is rookie Dylan Sikura, who has struggled to produce with Chicago so far but is enjoying a fine season with the Rockford Ice Hogs alongside brother Tyler. As for Martinsen, he is no stranger to the minor leagues; the hulking Norwegian played in 64 games with the Ice Hogs last season compared to just nine with the Blackhawks. Martinsen has registered just four points in 24 games in Chicago this season, so the ’Hawks likely won’t be rushing to call him back up.

Andreas Martinsen, Korbinian Holzer Placed On Waivers

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UPDATE: All three players have cleared waivers. Martinsen has been reassigned to the AHL and the same fate is expected of Holzer. Pedrie will see his contract terminated by the Rangers.

The Chicago Blackhawks will be getting Drake Caggiula on the ice as soon as his visa issues are resolved, and today have prepared some room for him. Andreas Martinsen has been placed on waivers according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. In addition to Martinsen, CapFriendly reports that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Korbinian Holzer and New York Rangers prospect Vince Pedrie are also on waivers, the latter being unconditional for the purpose of a contract termination.

Martinsen, 28, has played just 24 games for the Blackhawks this season and has just four points. The big, physical forward has logged more than ten minutes in a single game just once, but still easily leads the team in hits with 83. That kind of bruising presence is needed sometimes, but with the Blackhawks struggling to stay out of the very bottom of the NHL standings a new approach might be in order. There very well could be another team that believes they can get a bigger contribution from Martinsen, but more likely he’ll be heading to the minor leagues shortly.

Holzer is in a slightly different situation given the injury that has kept him out all season, but he too has little opportunity to play for Anaheim. The team is already loaded with defense and has several prospects knocking on the door, leaving little room for the 30-year old to hit the ice. Holzer has never played more than 34 NHL games in a single season, and doesn’t look like he’ll be breaking that mark anytime soon.

Snapshots: Goldobin, Schwartz, Jonsson-Fjallby, Martinsen

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It was the performance of winger Nikolay Goldobin at training camp that ultimately led to Sam Gagner’s surprise placement on waivers, GM Jim Benning told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.  The 23-year-old Russian is now waiver-eligible and the team also didn’t want to risk losing him for free on the waiver wire where there was a good chance he’d have been claimed.  However, the Canucks now have to pay Gagner $3.5MM in salary this season to play at the minor league level, something that owner Francesco Aquilini acknowledged that he wasn’t particularly pleased about.  It’s not even Vancouver’s farm team that will benefit from Gagner’s services as he was loaned to Toronto’s AHL squad instead.  Meanwhile, Goldobin is rewarding Vancouver’s faith him with a strong showing to start the season as he has three points through the first four games so while the decision was an expensive one for ownership, it looks like the right one so far.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Blues may be without winger Jaden Schwartz on Saturday night. The team announced that he is dealing with a lower-body issue and head coach Mike Yeo has classified him as “questionable to doubtful” for their upcoming game against Chicago.  The injury was sustained on Thursday night when he blocked a shot in the first period.  He did, however, remain in the game.  Even if he is out tomorrow, Yeo acknowledged that Schwartz won’t be out long-term.
  • Despite a Swedish report that Capitals prospect Axel Jonsson-Fjallby intends to exercise the European Assignment Clause in his contract, a team spokesman told Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that the winger has no plans to return to Sweden at this time. The 20-year-old is in his first season in North America after playing with Djurgarden of the SHL last year and while there would certainly be a temptation to play at home, it likely wouldn’t bode too well for his NHL chances.  He has suited up in a pair of games so far this season for Hershey of the AHL.
  • Blackhawks winger Andreas Martinsen is dealing with a back injury, notes Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago. The 28-year-old was a bit of a surprise inclusion on Chicago’s roster to start the season after spending most of last year in the minors although he has had a limited role in the early going this season, logging just under seven minutes per contests in a pair of games.

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