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Bob McKenzie

Latest On Carolina GM Search

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We’ve heard several names linked to the vacant Carolina Hurricanes GM role, but Bob McKenzie of TSN reports on another. Steve Greeley, the assistant GM of the Buffalo Sabres and well-traveled front office member has been interviewed by the club. Greeley has experience in scouting, player personnel and coaching, spending time with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Boston University in the past.

The search for the next Hurricanes GM is an interesting one, as the new executive will have to report directly to owner Thomas Dundon. Ron Francis was moved out of the role recently and into one as President of Hockey Operations, despite his work creating a pipeline of young talent. Unfortunately, that talent hasn’t shown much improvement in the standings, as Carolina is set to miss the playoffs for the ninth straight time without a late season push.

Most of the names interviewed in Carolina seem to be those who have never been general manager of an NHL team, but are all expected to be given the opportunity at some point. The Hurricanes might just be that chance as they try to find a fresh outlook for a team that has stagnated in the middle of the standings. Whether the answer is Greeley isn’t clear, but they will certainly check in on every possibility before making a decision.

Ryan McDonagh Acquired By Tampa Bay Lightning

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Ryan McDonagh has been traded. The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired the New York Rangers captain, pending a trade call according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Darren Dreger adds that J.T. Miller is also expected to be in the trade. McKenzie tweets that the return will be Vladislav Namestnikov, Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, a 2018 first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick that will become a first-round pick if the Lightning win the Stanley Cup this year or next.

Ryan McDonaghIn the biggest deal of the year, the Lightning have added that much-needed defensive help by bringing in McDonagh. The 28-year old former captain is a legitimate first-pairing player, but will be able to slot in behind Victor Hedman to give Tampa Bay two impressive pairings. They also completed the deal without giving up Mikhail Sergachev, who projects to be a long-term option for the club’s top-4 and can continue to be sheltered in his rookie while quarterbacking one powerplay unit.

Miller, 24, is another huge addition for the Lightning, who had been looking for help on the wing all season. Though he had been transitioned back to center this season for the Rangers, it seems more likely that he’ll move back to the left side as Tampa Bay still has a glut of options down the middle. The 15th-overall pick in 2011, Miller has shown a consistent scoring ability and is coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons. This year he has just 13 goals, but has already totaled his third straight 40-point season and could challenge his career-high with a good final stretch.

The addition of both players pushes the Lightning back to a favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference and win the Stanley Cup, but did come at a hefty price. Though Sergachev and Brayden Point were both not included, the package given up includes several pieces with very high potential.

In Namestnikov, the Rangers are acquiring a 25-year old forward in the midst of a career-best season. The 27th-overall selection from 2011, he has scored 20 goals for the first time in his career to go along with 44 points through 62 games. He’ll immediately become one of the Rangers’ best options at center, but does come with some work still left to do. A pending restricted free agent, Namestnikov is in for a hefty raise—something Miller will also be in line for this summer—given that he has just two years before being scheduled for unrestricted free agency. Any long-term deal will have to come with a substantial raise from his current $1.94MM cap hit.

The prospects, Howden and Hajek, are both among the best in the game. Howden was selected 27th-overall in 2016, and still plays in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Despite the fact that he’s not yet in professional hockey, he does have some experience at the AHL level after playing eight games for the Syracuse Crunch at the end of last season. Since then, he’s put up 58 points in 38 games for the Warriors, and played a key role in Canada’s gold medal at the World Juniors.

Brett HowdenHe plays a dynamic two-way role, and projects to be an excellent center in the NHL capable of both contributing offensively and playing against some of the opponent’s best. He brings size and speed, and makes the Rangers future down the middle even brighter. When grouped with Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, suddenly a position that was an organizational weakness a year ago now ranks among the league’s best.

Hajek brings his own high potential, and could turn into the best player in the deal for the Rangers down the road. A prototypical shut down defenseman, Hajek is an excellent skater that has continued to improve since being taken 37th-overall in 2016. He also has experience with the Crunch, playing eight games for them last season, but is currently with the Regina Pats of the WHL. The 20-year old can play various different styles and arguably becomes the Rangers top defensive prospect, even ahead of the recently acquired Ryan Lindgren and current NHLers Neal Pionk and Anthony DeAngelo.

The fact that the deal also brings with it the potential of two first-round picks makes it worthwhile for the Rangers, even if it hurts to lose two of their best players. After this trade and the others completed over the last few weeks, New York now has seven selections in the top three rounds this year including three in the first round, and could really jump-start the rebuild they promised their fans.

While the Rangers have completed what they promised to do this season, the Lighting are now ready to compete for the Stanley Cup not only this season but next. McDonagh carries just a $4.7MM cap hit through the end of the 2018-19 season, when he is scheduled to be one of the top unrestricted free agents. It seems unlikely that Tampa Bay will have the cap space to retain his services at that point, but if we’ve learned anything from GM Steve Yzerman over the last few seasons, it is to expect the unexpected.

Photo of McDonagh courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Thomas Vanek From Vancouver Canucks

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have continued to add, acquiring Thomas Vanek from the Vancouver Canucks according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Vancouver will get Tyler Motte and Jussi Jokinen in return.

Vanek is the definition of a trade deadline rental, and will play for his eighth club in Columbus. Last season he brought the Detroit Red Wings a third-round pick, but Vancouver decided to target a young player instead.

In Motte, the Canucks receive a 22-year old center that was only acquired by Columbus last summer. Part of the Brandon Saad–Artemi Panarin trade, he looked like a player who could compete for a fourth-line spot and perhaps move up the lineup if his offensive potential started to show. The former Michigan Wolverine scored 32 goals in 38 games in his final NCAA season, but has just 12 points in 64 career NHL games.

Jokinen will be joining his fourth team of the season, and is just a body to even out some of the salary in the deal. After being bought out by the Florida Panthers last offseason, he signed a $1.1MM deal with Edmonton before being flipped for Mike Cammalleri early in the year. He was then claimed off waivers by the Blue Jackets, and now flipped again to Vancouver. The veteran forward can play multiple positions, but has just seven points on the season and looks close to being out of the league entirely.

Vanek looks like a great fit in Columbus, who have needed some help on the powerplay all season. After finding chemistry with Brock Boeser in Vancouver this year, Vanek has 41 points in 61 games and can still be a healthy offensive contributor in a sheltered role. The 34-year old was once one of the league’s very best goal scoring threats, but will only be needed to be a secondary option on a deep Blue Jackets roster.

San Jose Sharks Acquire Evander Kane From Buffalo Sabres

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The San Jose Sharks have acquired Evander Kane from the Buffalo Sabres, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN in exchange for a conditional 2019 first-round pick, conditional 2020 fourth-round pick and Daniel O’Regan. Kane has not signed an extension with the Sharks, and is still scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports that the bidding was down to San Jose, Anaheim and Calgary today.

Evander KaneThe first-round pick is tied to the re-signing of Kane. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports, if the Sharks don’t re-sign the 26-year old forward before July 1st, it becomes a second-round pick in 2019 instead—unless the Sharks also win the 2018 Stanley Cup. It’s unclear what the conditions are on the fourth-round pick.

O’Regan, 24, is a former teammate of Sabres’ forwards Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues at Boston University and has played 19 games for the Sharks this season. Though he has just four points on the season, O’Regan does have some offensive upside and could jump right into the Buffalo lineup. He has 25 points in 31 games in the AHL, and though he’s a bit undersized could give them another option down the middle for the next few years. He’s a restricted free agent in the summer, but should be relatively cheap to sign for the Sabres.

The package Buffalo received for Kane may seem a little light at first glance, especially when compared directly to Rick Nash from this week. That’s likely because of the struggles he’s gone through of late, and his lack of playoff experience. Kane has just six points in 23 games in 2018, and hasn’t played a single postseason game in his nine-year career.

There is also obviously the case of Kane’s perceived attitude, which could have influenced the market that Buffalo was able to create. Kane has had off-ice trouble in the past, and though there hasn’t been much lately on any turmoil in the Buffalo dressing room, playoff teams often don’t want to risk their team chemistry on a player with a reputation. San Jose does have a strong leadership group, and decided that this package was more than acceptable for a player capable of scoring 30 goals in a season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Mike Fisher Ends Retirement, Officially Signs With Nashville

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2/26: The Predators have officially announced the signing.

2/25: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Predators will announce a one-year, $1MM deal with Fisher tomorrow. The pro-rated deal will only cost Nashville around $225K to bring back their former captain for one last run at the Stanley Cup. Fisher has been working out with the team since the initial report last month and no doubt will be ready to go when he gets his first chance to again take the ice.

1/31: In probably the most surprising turn of the season, Mike Fisher is set to come out of retirement and sign with the Nashville Predators for the remainder of the season.

Mike FisherFisher hung up his skates in August after deliberating for much of the offseason, calling it the “hardest decision” he’d ever had to make. The 37-year old center captained the Predators all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, after a successful regular season which saw him record 18 goals and 42 points. The Predators have brought in both Nick Bonino and Kyle Turris since then to try and fill out their center depth, and adding Fisher now will make them an impressive group.

Just recently, Predators’ GM David Poile admitted to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he would like to make an addition up front, though a big splash didn’t seem likely. With Fisher back in the fold, the Nashville forward group can be matched up with anyone in the league, at least when healthy.

There is no exact timeline yet on when Fisher will be ready for game action, but his contract must be signed and added to the roster before the February 26th deadline in order to be eligible for the playoffs. Depending on how well he’s kept himself in shape since retiring, it could be even sooner than that. No financial details have been released yet, but the contract is expected to only be for the rest of 2017-18.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Multiple Players Placed On Waivers

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With today being the last day to place players on waivers, many teams have placed players on waivers in hopes of adding some roster flexibility for the remainder of the season. According to Bob McKenzie, many players have been placed on waivers, including defensemen Christopher Breen and Paul Postma of the Boston Bruins, forward Jussi Jokinen of the Columbus Blue Jackets, defenseman Cody Goloubef of the Calgary Flames, forward Lance Bouma of the Chicago Blackhawks, forward Chris Stewart of the Minnesota Wild, forwards Alexandre Burrows and Jim O’Brien and defenseman Johnny Oduya of the Ottawa Senators, defenseman Mark Alt and goaltender John Muse of the Philadelphia Flyers and forward Chris Thorburn of the St. Louis Blues.

McKenzie adds that New York Rangers forward cleared waivers today.

Of teams that are still in the playoff race, the New York Islanders will likely get the first shot on many of these players if the team is looking to add more depth after trading for defenseman Brandon Davidson Saturday.

While several of these players are AHL players who aren’t seeing time, there are several veteran players who are affected by the moves. Two of the most obvious are Burrows and Oduya. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that the team failed to find anyone interested in trading for either players, so the hope is a team might be willing to claim them without having to give anything up.

Burrows is one of those the team would like to close the book on. Acquired at the trade deadline a year ago for prized prospect Jonathan Dahlen, the team then made it worse by signing him to a two-year extension, worth $2.5MM per season. While he scored 15 goals between Vancouver and Ottawa last year, Burrows has struggled, having tallied just three goals in 51 games. Oduya was signed in the offseason and the veteran could be a solid candidate to be claimed by a team that needs some defensive depth.

Another player who is likely to be claimed is Stewart, who the Minnesota Wild placed on waivers as the team wants to make room for adding 2016 first-rounder Luke Kunin or if the team signs Boston University star Jordan Greenway. The veteran is an excellent locker room presence, has quite a bit of experience and can score as he has nine goals in 47 games this year. Jokinen who has already been on waivers this year returns to it and could be claimed if a team wants some depth to their forward line. Chicago’s Bouma is another who could be claimed as he has fallen out of the Blackhawks lineup, but provides forward depth that could be useful for a team making a playoff run. He’s played in 53 games this year, totaling three goals, six assists and +1 plus/minus ratio.

Other players like Alt and Postma are likely just heading to the AHL to join their playoff rosters. Alt has played just eight games in Philadelphia, spending most of his season in Lehigh Valley. Postma has been with the Bruins all year and might be heading to the Providence Bruins to help the team with their playoff push. He has appeared in just 12 games all season for Boston.

Both Breen, O’Brien, Muse and Goloubef each signed two-way contracts in the last 24 hours and had to be passed through waivers in order to assign them to their respective NHL teams. O’Brien signed a two-way contract today, while Goloubef signed yesterday. FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike reports that Muse signed a two-way deal today.

 

 

Boston Bruins Acquire Rick Nash From Rangers

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The New York Rangers announced they have completed a trade that will send veteran winger Rick Nash to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2018 first-round pick, defensive prospect Ryan Lindgren, forwards Ryan Spooner and Matt Beleskey and a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft. The Rangers are expected to retain 50 percent of Nash’s salary (the maximum allowed)according to Pierre LeBrun. The Bruins are also expected to retain some of Beleskey’s salary.

For Boston, the deal adds a solid veteran to their top-nine core and improves the team’s depth. The 33-year-old was having a solid season in New York as he has 18 goals and 10 assists this year. His knack for finding the goal makes him a welcome addition. He has 434 career goals and is one point away from reaching 800 career points. However, it is the intangibles of a veteran leader and playoff veteran that makes him so coveted as Nash has played in 77 career playoff games. He is in the final year of a eight-year, $62.4MM deal he signed in 2009 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. With the salary retention, however, the Bruins will only have to pay him $3.9MM of his deal for the remainder of the year, which was the only way the trade would have worked without involving a third team. NHL.com’s Joe Yerdon tweets that Nash is expected to join Boston for their game tonight in Buffalo.

Perhaps the key to the trade will be the Bruins first-rounder. That will give the Rangers two first, two second and two third-round picks in this upcoming draft. The Rangers, who are trying to build through the draft, already had two first-round picks in last year’s draft when they drafted centers Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil.

The Rangers add more to its struggling defense as they add Lindgren to their improving core of prospects. The Bruins 2016 second-round pick, the 20-year-old is in his second season at the University of Minnesota. The six-foot, 198-pound blueliner looks to be more of a physical defenseman who might eventually provide team depth as he has two goals and five assists this year in 33 games playing in the Big-10. He also has 49 penalty minutes.

Beleskey and Spooner were both added into the deal to make the salaries match up. Beleskey signed a five-year, $19MM deal in 2015 after he had put up a 22-goal season with the Anaheim Ducks. However, he has not been able to duplicate those numbers, although he did score 15 goals in the 2015-16 season. He only played in 49 games last year and just 14 for Boston this year as he was sent down to the Providence Bruins and has played for much the season there. The Bruins retained 50 percent of his salary as well. Spooner, on the other hand, could be flipped again if the Rangers can find a taker for the 26-year old. In 39 games this year, the center has nine goals and 16 assists.

Dreger adds that the deal for Nash could prompt a response from the Bruins’ Atlantic Division rivals as both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning might be more likely to improve their rosters for the upcoming playoff push. Both Toronto and Tampa Bay are looking to add depth to their defense.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report the initial deal.

Boston Bruins Frontrunners For Rangers’ Nash

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Multiple sources, including Elliotte Friedman, are indicating that the Boston Bruins are the leading candidates to acquire New York Rangers winger Rick Nash. Pierre LeBrun writes that Boston made an offer earlier today that the Rangers are considering.

With the trade deadline less than two days away, talks are heating up and the Bruins are doing what it can to bolster their forward line for a playoff run. Nash would be a solid addition to a team that already has a lot of pieces in place to make a deep playoff run. With Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins have now fallen into third place in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs and three points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning. With so many assets, it might make sense to upgrade.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds that Boston has the assets to make a deal happen. They have their own first-round picks and have a number of solid prospects that the Rangers might find interesting, including Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Ryan Lindgren and Trent Frederic among others.

The only problem will be whether Boston can absorb Nash’s salary. According to CapFriendly, the Bruins have $491,370 available in cap space, which is the equivalent of a $2.176,067 cap hit. Nash’s $7.8MM cap hit translates to $1,761,2890, which falls way short. So more salary would need to be unloaded, which seems unlikely, the Rangers would have to retain some of Nash’s salary or a third team would be needed for the trade to continue.

 

Ottawa Senators Trade Derick Brassard To Pittsburgh Penguins

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8:35pm: The Pittsburgh Penguins’ release fills in the remaining blanks as to the Vegas Golden Knights’ role in the deal. The Pens confirmed that they acquired Brassard, Dunn, and Ottawa’s 2018 third-rounder, but have also added forward prospect Tobias Lindberg from the Golden Knights. In exchange, Vegas received Reaves and the Penguins’ 2018 fourth-round pick, as previously confirmed, and the Knights retained 40% of Brassard’s salary, or $2MM against the cap this season and next . So, in exchange for the added cap space this year and Lindberg, a 22-year-old winger being traded for the third time in his pro career, the Penguins gave Vegas an NHL-caliber checking forward and a draft pick. It is highly speculated that Ottawa, who retained no salary in the deal, will quickly flip Cole to a contender, while it remains possible that Vegas could flip Reaves. The Knights could also hold on to the veteran energy-liner with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and William Carrier currently sidelined .

8:20pm: The Ottawa Senators have now officially announced the trade, with even more twists. The Senators have indeed acquired Cole, Gustavsson, and the Penguins 2018 first-round pick in the trade. They will also receive a 2019 third-round pick from Pittsburgh. Additionally, Brassard is joined by young forward Vincent Dunn and a 2018 third-round pick on their way to the Penguins. Essentially, the teams added a swap of third-rounders into the mix, as well as Dunn, a 22-year-old ECHL veteran.

8:00pm: The trade has been re-worked and approved by the league, with some interesting twists. TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report that the deal had been completed, with Brassard headed to Pittsburgh. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman then added that Cole would still be going to Ottawa, rather than Vegas, as some had speculated. However, Vegas will be getting a return in the form of Penguins enforcer Ryan Reaves, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun announced. The Penguins acquired Reaves from the St. Louis Blues for a first-round pick and Oskar Sundqvist in last June’s draft, but have moved on from the energy line forward less than a year later. McKenzie adds that Pittsburgh also sent a fourth-round pick to the Golden Knights. More details about the three-team deal are still to come.

4:58pm: Hold everything, as Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet is now reporting that the deal has been rejected by the NHL unless it is restructured. The league would not allow Brassard to pass through Vegas simply for the purpose of retaining salary. This decision is understandable, as it would set a dangerous precedent for further cap space exploitation if allowed. Dreger and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet both report that the three teams are working to come up with something that will be approved.

4:05pm: Derick Brassard appears to be on his way to Pittsburgh, as Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Ottawa Senators are closing in on a deal that would send the veteran center to the Penguins. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Senators will receive a 2018 first-round pick, goaltender Filip Gustavsson, and defenseman Ian Cole. There also is expected to be some level of salary retention of Brassard’s contract, and could be another part of the move still to come. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that the deal is very complicated, and likely includes the Vegas Golden Knights.

Brassard was arguably the top center option available on the trade market this weekend, and had as many as seven teams interested in acquiring his services. Pittsburgh finally won the bidding, and will part with a solid package of assets.

<a rel=The Senators were insisting on a first-round pick in any Brassard deal, but they’ll get one that falls near the end of the round. The Penguins are pushing the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division, and are doing everything in their power to try and three-peat as Stanley Cup Champions.

Gustavsson may be the jewel of the package, as he has shown really high-end potential since being selected 55th-overall in 2016. Playing in the SHL, the 19-year old goaltender has a .917 save percentage and excelled at the World Juniors winning a silver medal and being named the tournament’s best goaltender. Still, Gustavsson is very young and could still be years away from making a real impact at the NHL level.

Cole will likely be flipped in the next few days, as he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. The 28-year old defenseman was included to even out salaries, but probably won’t have a very long Senators career unless the team approaches him with an extension offer. Cole was rumored to be on the block for almost the entire season, and could net the Senators another draft pick or prospect for their rebuild.

In adding Brassard, the Penguins once again become a favorite in the Eastern Conference. Though he isn’t expected to carry the load offensively, he now gives them their familiar three-line attack with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel all able to drive a group. Almost no one in the NHL can match that kind of depth down the middle, especially if Brassard can find another gear playing against weaker competition. Already with 18 goals and 38 points through 58 games, he’ll give them another option on the powerplay as well.

Brassard actually has 78 games of playoff experience, mostly going back to his days with the New York Rangers. In those appearances he’s recorded 22 goals and 55 points, an impressive total that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford no doubt took into account. He’s also been extremely durable the last few seasons, playing in at least 80 games for four straight years coming into 2017-18.

In all, the trade seems like a good fit for both clubs, even if it is a bit surprising. Ottawa was playing Pittsburgh in the seventh game of the Conference Finals less than a year ago, and is now selling off assets in order to reload on talent. This could be just the first of several moves this weekend.

– Zach Leach contributed to this post.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Potential Erik Karlsson Trade Could Need Three Teams

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Over the last few days, Bob McKenzie of TSN has been explaining the Erik Karlsson situation about as well as anyone could. The Ottawa Senators are considering a deal, they’d like to move Bobby Ryan as part of it, but they might not be able to make it happen before Monday’s deadline. Any trade including the superstar defenseman would have a lot of moving parts, and deals of that magnitude rarely happen in just a few days before the deadline. There are huge cap implications to taking on Karlsson and Ryan, and for any of the contenders it might just not be possible. That’s where a third team might join the fray, as Craig Custance of The Athletic notes.

Custance tweets that teams with cap space are getting involved as a sort of catalyst for the deal, perhaps to take Ryan’s contract out of the equation. Travis Yost of TSN has heard the same thing, even adding the idea of a “fourth-party.” For what it’s worth, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic doesn’t think that a deal involving Ryan will be done by the deadline, and still suggests that it would benefit Ottawa by waiting until June to trade their captain.

That Karlsson is even in the headlines this week shows how far the Senators have fallen since coming just a goal shy of making the Stanley Cup Finals less than a year ago. There could be a real fire sale in the Canadian capital over the next few months, with a rebuild of sorts on the horizon centered around some of the young talent in the system.

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