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Bob McKenzie

Vancouver Canucks Sign Jalen Chatfield To Three-Year ELC

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The Vancouver Canucks have dipped into the 20-year old CHL free agent market, signing Jalen Chatfield from the Windsor Spitfires to a three-year, entry-level contract. The defenseman will stay with the Spitfires through their Memorial Cup run—the team is hosting the tournament this year and will get automatic entry. GM Jim Benning had this to say about his newest prospect:

Jalen is a good two-way defenceman that sees the ice well and makes good decisions in all three zones. He moves the puck well and can join the rush. Jalen is another addition to our young prospect pool and we look forward to his continued development playing in Windsor.

Indeed, Chatfield can contribute at both ends of the rink and he trails just (first-round pick) Mikhail Sergachev and (exceptional status) Sean Day in points among Spitfires defenders. The right-handed defenseman doesn’t have any standout skill, but plays a solid all-around game that will likely transition well to the AHL. He’s most definitely not a lock for the NHL, but does add another name to a prospect cupboard that is suddenly finding itself more full than expected.

After acquiring Nikolay Goldobin and Jonathan Dahlen at the deadline and looking like they’ll get another top-10 pick in this year’s draft, the Canucks rebuild could be off to a very quick start. Filling in the cracks with CHL free agents will help, and don’t count them out of the college sweepstakes either. Just today, Bob McKenzie linked them to Zach Aston-Reese, arguably the top prize among the college ranks this year.

Snapshots: College FA, Fasching, Hamilton

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After releasing our (partial) list of prominent NCAA free agents yesterday, Bob McKenzie of TSN has released his own today. While we looked at just the defensemen, McKenzie covers all the top prizes including Zach Aston-Reese and Gavin Bayreuther, both of whom are expected to sign within the next 48 hours. McKenzie lists Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Vancouver, San Jose, Los Angeles and Detroit among the suitors for Aston-Reese, who we learned was being pursued by as many as fifteen teams last week. McKenzie connects Buffalo, Dallas, New Jersey and Colorado to Bayreuther, a offensive defenseman who still lacks consistency in his own end.

McKenzie told us earlier today that Daniel Brickley would be heading back to Minnesota State next season, meaning that Bayreuther and the other top defensemen might be in even more demand. The insider has a ton of great information on the immediate future for several drafted prospects playing in college, like Adam Gaudette (Vancouver) and Luke Kunin (Minnesota). As teams continue to get eliminated from tournament contention, decisions will come quickly on their players. NHL clubs want to get them into their systems as soon as possible to help at the professional level.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Hudson Fasching from the AHL for the latest chapter in a very tumultuous season thus far. Fasching, a NCAA standout of his own last season, has played just six games with the Sabres this season. Still looking for his first point of the year in the NHL, Fasching has battled a groin injury all season. It has kept him out for months at a time, as he has just 31 combined games under his belt this season. The powerful winger out of the University of Minnesota made his NHL debut last spring after signing, and was expected to contribute more this year to a young Sabres squad. Hopefully now he’ll get into the swing of the NHL, and after another lost season from the Sabres lock down a role next fall.
  • It was a crazy first half of the season for Dougie Hamilton, as trade rumors swirled despite being repeatedly shot down by the Calgary Flames front office. As Eric Francis of Sportsnet writes, with that behind him Hamilton has turned into the elite defenseman the Flames had hoped for when they acquired him from the Bruins. The Flames have won nine straight games, and a big part of that should be placed at the feet of the 6’6″ defender. Still just 23-years old, Hamilton set a new career high this weekend in points and looks like he could challenge one day for a Norris trophy. Calgary has their sights set on the Anaheim and second place in the Pacific Division, as with a win tonight against Pittsburgh they could overtake the Ducks with just 13 games to go.

Daniel Brickley To Return To Minnesota State For Another Year

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According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, Daniel Brickley—who we listed just yesterday among our top college free agent targets—will return to Minnesota State for his junior season. The Mavericks were ousted from the WCHA playoffs by Michigan Tech yesterday, meaning Brickley could have signed anywhere in the NHL.

As with many collegiate athletes, a disappointing finish to a strong season often leads to unfinished feelings at the school and the appetite to head back for one more season. Brickley likely would have had at least a dozen suitors around the league but instead will hit the market next year (or the year after). The big defenseman broke out this year with 31 points in 31 games, turning heads around the NHL.

With the size and skill to fit into an NHL defense corps one day, Brickley will likely take on an even bigger role for Minnesota State next season as they look to post a strong season again. It wouldn’t be surprising to see an “A” sewn onto his sweater, especially if current captain C.J. Franklin leaves early to sign with the Jets.

Eric Fehr Headed To Toronto Maple Leafs For Frank Corrado

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While it is still pending details and a trade call, Bob McKenzie of TSN is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded recently waived Eric Fehr along with Steven Oleksy and a fourth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Frank Corrado.<a rel=

For the Maple Leafs, this is another example of using their cap space as an asset during their rebuild. In Fehr, the Leafs have taken on the rest of his contract which has another year at $2MM in return for the draft pick. He also fulfills their expansion requirements up front, though they were likely not in much trouble there anyway.

For Corrado, another player who cleared waivers earlier this season, he provides some more right-handed depth for the Penguins. As the team also added Mark Streit, their defense corps is very full going forward but is now ready for a long playoff run and some possible injuries. Corrado hadn’t played much at all since coming to the Maple Leafs, and now might have to wait for an opportunity to open in Pittsburgh as well.

If the Maple Leafs bury Fehr in the minors, he’ll join Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek and Colin Greening on the most expensive AHL team in the league. All four forwards are capable bottom-six players that will provide some depth for Toronto as they try to get back to the playoffs. If the team deems him a good fit for the NHL squad, he would likely slot in beside Matt Martin and Brian Boyle on the fourth line. That would mean sitting Josh Levio, who has proven himself a capable offensive producer even with limited minutes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

New Jersey Trades P.A. Parenteau To Nashville

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According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the New Jersey Devils have continued selling their expiring contracts, this time sending P.A. Parenteau to the Nashville Predators for a sixth-round pick. The Predators have been looking for some forward help and will pay a very small price for a player who can score 20 goals and contribute on the powerplay. P.A. Parenteau

Parenteau was signed by the New York Islanders and looked like he would spend time on John Taveras’ wing again, the spot that he found a lot of success early in his career. Instead, the Islanders waived him just before the start of the season and New Jersey snapped him up. He has scored 13 goals and 27 points in 59 games and is capable of skating alongside top players if he is given the chance.

The Predators could slot him in beside captain Mike Fisher as Craig Smith has had a tough season and isn’t producing at the same level as in the past. Either way, at the same cost as Steve Ott went for last night, Parenteau is an easy gamble for Nashville to make.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vegas Golden Knights Given Official Standing In NHL

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As expected today, the Vegas Golden Knights have completed all the paperwork and expansion payments and been given official standing in the NHL according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. They are able to make any transactions that do not include active NHL players.

Though discussions were likely to have been going on for weeks about the expansion draft and deals to protect certain teams and players, they could now officially accept a deal. The team can also sign any college free agents like Neal Pionk who was rumored to have as many as 20 teams after him recently.

Expect Vegas to collect as many college players as possible as they try to build a pipeline of talent as quickly as possible. For teams like Pittsburgh, who look like they’ll have Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray on expansion day, they can send draft picks to the team for some extra protection.

Welcome Vegas to the NHL! We now have 31 teams in the best hockey league in the world. We’ll keep track of any deals that go down over the next few months.

San Jose Sharks Acquire Jannik Hansen

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The trade deadline doesn’t sleep. After much of the east coast media has gone to bed, the west coast teams are still working. The San Jose Sharks have acquired Jannik Hansen from the Vancouver Canucks. In return, the Canucks have sent Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional fourth-round pick. Amazingly, the condition is that if the Sharks win the Stanley Cup this season, the fourth would become a first-rounder. Jannik Hansen

While Hansen is a nice player for the Sharks to add to their playoff run, this is an incredible return for the Canucks. Hansen will turn 31 on March 15th and is signed for through next season at $2.5MM. Vancouver will retain 20% on that contract through 2017-18. He scored a career-high 22 goals last season, but it took an aggressively high shooting percentage to do it. That 18.8% mark was quite a bit higher than his career mark, though perhaps some of it comes from playing with better players.

After missing a good chunk of this season with a knee injury, he has scored just 13 points in 28 games. He does give the Sharks some more playoff experience, as he has suited up 64 times in the postseason. It’s unclear where he’ll fit into the San Jose lineup, though Hansen has proven he can play basically anywhere up or down the roster and give you dependable defense with some offensive upside.

Goldobin is a tough prospect to part with though, as he has done nothing to lower his stock since being drafted in 27th overall in 2014. His AHL numbers are outstanding with 90 points in 115 games, though he hasn’t yet been able to crack the Sharks lineup with any regularity. When paired with Jonathan Dahlen who was acquired yesterday in the Alex Burrows deal, the Canucks have added two prospects that would immediately rank near the top of their system.

The fact that the fourth-round selection was added is amazing in itself, but the condition is just gravy for the Canucks. The Sharks were two victories away from winning the Stanley Cup last season, and are poised to go on a deep playoff run once again. The chance of gaining a first-round pick in addition to Goldobin is slight, but still an unbelievable possibility for a rebuilding squad.

After hanging around the playoff chase for a while this season, the Canucks have had a very good few days before the deadline. Moving out aging veterans and not settling just for draft picks will supercharge any rebuild they attempt. They need it after handing out a questionable deal to Loui Eriksson this summer and still having the Sedins under contract.

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN was first to report the trade on Twitter, while Bob McKenzie of TSN gave us the return.  LeBrun also noted that the Canucks are retaining on Hansen’s salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Sobotka, Spooner

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The Toronto Maple Leafs made their intentions clear this season as they added playoff-tested Brian Boyle to the mix for their playoff push. Not expected to compete for the Atlantic crown this year they find themselves just seven points back of Montreal with two games in hand. Kristen Shilton of TSN spoke to Mike Babcock about the addition, and he said the team deserves this. “We’re excited. Lou thought our group had earned the right for us to help them,” Babcock said, before indicating that Boyle will play tonight on the fourth line and help out both special teams.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie thinks that it’s not just Boyle that the Maple Leafs are after, and that they may use their LTIR space to facilitate other deals. The Leafs have a lot of cap space because of the dead contracts they’ve taken on over the past few years, and could use it to gather assets from teams looking to add at the deadline. They have to be careful though, as the bonuses that Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander (among others) are owed on their entry-level contracts cannot be covered by the LTIR space and would count as penalties next season should they put them over the cap.

  • McKenzie also detailed the possibility of Vladimir Sobotka turning heads at some point tomorrow, as the Omsk Avangard winger is nearing the end of his KHL contract. It’s not clear if Sobotka would consider coming over after his season ends, but would be playoff eligible. Lou Korac of NHL.com asked Blues GM Doug Armstrong about the possibility, who responded: “Once he gets on our soil, then I’ll talk about him.” The 29-year old Sobotka has been a pain in Armstrong’s side for a long time.
  • In a new column from Joe Haggerty of CSNNE, Ryan Spooner spoke out against his former coach Claude Julien and the tense relationship the two shared. Spooner claims that Julien “just didn’t really trust [him]”, and that the two never saw eye to eye on his play style. Spooner has 33 points in 61 games and is well on his way to another 40+ point season before he’s 26. If he’s not dealt in the next few months, he’ll be looking for a big upgrade in the summer on the $950K he’s currently earning.

New York Rangers Acquire Brendan Smith From Detroit Red Wings

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The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings have agreed to a deal that will send Brendan Smith to New York in return for Ottawa’s 2018 second-round pick—received in the Derick Brassard–Mika Zibanejad deal—and a 2017 third-round pick in the upcoming draft. The Rangers don’t have their second round pick for the 2017 draft as they dealt it last season for Eric Staal.

Just this morning we wrote how the Rangers would be looking for defense help after Dan Girardi went out for 10 days with an ankle injury, and despite calling up Steven Kampfer for tonight’s game, they look like they’ll be getting a more permanent solution. <a rel=

Smith is another player who will be a free agent at year’s end, and though the Red Wings have tried to come to an extension agreement with him the reported return is definitely worth it for the rebuilding club. The 28-year old defenseman has been a dependable role player for Detroit through the years, and has shown the ability to take on a larger role. An analytical darling, Smith has always had excellent possession numbers despite his limited minutes and point production.

Even though Marc Staal has a much bigger contract and name recognition, Smith would likely become the Rangers second best option on the left side immediately behind captain Ryan McDonagh, and actually lengthen out their defense corps quite nicely. Yes, Kevin Shattenkirk would have been a bigger upgrade but Smith is no slouch. It’s not clear exactly where he would fit in, but helps the Rangers keep pace in the Metropolitan as the Penguins and Capitals both made additions to their back end. The nice thing about Smith is that he has experience on both sides and could fit in wherever the Rangers needed the help most.

Currently making $2.75MM, McKenzie tweeted today that he would be looking for at least a three year deal at $3.5MM if extended by the Red Wings. If the Rangers believe he could fit into their plans for longer than just the next few months, a similar extension would be tough to fit into their current cap situation with raises due for Jesper Fast, Mika Zibanejad and several others.

The pair of picks the Rangers gave up are a hefty price for Smith, but at least they haven’t dealt their first-round selection so far. The team hasn’t picked a player in the first round since 2012, when they chose (somewhat fittingly) Brady Skjei, a player Smith may be replacing in some sense. The Rangers keep moving out picks at the deadline, and yet have remained competitive in recent years. They are currently in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division but could easily end up anywhere in the top four.

For Detroit, getting two fairly high picks is a great return for Smith that they likely should take even if he was willing to sign an extension. After Michael Stone garnered a third, and Ron Hainsey a second, getting both in this deal seems like larceny. He’ll be a solid addition to the Rangers, but the Red Wings now have nine selections in the first three rounds the next two drafts. Sure, they’re headed for their first postseason drought in decades but collecting draft picks is the way to turn it around and start towards another consecutive playoff streak.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to break the deal on Twitter, and gave the details as the trade call was finishing.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Deadline Notes: Rangers, Red Wings, Coyotes

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The New York Rangers missed out on Kevin Shattenkirk last night when he went to their division rival—and opponent tonight—the Washington Capitals. The team has been rumored to be after a right handed defenseman and may be in even more dire straits as Dan Girardi is out tonight following an ankle injury. Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports that with him out and Kevin Klein still dealing with a back injury, the Rangers are down to just five healthy defensemen with the team. They’ll bring up Steve Kampfer for tonight’s game, but may need a more permanent solution.

While the Rangers may not have acquired Shattenkirk, they have been linked to Brendan Smith of the Detroit Red Wings and could look within their division for a player like Kyle Quincey. Though neither bring the level of play the new Capitals’ defenseman does, both could help provide depth as they get healthy.

  • Bob McKenzie of TSN mentioned Smith today on Twitter, saying that it is decision day for the Red Wings. If they do want to extend him, McKenzie believes it would take at least three years at $3.5MM. The Wings recently extended Nick Jensen for two more seasons and have said they want to do the same with Smith. If they can’t get it done today though, they should seriously consider moving him and trying to bring him back in the summer. That team needs as many assets as possible going forward, and with the defense market getting pretty thin, they might do quite well.
  • Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports writes that though Shane Doan is still available, he is unlikely to move before the deadline. According to Morgan, teams only view him as a 13th or 14th forward, instead of the capable winger he still believes himself to be. While obviously anything can change in the next 28 hours, perhaps he will finish his career with the franchise (but not team) that drafted him.
  • McKenzie also mentions that the Tampa Bay Lightning have likely approached Valtteri Filppula and asked to waive his no-trade clause. Filppula poses a real problem for the Lightning both with their cap crunch and expansion draft plans.

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