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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.

 

 

Minor Transactions: 2/24/18

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Though the expectation is to see less “minor” transactions and more fireworks over the next 48 hours, the day-to-day operations of NHL teams don’t stop just because of the trade deadline. With a busy slate of 12 games coming up today, teams continue to tweak their rosters in preparation, though some moves could also signal an impending trade. Follow along to find out.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have reversed the decision they made yesterday, announcing an identical swap of Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen for Jeff Zatkoff. Zatkoff heads back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after just one day, while Korpisalo and Hannikainen re-join the Jackets. The veteran goalie Zatkoff has yet to make an NHL appearance this season, but Korpisalo hasn’t had much better luck, struggling through 12 games, including just two dismal performances in February.
  • Blake Pietila is on his way back to the minors, as the New Jersey Devils have also changed their mind on a recent call-up, sending the young forward back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Pietila played in his first two NHL games of the 2017-18 campaign on this call-up, but failed to record a point in under 20 minutes of total ice time.
  • St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac notes that the AHL lists defenseman Jordan Schmaltz and forward Tage Thompson headed to St. Louis and defenseman Chris Butler and forward Sammy Blais reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage. More likely than not, the Blues are swapping out some in-between players for others to shake up a lineup that has been ineffective of late, but there’s also a good chance that they would like to showcase all of their young pro talent ahead of the deadline. St. Louis has just three wins in their past ten games and risk missing the playoffs if their play doesn’t improve one way or another.
  • According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have placed Peter Holland on waivers today. Holland is no stranger to having an uncertain future; the 27-year-old has been with four different NHL organizations in the past two years and wouldn’t be surprised to join a fifth on this go-round through the waiver wire. However, the 2009 first-rounder is on pace for the fewest NHL games and points of his career this season and may not hold much value for other teams.
  • After clearing waivers himself, newly-acquired L.A. goaltender Scott Wedgewood is heading to the AHL, per Kings beat writer Josh Cooper. Joining Wedgewood on the trip to the AHL’s Ontario Reign is forward Jonny Brodzinski, while defenseman Paul LaDue has been recalled. LaDue has played in only seven games with the Kings this season after 22 in his 2016-17 rookie campaign and again looks to be just a depth option for Los Angeles on this call-up.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled prospect Laurent Dauphin from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 22-year-old center was re-acquired by Arizona on Jan. 10 after he had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason. Dauphin was originally traded in June with Connor Murphy for defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The prospect was then reacquired when Arizona traded forward Anthony Duclair to Chicago with Richard Panik. Dauphin had 17 goals last year for the Roadrunners and was expected to take that next step. However, he struggled with the Rockford IceHogs early on, scoring just four goals to go with 10 assists in 33 games. He seems to have found his game since then as he has five goals and 10 assists in just 16 games and might be ready to take on a role with Arizona now that the team moved Tobias Rieder recently to Los Angeles.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they recalled winger Ty Rattie and activated Andrej Sekera from injured reserve today. The 25-year-old Rattie has 20 goals and 19 assists with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, but has struggled to break into the NHL over the years. He signed with Edmonton in the offseason. Sekera, who was struck in the face with a puck back on Feb. 9, has struggled this year after tearing his ACL last season. He has no goals and one assist in 18 games for Edmonton with a minus-10 rating. The team did need some defensive depth after they traded away Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders earlier today.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned forwards Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL today, according to the Chicago Wolves. Hyka scored his first NHL goal Friday and had played well, but the team is likely making space for recently acquired Ryan Reaves and the impending return of James Neal to the lineup. Both were likely expected to be returned to Chicago by Monday anyway, as if the Golden Knights want them to play in the AHL playoffs, they must not be with the NHL club at the trade deadline.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kalle Kossila from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old averages more than a point a game as he has 13 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Gulls. For the Ducks, he has one goal and one assist in 10 games.

Edmonton Trades Brandon Davidson To Islanders

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The Edmonton Oilers announced they have traded defenseman Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick, a move that might be considered a win-win move for both teams.

For the Oilers, the team really cashed in on Davidson’s success this season considering he was untradeable just a couple of months ago. He was picked up in the middle of the year when Edmonton claimed him from the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 3. The Canadiens, who tried to trade him off could find no takers at the time and forced them into placing the blueliner on waivers. However, he fared well in Edmonton as a bottom-tier defenseman. The fact the team was able to get a third-rounder for him is an excellent move from Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli. Many people assumed the Oilers might keep the 26-year-old defenseman around for next season. Ironically, it marks the second time in two years the Oilers have traded Davidson at the trade deadline. They sent him last year to Montreal in exchange for forward David Desharnais.

As for the Islanders, the team adds some much needed defensive depth for a team that is struggling with injuries on the blueline. Davidson immediately fills in as a bottom-pairing defenseman where the team needs the most help. The Islanders, who have the No. 4-ranked offense in the NHL, need help on defense as they have allowed more goals per game than any other team in the league at 3.56 per game. Nevertheless, the Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot, which if they can secure a spot, might aid them in their bid to re-sign center John Tavares at  the end of the season. Davidson, who makes $1.425MM this year will be a restricted free agent for the Islanders when the offseason hits. He is unlikely to make much more than that next season, making him a solid, inexpensive player who might fill the shoes of one of their potential defensive free agents like Calvin de Haan or Thomas Hickey.

Davidson played 13 games for the Canadiens earlier this year and had just one assist in limited playing time. He had played 23 games for the Oilers since being acquired and has had three goals and an assist and is averaging now 16:29 of ice time combined between both teams as the Oilers have used him quite a bit. While not a great puck-moving defenseman, Davidson is a solid defenseman who can hit hard.

The Islanders may still have a bigger move planned in the upcoming days before the deadline as they have moved a 2019 third-rounder instead of moving one of the multiple picks they have for this year’s draft. New York has two first-rounders, two second-rounders as well as their third, fourth and fifth round picks for 2018, most of which they picked up in the Travis Hamonic trade in the offseason with the Calgary Flames.

Snapshots: Flyers, Ryan, Davidson, Oshie

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With the Metropolitan Division being as tight as it is (five points separate third place from last place), decisions on whether the teams in that bottleneck will buy or sell are still likely a couple of weeks away.  Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post suggests that if the Flyers were to be buyers, they will be more likely going after depth players such as a bottom-six forward or a third pairing defender that can kill penalties instead of pursuing the more prominent players available.

That approach would make sense considering how patient Philly GM Ron Hextall has been about building the team slowly but steadily.  They certainly have a surplus of young talent to deal from if they want to but since the Flyers aren’t really a single player or two away from becoming top-flight contenders, they’re arguably better off waiting a little longer before making that bigger splash.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Bobby Ryan’s hand troubles have surfaced yet again. The Senators winger has been ruled out for the weekend with a hand injury and head coach Guy Boucher told reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that he is doubtful to play next week as well.  This is Ryan’s fourth different hand injury already this season and his eighth since 2014-15.  When he has been healthy, the veteran has been relatively productive with 20 points (7-13-20) in 39 games so far this season.
  • Although he has played a sparing role since rejoining the Oilers, defenseman Brandon Davidson is worthy of keeping around beyond this season, argues David Staples of the Edmonton Journal. The 26-year-old is owed a qualifying offer of $1.55MM this offseason and with Edmonton expected to be a cap-spending team with center Connor McDavid’s new $12.5MM per year kicking in, that qualifying offer amount may be too much of a luxury for a role player.
  • The Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link) that Capitals winger T.J. Oshie has been fined $5K for a cross-check against Penguins defenseman Kris Letang last night. The fine is the maximum allowable in the CBA.

Oilers Notes: Strome, Goaltending, Davidson

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It’s safe to say that Edmonton’s offseason trade of Jordan Eberle to the Islanders for Ryan Strome hasn’t worked out as well as the Oilers had hoped.  Eberle is off to a strong start with his new team, posting 21 points (12-9-21) in 28 games.  However, Strome hasn’t fared anywhere near as well, collecting only 11 points (4-7-12) over that same stretch.  He has found himself moved down the lineup at times and as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson notes, he could be out of the lineup entirely tonight against Montreal.  He was in a rotation of wingers in practice on Friday (which isn’t too ideal for someone who has been deployed as a center for the majority of the season) and a final decision on whether or not he’ll suit up will come later in the day.  The fact it has even come to this further cements the thought that this trade is one that GM Peter Chiarelli may want a mulligan on.

More from Edmonton:

  • David Staples, also of Postmedia, argues that the Oilers need to make a move to bring in another goaltender as soon as possible. Presently, backup Laurent Brossoit is getting the starts with Cam Talbot on the shelf with an upper-body injury but he has not fared well, posting a save percentage of just .871 in his first three appearances as the interim starter.  With Edmonton already eight points out of a playoff spot and Brossoit struggling, another week or two without Talbot could prove to be devastating in the standings so bringing in someone that’s a bit more proven would certainly be beneficial.  Our Zach Leach took a look at some of their options earlier this week.
  • Recently reacquired blueliner Brandon Davidson is likely to make his first appearance against his former team in Montreal, notes Paul Gazzola on the Oilers’ team website. Davidson was claimed off waivers a week ago today but has been a healthy scratch for the two games since then.  Presumably, it would be Yohann Auvitu ceding his spot after playing less than 11 minutes on Wednesday night.

Minor Transactions: 12/3/17

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All but eight teams are off today, but that doesn’t mean it will be a lazy Sunday. Expect teams to perform some roster management today with a new slate of games ahead of them this week.

  • The Predators have once again swapped backup goaltenders, per the AHL’s transactions page.  Jusse Saros has been recalled while veteran Anders Lindback has been returned to Milwaukee, reversing the roster move made on November 30th.  Saros got into a pair of games while on assignment, allowing seven goals on 52 shots.
  • The Canadiens have re-assigned winger Daniel Carr to Laval of the AHL, also according to the AHL’s transactions page.  He was brought up to cover for Jonathan Drouin who has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury.  Carr fared quite well in those contests, recording a goal and three assists.
  • The Wild assigned defenseman Ryan Murphy to Iowa of the AHL, also via the AHL’s transaction page.  Murphy has only played in three games with Minnesota this season but has been quite productive at the minor league level so far, tallying 11 points in 18 games.  That gets Minnesota back to eight defensemen on their roster, including Kyle Quincey who cleared waivers earlier in the week.

Earlier updates:

  • The Los Angeles Kings could be getting mid-season reinforcements. Their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, announced last night that first-year pro prospect Austin Wagner has been medically cleared by L.A. and assigned to Ontario. Wagner, 20, had been off the ice rehabbing from off-season surgery, but participated in limited practice with the Reign over the past few weeks and is now ready to make his pro debut. The 20-year-old was selected by the Kings in the fourth round in 2015 and scored 60+ points in each of his last two seasons with the WHL’s Regina Pats. A big, tough, two-way forward with some offensive flair, Wagner has a chance to fill a role in the bottom-six in L.A. before the season is out, so long as he can get his legs under him in the minors and stay healthy.
  • Following the reveal yesterday that Martin Hanzal’s hamstring injury was of the week-to-week variety, it is no surprise that Dallas Stars beat writer Marc Stepneski reports that Hanzal has been placed on the injured reserve. In his stead, Dallas has recalled forward Jason Dickinson from the AHL’s Texas Stars. Dickinson, 22, has already played in four NHL games this season and is on pace to best his 10 games from last year. Selected in the first round in 2013 with the pick Dallas obtained from the Boston Bruins for Jaromir Jagr, Dickinson is already the most successful piece of that trade for either team, but nonetheless has overall not yet shown he was worthy of a first-round pick. Perhaps in this latest recall, things will finally click for the young forward.
  • NHL.com’s Brian Hedger tweeted that the Columbus Blue Jackets have sent winger Sonny Milano to the Cleveland Monsters today. The promising 21-year-old winger has had trouble gaining consistency with Columbus as he’s put up five goals and five assists in 24 games, but hasn’t scored a goal in the last month. This isn’t the first time Milano has been sent down this season. He was assigned to Cleveland on Nov. 18 for one game with the Monsters and had an assist and subsequently recalled the following day.
  • The Edmonton Oilers assigned defenseman Ryan Stanton to the Bakersfield Condors to make move for Brandon Davidson, who was claimed off waivers this morning. Stanton, a 28-year-old defender, has spent most of the season going back and forth between Bakersfield and Edmonton, serving as an emergency backup on defense. He has not made an appearance for the Oilers this year. He has one assist in 11 games for the Condors this year.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Edmonton Oilers

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, SJS, STL, TOR, WSH, and VGK.

What are the Oilers most thankful for?

The fact that they have already locked up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to long-term deals and don’t have to worry about them wanting to leave after the team’s disappointing start to the season. Not much has gone right for Edmonton as many of their moves have not worked out well and the team sits in seventh place in the Pacific Division (when most people expected them to win it this year) with a 11-14-2 record. The team has had trouble on defense and even have had trouble putting the puck in the net as they have relied too heavily on wings that have not produced. Much of the blame falls to general manager Peter Chiarelli who has made several questionable moves, including trading winger Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome. Eberle has 10 goals and 19 points for the New Yorkk Islanders, while Strome has managed four goals and 11 points.

Who are the Oilers most thankful for?

McDavid. It doesn’t matter how much the team overall has struggled. That just hasn’t been the case for the team’s star player. McDavid has 11 goals and 32 points and been that one positive player to focus around. McDavid, who still makes just $925K, however, will get a nice pay raise next season when his eight year, $100MM extension kicks in, meaning McDavid will be with Edmonton for a long time. He should be in contention for the Hart Trophy again and if he can get a nice hot streak going, perhaps McDavid can beat his 100 points total that he had a year ago.

What would the Oilers be even more thankful for?

Some of their defensive depth to improve. Injuries on their defensive end have not helped with the Oilers struggles this year. The biggest injury was when the team lost Andrej Sekera in May after tearing his ACL. He should be back in a few weeks, although there have been no official updates. Sekera was a critical piece to the team’s defensive success last season. The team has also just lacked depth this year. The team has added former Oiler Brandon Davidson back to the team today after claiming him off waivers from Montreal and expect Adam Larsson to return soon from injury, but the hope is the return of Sekera should give the team the depth it really needs.

What should be on the Oilers’ Holiday Wish List?

Finding a trade partner that can get the team a not too pricey wing solution. The team has tried to put its faith into young wingers like Anton Slepyshev (one goal), Drake Caggiula (four goals), Jujhar Khaira (three goals), Jesse Puljujarvi (four goals), Kailer Yamamoto (one goal and returned to junior team), Iiro Pakarinen (no goals and just waived and sent down to the AHL), Zack Kassian (two goals) and Jussi Jokinen (no goals and traded to the Los Angeles Kings). Many might still have some potential, but none of them seem to be players who could be in the team’s top-six. The team is loaded with centers, but can’t seem to find anyone to consistently put the puck away. A move must be made at some point if they want to salvage their season.

Edmonton Claims Davidson Off Waivers

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The Edmonton Oilers have claimed defenseman Brandon Davidson off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens today, according to Elliotte Friedman. This will mark Davidson’s second stint in Edmonton as the Oilers were the team to draft him back in 2010.

Davidson played 91 games for the Oilers until he was traded in February of last season to Montreal for David Desharnais. Davidson was considered a promising young defenseman a few years ago with excellent defensive skills, but never fully developed in Edmonton. After being traded to Montreal, however, he never seemed to be in the coaching staff’s plans too often as he only played 23 games for the Canadiens since February. This season, Davidson has one assist in 13 games.

Now reunited with his previous team, Davidson should immediately jump into their lineup with their injuries on the blueline to Adam Larsson and Andrej Sekera. However, Larsson is eligible to come off injured reserve on Wednesday, and if he does, the team will have to make another defensive decision then, as they will have eight players on the blueline. However, Davidson might be a preferred option to defenseman Yohann Auvito, who has a history of taking a lot of risks on offense.

Assuming he stays with Edmonton after that, he could get a matchup with his old team on Saturday in Montreal.

Brandon Davidson Placed On Waivers

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After all the talk of Brandon Davidson being on the Montreal Canadiens’ trade block and the numerous teams who could have considerable interest in acquiring him, it seems no deal could materialize for the Habs and their hand has been forced. Davidson has been placed on waivers today, as first reported by TVA’s Renaud Lavoie.

With Shea Weber returning from injury, Montreal needs a roster spot and they will get one by placing Davidson on waivers. It seems somewhat unlikely that Davidson will clear waivers, as he is not far gone from being and up-and-coming defender and still plays a solid defensive game. The only roadblock could be his contract, but at just under $1.5MM, it’s far from an albatross for any D-needy team to take on.

Davidson’s absence means greater roles for Victor Mete, Jakub Jerabek, and Joe Morrow moving forward, as the Canadiens look for the right mix to get back on track this season. Montreal is in the bottom third in the league in goals for, goals against, power play, and penalty kill. If coach Claude Julien thinks potentially losing Davidson and giving more ice time to this trio of young defenders is a way to reverse their fortunes in even one of those areas, it is probably worth it.

Trade Rumors: Canadiens, Canucks, Maple Leafs

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The Montreal Canadiens are not even 12 hours into their latest trade and the team is already thinking about their next move. A report from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels states that defenseman Brandon Davidson could soon be on his way out of town. Habs GM Marc Bergevin is not just listening to offers for Davidson; he emailed the entire league informing the other 30 general managers of the blue liner’s availability. While the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ian Cole is also known to be on the block right now, Davidson should come at a much lesser price and be much easier (and more timely) to move. The 26-year-old has been a frequent scratch this season and has just one point in 13 games. It wasn’t long ago that Davidson was thought to be an up-and-coming rearguard, playing major minutes for the 2015-16 Edmonton Oilers after a long stretch of solid AHL play. However, when he was shipped to Montreal for a rental in David Desharnais at last year’s trade deadline, it was clear his stock had dropped. Davidson could still be a valued depth addition for many teams, though. The Canadiens likely won’t have to shop him for very long.

  • Following the difficult news about Derek Dorsett, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was very clear with the media today that he won’t be looking to trade for a replacement for the veteran grinder. Instead, Benning said that the situation “gives guys a chance to play more and step up.” The Canucks plan to fill Dorsett’s void internally, with the recently-promoted Nikolay Goldobin getting the first shot. After a hot start, Vancouver has been slipping of late and more than anything needs to put the puck in the net more often. Goldobin should be an offensive upgrade over Dorsett, but can he handle a big role?
  • Following the Anaheim Ducks-New Jersey Devils blockbuster today, many in the hockey media are asking a predictable question: Why weren’t the Toronto Maple Leafs in on Sami Vatanen? It feels like the Leafs have been searching for a top-pair right-shot defenseman to play alongside Morgan Rielly for years now, yet couldn’t top an offer of Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi to get an elite righty puck-mover in Vatanen? Nazem Kadri is perhaps the closest comparable in the NHL to Henrique and, although three years older, Tyler Bozak compares favorably to Henrique as well. With a wealth of young talent in the AHL to boot, it seems unlikely that Lou Lamoriello and company couldn’t have outbid the Devils if they wanted to, so perhaps the better question is why didn’t they want to? In a relatively weak Atlantic Division, no one will be surprised if Toronto makes a run to the Eastern Conference Finals this year and maybe farther. If they don’t reach that goal, they may find themselves regretting missing the chance to strengthen the defense both this season and beyond.

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