Minor Transactions: 11/22/18
Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers in the United States, who unfortunately will not have any hockey to watch tonight. The NHL has a rare day off with no games scheduled, which will give the entire league some time to readjust their rosters. As always, we’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Tyrell Goulbourne from the AHL, sending Nicolas Aube-Kubel back down in his place. Goulbourne has four points in ten games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, adding 29 penalty minutes for good measure. Aube-Kubel meanwhile has played nine games for the Flyers without recording a point, meaning this could be a chance for him to get back on track offensively. The 22-year old forward has a huge offensive ceiling, but needs more consistent ice time to continue his development.
- Jakub Zboril was reassigned to the AHL last night by the Boston Bruins, following the return of Kevan Miller to the lineup. That means Connor Clifton is safe for now as the team awaits the returns of Zdeno Chara, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy. Zboril is still in the long-term plans of the Bruins, but needs to see the ice on a regular basis and not sit in the press box for the NHL team.
- Mario Kempe has been assigned to the AHL by the Arizona Coyotes, after the team activated Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun for last night’s game. Kempe has suited up four times for the Coyotes this season but is still looking for his first point. That hasn’t been a problem in the minor leagues for the 30-year old forward, who has nine points in eight games for the Tucson Roadrunners.
- The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Reid Boucher from the minor leagues, assigning Brendan Gaunce to Utica in the process. Boucher has been a part-time player his entire career, playing just 132 games across five NHL seasons. He came to the Canucks in 2016-17 and looked like he might have a chance to contribute on a more consistent basis, but has spent more time in the minor leagues than with the NHL club.
- Taylor Fedun was acquired by the Dallas Stars earlier this month, and today he’ll get his first recall from the minor leagues. Fedun is on his way up to take the place of Ben Gleason, who has been reassigned to the AHL. The 30-year old Fedun played just seven games in the NHL last season and has 46 contests under his belt over a long professional career.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Daniel Carr from Chicago of the AHL. He’s taking the place of Tomas Hyka who was went down to make room for him. Carr is the leading scorer in the minors with 22 points in 16 games and has had some success at the NHL level, collecting 16 points in 38 games with Montreal last year. Meanwhile, Hyka has spent most of the season with Vegas, picking up a goal and three assists in 17 games.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/29/18
With the season-opening roster deadline fast approaching, many teams will be putting the final touches to their rosters this weekend so another busy day of cuts is expected. We’ll keep tabs on the non-waiver roster cuts here and update this post throughout the day.
Boston Bruins (via CapFriendly)
G Zane McIntyre (to Providence, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team Tweet)
D Lawrence Pilut (to Rochester, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
D Michal Cajkovsky (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Janne Kuokkanen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Saku Maenalanen (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Nicolas Roy (to Charlotte, AHL)
Dallas Stars (per Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge)
F Denis Gurianov (to Texas, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Jake Chelios (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Patrik Rybar (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (per CapFriendly)
G Al Montoya (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Florida Panthers (per team release)
F Anthony Greco (to Springfield, AHL)
G Michael Hutchinson (to Springfield, AHL)
D Julian Melchiori (to Springfield, AHL)
New York Rangers (per CapFriendly)
D Chris Bigras (to Hartford, AHL)
F Peter Holland (to Hartford, AHL)
G Marek Mazanec (to Hartford, AHL)
F Cole Schneider (to Hartford, AHL)
G Dustin Tokarski (to Hartford, AHL)
Vancouver Canucks (via CapFriendly)
F Brendan Gaunce (to Utica, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team Twitter)
F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via TSN’s Brian Munz)
F Dennis Everberg (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Seth Griffith (to Manitoba, AHL)
F J.C. Lipon (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Nicolas Kerdiles (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Cameron Schilling (to Manitoba, AHL)
Morning Notes: Athanasiou, Bieksa, Gaunce
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press has news that every Red Wings fan has been waiting to hear: Andreas Athanasiou should be in the lineup tonight. Athanasiou recently rejoined the team after holding out through all of training camp and the first few weeks of the season, but is expected to play tonight when the Red Wings take on Tampa Bay. The young forward will skate alongside Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm, and likely be part of one of the powerplay units.
Remember, Athanasiou signed for just one year after all the summer negotiating, meaning this season is huge for him as he heads into arbitration. A repeat of his 18-goal performance would help go a long way to secure the type of contract he was after this time around. Athanasiou has potential for even more, but will have to avoid a sort of sophomore slump in his second full season. It looks like he’ll be given every chance to do it, after missing just 10 games to start the year.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced that Kevin Bieksa is out indefinitely with a hand injury, but amazingly it’s not the one he used to land a “Superman punch”. Bieka was in a fight with Radko Gudas when he jumped and delivered a knockout blow, landing on top of the Philadelphia Flyers’ defenseman. Bieksa didn’t leave the game after serving his penalty in the first period, and logged 18:20 of ice time on the night. It appears to be his left hand that is injured however, and he’s left the team during their current road trip. Korbinian Holzer is expected to replace him in the lineup tonight.
- Brendan Gaunce hasn’t played yet this season, but will get into a game before long. The Vancouver Canucks have assigned Gaunce to the Utica Comets of the AHL on a conditioning stint. Gaunce is recovering from shoulder surgery he had in the spring, and will need some game action before being thrust into the Canucks lineup. The first-round pick from 2012 has yet to show much offense in the NHL with just six points in 77 career games, but still hopes to show another level upon his return.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vancouver Canucks
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Vancouver Canucks
Current Cap Hit: $73,012,499 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Brock Boeser (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Jake Virtanen (One year remaining, $894K)
Potential Bonuses
Boeser: $850K
Virtanen: $850K
Boeser is one of the Canucks hope for the future. The team’s 2015 first-round pick has been playing exceptionally well in camp and looks ready to take a major role on the team. After two years at the University of North Dakota, Boeser managed to play in nine games for Vancouver last year, putting up four goals and an assist in that span and averaged 2.78 shots per game as well. Virtanen, on the other hand is just trying to cement a starting role on the team. The sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Virtanen has been disappointing and has had trouble finding a role with the club, playing 55 games two years ago and then settling for just 10 games last year. A solid camp so far suggests, he might have turned it around as he looks to take his game to the next level.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
F Daniel Sedin ($7MM, UFA)
F Henrik Sedin ($7MM, UFA)
D Erik Gudbranson ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Thomas Vanek ($2MM, UFA)
F Sven Baertschi ($1.85MM, RFA)
D Troy Stecher ($925K, RFA)
F Markus Granlund ($900K, RFA)
F Alexander Burmistrov ($900K, RFA)
F Anton Rodin ($700K, UFA)
F Reid Boucher ($688K, RFA)
D Patrick Wiercioch ($625K, UFA)
On a positive note, there are many contracts that are set to expire next year, which could give the Canucks quite a bit of cap space. What the team will do with the Sedin brothers, long-time franchise players, is still up in the air. Rumors that they have no interest in going to a contender to finish out their careers suggest that they may choose to retire or sign up for a much shorter, much cheaper deal with Vancouver. While both have been leading the franchise, their numbers have begun to decline now that they are 36 years old with Daniel Sedin putting up just 15 goals and 44 points a year ago, while brother Henrik also just putting up 15 goals and 51 points.
There are very few potential unrestricted free agents that are critical to the team’s building of the future. While Gudbranson is just 25 years old, the team has shown a willingness to move on from the defenseman and has been talked about in trade rumors all offseason. The former third-overall pick in 2010 didn’t fare well in his first year in Vancouver, suffering a wrist injury and playing in only 30 games. The team may want to move on before they lose him. Vanek, signed late in the offseason, is also likely a trade chip at the trade deadline.
As for restricted free agents, the team still has high hopes that Baertschi will continue to improve. After struggling to break into the Calgary Flames starting unit, Vancouver picked him up and got 15 goals in 2015-16 and another 18 last year. The 24-year-old could easily wind up on the team’s second line and have a big year. Granlund, 24, is another youngster who stepped up a year ago, putting up 19 goals as a full-time starter. Stecher will also be a free agent. The 23-year-old undrafted free agent had a solid rookie season after coming to the Canucks from the University of North Dakota. He is penciled in as a first-line defender. The team also has high hopes they can turn around Burmistrov’s career. The former top-10 pick in 2010 was signed away from Arizona with the hopes he can fill a need in the bottom six.
Restricted Free Agents Still To Sign
Originally published on August 8th, and updated as of September 15th.
While the offseason has crawled along, name after name has been knocked off the list of restricted free agents as teams try to put together their roster for next season. With Monday’s signing of Barclay Goodrow by the San Jose Sharks, there are only 20 RFAs remaining unsigned for the 2017-18 season.
Heading that list is still Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak, two young superstars looking for a long-term payday before they turn 22. Each of them scored at least 70 points last season and have established themselves in the top tier around the league. Past them there is still a ton of talent. Alexander Wennberg and Bo Horvat make up the next tier of RFAs, coming off 50+ point seasons and key building blocks for their respective teams down the middle. Both just 22-years old they’ll be important contracts for Columbus and Vancouver to deal with before training camp starts.
After that, the list is dotted with several useful players who should have full-time roles this season along with some who are on the edge of the NHL still. Calgary leads the way with three remaining, while many teams have all their free agents locked up. Below is a list of the remaining free agents, along with their point totals from last year.
Andreas Athanasiou (DET) – 64 GP, 18 G, 11 A, 29 P
Josh Anderson (CBJ) – 78 GP, 17 G, 12 A, 29 P
Nikita Zadorov (COL) – 56 GP, 0 G 10 A, 10 P (Signed, two years, $4.3MM)
Marcus Foligno (MIN) – 80 GP, 13 G, 10 A, 23 P (Signed, four years, $11.5MM)
David Pastrnak (BOS) – 75 GP, 34 G, 36 A, 70 P (Signed, six years, $40MM)
Leon Draisaitl (EDM) – 82 GP, 29 G, 48 A, 77 P (Signed, eight years, $68MM)
Alexander Wennberg (CBJ) – 80 GP, 13 G, 46 A, 59 P (Signed, six years, $29.4MM)
Bo Horvat (VAN) – 81 GP, 20 G, 32 A, 52 P (Signed, six years, $33MM)
Connor Brown (TOR) – 82 GP, 20 G, 16 A, 36 P (Signed, three years, $6.3MM)
Damon Severson (NJD) – 80 GP, 3 G, 28 A, 31 P (Signed, six years, $25MM)
Sam Bennett (CGY) – 81 GP, 13 G, 13 A, 26 P (Signed, two years, $3.9MM)
Zemgus Girgensons (BUF) – 75 GP, 7 G, 9 A, 16 P (Signed, two years, $3.2MM)
Anthony Duclair (ARZ) – 58 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 15 P (Signed, one year, $1.2MM)
Brendan Gaunce (VAN) – 57 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 P (Signed, two years $1.5MM)
Brett Kulak (CGY) – 21 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Robbie Russo (DET) – 19 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, two years, $650K)
Petteri Lindbohm (STL) – 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, undisclosed)
Tyler Wotherspoon (CGY) – 4 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Jean-Sebastien Dea (PIT) – 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, $650K)
Tye McGinn (TB) – 0 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, undisclosed)
Injury Updates: Gaunce, Bonino, Slepyshev, Poolman
Canucks center Brendan Gaunce will miss at least the first month of the season as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, GM Jim Benning told TSN 1040 (audio link). The 2012 first rounder recently signed a two-year, $1.5MM contract with one-way salaries in both years. Last season, Gaunce played in 57 games with the Canucks, collecting five assists and was expected to battle for a fourth line spot with the team in training camp.
That could provide an opportunity for one of the veterans that Vancouver has brought in on tryouts to crack the opening roster. So far, center Ryan White and winger Scottie Upshall have been announced as PTO players that will be attending camp with the Canucks.
More injury notes from around the league:
- The Predators will have to wait a bit longer to see offseason signing Nick Bonino suit up in a Nashville jersey. GM David Poile told reporters, including Adam Vingan of The Tennessean, that the center isn’t expected to play at all in the preseason as he continues to recover from a broken left tibia, one that he elected to not have surgery on. The team is hopeful that he will be ready for the season opener on October 5th.
- While Oilers winger Anton Slepyshev is set to miss at least part of training camp after sustaining an ankle injury in offseason training, GM Peter Chiarelli noted to Postmedia’s Jim Matheson that the injury is not particularly serious. Slepyshev split the regular season between the NHL and AHL but was a regular for the Oilers in the playoffs so this shouldn’t represent too much of a setback for him in his quest to land a roster spot.
- After undergoing separate surgeries on both shoulders shortly after signing his entry-level contract, the Jets are hopeful that defensive prospect Tucker Poolman will be ready to participate in training camp, notes Postmedia’s Paul Friesen. Poolman is coming off his best season at the college level where he had 30 points (7-23-30) in 38 games and could have elected free agency in August to become part of the group of prospects that tested the market after the 15th.
Brendan Gaunce Signs With Vancouver Canucks
As if our recent list of restricted free agents reminded the Vancouver Canucks of their still-needed contract negotiations, the team has announced a two-year deal with Brendan Gaunce worth a total of $1.5MM. Gaunce will remain a restricted free agent at the end of the contract.
The 23-year old played 56 games for the Canucks last season but was held to just five points, a hugely disappointing number for a former first-round pick. Gaunce was selected 26th-overall in 2012, but has just six points to his name in the NHL so far. Amazingly he led the entire Vancouver forward group with 94 hits, embracing the fourth line bang-and-crash role that he’d been given.
That role needs to increase if Gaunce is ever to show some of the offensive skill he has flashed at the lower levels. In junior, he was a two time 30-goal scorer who could drag defenders to the net with his size and strength and in the AHL he’s been a fairly successful power forward. It hasn’t translated to the NHL, but with a one-way commitment for two years the Canucks are essentially telling Gaunce that this is his chance to prove himself. The rebuilding club needs some of their young depth players to step up if they’re to ever get back to contention, and Gaunce (along with Jake Virtanen, another disappointing first round pick) is right at the top of that list.
Vancouver still has one restricted free agent left to sign and it’s an extremely important one: Bo Horvat. The young center is a huge part of their future, and GM Jim Benning has been clear he wants to sign him to a long-term deal. With Gaunce now out of the way, his entire attention can be given to the Horvat situation.
Reid Boucher Signs One-Year Deal With Canucks
Winger Reid Boucher, a restricted free-agent, signed a one-year contract with Vancouver tonight, avoiding the arbitration process. Boucher was scheduled to have his hearing on August 1st, but instead was able to hammer out a deal with Canucks management. The contract is worth a reported $687,5000, as Stephen Whyno of AP broke the news. This is definitely a “prove-it” sort of deal, and Boucher will need to carve out his own playing time through consistent effort.
Boucher swapped teams twice in 2016-17, moving from New Jersey to Nashville before settling in British Columbia. Boucher had his possession numbers improve under his tenure with Vancouver, playing 27 games for a relative Corsi For % of -0.6. Contrasted with his performance in New Jersey up to that point, he had seemingly started to find a groove. Boucher did find a bit of offensive production as well, scoring 6 goals and 4 points on the year in only 39 total games. At 23 years old, Boucher still has the potential to progress as a player. He is a bit undersized at a mere 5’10, but has shown flashes of being a cheap goal-scoring contributor. He’ll need to continue to clean up his two-way game in order to truly cement himself on an NHL roster.
With this contract signed, GM Jim Benning will now turn his attention to fellow RFA Bo Horvat and Brendan Gaunce. Gaunce is also a marginal piece, but Horvat will be a core player for many years. Locking him up on a longer deal at a reasonable hit now becomes Benning’s clear number one priority.
Vancouver Canucks Re-Sign Joseph LaBate
Fresh off of his rookie season, checking forward Joseph LaBate has re-signed with the Vancouver Canucks. The team announced today that the 24-year-old has signed a one-year, two-way deal worth the league minimum of $650K. The two sides came to terms below the value of LaBate’s qualifying offer, $660K, which was made last week.
Standing 6’5″ and weighing over 200 lbs., LaBate is a noticeable presence on the ice. A two-way forward who can play both center and wing, he is a good fit for a versatile, energy-line job when called upon by Vancouver. While he provides only meager offense – no points in 13 NHL games and just 16 points in 38 AHL games last year – he makes up for it with consistent defensive play. In the team’s press release, GM Jim Benning praised LaBate’s ability to be a physical presence for both the Canucks and AHL’s Utica Comets. Without many big checking forwards on the roster, Vancouver likely hopes that LaBate can carve out a role for himself on their bottom line as a two-way threat and work towards exhibiting some of the offensive touch he showed as a four-year starter at the University of Wisconsin.
While Benning and the Canucks are happy to have one of their young players back under contract, the team still has their work cut out for them with extending restricted free agents, with Bo Horvat, Brendan Gaunce, Reid Boucher, Michael Chaput and Evan McEneny in need of new deals. LaBate is just the beginning of several expected contracts this off-season for Vancouver.
Early Expansion Protection News: Capitals, Kings, Flames, Predators, And More
The 2017 NHL Expansion Draft is an exciting process. If you’re too riled up to wait until the lists are officially submitted in the morning, you’re in luck. As could be expected, information leaks are flooding in on who was and wasn’t protected by their teams ahead of the deadline this afternoon. This list will be updated all night long as more news comes in:
- Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post was the first reputable source to release her team’s protection list, as she confirmed the Washington Capitals’ names not long after the 5:00 PM ET deadline. The lists includes the expected names: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andre Burakovsky, Marcus Johansson, Lars Eller, Tom Wilson, Matt Niskanen, John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, and Braden Holtby. While not surprising, the list does not include long-time Jay Beagle, promising young players Nate Schmidt and Brett Connolly, and a oft-rumored target of the Golden Knights, backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer.
- L.A.-based hockey writer John Hoven got the list of protected players for the Los Angeles Kings, which confirms that they will indeed protect eight-skaters, including four defenseman, rather than the 7/3 protection scheme. Among the safe are Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, and the key decision, Derek Forbort. Star goalie Jonathan Quick was also obviously protected. While the Kings succeeded in protecting the most valuable players on the roster, they still have left defenseman Brayden McNabb and a large assortment of forwards including Trevor Lewis, Nic Dowd, and Nick Shore open to selection.
- Sportsnet’s Eric Francis, who covers the Calgary Flames, has some key names for his team as well. Francis confirmed that the Flames did not protect 2016 free agent acquisition Troy Brouwer, but did opt to save younger assets like Sam Bennett, Micheal Ferland, and Curtis Lazar. Although Francis stops there, the rest of Calgary’s list is somewhat self explanatory with newly-acquired goalie Mike Smith, defensive core of Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, and Dougie Hamilton, and cornerstone forwards Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Michael Frolik, and Mikael Backlund as obvious choices.
- One not so obvious choice has been made in Nashville. Adam Vingan of The Tennessean answered a question on the minds of many, reporting that the Predators did in fact protect forward Calle Jarnkrok. With the rest of the eight-skater list all but set in stone with goalie Pekka Rinne, defensemen Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm, and star forwards Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson, the final forward spot came down to Jarnkrok, signed long-term, or James Neal, an elite scorer with just one year remaining on his contract. It seems that Neal will be open for selection, alongside names like Colton Sissons, Colin Wilson, and Craig Smith. Vignan adds that no deal has been struck between Vegas and the Predators to protect any of those players, with Nashville especially liking to retain Neal and Sissons.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that, interestingly enough, young Detroit Red Wings defenseman Xavier Ouellet was not protected by his team. This is the first real surprise of the expansion process and the first protection news that doesn’t match up with PHR’s Expansion Primer projections. The 23-year-old skated in 66 games this season for Detroit, third most among defenseman, and his 12 points tied that of top-pair man Danny DeKeyser. Yet, Ouellett will not join DeKeyser and Mike Green in protection, instead beaten out by another teammate. GM Ken Holland, who has gotten the reputation of perhaps being too loyal, possibly chose aging veteran Niklas Kronwall over Ouellet. Hopefully that doesn’t come back to bite the rebuilding Red Wings.
- Another name confirmed to be unprotected is young Vancouver Canucks center Brendan Gaunce. Vancouver sports anchor Rick Dhaliwal was told that that Gaunce, a 2012 first-round pick, did not make the protection list for the Canucks, expected to be a 7/3 format, meaning that the team saw him as outside the top seven forwards on the team. The 23-year-old two-way specialist has upside, but after registering just five points in 57 games last season, no one will blame Vancouver for that choice.