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Seventeen Players Placed On Waivers

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Every player placed on waivers yesterday – even surprise Ottawa Senators addition Zack Smith – cleared, as the wire continues to be a smooth operation for NHL teams looking to re-stock their AHL clubs this preseason. Will the next round of players also go untouched? Per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, another 17 players have been waived today, including:

G Jean-Francois Berube (Columbus)
G Kevin Boyle (Anaheim)
F Sam Carrick (Anaheim)
D Trevor Carrick (Carolina)
G Jared Coreau (Anaheim)
F Kyle Criscuolo (Buffalo)
F Chase De Leo (Anaheim)
F Tyrell Goulbourne (Philadelphia)
F Tyler Graovac (Calgary)
F Morgan Klimchuk (Calgary)
D Tyler Lewington (Washington)
D Steve Oleksy (Anaheim)
F Brandon Pirri (Vegas)
F Alan Quine (Calgary)
F Buddy Robinson (Calgary)
F Anton Rodin (Anaheim)
F Kerby Rychel (Calgary)
F Michael Sgarbossa (Washington)

Odds are that this group of players will likely play out as the other have this off-season. There are very few names that jump out as worthy of an NHL roster spot. Many are also recent unrestricted free agents, meaning teams have had a chance to bring them in already and 30 didn’t do so.

Of the group, Berube and Pirri have the most name value. A former top goalie prospect who the New York Islanders once kept on as a third goalie simply so that he would not be subjected to waivers, Berube has lost much of his shine. A poor effort as the third-string goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks last season led to an off-season trade to Columbus, where he will most likely play in the AHL for much of the year. Teams desperate for a backup goalie would be better off with Coreau than Berube in all likelihood. As for Pirri, the one-time 20-goal scorer is hard to get a read on, excelling with some teams and struggling with others. He only played in two games last year with the Golden Knights and score three goals, yet somehow was unable to hold on to a roster spot. One of the league’s greatest enigma’s, Pirri’s value on waivers is a mystery.

Graovac, Rychel, and Quine are nice bottom-six pieces, but signed to two-way contracts for a reason. Oleksy is an ideal eighth or ninth defenseman. The Carrick brothers are also solid pros but have been limited in their NHL experience due to ability not opportunity. Others on the list are similar: notable veterans who would be an asset as a minor league depth player, but simply not as a lock on the NHL roster.

Finally, there’s Rodin, who may be the outlier that could be claimed by the right team. The former Swedish Hockey League MVP has unquestionable ability, but was not able to make a difference with the Vancouver Canucks and seemingly has realized the same fate with the Anaheim Ducks. A team willing to guarantee him top-nine ice time could find that he is a weapon when healthy. Is that upside worthy of a waiver claim?

Buddy Robinson Signs Two-Year Contract With Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames have brought in a new friend, signing Buddy Robinson to a two-year contract. Robinson was a Group VI unrestricted free agent after failing to get a real opportunity in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets last season. The deal will carry a $700K cap hit at the NHL level.

Robinson, 26, is a big (6’6″ 230-lbs) winger that put up a career-high 25 goals and 53 points last season as part of a dominant Manitoba Moose team, but has just seven NHL games to his name. Though he’ll probably play much of the same role with the Flames—that is, spending the season in the minor leagues with the Stockton Heat—there is a chance he could contribute at the higher level if give the chance. Calgary has plenty of options on the wing at the moment, but should injuries strike Robinson is a valuable depth piece to have waiting in the wings.

At the very least he should be able to bring some of his offense over to Stockton. The Heat missed the playoffs last season and struggled to create goals at times, with their team leader in points being Andrew Mangiapane despite playing only 39 games. Robinson’s goal and point totals would have led the club, and though he might not get the same kind of opportunities on a weaker team, should still compete for the team lead.

Complete List Of Potential Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents

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Back in November, we took a look at some of the potential Group VI free agents that could hit unrestricted free agency early this offseason. Of that group, Josh Leivo was extended and Stefan Noesen eclipsed the number of games played needed to stay with the New Jersey Devils organization. Now, CapFriendly has compiled a complete list of players still at risk of becoming free agents early, including how many games they need. To refresh your memory on how a player qualifies for Group VI free agency, they must meet three requirements:

  1. The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
  2. The player has completed 3 or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19 year old player), or 1 or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
  3. The player has played less than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender.

The entire list of players at risk can be found below, but make sure you check out CapFriendly for more detailed information on how they could avoid the designation this summer.

*Indicates that the player could still play in enough games this season to become ineligible for Group VI free agency

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Revisiting The January Trade Market

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As front offices around the league call and text trying to find the right fit for their rosters, fans are waiting with bated breath wondering who could be pulling on their favorite sweater in the next few weeks. Will a superstar change hands and take over as the new face of a franchise? Will a veteran finally find his way to the Stanley Cup promised land? The deadline is now less than six weeks away.

We may not have to wait until the very end to answer these questions though, as January has been a busy month for trade action in the past. We’ve already had two moves this year, and several more could be finalized before the calendar turns over. For now, let’s take a look back at the last few years to see what kind of moves are made in the dawn of the new year.

2018:

January 4th: Edmonton acquires Al Montoya from Montreal in exchange for a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick.

January 10th: Chicago acquires Anthony Duclair and Adam Clendening from Arizona for Richard Panik and Laurent Dauphin.

2017:

January 1st: Arizona acquires Mitchell Moroz from Edmonton in exchange for Henrik Samuelsson.

January 11th: Anaheim acquires Jhonas Enroth from Toronto for a 2018 seventh-round pick.

January 13th: Nashville acquires Cody McLeod from Colorado in exchange for Felix Girard.

January 19th: Nashville acquires Andrew O’Brien from Anaheim for Max Gortz.

January 21st: Los Angeles acquires Cameron Schilling from Chicago for Michael Latta.

January 24th: Ottawa acquires Tommy Wingels in exchange for Zack Stortini, Buddy Robinson and a 2017 seventh-round pick.

January 26th: Montreal acquires Nikita Nesterov from Tampa Bay in exchange for Jonathan Racine and a 2017 sixth-round pick.

Obviously 2017 wasn’t filled with the most blockbuster trades in the month of January, but several teams did add small pieces for potential playoff runs. Nesterov didn’t really work out in Montreal, and Wingels couldn’t find his scoring touch in Ottawa.

2016:

January 3rd: Chicago acquires Richard Panik from Toronto in exchange for Jeremy Morin.

January 6th: Los Angeles acquires Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn from Philadelphia in exchange for Jordan Weal and a 2016 third-round pick.

January 6th: Nashville acquires Ryan Johansen from Columbus in exchange for Seth Jones.

January 7th: Montreal acquires Max Friberg from Anaheim in exchange for Dustin Tokarski.

January 8th: Vancouver acquires Emerson Etem from New York in exchange for Nicklas Jensen and a 2017 sixth-round pick.

January 14th: Ottawa acquires Conor Allen from Nashville in exchange for Patrick Mullen.

January 15th: Montreal acquires Victor Bartley and John Scott from Arizona in exchange for Jarred Tinordi and Stefan Fournier.

January 15th: Arizona acquires Victor Bartley from Nashville in exchange for Stefan Elliott.

January 16th: Anaheim acquires David Perron and Adam Clendening from Pittsburgh in exchange for Carl Hagelin.

January 21st: Anaheim acquires Ryan Garbutt from Chicago in exchange for Jiri Sekac.

2016 was a much more active January, with big names like Lecavalier, Johansen and Jones all dealt. While the Nashville-Columbus trade might have had the biggest impact long-term, Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Hagelin was a big part of their Stanley Cup run, as he scored 27 points down the stretch and added another 16 in the playoffs.

There is certainly value to be had in January trades, and it’s clear that teams like Nashville and Anaheim aren’t scared of making an early move. While those two might not be the most watched teams on the trade market this year, don’t rule them out of making tweaks once again.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/24/17

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The more than fifty cuts made from training camps around the league yesterday was only the beginning. Weekend or not, expect the announcements to keep flooding in, and we’ll keep track of it all right here:

Arizona Coyotes
F Michael Bunting – Tucson (AHL)
D Kyle Capobianco – Tucson (AHL)
F Conor Garland – Tucson (AHL)
D Joel Hanley – Tucson (AHL)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Charlottetown (QMJHL)
F Jens Looke – Tucson (AHL)
D Dysin Mayo – Tucson (AHL)
F Lane Pederson – Tucson (AHL)
F Mike Sislo – Tucson (AHL)
D Jalen Smereck – Tucson (AHL)
D Tyson Strachan – released from PTO

Boston Bruins
D Christopher Breen – Providence (AHL)
D Connor Clifton – Providence (AHL)
D Taylor Doherty – Providence (AHL)
F Zachary Senyshyn – Providence (AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes
F Patrick Brown – Charlotte (AHL)
F Julien Gauthier – Charlotte (AHL)
D Brenden Kichton – Charlotte (AHL)
D Roland McKeown – Charlotte (AHL)
F Andrew Miller – Charlotte (AHL)
D Dennis Robertson – Charlotte (AHL)
D Philip Samuelsson – Charlotte (AHL)

Dallas Stars
D Gavin Bayreuther – Texas (AHL)
G Landon Bow – Texas (AHL)
G Philippe Desrosiers – Texas (AHL)
F Sheldon Dries – Released from ATO
F Max French – Released from ATO
F Austin Fyten – Released from PTO
D Shane Hanna – Released from ATO
D Niklas Hansson – Texas (AHL)
D Dillon Heatherington – Texas (AHL)
F Samuel Laberge – Released from ATO
D Matt Mangene – Released from PTO
F Colin Markison – Released from PTO
F Cole Ully – Texas (AHL)

Edmonton Oilers
F Mitch Callahan – Bakerfield (AHL)
F Grayson Downing – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Caleb Jones – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Joey Laleggia – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Keegan Lowe – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Ryan Mantha – Bakersfield (AHL)

Montreal Canadiens
F Daniel Audette – Laval (AHL)
F David Broll – Laval (AHL)
G Zachary Fucale – Laval (AHL)
F Jeremy Gregoire – Laval (AHL)
D Brett Lernout – Laval (AHL)
F Martin Reway – Laval (AHL)
F Nikita Scherbak – Laval (AHL)

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Will The San Jose Sharks Make A Move?

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It’s hard to make an argument for any other team in the NHL as having a less exciting start to the 2017 off-season than the San Jose Sharks. Yes, the Sharks are just a year removed from a Stanley Cup appearance and have re-signed Norris Trophy-winner Brent Burns as well as Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Joe Thornton, and Martin Jones since then. You can get excited about new deals for Ryan Carpenter and Tim Heed last month too if you like. Yet, other than re-signing their own players, what have the Sharks added to their 2017-18 squad?

We know what they’ve lost. Patrick Marleau, a career-Shark and the franchise leader in goals (power play, short-handed, and even strength), points, and games played, is now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. David Schlemko, a 2016 free agency addition, was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Expansion Draft and then flipped to the Montreal Canadiens. Micheal Haley (Florida Panthers) and Buddy Robinson (Winnipeg Jets) are also gone.

The only additions for San Jose thus far, as they look to plug the holes formed by lost free agents as well as improve upon their 2016-17 performance: left wing Brandon Bollig and goaltender Antoine Bibeau. Bollig, 30, is a physical, fourth-line caliber forward, but doesn’t produce enough on a consistent basis to be a regular player. Bollig hit his career-high in points in 2013-14 with the Chicago Blackhawks when he scored 14 points in 82 games. Soon after, he was traded to the Calgary Flames, where he scored just nine points in 116 games over two seasons before being buried in the AHL for the entirety of the 2016-17 season. The big winger posted 11 goals and 11 assists in 60 games for the AHL’s Stockton Heat, but still brings little to the the table for the Sharks other than grit and experience. As for Bibeau, the 23-year-old keeper was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Toronto Maple Leafs after a disappointing season. Bibeau had an .894 save percentage and 3.08 GAA in 32 regular season appearances for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and performed even worse in his one playoff game. Bibeau had clearly fallen behind Garret Sparks and Kasimir Kaskisuo to fifth in the Leafs’ organizational depth chart, and so he was not retained. In San Jose, Bibeau will be no greater than fourth behind Jones, Aaron Dell, and Troy Grosenick and may never get another NHL start.

Bollig and Bibeau, two players destined for the AHL, are not exactly an inspiring pair, which begs the question: will the Sharks make another move? The team is far from perfect and could use some help. Jones and Dell proved to be a solid duo last season and the blue line is as deep as any in the NHL, but San Jose is not without needs up front. The Sharks ranked just 19th in scoring last season, and also boasted on of the worst power play’s in the NHL, below average face-off numbers, and poor possession stats. Burns (a defenseman) was the team’s leading scorer last year and tied for the team lead in goals, while the since-departed Marleau was fifth in scoring and third in goals. The rest of the top five scorers –  Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Joe Thornton – will return, but the 38-year-old Thornton is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL, an injury that occurred after he scored all *seven* of his goals. Beyond those three forwards, the production dropped way off in 2016-17 to the likes of disappointments such as Mikkel Boedker and Joel Ward and young, developing players like Chris Tierney and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks have a clear need for secondary scoring, especially with Marleau gone, and could use a power play catalyst as well. Brandon Bollig is not going to cut it and a full season of Jannik Hansen, acquired at the Trade Deadline, likely won’t either.

Top options for the Sharks include Thomas Vanek, Drew Stafford, and Jiri Hudler, while taking a waiver on a veteran like Jaromir Jagr, Jarome Iginla, P.A. Parenteau, or Mike Ribeiro or on a younger player like Alex Chiasson or Brandon Pirri could work as well. Given the Sharks’ scoring needs, their sufficient cap space, and the complete dullness of their off-season to this point, perhaps maybe two of those players could find their way to San Jose. If not, the Sharks do have pieces to make a move to acquire a scorer, potentially a Matt Duchene or Evander Kane, if they so choose. One way or another, GM Doug Wilson needs to do something, and quick, or not only will he have a team that has surely gotten worse since the end of the season, but he will have a disappointed fan base on his hands as well.

5 Key Stories: 1/23/17 – 1/29/17

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Congratulations to the members of the Metro Division All-Star team, who capped off an entertaining three-on-three tournament by defeating the Pacific Division 4 – 3. It’s time for PHR’s weekly roundup of the five key stories from the week of 1/23/17 through 1/29/17.

Colorado center Matt Duchene, the subject of trade rumors for much of the season, expressed a willingness to being dealt to another club in comments made to The Denver Post this week. The talented pivot has two years remaining on a contract that comes with an AAV of $6MM and is sure to attract plenty of trade interest. The team is reportedly hoping to land at least a young, top-four defenseman and a high draft pick in return.

The Ottawa Senators added some bottom-six depth by acquiring veteran winger Tommy Wingels from the San Jose Sharks for minor leaguers Zack Stortini and Buddy Robinson along with a seventh-round draft pick. Still just 28, Wingels could prove to be a solid pickup for the Senators. During the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns, the seven-year veteran combined for 31 goals and that’s the kind of production the Senators are hoping for. From the Sharks perspective, the trade cleared needed cap space with Tomas Hertl poised to come off of IR.

Looking for additional defensive depth, the Montreal Canadiens picked up Nikita Nesterov from Tampa Bay in exchange for minor league prospect Jonathan Racine and a sixth-round draft choice. Nesterov has tallied 12 points in 35 games this season and could provide solid value for the Habs as a long-term fit on their blue line. He carries a cap hit of $725K and will be a RFA this summer.

As he draws nearer unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018, New York Islanders franchise center John Tavares indicated he is open to inking a long-term extension to remain on Long Island despite the team’s struggles this season. It’s not a surprising position for the #1 overall selection in the 2009 draft to take. There’s no point in limiting any option this far from free agency and a lot can change between now and July 1, 2018. Any way you look at it, Tavares is going to land a lucrative long-term deal, whether it’s with the Islanders or another franchise.

Semyon Varlamov, Colorado’s starting goaltender, will miss the rest of the season following surgery to repair a groin injury. Like many of his teammates, the 2016-17 campaign has not been a good one for the Russian netminder and now his season is going to be cut short. Varlamov will have two years remaining on a deal that comes with a $5.9MM cap hit and it will be interesting to see what the Avalanche, already rumored to be considering significant roster changes, do with their goaltending situation.

 

 

Senators Acquire Tommy Wingels From Sharks

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The Ottawa Senators announced that they have acquired center/right winger Tommy Wingels from San Jose in exchange for minor league wingers Zack Stortini, Buddy Robinson, and a 2017 7th round pick.

"JanWingels has struggled so far this season with the Sharks, spending most of the season mired on the fourth line or as a healthy scratch.  In 37 games this year, he has five goals and three assists while recording 61 hits (he has had at least 200 in each of the last three seasons).  He is averaging just 10:03 of ice time per game, his lowest in any full NHL season.

The 28 year old had spent his entire career with San Jose after being selected by the Sharks in the sixth round (177th overall) in 2008.  In 337 games, he has 122 points (51-71-122), 197 penalty minutes, and 968 hits.  Wingels is in the final year of his contract and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.  The Sharks will retain 30% of his $2.475MM cap hit and $2.6MM salary as part of the deal.

Robinson, a 25 year old left winger, has spent the majority of the season with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate in Binghamton.  In 33 games with the Baby Sens, he has seven goals, five assists, and 18 penalty minutes.  He has also got into four games with Ottawa this year, being held off the scoresheet while averaging just under seven minutes of ice time per game.  He carries a cap hit of $750K in the NHL with a minor league salary of $75K and is heading for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer as he will have less than 80 career NHL games played at the end of the season and has the required number of professional seasons to qualify.

Stortini is a veteran of 257 NHL games with Edmonton and Nashville but last saw NHL action back in 2011-12.  The 31 year old enforcer has 41 points (14-27-41) in that span while recording 725 penalty minutes.  Since then, he has bounced around with several minor league teams and was in his second season with Binghamton.  In 22 AHL games this season, he has two goals and an assist to go along with 20 penalty minutes.  He has a $600K cap hit at the NHL level and is earning $200K in the minors.  Both he and Robinson have been sent to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.

While Wingels isn’t exactly a top six forward at this stretch of his career, he’ll add some grit and some depth to Ottawa’s bottom six while providing some insurance in case of injury at a very small acquisition cost.  He’s only a couple of years removed from pair of 35+ point seasons so perhaps a change in scenery will give him a boost for the stretch run which would go a long way towards restoring some of his value heading into free agency.

As for the Sharks, this clears up a roster spot and a little over $730K in cap space per CapFriendly (Twitter link) which should come in handy with winger Tomas Hertl nearing a return to the lineup from his knee injury.  CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz reports (Twitter link) that there’s a very good chance that Hertl will be ready to return to the lineup on Thursday against Edmonton.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ottawa Senators Send Down Robinson, Varone

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After a weekend that saw the Ottawa Senators outscored 9-2 and lose two games on the west coast, the team has sent both Buddy Robinson and Philip Varone back to the AHL. Both players will head to Binghamton for their Wednesday night matchup against the St. John’s IceCaps.

Robinson and Varone have combined for just eight games for the Senators this season, with neither registering a single point. With 47 games, Varone is the more experienced NHLer but both are not expected to be much more than 13th forwards or injury replacements for their careers. They’ll head back to the AHL where each is having a productive season, and wait for another chance at a big league job.

After Bobby Ryan returned this weekend, Curtis Lazar is expected to be back with the team for Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks. The team is also expecting Clarke MacArthur’s return to the ice at some point this season, as the forward was cleared for contact just a few days ago. Both Lazar and MacArthur are coming off concussions, though for the latter it has been a consistent problem. At one point, it looked like MacArthur wouldn’t be able to return to the NHL after suffering his latest head injury in training camp, but through hard work he’s positioned himself for a mid-season return on a team vying for a playoff spot.

Senators Sign Buddy Robinson To 1-Year Deal

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Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweeted that the Senators have signed Buddy Robinson to a 1-year, $750,000 contract.  Ottawa also confirmed the deal as a two-way contract.

Robinson played three games at the NHL level last season, notching a goal and an assist. While playing 62 games for AHL affiliate Binghamton, Robinson had 23 points (13-10).

In other Senators news, Johnston reports that the team will be making decisions on RW Alex Chiasson, and D Patrick Wiercioch. Both are restricted free agents and have been the subject of trade talks.

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