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Free Agent Focus: New York Islanders

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Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of New York’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Brock Nelson – Though all eyes in New York are watching a certain unrestricted free agent (we’ll get to that later), the team still has plenty of work to do with some of their restricted players this summer. One of those is Nelson, who while frustratingly inconsistent at times still has four straight seasons with at least 19 goals.

It’s not that Nelson is an integral offensive piece on a team that has plenty of weapons up front, but scoring goals in the NHL is a daunting task and those who can do it at both even-strength and on the powerplay aren’t that easy to find. For any team, secondary scoring threats like Nelson get paid exceptionally well and are a tough group to hold on to long-term. Even with his slightly reduced totals this season, he’s still heading into the summer in a strong negotiating position as this is his final year before qualifying for UFA status. That means any term the Islanders give is buying out UFA years and sending the average annual value of the contract skyrocketing.

D Ryan Pulock – It’s not just up front that the team has some tough decisions, as Pulock broke out this season and could be looking for a long-term deal. The 23-year old defenseman finally got his full-time chance in the NHL and crushed it with 32 points in 68 games. That came with the best possession stats of any defenseman on the team, while still taking his fair share of defensive responsibilities.

Pulock is only now coming off his entry-level contract and is not yet eligible for salary arbitration, meaning the Islanders could certainly wait to lock him up long-term. That said, he’s so clearly a part of their future on the blue line that the team may want to commit right away.

Other RFAs: F Ross Johnston, F Alan Quine, F Shane Prince, D Brandon Davidson, D Kyle Burroughs, F Kyle Schempp, D Devon Toews

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F John Tavares – It all starts and ends with Tavares, who is basically holding the free agent market hostage at the moment. Though John Carlson and others are fine prizes, no one is a franchise-changing player like Tavares in the prime of his career. The three-time 80-point man is coming off one of his most successful offensive seasons and he has proven time and again to be able to carry less talented wingers to big production.

Every team in the league would love to slide Tavares into their lineup, but it’s still unclear how many would really be able to put together the kind of financial package to entice him. Even that’s only if he ends up hitting the free agent market, something that may not even be likely at this point. Recently, when the Islanders fired their GM and head coach a new bout of speculation arose about Tavares’ connection with the franchise and intention to stick around. No one—except perhaps Lou Lamoriello, who could keep a secret from his son if he needed to—knows exactly where Tavares is headed. We’ll find out in just a few weeks.

D Calvin de Haan – Amazingly, Tavares isn’t the only important free agent the Islanders have. Though they already locked up Josh Bailey, de Haan and Thomas Hickey represent a good portion of their defense corps that is currently scheduled for the free agent market. The Islanders struggled in part this season keeping the puck out of their own net because of injuries to de Haan, who played just 33 games in total.

The 27-year old defenseman has shown flashes of brilliance over the years, like when he suited up for Canada in the 2017 IIHF World Championship, but has struggled to put it all together and become the top-pairing defenseman the team once hoped for. He won’t be paid like it this summer, but there will certainly be a market for him if he ends up leaving the Islanders.

Other UFAs: F Chris Wagner, F Nikolai Kulemin (headed to KHL), D Thomas Hickey, D Dennis Seidenberg, G Jaroslav Halak, D Kane Lafranchise, F Connor Jones, G Christopher Gibson, F Stephen Gionta, D Seth Helgeson, G Kristers Gudlevskis

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Recap: Western Conference

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After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Western Conference:

Deadline Day

Winnipeg Jets receive:
F Paul Stastny

St. Louis Blues receive:
F Erik Foley
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick

 

Vegas Golden Knights receive:
F Tomas Tatar

Detroit Red Wings receive:
2018 first-round pick
2019 second-round pick
2021 third-round pick

 

Nashville Predators receive:
F Ryan Hartman
2018 fifth-round pick

Chicago Blackhawks receive:
F Victor Ejdsell
2018 first-round pick
2018 fourth-round pick

 

San Jose Sharks receive:
F Evander Kane

Buffalo Sabres receive:
F Danny O’Regan
Conditional 2019 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick

 

Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera

New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner

 

Vegas Golden Knights receive:
D Philip Holm

Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Brendan Leipsic

 

Winnipeg Jets receive:
D Joe Morrow

Montreal Canadiens receive:
2018 fourth-round pick

 

Calgary Flames receive:
F Nick Shore

Ottawa Senators receive:
2019 seventh-round pick

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Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference

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After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:

Deadline Day

Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller

New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek

Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole

Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick

 

New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon

Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick

 

New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner

Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera

 

Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels

Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick

 

Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris

Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg

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Ducks And Islanders Swap Chimera For Wagner

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The New York Islanders have announced that they have completed a trade with the Anaheim Ducks, adding gritty Chris Wagner for veteran Jason Chimera. The two teams swap impending free agent bottom-six forwards, as the Ducks continue to collect experienced depth, while the Isles strengthen their checking line.

Both New York and Anaheim are fighting for their playoff lives in tight races. The Ducks remain alive in a tight Pacific Division – they currently sit in third, but the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames trail with games in hand – as well as in the Western wild card chase. The Islanders face an uphill battle for one of the Eastern Conference wild card berths and have watched the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of them add Ian Cole and Mark Letestu. However, they are certainly not out of it with more than a month left in the campaign.

This is the second addition for each team at the deadline. Chimera is neither the offensive nor defensive player he once was, but they add experience and leadership with this acquisition, much like they did with the recent signing of Chris Kelly. Meanwhile, Wagner will look to continue a career year with the Islanders as he has taken on more than just a grinder role in Anaheim and will provide a more well-rounded game when he arrives in New York. Similarly, defenseman Brandon Davidson’s play picked up when he returned to the Edmonton Oilers earlier this season, resulting in a trade to the Islanders for a third-round pick. New York GM Garth Snow continues to focus on safe gambles to add depth and upside to his squad, while Anaheim GM Bob Murray looks to preparing his team for the postseason by adding intelligence and experience.

Ducks Place Ondrej Kase On IR

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According to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register, the Anaheim Ducks are going to be without yet another key player for the time being. Stephens reports that the Ducks placed young forward Ondrej Kase on the injured reserve on Thursday. The move is retroactive to Tuesday, indicating that the ongoing issue stems from the head injury suffered in Monday night’s game against the Calgary Flames. Kase left the contest in the first period after taking a check to the face from Flames defenseman Dougie Hamilton.

Kase had gotten off to a strong start to the new season, recording a goal and an assist in the team’s first three games. As a rookie last season, the quick Czech winger posted 15 points in 52 games and added a pair of goals in the playoffs. Kase was expected to take on a larger role for Anaheim in 2017-18 after a promising first year and still should despite his current predicament. By making the IR placement retroactive to Tuesday, the Ducks will be able to put Kase back in the lineup after only two more games.

Kase will certainly be gunning to get back on the ice as soon as possible, assuming he is able. Anaheim has one of the deepest forward groups in the league and any missed time can mean lost opportunities and a lower spot on the totem poll. With star two-way center Ryan Kesler currently sidelined, the Ducks are more top heavy than usual and Kase looked like the star of the third line through the first few games. He wants to get back to that role as quickly as he can so as to continue carving out his place on the team. The 2014 seventh-round pick has already exceeded expectations, but a permanent top-nine job in Anaheim going forward is next on the agenda.

In the meantime, the Ducks are expected to roll out a third line of Chris Wagner–Antoine Vermette–Logan Shaw for their upcoming games. The team recently sent high-scoring QMJHL-product Giovanni Fiore to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls following his NHL debut, but still have young power forward Nick Ritchie, free agent addition Dennis Rasmussen, and recent call-up Nic Kerdiles as other top-nine options if need be.

Expansion Primer: Anaheim Ducks

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We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

The expansion scenario for the Anaheim Ducks is one of the more fascinating stories of this off-season. Ever since the rules of the Expansion Draft were announced, fans have been wondering how the Ducks could traverse such a difficult process for teams with depth at all positions. That was even before Anaheim marched to a Pacific Division title and Western Conference championship appearance behind career-best seasons for Rickard Rakell, Jakob Silfverberg, Cam Fowler, and Josh Manson. Neither the 7-3 scheme nor the 8-skater scheme offer the Ducks enough protection to emerge June 21st unscathed and they have been desperately looking for trade help since they were eliminated from the postseason. Will they find it? Or will the best player on the division rival Vegas Golden Knights be a former Duck?

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards
Corey Perry (NMC), Ryan Getzlaf (NMC), Ryan Kesler (NMC), Rickard Rakell, Jakob Silfverberg, Andrew Cogliano, Antoine Vermette, Jared Boll, Logan Shaw, Sam Carrick, Chris Wagner, Corey Tropp, Emerson Etem, Nicolas Kerdiles

Defense
Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, Kevin Bieksa (NMC), Simon Despres, Clayton Stoner, Josh Manson, Jaycob Megna

Goaltender
John Gibson, Dustin Tokarski

Notable Exemptions

Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase, Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour, Jacob Larsson

Key Decisions

The first decision the Ducks really need to make is what scheme they want to use. Many at first thought that the Anaheim would have to use the 8-skater format to protect four defenseman: centerpieces Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, and Kevin Bieksa, who has a No-Movement clause. However, as the season went on, that decision became even more difficult. Bieksa fell out of favor under head coach Randy Carlyle and will almost surely waive his clause or, if he refuses, be bought out. Yet, young Josh Manson has developed into a shutdown defender like no other in Anaheim. While puck-movers like Lindholm, Vatanen, or Fowler could be replaced by up-and-coming prospects Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour, and Jacob Larsson or a healthy Simon Despres, the Ducks would be hard-pressed to replace the skill set of Manson.

So, the Ducks could go eight skaters and protect Lindholm, Vatanen, Fowler and Manson. The problem with that is then Anaheim would lose a young impact forward. Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler have No-Movement clauses, but would be locks to be protected regardless. That would leave just one slot left and two budding stars, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg, in need of protection, not to mention iron man Andrew Cogliano. Vegas fans were salivating at the though of either Rakell or Silfverberg lining up on the Knight’s first line next year, but after the seasons they had, that seems next to impossible. The Ducks are in win-now mode and can ill-afford to lose one of their vital top-six forwards, especially in such a weak free agent market.

Instead, Anaheim will likely choose to go seven forwards and three defenseman as their protection scheme. Perry, Getzlaf, Kesler, Rakell, Silfverberg, and Cogliano will all be safe, as will three of the Ducks’ top four defenseman. Rather than lose the fourth for nothing, Anaheim has recently boosted its efforts to trade Vatanen. If they cannot, they will have to make a call between he and Manson, as Lindholm and Fowler have separated themselves from the pack as the team’s top two defenders.

The Ducks will also have to make a call about their seventh and final forward. Other noteworthy top-nine regulars like Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase are exempt from the draft, so the decision will probably come down to veteran Antoine Vermette or youngster Logan Shaw or Nicolas Kerdiles. Either way, Anaheim is in good shape with meeting the two-forward quota with the likes of Jared Boll and Chris Wagner both qualifying while not really in the conversation for protection. Vermette had a good first season in Anaheim, but he is 34 years old and has lost a step on his famous two-way game. The 25-year-old Shaw plays a physical game and contributed 10 points in 55 games in 2016-17, but was only given limited ice time and doesn’t have the ceiling of a player like Kerdiles. Yet, Kerdiles only played in one regular season game and four playoff games, notching just one assist. His AHL numbers suggest that he could do much more if given the chance though.

Projected Protection List

Scheme: 7F/3D/1G

Forwards

Corey Perry (NMC)
Ryan Getzlaf (NMC)
Ryan Kesler (NMC)
Rickard Rakell
Jakob Silfverberg
Andrew Cogliano
Nicolas Kerdiles

Defensemen

Cam Fowler
Hampus Lindholm
Sami Vatanen

Goalie

John Gibson

If the Ducks are unsuccessful in trading Sami Vatanen, Josh Manson could be the prize of the draft for the Golden Knights. The 25-year-old righty has the makings of top-pair defensive blue-liner who could anchor an entire defense. However, he just simply hasn’t reached that level yet, while Vatanen is an elite puck-mover.

If the Ducks do trade Vatanen, Manson is safe and Vegas won’t touch Kevin Bieksa, nor would would they likely take a chance on the injury-riddled Simon Despres. Minor league-caliber keeper Dustin Tokarski won’t generate any interest either. At this point, that decision on the final forward becomes key. Vegas will be on the lookout to get as much upside as possible in the Expansion Draft, and that is what Kerdiles provides. Anaheim can best protect their forward corps by retaining the young winger’s services. Vegas may have interest in Antoine Vermette as a veteran leader, but it’s doubtful. By default, Shaw could be the pick, but it wouldn’t be a major loss for the Ducks.

From potentially losing Jakob Silvferberg, Rickard Rakell, or Manson, if the Ducks can trade Vatanen and get Bieksa to waive his No-Movement clause, they could in fact leave Vegas with very little to choose from and could escape expansion with largely the same team that nearly made the Stanley Cup Final this season.

Anaheim Ducks Recall Three

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Just prior to puck drop of Game Two of the Western Conference finals tonight between the visiting Nashville Predators and host Anaheim Ducks, the Ducks announced that they have recalled a trio of players from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Joining Anaheim presumably for the remainder of their playoff run are goaltender Jhonas Enroth and forwards Nicolas Kerdiles and Sam Carrick. 

The group was no longer of use in the minor leagues, as the Gulls season came to an end last night in a 2-0 loss to the San Jose Barracuda, their rival and the affiliate of Ducks’ rival the San Jose Sharks, in Game Five of the series. Now, they’ll look help out the big squad in any way they can. Enroth is simply an insurance policy should John Gibson or Jonathan Bernier somehow unexpectedly be unable to suit up. The veteran keeper began the year at the NHL level with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but after a disastrous start of 0-3-1 to the tune of an .872 save percentage and 3.94 goals against average, he was traded to the Ducks for this exact purpose of being a fallback option. Enroth has eight years of NHL experience and should be able to step in in the unlikely chance that his services are needed. Kerdiles and Carrick lack the experience, but make up for it in energy and ability. Kerdiles made his NHL debut earlier this season and then added two playoff games to his resume earlier in the postseason. He has yet to record a point in three games, but it’s only a matter of time given that the 23-year-old was a point-per-game player for the Gulls in the AHL playoffs. Carrick has not seen NHL ice for over a year, and never with the Ducks nor in the playoffs. The 25-year-old played in 19 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs between 2014-15 and 2015-16, recording a goal and an assist. Carrick has 39 AHL points this season between San Diego and the Rockford Ice Hogs, following a minor mid-season trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Whether the Ducks intend to play Kerdiles and Carrick or not, the pair is not in the lineup tonight for Game Two. Anaheim announced their lineup shortly after making the call-ups official, but still went with Chris Wagner and Jared Boll on the energy line. If the Ducks lose at home again tonight and head to Nashville down 2-0, they may look to change things up and give Kerdiles or Carrick an opportunity to make a difference in their playoff fate.

Minor Transactions: 1/12/17

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Here is where we’ll keep tabs on today’s comings and goings with the minor leagues:

  • The Islanders announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Scott Mayfield from AHL Bridgeport. He will take the place of Travis Hamonic on the active roster, who has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to January 7th.  Mayfield has played in three games with the Isles this season, picking up a goal and two assists.  He has spent the bulk of the season in the minors where he has three tallies and three helpers in 23 contests.
  • Nashville announced the recall of defenseman Alexandre Carrier from Milwaukee of the AHL. Carrier, a fourth round pick of the Predators back in 2015, has had a strong rookie season in the minor leagues, recording 22 points (4-18-22) in 35 games, earning himself a spot in the AHL All-Star Game.
  • With their bye week set to come to an end, the Coyotes announced that they have recalled center Laurent Dauphin and winger Brendan Perlini from their AHL affiliate in Tucson. Dauphin has spent the bulk of the season with Arizona, recording three points in 21 games while producing at a point-per-game clip in 11 minor league contests.  As for Perlini, he has suited up in 15 NHL games, scoring four goals and an assist while adding 19 points (14-5-19) in 17 games with the Roadrunners.
  • After just three games with AHL Hartford, the Rangers have recalled (Twitter link) winger Pavel Buchnevich.  The Russian rookie made an early impact this season, recording four goals and four assists in ten games before back spasms took him out of the lineup for nearly two months.  New York had sent Buchnevich down to get back into game shape and evidently they’re pleased with how performed; he had a goal and an assist in his three minor league contests.
  • Pittsburgh has assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).  He did not get into any action with the Penguins after being recalled on January 6th.  Ruhwedel has suited up in five NHL games this season, recording a goal and and an assist.
  • The Ducks announced that they have assigned center Chris Wagner to AHL San Diego.  The 25 year old has three goals in 25 games with Anaheim this season and cleared waivers back in mid-November.  Recently, the team had experimented with playing him on the wing; that type of versatility may come in handy as he pushes to be the next player recalled from the Gulls.

Getzlaf Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury

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Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf will miss tonight’s game versus Detroit with a lower-body injury suffered Sunday against the Flyers, according to Eric Stephens via Twitter. Fortunately for Anaheim, it doesn’t appear as if they will be without their #1 pivot for long since the team considers Getzlaf day-to-day at this point.

Getzlaf was on the ice for just one third period shift in Sunday’s 4 – 3 SO win over the Flyers and was replaced on the Ducks top line by Rickard Rakell. Rakell, who has 16 goals and 23 points in 28 games this season, was in that spot at practice yesterday and would likely remain there as long as Getzlaf is out. The team is also likely to insert Chris Wagner, recalled yesterday from San Diego, into the lineup.

Now in his 12th NHL campaign, Getzlaf has scored five goals and 30 points in 36 games this season but has tallied just one goal in the last five. His current plus/minus rating of -8 puts him on pace to register the worst rating of his career. Despite not having his best season to date, Getzlaf is still among the top centers in the game and the hope is he will be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

Anaheim Ducks Notes: Wagner, Shaw, Kase, Cramarossa

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Since joining the Anaheim Ducks organization as a fifth-round pick in 2010, center Chris Wagner has carved out a career on the fringes of the NHL, and as The Orange County Register’s Eric Stephens writes, the 25-year-old pivot has learned a hard lesson about the business side of hockey. Wagner has been placed on waivers several times over the last two seasons, most recently two days ago, but instead of a reassignment to San Diego after he cleared, he was back in the Ducks lineup Thursday night following the trade of Michael Sgarbossa to Florida.

Wagner and Sgarbossa had been competing for playing time but that changed following the trade:

“It’s crazy. Sgars (Sgarbossa) was playing well, too. We competed. We had a really good relationship and everything. It just proves that it’s a business. We’re kind of just cogs in the business.

“Sometimes you can’t really explain why things happen. Just got to worry about your team and yourself. Make the most of your opportunity.”

Despite moving from Anaheim to Colorado and back again last season via waivers, Wagner says it’s not a process you “become immune to,” as Stephens reports:

“Once you go on, it’s just waiting. I don’t know if I’m numb to it now. It’s part of the worst 24 hours in hockey. You have no control and you don’t know what’s going to happen until the next day.”

With just two goals in 16 appearances so far this season, Wagner is likely to remain vulnerable to losing his roster spot as long as he is with Anaheim. Wagner provides an interesting insight into what it’s like for all of the fringe NHL players active today.

More from Anaheim:

  • From the same piece, Stephens notes that while Logan Shaw, recently acquired from Florida in the Sgarbossa deal, was assigned to San Diego immediately after the trade, the possibility exists that the 25-year-old winger could see time with Anaheim this season. Bench boss Randy Carlyle points to Shaw’s size and versatility as advantages over the recently departed Sgarbossa: “He can play right side or center. He’s a bigger-bodied individual. We’re looking at a little size differential between him and Sgarbossa. Sgarbossa came in and played well for us. Was up and down. Was a good player. Got nothing but great things to say about Sgarbie (Sgarbossa).
  • Anaheim today recalled forward Ondrej Kase from San Diego, tweets the busy Eric Stephens. Kase will likely take the spot of Joseph Cramarossa, who Stephens said did not skate this morning and appeared to get hurt Thursday. In nine games for San Diego of the AHL, Kase has scored three goals and seven points. He’s also appeared in two games for the Ducks tallying a single point this season. Kase was Anaheim’s seventh-round pick in 2014 and the 21-year-old recorded eight goals and 14 points in 25 games with the Gulls last year, his first action as a professional in North America.

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