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Derek Stepan

Injury Notes: Slafkovsky, Nichushkin, Lyubushkin, Stepan, Capitals

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Some good news is abound tonight for Montreal Canadiens fans, as 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky is returning to the lineup tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Slafkovsky had not played in nine days.

The Slovak phenom suffered the injury after getting hit hard by Arizona Coyotes defenseman Josh Brown, but then immediately proceeded to score his first NHL goal, leading to what was an intense stare during his goal celebration. It was then reported earlier this week that Slafkovsky was undergoing tests on an upper-body issue, but they appear to have concluded that it was nothing major. The goal is his lone NHL point so far through five games.

  • Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will miss his second straight game tonight with a lower-body injury, per The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Nichushkin remains day-to-day and the team’s “hope” is that he rejoins the squad for their first practice in Finland, ahead of their Global Series matchup next week against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Tampere. Despite missing a game already, Nichushkin still holds the team lead in goals (seven) and points (12).
  • Half of the Buffalo Sabres blueline is out of game action now. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that Ilya Lyubushkin is not playing tonight due to a lower-body injury, with Lawrence Pilut drawing back into the lineup in his place. Lyubushkin missed a game earlier in the season with a lower-body injury, and it’s unclear whether the two are related. He has one assist in six games to begin his Sabres career.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced tonight that forward Derek Stepan would not return to their game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Per the team, Stepan suffered an upper-body injury. We will likely receive more information on the nature of Stepan’s absence tomorrow.
  • The Washington Capitals have issued two injury updates of their own. Per a team announcement, both John Carlson and T.J. Oshie are doubtful to return to tonight’s contest against the Nashville Predators due to lower-body injuries. Like with Stepan, we will likely get more information on these injuries tomorrow.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Derek Stepan

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As expected, Derek Stepan has managed to convert his PTO into an NHL contract. The Carolina Hurricanes have signed the veteran forward to a one-year, $750K deal. General manager Don Waddell explained exactly why:

Having Derek in Carolina last season, we know what he brings to the table and what he adds to our team. He gives us additional forward depth and provides us with yet another veteran presence in the locker room.

The move suggests that the Hurricanes have moved Max Pacioretty to long-term injured reserve to make room for the additional cap space required for Stepan’s new deal.

Now 32, Stepan is coming off a solid season with the Hurricanes that saw him rack up nine goals and 19 points in 58 games, despiting averaging fewer than 11 minutes a night. Playing the veteran mentor to many of the team’s younger players, he once again will return as valuable depth for a club with Stanley Cup aspirations.

While we’re now several years removed from Stepan’s prime when he was a locked-and-loaded 50-point center, there’s still plenty of value in adding him to the group. Not only can he bring a bit of depth scoring but he posted a 55.9% faceoff percentage last season, destroying his career total.

If he can keep that up, there actually may be even more situations when head coach Rod Brind’Amour relies on him. Remember, the Hurricanes lost Vincent Trocheck in the offseason, their only other right-handed center. While Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas do have some experience there, the veteran Stepan will likely be relied on in certain defensive situations.

Snapshots: Stepan, Foley, Zegras

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Not every player who signs a PTO with a team for the preseason turns that PTO into a full contract offer, but it seems we can count Derek Stepan as one of this year’s players who managed to do just that. Don Waddell told the media today, including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, that he “thinks” Stepan will be signed to a full contract, and that the hold-up on a deal as of right now is just a matter of the team “figuring out the roster” and salary cap for the start of the regular season.

Stepan, 32, is a veteran of over 800 NHL games and spent last season with the Hurricanes. In 58 games for Carolina, he scored 19 points and is likely being signed to function as a depth center in case any member of their current center corps faces injury issues. While Stepan isn’t the reliable 55-point top-six center he once was, he’s a capable veteran who provides the Hurricanes with the sort of depth contending clubs need to survive the rigors of the NHL season.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley is generally regarded as one of the more hands-on team governors in the sport, and under his watch the Golden Knights have experienced a period of success that is unprecedented for an expansion franchise. As of today, Foley has reportedly expanded his sports ownership portfolio. As reported by Matt Slater and Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic, Foley has entered into a verbal agreement to purchase a majority stake in AFC Bournemouth, a club participating in the Premier League, the top level of the English soccer pyramid. While the implications of this move on the Golden Knights are not immediately clear, it is fair to wonder if acquiring Bournemouth will lead Foley to be less extensively involved in the Golden Knights’ day-to-day operations.
  • Anaheim Ducks superstar forward Trevor Zegras has been injured in recent days thanks to an upper-body injury. Today, Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins told NHL Network Radio on Sirius XM that Zegras is expected to join the team for a full practice tomorrow. Zegras, who scored 61 points in 75 games, is a crucial part of the Ducks’ offense and getting him back to full health will be important if the team wants to see success early in the 2022-23 campaign.

Derek Stepan Signs Professional Tryout

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The Carolina Hurricanes are bringing Derek Stepan back but not on an NHL contract (yet). According to CapFriendly, the veteran forward has agreed to a professional tryout with the Hurricanes, where he spent last season.

Stepan is still only 32, but now has 12 full seasons and more than 800 regular season games under his belt. The 2008 second-round pick quickly made it to the NHL with the New York Rangers and was a dynamic two-way center from day one, scoring 21 goals and 45 points as a rookie. While his production has declined in recent years, he was still rather effective for the Hurricanes this season. Despite averaging fewer than 11 minutes a night, he scored nine goals and 19 points in 58 games, while offering an outstanding 56% faceoff rate, easily the best of his career.

None of those points came on the powerplay, and even in his limited minutes the team didn’t shelter Stepan with easy deployment.  With that in mind, it was surprising to see him passed over when free agency started, as there’s obviously still some value in the veteran forward even after so many years.

Still, perhaps he wants to give Carolina every chance to sign him, and since the team is currently over the cap ceiling they have an agreement worked out for down the road. Once the season begins (or in the days just prior), the Hurricanes can place Max Pacioretty on long-term injured reserve to free up some cap flexibility and then ink Stepan to a new deal.

We’ve seen similar things happen in the past, though there is no guarantee it happens in this case. A camp invitation at least will allow Stepan to show the league that he’s healthy and ready to go for his 13th season, wherever that may be.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Veteran Derek Stepan

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The Carolina Hurricanes announced today they’ve signed Derek Stepan to a one-year contract. It’ll pay him $1.35MM and give Stepan at least one more try at a championship in the NHL.

Stepan, a veteran of 11 seasons and 759 NHL games, will now head to his fourth team in the NHL. After previous stints with the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, and Ottawa Senators, the veteran center attempts to win his first Stanley Cup Championship at age 31 this season. He’s struggled with injuries and declining play in recent seasons, scoring just six points in 20 games in his only season with Ottawa last year. It also marked the lowest ice-time average of his career at 15:04 per night.

Even with a refreshed roster, Stepan likely won’t see any more usage than that with Carolina, who looks to take the next step towards becoming a contender next season. It’ll be a harder sell without defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the fold, but they’re a still a deep team that should be competitive all year long. Stepan likely slots in immediately as the team’s fourth-line center, serving behind Sebastian Aho, Vincent Trocheck, and Jordan Staal. If he can’t rebound offensively this season, or if he faces additional injury issues, it could be his last in the NHL.

North Notes: Mete, Ottawa Veterans, Edler, Weber

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Among what was a busy day for the Senators yesterday with GM Pierre Dorion’s end-of-season media availability, he told reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that they are now working on a new deal for defenseman Victor Mete.  The pending restricted free agent was claimed off waivers from Montreal at the trade deadline and while his playing time was limited to just over 12 minutes a game over his first five games with them, a good showing plus injuries on the back end saw that number jump to over 23 minutes per contest in their final five games.  Mete is owed a qualifying offer of just over $770K but has salary arbitration eligibility which could come into play if they can’t get a deal done between now and the start of free agency in late July.

More from the North:

  • Also from Garrioch’s piece, he reports that the Senators has informed veteran center Artem Anisimov that they will not be bringing him back next season but that they will talk to center Derek Stepan and winger Ryan Dzingel. Stepan was expected to help stabilize their forward group before being moved at the trade deadline but a torn labrum ended those plans quickly.  Dzingel was brought in from Carolina midseason but wasn’t overly productive with six goals and three assists in 29 games.  As for Anisimov, he cleared waivers during the year, suiting up just 19 times along the way although he managed nine points in those contests.  Given his limited usage though, it’s certainly understandable that he won’t be back, especially with a young group of forwards that are pushing for roster spots.
  • There haven’t been any extension talks yet between the Canucks and defenseman Alex Edler, notes Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. The 35-year-old has spent his entire 15-year career in Vancouver and in the past, he has expressed a desire to stay there until he’s ready to retire.  However, with the team already tight to the cap for next season; while they have nearly $16MM in room per CapFriendly, most of that will be going to restricted free agents Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson.  Unless Jim Benning can free up some wiggle room, they may not be able to afford to bring Edler back unless he’s open to a substantial cut from his current $6MM price tag.
  • Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber did not participate in practice today but instead skated on his own, relays TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The veteran is dealing with an upper-body injury that’s believed to be a thumb issue but Dominique Ducharme expressed optimism that Weber will be able to rejoin the team later in the week and suit up for Thursday’s opener against Toronto.

Derek Stepan To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Ottawa Senators have announced that Derek Stepan will not return this season from the shoulder injury he suffered last month. The full statement from GM Pierre Dorion:

Following a review and assessment by the team’s medical staff, it has been determined that Derek requires a surgical procedure to repair a damaged labrum that he incurred in dislocating his left shoulder. A procedure is scheduled to take place later this week which will see him miss the remainder of our season but it is expected that he be fully recovered ahead of next season. Our medical staff will remain in regular contact with Derek and his doctors as he continues his recovery.

The veteran center had been working with the team on a potential trade that would take him closer to his family, but clearly this wasn’t the way he wanted to be taken out of the Senators lineup. Stepan will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and though Dorion explains he is expected to be fully recovered, this certainly won’t help him at the negotiation table.

Acquired just before the season began, Stepan scored six points in 20 games with the Senators. It appears as though his time with the club will appear as an odd footnote on his career unless they decide to bring back the 30-year-old center in the offseason. That wouldn’t make a lot of sense for a team bursting with young forward prospects, but Stepan has always been respected as a leader and support piece in the locker room. More likely he’s headed to his next destination after a few disappointing seasons, ready to prove his career isn’t over.

Stepan’s contract technically still could be traded, if a team feels it could glean some cap flexibility by placing him on long-term injured reserve. But he won’t play again this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Derek Stepan May Miss The Rest Of The Season

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The news doesn’t appear to be good for Senators center Derek Stepan.  While the team is waiting for official word and have currently classified him as week-to-week, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the expectation is that the veteran will be out for six months and will need surgery to repair a separated shoulder.  That would put an end to his season and with it, their plans to trade him back to an American-based team.

The 30-year-old was brought in by Ottawa back in December from Arizona in exchange for a second-round pick.  At that point, the bulk of his salary already paid via signing bonus as he was owed just $2MM while still carrying a $6.5MM AAV, giving the Sens a bit of flexibility to stay over the cap floor while keeping their costs down.  They were also hoping that he’d be a capable veteran to help some of their blossoming young talent although his on-ice performance didn’t quite live up to that goal.

Prior to the injury which was sustained back on Tuesday against Montreal, Stepan had just a goal and five assists in 20 games.  He’s also averaging a career-low in ice time at just over 15 minutes per game.  While he was certainly hopeful that he’d be able to rebound from a tough year with the Coyotes in 2019-20 that saw him put up career lows in goals (10), assists (18), and points (28), clearly things were going in the opposite direction.

Between that and the injury, Stepan isn’t going to be hitting the UFA market in an ideal situation.  Garrioch adds that Ottawa has no interest in retaining his services which takes one option off the table. With 2020-21 going the way it did for Stepan, he may have to look for a one-year deal where he can try to build back some value and hope to hit what could be a slightly less financially restrictive free agent market in 2022.

Derek Stepan Addresses Trade Speculation

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One player whose name has been in the rumor mill as of late is Senators center Derek Stepan amidst reports that Ottawa is trying to move him.  However, GM Pierre Dorion was quick to clarify on TSN 1200 (audio link) that the veteran hasn’t asked for a deal:

No, he hasn’t indicated anything along that line to us.  We can tell with our conversations that I’ve had with him that I think it’s only human that … when you only see your newborn for a day or two that it can be difficult on any type of human being.

Meanwhile, Stepan himself was recently asked about his situation and while he acknowledged to reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that the prospect of being away from his family for the entire season is far from ideal, he was looking forward to this opportunity with the Sens:

I’m doing to the best I can to stay focused on Ottawa Senators’ hockey. That’s really all I can control right now is focusing on helping this group the way I wanted to and the way I planned to when I first got traded here.

I believed that I was going to be able to come in and make a bigger impact right away with my play. No training camp and the situation just kind of piled up. I knew it was going to be difficult and when it happened, I knew the hockey part was going to be a lot of fun.

But, the more difficult part would be the family stuff and so I was aware of it. As I continue to battle through this thing, I’ve got to keep my head going forward and stay focused in on a game at a time. I know it’s cliche and you guys probably hate it, but that’s all I can really do right now.

The 30-year-old was surprisingly acquired by Ottawa for a second-round pick just after Christmas from Arizona in exchange for a second-round pick in a deal that gave the Coyotes some much-needed salary cap relief.  While Stepan was hoping to make that bigger impact, it hasn’t quite materialized yet.  He has just a single goal with three assists in 14 games this season while his ice time has actually dipped by more than two minutes per night to just 15:31 per game.

Nonetheless, the veteran would be a desirable addition to the bottom six group of a contending team although the salary cap will certainly affect things.  He has a $6.5MM AAV (though just a prorated $2MM is owed in salary with his signing bonus already paid) which most teams can’t afford.  Even if Ottawa retained the maximum 50%, they’d still likely need to take a contract back to facilitate a move.  Although the Senators certainly appear to be trying to do Stepan a favor by moving him back to the United States where he can be reunited with his family, it’s one that may have to take a while to accomplish.

Trade Rumors: Bennett, DeAngelo, Stepan

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As if there weren’t enough whispers surrounding Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett, his healthy scratch last night did not help. The news emerged well ahead of the Flames’ game on Thursday that Bennett would not play and TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that speculation swelled across the league that this implied Bennett was available for trade. Bennett’s play has improved of late and the player himself even told the media that the scratch came as a surprise. However, with Bennett wanting out of Calgary – though he would not confirm a formal trade request – perhaps the Flames want to look at other internal options who could take Bennett’s place, as well as protect the health of their trade asset. With that said, Dreger warns not to get too excited. He says a trade is certainly not imminent, which harkens back to the Flames own admission that they would not rush to trade Bennett and may not move him at all if they cannot find the right deal.

  • As for the possibility of a trade involving Bennett and another player on the block, New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, there are mixed reports. On Wednesday, Bob McKenzie reported on the NBC Sports broadcast that the Calgary Flames were among four or five teams that had interest in the “reclamation project” that is DeAngelo. A talented, but polarizing player, DeAngelo could be of interest to any number of teams, so even a Calgary team with good defensive depth would not be a major surprise. However, Sportsnet’s Flames beat writer Eric Francis dispelled the rumors of Calgary interest in DeAngelo. He also reiterated that the team will take their time with a Bennett trade and will not rush into a deal for another player on the rumor mill.
  • The other teams mentioned by McKenzie as kicking the tires on DeAngelo: the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings. As rebuilding teams, taking a chance on the talent and youth of DeAngelo makes a ton of sense for any of these clubs. Considering that DeAngelo has already cleared waivers as well, Detroit or L.A. could also convince New York to add a draft pick to the trade, while Anaheim may be more interested in the Rangers retaining some of DeAngelo’s $4.8MM salary.
  • Despite an impressive win over the rival Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, the season has not gone as planned so far for the Ottawa Senators. After adding some veterans to the roster this off-season, the team hoped the influx of experience and talent combined with their considerable youth and upside would result in more wins. Thus far, they have the league’s worst record at 2-8-1. As a result, changes could be coming to the roster. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that one major change could be a quick flip of veteran center Derek Stepan. Stepan was acquired right before training camp in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes but has failed to make much of an impact for the Senators. He has just three points and -7 rating through ten games, averaging just two shots per game and on pace for the worst possession numbers of his career. It is believed that Stepan is as unhappy with his role in Ottawa as the Senators are in his production. A separation could be coming soon  since the veteran still has value across the league, especially on an expiring contract. Stepan, 30, is a durable, two-way center who has scored at a 40-point pace or better in each of nine NHL season prior to last year.

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