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Philadelphia Flyers Claim Kevin Connauton

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The Philadelphia Flyers have added some more defensive depth, claiming Kevin Connauton off waivers from the Florida Panthers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Connauton, 31, signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Panthers in June which came with a huge minor league guarantee in case he was sent to the AHL at any point. That hasn’t been the case so far, as he’s instead played 13 games with Florida and now finds himself joining the Flyers. It will be the sixth team of his career, one that has spanned more than 330 games to this point.

There’s not a ton of offensive upside to Connauton, but he does represent a big-bodied defenseman that the team can insert to try and stop some of the bleeding. The Flyers are an absolute mess defensively right now, allowing 29 goals in their last four games, part of a nine-game losing streak. It cost Alain Vigneault and Michel Therrien their jobs, but things didn’t change under interim head coach Mike Yeo, who watched his team allow four goals in the first period last night.

Connauton’s certainly not a savior, but he will add some extra depth while the Flyers wait on Ryan Ellis’ return.

Tampa Bay Lightning Claim Riley Nash

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are going to take a shot with another veteran player, this time claiming Riley Nash off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

There’s no doubt that Nash’s best days are behind him, but the Lightning have made a habit out of finding specific roles for depth players over the years in order to maximize their efficiency. The 32-year-old center can still play the defensive side of the puck, meaning he could help out the Tampa Bay bottom-six and penalty kill if deployed correctly. Still, he has exactly zero points this season in 15 games and just 33 since the end of the 2017-18 season.

The Lightning have dealt with several serious injuries to key forwards though, as both Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point remain out. That has meant some of their younger players have been forced into bigger roles, leaving the depth of the organization a bit lacking. Against the Philadelphia Flyers in their most recent game, the trio of Taylor Raddysh, Gabriel Fortier, and Boris Katchouk each played fewer than 12 minutes. If Nash can show that he can provide a strong, defensive presence on the fourth line, it seems likely that Fortier (who is currently on an emergency recall) would be returned to the minor leagues to continue his development with the Syracuse Crunch.

Kevin Connauton, Riley Nash Placed On Waivers

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According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Winnipeg Jets have placed Riley Nash on waivers today, but he won’t be there alone. The Florida Panthers have put Kevin Connauton on waivers as well, after announcing that Gustav Forsling will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip.

Nash, 32, hasn’t played in over two weeks and has zero points in 15 games so far this season. A player that was once a perfect bottom-six center, capable of checking the opponent’s best and chipping in some offense, Nash now looks like he’s on his way out of the league. He’s averaged fewer than nine minutes of ice time when he has been in the Winnipeg lineup, so at this point it makes more sense to give a younger player an opportunity. That, and the Jets are facing a potential suspension for Neal Pionk, meaning they could require some additional defensive depth in the coming days.

Still, he costs only $750K and is a pending free agent, so there certainly wouldn’t be much risk if a team thought Nash could still hold his own at the NHL level. He does have more than 600 games of NHL experience, certainly enough to make him at least a bit intriguing to other teams.

Connauton meanwhile has suited up in 13 games for the Panthers this season after inking a one-year, two-way deal in the offseason. Simply defensive depth at this point in his career, the 31-year-old hasn’t been an NHL regular since the 2018-19 season. In the years since he’s played just 28 games at the highest level, recording just two points in that time.

He too could be claimed if a team is desperate for some defensive help, but more likely he’ll clear as he did last season.

Tyler Johnson Undergoes Neck Surgery

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Jack Eichel may have been the first NHL player to undergo an artificial disk replacement surgery, but he certainly won’t be the last. The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that Tyler Johnson underwent neck surgery this morning and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that it was the same ADR procedure as Eichel. Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry released the following statement:

After trying to manage his neck pain conservatively for the past couple of weeks, Tyler underwent neck surgery today. The prognosis is good and his anticipated return to play is approximately three months.

Johnson, 31, has played just eight games this season for the Blackhawks after they acquired him in a trade this offseason that saw Brent Seabrook’s contract go to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had three points in those games, but ended up on the wrong end of quite a few lopsided scores. In fact, Chicago lost all eight of the games Johnson participated in before he was taken out of the lineup due to injury at the end of October.

Now, as he faces a three-month recovery timeline, it’s unclear how many times he’ll actually get to suit up for the Blackhawks at all. The veteran forward has two more years on his contract that carries a $5MM cap hit but will be a prime buyout candidate this summer unless he really shows an increased ability down the stretch. It’s been years since he was the high-flying player that twice scored 29 goals for the Lightning, and he has just 25 points since the start of 2020-21. A serious injury like this won’t help his case as the Blackhawks will be looking to shed money in the offseason.

Of course, there is hope that this new surgery can help a player’s long-term outlook when compared to the traditional fusion procedure. Eichel was spotted back on the ice yesterday just three weeks out from surgery, and though there are obviously plenty of hurdles before he resumes play for the Vegas Golden Knights, hopefully, things are progressing well in that direction. Johnson now faces the same process of rehabilitation and won’t be helping the Blackhawks for the next few months. His contract was already on long-term injured reserve and it will stay there for the time being.

Buffalo Sabres Acquire Malcolm Subban

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The Buffalo Sabres have struggled to find consistent netminding all year, and now appear to be throwing another name into the ring. The Sabres have acquired Malcolm Subban from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations.

Subban, 27, is certainly not a guaranteed upgrade to the goaltending the Sabres have at the moment. A first-round pick from 2012, the veteran netminder has just 82 games of NHL experience to this point most of that coming with the Vegas Golden Knights as the team’s original backup. Subban posted a .901 save percentage in those 63 appearances with Vegas, but has a .899 overall for his career. Last season, he played in 16 games for the Blackhawks and posted a .900, but was pushed down the depth chart once again when they acquired Marc-Andre Fleury in the offseason.

After clearing waivers at the start of the year, Subban was sent to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL where he has appeared in three games. While his numbers there certainly don’t paint a pretty picture, this move will allow the Sabres to leave Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, still the team’s top goaltending prospect, in the minor leagues while Subban helps the NHL squad.

Currently, the team was going with a tandem of Dustin Tokarski and Aaron Dell, as Craig Anderson continues to deal with an injury. Those two have combined for an .894 on the season so far, not exactly what the team is looking for as they try to support their young roster. It’s not that the Sabres are really trying to contend for the playoffs as they start another rebuild, but it’s difficult to develop any talent when they’re losing every night. The team is 3-6-1 in their last ten and plummeting down the standings, thanks in part to goaltending that has allowed the fifth-most goals against in the league.

It’s also a great opportunity for Subban, if only to show that he can be an NHL backup again at this point in his career. His two-year contract will expire at the end of the season, at which point he’ll be looking for a new job. Given that the deal is a one-way contract, he was still earning his $950K salary in the minor leagues. The Blackhawks can cross that off the books now that he’s with Buffalo, even if they aren’t really getting anything of value in return.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report a deal was being worked out. 

More to come…

Jake DeBrusk Requests Trade

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The Boston Bruins made Jake DeBrusk a healthy scratch again over the weekend, and it appears as though there is finally a split coming between the two sides. Ryan Rishaug of TSN confirmed with DeBrusk’s agent that he has requested a trade out of Boston, and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes that the two are working to find him a fresh start.

DeBrusk, 25, is one of the infamous three first-round draft picks the Bruins made in 2015 and for quite some time, was regarded as the only one that had “worked out.” While Jakub Zboril and Zachary Senyshyn toiled in the minor leagues, DeBrusk was playing in the NHL, recording 62 goals over his first three seasons in the league.

Those numbers have dropped considerably since the start of 2020-21 though, with just eight goals and 20 points in 58 games over the last two seasons. With that decreased production the winger has also found inconsistent playing time, moving up and down the lineup.

On the second season of a two-year, $7.35MM ($4.675MM AAV) deal signed in November 2020, DeBrusk can become a restricted free agent once again next summer. It’s just a “could” because whatever team owns his rights at that point would need to issue him a $4.41MM qualifying offer just to retain them as an RFA. That’s certainly not a slam dunk given the way he’s played recently, especially when it would also come with the risk of arbitration.

Still, it’s easy to see how a team would think they can squeeze a top-six player out of DeBrusk. He has all the skills to score at a high level, as shown by his 27-goal season in 2018-19, he can be a physical presence when he wants to be, and there’s powerplay upside if deployed properly. If the asking price isn’t prohibitive, both contending teams and those that are rebuilding could be interested in the winger.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Adam Gaudette Placed On Waivers

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The Chicago Blackhawks have placed Adam Gaudette on waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Gaudette, 25, hasn’t played in a few weeks, last suiting up for the Blackhawks on November 9. He played just over five minutes in that game and then has been made a healthy scratch several times by interim head coach Derek King.

Now, with Tyler Johnson nearing a return to action, the team needed to clear a roster spot and it’s Gaudette that will be risked to the rest of the league. It’s an interesting decision for the Blackhawks, who have several waiver-exempt players they could have sent down instead–namely Reese Johnson and Mike Hardman–but they’ve obviously decided that Gaudette is the one that should go.

There’s certainly a chance he could be claimed, though a cap hit just barely under $1MM should make some cap-strapped teams hesitate. Gaudette hasn’t been anywhere near the player he was during the 2019-20 season, when he recorded 12 goals and 33 points in 59 games. Since then, he has just 13 points in 48 games, split between the Vancouver Canucks and Blackhawks.

A Hobey Baker winner, there’s obvious offensive upside in Gaudette, but his overall play hasn’t been good enough to secure a regular spot in Chicago’s top-six. If he clears, he will likely be sent back to the minor leagues.

Canada Preparing Spengler Cup Coaching Staff

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11/26: TSN’s Darren Dreger has confirmed much of Friedman’s initial report this morning, reporting that Julien will indeed be the bench boss of the Spengler Cup team with Boudreau as his assistant and notes that this staff will in fact coach in the Olympics if the NHL pulls out. However, Dreger didn’t stop there. He reports that Julien’s second assistant will be Scott Walker and the architect of the roster as GM will be a former Canadian Olympian in Shane Doan. 

11/25: The NHL’s participation in the 2022 Beijing Olympics is still not set in stone, with a January opt-out date still upcoming. Should the league feel as though there have been too many COVID-related postponements to afford a three-week break, they could pull the plug on the whole thing and reorganize their schedule without the international competition. If that were the case, suddenly the Canadian and U.S. teams would be without a coaching staff as well, because right now it is NHL bench bosses set to lead the groups.

In Canada’s case, it’s Jon Cooper, head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning that will be in control of the men’s team, alongside assistants Bruce Cassidy (Boston Bruins), Pete DeBoer (Vegas Golden Knights), and Barry Trotz (New York Islanders). If the NHL doesn’t go, neither do they, meaning a new staff would have to be brought in.

They’re already preparing for that instance, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets. Claude Julien is expected to coach the Canadian contingent at the Spengler Cup in late December, and would take over the Olympic squad if the NHL doesn’t participate. He’s expected to be joined by Bruce Boudreau as an assistant coach, though Friedman does note that this is assuming neither is hired elsewhere in the meantime.

The Spengler Cup roster would likely have a large amount of crossover with the Olympic unit if the NHL chooses not to go, though some AHL, junior or college players would also likely be involved. With coaches like Julien and Boudreau, they would also have NHL-level coaching even if the league failed to participate.

Hurricanes’ Eric Gelinas, Wild’s Ivan Lodnia Clear Unconditional Waivers

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Nov 23: After both players cleared waivers, they are now able to have their contracts terminated and sign overseas. Gelinas technically was recalled to the NHL before terminating it but is headed back to Rogle where he played last season. As for Lodnia, Michael Russo of The Athletic understood that a few weeks ago the young forward was linked to Finland, but nothing has yet surfaced regarding his next destination.

Nov 21: Two NHL seasons and contracts (and possibly careers) could soon be coming to an end. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that a pair of names have been placed on unconditional waivers today for the purpose of contract termination. They are veteran defenseman Eric Gelinas of the Carolina Hurricanes and young forward Ivan Lodnia of the Minnesota Wild.

Gelinas, a name that should be familiar to NHL fans, is an experienced defender in the league with nearly 200 games to his credit with the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche. However, he spent the past three seasons in Europe before returning with a one-year contract with the Hurricanes this off-season. Given the defensive depth in Carolina though, Gelinas has yet to see a return to the NHL level and very well might not have played for anyone other than the AHL’s Chicago Wolves this season. As a result, he is seeking a contract termination so that he can pursue greater opportunities elsewhere. One of the best offensive defensemen in Sweden last year, Gelinas is likely to head back to the SHL if he clears waivers.

Lodnia, 22, is a different case. The young forward is in his first pro season in North America after playing in the KHL on loan last year. A 2017 third-round pick and long-time OHL standout, Lodnia is considered a good prospect and likely expected to be treated as such by the Wild. Instead, Minnesota’s depth forced them to assign Lodnia to the ECHL to begin the year. When he opted not to report, Lodnia was suspended and as a result, has not played a single game this season. Enough is enough apparently, as the two sides are moving toward a contract termination. It is unclear if the Wild have tried to trade Lodnia and, if so, if his refusal to report has been a turn-off to potential suitors. An interested club could still grab Lodnia on waivers, but typically unconditional placements go untouched. He could potentially sign with another NHL team, or AHL team, but there is also the chance that he returns to Europe instead. It’s a strange twist to what once seemed like a budding NHL career that now may never be.

Clark Bishop Clears Waivers

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Nov 22: Bishop has cleared waivers according to Friedman, and can be assigned to the minor leagues if the team chooses to do so.

Nov 21: Ottawa Senators forward Clark Bishop is finally coming back from injury, but could he also be headed elsewhere? Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Bishop has been placed on waivers today by the Senators. This move comes as Bishop is activated from the Season-Opening Injured Reserve, having suffered a lower-body injury in training camp.

Bishop, 25, is a serviceable depth forward with 38 NHL games and over 200 AHL games under his belt in six pro seasons. The Senators acquired Bishop from the Carolina Hurricanes in January in exchange for defenseman Maxime Lajoie. While Lajoie has remained in the AHL and has yet to play for Carolina, Bishop got into 13 games with Ottawa last season and earned a one-year contract extension. The Senators clearly like the hard-working forward and may not even send him to the minors if he does clear waivers.

That is a significant “if” though. Young bottom-six forwards have moved around frequently on waivers so far this season and Bishop could be the next in line. Though not a scoring option, Bishop is a good defensive center who could plug into a fourth line role for a team facing injuries or depth concerns in their bottom six.

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