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Anaheim Listening To Offers For Troy Terry

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The Anaheim Ducks are in the unenviable position this season of having to not only evaluate which core players to keep or trade, but also which young player to keep or trade. The Ducks’ have built a deep, talented pipeline over the last several years, but continue to get inconsistent and underwhelming effort from many of their top young pros. While there are plenty of younger roster players and prospects that Anaheim is excited about, but also too many that have yet to pan out. So , as the team trudges through another poor season, not only are they fielding offers for veterans like Rickard Rakell, Adam Henrique, and Josh Manson, but they also face pressure to shop players like Danton Heinen, Sonny Milano, Max Jones, Jacob Larsson and more before their value disappears completely.

The latest addition to the latter list appears to be forward Troy Terry. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that he is hearing the Ducks are evaluating whether or not it is time to move on from the 23-year-old forward. Friedman notes that there is some belief around the league that Terry could benefit from a change of scenery. Anaheim is currently listening to those offers, though not necessarily shopping Terry.

A fifth-round draft pick of the Ducks in 2015, Terry flew under the radar as a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program. However, he quickly rose to prominence at the college level with Denver University. Not only did Terry produce back-to-back seasons of 45+ points in his sophomore and juniors years at Denver, but his play earned him a spot with Team USA at the 2017 World Juniors and 2018 Winter Olympics – and Terry was a point-per-game player in both tournaments. After leaving college early to sign with Anaheim, Terry entered the pros with high expectations. Four years later, Terry is still trying to meet those expectations. While the talented winger has dominated in the AHL with 57 points in 55 games, it has been a different story in the NHL, where he has just 12 goals and 35 points in 103 games. With seven points through 22 games so far this year, Terry is matching his 26-point full-season pace from last year. However, as a frequent scratch by the Ducks, even that isn’t a realistic benchmark for the young scorer. Even at his best, Terry is also a complete non-factor in the physical and defensive aspects of the game, making it difficult to slot him in the lineup when he isn’t scoring at a top-six level.

For any team interested in landing Terry, there has to be a plan to put him in positions that take advantage of his offensive ability while limiting his defensive liability. Terry may very well need a change of scenery, but he is not going to work out as a fourth-line player or facing difficult defensive match-ups no matter where he goes. This makes him a difficult player to place. Terry certainly has ample offensive upside, hence Anaheim’s hesitation to move him, but there is a reason that he has not produced or earned a greater role with the Ducks despite seemingly ample opportunity. Terry’s potential availability will be an interesting case to keep an eye on in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.

North Division Notes: 2021-22, Quarantine Protocol, Sabourin

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Although the North Division was only intended to be a temporary alignment in 2020-21, the all-Canadian grouping has been popular north of the border. As a result, there are a number of teams hoping that the division might stay together for a while longer. Commissioner Gary Bettman was adamant earlier this week that the league will return to its normal divisional alignment next season, albeit with a small shift due to expansion. Yet, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that several Canadian teams are hoping to get at least another year of national competition. Ironically, this only seems likely if there continue to be restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border through the summer and into next season; the same restrictions that are making trade acquisitions difficult for Canadian teams and could prevent the North Division winner from playing at home in the semifinal and potentially the Stanley Cup Final series. However, the teams in favor of the North Division remaining intact feel that the impact could be more important than any ill effects this season. Johnston notes that these teams can feel the excitement within the country of the reignited Canadian rivalries and want to see that expand with fans being allowed back into games, further boosting the focus on the league. However, there is a way for this to be accomplished without the North Division continuing. Discussions earlier this season centered around the value of continuing to push the regional, non-divisional rivalries that have sprouted this season simply by changing the way scheduling is handled, rather than through realignment. Furthering the emphasis on regional play through extra contents between geographically linked teams would not only continue to fuel the rivalries created or rediscovered this season, but is also a way to save money on travel as teams continue to deal with losses this season. Perhaps this is the way to go that will make both the NHL and their Canadian contingent happy.

  • As noted, there is more downside than upside for the NHL and Canadian clubs to continued border issues. The most pressing of these problems with the trade deadline approaching is the required 14-day quarantine for anyone crossing into Canada, a major holdup in player acquisitions. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to Health Canada and found that, despite a report earlier this year, there has been no formal request made by the NHL to amend the quarantine rules for trade acquisitions. However, Friedman did not sound optimistic that any such proposal would be accepted anyway. Specifically, players have wondered whether they could avoid the quarantine period if an acquired player has been vaccinated, but Health Canada stated that they do not know enough about the impact of vaccination on transmission to allow such a change. Friedman notes that lobbying efforts continue from the league to strike some sort of agreement with the Canadian government to ease quarantine restrictions, but the likelihood seems low. With the deadline now a month away and nothing formal yet in the works, Canadian contenders will likely have to account for a two-week absence of any new players acquired from their American counterparts.
  • It didn’t take long for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Scott Sabourin to make his mark on this season, and not in a good way. After signing with the Leafs in Feburary, Sabourin was assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies to get back into game shape and made his season debut against the Laval Rocket on Friday. On Saturday, the Leafs recalled him to their taxi squad, adding a physical, gritty veteran to their group of potential substitutes. Later in the day, the AHL announced that when Sabourin returns to the AHL, he will be suspended for one game; Toronto opted to send him down on Sunday to serve that ban. Sabourin crashed the Laval net late in Friday’s game and started an altercation with multiple opponents and the league deemed this was worthy of a suspension. With a one-game suspension, not to mention 17 penalty minutes, after just one game this year, Sabourin seems to be returning to the aggressive reputation that he has built in his AHL career rather than building on the progress he made as a more composed player with the Ottawa Senators last year.

Jack Eichel Dealing With Upper-Body Injury

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Saturday: While head coach Ralph Krueger was unable to disclose a timeline, he did tell reporters including John Vogl of The Athletic that Eichel is out “for the foreseeable future” and that he is unable to put a date on how long he will be out.  Krueger also declined to specify if his top center needs surgery or just rest.

Tuesday: The Buffalo Sabres don’t need any more bad news, but they got some anyway. Jack Eichel will miss tonight’s game with an upper-body injury and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that there are “rumblings” that he could be out for longer. Eichel was seen grabbing his neck over the weekend after being pushed into the boards behind the New York Islanders net, though it is not clear if that is the injury he is currently dealing with.

At Sabres practice, Dylan Cozens has moved into the first-line center role between Taylor Hall and Sam Reinhart according to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. While that is certainly exciting for the young forward and his fans, losing Eichel for any significant length of time would all but guarantee that the Sabres season is over. The team is already sitting in last place in the NHL with just six wins in 23 games.

This has been a season to forget for Eichel personally too, even though he does have 18 points in 21 games. Only two of those are goals, one of which was a powerplay marker. That means the $10MM center has exactly one even-strength goal on the year, a huge reason why the team is struggling so much. Even Eichel’s ice time has come down this season, which has had some speculating over whether he was already playing hurt.

It’s injury to insult now the Sabres these days, who can’t seem to find a silver lining in anything that happens. The team takes on the Philadelphia Flyers this evening.

Buffalo Sabres “Wide Open” For Business

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The Buffalo Sabres have not had a good season. The trade smoke began to pour out of the windows KeyBank Center almost immediately, with many fans focused on Jack Eichel and if he would eventually demand out. The young star hasn’t even sniffed the playoffs since entering the league, but according to Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has not requested a trade at this point.

Even if it’s not Eichel on the move, the Sabres appear to be preparing for a busy few months. Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday Headlines that Buffalo is “wide open” for business and that they are listening on everyone. The insider specifically mentioned Sam Reinhart, but noted that nothing is off the table:

…they are listening on all options. I think there is a number of things that people think they may do or may not do. I’ve heard there have been a lot of questions asked about Sam Reinhart. I’ve heard there have been questions asked about Eric Staal in addition to some of the other names that you would expect. Nashville is out there, Detroit is out there, but Buffalo is the team that is definitely out there and again, the word is they are listening to any possibilities.

Four different Sabres players were listed on The Athletic’s recent Trade Deadline Big Board: Eichel, Brandon Montour, Casey Mittelstadt and Taylor Hall. Of that group, only Hall has any trade protection in his contract. The former Hart Trophy winner signed a one-year deal with Buffalo this offseason that included a full no-movement clause so that he could control his destination. Though he was excited about the idea of playing beside Eichel, Hall has just two goals and 13 points so far this season and was blanked again today in the team’s latest loss.

Hall, Staal and Montour represent the best of the pending unrestricted free agents on the squad, though perhaps lesser names like Tobias Rieder could also be of some interest at the deadline. It might not be just the conventional sell off for a team like Buffalo though, who need to somehow find a way to completely flip the culture and get some excitement back into the rink.

Just over a month remains before the 2021 trade deadline, but it doesn’t really matter at this point. The Sabres are now 6-13-3 and look completely outmatched in the East Division. The playoffs aren’t a realistic outcome and the earlier they trade an expiring asset, the more they might get back.

Brendan Guhle Clears Waivers

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March 5: Perhaps surprisingly, Guhle has cleared waivers and has been assigned to the minor leagues. The 23-year-old will remain in the Ducks organization and have a chance to get his game back on track following his recent injury.

March 4: The Anaheim Ducks have placed a surprising name on waivers today, as Brendan Guhle is available to the rest of the league according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The 23-year-old defenseman must be healthy enough to return from his recent stint on long-term injured reserve, meaning to place him on the taxi squad or send him to the minor leagues, he’ll need to clear waivers.

Guhle certainly isn’t a star, but it should raise a few eyebrows in front offices around the league to see him on waivers today. The 51st overall pick in 2015, he has 59 games under his belt at the NHL level and has recorded 14 points. An all-around option that has shown flashes of real NHL potential—including playing three games in the 2016-17 season as a 19-year-old for the Buffalo Sabres—he also happens to come locked up at an $800K cap hit through next season.

Just two years ago, Guhle was a big part of the return for Brandon Montour, when the latter was shipped from Anaheim to Buffalo. It seems now that the Ducks feel comfortable risking him, given the other young options in the system.

For a rebuilding team or even a contender dealing with injuries, claiming Guhle would be more than reasonable though. Jarred Tinordi and Mark Friedman have both been claimed recently and neither one is a clear upgrade (at least in certain areas) over the young Duck.

If Guhle does clear, he’ll be able to get on the ice again with the San Diego Gulls and continue to work his way back from injury. In five games on a rehab stint, he recorded zero points.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Granlund, DeAngelo, Draft

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are the current kings of the NHL, leading the league standings and by a decent margin. In a rare season in which the Leafs don’t have to go through the Tampa Bay Lightning and more importantly the dreaded Boston Bruins early in the playoffs, Toronto is understandably excited about their prospects and willing to load up before the deadline to give themselves their best shot at a title. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the team’s current focus is on bolstering their forward corps. He states that the goal is to add a middle-six forward prior to the trade deadline and, if possible, one that could line up at center on the third line or shift to wing and play higher in the lineup. One potential fit that continues to be linked to Toronto is Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund, if you can call him “middle-six”. On a struggling Predators team, Granlund has been one of the few highlights, leading all Nashville forwards in ice time, blocked shots, and Corsi For and second only to Filip Forsberg in scoring. Dreger believes that Granlund, an impending free agent, will absolutely be available as the Predators seem poised to begin a fire sale of sorts and he could be the ideal pick-up for Toronto as a luxury depth addition – a current top-line forward moving into a middle-six role. Of course, given Granlund’s strong play there will be other suitors and Toronto will certainly take a look at additional options should a Granlund deal not prove to be viable.

  • Trade talks have quieted down on New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, as it seems that teams do not want to make the financial commitment this year and next to the polarizing defenseman despite his obvious ability. Yet, DeAngelo wants to get back on the ice. He was told that his time with the Rangers was over and, per TSN’s Frank Seravalli, that extends to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack as well. New York has informed DeAngelo that he will not be assigned to their affiliate; however, they are willing to loan him out to another AHL team. Seravalli reports that DeAngelo and his representation are currently in the process of trying to find a spot for him to play out the rest of this season in the minors. In the big picture, the fact that it has come to this means that a trade elsewhere seems highly unlikely. Expect DeAngelo to be bought out this summer and take a short-term “show me” deal elsewhere.
  • Even as the Canadian junior leagues continue to work towards a full return to play, there are concerns about the 2021 NHL Draft and the pressure on teams due to the lack of complete information on eligible prospects. While European leagues, American junior leagues, and the NCAA have all had some semblance of a full season, the same cannot be said for Canada, the largest producer of NHL talent. A number of teams have expressed support for postponing the draft until later this year or even next year and a number of option have been proposed. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman stated on a recent radio appearance that this change is easier said than done. Due to all of the language pertaining to draft eligibility and rights, all collectively bargained, it will be difficult to postpone the draft, even if it is in the best interests of the teams and many prospects. Friedman notes that the NHLPA presented the league with a number of issues that would need to be addressed before the draft could be delayed and Friedman hears that that there simply may not be enough fight on the league side to figure out the many solutions. Dreger reports that, one way or another, answers are needed soon and there could be a meeting as early as Thursday to discuss all issues and options.

Trade Rumors: Market, Virtanen-Heinen, NMCs, Red Wings

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While the NHL Trade Deadline is exactly six weeks away and trade whispers have grown louder in recent days, a number of sources warn that it may be a mistake to expect an active trade market. The factors at play are what one might expect: the flat salary cap and clubs’ financial limitations as well as the U.S.-Canada border restrictions. Speaking on Sportsnet 960 in Calgary today, Elliotte Friedman noted that the market is much quieter than recent rumor and speculation has led everyone to believe. He cites the border issue – a mandatory 14-day quarantine for any player heading north – as limiting potential trade partners, but states that finances are an even greater inhibitor. Friedman said that many clubs are not looking to add salary and stress is being placed more on actual dollars than on cap hits. The Athletic’s Craig Custance and Eric Duhatschek take it even one step further, reporting that “few teams have permission to add salary” and noting that some non-contenders have been ordered by ownership to cut salary if at all possible. There is also the issue that many of the teams who may have the financial ability to add salary lack the cap space to do so. CapFriendly currently lists 16 teams – more than half the league – with projected cap space that amounts to less than a minimum salary and only seven teams currently in a playoff spot are among those with flexibility.

Fortunately, we may not be entirely without fireworks at the deadline. Friedman notes that major investments on players whose impact on teams will last beyond just this season or next could be seen as exceptions to the rule when it comes to adding salary. These additions can be excused as a financial commitment beyond the current financial and flat cap crises. Custance and Duhatschek also point out that for those Canadian teams with the means and desire to add, the deadline may be a little late given the possibility of lengthy quarantines, meaning trades could start up well before six weeks from now. There is hope that there will still be some transactional excitement this season and possibly even sooner rather than later.

  • It sure seemed like a notable trade was about to occur this weekend. On Saturday, it was reported by a number of sources that the Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks were nearing a deal that would have swapped Jake Virtanen and Danton Heinen. However, the deal never occurred and Friedman questions whether it was really as close as it was made out to be. The two sides certainly did discuss a trade and those two players in particular, and by all accounts continue to do so, but Friedman says that things got “carried away” before a firm deal was in place. The two sides are committed to balancing out the salaries in the trade and while Virtanen and Heinen do have very similar cap hits, their salaries are not even. In the final year of his contract, Heinen carries a $2.8MM AAV and near-equal amount of actual salary. Virtanen’s contract carries a $2.55MM AAV and he is owed only $1.7MM in salary this year, but he has an additional season remaining and $3.4MM in salary. That discrepancy is significant and a major hurdle and the reason why Friedman says a one-for-one swap was never a possibility. He notes that Derek Grant was discussed as a possible addition from Anaheim’s side and he could still be part of a final deal. In the first year of a three-year contract, Grant’s $1.5MM salary next year and $1.75MM in 2022-23 could help to offset Virtanen’s cost to Anaheim next year, but it doesn’t entirely cover the the difference and it is of course discounting the fact that Grant is a valuable player in his own right and not just a salary dump. There is clearly still more work to be done by the Ducks and Canucks if this heavily-rumored deal is to actually become reality. In the meantime, Friedman stated that Virtanen’s salary next season is a turn-off for most teams and could hinder Vancouver’s ability to trade him, especially if these talks with Anaheim fall apart.
  • One other limiting factor for the current trade market is that a pair of notable rental candidates may not be willing to waive their No-Movement Clauses. While there could be interest in Arizona Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, especially in a lacking rental market for blue liners, don’t expect the respected veteran to be on the move. Custance and Duhatschek write that Hjalmarsson has no interest in waiving his NMC and appears content to play out the final year of his contract in Arizona. Hjalmarsson does appear to have lost a step, scoring at a career-low rate and getting penalized at a career-high rate, so perhaps it’s in the best interest of all parties if he finishes out the year and rides off into the sunset. The more surprising note from Custance and Duhatschek on a player who also may not be willing to waive their NMC for a potential trade is Taylor Hall. Signed to a one-year deal this off-season, it was expected that Hall would again be the top trade deadline target if the Buffalo Sabres were not on a postseason trajectory. Well, the Sabres are certainly not playoff-bound, but Hall doesn’t seem to mind. Custance and Duhatschek cite sources who believe that Hall, ranked at just No. 24 on The Athletic’s trade board, is happy in Buffalo and would like to stay. There is a belief that an extension may be more likely than a trade at this point, even with the Sabres’ season in shambles and the team in need of the immense trade capital he would return.
  • Another year, another season in which the Detroit Red Wings will be sellers at the trade deadline. However, the team may be looking to move more than just rentals in the coming weeks (or in the off-season). A rival executive tells Custance and Duhatschek that GM Steve Yzerman is listening to all offers and wouldn’t be surprised if a young core forward such as Anthony Mantha or Tyler Bertuzzi were moved. Mantha, 26, is struggling this season and it remains unclear what his ceiling may be in the NHL as he has dealt with injury and inconsistency over the years. Bertuzzi, also 26, actually got off to a great start early this season, scoring at the best pace of his career albeit in nine games. He has since been sidelined by injury and without building on his hot start, there remain concerns that his development has flatlined in Detroit. If the Red Wings doubt that either player can be an effective part of the young core they are growing in the pipeline, they could be moved.

Stefan Noesen Clears Waivers

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Saturday: While Tinordi was claimed by Boston, Noesen cleared waivers, Friedman reports.  Kevin Kurz of The Athletic adds that Noesen has been sent to the taxi squad for the time being although he is likely to see some time in the AHL at some point to get some game action.

Friday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Stefan Noesen of the San Jose Sharks and Jarred Tinordi of the Nashville Predators have been placed on waivers today.

Noesen, 28, was actually claimed off waivers by the Sharks last season, but re-signed to a one-year, $925K contract after impressing down the stretch. That hasn’t been the case this time around, as Noesen has zero points in five games on the season and is basically out of the rotation. By waiving him, the veteran forward can be placed on the taxi squad or sent to the minor leagues.

Tinordi meanwhile has cleared waivers many times in the past, but keeps receiving more opportunities with the Predators. The 29-year-old, 6’6″ defenseman has five points in 35 games over the past two seasons. He has been replaced of late by another hulking defenseman, 26-year-old Ben Harpur who has played in each of the last three games. Tinordi could end up on the taxi squad, or perhaps return to the AHL where he played 32 games last season.

League Notes: Draft, Fines, AHL

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There’s been a lot of talk about the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and how it could be pushed back from this summer, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet examines just how difficult that would actually be in his latest 31 Thoughts column. Everyone agrees that it will be tough to properly assess players who haven’t had a chance to play much this season, but the draft has many other machinations that go along with it, including service time and rights retention.

There are real hurdles to overcome before the event is moved just like anything that needs to be negotiated between the NHL and NHLPA. For now, the draft is still scheduled to begin on July 23, just a few days after the Seattle Kraken enter as the league’s 32nd franchise and hold their expansion draft.

  • Vancouver Canucks forward Antoine Roussel has been fined $5,000 for roughing Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi last night, the maximum allowable under the CBA. After a whistle, Roussel started throwing punches at Puljujarvi without the Edmonton forward wanting to engage in a fight. Roussel was also assessed a two-minute minor penalty on the play.
  • The AHL has postponed tonight’s game between the Iowa Wild and Texas Stars due to COVID-19 protocols affecting the Wild. The game has not been rescheduled yet. This postponement means that Texas will continue to wait for their next game after having last week’s match postponed due to inclement weather. The Stars haven’t played since February 13 and it is unclear if games on Friday and Saturday against Iowa will go ahead.

Pittsburgh Penguins Claim Mark Friedman

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We finally have some skater movement on waivers. Today, the Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed defenseman Mark Friedman from the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

The easy connection to make here is straight from Friedman (the player) to Ron Hextall, who recently took over as Penguins GM. It was Hextall who drafted Friedman 86th overall in 2014 just a month after he was promoted to Flyers GM. It was also Hextall who would have seen Friedman at his best, a dominant all-situations force for the Bowling Green State University team.

The 25-year-old defenseman hasn’t made that kind of impact in the NHL yet, playing just 11 games to this point. Just four of those have come this season, but perhaps he’ll receive a bigger opportunity once he gets to Pittsburgh. The Penguins have dealt with injuries to their defense corps all season and still have two regulars on long-term injured reserve. Defense, in particular, will be an interesting test of Hextall’s new philosophy with the Penguins, given they had previously been invested in reclamation projects like Mike Matheson and Cody Ceci.

Friedman becomes the first skater to be claimed off waivers since before the season started. The other three players on waivers with him yesterday—Tanner Kero, Tommy Cross and Luke Schenn—all cleared.

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