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Tampa Bay Lightning Trying To Trade Slater Koekkoek

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Though there were certainly more exciting headlines generated by Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet—including that Carolina and Micheal Ferland are still not close on a contract extension—Tampa Bay Lightning fans likely focused in on one nugget in particular. Friedman reports that the Lightning are working to find a “new home” for Slater Koekkoek, who is currently with the Syracuse Crunch on a conditioning stint.

It’s been several years of disappointment for Koekkoek, who was selected 10th overall in 2012 as a do-it-all defenseman that could potentially grow into a nice complement behind Victor Hedman in Tampa Bay. Though his minor league career got off to a very solid start in 2014, Koekkoek has played just 85 NHL games to date and regularly found himself sitting on the bench late in games even when he was dressed. With the addition of Ryan McDonagh and Mikhail Sergachev as additional left-handed options the future seems bleak for Koekkoek even if he could stay healthy.

Just finding a new home could be quite difficult. Though Koekkoek carries just an $865K cap hit this season, he’s waiver eligible and a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in the summer. Nothing he’s done so far in his NHL career has shown that he would be even worth a qualifying offer given the risk of arbitration, meaning teams aren’t going to want to give up a lot to get him. If Tampa Bay is truly set on moving him it would likely be more of a “fresh start” trade that brings back very little, a tough ending for an organization who has invested a high pick and several years of development.

There could very well be another benefit for the Lightning though, given that they currently sit just under the 50-contract limit. With 49 players under contract in the organization, they will be limited at the trade deadline and at the end of the college season. That alone could be worth moving Koekkoek, if they’ve truly decided that he’s not part of the future.

Carolina Hurricanes, Micheal Ferland “Far Apart” In Contract Negotiations

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The Carolina Hurricanes have been the target of much trade speculation ever since Thomas Dundon took over as owner and rapidly changed the front office. The team traded away Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Jeff Skinner in part because they were hoping for a new identity on the ice, but still found themselves struggling to stay relevant through the first part of the season. Recently, that has changed with a five-game winning streak that shot Carolina back into the playoff picture and now has them as potential buyers at the deadline. Still, one pending unrestricted free agent sits on the roster as a potential rental option for another contender out there.

Micheal Ferland was one of the more underrated pieces that came back in the Lindholm-Hanifin deal, but has performed admirably for the team and still sits second in goals with 12. The physical, bang-and-crash winger has dealt with injury but provided more than enough for his $1.75MM cap hit. It’s that cap hit that makes him so attractive on the trade market though, especially if the Hurricanes can’t get him under an extension for next year. Ferland is a pending unrestricted free agent and according to Elliotte Friedman in his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, the two sides are “far, far apart” in negotiations.

Friedman mentions the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers as potential fits for Ferland at the deadline, though notes that there will be others. That makes sense given how Ferland has shown an ability to play up and down the lineup without dragging down talented linemates, and can offer a brand of hockey that is greatly coveted in the postseason. The 26-year old forward has 701 hits in 285 games and found his offensive stride last season when he recorded 21 goals and 41 points playing for long stretches beside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. That kind of versatility is extremely valuable, especially when it comes with such a low salary cost.

It will be interesting to see how Carolina plays the trade deadline though, as they’re obviously in need of more goal scoring if they are to make a playoff run this year. Trading Ferland would certainly take one of their top options away, but if he’s going to walk in free agency anyway there’s little reason to keep him around.

Scott Wilson, Miroslav Svoboda Placed On Waivers

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Wednesday: Both Wilson and Svoboda have cleared waivers according to Friedman. The latter will see his contract terminated, while the former has been assigned to Rochester.

Tuesday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Buffalo Sabres have placed depth forward Scott Wilson on waivers. Wilson is currently on injured reserve. In addition, the Nashville Predators have placed another player on unconditional waivers, this time heading towards a contract termination with goaltender Miroslav Svoboda who has spent the early part of the season in the ECHL.

Because of his injury status Wilson actually could have gone to the minor leagues on a short-term conditioning stint, but the Sabres are hoping he’ll slip through and provide them with even more flexibility going forward. Should he clear waivers tomorrow he can be assigned to the Rochester Americans for a longer period of time, and be recalled when necessary. Given the expected return of Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart within the next few games, the depth forward wasn’t needed at the current time.

Wilson, who played for three different organizations last season, found a home in Buffalo in the second half. Registering 14 points in 49 games he showed that he could be a reasonably valuable bottom-six player for the club. He’s still waiting for his first opportunity of 2018-19, but there’s certainly no reason to think the Sabres have given up on him. After all, they did sign him to a two-year $2.1MM contract last July. That contract is cheap enough to be buried in the minor leagues if necessary, but also represents a commitment to Wilson that should not have disappeared at this point.

David Schlemko Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Schlemko has cleared waivers and was immediately assigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

Monday: The Montreal Canadiens have decided to waive another veteran defenseman, this time placing David Schlemko on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Schlemko is currently on injured reserve.

Almost nothing has gone right for Schlemko since he was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights prior to last season. The veteran defenseman has played just 55 games for the Canadiens over that stretch, recording seven points and finding himself paired with different teammates on a regular basis. Unable to stay healthy or consistently in the lineup, waivers and a potential trip to the minor leagues was a logical next step.

Still, it’s always surprising to see a player of his experience and talent available for the whole league. Perhaps it shouldn’t be given Montreal’s moves this season, as the team has made it obvious they won’t wait around for passengers to find their game. Schlemko joins Karl Alzner, Jacob de La Rose, Nikita Scherbak and Xavier Ouellet as waived Canadiens since the beginning of the season, not to mention Tomas Plekanec who saw his contract terminated. GM Marc Bergevin is working hard to provide an opportunity for his young players while also maintaining a competitive roster, and Schlemko is just the next name on the list that isn’t giving the team enough.

It’s hard to see anyone claiming the 31-year old at this point, given his recent injury and $2.1MM cap hit. That hit doesn’t even end this year, as Schlemko has another season on the four-year deal he signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2016. More likely the Canadiens will bury him in the minors for a time like they did with Alzner, or pursue a trade to send him to another organization.

Three Players Placed On Waivers

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Monday: All three players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Sunday: The Los Angeles Kings have come to the same decision that the Montreal Canadiens made earlier this season, and have placed young forward Nikita Scherbak on waivers. He’ll be joined by Jordan Schmaltz of the St. Louis Blues and Chris Wideman of the Florida Panthers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Scherbak was claimed by the Kings in an attempt to add some more speed and youth to their lineup in a hope that it would create more offense, but the 23-year old winger failed to do so through his eight games in Los Angeles. Scoring just a single goal, Scherbak struggled to adjust to his new team and will now be available for the entire league once again. If he clears, Los Angeles would be able to send Scherbak to the Ontario Reign and keep him in the organization.

St. Louis too is hoping to sneak Schmaltz through and send him to the minor leagues, given the fact that he hasn’t played in an NHL game since December 14th. The 25-year old defenseman just can’t seem to crack the Blues lineup on a full-time basis, playing in 20 games this season but earning an average of just 11:29 minutes of ice time. Schmaltz was a first-round pick of the Blues in 2012, but has just five points in 42 NHL games and could very well be on his way to another organization to get a fresh start.

Wideman, meanwhile has seemed to get a fresh start every few days this season. After being involved in the infamous Ottawa Senators Uber video earlier this year, he was eventually traded to the Edmonton Oilers in late November. After just five games as an Oiler, the team decided to ship him out to Florida as part of the package that acquired Alex Petrovic. Wideman made his Florida debut last night recording two shots in just under 12 minutes of ice time, but apparently did not do enough to impress Bob Boughner’s coaching staff. If assigned to the minor leagues, Wideman’s entire $1MM salary would be buried and not count towards the cap for the Panthers.

Dougie Hamilton Potentially Available As Carolina Enters Trade Market

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With talks extension talks cooling with Matt Duchene the Ottawa Senators could be forced to consider moving their unrestricted free agent forward before long, and they’re not the only Eastern Conference team in that situation. The Carolina Hurricanes were also discussed on last night’s Headlines panel between periods of the Vancouver-Toronto game, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated that the team are not close on an extension with UFA forward Micheal Ferland and also have two free agent goaltenders who could be of interest before the deadline.

Most notably though, Friedman mentioned Dougie Hamilton as a player that Carolina could consider moving for the right package:

Another name I’m curious about is Dougie Hamilton. They have four right-shot [defensemen], they have been asked about Hamilton. If you’re willing to come back at them with a score, I think that they would consider doing it.

That revelation may come as a surprise, given that Hamilton was the centerpiece in a trade that cost the team both Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin just last year. Hamilton hasn’t been quite the dominating right-handed puck mover that the Hurricanes expected, only logging 13 points through his first 40 games. That pact would put him at his lowest point total since 2013-14 with Boston, and much lower than the last few seasons with the Calgary Flames.

Perhaps most telling is Hamilton’s ice time, which has decreased to just over 17 minutes over his last six games including a season-low 14:22 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. Part of that decrease can be explained by the Hurricanes’ almost unmatched depth on the right side, with Brett Pesce, Justin Faulk and Trevor van Riemsdyk all right-handed and capable. It’s also not the first time that Hamilton’s name has been included in trade talks.

Originally selected ninth overall by the Boston Bruins in 2011 with a pick the team acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hamilton lasted just a few years before trade rumors started surfacing. The young defenseman would only play three seasons in Boston before being shipped out to Calgary for a trio of draft picks, only to once again find himself on the block after three years with the Flames. Reports vary on whether Hamilton fit in well with teammates and coaching staffs, but his on-ice play never suffered.

Throughout his short career, the 25-year old has 233 points in 463 games and has been one of the darlings of the analytical community. Driving possession in a way that very few players can match, Hamilton can boost teammates and be a force at both even-strength and on the powerplay. The idea that he could be available once again may not come as a surprise given his history, but it certainly should perk up a few ears around the league. Hamilton carries just a $5.75MM cap hit through 2020-21.

Philadelphia Flyers Claim Mike McKenna

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In a move that’s sure to solve their goaltending woes, the Philadelphia Flyers have claimed Mike McKenna off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Canucks now face a dilemma in their minor league crease, given that Thatcher Demko has indeed been recalled as expected. For the Flyers, another goalie was needed after Michal Neuvirth suffered another minor injury. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher explained the decision:

Mike provides our organization added depth as we continue to battle injuries at the goaltending position. He is a veteran goaltender with a tremendous amount of professional experience.

Tremendous amount of experience may be an understatement when it comes to McKenna. The 35-year old goaltender has played just 34 games at the NHL level, but has suited up more than 500 times in the minor leagues since his debut in 2005. While Carter Hart is expected to carry the load, McKenna is a good option to hold the backup role until Neuvirth, Anthony Stolarz or Brian Elliott are ready to return to action.

McKenna’s claim is an interesting one for several other teams around the league, including the Canucks themselves. The team had only just acquired the veteran goaltender from the Ottawa Senators and obviously hoped they would be able to get him through waivers today. The Utica Comets, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, were already without Richard Bachman due to a long-term injury and have now lost Demko to the NHL. That leaves them without a starting goaltender for now, something that Vancouver will have to address quickly.

Another is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who very well could have put in a claim on McKenna given their own injury woes in net. Frederik Andersen is still out with a groin injury and the team confirmed that Garret Sparks has been diagnosed with a concussion. That leaves Michael Hutchinson as the lone experienced goaltender in Toronto, something they clearly are uncomfortable with.

Philadelphia Flyers Issue Update On Injured Players

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The Philadelphia Flyers, win-less in their last five games, have struggled with injuries at every position this season. With 39 games under their belt already, Philadelphia approaches the midway point of the season as the last-place team in the Metropolitan Division and currently 12 points out of a playoff spot. While new general manager Chuck Fletcher has a reputation for making big trades, the team seems unlikely to be anything but a seller unless their fortunes change dramatically in the second half. Any chance of that happening thus depends on the team getting back to full health and staying that way, allowing for some consistency on the roster to yield results. The Flyers today released an update on six players currently sidelined, paired with predictions of when they might return to action.

The most pressing injury update obviously belongs to starting goaltender Brian Elliott. Elliott, out since mid-November with a lower-body injury thought to be a groin injury, has played in just 14 games this season for the Flyers. With injuries hampering Michal Neuvirth, Alex Lyon, and Anthony Stolarz (also currently out) at times this season as well, Elliott is one of six different keepers to man the Philadelphia net this season, none of whom have had much success. Elliott remains the Flyers’ top option and best chance of winning games. The team relayed that they expect the veteran net minder to finally return to action in the next 10-14 days. They also added that Stolarz, who missed almost the entire 2017-18 season due to injury, is also on the mend and should be back from his own lower-body injury within days.

On the blue line, veteran Andrew MacDonald is also struggling with a lower-body injury, but should not miss much time. The Flyers announced that he will sit for the team’s next two games, but should resume skating on the other side of the weekend. More importantly, young counterpart Samuel Morin, who has yet to play this season due to off-season ACL surgery, is finally progressing toward a return. However, a serious knee injury takes time and, while Morin is back at practice with the team, they don’t expect him to be game-ready until later in February. Up front, young center Nolan Patrick is not expected to miss much time with a recently-suffered upper-body injury. Patrick has missed the team’s past three games, but is close to being cleared and is expected to play at some point next week. Finally, Corban Knight, out since late October following surgery to repair a broke collarbone, is ahead of schedule on his initial four month timeline. Knight will be re-evaluated later this month and is expected to return in February.

The question now is whether or not the improved health of the Flyers makes a difference. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently named Philadelphia as a team he expected to be active on the trade market, but acknowledged that it is still unclear whether they consider themselves buyers or sellers. Despite the poor on-ice performance, Fletcher still sees the potential in his new club and would like to improve the roster rather than dismantle it. However, if health alone isn’t enough to close the gap substantially by the NHL Trade Deadline, he may have no choice but to move out his expendable pieces. Elliott, an impending unrestricted free agent, could be a valued piece for teams with needs in net, especially if he can prove that he is back at full strength with some strong play. Neuvirth and Stolarz, who also have expiring contracts, are other potential goalie rentals, albeit less likely to move. The real value for the Flyers would come from moving several forwards, namely Wayne Simmonds, but also fellow UFA’s Michael Raffl and Jordan Weal. Whether or not it comes to that for Fletcher and the Flyers depends on the team’s play down the stretch and they hope that this upcoming return to health helps to make the difference.

Calgary Flames Looking For Left-Handed Defenseman

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The Calgary Flames have one of the deepest defense corps in the entire NHL, with several young options pushing for regular roles and a captain playing at a Norris-caliber level even late in his career. Still, they are apparently looking to add to the group. Both Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet have recently noted that the Flames are looking for a left-handed defenseman, specifically a rental for the third pairing according to LeBrun.

Calgary currently has four left-handed options on the roster, though T.J. Brodie routinely plays on the right side. That leaves young Oliver Kylington holding down the third pairing left-hand side recently, something that the team may not be fully confident in given their Stanley Cup aspirations. Kylington is a talented prospect, but is still just 21 years old and obviously doesn’t have the full trust of the coaching staff at this point. He’s played fewer than 12 minutes in 11 of his 16 games this season including a low of just 8:21 on December 22nd.

Juuso Valimaki very well could be the answer on the left side, but is still dealing with a high ankle sprain and Friedman notes that the team is unsure of how he’ll respond when back in the lineup. Adding some depth to the roster in that position may be prudent, though it is not clear who they are targeting at the moment. In terms of left-handed rentals, Jay Bouwmeester and Niklas Kronwall stick out as veteran options on struggling teams, though both have trade protection and may not be what the Flames are after.

It is interesting that the Flames apparent search for help on defense comes just as the team is dealing with a situation regarding an expensive, underutilized forward’s agent publicizing his frustration. Michael Frolik’s agent Allan Walsh went to Twitter recently to call out the Flames for scratching the veteran forward, spawning plenty of speculation over his future in Calgary. Frolik carries a $4.3MM cap hit through next season, a number that may be impossible for the team to keep around after handing out new contracts to Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett this summer. Frolik still has plenty of talent left in him—as evidenced by his two-assist performance on Monday after being reinserted into the lineup—and could certainly help someone around the league.

Obviously there is no guarantee the Flames find what they’re looking for, but the simple fact of them asking around about rentals should indicate that they have an appetite to “go for it” this season with their strong core. The team sits in first place in the Pacific Division with a 24-12-4 record and could very reasonably come out as the top seed in the Western Conference. With that kind of positioning halfway through the season, it’s easy to see why they would want to make sure every little roster hole is filled.

Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues Put Three On Waivers

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Wednesday: All three players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Tuesday: The Ottawa Senators have decided that two assists in 37 games from Tom Pyatt just isn’t enough as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Senators have placed the veteran forward on waivers today. A moment later, Friedman added that the St. Louis Blues put a pair of players on waivers as well, including defenseman Chris Butler and forward Jordan Nolan. Friedman also writes that Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jason Garrison cleared waivers.

After losing five games in a row, the move to put Pyatt on waivers comes as no surprise as general manager Pierre Dorion is obviously sending a message to head coach Guy Boucher that the team needs to turn its fortunes around as the new year comes about. Pyatt, a favorite of Boucher, has struggled offensively as he has no goals and just two assists in 37 games as a bottom-line forward, but even more disappointing is his minus-16 rating on the ice. The 31-year-old has already seen his playing time drop to under 10 minutes in the nine of the past 10 games. The move could have been made as Jean-Gabriel Pageau is expected to return to the ice soon, possibly as early as Wednesday. Pyatt is in the final year of a two-year, $2.2MM contract and could generate some interest from a team looking for some veteran depth options.

Both Butler and Nolan have already been on waivers earlier this season as both cleared to start the season. Butler, however, has already seen 12 games and with the imminent return of defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who has missed quite a bit of time with an upper-body injury, the team was required to place the 32-year-old on waivers. As for Nolan, he has also appeared in 11 games this year and has two assists to go with 14 penalty minutes. The 29-year-old Nolan, who has played parts of eight seasons in the NHL, will likely return to San Antonio where he has seven goals and 15 points there.

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