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Snapshots: Three Stars, Letang, Gonchar

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Seattle Kraken goaltender Martin Jones taking top spot. The honor continues what has been an incredible run for the 33-year-old netminder. In each of the last three seasons (two with the San Jose Sharks and one with the Philadelphia Flyes), Jones has failed to eclipse 17 wins. This year, through 31 appearances, he has 21. That is despite putting up a save percentage – .895 – that is actually slightly lower than any he has posted in the past. Jones has faced more than 30 shots just five times this season.

Second and third went to two wingers at very different stages of their careers. Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings is just trying to establish himself as a consistent presence in the league, while Nikita Kucherov continues on his Hall of Fame track. Each one collected three goals and seven points in three games last week.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are expecting Kris Letang to return to the team in the next few days. The veteran defenseman was away dealing with the death of his father, and hasn’t played since December 28. The Penguins have 40 games left in the season, and Letang needs to play in 30 of them to reach 1,000 for his career.
  • Sergei Gonchar, who last coached in the NHL during the 2019-20 season, may be on his way back to join Rick Tocchet with the Vancouver Canucks, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. While Tocchet’s hiring isn’t official, Friedman seems to believe it is inevitable at this point, suggesting it could happen within the next few weeks. Today, Jim Rutherford admitted that he had been in contact with potential replacements.

Alex Nedeljkovic, Nicholas Caamano Clear Waivers

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Jan 16: Both have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Jan 15: A pair of players are on the waiver wire today. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Detroit Red Wings have waived former rookie sensation Alex Nedeljkovic, while the Dallas Stars have waived forward Nicholas Caamano.

Nedeljkovic’s storybook run in 2020-21 with the Carolina Hurricanes seems like a distant memory now. As a 25-year-old rookie, the 37th overall selection in 2014 led the league with a .932 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average as Carolina starter Petr Mrazek missed most of the season with an injury.

He was then dealt to Detroit, where while his numbers dropped last season, they were still quite respectable as he neared 60 starts behind a team with many holes. It hasn’t been the same results this year, though, as a .880 save percentage and 2-4-2 record in just eight starts have caused him to slip to third on the team’s goalie depth chart behind Ville Husso and waiver claim Magnus Hellberg.

Nedeljkovic has already spent six games in the minors this season on conditioning stints, but he will now need to clear waivers to continue playing there. Even as a pending unrestricted free agent, his $3MM cap hit is likely prohibitive for any team needing goalie help making a claim. He has strong numbers with the Grand Rapids Griffins, posting a shutout, a .920 save percentage, and 3-2-2 record. An extended stay in the minors could help Nedeljkovic regain confidence long-term.

Regarding Caamano, the 24-year-old has yet to play this season and was just activated from season-opening injured reserve. A 2016 fifth-round pick, Caamano had just 14 points in 47 AHL games last season with the Texas Stars. He was a taxi squad fixture for Dallas during the shortened 2020-21 season, recording an assist in 24 games in the NHL.

Snapshots: Dumba, Samorukov, Keller

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For years, Matt Dumba has been at the center of trade talks. The Minnesota Wild had too many defensemen, then they didn’t have the cap space, and now he is closing in on free agency. His name has come up once again, and (hesitantly), Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet discussed it on the recent 32 Thoughts podcast.

There has been a lot of talk about him this week, I think it’s all pretty accurate. I think a whole bunch of teams have called at various times this year about Dumba. Bill Guerin has told people ’if you want to talk about Dumba, make me an offer that makes me think.’ Guerin and the Minnesota Wild are trying to win the Stanley Cup, and are not going to make a deal that makes them worse [this season]. 

Friedman confirmed that the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks have shown interest, along with other teams. But doesn’t believe anything has come close to this point, as Guerin and the Wild have their sights set on a long postseason run.

  • The St. Louis Blues have returned Dmitri Samorukov to the minor leagues, ending his recent call-up after just a few days. The 23-year-old defenseman didn’t get into an NHL game, but does have 34 appearances for the Springfield Thunderbirds. Acquired from the Edmonton Oilers before the season, he’s on a one-year, one-way contract that leaves him as an arbitration-eligible RFA this summer.
  • Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller has been fined $5,000 for a cross-check in last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators. The incident resulted in a five-minute major and game misconduct for Keller, who hit Erik Brannstrom in the throat area after a battle in front of the net. Fortunately for the Coyotes, he will not face a suspension in this case.

Rangers Claim Jake Leschyshyn; Panthers Claim Casey Fitzgerald

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The New York Rangers are the team willing to take a chance on Jake Leschyshyn, claiming him off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The young forward was waived yesterday after failing to record a single point this season. They aren’t the only team nabbing a new player though. Casey Fitzgerald has been claimed by the Florida Panthers, meaning he’s leaving the Buffalo Sabres, the only organization he’s ever been a part of.

Leschyshyn, 23, is better than he has shown for the Golden Knights this season, but the fact was that he hadn’t produced any offense despite regular (albeit limited) playing time. Selected 62nd overall in 2017, the Rangers likely have confidence that they can get him back closer to the player that put up 27 points in 34 games for the Henderson Silver Knights last season. A versatile forward who can be good defensively, engage physically and play both center and wing, he doesn’t need to produce a ton to be valuable. He does have to produce some though, which will ultimately decide whether he stays in the Rangers lineup for long.

Fitzgerald’s loss is a critical one for the Sabres. As referenced yesterday, when he was placed on waivers, Buffalo has some of the thinnest organizational depth in the league on defense. With today’s loss, they are now tied with Seattle for the fewest defensemen under NHL contracts with 11. Should the team run into any injuries, they would quickly run into a tricky situation in terms of available call-ups. With the team legitimately challenging for a playoff spot, that may end up being an area of focus at the trade deadline.

For Florida though, Fitzgerald is a nice solution. In early December, we wrote that defensive depth was a serious need, as the coaching staff didn’t seem comfortable icing the bottom pair for more than a few minutes a game. Matt Kiersted, for instance, is averaging just 9:51 in his 20 appearances. Fitzgerald, who has played 59 games over the last two seasons with Buffalo, gives them another option there, perhaps one that can gain some trust.

It wouldn’t be the first time a waiver claim did well on the Panthers blue line. Gustav Forsling, who now logs more than 24 minutes a night, was claimed almost exactly two years ago and has lived up to the potential.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Comrie, McCabe

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The NHL released its Three Stars of last week, with David Pastrnak taking the top spot. The Boston Bruins superstar has scored seven goals in the last three games and now has 32 in 40 games this season. Quite the platform year for the pending free agent, who will need a massive contract from the Bruins to stay in town. It’s also a great showcase for his All-Star participation, which isn’t certain given he’s in the fan vote.

Second and third place went to Jack Hughes and Rasmus Dahlin, two of the most impressive young players (and first-overall picks) in the league. Hughes, 21, leads the league in even-strength goals with 21 and has already matched the career-high he set last season with 26 overall. Five of those came last week as he continues to lead the New Jersey Devils into contender status in the Metropolitan Division. Because of the attention that Tage Thompson is getting as an emerging superstar, Dahlin’s season for the Buffalo Sabres may actually be going a little bit under the radar. The 22-year-old now has 44 points in 36 games, putting him in real contention for the Norris Trophy, given how important he is to the Sabres every night. His 1.22 points-per-game rate trails only Erik Karlsson among NHL defenders this season.

  • Speaking of Buffalo, there’s a bit of a roster crunch happening for the Sabres, as they try to figure out the goaltending situation. Eric Comrie’s conditioning stint is over and he told reporters including Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News that he is healthy and ready to play. As of right now, Comrie remains on injured reserve and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has played so well in his absence, is still on the roster as an emergency call-up. That won’t be allowed to continue, and the Sabres will have to make a decision one way or another. Send Luukkonen down, put Comrie (or Craig Anderson) on waivers to send him down, or carry three goaltenders on the active roster.
  • When discussing potential defense targets for the Edmonton Oilers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast touched on Jake McCabe of the Chicago Blackhawks. Friedman believes that Edmonton is on McCabe’s no-trade list, which could be the end of any speculation that he could be acquired at the deadline. McCabe holds a seven-team NTC, carries a $4MM cap hit and is signed through the 2024-25 season.

Snapshots: Provorov, Pelech, Hagelin

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There’s always something going on in Philadelphia. Last night, Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo found himself stapled to the bench for the second half of the game after a brutal giveaway, finishing with just seven minutes of ice time. Today, things have shifted to Ivan Provorov, who was the subject of a long discussion between Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast.

This kind of came to my attention early Sunday morning. I was kind of working on it and it’s a difficult thing to pin down. But to say that there is something going on here. I think you’re going to hear Provorov’s name out there [in the trade market]. 

It just “hasn’t worked” for Provorov in Philadelphia since his early-career breakout, when he scored 17 goals and 41 points as a sophomore. That early success led to a six-year, $40.5MM second contract, one that will keep the 25-year-old defenseman signed through the 2024-25 season at a $6.75MM cap hit. One thing to note when discussing any Provorov trade speculation is that the back-loaded deal will pay him $8.5MM in 2023-24 and $8.625MM in 2024-25, meaning any acquiring team would be investing quite a bit of money in the defenseman. Through 40 games this year, Provorov has two goals and 14 points.

  • While one Metropolitan Division team struggles to find consistency on the back end, another might be getting an important defender back in the near future. Adam Pelech has resumed skating and has been on the ice the last three days, according to New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert who spoke with reporters including Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. The 28-year-old Pelech has been out for more than a month, last appearing on December 6 against the St. Louis Blues. He was off to another strong start this year with 11 points in 27 games and despite his absence, still sits second on the team with a +12 rating.
  • Carl Hagelin was on the ice again this morning ahead of practice for the Washington Capitals, though he didn’t stay on when the main group arrived, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. Washington recently got Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson back and now might have another veteran forward to add to the group in the coming weeks. The question now will be where exactly Hagelin fits into the lineup, given how long he’s been out. He last appeared in an NHL game in February of last year, scored just three goals last season, and is now 34.

Jansen Harkins Clears Waivers

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Jan 3: Harkins has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Jan 2: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Winnipeg Jets have placed Jansen Harkins on waivers, as Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti close in on a return to the lineup. Harkins already cleared at the beginning of the season but has played far too many games to be assigned to the minor leagues without going through the process again.

The 25-year-old forward has played more than 150 games for the Jets over the last four years, after developing into a dominant presence in the minor leagues. Last season he set career highs with 77 games played, seven goals, and 13 points, while averaging fewer than ten minutes a game. This year the ice time has gone up, but the production has remained limited, with just two goals and five points for Harkins so far.

Ehlers has been out for nearly the entire season and Perfetti since before Christmas. The pair are expected to slot right back into top-six roles upon their return, moving everyone down a peg and pushing fourth-line players like Harkins out of the lineup. With a two-year, one-way contract on the books that carries a cap hit of $850K it is unlikely that any other team will claim him.

Still, it’s not impossible, and that shows how recent waiver claim Karson Kuhlman has played his way up the depth chart in Winnipeg. The 27-year-old is averaging more than 15 minutes a night since arriving and was practicing on Mark Scheifele’s wing again today. When Ehlers and Perfetti return, Kuhlman can move down and into the role vacated by Harkins, should he be assigned to the minor leagues or claimed tomorrow.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Laine, Bear

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The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with Filip Forsberg leading the way. The Nashville Predators winger scored five goals and seven points in three games, extending his lead in the team scoring race. Forsberg now has 14 goals and 32 points in 35 games, not quite the same pace he set last season when looking for a new contract. Even with a Forsberg hat trick on New Year’s Eve, the Predators failed to secure two points against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Second and third went to Erik Karlsson and Antti Raanta, who each had outstanding weeks. Karlsson had seven assists in four games and now leads the entire NHL in that category with 40 through his first 39 games. The San Jose Sharks defenseman is having an incredible bounce-back campaign and will once again be a Norris candidate thanks to a huge point total. Raanta, meanwhile, stopped 67 of 71 shots across three wins, keeping the Carolina Hurricanes on their 11-game streak.

  • Patrik Laine is out of COVID protocol and back with the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. The star ginger will be back in the lineup tomorrow and is expected to skate with Kent Johnson and Jonny Gaudreau on the top line. Laine’s season has been constantly interrupted by injury and illness, resulting in just 20 games played so far. He has nine goals and 16 points in those appearances.
  • Portzline adds that Nick Blankenburg, who has been out since November, will travel with the club for their game against the Ottawa Senators but is not expected to play. The 24-year-old was averaging more than 18 minutes a night in his seven appearances before going down to a broken ankle.
  • Now that the calendar has been turned to 2023, players on one-year deals are eligible to sign extensions as Joe Pavelski did yesterday. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Ethan Bear and the Vancouver Canucks are expected to talk this week about a potential deal, though there is no guarantee a contract is signed so quickly. Bear has played well for the Canucks since they acquired him at the end of October from the Carolina Hurricanes, and is currently scheduled to become a restricted free agent when his one-year, $2.2MM deal expires.

Andreas Johnsson Clears Waivers

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Dec 29: Johnsson has cleared waivers and was immediately assigned to Utica.

Dec 28: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the New Jersey Devils have placed Andreas Johnsson on waivers once again, after he previously cleared at the beginning of the season. He joins Max Willman today, who the Philadelphia Flyers already announced would be on waivers.

Johnsson, 28, has played just two games this season in the NHL, after scoring 13 goals and 35 points in 2021-22. As the Devils improved their forward group, he was pushed further down the depth chart and now finds himself on the outside looking in when it comes to NHL minutes.

Given the team also was forced to move Ondrej Palat to long-term injured reserve just to fit in today’s recalls, burying Johnsson in the minor leagues can also be beneficial to their cap situation. His $3.4MM cap hit can’t be entirely buried, but $1.125MM will come off the books while he plays for the Utica Comets.

That is of course assuming he clears waivers, though it seems very likely given that contract situation.

Latest On Edmonton’s Search For Defense

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The Edmonton Oilers haven’t been able to stop many teams this season, allowing goals at an alarming pace for a club that started the year with plans to contend for the Stanley Cup. After three straight 4-3 losses, their search for defensemen has hit the hot stove once again. In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, the insider reports that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov is on the Oilers’ radar.

Gavrikov, 27, is likely to draw interest from a number of teams as he continues to play solid (if unspectacular) defense for the Blue Jackets. The sixth-round pick has nine points in 32 games this season while averaging over 22 minutes a night, and brings a size/mobility combination that is very desirable for contenders at the deadline. Friedman even notes the prices of David Savard and Ben Chiarot in recent years as an indication of what it might cost to acquire Gavrikov.

In 2021, the Blue Jackets sent Savard to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a three-way deal that included the Detroit Red Wings, for the cost of a first, third, and fourth-round pick. The double salary retention involved dropped Savard’s cap hit to just over $1MM, allowing him to fit into the eventual Stanley Cup champions’ tight budget. Gavrikov, who currently carries a $2.8MM cap hit, could actually get even lower than that, if the same middle-man structure were to take place.

Chiarot landed a similar package from the Florida Panthers last year, as the Montreal Canadiens received first and fourth-round picks along with the rights to recent third-round prospect Ty Smilanic. The Canadiens retained half of Chiarot’s deal, taking his cap hit down to $1.75MM for the Panthers.

It should be noted that while Savard did win a Stanley Cup with the Lightning, neither one of these trades really worked out all that well for the acquiring team. Savard did very little on Tampa Bay’s run, dressing for 20 of the 23 games but averaging just over 14 minutes a night. Chiarot’s Panthers were swept in the second round while he was averaging just 17 minutes a night. Neither player re-signed with the acquiring teams.

Gavrikov, like Savard and Chiarot, is a pending unrestricted free agent that will likely be after a multi-year deal on the open market – one that should increase his cap hit significantly. Though he isn’t a star, he has shown the ability to play big minutes against top players and is a bargain at his current $2.8MM hit.

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