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Elliotte Friedman

Trade Rumors: Pearson, Zykov, Leddy

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When a name keeps popping up in trade rumors, it’s usually not for nothing. In the latest “31 Thoughts”, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman becomes another hockey insider to tab Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Pearson as a likely trade victim this season. Despite the sweeping changes already made by GM Rob Blake in regards to his coaching staff, he is certainly going to tweak his roster as well. Friedman notes that after a 24-goal campaign in 2016-17, Pearson notched just 15 last year and has yet to find the back of the net this year. In fact, Pearson has just one lone assist on the year, not to mention a slowed pace on shots and hits, a drop-off in ice time, and the worst plus/minus of his career. Pearson is sorely in need of a change of scenery and even though the Kings would be selling the 26-year-old winger at his lowest value, it would not be a shock to see a move come sooner rather than later. The team will land a nice return regardless; Pearson is still capable of being an effective two-way middle-six forward for many teams.

  • The only player whose name has been more talked about on the rumor mill than Pearson’s is disgruntled – and unsigned – Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander. The one team constantly connected to Nylander has been the Carolina Hurricanes, who would likely be dealing away one of their many talented defenseman as part of a hypothetical package. However, Friedman notes that another player the ’Canes are likely willing to move, to Toronto or otherwise, is young forward Valentin Zykov. Zykov, 23, has been struggling to find a full-time role with Carolina for years. His twelve NHL games this season is already a career-high, but he played just 4:41 last game and has only three points on the year. Zykov simply doesn’t look like a long-term fit for the Hurricanes and Friedman indicates that he could be on the move as a result.
  • One potential trade target who has flown under the radar is New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy. Last month, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta noted that Leddy’s name began popping up in conversations as early as last year and again over the summer. Pagnotta said a deal wasn’t imminent, but that it remained a possibility. The remarks were prompted by Leddy’s poor start to the season; the offensive defenseman began the campaign with nine scoreless games. After a brief outburst of three points in two nights, Leddy is again on a scoreless streak of three games after the Islanders’ loss last night. Leddy was one of the worst plus/minus players in the NHL last season at -42 and that was with 42 points to his credit. If his offense has dried up in New York and the Isles are having to win in spite of him, he could be traded away for a nice haul in no time. Leddy would be a prime candidate to bounce back on a team where he is not relied upon as much for minutes and defense.

Pacific Notes: Tanev, Oates, Tippett

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The Vancouver Canucks have exceeded expectations so far this season and are about to get even better. With 18 points in 15 games, the Canucks hold the second spot in the Pacific Division right now and are riding a three-game win streak. Yet, they have been without stalwart defenseman Chris Tanev for the past five games and have had to find ways to earn points without his assistance. That ends tonight, as CapFriendly reports that Tanev has been activated from the injured reserve and should be active against the Detroit Red Wings this evening. With Alexander Edler still sidelined, Tanev should step right back into Vancouver’s ice time leader role and will try to improve upon his three total points so far in the campaign. Tanev’s return should be a major boost for the Canucks, who despite their relative success, are still among the bottom third of the league in points against and could use some more stability on the back end, the hallmark of Tanev’s game. To make room for Tanev, CapFriendly additionally notes that young Jalen Chatfield has been returned to the AHL’s Utica Comets. Chatfield, 22, is in his second pro season out of the OHL, but has yet to make his NHL debut.

  • Following the firing of John Stevens, hiring of Willie Desjardins, and other re-shuffling of the coaching staff, the Los Angeles Kings continue to make small changes to their operations. Today, GM Rob Blake came to terms on a consulting agreement with Hall of Fame player and former coach Adam Oates, the team announced. Oates, and his Oates Sports Group, currently provide skill evaluation and development services to individual players around the league and beyond. It will be business as usual for the company and their player clients, but now special services will be offered to the Kings. Los Angeles has dealt with speed and finesse issues for years now and this move signifies that they are willing to do whatever it takes to find the solution to those problems. They hope that Oates, who recorded 1420 points over his 19-year NHL career, can lend a major hand in the pursuit of a revamped offense under Desjardins.
  • In his latest 31 Thoughts article, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that Dave Tippett has been a hotly rumored name on the NHL coaching market for a while now, with Friedman sounding somewhat surprised that he was not named as the replacement in L.A. or Chicago. When last we heard from the former Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes head coach, he had taken an advisory role with the potential Seattle expansion team. When Friedman reached out to Tippett recently for comment on the job market, he confirmed that he was happy with his current role and staying in Seattle. If Tippett really has been approached with coaching offers and has declined in favor of the status quo, that says a lot about his anticipated job with the Seattle expansion team. Tippett seems confident with his current allegiances, indicating that he is likely in line to be the franchise’s first head coach or perhaps even general manager.

Eastern Notes: Nylander, Elliott, Hedman, Rask

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are running out of time to sign restricted free agent William Nylander and as each day passes, general manager Kyle Dubas may be more and more inclined to look to deal Nylander before they lose him for the season.

In Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada segment, Elliotte Friedman said that if/when the Maple Leafs decide to move Nylander, expect the Carolina Hurricanes to be ready to make a deal.

“When the time does come — if the time does come that Toronto decides they are going to deal [Nylander] — Carolina has made it very clear that they are all in,” said Friedman.

Carolina has a number of key assets that might interest Toronto, including defensemen Justin Faulk and Brett Pesce. Nylander would be another key piece for the Hurricanes to build up their forward core that already includes Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers lost one of their goalies Saturday when Michal Neuvirth was sent back home to Philadelphia for medical reasons. Now, Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Brian Elliott left practice early today after he collided with teammate Travis Konecny. The injury-prone goalie left holding his head, but there is no update, nor is it known if he can play in Monday’s game against Arizona. If not, Calvin Pickard will fill in for him and the team may have to recall Alex Lyon from Lehigh Valley of the AHL. The 33-year-old Elliott has been adequate at best so far in 10 appearances this year. He has a 3.10 GAA and an .893 save percentage.
  • The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) reports that Tampa Bay Lightning head coach said defenseman Victor Hedman, who has been out since Oct. 26 when he collided with Vegas’ Ryan Reaves will be out on Tuesday, but could be ready to return later this week.
  • With lots of mailbag questions about Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, NBC Sports Joe Hagerty writes that he doubts the team would be able to trade the struggling Rask in any upcoming deal. The 31-year-old Rask, who has been outplayed by free agent Jaroslav Halak so far this season, has a 3.15 GAA and a .902 save percentage in six appearances. However, his contract ($7MM AAV for two more years after this one), but more particularly his no-trade clause will prevent Boston from moving him. While many teams might want to give Rask a new opportunity, Haggerty writes he doesn’t believe that Rask has any interest in leaving Boston and wouldn’t be willing to waive his no-trade clause.

CBA Notes: Timeline, World Cup, Fehr, Playoffs, Scheduling, Orr

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The NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement is not a topic that most hockey fans want to hear much about, as in its recent history it has become synonymous with lockouts and missed games (and seasons). Yet, it isn’t ever going away and details are already emerging about when the next round of negotiations could begin. The current CBA technically does not expire until September 15th after the 2021-22 season and can even be extended on a yearly basis after that point. However, both the league and the players’ association can opt out ahead of the 2020-21 season with notice given in September of 2019. That date is less than a year out, making discussions of the current state of NHL labor relations prevalent now even if the CBA ends up intact for many years still to come. Currently, the league is not planning to use their option in September, according to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman. This is supported by claims that commissioner Gary Bettman has encouraged the NHLPA to figure out their stance as soon as possible. If the league is to hold an off-season World Cup tournament in 2020, as they did in 2016, they do not want to do so ahead of a season that could potentially be held up by a player strike. While the players have until September to make a decision on opting out of the current CBA ahead of the 2020-21 season, Friedman speculates that the league will need to know their intentions by the All-Star break this year or thereabouts if they are to begin planning the next World Cup. As Friedman notes, the international stage is very important to the players and with the NHL currently looking unlikely to attend the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, the players may not want to risk their only other international experience, the World Cup. Will it be enough motivation to keep the CBA intact a while longer? We should know that answer before the end of the current season.

  • When CBA talks do finally re-open, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos states his belief that both sides are determined to avoid a work stoppage this time around. Although they will have to get over their recent tumultuous negotiating history, which has cost owners, players, and fans alike a season and a half since the turn of the century, as well as sort through some serious issues, the fact that both sides feel a shutdown would be a worst case scenario this time around is a positive note for everyone with a stake in the game.
  • Despite recent remarks that were inferred as signaling a coming end to his career, NHLPA Director Donald Fehr is not going anywhere, per Friedman. Fehr indicated that he would only be around for one or two more years, but walked back those comments by telling Friedman that he will stay on through the next CBA negotiation, whenever that is. The 70-year-old executive is well-respected if not feared for his hardball tactics, but has been optimistic about the next round of negotiations when approached about the topic recently. Fehr faces the tough choice of whether to opt out in 2020 (and retire sooner) or keep the peace for a couple more years instead.
  • One CBA topic gaining support is a change to playoff structure, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. However, it likely is not what many would consider to be the most pressing change. Johnston says that there is a growing movement among owners in favor of adding more teams to the playoff format. The NHL has operated with more than half of its teams making the postseason for many years now, but once Seattle joins the league as the 32nd member, that 16-team structure will now have a balance of exactly half the teams qualifying. Johnston believes that owners are in favor of a play-in structure, similar to the one recently adopted by Major League Baseball, that would hypothetically include two or four more teams to the postseason through do-or-die play-in games. Interestingly, this movement may never reach the bargaining table. Johnston notes that while some owners are in favor of this move, others, and most importantly Bettman, are happy with the current structure and are not seeking to change anything in the near future.
  • Changes to the playing schedule, particularly game times, could also be an intriguing CBA topic. Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press writes that many foreign-born NHL players are in favor of more frequent matinee games. Speaking with the Washington Capitals’ Nicklas Backstrom and Lars Eller and the Florida Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov, Whyno found that many NHL imports feel that earlier games would be far more convenient for foreign fans and could help to grow the game overseas. While the league has proven to be very invested in expanding the game in Europe and beyond, afternoon games on weekdays are an impossibility, while afternoon games on weekends in the first half of the season would pit the NHL against NFL and NCAA football far more often. The players may be fine with losing domestic television ratings in exchange for increased visibility overseas, but the league likely will not be. In need of a new TV deal in 2021, the NHL is unlikely to hurt the market value of their TV rights by expressing an interest in more frequently taking on football, the most popular sport in the United States.
  • For his part, Bobby Orr thinks that another work stoppage is likely. Orr told The Canadian Press that he would be “surprised” if there isn’t a lockout or strike before the next CBA is agreed upon, calling it a “tough” situation. “I think there are concerns on both sides… I hope there isn’t… I hope I’m wrong. We don’t need another lockout”, Orr said. Orr is not only one of the game’s greatest legends, but through his agency, The Orr Hockey Group, gleams plenty of information about the state of the league. If Orr says that it’s going to be tough, he’s probably right. The only hope is that termination can be put off a while longer and issues can be worked out in the meantime.

Jeremiah Addison Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Saturday: The Canadiens announced that Addison has cleared waivers and that his contract has been terminated.

Friday: The trend of mutual contract terminations continues this season, as the Montreal Canadiens have placed Jeremiah Addison on unconditional waivers in order to terminate his deal according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Addison had been assigned to the Brampton Beast of the ECHL recently, but according to Patrick Friolet of RDS had refused the assignment and instead wants to go back to school.

Addison, 22, was a late-blooming offensive player in junior who only really broke out in 2014-15 with the Ottawa 67’s. That earned him a seventh-round selection by the Canadiens in 2015, but he only suited up for a total of 10 games in the AHL. That didn’t include a single contest this year, and it appears as though his professional hockey career is over at this point.

There’s still reason to keep an eye on his name, given that he easily showed enough skill to compete in the minor leagues, but should he clear tomorrow and see his contract terminated the Canadiens will no longer have any claim to him as a prospect.

Snapshots: Hurricanes, Nylander, Voynov, Global Series

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The Carolina Hurricanes have three scouts in attendance tonight at the Dallas Stars-Toronto Maple Leafs game and, according to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, that is not just a fluke. Per Friedman, for the one team to have that many scouts in attendance on a night with 26 teams in action, there has to be a reason. Unless the Hurricanes and Stars have a deal on the table that no one has heard about quite yet, the implication would be that Carolina continues to be in hot pursuit of young forward William Nylander. Yet, Nylander is not in the Toronto lineup tonight, as he remains unsigned as a restricted free agent. Why then would the Hurricanes still be out scouting the Maple Leafs? Friedman suggests that a possible Nylander deal, which looks more and more realistic with each day, could be of a much greater magnitude than a one-for-one swap. While many have suggested that a relatively simple exchange centered around Nylander and ’Canes defenseman Justin Faulk would make sense for both sides, it would seem to leave Toronto a little shortchanged. As such, if Carolina is watching other Maple Leafs, it would seem to indicate that the package from their side is quite larger than just one veteran defenseman. At the end of the day, there very well may never be a Nylander trade. However, the clues are building toward what could be a Toronto-Carolina blockbuster.

  • The opposite of mysterious trade dealings? How about a team outright stating they have no interest in acquiring a player. That is what the Arizona Coyotes did today, with The Athletic’s Craig Morgan reporting that the team has absolutely no interest in adding free agent defenseman Slava Voynov. Voynov, 28, has been out of the NHL for four years, but today applied for reinstatement. An interested team would have to trade for his rights from the Los Angeles Kings, but dealing with a division rival is likely not what is holding the Coyotes back. Voynov’s troubled past would mean bad PR for any team he ends up with and Arizona is simply opting not to expose themselves to that onslaught. There will no doubt be interest in the talented blue liner, just not from the Coyotes.
  • With NHL currently overseas as the Global Series takes place with games in Finland between the Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers, commissioner Gary Bettman took the opportunity to hint at what the future of the league’s action abroad could be. NHL.com’s Brian Compton writes that Bettman is currently working toward having preseason games in Germany and Switzerland again next year, while also planning for a season-opening series in Prague, Czech Republic and a later series in Stockholm, Sweden. He also states that the league has interest in returning to Finland in the near future as well. To date, the league has played 31 games overseas and has enjoyed success with growing the game on an international scale. The Global Series seems like a venture by the NHL with no shortage of opportunities and a excellent longevity.

Mike Condon, Ben Street Placed On Waivers

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Thursday: Both Condon and Street have cleared waivers, and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Wednesday: After a tough night in Arizona, Mike Condon has been placed on waivers by the Ottawa Senators according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Joining Condon today is Ben Street of the Anaheim Ducks, while Jakub Jerabek has cleared and has been assigned to the minor leagues by the St. Louis Blues.

Condon has gone through quite a disastrous spell since signing a three-year, $7.2MM contract with the Senators in June of 2017. That summer he was coming off a very successful campaign in which he recorded a .914 save percentage and helped Ottawa get all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Since, he’s recorded just a .898 save percentage and won just five of his 28 starts. His and fellow netminder Craig Anderson’s disappointing 2017-18 season were a huge part of why the Senators fell to the bottom of the standings, and now there’s some question about whether or not he’ll be able to find his game again.

It’s not like Condon is at the beginning of his career, just dealing with a bump in the road. He’ll turn 29 this season, and could very well be on his way out of the league if he can’t turn things around. For now, he’ll likely clear waivers due to his hefty contract and try to work his way back to relevancy in the minor leagues. John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that it will be either veteran goaltender Mike McKenna or prospect Filip Gustavsson that will be called up to replace Condon in Ottawa and back up Anderson.

For Street, it’s a numbers game as the Ducks try to find a way to right the ship in the early part of the season. Patrick Eaves is close to a return, and with Kalle Kossila and Kiefer Sherwood making there return Anaheim needed to send someone back down. Street will likely join Sam Steel in the minor leagues, though was still skating with the team today.

Teams “Calling Left And Right” On William Nylander

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The calendar is about to turn over to November, and like the seemingly daily updates that have come out for the past few months there is no progress in talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and restricted free agent William Nylander. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet calls the situation “a deadlock” in his latest 31 Thoughts column, and notes that the team will have to start considering a trade at some point. That leads right into Frank Seravalli of TSN’s first Trade Bait board of the season, which lists Nylander at the very top of a group of 15 players. Seravalli reports that “teams have been calling the [Maple] Leafs left and right” to inquire about Nylander, though Toronto is continuing to turn them away.

Now just a month away from the December 1st deadline—which would make Nylander ineligible to play at all this season should he fail to have a contract by then—pressure is starting to really build between the two sides. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic again pointed towards the Carolina Hurricanes as a team that has interest in Nylander, something that Seravalli agrees with noting that they’ve made it “explicitly clear” that they would put in an offer if Toronto makes him available. While there is no reason to believe a trade is the likely outcome at this point, there are obviously teams ready to pounce if the young forward is ever shopped around.

There’s good reason for that interest, given the consecutive 61-point seasons Nylander has recorded and strong overall performance for the Maple Leafs. Though he hasn’t played yet this season, there is considerable upside for any team who could pry him loose and get him under contract. Remember though that any team that is trading for him would need time to work out their own contract before the deadline, making the real deadline for Toronto even sooner than that December 1st threshold.

All of this is moot if the two sides can get together on something, but from all accounts Toronto GM Kyle Dubas has stuck to a number or salary range that would allow him to fit everyone into their structure going forward. With Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner still to sign next summer, Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan has publicly stated that some players may have to take a little less in order to win in Toronto. He pointed to how John Tavares turned down more lucrative offers in free agency, while explaining that his former Red Wings teammates may have done the same when they were trying to make a dynasty in Detroit. There has been no sense from the Nylander camp one way or the other how they feel about that kind of a situation, other than the high priced long-term asks at the beginning of the negotiation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

St. Louis Blues Place Jakub Jerabek On Waivers

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The St. Louis Blues have placed Jakub Jerabek on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Jerabek has played just a single game for the Blues, after coming over from the Edmonton Oilers just before the season started.

If claimed, Jerabek could be joining his fourth NHL team since coming over from the KHL, despite only playing 39 games between the regular season and playoffs. The 27-year old defenseman signed with the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 2017 only to be traded at the deadline to the eventual Stanley Cup winning Washington Capitals. A new contract with the Oilers didn’t even last all of training camp before he was cut from the squad and sent south to the Blues, where he still hasn’t been able to make much of an impression.

With the recent return of Carl Gunnarsson and several forwards from their conditioning stints, the Blues need room on the roster and Jerabek is the easiest choice to lose. His $1MM salary may actually protect him from claim, but one has to wonder if he’ll accept another demotion to the minor leagues. The Czech-born defenseman was an excellent professional player for years in his home country, and if he’s not going to get another opportunity at the NHL level this season there seems little chance of him earning a one-way contract next summer.

Oilers’ Zack Kassian Granted Permission To Seek Trade

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The Edmonton Oilers are off to a better start this season, out to a 5-3-1 record in the first month of the season. There has been far less controversy surrounding the team so far, as they look to get back to the playoffs following a very disappointing 2017-18 campaign. However, not everyone is feeling the positive effects of the new year. Forward Zack Kassian has been underutilized and unproductive early this season, a continuing trend from last season, and his frustration has boiled over. According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, Kassian requested and has been granted permission to seek a trade to another team. His time in Edmonton could soon be over.

Kassian, 27, is a big, power forward right winger and was once a top NHL prospect. Selected 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2009, Kassian was valued not only for his size and physicality, but also his offensive upside after solid production in the OHL. That scoring ability never quite developed and Kassian has made a living in the league – with Buffalo, the Vancouver Canucks, and now Edmonton – as a part-time player used to inject grit and energy into the lineup. That is until 2016-17, when Kassian earned a full-time role with the Oilers, playing in a career-high 79 games, finishing among the top forwards in hits, and contributing 24 points as well.

There was no turning back after that, as Kassian was convinced he had proven himself to be an NHL starter. Rumors of his dissatisfaction began last season, when Kassian saw his ice time slip, unsurprisingly along with his performance. However, the situation has come to a head this year, as Kassian has been a healthy scratch for a third of the Oilers’ games, has skated under ten minutes per night on average, and has been held scoreless to boot. This may simply be the new reality for Kassian, who is better suited as a match-up player to be used when toughness is needed or he’s showing flashes of offense, but it will likely take a change of scenery for him to realize that. With plenty of players who could fill a role on the fourth line, Edmonton has little reason not to take what they can for Kassian and rid themselves of two more years of his nearly $2MM cap hit. With mutual interest in a separation, this seems like a situation that will be resolved via trade in short order, although don’t expect much of a return for the Oilers or a breakout for Kassian with his new team.

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