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Erik Gudbranson

Columbus Blue Jackets Expected To Recall Gavin Bayreuther, Marcus Bjork

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It was a great win over their former coach last night but it came at a price for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team appears to have lost Zach Werenski long-term, while Erik Gudbranson was also removed from the game with a more minor injury. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic expects an update for both later today but notes that Gavin Bayreuther and Marcus Bjork will likely be coming up from the AHL.

Bayreuther, 28, played in 43 games for the Blue Jackets last season and has already suited up once this year. The minor league veteran doesn’t bring much offense to the table but is at least an experienced option to insert into the lineup. For long stretches, he’s probably not what you want though, which is what makes the recall of Bjork a little more interesting.

The 24-year-old Swede signed a one-year, entry-level contract last May to join the Blue Jackets organization after playing the last four seasons in the SHL. A star at the junior and minor league level in Europe, the undrafted defenseman has shown incredibly well in his short stint with the Cleveland Monsters. Through 11 games, Bjork has two goals and five points, and appears to be getting his first call-up to the NHL.

While losing Werenski drastically injures the Blue Jackets’ hopes of competing in the Metropolitan Division, it also could open up some opportunities to test young players. Top pick David Jiricek also played two games for the club earlier this year and has been good in the minor leagues, while Jake Christiansen played eight games for the team last season and could be due for another opportunity.

Erik Gudbranson Expected To Sign With Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are adding some size and physicality to the backend, as they work out a deal with Erik Gudbranson according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Per various outlets, the deal carries a ten-team no-trade clause for the duration of the contract.

Last September, Gudbranson signed a one-year deal worth $1.95MM. Now, he gets a sizeable raise from Columbus, a team that was looking to add physicality and veteran leadership to their back end. They were reportedly interested in acquiring Ryan McDonagh before he headed to Nashville, and he now gets his defenseman in Gudbranson.

The 30-year-old Ottawa native had a bit of a career renaissance in Calgary, fitting like a glove next to Nikita Zadorov on the Flames’ bottom-pairing, providing Darryl Sutter’s squad with imposing physical play. He averaged 18:07 per night and played nearly three minutes per game on the penalty kill. The Flames had the sixth-best penalty kill in the league, and it’s clear that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is crediting a decent amount of that success to Gudbranson’s efforts.

At a $4MM cap hit with four-year term, it’s fair to question whether this signing is the shrewdest on Columbus’ part. While his locker room contributions are certainly valuable, and the Blue Jackets obviously believe he can be an impact player on their penalty kill, there are enough question marks in Gudbranson’s game to make this deal a controversial one. For example, did Gudbranson really play that much better in 2021-22 that he earns a new contract worth twice as much per year as his last deal? Also, if the Blue Jackets are paying Gudbranson for his physicality and grit, why did they give Gudbranson a four-year term, when his physical style could eventually take its toll on his body and make him age worse?

NHL history is littered with leadership-first, physical defensemen getting long-term contracts, only for those deals to age terribly. The Karl Alzner deal in Montreal is a perfect example. Gudbranson had a good season in 2021-22, nothing can take away from that. But for a team that’s done so much right over the past year, it’s fair for fans to be a bit confused at this signing, although its far from a certainty that it’ll age as poorly as the comparables that were mentioned.

Calgary Flames Sign Erik Gudbranson, Michael Stone

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The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a one-year contract worth $1.95MM. Michael Stone is also on his way back on a one-year deal worth $750K. PuckPedia reports Stone’s deal is one-way, unlike last year’s two-way deal.

Gudbranson, 29, has become something of a joke among analytics-leaning fans because of his brutal possession statistics, but seems to keep getting opportunities because of his size, draft pedigree, and a short stretch of success with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 6’5″ right-handed shot defenseman was the third-overall pick in 2010 and has played in 563 regular season games to this point, but not many of them have been very productive. Gudbranson has just 77 points in those games, while racking up 640 penalty minutes and 1,330 hits.

Last season, playing for the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators, Gudbranson recorded four points in 45 games while averaging fewer than 18 minutes a night. That was his lowest average ice time since his rookie season, but don’t expect him to get much more in Calgary. This move gives the team some additional depth on the right side, but certainly shouldn’t eat any minutes away from Rasmus Andersson or Chris Tanev, two of the team’s most important defensemen.

Stone meanwhile isn’t even guaranteed playing time with his league-minimum contract, though he obviously brings some familiarity. The 31-year-old has spent parts of the last five seasons in Calgary, and played 21 games for them last season. All of those appearances came after Darryl Sutter took over as head coach, however, suggesting that perhaps Stone will get a chance after all. In fact, this contract is a one-way deal after he played 2020-21 on a two-way contract, meaning he’ll make that $750K no matter where he plays.

The Flames have turned to experience, grit, and size this offseason, adding players like Blake Coleman, Tyler Pitlick, Trevor Lewis, Brad Richardson, Nikita Zadorov, and now these two, but it’s not really clear if they’re all that much improved. It certainly looks a lot more like a Sutter roster and does have plenty of depth at all positions, but whether this mix will be more successful remains to be seen.

These signings could very well spell trouble for Calgary’s younger players, like Connor Mackey and Oliver Kylington, though both of them play the left side predominantly. There are now a lot of defensemen fighting for minutes on the back end, and even with Mark Giordano’s departure there may not be enough to go around.

Poll: How Many Top Unsigned Free Agents Will Play In NHL This Season?

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Following a massive first day of free agency late last month, not to mention several more signings since, it may seem that there aren’t many big-name free agents left on the market. Yet, quietly there is still and abundance of quality players left unsigned. This includes ten of PHR’s Top 50 UFA’s i.e. 20% of the players that we believed were the best available. It also includes another 13 players who played in 40+ games out of 56 this past season. There’s also Bobby Ryan, who was on pace for 22 points in 53 games before season-ending injury, which would have made him the highest scoring player still unsigned, and Artem Anisimov, whose nine points in 19 games is the second-best per-game mark among remaining UFA’s. With a nice round number of 25 top players still unsigned, which still ignores plenty of other capable NHLers, how many of these can be expected to play in the NHL next season? Time is running out and so are roster spots. Late-offseason signings are not impossible and a fair number of PTO’s are expected in camp this year, but realistically how many of these players will be able to land an NHL deal?

The top available name may also be the hardest to predict because his market is just one team and he isn’t ready to play. Future Hall of Fame goaltender Tuukka Rask (No. 14) remains a free agent and at 34 and recovering from major surgery it is fair to be skeptical that he will ever play again. The career Bruin reportedly will only play in Boston and recent comments by some of his teammates suggest that they expect him to do so at some point this year. But with Linus Ullmark signing a substantial contract to play alongside rookie sensation Jeremy Swayman, do the Bruins need Rask, especially coming in cold mid-season?

While Rask stands out as the only high-end goalie left available, the same cannot be said for forwards. Kyle Palmieri (No. 16), Tyler Bozak (No. 35), Casey Cizikas (No. 36), Zach Parise (No. 37), Nikita Gusev (No. 41), Alex Chiasson (No. 47), and Eric Staal (No. 48), as well as the aforementioned Ryan and Anisimov are all unsigned. Several of these names – Palmieri, Cizikas, Parise – have been linked to the New York Islanders, but no deals have been announced. All three have seemingly done enough to earn new contracts, but are still waiting. Bozak, meanwhile, was arguably the best of the players still available last season, with the top points per game mark even in a season plagued by injury. Gusev is a unique talent that has the chance to excel in the right system, Chiasson is a hard-working, consistent contributor, and Staal is one of the most respected veterans in the game. Ryan and Anisimov each showed that they still have gas left in the tank. It is hard to envision any of these players not playing this season, unless it is their own decision. Yet, none have signed on yet.

On the blue line, top talent is more scarce. Only Sami Vatanen (No. 43) and Erik Gustafsson (No. 44) remain from the Top 50 list and while each brings considerable strengths, they also have major weaknesses. With that said, each has been a regular in the NHL and are perhaps even more valuable as a depth option. Will Vatanen and Gustafsson find the right spot once more this season?

Among the players who were regulars in 2020-21 even though they may not come to mind as top options is a mix of aging veterans, versatile depth players, and discarded youngsters. Legends Patrick Marleau and Zdeno Chara lead the way as players who should be able to find a home if they want to keep playing just purely based on their Hall of Fame pedigrees, but lack the impact they once had. Other veterans still searching for work include Derick Brassard, Travis Zajac, and Jason Demers. Capable bottom-six forwards like Riley Sheahan, Colton Sceviour, Mark Jankowski, and Tobias Rieder are still available, as it stay-at-home defender Erik Gudbranson. Finally, formerly promising prospects Ryan Donato, Jimmy Vesey, and Dominik Kahun are all still looking for another chance.

Each player brings their own case for why or why not they should be employed in the NHL this season. All have been impact players in the league, but in a game progressively more dominated by younger players, history is no longer enough on its own to win a job. The supply of talent in the NHL currently seems to be greater than the demand, even with the expansion to 32 teams. Is there enough room for these 25 top players to find a new team this summer?

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Clearance Section: Finding Value In What’s Left

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The 2021 free agent frenzy is over. After more than a billion dollars was signed away in just a few days, the NHL unrestricted free agent market has dried up almost entirely. When Ryan Murray settled for a one-year, $2MM contract with the Colorado Avalanche yesterday, he became the only real UFA deal of significance since the calendar turned to August.

Even though things are almost picked clean, there still may be some value out there for a savvy NHL front office. Twelve players from our Top 50 UFA list are still unsigned for next season, though several of those are expected to be in agreement with the New York Islanders and others like Tuukka Rask are unlikely to make a decision anytime soon. We profiled Tomas Tatar recently–arguably the best player still available–and will continue to do the same for the other names from that list in the coming days.

But even beyond those players, there is still NHL talent out there, waiting for the right opportunity (or big enough paycheck). A few of the notable free agents that didn’t make our Top 50 list, but remain unsigned:

Ryan Donato – A second-round pick, a Hobey Baker finalist, an Olympian. All things to describe the 25-year-old Donato, who was cut loose by the San Jose Sharks this summer after just one season with the team. The Sharks decided not to issue Donato a qualifying offer that would have allowed him to elect salary arbitration, putting him on the market after a frustratingly inconsistent season. In 50 games, he scored just six goals and 20 points, but then went to the IIHF World Championship and won a bronze medal. Of note, Donato’s most common linemates this season were John Leonard and Dylan Gambrell, who have a combined 36 points in the NHL. Perhaps in the right situation, he can rediscover the scoring magic that helped him explode onto the scene in Boston just a few years ago.

Jason Demers – Is Demers finished at age-33? The veteran right-handed defenseman certainly seems like a player that could be one of the bargains of free agency, even if his play has declined over the last few years. With the Arizona Coyotes this season he averaged the fewest minutes since his rookie season, but still likely could provide some value to a contender as a depth option. There’s almost no offense left, as Demers registered just four points in 41 games this season, but he can still contribute as a bottom-pairing option, even killing penalties at times.

Alex Galchenyuk – Just a few months ago there was plenty of excitement around Galchenyuk, who had seemingly turned his career around in Toronto. The 27-year-old forward was pulled off the scrap heap by the Maple Leafs and spent time with the team’s development staff rebuilding his game. In 26 contests down the stretch he scored 12 points, and offensively was actually one of the team’s bright spots in the playoffs with four points in six games (and, one brutal turnover). There are certainly plenty of red flags in Galchenyuk’s career, but one-time 30-goal scorers who recently showed flashes of their former self are usually snapped up quickly by rebuilding teams that want to complete a pump-and-dump–give them huge minutes during the first half just to flip for future assets at the deadline.

Erik Gudbranson – You won’t find many statistical defenses of Gudbranson, who has been carved up by the analytics community since basically the moment he arrived in the NHL. The thing is, that arrival was a decade ago now and you can’t find a ton of 29-year-old free agents with as much experience as the 6’5″ defenseman. There’s no reason to think he can play in a top-four, or perhaps even be a regular contributor, but there’s something to be said for the strong play he experienced down the stretch in 2019 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the right situation, surrounded by the right amount of talent and deployed properly, there is still a place for Gudbranson in the NHL.

There are plenty of other names that could end up on an NHL roster next season. At this time of the year none of the signings are going to dramatically change the makeup of a team, but as contending teams have shown year after year in the playoffs, adding depth at the right spots–even players that have struggled elsewhere–can make a difference at the right moment.

Vancouver Canucks Plan To Retain Jim Benning As GM

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Things are getting interesting in Vancouver. On the eve of their season finale, a disappointing season at that, rumors are swirling around the Canucks. Earlier reports suggested that sweeping changes could be coming to the organization, including a potential return of Daniel and Henrik Sedin in front office roles. Meanwhile, head coach Travis Green is still working on an expiring contract and there has been no indication that a resolution is in sight. Given all of this mystery and speculation, the Canucks have made perhaps the most surprising move they could: retaining GM Jim Benning. The often-criticized executive has been informed that he will be back with the team next year, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

As Friedman relays, given all of the uncertainty that has arisen over the past 24 hours, ownership indicated to their front office leader that he would be returning. It’s a major decision to make ahead of a crucial off-season, as Benning will be charged with managing the Canucks’ approach to the NHL Expansion Draft (made more important by the Seattle Kraken becoming a geographical rival right away), properly executing a top-ten overall draft pick, and otherwise handling an off-season in which his roster must significantly improve despite sorely lacking cap space.

Therein lies most of the criticism of Benning as well. The GM, who has been on the job since 2014, has made some questionable decisions in regards to his most precious resource, cap space. Benning has deemed the likes of Brandon Sutter, Erik Gudbranson, Sam Gagner, Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Sven Baertschi, and Micheal Ferland as being worthy of sizeable commitments during his tenure, which has hurt the team on the payroll and in opportunity cost. It also forced the departures of superior players, such as Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, and Tyler Toffoli last off-season. Those losses were felt this year as the Canucks, fresh off a run to the Western Conference semifinals last year, lived in the basement all season. Benning is left having to pick up the pieces and will try to find a way to squeeze more talent into his roster this summer.

Why is it Benning fixing the problem though? For starters, his track record on the trade market and in the draft at least come close to balancing out his contract negotiation mistakes. Since the 2018-19 trade deadline, Benning has added core members Tanner Pearson, J.T. Miller, and Nate Schmidt at below-market prices. His recent draft picks also include current and budding stars such as Quinn Hughes, Nils Hoglander, Vasili Podkolzin, Jack Rathbone, Michael DiPietro, Jett Woo, Kole Lind, Jonah Gadjovich, and more. So while some of Benning’s criticism is fair, too often his successes are ignored. Despite allegedly wanting to make major internal changes, the Canucks understand and appreciate what Benning has achieved and what he is trying to build in Vancouver. It seems that he will now be given at least one more year to show that he is still steering the organization in the right direction. It’s unlikely to appease the fans in the meantime, but the club hopes that their loyalty will be rewarded.

Trade Deadline Summary: North Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. A relatively slow day ended with a late burst, as many teams jumped into the mix at the last minute. How do you think your team did? Share your deadline grades in the comments for teams in the North Division.

Calgary Flames
Status: Neutral

In – F Emil Heineman, 2022 second-round pick (FLA), 2022 third-round pick (TOR)
Out – F Sam Bennett, G David Rittich, 2022 sixth-round pick

Edmonton Oilers
Status: Buyer

In – D Dmitry Kulikov
Out – conditional 2022 fourth-round pick

Montreal Canadiens
Status: Buyer

In – F Eric Staal, D Jon Merrill, D Erik Gustafsson
Out – F Hayden Verbeek, 2021 third-round pick, two 2021 fifth-round picks, 2022 seventh-round pick

Ottawa Senators
Status: Seller

In – F Ryan Dzingel, F Michael Amadio, D Brandon Fortunato, 2022 third-round pick (BOS), 2022 seventh-round pick (NYI), 2023 seventh-round pick (NSH)
Out – D Mike Reilly, D Erik Gudbranson, D Braydon Coburn, F Cedric Paquette, F Alex Galchenyuk, D Christian Wolanin, 

Toronto Maple Leafs
Status: Buyer

In – F Nick Foligno, G David Rittich, D Ben Hutton, F Alex Galchenyuk, F Riley Nash, F Stefan Noesen, F Antti Suomela, G Veini Vehvilainen
Out – F Alexander Barabanov, D Mikko Lehtonen, D David Warsofsky, F Yegor Korshkov, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, 2021 fourth-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick, 2022 fifth-round pick, conditional 2022 seventh-round pick

Vancouver Canucks
Status: Neutral

In – F Matthew Highmore, D Madison Bowey, 2021 fifth-round pick (CHI), 2021 sixth-round pick (WPG)
Out – D Jordie Benn, F Adam Gaudette, 2021 fourth-round pick

Winnipeg Jets
Status: Buyer

In – D Jordie Benn
Out – 2021 sixth-round pick

Trade Deadline Summary: Central Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. A relatively slow day ended with a late burst, as many teams jumped into the mix at the last minute. How do you think your team did? Share your deadline grades in the comments for teams in the Central Division.

Carolina Hurricanes
Status: Buyer

In – F Cedric Paquette, D Jani Hakanpaa, D David Warsofsky, F Yegor Korshkov, 2022 sixth-round pick (ANA), 2022 seventh-round pick (CLB)
Out – F Ryan Dzingel, D Haydn Fleury, F Gregory Hofmann

Chicago Blackhawks
Status: Neutral

In – F Brett Connolly, F Vinnie Hinostroza, F Adam Gaudette, D Riley Stillman, F Henrik Borgstrom, F Josh Dickinson, F Ryder Rolston, 2021 second-round pick (VGK), 2022 third-round pick (VGK), 2021 fourth-round pick (MTL), 2021 seventh-round pick (FLA)
Out – F Mattias Janmark, F Carl Soderberg, F Matthew Highmore, F Lucas Wallmark, D Madison Bowey, D Lucas Carlsson, F Brad Morrison, 2021 fifth-round pick, 2022 fifth-round pick

Columbus Blue Jackets
Status: Seller

In – D Mikko Lehtonen, F Gregory Hofmann, 2021 first-round pick (TOR), 2021 first-round pick (TBL), 2022 third-round pick (TBL), 2022 fourth-round pick (TOR), conditional 2022 seventh-round pick (TOR)
Out – F Nick Foligno, D David Savard, F Riley Nash, G Veini Vehvilainen, 2022 seventh-round pick

Dallas Stars
Status: Neutral

In – None
Out – None

Detroit Red Wings
Status: Seller

In – F Jakub Vrana, F Richard Panik, F Hayden Verbeek, 2021 first-round pick (WAS), 2022 second-round pick (WAS), 2021 fourth-round pick (TBL), 2022 fourth-round pick (COL), 2021 fifth-round pick (OTT via MTL)
Out – F Anthony Mantha, D Patrik Nemeth, D Jon Merrill, D Brian Lashoff

Florida Panthers
Status: Buyer

In – F Sam Bennett, D Brandon Montour, F Lucas Wallmark, D Lucas Carlsson, F Brad Morrison, 2022 sixth-round pick (CGY)
Out – F Brett Connolly, F Vinnie Hinostroza, D Riley Stillman, F Henrik Borgstrom, F Emil Heineman, 2022 second-round pick, 2021 third-round pick, 2021 seventh-round pick

Nashville Predators
Status: Neutral

In – D Erik Gudbranson
Out – D Brandon Fortunato, 2023 seventh-round pick

Tampa Bay Lightning
Status: Buyer

In – D David Savard, D Fredrik Claesson, D Brian Lashoff, F Antoine Morand, conditional 2023 seventh-round pick
Out – F Alexander Volkov, G Magnus Chrona, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, 2021 fourth-round pick

Erik Gudbranson Traded To Nashville Predators

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The Ottawa Senators have flipped another depth defenseman, trading Erik Gudbranson to the Nashville Predators for a 2023 seventh-round pick and minor league defenseman Brandon Fortunato according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It wouldn’t have been a trade deadline if Gudbranson didn’t move. The 29-year-old defender has now been dealt for the fifth time, including four times since his current contract began at the start of the 2018-19 season. With that deal about to expire, it was all but certain that the Senators would move Gudbranson before the deadline, the second such time he has been moved on the last day to do so.

Unfortunately, Gudbranson’s play this season didn’t warrant much of a return. Gudbranson has just three points and is a -13 so far this season, looking slow and ineffective on the ice. While he started to show signs of slowing down last season in Anaheim, it was very apparent in Ottawa this season. As a result, a player who was traded straight up for Tanner Pearson just two years ago and cost a fifth-round pick for Ottawa to acquire this summer, the Senators were only able to land a seventh-rounder and an unheralded prospect for a short stretch of Gudbranson. Fortunato, 24, has done little in the pros since signing with Nashville in 2019 and does not appear to be a legitimate NHL prospect.

Perhaps the low cost is why the Predators took a shot at the veteran. Nashville was expected to be a major seller not long ago and even after climbing back into the Central Division playoff picture, they were not thought to be a buyer. However, adding some depth and experience on the blue line for next to nothing is not a bad move for GM David Poile and company if they do indeed qualify for the postseason.

Morning Notes: Dunn, Gudbranson, Garland

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For most of the season, Blues defenseman Vince Dunn has been available and despite their hot stretch as of late, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that St. Louis has kept him on the block.  Carolina had interest in him earlier in the season and it doesn’t appear as if that has changed according to Rutherford.  The 24-year-old has had a bit of a bounce-back season with five goals and 12 assists in 39 games which will certainly bolster his case heading into restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility for the first time.  Depending on whether or not they intend to protect Justin Faulk in expansion, Dunn could be the odd one out at that time so if they get the right trade fit now, it may make sense to move him on despite being in the playoff hunt.

Other notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • There is strong interest in Senators defenseman Erik Gudbranson, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The 29-year-old has just three points in 36 games this season but can still bring some physicality and shot blocking to a third pairing.  One possible issue is his $4MM AAV which is on the pricey side for a depth defender although Ottawa can retain up to half of that and will likely need to do so.  Gudbranson will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
  • Teams are calling about Coyotes winger Conor Garland, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 25-year-old is second on Arizona in scoring with 10 goals and 21 assists in 41 games but last month, it was reported that they were open to the idea of moving him.  Garland only makes $775K this season but will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer and is poised to land a significant raise.

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