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J.T. Brown

Minor Transactions: 02/21/19

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The NHL has a full slate of action on tap tonight, with 11 matches taking place including a rematch of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. The Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks face off in an important game for both clubs as they try to secure playoff berths in their respective conferences. As the league prepares for tonight’s play, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled J.T. Brown from the minor leagues, though Ryan Donato is expected to enter the lineup. Brown has just four points in 35 games for the Wild this season and was sent down to the AHL earlier this month.
  • The Washington Capitals have officially sent Devante Smith-Pelly to the minor leagues after he cleared waivers, meaning he will play his first AHL game since the 2013-14 season. Even with the recent addition of Carl Hagelin, the Capitals could very well bring up Smith-Pelly at some point down the stretch for his playoff experience.
  • Jonny Brodzinski has been activated from injured reserve, and could help replace Hagelin in the Los Angeles Kings lineup. Brodzinski hasn’t played a game for the Kings this season but recorded one goal in a three-game conditioning stint with the Ontario Reign.
  • Landon Bow has been returned to the AHL by the Dallas Stars, which should signal a return to action for Ben Bishop. Bishop hasn’t played a game since February 4th, but will have to play a big role for the Stars down the stretch if they’re to make the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild Owner Approves Of Seller Status At Deadline

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In direct opposition to comments made earlier today by head coach Bruce Boudreau, who guaranteed his team would make the playoffs, the owner and general manager of the Minnesota Wild have made other plans. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that owner Craig Leipold has given first-year GM Paul Fenton the “green light” to move roster players before the trade deadline given the team’s current slump.

Russo writes that Leipold and Fenton met yesterday to discuss the state of the team. Minnesota has just one win in it’s past seven games since losing captain Mikko Koivu to season-ending injury and has slipped into the thick of the “turtle derby” for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Wild have fallen significantly behind the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues in the division and now hold on to the second wild card slot by a mere two points over the Vancouver Canucks with a game in hand. Behind Vancouver at 57 points sit the Arizona Coyotes, who are working toward full health, and the Colorado Avalanche, with their potent top line, both at 55 points and a game in hand on Minnesota. There’s also the Chicago Blackhawks at 55 points and even games and the Edmonton Oilers at 53 with a game in hand and a determination to make the postseason. The Wild are by no means guaranteed a playoff spot, even if they keep their current roster together or even make a minor addition or two, as an onslaught of other teams are within striking distance. In light of this situation, Leipold has given Fenton his approval to improve the Wild for the future if he can, even if that means hurting the team’s playoff odds.

So what exactly does this mean for Minnesota? Russo does not expect sweeping changes. He feels that Leipold and the Wild brass still feel that their Stanley Cup window is open, but without Koivu and Matt Dumba, the team’s odds of even making it to the postseason and through the first round are slim, never mind finally winning a title. The core players are likely safe, but Fenton will use his newly-granted flexibility to test the trade waters on his impending free agents and some other expendable pieces. Eric Staal is the player that will jump out to most; the respected veteran is in the final year of his contract and could help many contenders down the middle. Bottom-six forwards Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, and Matt Read and depth defenders Brad Hunt, Anthony Bitetto, Nate Prosser, and Matt Bartkowski are all impending UFA’s and should all be up for grabs as well. Among signed players, rumor mill regular Charlie Coyle and buried bruiser J.T. Brown are also obvious names to watch. Russo quickly examines the trade status of much of the roster and settles on Greg Pateryn and Marcus Foligno as possible outside-the-box casualties as well.

There isn’t going to be a fire sale in Minnesota, but no longer are the Wild going to be considered buyers. Perhaps a strong showing by the team in the six games between now and the deadline – four of which are against non-playoff teams – will even convince Fenton to stand pat and hope they can hold on to a wild card spot. However, if Minnesota cannot shake this slump, then Staal and any of the other marketable players mentioned are likely to be gone ahead of the deadline. Perhaps that causes the Wild to miss the playoffs, perhaps it doesn’t, but when the odds are 50/50 as is, the team may as well get what they can for expiring and expendable pieces.

Minnesota, Ottawa Put Three Players On Waivers

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

Sunday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators put three players on waivers Sunday as the Wild placed defenseman Nate Prosser and winger J.T. Brown on waivers, while the Senators put winger Nick Paul on waivers as well. Friedman also reported that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Martin Marincin and Buffalo Sabres’ Remi Elie both cleared waivers.

Loaded with eight defensemen after the team traded for Brad Hunt and claimed Anthony Bitetto off waivers from Nashville, the Wild had to add some roster flexibility. Wild general manager Paul Fenton is starting to get more active as this is the sixth roster move the team has made in less than three weeks. The team had no choice to make a move and still have two of their top young players, Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin sitting in Iowa, awaiting a recall since the All-Star break.

For Prosser, the move likely means the end of the line in Minnesota. The Wild also have defenseman Matt Dumba on IR currently and while he’s not expected back too soon, the team does expect him back at some point this season, meaning they had to make some move. The 32-year-old veteran was a great locker-room presence, but he has appeared in just 15 games this season and hasn’t registered a point. Prosser has played most of his career in Minnesota since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He did opt to sign in St. Louis before the 2017-18 season, but only played one game for the Blues before the Wild claimed him off of waivers from him. He played 56 games for Minnesota last year. If he passes through waivers, which is no guarantee as many teams might be interested in a veteran defenseman, the team can opt to keep him on the roster or send him to the Iowa Wild of the AHL.

Brown makes his second trip to the waiver wire as Brown was put on waivers last year in January by the Tampa Bay Lightning and claimed by the Anaheim Ducks, playing in a bottom-six role for the Ducks. He then opted to sign with the Wild and has played sporadically, often being designated as a healthy scrtatch. He played in 35 games for Minnesota this year, posting a goal and four points.

As for Ottawa, NHL teams could find some interest in the 6-foot-4 Paul, who is still just 23 years old and has some potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t shown that in 20 games with Ottawa as he’s put up just one goal and two points, while averaging just 8:28 of ice time. He played just 5:17 against Pittsburgh Friday and if he clears looks like he’ll be headed back to Belleville of the AHL. Paul cleared waivers to start the season, but the team had to place him back on waivers to return him to the AHL. He has played 15 games there, posting two goals and 11 points.

Central Notes: Schmaltz, Fiala, Hendricks

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Very little has gone right with the Chicago Blackhawks in their first 20 games this season. They have changed coaches after Joel Quenneville lost five straight and little has gone right since then as new head coach Jeremy Colliton has gone 1-2-2 since then. Regardless, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) breaks down the play of every player through the first 20 games.

Perhaps the most expected criticism comes to Nick Schmaltz, who many people had pegged as having a breakout season this year. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened as he has just two goals and eight points so far this year. Yet Powers notes that while many criticize his play for a lack of shooting, Schmaltz has actually increased that to 5.17 shots on goal per 60 minutes — the highest in his career. Quenneville moved him to wing in hopes of sparking that offense, which Colliton has maintained, yet the team is still waiting for an increase in production.

“I think he can be more active away from the puck,” Colliton said. “He can be a little more engaged in 50/50s at times. But he’s showing flashes of that. I thought his third period after we moved him to Arty’s line there he was really good. I think look back to the Carolina game in their rink he was maybe our best player. That’s what we want out of him more consistently. We got to see if he can play center because I think he could really add a lot to our team. When that happens, I don’t know. There’s a lot of upside there, no question.”

  • Nashville Predators forward Kevin Fiala found himself getting very little ice time between the second and third periods Saturday against Los Angeles, getting only three shifts as Ryan Hartman took his place in 5×5 play, while he lost his power play role to Calle Jarnkrok. However, when asked about why Fiala lost playing time, head coach Peter Laviolette said it was just a coincidence, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. “Sometimes it’s just the way the game is going inside of the lines and the numbers,” said Laviolette. “We made a move and put Ryan Hartman up there, and all of the sudden they had a good shift. We went into the game with the thought of Calle and Kevin splitting power-play time. Kevin got the first one, and Calle ended up getting the second one and looked good on it. We just stuck with it. It seemed to be working, so we made the switches.”
  • Mike Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Minnesota Wild might be better off without veteran Matt Hendricks who has gotten into two straight games for the Wild. However, the scribe points out that the team plays better when Hendricks is out of the lineup as the team’s fourth line of Marcus Foligno, Eric Fehr and J.T. Brown have been fantastic together. Minnesota is 10-2 when Hendricks is not in the lineup, compared to 2-4-2 with him. Coincidentally, Russo reports that Hendricks will be a healthy scratch today.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Minnesota Wild

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Minnesota Wild

Current Cap Hit: $77,729,424 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Luke Kunin (two years, $925K)
F Jordan Greenway (two years, $917K)
F Joel Eriksson Ek (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses:

Kunin: $500K
Eriksson Ek: $425K
Greenway: $400K

Total: $1.35MM

The team has just three entry-level players and all three will be critical to the team over the next couple of years. Their 2016 first-rounder, Kunin, suffered an ACL injury in April that required surgery. While he is close to be ready to return, he’s still being held out to allow his knee to fully heal. Regardless, the team has high expectations for him. He struggled to capture a full-time role with Minnesota last year, but scored 10 goals in the AHL in just 36 appearances there, while getting 19 games in with the NHL club. The team will need him to step into a full-time role as soon as he’s healthy. Eriksson Ek, the team’s 2015 first-rounder, got himself a full-time role, but struggled to put up points in the bottom-six, posting six goals in 75 games. A bigger role could allow him to take that next step.

The team also has big hopes for Greenway, who the team pried away from Boston University this spring. The 6-foot-6, 226-pound winger should provide the team with a solid power forward, who could jump into the team’s top-six immediately.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Eric Staal ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Eric Fehr ($1MM, UFA)
D Gustav Olofsson ($725K, RFA)
F Matt Hendricks ($700K, UFA)
F Matt Read ($650K, UFA)
D Nate Prosser ($650K, UFA)
G Alex Stalock ($650K, UFA)
G Andrew Hammond ($650K, UFA)

The team will have an interesting decision to make on Staal at the end of this season. Staal, who was coming off a disappointing 13-goal season a few years ago, signed a three-year, $10.5MM deal, which has been one of the team’s best signings in their history. Staal, who many thought might be slowing down, responded with 28 goals in 2016-17 and followed that up with a 42-goal season last year. Now at age 33, what will Minnesota do in a year when he’s 34 and in need of another deal? If he posts another impressive season, the Wild will have to pay up to keep his services. A disappointing year could mean the end of a thrilling ride.

The rest of the group are full of one-year deals in which the players must prove their worth. The team brought in Fehr, Hendricks and Read to shore up their fourth line, which struggled at times last year, while the team also has a pair of veteran netminders fighting for the backup goalie spot in Stalock and Hammond.

Two Years Remaining

F Mikael Granlund ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Mikko Koivu ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Jared Spurgeon ($5.18MM, UFA)
F Charlie Coyle ($3.2MM, UFA)
F J.T. Brown ($688K, UFA)

The team gave Koivu a two-year extension a year ago, but the 35-year-old is starting to fade after a 14-goal, 31-point performance last season and could be moved down a line, especially if Eriksson Ek continues to improve. Koivu still remains the all-time leader in both games played and points, however, but this could very likely be his last contract.

Granlund could also be an interesting situation. The 26-year-old has improved his game over the last two season, posting a combined 47 goals and he had a career-high in assists last year with 46. His second half was also a big success as he posted 45 points in 46 games, almost a point a game. If he can keep that production up, the Wild should look good. Fortunately, the team has two more years to monitor his success before they have to offer him a new contract. Coyle is another player, who has the ability to put up big points, yet Coyle has struggled more recently, posting just 11 goals and 37 points in 66 games. However, a broken fibula could have been a cause of his on-ice struggles. The team hopes that he can bounce back and prove he belongs in the team’s top-six.

Spurgeon has been perhaps the team’s best defenseman this season. The 28-year-old missed 21 games with a partially torn hamstring and rushed back for the playoffs, but wasn’t 100 percent. Already injury-prone, the team still has the veteran for another couple of years before they have to decide on another long-term contract.Read more

Minnesota’s Fenton Has Tried To Make Moves This Offseason

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With a new general manager in house and the fact that the Minnesota Wild can’t seem to take a step forward despite reaching the playoffs six straight seasons, many people expected Paul Fenton to do something significant this offseason when he took over.

Instead it’s been a quiet offseason so far for the Wild as they have locked up some of their own players including Jason Zucker (five years, $27.5MM) and Mathew Dumba (five years, $30MM), but the team looks almost exactly the same from last season. The team did add some veteran depth when they signed Eric Fehr, Greg Pateryn, Matt Hendricks, J.T. Brown, Matt Bartkowski and Andrew Hammond. But they are only there to help the team’s bottom lines as well as add some physicality. The core of the team remains in tact. However, that’s not from a lack of trying, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required). In a mailbag column, the scribe writes that he’s talked to many contacts around the league who have told him that Fenton has been working the phones this summer, trying to make a deal, but has had little luck as teams often attempt to low-ball new GMs in hopes of catching a steal when the new GM is desperate to make a deal.

While owner Craig Leopold said he wanted to tweak the lineup after losing in the first-round this year, many felt that he wanted to alter the team’s core of  Charlie Coyle, Zucker and Nino Niederreiter. While Fenton has talked about those three, it is believed he’s talked about almost every player on the team, but hasn’t found a good enough deal yet to pull the trigger. Of course, Coyle and Niederreiter are coming off down seasons, which is not the best time to be shopping them. The 26-year-old Coyle has been with the team for six seasons, but after two straight seasons in which his stats increased significantly, Coyle struggled this year, posting 11 goals and 37 points in 66 games. A lot of that has to do with injuries as he broke his fibula early in the season and then had surgery on both of his wrists after the season, suggesting he was never fully healthy. Niederreiter also suffered a broken fibula as well as dealt with a high ankle sprain, which prompted his season to slip from 25 goals and 57 points to just 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games. Neither made for good trade bait. Zucker himself put up solid numbers last year with career highs in goals (33) and points (64), but he was a restricted free agent, which many teams shy away from.

Other players would have been even more difficult to move considering that Zach Parise is locked up at $7.54MM for the next seven years and has a no movement clause. Ryan Sutter is coming off a serious injury, while Mikko Koivu holds a no-trade clause after signing his two-year extension. Eric Staal, Devan Dubnyk and Jared Spurgeon all have modified no-trade clauses, but were not asked to submit their no-trade lists at the NHL Entry draft in June, suggesting the team had no interest in moving any of them.

With all those issues, it’s no wonder that Fenton and the Wild were unable to shake up the roster like many thought they would. The only positive scenario is that the team, which should be healthier this year, should return to the playoffs again and might be able to turn their fortunes around from then on. The team has a number of young players, who could have breakout seasons, including Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway and Nick Seeler who could help take the team to the next level.

Are There More Moves Coming In Minnesota?

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On Wednesday, the Minnesota Wild did what many thought wasn’t possible when they locked up high-scoring forward Jason Zucker on a long-term deal without putting themselves in an impossible situation with the salary cap. The team somehow managed to re-sign two young stars, both Zucker and Mathew Dumba, to a combined $11.5MM cap hit as well as add free agents Greg Pateryn, Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, J.T. Brown, Matt Bartkowksi, and Andrew Hammond all while maintaining some semblance of cap space. The team is projected to enter the season with $1.77MM in cap space and a roster that added talent while only losing the likes of Daniel Winnik and Matt Cullen.

The question now is: is it enough? While it never hurts to return the majority of a roster from a playoff team, there is some question as to whether the Wild are keeping up in the Western Conference arms race. The team has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and has still won just four playoff series in its 18-year history. Fans are clamoring for more than just regular season success and Minnesota – and new GM Paul Fenton – have instead opted to return the same team so far in an off-season where major changes were expected. Although the new contracts for Zucker and Dumba were more than fair and the team addressed needs for more physicality on the blue line with Pateryn and another option in net with Hammond, as well as adding veteran depth pieces, there will be some who are critical of an otherwise quiet summer.

With so little cap space, the Wild may find it difficult to make many additions in-season as well. As the projected 23-man roster currently stands, Minnesota does not seem to be facing many holes and will get an injection of youth in the form of full seasons for Jordan Greenway and Nick Seeler. However, after getting a glimpse of other prospects like Luke Kunin, Louis Belpedio, and Carson Soucy last season, the team will undoubtedly want to avoid leaving them in the AHL all year. The trio all carry $925K cap hits that exceed the salaries of those on the roster they are most likely to supplant and the result will be even more cap space eaten up. Without moving out some salary, Minnesota will be left hoping their young talent can make a major impact as they will otherwise struggle to add veteran difference-makers over the course of the year.

While observers will always point to the massive contracts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise as the contracts that Minnesota could most benefit from moving (although Suter is still one of the most reliable defensemen in the league), the team has also entertained offers for Jonas Brodin and Nino Niederreiter in the past and could do so again. While Eric Staal has been a revelation for the team, they could also look to move the pending free agent if they get off to a slow start and can land a younger asset in exchange. At the end of the season, it could be that this same Wild lineup plus some free agent additions and young players is enough to reverse their postseason fortunes. However, if they fall short again or, even worse, miss the playoffs, the team will finally have to make some major changes. It’s possible that the team gets ahead of that possibility by making some moves this off-season instead.

J.T. Brown Signs With Minnesota Wild

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Enforcer J.T. Brown is heading home to Minnesota, as the veteran forward has signed with the Wild. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that it is a two-year deal and adds that he will make $675K this year and $700K next year for an AAV of $687.5K.

Brown spent 2017-18 playing for two teams as he began the year with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he had played for the previous five years of his NHL career. This year, with the Lightning overflowing with depth and his role declining, Tampa Bay placed him on waivers, hoping he could be sent to the AHL, but was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks. He played 23 games for an injury-ravaged Anaheim team, producing three points.

With Minnesota, the 27-year-old should provide more depth for the team’s bottom line, which Minnesota is re-designing. The team already locked up bottom-line center Eric Fehr, signed veteran Matt Hendricks and allowed veteran Matt Cullen to move on to Pittsburgh.

Free Agent Focus: Anaheim Ducks

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Free agency is now less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Anaheim’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Ondrej Kase — After just a 15-point season a year ago, Kase came on strong this year and proved to be invaluable for the Ducks in a season in which not much went right. The playmaking forward came out and put up 20 goals in his second season and that was despite playing in just 66 games. That’s not the best timing in terms of salary cap issues for the Ducks as Kase, who made $670K last season on the final year of his entry-level deal, could be due for a significant raise as he will likely fight for a spot on the team’s second line next season. The only real issue that Kase has is the injuries he’s dealt with over the years. He hasn’t played a full season yet for Anaheim as he just played 53 games the previous season and combined to play just 39 games over two seasons with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL between 2015-17.

D Brandon Montour — After a breakout season a year ago in which Montour came up to Anaheim to replace an injured Clayton Stoner, the young blueliner established himself quickly as a top young defenseman. The 24-year-old proved to management that they could part with Shea Theodore last season in an expansion draft deal and survive with Montour amongst their top four. The defenseman took that step and has been a reliable anchor to the Ducks’ defense, averaging 20:28 of ATOI this season. And now after making $925K last season in the final year of his entry-level deal, Montour should also get quite a pay raise and could walk away with a long-term deal.

Other RFA’s: G Kevin Boyle, F Nicolas Kerdiles, F Kalle Kossila, F Nick Ritchie, F Kevin Roy, D Andy Welinski.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D Kevin Bieksa — At 37 years of age, Bieksa doesn’t have as much to offer the Ducks than he did in his prime. Now with his $4MM cap hit gone, however, there may still be quite a bit of interest for both parties to remain together as a depth option, albeit at a significantly lower cost. Bieksa did miss some time this season after undergoing hand surgery in March and while he did return by the end of the season, he wasn’t the same as he played in just one of the team’s four playoff games. Regardless, with some of the depth issues the team dealt with last year after trading away Theodore and Sami Vatanen, the team wouldn’t mind bringing the physical veteran back.

F Derek Grant — After years of bouncing around the NHL as a spare forward for many years, Grant has finally found a team that has brought the best out of him. The 28 year old managed to appear in a career-high 66 games where 40 was his previous best and put up 12 goals and 12 assists for Anaheim in a bottom-line role, averaging a career-high 11:06 in ATOI. After signing last year with the Ducks for $605K, he is in line to get a better deal. Throw in the possibility that top center Ryan Kesler might miss all of next season and the team may want Grant around even more.

Other UFA’s: F Jared Boll, F J.T. Brown, F Jason Chimera, F Chris Kelly, F Michael Liambas,  F Scott Sabourin, F Corey Tropp, F Antoine Vermette.

Projected Cap Space: The Ducks don’t have as much wiggle room as they would like as they have just over $9MM of projected cap space available to them. While they don’t have any significant unrestricted free agents they need to sign, some of the cap space will have to be devoted to their restricted free agent group, including Kase, Montour and Ritchie, which leaves them with little room to go out and add a high-profile free agent to bolster their veteran roster. With much of their money going towards their veteran core, the team may have to try to find some players in the bargain bin to bolster their roster for next season.

 

Anaheim Claims J.T. Brown, Places Logan Shaw On Waivers

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The Anaheim Ducks claimed J.T. Brown off of waivers Sunday and placed Logan Shaw on waivers to make space for him, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Brown, who was placed on waivers Saturday by the Tampa Bay Lightning, will now join the Ducks in hopes of providing some bottom-six offense for them.

Brown played sparingly in Tampa Bay, who was looking to free up roster space so the team can audition some of its top youngsters from their AHL franchise. They 27-year-old has spent six seasons with Tampa Bay, but has seen his playing time drop to an all-time low of 9:22. He has played in just 24 games for the Lightning this year, often being a healthy scratch. He has a goal and three assists on the year and might be best known this season for raising his fist in protest during the national anthem on Oct. 7. Brown is the second Lightning player to be lost to waivers this season as they lost Gabriel Dumont earlier this year to Ottawa.

The 25-year Shaw, on the other hand, has seen a significant amount of action this year, mostly on the team’s fourth line, as he’s played in 42 of the team’s 44 games. However, with just two goals and six assists this year while averaging 11:29 of ice time, the team hopes he might clear waivers and they can keep him with their AHL affiliate.

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