Minor Transactions: 10/01/19
Teams all around the league are setting their opening day rosters to get cap compliant, while minor league clubs are still out finalizing their groups for the upcoming season. We’ll be right here to keep track of all those moves like always:
- The Buffalo Sabres have done some cap gymnastics today, sending Henri Jokiharju and Victor Olofsson to the minor leagues and recalling Curtis Lazar, Jean-Sebastien Dea and Lawrence Pilut. The team also placed Zach Bogosian, Matt Hunwick, Brandon Montour and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on injured reserve as expected. The moves are just salary-based, as Olofsson and Jokiharju are both still expected to be in the Sabres’ opening night lineup.
- The Laval Rocket have signed Kevin Lynch to a one-year AHL contract after he stood out as a potential option in training camp. Lynch, 28, missed all of last season due to injury but had 26 points in 57 games with the Syracuse Crunch in 2017-18.
- Former NHL goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis has left Dynamo Riga of the KHL after a mutual contract termination, leaving him free to sign with another team. The 27-year old goaltender had posted just an .863 save percentage through nine games this season.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Dea, Lazar
The Buffalo Sabres have signed a pair of depth forwards, inking Curtis Lazar and Jean-Sebastien Dea. Both players will carry a $700K salary, though Dea received a two-year deal while Lazar is under contract for just a single season.
The Sabres hope they can develop the play of Lazar who has struggled to succeed at the professional level. Lazar has always been considered a top prospect since his junior days and was a first-round pick in 2013 by the Ottawa Senators. He was known for his scoring as he tallied 99 goals over his final three seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. While he immediately joined the Senators when he went pro, he put up just six goals in each of his first two seasons, finally being sent down to the AHL the following year before Ottawa traded him to Calgary at the trade deadline in 2017. However, Lazar struggled even more after that, scoring three goals over the next season and a half. He played all, but one game, with the Stockton Heat last season.
The Sabres are hoping he can develop into a bottom-line depth option for a cheap price. Considered to be a great locker-room guy, he does possess leadership skills. During the 2015 World Junior Championships, he was captain of Canada’s gold-medal team with Connor McDavid and Sam Reinhart.
Dea is another project as the undrafted free-agent from Pittsburgh was always considered to be a talented player, but he could never thrive at the NHL level, eventually getting claimed by the New Jersey Devils at the start of the year, but they couldn’t get enough out of him and were forced to place him on waivers, allowing Pittsburgh to bring him back. The Penguins eventually sent him to Florida at this year’s trade deadline, but he just played in the AHL. He played 23 games between Pittsburgh and New Jersey, but tallied just four goals and six points. He did, however, notch 18 goals between two different AHL teams last season, including 11 goals and 22 points in 20 games.
2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap
The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):
To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff
To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons
To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick
To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid
To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes
To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)
To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal
To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput
To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations
To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations
To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)
To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick
To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid
To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick
Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Chris Wideman
Defenseman Chris Wideman is on the move for the third time this season. The impending free agent has been traded by the Florida Panthers to the Pittsburgh Penguins, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds that forward Jean-Sebastien Dea heads the other way to Florida.
Wideman began the season with the Ottawa Senators, but was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in November for a sixth-round pick. After he wasn’t a fit in Edmonton, Wideman was sent to the Florida Panthers as part of the package for Alexander Petrovic. He now joins his fourth team of the season in Pittsburgh, but it may be his best opportunity yet at play time. Having played just six games combined since leaving Ottawa, Wideman now joins a team that is currently without Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, and Olli Maatta and will ask he and another new acquisition, Erik Gudbranson, to help make up for their absences. For now, Wideman will report to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but will likely be recalled if Letang and Dumoulin remain sidelined.
Meanwhile, Dea has also been on the move frequently this year. The 25-year-old forward played 20 games with the New Jersey Devils after being claimed on waivers earlier this season, but returned to Pittsburgh via waivers afterward. Dea has spent the majority of the season in the AHL, only playing three games for the Penguins. He now heads to Florida where he will try to prove he is worthy of regular play time. Dea is currently a candidate for Group 6 free agency at the end of the season, so his time with the Panthers could be short-lived.
Calvin Pickard, Jean-Sebastien Dea Claimed Off Waivers
With the Arizona Coyotes dealing with some health concerns in net, they’ve decided to claim goaltender Calvin Pickard off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Pittsburgh Penguins meanwhile have reclaimed Jean-Sebastien Dea off waivers from the New Jersey Devils. Dea has been immediately sent to the minor leagues, meaning the Penguins were the only team who put in a claim.
Pickard is off to his fourth team since the end of the 2016-17 season, when he finished the year as the starting goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche. He was then selected in the expansion draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, only to be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs before ever playing a regular season game for Vegas. In Toronto, he spent nearly the entire 2017-18 season in the minor leagues, winning a Calder Cup as a backup to Garret Sparks, before eventually being waived just prior to the start of this year.
In Philadelphia, his numbers have not been up to the level he showed in Colorado and was obviously not the long-term solution for the Flyers. He’s no more the solution in Arizona though, as he is an obvious short-term solution while Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper try to get healthy. Adin Hill will make the next start for Arizona, just his fifth of his career. That forced GM John Chayka to go out and acquire some more experience, something that Pickard brings even if there hasn’t been a lot of success lately.
Pittsburgh meanwhile will get Dea back after watching him score five points in 20 games for the Devils this year. The undrafted forward was a project of the Pittsburgh development system for the last few seasons, and will now re-enter that organization after getting his feet wet at the NHL level. Though it was obviously not planned, this was actually not the worst outcome for the Penguins if they felt they couldn’t afford to give Dea that short opportunity themselves. The 24-year old now has some additional NHL games under his belt, and can attempt to improve his game even further in the minor leagues.
Calvin Pickard, Jean-Sebastien Dea Placed On Waivers
Philadelphia Flyers president Paul Holmgren was clear that he would make a change to the team’s goaltending situation if he felt the need even as they continue their search for a new GM, and today did just that. The Flyers have placed Calvin Pickard on waivers, while also sending forward Tyrell Goulbourne back to the minor leagues. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the New Jersey Devils have also placed Jean-Sebastien Dea on waivers.
Pickard, 26, was claimed off of waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs just prior to the start of the season and ended up playing 11 games for the Flyers so far. His performance so far hasn’t been good despite a 4-2-2 record, as he has registered an .863 save percentage and is allowing more than four goals per game on average. Part of the problem may be the Flyers defensive structure given Pickard’s career .909 save percentage, but he hasn’t shown much NHL ability at this point.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have some value though, especially to the Maple Leafs who could very likely put in a claim for him. Should they be the only team to do so they would be able to send Pickard directly to the Toronto Marlies, who have had goaltending troubles for much of this season. Pickard won a Calder Cup with the Marlies last season, though he was the backup to Garret Sparks at the time. His contract carries an $800K cap hit, and would be completely buried in the minor leagues if he cleared waivers or ended up with the Marlies.
Dea meanwhile has been playing full-time with the Devils, recording five points in 20 games but became the odd man out when Marcus Johansson returned to practice. The 24-year old Dea has had a lot of success in the minor leagues with the Pittsburgh Penguins since signing out of the QMJHL as an undrafted free agent, but didn’t receive a qualifying offer from that organization in the summer. He then re-signed a one-year two-way deal with the Penguins, before being claimed by the Devils on waivers at the end of September.
Devils Claim Jean-Sebastien Dea Off Waivers From Pittsburgh
The Devils have added some depth up front as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they have claimed center Jean-Sebastien Dea off waivers from the Penguins.
The 24-year-old is coming off of his best season at the AHL level after posting 18 goals and 32 assists in 70 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, ranking second on the team in scoring to winger Daniel Sprong. He also collected an assist in three postseason contests.
Dea does not have a lot of NHL experience as he has suited up in just six games in Pittsburgh, five of which came last season where he scored his first NHL goal but averaged just 5:29 of ice time per game. However, teams are now more inclined to try smaller offensive-minded players and it appears he’ll get a longer look in New Jersey where he will battle for a spot at the end of their lineup. The Devils are certainly familiar with him – head coach John Hynes had him for a year at the AHL level while GM Ray Shero also has some extra information about him from his time with the Penguins.
Dea will make the league minimum of $650K in the NHL while his salary dips to $200K if he was to later clear waivers and be sent to the minors.
Pittsburgh Penguins Re-Sign Jean-Sebastien Dea
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy locking up depth players the last few days, and today is no different. Jean-Sebastien Dea has signed a one-year, two-way contract that will carry a $650K cap hit at the NHL level. It wasn’t clear if Dea had received a qualifying offer on Monday—Jonathan Bombulie of the Tribune-Review tweets he did, while CapFriendly believes he didn’t—but it doesn’t matter now that he’s under contract. He’ll be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agent status next summer if he doesn’t play in at least 74 games with the Penguins this season.
Dea, 24, scored his first NHL goal this season during his five-game stint with Pittsburgh, and was a dominant offensive player for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL. He recorded 50 points for the minor league club which trailed only Daniel Sprong, a player expected to graduate to the NHL next season. That leaves Dea as one of the prime weapons for the baby Penguins, should he fail to make the big club out of camp once again.
Signed out of the QMJHL as an undrafted free agent in 2013, Dea is an undersized forward who nevertheless can score from in tight. While he hasn’t been given much of an opportunity at the NHL level, his contribution to the organization shouldn’t be overlooked. The Penguins believe in creating a winning atmosphere for all of their affiliates, and make it clear by re-signing talented veteran players to buoy some of the more less experienced members of the organization. While development is key for minor league players, Pittsburgh believes winning is a big part of that. Dea will be asked to be a leader on the ice for the AHL Penguins, and wait for any opportunity that presents itself at the next level.
Minor Transactions: 01/29/18
As January comes to a close, the NHL resumes a normal schedule and teams across the league try to make a push for the playoffs. The trade deadline, which comes in just a few weeks will bring new addresses for some of the very best players, while along the way many minor moves will be made to help the edges of a roster. We’ll keep track of all the day’s minor transactions right here.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Joonas Korpisalo, Dean Kukan, Markus Hannikainen and Zac Dalpe from the minor leagues, sending Jeff Zatkoff and Andre Benoit back down. These moves were expected, although it is interesting that Jordan Schroeder was left in the AHL. The Blue Jackets will take on Minnesota tomorrow night.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea as expected, bringing the 23-year old forward back up for another chance with the NHL club. Dea has one goal in four games this season, and will look to get back into the lineup when the Penguins host the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night.
- Erik Burgdoerfer, Colin White and Chris DiDomenico are all back with the Ottawa Senators, and they’ve moved Gabriel Dumont to injured reserve to clear room.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled just Kasperi Kapanen, which lends credence to the idea that Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev will return soon. The Maple Leafs currently have just six healthy defensemen, and had previously recalled Rinat Valiev to serve as the extra. If that’s not done by tomorrow, you can bet one of the injured players will be back in the lineup.
- Joel Eriksson Ek is back with the Minnesota Wild, and will try to make a bigger impact in the second half. The 21-year old forward has just seven points this season in 42 games and hasn’t been the Calder Trophy nominee many expected.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have brought Louis Domingue back up after giving him a chance to stay fresh during the break. Domingue has seemingly solved the Lightning backup goalie issue with his strong play since coming over from Arizona, recording a .928 save percentage in his two starts.
- The Winnipeg Jets have flipped goaltenders, recalling Eric Comrie and sending Jamie Phillips to the Manitoba Moose. Interestingly it wasn’t Michael Hutchinson who got the call, as he continues to dominate the AHL. Steve Mason remains sidelined by concussion symptoms, unclear of when he’ll return.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Jason Dickinson, Dillon Heatherington and Julius Honka as expected. Honka and Heatherington will continue to try and prove that they deserve a full-time role on the blue line while Marc Methot deals with injury.
- Andrew Mangiapane and Ryan Lomberg are back with the Calgary Flames, though Marek Hrvik, who was sent down along with them prior to the break was not recalled. Hrivik will likely have to wait for another opportunity to get back onto the NHL club.
- Ian McCoshen, Samuel Montembeault and Maxim Mamin are all on their way back to the Florida Panthers as expected, and will try to show that they deserve to be considered part of the future for the team. The Panthers find themselves well out of a playoff spot heading into the second half and would need an impressive run to get back into the picture.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Anders Bjork under emergency conditions, as they deal with Brad Marchand‘s suspension. The conditions also mean that someone is dealing with an injury, though it’s not clear who exactly that is in regards to the call up.
- A pair of players are on their way down to Brooklyn from Bridgeport, as the Islanders have called up Tanner Fritz and Ross Johnston from the AHL.
Minor Transactions: 01/17/18
The NHL has just two games on the schedule today before getting back to a full slate on Thursday, and should expect to see several minor moves around league rosters. We’ll keep track of all of them right here. Make sure to refresh throughout the day to keep track of all the movement.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea from the minor leagues as they go on the road for back-to-back matchups against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Dea has 23 points this season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but has just one NHL game under his belt in his short career. Looking for that first NHL point still, he’ll have to find a way into the lineup over the next few days.
- Casey Nelson is on his way up to Buffalo, recalled today from the Rochester Americans. Nelson played 11 games for the Sabres last season, but has yet to suit up this year. Buffalo is back in action tomorrow night after their bye week, taking on the New York Rangers.
- Colorado has brought back center Dominic Toninato from San Antonio of the AHL. The first year pro has skated in eight games with the Avalanche already this season while recording seven goals and five assists in 30 games with the Rampage.
- With Washington’s bye week set to come to an end, the Capitals have recalled winger Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey from AHL Hershey, per the AHL’s Transactions page. The moves come as no surprise as the demotions were simply to save some cap space (a little over $33K); neither player suited up while they were with the Bears.
- The Devils made a pair of roster moves, recalling defenseman Steven Santini from Binghamton of the AHL while sending goaltender Ken Appleby back down. This reverses the swap from Tuesday that saw Appleby promoted to take the place of Cory Schneider who was unable to dress last night against the Islanders due to an illness.