Minor Transactions: 9/23/18
While there has been no shortage of training camp cuts and waivers today, there have been some other small transactions around the hockey world.
- Blue Jackets unrestricted free agent center Ryan Kujawinski has signed a tryout agreement with Calgary’s affiliate in Stockton, per a team release. The 23-year-old bounced around last season spending time with the affiliates in Arizona, New Jersey, and Columbus. He was not tendered a qualifying offer back in June.
- Former Canadiens prospect Connor Crisp announced his retirement via his Twitter account. He spent last season on a minor league deal in Detroit where he collected 16 goals and 14 assists in 44 games with Toledo of the ECHL. Crisp dealt with concussion trouble during his time in Montreal’s organization and in his announcement, he mentions how he is still dealing with worsening post-concussion symptoms.
- Veteran forward Jeremy Morin is looking to resume playing in North America. He has joined Washington’s affiliate in Hershey on a tryout basis, the AHL team announced. Morin was a bit of a hockey nomad last season, spending time in Russia, Finland, and in multiple Swiss leagues, as well as a brief stint in the ECHL. The 27-year-old has 82 career NHL games under his belt between Chicago and Columbus.
Revisiting The January Trade Market
As front offices around the league call and text trying to find the right fit for their rosters, fans are waiting with bated breath wondering who could be pulling on their favorite sweater in the next few weeks. Will a superstar change hands and take over as the new face of a franchise? Will a veteran finally find his way to the Stanley Cup promised land? The deadline is now less than six weeks away.
We may not have to wait until the very end to answer these questions though, as January has been a busy month for trade action in the past. We’ve already had two moves this year, and several more could be finalized before the calendar turns over. For now, let’s take a look back at the last few years to see what kind of moves are made in the dawn of the new year.
2018:
January 4th: Edmonton acquires Al Montoya from Montreal in exchange for a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick.
January 10th: Chicago acquires Anthony Duclair and Adam Clendening from Arizona for Richard Panik and Laurent Dauphin.
2017:
January 1st: Arizona acquires Mitchell Moroz from Edmonton in exchange for Henrik Samuelsson.
January 11th: Anaheim acquires Jhonas Enroth from Toronto for a 2018 seventh-round pick.
January 13th: Nashville acquires Cody McLeod from Colorado in exchange for Felix Girard.
January 19th: Nashville acquires Andrew O’Brien from Anaheim for Max Gortz.
January 21st: Los Angeles acquires Cameron Schilling from Chicago for Michael Latta.
January 24th: Ottawa acquires Tommy Wingels in exchange for Zack Stortini, Buddy Robinson and a 2017 seventh-round pick.
January 26th: Montreal acquires Nikita Nesterov from Tampa Bay in exchange for Jonathan Racine and a 2017 sixth-round pick.
Obviously 2017 wasn’t filled with the most blockbuster trades in the month of January, but several teams did add small pieces for potential playoff runs. Nesterov didn’t really work out in Montreal, and Wingels couldn’t find his scoring touch in Ottawa.
2016:
January 3rd: Chicago acquires Richard Panik from Toronto in exchange for Jeremy Morin.
January 6th: Los Angeles acquires Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn from Philadelphia in exchange for Jordan Weal and a 2016 third-round pick.
January 6th: Nashville acquires Ryan Johansen from Columbus in exchange for Seth Jones.
January 7th: Montreal acquires Max Friberg from Anaheim in exchange for Dustin Tokarski.
January 8th: Vancouver acquires Emerson Etem from New York in exchange for Nicklas Jensen and a 2017 sixth-round pick.
January 14th: Ottawa acquires Conor Allen from Nashville in exchange for Patrick Mullen.
January 15th: Montreal acquires Victor Bartley and John Scott from Arizona in exchange for Jarred Tinordi and Stefan Fournier.
January 15th: Arizona acquires Victor Bartley from Nashville in exchange for Stefan Elliott.
January 16th: Anaheim acquires David Perron and Adam Clendening from Pittsburgh in exchange for Carl Hagelin.
January 21st: Anaheim acquires Ryan Garbutt from Chicago in exchange for Jiri Sekac.
2016 was a much more active January, with big names like Lecavalier, Johansen and Jones all dealt. While the Nashville-Columbus trade might have had the biggest impact long-term, Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Hagelin was a big part of their Stanley Cup run, as he scored 27 points down the stretch and added another 16 in the playoffs.
There is certainly value to be had in January trades, and it’s clear that teams like Nashville and Anaheim aren’t scared of making an early move. While those two might not be the most watched teams on the trade market this year, don’t rule them out of making tweaks once again.
Minor Transactions: 10/14/17
Here’s where we’ll keep tabs on the minor news and notes throughout the day with the most recent moves at the top:
- The Kings announced that they have returned defenseman Paul LaDue to Ontario of the AHL, paving the way for blueliner Alec Martinez to be activated off injured reserve. LaDue had been with Los Angeles since the start of the season but did not get into a game. He impressed in a stint with the Kings late last year where he posted eight assists in 22 contests.
Earlier updates:
- David Schlemko’s conditioning stint was a short one as the Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled him from Laval of the AHL, only one day after loaning him there. Schlemko suffered a hand injury early in training camp and did not suit up for Montreal in the preseason or in any of their first four regular season games. However, although he is now back with the Canadiens, he will not play tonight against Toronto.
- The Senators announced (via Twitter) that they have returned blueliner Christian Jaros to Belleville of the AHL. The 21-year-old is in his first season in North America and got into a pair of games with Ottawa in his first NHL stint, averaging 7:58 per night. He also has an assist in two contests at the minor league level. His spot on the roster will be filled by defenseman Johnny Oduya, who is set to return to the lineup.
- After being released from his KHL team last month, winger Jeremy Morin has resurfaced in the ECHL, inking a one-year deal with South Carolina, an affiliate of the Capitals. Morin had been on an NHL contract as recently as last season but did not receive a qualifying offer from Tampa Bay back in June. He has 82 games of NHL experience under his belt with Chicago and is coming off an AHL season that saw him tally 16 goals and 14 assists in 63 games last year between the affiliates for the Coyotes and Lightning.