Metropolitan Notes: Murray, Couturier, Lundqvist, Merzlikins
The Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot invested in their goaltender of the present and future in Matt Murray. You would think replacing Marc-Andre Fleury might be a challenging procedure, but Murray’s .923 save percentage in 49 games proved that the youngster was ready for the full-time role, one of the reasons why it wasn’t as hard to let Fleury go. However, last year’s struggles already has several fans worried about Murray’s long-term success.
Murray struggled with both injuries as well as the death of his father during the 2017-18 season in which he still played in 49 games, but didn’t fare as well, posting a .907 save percentage as well as a 2.92 GAA. However, Murray as well as the team’s other backups, Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry, have worked hard with goaltending coach Mike Buckley, who challenged each one of them, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Buckley feels that Murray has put too much pressure on himself to replace Fleury and needs to accept that he’s the “guy” now.
“The next step for him is to take it all in and enjoy it. ‘Hey, I’m the guy now. I can accept that. I don’t have to be Marc-Andre Fleury, but I can be tighter with my teammates and really open up to them.’” Buckley said.
Buckley added that Murray has worked hard on his conditioning and hopefully should be able to avoid injury, although some injuries like concussions are just unavoidable.
“In terms of how he takes care of his body, he’s meticulous,” Buckley said. “The problem is the things that you can’t control. A concussion, for example. Someone coming down and landing on you the wrong way. There’s really very little you can do about that.”
- Sam Carchidi of philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall says that No. 1 center Sean Couturier will be “absolutely” 100 percent at the start of the season in October and is already ready to resume skating. Couturier, who was expected to miss four weeks on Aug. 22 with a lower-body injury, is coming off a career-best season in which he scored 31 goals and 76 points and was a key part to the Flyers’ late-season success on a line with Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny.
- Shayna Goldman of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that this will be a challenging season for New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who is coming off two poor seasons and now finds himself in the middle of a rebuilding project. Lundqvist has endured a very physical workload over the course of his career and didn’t get significant rest last season from then-head coach Alain Vigneault. One thing is imperative. The 36-year-old needs rest, which will be a key for new head coach David Quinn. The problem is that the team lacks an adequate backup as the no longer have either Cam Talbot or Antti Raanta serving behind him. The team now has a number of prospects, including Alexandar Georgiev, Dustin Tokarski and Marek Mazanec. However, unless one of them can step up, none seem likely to provide Lundqvist the kind of rest that he needs.
- With the possibility that the team could lose star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to another team when he hits free agency next season, the Columbus Blue Jackets are placing more emphasis on the future suddenly, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required). While the team has their immediate goaltender of the future in their backup Joonas Korpisalo, the team is focusing their long-term hopes on Elvis Merzlikins, their third-round pick in 2014, who has been a dominant prospect for Lugano of the Swiss League. The 24-year-old has been one of the top goaltenders in the league, posting a .924 save percentage last year and is ready to come to North America next season.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets
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.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Current Cap Hit: $73,890,832 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Zach Werenski (one year remaining, $925K)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (two years remaining, $894K)
F Sonny Milano (one year remaining, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Dubois: $2.5MM
Werenski: $800K
Milano: $400K
Total: $3.7MM
The Blue Jackets got a big boost from Dubois who should provide the team with a top center for quite a long time as the 20-year-old had a solid rookie campaign as he posted 20 goals and 48 points. Those numbers should exponentially increase as he gets older, bigger and more comfortable in the league. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him develop into a 60-70 point player this year already. And with two years remaining, he will continue to be a bargain for some time.
Werenski had a mixed bag of a season as he saw his points totals drop from his rookie season (47 points) to his second season (37 points). Yet his goal totals increased from his rookie season (10) to his sophomore season (16). However, Werenski underwent surgery for a shoulder injury that had been causing him pain since October, suggesting he played injured all season. A fully healthy Werenski could give the team one of the top young defensemen in the league.
Milano arrived with much fanfare, but he struggled finding a permanent place in the lineup, as he often received relatively few minutes on the third line due to his struggles on defense. However, Milano showed flashes of scoring ability as the 22-year-old posted 14 goals in 55 games. With a year under his belt, Milano might be able to take those numbers to a much bigger level if he can prove he can play a two-way game for coach John Tortorella.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
G Sergei Bobrovsky ($7.43MM, UFA)
F Artemi Panarin ($6MM, UFA)
D Ryan Murray ($2.83MM, RFA)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($900K, RFA)
F Lukas Sedlak ($825K, RFA)
F Alex Broadhurst ($725K, RFA)
F Markus Hannikainen ($675K, RFA)
D Scott Harrington ($675K, RFA)
F Anthony Duclair ($650K, RFA)
The biggest news all offseason is the fact that Panarin has told Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen says he’s not ready to discuss an extension. Despite the GM’s attempt to speak to Panarin to convince him to stay, it looks like Panarin wants to head elsewhere once his contract expires at the end of the season and he becomes a unrestricted free agent. The 27-year-old winger posted a career-high 82 points after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, but seems to be looking to play in a city with a more diverse market. While there have been rumors that Kekalainen has been looking into trading options, little has come from it. The team may opt to wait until the trade deadline, but that could also lessen the return.
Perhaps more concerning is the contract situation with Bobrovsky. The 30-year-old goaltender is also in the final year of his contract. While there is no talk of leaving Columbus, the Blue Jackets have to be somewhat concerned about the veteran goaltender’s asking price. He will be 32 years old when his next contract takes effect, but Bobrovsky wants term, the team could be paying him until he’s 40 years old and it’s extremely likely that the goalie will take less money than the $7.43MM he’s making on this contract. However, that’s a lot of money to be handing out to an aging goaltender. Bobrovsky’s numbers are still good as he posted a 2.42 GAA and an impressive .920 save percentage in 63 games. However, his struggles in the playoffs isn’t working for him either. Regardless, the team could find itself in quite the contract negotiations in the coming summer.
Duclair is another interesting player, who signed a one-year deal after disappointing in both Arizona and Chicago. The 22-year-old opted to sign a minimum “show me” contract to prove he belongs in the NHL, but he’s struggled to produce over the years after a successful season back in 2015-16 when he potted 20 goals. Since then, he’s managed to post just 16 goals in two seasons. If he can find his game in Columbus, the Blue Jackets could still retain him as he’s a restricted free agent.Read more
Snapshots: Chychrun, Lambert, Legace
The Arizona Coyotes were shocked by how quickly Jakob Chychrun recovered year, as the then-19 year old defenseman made his return to the lineup just three months after undergoing knee surgery in August. This time they won’t be so surprised. Chychrun, who suffered another brutal knee injury at the very end of the season, is expected to be ready for training camp in September with the Coyotes according to Craig Morgan of AZ Sports. His remarkable ability to rehab doesn’t faze GM John Chayka at this point, who said that Chychrun is “just one of those guys who just recovers on his own schedule.”
That’s big news for the Coyotes, who are looking to ride a late-season surge last season all the way to the playoffs in 2018-19. After acquiring several players including Derek Stepan, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Antti Raanta last summer, Chayka was busy again in bringing in Alex Galchenyuk, Michael Grabner and Marcus Kruger to round out the lineup. All eyes though will be on the young core of Chychrun, Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome, who are the key to getting the Coyotes back to long-term respectability.
- The New York Islanders have shocked no one by hiring Lane Lambert as an assistant coach, reuniting him with Barry Trotz behind the bench. Lambert has worked alongside Trotz for the last seven seasons, prior to which he worked as the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals implementing the same system Trotz was using while with the Nashville Predators. The two are almost inseparable at this point, and now face the task of returning the Islanders to success in 2018-19.
- As many have expected, the Columbus Blue Jackets have named former NHL goaltender Manny Legace as their new goaltending coach, promoting him from a similar position with their minor league affiliates. Legace, known as an incredibly consistent backup goalie during his playing career, is now an extremely well-regarded coach that was destined for the NHL ranks. He’ll get to work with two-time Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky in his first season in Columbus, but will likely focus more on preparing Joonas Korpisalo for the starting role should the team not be able to reach a contract extension with the former. Bobrovsky is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and could command a deal like Carey Price‘s eight-year $84MM extension.
Minor Transactions: 03/06/18
After a relatively quiet Monday night in the NHL, the league is back with nine games on tap tonight including a few huge matchups. The Tampa Bay Lightning try to tighten their grip on the Atlantic Division against the red hot Florida Panthers, while the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators battle in what could be a first-round matchup. As they prepare for these contests later tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor movement around the league.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without Sergei Bobrovsky tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, meaning Jeff Zatkoff is on his way up to the NHL. Bobrovsky is just dealing with a minor illness, which likely means Joonas Korpisalo will be in net when the Blue Jackets try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Roope Hintz and goaltender Mike McKenna from the minor leagues, both under emergency conditions. That may be confusing as Hintz was also recalled yesterday, but after the Stars’ game against the St. Louis Blues he was returned to Texas—at least for a few hours. McKenna is on his way up because Ben Bishop is out with a minor injury, giving Kari Lehtonen the starting role for the time being.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced that Kyle Criscuolo is out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, meaning he’s likely headed for injured reserve through the end of the season. The 25-year old forward made his NHL debut this season, and would have been a welcome addition to the Rochester Americans’ playoff run.
Minor Transactions: 2/24/18
Though the expectation is to see less “minor” transactions and more fireworks over the next 48 hours, the day-to-day operations of NHL teams don’t stop just because of the trade deadline. With a busy slate of 12 games coming up today, teams continue to tweak their rosters in preparation, though some moves could also signal an impending trade. Follow along to find out.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have reversed the decision they made yesterday, announcing an identical swap of Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen for Jeff Zatkoff. Zatkoff heads back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after just one day, while Korpisalo and Hannikainen re-join the Jackets. The veteran goalie Zatkoff has yet to make an NHL appearance this season, but Korpisalo hasn’t had much better luck, struggling through 12 games, including just two dismal performances in February.
- Blake Pietila is on his way back to the minors, as the New Jersey Devils have also changed their mind on a recent call-up, sending the young forward back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Pietila played in his first two NHL games of the 2017-18 campaign on this call-up, but failed to record a point in under 20 minutes of total ice time.
- St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac notes that the AHL lists defenseman Jordan Schmaltz and forward Tage Thompson headed to St. Louis and defenseman Chris Butler and forward Sammy Blais reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage. More likely than not, the Blues are swapping out some in-between players for others to shake up a lineup that has been ineffective of late, but there’s also a good chance that they would like to showcase all of their young pro talent ahead of the deadline. St. Louis has just three wins in their past ten games and risk missing the playoffs if their play doesn’t improve one way or another.
- According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have placed Peter Holland on waivers today. Holland is no stranger to having an uncertain future; the 27-year-old has been with four different NHL organizations in the past two years and wouldn’t be surprised to join a fifth on this go-round through the waiver wire. However, the 2009 first-rounder is on pace for the fewest NHL games and points of his career this season and may not hold much value for other teams.
- After clearing waivers himself, newly-acquired L.A. goaltender Scott Wedgewood is heading to the AHL, per Kings beat writer Josh Cooper. Joining Wedgewood on the trip to the AHL’s Ontario Reign is forward Jonny Brodzinski, while defenseman Paul LaDue has been recalled. LaDue has played in only seven games with the Kings this season after 22 in his 2016-17 rookie campaign and again looks to be just a depth option for Los Angeles on this call-up.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled prospect Laurent Dauphin from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 22-year-old center was re-acquired by Arizona on Jan. 10 after he had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason. Dauphin was originally traded in June with Connor Murphy for defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The prospect was then reacquired when Arizona traded forward Anthony Duclair to Chicago with Richard Panik. Dauphin had 17 goals last year for the Roadrunners and was expected to take that next step. However, he struggled with the Rockford IceHogs early on, scoring just four goals to go with 10 assists in 33 games. He seems to have found his game since then as he has five goals and 10 assists in just 16 games and might be ready to take on a role with Arizona now that the team moved Tobias Rieder recently to Los Angeles.
- The Edmonton Oilers announced they recalled winger Ty Rattie and activated Andrej Sekera from injured reserve today. The 25-year-old Rattie has 20 goals and 19 assists with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, but has struggled to break into the NHL over the years. He signed with Edmonton in the offseason. Sekera, who was struck in the face with a puck back on Feb. 9, has struggled this year after tearing his ACL last season. He has no goals and one assist in 18 games for Edmonton with a minus-10 rating. The team did need some defensive depth after they traded away Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders earlier today.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned forwards Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL today, according to the Chicago Wolves. Hyka scored his first NHL goal Friday and had played well, but the team is likely making space for recently acquired Ryan Reaves and the impending return of James Neal to the lineup. Both were likely expected to be returned to Chicago by Monday anyway, as if the Golden Knights want them to play in the AHL playoffs, they must not be with the NHL club at the trade deadline.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kalle Kossila from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old averages more than a point a game as he has 13 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Gulls. For the Ducks, he has one goal and one assist in 10 games.
Minor Transactions: 02/23/18
Just a few days remain before the 2018 trade deadline, but much of the hockey world were glued to their television sets this morning to watch the German Olympic team upset the Canadians. Germany had already stunned Sweden in an overtime victory to make it to the semi-final match, and are now headed to the gold medal game against the Olympic Athletes from Russia. Though that may be more exciting than minor moves around the NHL, we’ll nevertheless keep track of all the comings and goings in the league.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets lost last night to the Philadelphia Flyers, and today made several roster moves. Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen are both on their way to the AHL, while Jeff Zatkoff has been recalled. Korpisalo has played just three times in 2018, and the Blue Jackets won’t need a backup to start for another week. He could be recalled at that point, though Zatkoff has plenty of NHL experience as well.
- Lucas Wallmark is on his way back to Raleigh after the Carolina Hurricanes announced he has been recalled from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. The 22-year-old center has struggled to stick in the NHL for the second year in a row, suiting up for just five games with the ‘Canes thus far in 2017-18 through multiple call-ups. Carolina could use the boost of Wallmark translating his high-powered AHL game to the next level.
Minor Transactions: 2/10/18
It’s another busy Saturday around the NHL with 18 teams slated to be in action. As a result, there should be plenty of roster moves throughout the day. We’ll keep tabs on those here.
- The Blue Jackets have flipped backup goalies, announcing that they have recalled Joonas Korpisalo from Cleveland of the AHL while re-assigning Jeff Zatkoff. The move comes as little surprise as Korpisalo had been sent down earlier this week to get into a game at the minor league level. Meanwhile, Zatkoff has played just four times this season, all with Cleveland after being acquired for future considerations last month.
- The Rangers have recalled goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from AHL Hartford, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. This comes on the heels of goaltender Ondrej Pavelec leaving Friday’s game with a knee injury. Georgiev is in his first year in North America and has posted a 2.97 GAA with a .908 SV% in 31 minor league appearances so far this season.
- Edmonton is perhaps looking to shake things up on the blue line, as they have recalled Keegan Lowe from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The 24-year-old AHL veteran has just two NHL games to his credit, back in 2014-15 with the Carolina Hurricanes, but is currently enjoying the best offensive season of his minor league career. The Oilers already have eight defenseman on the roster right now, making Lowe’s call-up not a necessity, but instead a possible experiment to see how he plays at the next level.
Minor Transactions: 02/07/18
The amount of minor roster moves has slowed recently, perhaps because of teams around the league trying to really examine what they have available at the NHL level before making a trade. Still, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here, updating throughout the day. Make sure to check back to keep up with your favorite team.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Tim Heed and Marcus Sorensen to the minor leagues as they head home for the next two days. The team is down to 21 players on the active roster for the time being, but could make another move before tomorrow’s matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
- James Reimer is expected to be back for the Florida Panthers when they take on the Los Angeles Kings on Friday, meaning Samuel Montembeault is on his way back to the minor leagues. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers deploy their goaltenders in the coming games, as Harri Sateri has allowed just six goals in his last four games and looks ready to take the next step.
- Jeff Zatkoff could soon be making his Columbus debut, as the Blue Jackets announced today that they have reassigned young Joonas Korpisalo to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and have called the veteran Zatkoff up in his place. Don’t count it, though. Korpisalo has been back and forth many times this season, as his play continues to pale in comparison to his stellar rookie season, yet no other backup has seen any action. Zatkoff has not appeared in the NHL this year and was abysmal with the L.A. Kings in 2016-17, so he’s not pushing for play time either.
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: 1/13/18
With several teams ending their bye weeks, Saturday is once again shaping up to be a busy day in the NHL with nine games on tap. Here is where we’ll keep tabs on the minor roster moves of the day.
- Following their loss to Vancouver on Friday, the Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that they have sent winger Tyler Motte and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to AHL Cleveland. Motte has spent the bulk of the season on the fourth line in Columbus but should be in line for more playing time in the minors while Korpisalo’s reassignment has been classified as a conditioning stint. He has made just two starts at the NHL level since December 2nd but has had a couple of appearances with Cleveland already this month after being sent down earlier in the month. With Columbus on their bye, both will likely be recalled next week.
- The Capitals announced that they have returned winger Travis Boyd to Hershey of the AHL. His stint with the big club was short-lived as he was only recalled yesterday and he did not play in their game against Carolina. Boyd has been productive at the minor league level this season, tallying 27 points (8-19-27) in 37 games. Washington has also returned winger Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey to Hershey, via the AHL’s transactions page. The moves come as no surprise with the Caps on their bye as they have been shuffling the two back and forth on a regular basis recently to save a little bit of cap room.
- With the Lightning entering their bye, the team has sent goaltender Louis Domingue back to AHL Syracuse, per a team release. Domingue has made one appearance with Tampa Bay since being recalled, earning a victory over Detroit. That is his lone win this season as he struggled considerably in six appearances with Arizona earlier this season. CapFriendly notes via Twitter that Connor Ingram has been recalled to take Domingue’s spot and keep the team at the mandatory minimum goalies on the roster.
- The Stars have recalled defenseman Dillon Heatherington from Texas of the AHL, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). The 2013 second-round pick has yet to play in an NHL game. He is in his third professional season and has picked up three goals and ten assists in 39 minor league contests so far this season.
- The Canucks announced via Twitter that they have assigned winger Nikolay Goldobin to AHL Utica. The 22-year-old has been reasonably productive this season with four points in 14 games but saw just 6:32 of ice time last night as Sven Baertschi‘s return dropped him down the depth chart. He’ll be in line for much more playing time with the Comets where he has averaged more than a point per game (19 points in 18 contests) so far this season.
- After losing both Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader to injuries during today’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, MLive’s Ansar Khan reports the Detroit Red Wings have recalled Dominic Turgeon from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL this evening for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 21-year-old center was a third-round pick in 2014 and will be making his first trip to Detroit. He has nine goals and 14 assists in 23 games for the Griffins this year.