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Jordan Martinook

East Notes: Martinook, Lysell, Pysyk

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Hurricanes winger Jordan Martinook left Friday’s loss against Boston after Taylor Hall fell on Martinook’s ankle.  Chip Alexander and Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer report that x-rays on the ankle came back negative, however, the 29-year-old has already been ruled out for Sunday’s fourth game of the series.  Derek Stepan or Steven Lorentz will likely slide into Martinook’s spot on the fourth line with head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicating they may try to find a way to get both of those players into the lineup which means someone else would be a healthy scratch.  Trade deadline pickup Max Domi could the odd one out in that scenario after averaging just 10:10 through the first three games of the series.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Bruins will decide this summer whether or not to turn prospect Fabian Lysell pro or not, notes Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. The 19-year-old winger was drafted out of Sweden so he’s able to play in the minors before turning 20 but Boston decided that the major junior route was the best for him this season as he had 62 points in 53 regular season games with WHL Vancouver and has 15 points in seven playoff contests so far.  The 2021 first-rounder can go back to junior next season but the Bruins might prefer testing him at a harder level next season, especially if his postseason dominance continues.
  • Mark Pysyk was hoping to go back to being a full-time defenseman this season after spending a lot of the previous two years on the wing. He got that opportunity with Buffalo and not surprisingly, as a result, he told reporters including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that he “definitely would be open” to re-signing with the Sabres.  The 30-year-old played in 68 games this season, collecting a dozen points while averaging just under 18 minutes a game.  That’s a pretty good return on a one-year, $900K deal, a price tag that Pysyk should be able to eclipse on the open market in July.

Snapshots: Giordano, Braun, Robertson, Martinook

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One of the biggest names remaining on the trade-bait list is Seattle Kraken defenseman Mark Giordano. A pending UFA and still producing at a high level, many teams have been calling Seattle about the 38-year-old. Still, the price on Giordano remains high, rumored to be at least a first-round pick. Although this price may be reasonable for Giordano, many teams have balked at the it, some perhaps not necessarily viewing it as unfair, but not a prudent decision for their organization. One such organization is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have made it known that they do not want to trade a first-round pick or a top prospect for a true rental player.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wondered if perhaps Seattle would be willing to take two second-round picks or a second-round pick and a prospect in lieu of a first-round pick (link). LeBrun speculates that if Seattle was willing to accept a package like this, then that may open the market up to Toronto and the St. Louis Blues, another organization who has made it known they do not want to trade a first-round pick. Another team that is in the mix for Giordano’s services is the New York Rangers, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pointed out on Hockey Night in Canada yesterday evening. The Rangers, unlike Toronto or St. Louis, could be persuaded to trade a first-round pick, considering the young talent they have and the fact that they have not been without one in several years. While that does give the Rangers an advantage, Giordano, Seattle’s captain, has made it clear that if he is to be traded, he strongly prefers his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers plan to make defenseman Justin Braun a healthy scratch for today’s game against the New York Islanders, reports The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor. The scratch is not indicative of poor performance or any injury related matters, and is purely an asset-management move ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline, when Braun is likely to be traded.
  • The Maple Leafs announced that they have sent forward Nicholas Robertson to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The move does not necessarily mean that the Maple Leafs are planning, or not planning, to trade Robertson, and is more-likely-than-not a result of the Maple Leafs working around salary cap constraints to put themselves in the best position possible for the trade deadline. To date, Robertson has just one goal and zero assists in nine NHL games this season, but three goals and five assists in nine AHL games this season.
  • According to Carolina Hurricanes’ head coach Rod Brind’Amour, forward Jordan Martinook will be out of the lineup for a few weeks after being injured in Thursday’s game against the Maple Leafs (link). Carolina expects to have Martinook back this season, however Hurricanes’ alternate captain is a key figure and leader in the locker room, so his absence, even if temporary, could prove costly to the team.
  • Friedman also Tweets that he believes the Vancouver Canucks are a team that is considering Travis Dermott at the deadline. Dermott has been the subject of trade rumors well before this year’s trade deadline, and those rumors have only heated up since, and it is believed he will be traded by the deadline regardless. Vancouver has been looking to acquire a defenseman with term, and Dermott is signed through 2022-23 at just a $1.5MM cap hit.

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers, Shesterkin, Nemeth, Hurricanes

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The Flyers announced that they’ve placed Max Willman and a staff member in COVID protocol.  The 26-year-old has been a feel-good story for Philadelphia this season as he made his NHL debut this season and has chipped in with two goals and an assist in a dozen games.  Willman was originally drafted by Buffalo back in 2014 but didn’t sign.  He becomes the second Flyer currently in COVID protocol joining center Morgan Frost.

Meanwhile, goaltender Carter Hart will be unavailable for tonight’s game against Ottawa due to an undetermined illness.  The team announced (Twitter link) that Felix Sandstrom has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley to serve as Martin Jones’ backup.  They will get some help on the injury front, however, as winger Joel Farabee will return to the lineup after missing the last seven games due to a shoulder injury.  The 21-year-old has seven goals in 21 games so far this season.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is ready to return from his lower-body injury as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been activated off injured reserve with Keith Kinkaid being returned to AHL Hartford in a corresponding move.  The 25-year-old missed just over two weeks with the injury and had been off to a strong start to his season with a 2.05 GAA and a .937 SV% in 18 games.  Kinkaid, meanwhile, picked up the victory on Wednesday against Arizona.
  • From that same announcement, Rangers blueliner Patrik Nemeth has been placed in COVID protocol.  The 30-year-old had played in all 30 of New York’s games to this point, recording two assists along with 57 blocked shots while logging just over 17 minutes per game.  He’ll miss the next ten days.
  • Carolina won’t be getting any help on the injury front for a little while as Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes’ team site relays (Twitter link) that winger Jordan Martinook and defenseman Jalen Chatfield aren’t close to returning from their respective lower-body injuries. Martinook has been out for a little more than two weeks and head coach Rod Brind’Amour acknowledged that the 29-year-old could start skating soon but still will need a fair bit of time before he’s able to come back.  Meanwhile, Chatfield’s injury was more recent, sustained back on Sunday against his former team in Vancouver.

Jordan Martinook Re-Signs With The Carolina Hurricanes

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that versatile forward Jordan Martinook will be staying in Carolina. The deal is reported to be three years at $1.8MM. Per PuckPedia, the deal’s structure is as follows:

2021-22: $900,000
2022-23: $1,800,000
2023-24: $2,700,000

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise after it was believed that the Hurricanes and Martinook would be parting ways. However, with the departure of Warren Foegele, it seems that Carolina has reversed course. Martinook is a considered a glue guy in the locker room and with plenty of turnover already in Raleigh this off-season, it will benefit team morale to keep him around, especially on a mult-year deal.

On the ice, Martinook is likely to make that $1.8MM AAV look like a value as well. The two-way forward recorded 25 points in his first (and only) full season with Carolina and in the past two shortened seasons has scored at a similar rate. Add in his work ethic and defensive ability and you have a reliable bottom-six player making a relatively small amount. As the ’Canes continue to push for a Cup, they will likely be happy that they kept Martinook in the fold.

Tom Dundon Becomes Sole Owner Of Carolina Hurricanes

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The NHL’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved Tom Dundon as sole owner of the Carolina Hurricanes after he purchased all remaining minority shares. That includes those owned by the previous majority shareholder Peter Karmanos, and as the press release indicates, makes this the first time that Karmanos has not owned a piece of the franchise since 1994.

Quite simply, Dundon reiterated his desire to see the Stanley Cup return to Raleigh:

We are fortunate to have a passionate fan base that supports what we believe is a team that can compete every year for the Stanley Cup. That is the only option.

Dundon purchased a majority of the team in 2018 and restructured both the business and hockey operations departments. In the time since, the team has reached the playoffs three times, even making it as far as the Eastern Conference Final in 2018-19. The group of players currently on the roster has made an impactful connection with a rejuvenated fan base, while franchise icon Rod Brind’Amour quickly became one of the most beloved head coaches in team history.

Once again, Dundon will be asked to make a financial commitment to the team this summer as they currently have just 12 players under contract for next season. Young star Andrei Svechnikov is a restricted free agent for the first time, while veteran leaders like Jordan Martinook, Dougie Hamilton, and Petr Mrazek are all unrestricted free agents. Though it is unlikely all of those names will be returning, the Hurricanes are in a strong position to take advantage of the free agent market and add some support to their strong foundational pieces.

Trade Rumors: Jones, Foegele, Tkachuk

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A Seth Jones trade seems like a foregone conclusion this off-season. The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman has stated that he will not sign an extension before his current contract expires after the 2021-22 and will test the free agent market, all but guaranteeing that he will not re-sign with the team. The retooling Blue Jackets are not going to watch another star player walk away as they get nothing in return and recognize that Jones’ value will be much higher this summer as opposed to dealing him in-season. Columbus’ leverage is damaged by Jones’ public statements, but the team will try to create a bidding war to drive up the price. There should be no shortage of interest and one team is already hot on the trail. In his latest “31 Thoughts” column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that the Philadelphia Flyers are “definitely” in on Jones and that it isn’t exactly a secret either. Friedman states that there is a lot of chatter surrounding a potential Jones-to-Philly deal already. The Flyers have been open about their desire to add another top pair defenseman across from Ivan Provorov and have a number of talented young roster players and a deep pipeline to offer Columbus whatever they want. In need of top center, perhaps the Blue Jackets will buy low on 2017 second overall pick Nolan Patrick as part of a package for Jones, a top-five pick himself.

  • Another player on the trade block, though not as publicly as Jones, is Carolina Hurricanes forward Warren Foegele. Foegele is looking to play a bigger role and on a deep Hurricanes roster he has been limited to bottom-six responsibilities. At first it seemed like Carolina may be reluctant to move the underrated forward, but it seems the tides are turning. Friedman believes that the ’Canes are going to re-shape their bottom-six after falling short in the playoffs once again and that Foegele’s unofficial trade request may just be honored. He reports that trade talks are occurring between Carolina and Foegele suitors. Friedman adds that impending unrestricted free agent Jordan Martinook is another player unlikely to return to Raleigh next season.
  • One player that Friedman does not see moving: Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. While this may seem like common sense, the Flames are listening to all offers right now and could be making some major changes this summer. There were also whispers that Tkachuk himself may want to leave, however those rumors were met with swift and firm denials. As Friedman points out, that is a contrasting approach to how other teams have treated players who have recently asked to leave, such as Jones or Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson, implying that the rumors are in fact false. Friedman reports that Tkachuk’s name never came up in Calgary’s Pierre-Luc Dubois negotiations and the team has zero interest in trading him.

Jordan Martinook Undergoes Knee Surgery

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It’s offseason cleanup time for many NHL players, with nagging injuries finally being dealt with on the surgical table. That’s the case for Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook, who has undergone a meniscal debridement on his right knee. Martinook is expected to make a full recovery in time for the beginning of the 2021-22 season.

Of course, the 28-year-old forward doesn’t actually have a contract yet for next season as his two-year, $4MM deal with Carolina expires at the end of 2020-21. He is an extension candidate because of the strong leadership role he has in the Hurricanes dressing room and the physical presence he brings to the ice, but the surgery at least complicates things a bit. For the second season in a row, Martinook recorded only 13 points and now has just six goals over his last 102 regular season games dating back to the end of 2018-19. Sure, the role he fills in bringing along and supporting the young players on the Hurricanes roster is important, but those troubling offensive numbers won’t help his case when negotiating a new deal.

It’s not like the playoffs have brought out the best in him offensively, as through 29 games over the last three seasons Martinook has scored just twice. Eventually, there will have to be a decision made on whether he’s bringing enough to the table on a nightly basis to help the Hurricanes get closer to the Stanley Cup or whether he is dragging them down.

Especially as he deals with his recovery from knee surgery and the team tries to navigate other contract negotiations, an extension can probably be put on the back burner. That said, there is a benefit from signing him in the next few weeks, as he could fill one of the required exposure slots in the upcoming expansion draft.

Snapshots: Martinook, Mangiapane, Reilly

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Hurricanes winger Jordan Martinook is set to hit the open market this summer but he’s hoping it doesn’t come to that.  In his end-of-season media availability (video link), the 28-year-old made it clear that he’s hoping to remain with Carolina:

I want to see it through. I think we’re right there. We’re so close. If I were to go somewhere else, it’d be tough to see if they were to win here because I feel like I was a big part of it.

At the end of the day, it’s obviously a business. I want to stay here, but I have a family. I just had a baby girl, so I have to look out for myself and my family. I want to be a Hurricane, so hopefully we can make that happen.

If he wants to stay with the Hurricanes, Martinook is probably looking at a dip in salary.  He carried a $2MM cap hit this season but managed just 13 points in 44 games and while he’s valuable on the defensive side of things, teams will be looking to save on bottom-six players to give themselves some extra flexibility.  That’s likely to be the case here as well.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Fresh off being named MVP at the Worlds, Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane indicated in a recent appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link) that he would be interested in signing a long-term extension with the team. 2021-22 is the final year of his two-year, $4.85MM contract so he will be eligible to sign a new deal when free agency opens next month.  Mangiapane had 32 points this season (the second straight year with that total) so while he may want to stick around for the long haul, he’s probably going to be better off waiting to see how next season goes in the hopes of improving his negotiating leverage heading into those discussions.
  • Mike Reilly fit in quite well with the Bruins after being brought in at the trade deadline, logging over 21 minutes a game down the stretch and in the playoffs. In his end-of-season availability Friday (video link), the pending unrestricted free agent expressed a desire to remain with Boston.  The 27-year-old has bounced around a bit as of late but with 27 assists in 55 games this season and how his year finished, he should garner considerable interest on the open market next month.

Central Notes: Toews, Seguin, Acciari, Hurricanes

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While the Blackhawks have been without top center Jonathan Toews all season long due to an illness, it appears as if he should be able to play next season.  In a recent video appearance on NBC Sports (video link), TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that while the veteran isn’t expected to return this season, his health continues to improve and as things stand, is expected to be available for the 2021-22 campaign.  Toews has two years left on his deal with a $10.5MM AAV and assuming he is back to full health by then, he would almost certainly return to his spot on Chicago’s top line; his vacancy is one that they’ve struggled to fill internally this season.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Back at the trade deadline, Stars GM Jim Nill was hoping that center Tyler Seguin would be able to return this coming Monday. However, head coach Rick Bowness told reporters, including Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News, that the target date is just “wishful thinking” at this point.  However, it doesn’t sound as if the veteran will be out much longer with Bowness indicating he’s hopeful that Seguin will be able to play sometime later in the week.  He has missed the entire season after offseason hip surgery and would undoubtedly be a significant addition to a Dallas team that is four points out of the final playoff spot in the division though they have three games in hand on Nashville.
  • Panthers center Noel Acciari will miss his fifth straight game tonight due to an upper-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). The team is targeting one of their games against Nashville on Monday or Tuesday for him to return.  Acciari, who was on the top line recently when Aleksander Barkov missed time, has 11 points in 36 games this season.
  • Hurricanes winger Jordan Martinook won’t play today after being injured on Thursday, notes Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour expressed some optimism that the 28-year-old won’t be out of the lineup for long.  Meanwhile, while Teuvo Teravainen (concussion) took part in some team drills yesterday, he’s also not expected to suit up.  He has played just once in the last two months because of his symptoms.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/29/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. The list is in:

Carolina – Jaccob Slavin, Jesper Fast
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine*
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood, Aaron Dell, Travis Zajac*
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Warren Foegele, Carolina Hurricanes; Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes; Jordan Martinook, Carolina Hurricanes; Curtis McElhinney, Tampa Bay Lightning; Tucker Poolman, Winnipeg Jets

Zajac’s appearance comes as no surprise after the Devils announced this morning he would not travel with them to their next two games. He joins Blackwood and Dell on the sidelines. Lizotte’s addition is a bit concerning, given that he took part in last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild after Athanasiou was already ruled out.

The big news is the three Carolina players that are out of the protocol, along with Laine finally arriving in Columbus to start his 48-hour quarantine.

Importantly, no other Golden Knights players appeared on the list today, a good sign that they can potentially get back on the ice in the coming days. The league had reserved judgement on their next few games after postponing Thursday’s affair against the St. Louis Blues. Pietrangelo remains the only player held out, though their training facilities are still locked down.

*denotes new addition

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