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Karl Alzner

Atlantic Notes: Backes, Montembeault, Domingue, Alzner

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The discussion of whether the Boston Bruins could get out from under the contract of veteran center David Backes has been ongoing for some time. It’s been determined that Backes, who has seen his numbers drop significantly in the last year while the team still owes him two more years at $6MM AAV, would be almost impossible to move, especially after the Toronto Maple Leafs unloaded Patrick Marleau and his one-year at $6.25MM to Carolina and was forced to include a first-round pick.

However, NBC Sports Boston Joe Haggerty re-analyzes the situation after the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers completed a swap of what many thought to be untradeable contracts. The problem once again for Boston is that trading Backes for another bad contract doesn’t help the Bruins as Backes only has two years left on his deal, while most of the other bad contracts have quite a bit more time remaining. Vancouver’s Loui Eriksson has the exact same contract and might even provide a slight more offense than Backes can, but any kind of one-on-one deal would require Boston to take an extra year of his contract as Eriksson still has three years remaining at that salary, hardly solving the team’s problem.

Unless the can find an unusual fit, it seems like Boston will be stuck with Backes for at least one more year.

  • Despite making moves this summer to turn their team in a bonafide playoff team by bringing in head coach Joel Quenneville as well as signing star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, the Florida Panthers aren’t expected to be looking to sign a veteran goaltender to back the goalie up. The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) writes that Florida believes that 22-year-old Sam Montembeault is ready to be the backup and the job is his to lose. The youngster made 11 appearances late in the season last year and while his numbers weren’t overwhelming (3.04 GAA, .894 save percentage), he had moments where he looked like he was ready. The scribe reports, however, he will receive a battle from Chris Driedger, who looked sharp in 32 appearances with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.Because of Driedger, who the team re-upped earlier this summer, it’s unlikely the team brings in a veteran in case Montembeault isn’t ready for a NHL job yet.
  • Mari Faiello of the Tampa Bay Times writes that one of the main reasons the Tampa Bay Lightning went out and signed prized backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney to a two-year, $2.6MM deal on July 1 was because they were concerned about the fact that current backup Louis Domingue was going to be an unrestricted free agent next summer and would likely expect a raise. Domingue, who has been solid at $1.15MM, might cost too much to re-sign, but a chance to get the veteran McElhinney at $1.3MM AAV was too much to pass up. The team will likely wait to move Domingue until training camp when teams start realizing they need goaltending help.
  • The Athletic’s Sean Gordon (subscription required) writes that with the signing of forward Charles Hudon Friday, the team opened up a two-day buyout window that starts on Monday and the team could opt to buy out defenseman Karl Alzner if they wanted to. Alzner, who has three years remaining at $4.63MM AAV, isn’t a certain candidate, however, as the Canadiens could have bought him out during the first buyout period and didn’t. However, the team could free up a little more money to sign another free agent such as Jake Gardiner, who still is without a contract this summer.

Buyout Watch: Most Likely Candidates As Buyout Window Nears

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At this time next week, there could already be a few notable additions to the impending unrestricted free agent class. The NHL’s buyout window is set to open on Saturday, June 15th, after which teams will have 15 days to buy out unwanted contracts before the month ends and free agency begins on July 1st. This year in particular, there seem to be a surplus of teams upset with their current salary cap position and itching to remove a contract from their books that has not yielded the expected results. Yet, at a cost of two-thirds of the remaining salary and double the remaining term (in most cases), as well as the side effects of pay and bonus structure, it may not always be the best route. The following are some of the top names that could be bought out later this month and the cost to do so:

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Contract Remaining: Two years, $8.625MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.625MM/$6.625MM/$2MM/$2MM

The most recent name to hit the buyout rumor mill, Perry’s contract is undoubtedly an albatross and it is difficult to see him getting back to the pace and production that initially warranted his high cap hit. A buyout would give the Ducks immediate relief this year and $2MM in years three and four is not bad. However, the 2020-21 cost is not ideal. However, it’s hard to see anyone trading for Perry’s contract with so many unknowns about his game, so this could be the only choice for Anaheim.

Dion Phaneuf, Los Angeles Kings

Contract Remaining: Two years, $7MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.917MM/$5.417MM/$1.417MM/$1.417MM

The Kings want to get younger and faster and want some cap space to improve. Moving Phaneuf accomplishes all of that, and L.A. has good blue line depth to fall back on in the short-term. Like Perry, this buyout hurts in year two, but is otherwise tolerable. The Kings will try to trade Phaneuf and may succeed, otherwise this is a likely buyout scenario.

Scott Darling, Carolina Hurricanes

Contract Remaining: Two years, $4.15MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $1.233MM/$2.333MM/$1.183MM/$1.183MM

One of the earliest reported buyout rumors was that of Darling, and for good reason. The former star backup has not panned out as a starter for Carolina, a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Final with a tandem of a UFA flier and a veteran waiver claim. The Hurricanes may not have any experienced goalies under contract for next season yet besides Darling, but that won’t stop them from moving on and going back to the free agent market or their talented pipeline for answers, especially with this very palatable buyout and few cap concerns.

Ryan Callahan, Tampa Bay Lightning

Contract Remaining: One year, $5.8MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.667MM/$1.567MM

Callahan won’t be in Tampa one way or another next season. The team is facing a difficult cap crunch and there’s no room for the veteran, who has played little role in recent years. A buyout doesn’t give the Bolts the full savings they’d hope for this upcoming season and a trade likely remains preferable, but Callahan’s stock is not high and a buyout remains the more likely resolution.

Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas Stars

Contract Remaining: One year, $2.95MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $700K/$450K

Nichushkin’s age makes his buyout fall under the second category of buyout wherein only one-third of the remaining salary is accounted for. As such, his buyout would mean almost nothing for Dallas’ cap calculations. The young winger failed to score a goal last season as a regular player and both sides would seemingly benefit from a split. It’s not certain that the Stars will move on, but should they choose to, a buyout is a painless option.

Brendan Smith, New York Rangers

Contract Remaining: Two years, $4.35MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $971K/$3.146MM/$1.146MM/$1.146MM

Smith has been a disaster in New York and certainly not the player that the Rangers saw perform well in the postseason as a deadline addition in 2016-17. It’s hard to see a fit for Smith moving forward, even more so than other unfriendly defense contracts like Marc Staal and Kevin Shattenkirk. It’s even more difficult to see him having any trade value, so the team would have to go the buyout route. It’s not a terrible option, but as frequently happens, the year one savings come back to bite with a hefty year two increase.

Karl Alzner, Montreal Canadiens

Contract Remaining: Three years, $4.625MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $1.069MM/$4.194MM/$2.194MM/$1.069MM/$1.069MM/$1.069MM

Alzner had one point in nine games with Montreal last season, which is enough to say he’s not in the Canadiens’ long-term plans. He could be on their books for a long time to come with a potential six-year buyout structure, but at a relatively low cost most years. Alzner needs a fresh start and it’s fair to assume that Montreal will give him one.

Milan Lucic, Edmonton Oilers

Contract Remaining: Four years, $6MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $3.625MM/$5.625MM/$4.125MM/$5.625MM/$625K/$625K/$625K/$625K

Loui Eriksson, Vancouver Canucks

Contract Remaining: Three years, $6MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $5.556MM/$5.556MM/$3.556MM/$556K/$556K/$556K

Lucic and Eriksson have been tied together by rumors all off-season and one more thing they share: poor buyout possibilities. As bad as Lucic’s contract is, based on his drop-off in performance, his buyout is still very expensive for four more years and then extends another four years beyond that. The Oilers would be better off continuing to search for some way to trade him, no matter how slim the chances. As for Eriksson, his front-loaded contract makes a buyout pointless. The Canucks would pay almost the same amount in each of the next two years as if he was still on the team, then would have the cap penalty for another four years after that. Vancouver and Edmonton are likely stuck with these players, unless of course they swap them for each other.

Canadiens Place Karl Alzner On Waivers

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Sunday: The Montreal Canadiens announced that Alzner has cleared waivers and the team has reassigned the defenseman to the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

Saturday: Following their acquisition of Christian Folin earlier today, the Canadiens needed to free up a roster spot.  They’ve done just that as TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that they’ve placed defenseman Karl Alzner on waivers.

Alzner saw his ironman streak end at 622 regular season games in the season opener against Toronto and it was a sign of things to come.  He has played in just nine games with Montreal this year and has not been injured at any time.  The 30-year-old cleared waivers back in November and has played in 11 games with their AHL affiliate in Laval.

Alzner is in the second season of a five-year, $23.125MM contract that he signed back in the 2017 offseason.  Considering the $4.625MM AAV and the term remaining on his contract, it’s a guarantee that he’ll pass through unclaimed once again and will be assigned back to Laval on Sunday.  He’ll continue to serve as injury depth down there for the time being but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him recalled following the trade deadline when the 23-man roster limit is eliminated.

Montreal Canadiens Place Kenny Agostino On Waivers

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After placing Karl Alzner on waivers Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens were at it again as they have put forward Kenny Agostino on waivers Sunday, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. The team likely needs to free a roster spot with forward Paul Byron close to returning.

Agostino was initially placed on waivers and started the year with the Laval Rocket in the AHL after signing a one-year deal this summer. He played well there, posting four goals and 10 points in 12 games and was finally recalled on Nov. 8. Since joining the Canadiens, he’s played in 36 games, posting two goals and 11 points, while averaging 11:11 of ice time. However, he has struggled of late as he hasn’t scored a point since December and has seen his hit numbers decline in that time.

While there has been no confirmation on what corresponding move will be made, the team is likely close to getting back Byron from injured reserve or intend to bring in Dale Weise, who the Canadiens acquired Saturday in a deal with Philadelphia.

Minor Transactions: 01/17/19

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Though the NHL has just seven games on the schedule for this evening, there are two can’t-miss matchups taking place. First, the Toronto Maple Leafs try to right the ship against the league leading Tampa Bay Lightning. Toronto have been passed by both the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference standings, but could get back to second place with a win. Next, the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators take part in a battle for the Central Division as the two clubs remain just two points apart in the standings. As those four clubs and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Karl Alzner as expected, and will bring him along on their trip to Columbus. Alzner played in last night’s Laval Rocket game, but failed to record a point in a 4-2 win.
  • Anthony Stolarz has been activated from injured reserve and loaned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he will serve a conditioning stint as he tries to get healthy. The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender could very well serve in a tandem with Carter Hart for the rest of the season to really give the Flyers a good look at what he could bring to the table next season. Stolarz is a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
  • Jason Dickinson has been activated from injured reserve and took part in practice today for the Dallas Stars and will be in the lineup tonight. Dickinson will skate alongside Jason Spezza and newcomer Andrew Cogliano.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Tanner Kero from the AHL as insurance for Bo Horvat who is dealing with a minor injury. Kero has been one of the best forwards all season for the Utica Comets, but is still waiting for his chance to impress the Canucks front office at the NHL level.
  • With Curtis McElhinney needing a few days off to nurse a knee injury, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled minor league goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from the Charlotte Checkers. Nedeljkovic has been outstanding for the Checkers this season with a league-leading 20 wins and just five losses.
  • MacKenzie Weegar has been moved to injured reserve after suffering a concussion on the hit that earned Paul Byron a suspension, so the Florida Panthers have recalled defenseman Josh Brown. Brown has yet to make his NHL debut, and has just three points (all goals) for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season.

Minor Transactions: 01/16/19

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Just five games are on tap for tonight in the NHL but those matchups feature some of the brilliant young stars around the league. The Colorado Avalanche kick things off when they travel to see Matt Duchene and the Ottawa Senators in a chance to get back moving in the right direction. Colorado beat the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday to record just their second win in the last ten games, far from a dominant stretch for a team expecting to be in the playoffs this season. As the Avalanche and other teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Cameron Schilling from the minor leagues, an insurance policy with Ben Chiarot dealing with a minor injury. Schilling played four games with the Jets earlier this season, his first NHL action since 2014-15.
  • After six games with the Dallas Stars, Erik Condra is heading back to the AHL. Condra was reassigned today after registering just one point in those six games. The 32-year old veteran is one of the Texas Stars’ best players and leads the club with 35 points in just 32 games.
  • Karl Alzner was sent back to the minor leagues late last night, something the Montreal Canadiens can still do without putting him through waivers again. The Canadiens don’t play again until Friday and can save a substantial amount of cap space with each day Alzner spends in the minor leagues, though he is expected to travel with the team tomorrow when they head to Columbus.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Karl Alzner

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Despite still being off for the holiday, the Montreal Canadiens have announced an interesting roster move. The team has recalled veteran defenseman Karl Alzner from the minor leagues while moving David Schlemko to injured reserve. Alzner will join the team at practice tomorrow.

It’s been a month since Alzner was placed on waivers and then eventually demoted by the Canadiens, after finding himself in the press box as a healthy scratch several times. The 30-year old defenseman ended up playing ten games in the AHL, his first in the minor leagues since 2009-10. In fact Alzner hadn’t even missed a regular season NHL game in more than eight seasons before sitting out the Canadiens opener, a move that showed the league that Montreal wasn’t ready to be a rebuilding doormat this season. The team was expected to struggle after trading captain Max Pacioretty for futures, but have instead shown they can still compete in the tough Atlantic Division and it is in no small part to giving their younger players more responsibility.

While Alzner will be rejoining the team, it’s not clear if he’ll immediately go into the lineup for head coach Claude Julien. After signing a five-year, $23.125MM contract in 2017 it was quickly apparent that the former Washington Capitals defenseman would not be able to hold down a top pairing role and was more effective lower down in the lineup. Now with a bit of a wake-up call in the minor leagues, perhaps he will return with determined effort to carve out a role with the NHL club. At 19-13-5 and currently holding down the second wild card position, the Canadiens can’t be handing out second or third chances without expecting immediate results.

Is There A Market For Karl Alzner?

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It’s been a brutal 17 months for Montreal Canadiens defenseman Karl Alzner. Well, the first few months after Alzner signed a five-year, $23.125MM contract on July 1st, 2017 were probably okay. Once he actually took the ice with the Habs last season though, it was all downhill. Alzner had capitalized on a weak free agent market – one in which even we here at PHR considered him the third best name – which had inflated his value far beyond what it should have been. Alzner was a solid defenseman for many years for the Washington Capitals, consistently healthy and capable of eating significant minutes. However, he lacked much in the way of offense and in retrospect his defensive abilities were amplified by the copious talent around him on the eventual Stanley Cup champions. Transitioning to a weaker roster in Montreal, Alzner was exposed when asked to play a key role on the Habs’ blue line. Carrying the puck more often, Alzer became a turnover machine. Facing tougher assignments, he was far less effective on defense and took a career high in penalties. And per usual, he contributed just twelve points and was a non-factor on offense.

Entering this season, Alzner and Canadiens fans alike hoped that he could turn it around and return to the shutdown player they felt they had signed for top dollar. However, the organization and coaching staff had other plans. Alzner was a healthy scratch in season opener and to date has only played in eight games with a major drop-off in ice time. Alzner was placed on waivers and subsequently cleared earlier this week and it was fair to wonder whether he had played his last game in Montreal just over a season into his five-year deal. That became much more probable yesterday, when the Canadiens gave Alzner and his agent permission to seek a trade.

Yet, permission to seek a trade is not the same as having concrete interest and willing suitors. Although the Habs have little reason not to accept any deal brought to them – barring an unreasonable amount of retained salary requested – that is just one side of a trade which obviously needs multiple teams. But is there even a market for Alzner? Two years ago, there was ample interest in him on the free agent market, but after a year in which he was exposed as having a game dependent on the talent of the players around him, he’s no longer the prize he once was. Then there’s also the matter of his contract, a relative albatross of four more years at $4.65MM. His stock is the lowest it has ever been, while his price is at it’s highest. That’s a tough combination to sell to a team. Alzner went untouched on waivers, meaning any team interested in acquiring him would also expect the Canadiens to retain some salary or otherwise add another piece to the deal.

Clearly, Alzner is not a player that can do much to help a rebuilding team. His cost also makes him a difficult addition for any team close to the salary cap ceiling. This leaves a narrow group of potential suitors who have talented rosters but are in comfortable salary cap shape and have a long-term need for a defensive blue liner. Any come to mind? It’s not a common occurrence, at least not currently. The Toronto Maple Leafs, although dealing with the William Nylander saga and long-term salary cap planning as is, would make some sense. The team is likely to lose Ron Hainsey and Jake Gardiner to free agency this summer and could use a long-term physical presence on the blue line at the right price. Their preference would certainly be to add a right-handed defenseman, but might not be picky if they feel Alzner would excel in their system. Barry Trotz’ new uber-conservative New York Islanders could also be a fit for Alzner, as they could stand to upgrade their blue line depth and have the existing talent to ease Alzner into his natural stay-at-home role. Alzner would seem to be a perfect fit for the Isles’ current system that emphasizes physicality and patient pace. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild have fallen short of the ultimate goal despite strong recent campaigns and have the cap space to add a luxury piece like Alzner, who would be a bottom-pair defender for either team, albeit a needed depth addition. Finally, there are the Chicago Blackhawks who, despite shedding salary this summer, refrained from using their newfound cap space. Chicago had interest in Alzner when he was a free agent in 2017, considered by many the favorite to land the physical defender. The team could still use more talent and especially more shutdown play on the back end. However, with one of hockey’s worst contracts in Brent Seabrook already on the roster, could they really risk adding a similarly disappointing and overpaid defenseman in Alzner?

Those are just five teams who could potentially have interest in Alzner. There could be more, if some teams feel that Alzner’s play in Montreal has been a misrepresentation of his ability. Yet, there also could easily be less, as Alzner has done nothing in the past year plus to prove that he is anything more than a replacement level checking defenseman. Given his contract status, Alzner may find it difficult to match up with a new team and put together a successful trade out of Montreal. It is certainly a possibility, but the only team Alzner is likely going to be playing for in the near future is the AHL’s Laval Rocket.

Montreal Gives Karl Alzner’s Agent Permission To Seek Trade

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When the Montreal Canadiens placed Karl Alzner on waivers this week there was little chance that he would be claimed. With a hefty contract that carries a $4.625MM cap hit—or $3.6MM when buried in the minors—through the 2021-22 season, it’s hard to imagine anyone picking up the tab and taking him off the Canadiens hands. In fact, his demotion to the minor leagues threatened the future of his NHL career given that Montreal had obviously moved on with younger, cheaper options on the blue line. Now, as if knowing that he has little chance of climbing back up to the top league, Alzner and his representation have been given permission to speak to other teams and seek a trade according to Pierre LeBrun on the latest edition of Insider Trading for TSN.

There is obviously always the chance that the Canadiens themselves find a need for Alzner, should injury or inconsistency plague their current group. The team doesn’t desperately need the cap discount they receive by keeping the 30-year old defenseman in the minor leagues, but does have a back log of players who are all eligible for waivers and would likely run the risk of getting claimed. That’s why Alzner was the odd man out in the first place, and why finding a trade partner isn’t necessarily a top priority for GM Marc Bergevin. Why not keep a veteran option in the minor leagues while you develop the rest of your group?

Still, it’s easy to understand why Alzner would want out. The former Washington Capitals defenseman reached unrestricted free agency in 2017 and signed a five-year deal with the Canadiens, only to watch his friends and teammates go on to win the Stanley Cup without him. He’d been with that group for nearly a decade, and hadn’t missed a single game since becoming a full-time NHL player in 2010. After suiting up for all 82 games in his first season with Montreal, Alzner was a healthy scratch on opening night this year and played just eight games with the Canadiens before hitting waivers.

It’s hard for any NHL player to accept an assignment to the minor leagues, but for one who hadn’t even missed a game in years the demotion is likely even tougher. Alzner obviously wants to play still, but any deal will likely have to include salary coming back to the Canadiens to even things out. Those deals are always the toughest to make, meaning his NHL future may still be extremely limited.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports IMages

Karl Alzner Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Alzner has cleared waivers as expected, and is on his way to the minor leagues.

Monday: The Montreal Canadiens had to make a decision about their defense corps as they prepare to welcome captain Shea Weber back, but it wasn’t going to be easy. Today, they have placed Karl Alzner on waivers with the intent of sending him to the minor leagues. Alzner is not at practice with the Canadiens today, and will almost certainly clear waivers thanks to his hefty contract.

Alzner, 30, is less than two years removed from signing one of the largest contracts of the 2017 offseason, a five-year $23.125MM deal with the intent of him shoring up the Montreal blue line. The former Washington Capitals player was meant to be another physical, veteran presence alongside Weber and allow the team to develop their young defensemen slowly. Unfortunately, Alzner’s game took a quick and decisive downward turn and he started this season in head coach Claude Julien’s dog house. Scratched on opening night and several more since then, Alzner has played just eight games this season despite previously playing all 82 games (or 48 in the case of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season) in his previous eight years.

Suddenly, not only does Alzner look like he’s headed for the minors but his NHL career could potentially be over. With a $4.625MM cap hit he would have to substantially improve his play to be appealing to any team in the league, and with three more seasons still left on his contract after this year he’ll be 34 before he could be back up with a lower cost. That is, unless the Canadiens buy out his contract at the end of the year.

Unfortunately, that buyout option doesn’t look very appealing at the moment. While the Canadiens would get more than $3.5MM in cap savings for the 2019-20 season, that benefit wouldn’t last because of the structure of Alzner’s deal. In fact, in 2020-21 they’d still have to carry a $4.2MM cap hit because of his low base salary. That’s more than the $3.6MM cap hit he’ll cause by playing in the minor leagues. Alzner also has a seven team no-trade clause, if the Canadiens hope to move him somewhere else for some cap relief.

Remember though, Alzner’s cap is not dead money like a player who has suffered a career-ending injury. With him healthy, the team still owes him his full $6MM salary this season, and though that decreases in the future, a team like Arizona who has been known to take on injured contracts in the past likely wouldn’t have much interest. There’s no insurance paying Alzner’s deal, meaning he’ll be a very expensive minor league asset for Montreal going forward.

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