Minor Transactions: 2/17/18
As is always the case, Saturday is shaping up to be a busy day around the league with 22 teams in action. Accordingly, there should be several roster moves made which we’ll keep tabs on here.
- The Flames announced that they have recalled winger Morgan Klimchuk from AHL Stockton. The 2013 first-round pick has not yet seen any NHL action in his career (the only first-rounder from that draft in that situation) but sits tied for second on the Heat in goals this season with 13 in 44 games. To make room for Klimchuk on the roster, Calgary has transferred winger Marek Hrivik to injured reserve.
- The Hurricanes have returned forward Patrick Brown to Charlotte of the AHL, per a team release. He had been recalled on Tuesday but did not get into either of Carolina’s games since then. The 25-year-old has 20 points (6-14-20) in 44 contests with the Checkers this season. Lucas Wallmark will now get another shot at the next level, as the Hurricanes have recalled the rookie forward. Wallmark looked good in a short stint in Raleigh earlier this season and has continued his strong play in the AHL. With the ‘Canes pushing for a playoff spot, Wallmark’s addition could be a nice boost for the team.
- Edmonton announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Laurent Brossoit from Bakersfield (AHL) on an emergency basis. The move was necessary after Al Montoya left practice early on Friday after taking a shot up high. To make room for him on the roster, the Oilers sent defenseman Keegan Lowe back to Bakersfield.
- The Canucks have sent Reid Boucher back down to the Utica Comets, the team announced. Boucher has played in only eight NHL games this season, recording just two points. His days as a promising prospect appear to be over.
- New Jersey has recalled Blake Pietila from the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, beat writer Andrew Gross reports. Pietila will join the team tonight in Tampa as they face the Lightning. Whether or not he makes his 2017-18 debut remains to be seen though.
- The Avalanche have sent A.J. Greer back to the San Antonio Rampage, as the 2015 second-rounder continues to struggle to find a role at the NHL level. Greer has just four points in 22 big-league games.
Complete List Of Potential Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents
Back in November, we took a look at some of the potential Group VI free agents that could hit unrestricted free agency early this offseason. Of that group, Josh Leivo was extended and Stefan Noesen eclipsed the number of games played needed to stay with the New Jersey Devils organization. Now, CapFriendly has compiled a complete list of players still at risk of becoming free agents early, including how many games they need. To refresh your memory on how a player qualifies for Group VI free agency, they must meet three requirements:
- The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
- The player has completed 3 or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19 year old player), or 1 or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
- The player has played less than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender.
The entire list of players at risk can be found below, but make sure you check out CapFriendly for more detailed information on how they could avoid the designation this summer.
*Indicates that the player could still play in enough games this season to become ineligible for Group VI free agency
Minor Transactions: 02/01/18
It’s February, the most exciting month of the year for many hockey fans. Over the next few weeks, clubs will make decisions that will help or haunt them for years to come. The trade deadline this season falls on February 26th, and should have some interesting names on the move. Until then, we’ll continue to focus on the minor moves around the league, cataloging today’s right here.
- With Cam Talbot sick and unable to play tonight, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled Laurent Brossoit from the minor leagues. Brossoit will be familiar to NHL fans that watched him try to hold down the fort for the Oilers when Talbot was out earlier this season. The 24-year old will join Al Montoya in the crease for the team until Talbot is cleared to return.
- Semyon Varlamov has been activated from injured reserve, meaning Andrew Hammond‘s services are no longer required in Colorado. The Avalanche have sent Hammond back down, though it will be to the Belleville Senators where he’s played for most of the year.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will be sending Nikita Soshnikov to the minor leagues on a conditioning loan, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Soshnikov’s name has popped up in trade rumors recently just due to his situation in Toronto, where Kasperi Kapanen, Matt Martin and Josh Leivo are also vying for the 12th forward role.
Laurent Brossoit And Frank Corrado Clear Waivers
Sunday — Friedman reports that both Brossoit and Corrado have cleared waivers. Broissoit has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, while Corrado is headed for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Saturday — A pair of players are on the wire today as the Oilers have placed goalie Laurent Brossoit on waivers while the Penguins have done the same with defenseman Frank Corrado, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).
Brossoit’s placement comes as no surprise on the heels of their acquisition of Al Montoya from Montreal earlier in the week. Montoya is now ready to be activated off of injured reserve with his concussion symptoms now gone so Brossoit became the odd man out.
This season, the 24-year-old netminder has posted a 3.22 GAA and a .886 SV% in 13 appearances, numbers that are well below the league average. However, he had fared better as of late, allowing two or fewer goals in three of his last four starts.
As for Corrado, he has been up-and-down with Pittsburgh this season but has seen limited action. In five games with the big club, he has averaged just 11:30 in ice time while being held off the scoresheet. He has been more productive with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, putting up nine points in 19 games. Although he already cleared waivers once this season, Corrado has spent more than 30 days on the NHL roster since then which requires him to pass through once again.
Edmonton Oilers Activate Cam Talbot
The Edmonton Oilers are in danger of dropping out of the playoff race completely, but they’ll get some help a little sooner than expected. Goaltender Cam Talbot has been activated from injured reserve, and could be back in the lineup tomorrow afternoon. Nick Ellis, who’d been backing up Laurent Brossoit in Talbot’s absence, was sent back to the minor leagues.
The Oilers are a frustrating team to watch at the moment, dominating possession but still unable to string many wins together. The team sits second-last in the Western Conference, and nine points out of a playoff spot after 32 games.
Unfortunately, even before his injury Talbot hadn’t been playing quite up to his standards. The Oilers need him to get back to his career .920 save percentage if they’re to get on any kind of a roll, not the .903 mark he posted through 22 games this season. With Connor McDavid back to dominating the league after dealing with flu-like symptoms earlier in the year, the team is at a crossroads. Get back to the Stanley Cup contender many believed you to be, or fall into the pit of mediocrity once again.
Petr Mrazek & The Goaltending Conundrum
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, the venerable hockey insider reports that the Edmonton Oilers at one point had some interest in Detroit Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek. Friedman writes that Edmonton may have backed off after watching the 25-year old goaltender struggle recently, something that seems to be a common thread all around the league.
Several other teams are looking for goaltending help—Friedman himself mentions Florida and Pittsburgh—but there isn’t a shining option on the market at the moment. Mrazek could have been that star, if the aforementioned struggles hadn’t crept up on him again. Though he was once heralded as the goaltender of the future for Detroit, Mrazek has clashed with the front office in contract negotiations, and been generally outplayed by a resurgent Jimmy Howard over the past two seasons.
This year, Howard has taken the lion’s share of the work in the Detroit net, starting 22 of the team’s 29 games. He’s recorded a .905 save percentage in those games which, while not even league-average, is quite a bit better than his counterpart. Mrazek’s .888 mark is tied for fourth-worst in the league among goaltenders who’ve made at least 10 appearances. Only Maxime Lagace, Laurent Brossoit, Chad Johnson have been worse, while James Reimer clocks in at the same number.
Mrazek is young enough to improve, but his contract status as a pending restricted free agent that is already making $4.15MM is likely off-putting to many teams. A qualifying offer is likely too expensive for any team as a backup, and there is no guarantee he’d accept a lower number on a longer-term deal.
So, where else can you look around the league for goaltending help? Michael Hutchinson has been in the rumor mill lately, as the Winnipeg Jets get Steve Mason back healthy tonight. Unfortunately, Hutchinson injured himself in a minor league game this weekend (though the injury seems minor) and has been underwhelming at best during his NHL career.
Jonathan Bernier was signed by the Colorado Avalanche as potential trade deadline bait, but has been nearly as bad as Mrazek so far this year. His .891 save percentage doesn’t inspire much confidence, as consistency continues to be Bernier’s downfall.
Even a goaltender like Philipp Grubauer, who has been a potential trade target for some time due to a combination of outstanding play and clear role as the backup to Braden Holtby, hasn’t played well enough to trust this season. He, like Scott Darling and Antti Raanta this offseason, was seen as a future starting goaltender in the league just waiting for the right opportunity.
There’s not an easy answer here to the goaltending problems around the league. For teams like Edmonton and Florida, who already find themselves struggling to stay relevant in the playoff race, dealing assets for anything but a sure thing isn’t very appealing.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Oilers Notes: Strome, Goaltending, Davidson
It’s safe to say that Edmonton’s offseason trade of Jordan Eberle to the Islanders for Ryan Strome hasn’t worked out as well as the Oilers had hoped. Eberle is off to a strong start with his new team, posting 21 points (12-9-21) in 28 games. However, Strome hasn’t fared anywhere near as well, collecting only 11 points (4-7-12) over that same stretch. He has found himself moved down the lineup at times and as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson notes, he could be out of the lineup entirely tonight against Montreal. He was in a rotation of wingers in practice on Friday (which isn’t too ideal for someone who has been deployed as a center for the majority of the season) and a final decision on whether or not he’ll suit up will come later in the day. The fact it has even come to this further cements the thought that this trade is one that GM Peter Chiarelli may want a mulligan on.
More from Edmonton:
- David Staples, also of Postmedia, argues that the Oilers need to make a move to bring in another goaltender as soon as possible. Presently, backup Laurent Brossoit is getting the starts with Cam Talbot on the shelf with an upper-body injury but he has not fared well, posting a save percentage of just .871 in his first three appearances as the interim starter. With Edmonton already eight points out of a playoff spot and Brossoit struggling, another week or two without Talbot could prove to be devastating in the standings so bringing in someone that’s a bit more proven would certainly be beneficial. Our Zach Leach took a look at some of their options earlier this week.
- Recently reacquired blueliner Brandon Davidson is likely to make his first appearance against his former team in Montreal, notes Paul Gazzola on the Oilers’ team website. Davidson was claimed off waivers a week ago today but has been a healthy scratch for the two games since then. Presumably, it would be Yohann Auvitu ceding his spot after playing less than 11 minutes on Wednesday night.
Options In Net For The Edmonton Oilers
Things went from bad to worse for the Edmonton Oilers’ 2017-18 season when dependable starting goaltender Cam Talbot went down with and upper body injury and landed on IR and could remain out through December. His replacement, Laurent Brossoit, is struggling and that’s putting it gently. In 8 appearances, Brossoit has one win, an .872 save percentage, and a 3.80 GAA. Neither of the backup options, Nick Ellis or Eddie Pasquale, has any NHL experience, nor has either been given a chance to gain any just yet, nor has either played remarkably well in the AHL as well. It’s a dire situation for a team that is desperate for wins, or else the face a familiar possibility of finishing as one of the league’s worst teams this season.
So what are the options? TSN’s Frank Servalli believes that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli is scouring the trade market for help in net. Servalli lists Buffalo’s Chad Johnson, Winnipeg’s Michael Hutchinson, Philadelphia’s Michal Neuvirth, Toronto’s Calvin Pickard, and Detroit’s Petr Mrazek as the top targets for Edmonton.
Johnson, of course, is known to be on the trade block courtesy of the Sabres’ own struggles and seems to be the best fit of these options as a reliable veteran on a one-year deal. Servalli even states that Johnson, along with Neuvirth, were among the Chiarelli’s free agency targets to be Talbot’s backup. However, as Servalli points out, there could be other suitors for Johnson, which could drive the price up.
More affordable assets to acquire could be Hutchinson or Pickard, due to their teams’ depth in goal. The Maple Leafs acquired Pickard from the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this year, but with Frederik Andersen playing well, a veteran backup in Curtis McElhinney, and other promising young goalies in Garret Sparks and Kasimir Kaskisuo in line, Pickard is expendable. So too could be McElhinney or Sparks as well, if Chiarelli favors those Toronto alternatives. In Winnipeg, the thriving Jets are doing just fine with Connor Hellebuyck, rookie Eric Comrie, and expensive free agent acquistion Steve Mason as their net rotation. A solid goaltender with ties to Chiarelli from the Boston Bruins, fourth-string Hutchinson seems like a likely target.
Mrazek and Neuvirth less so. Mrazek is still young, is making $4MM, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. It is likely that he would be costly to acquire and costly to re-sign, when the Oilers really just need a stopgap. Neuvirth, who has a year remaining at $2.5MM, could replace Brossoit as the long-term backup to Talbot if Chiarelli so chooses, but also seems like an unlikely acquisition. AHL goaltenders from both the Red Wings and Flyers – Jared Coreau and Alex Lyon – might actually make more sense.
Other options: Eddie Lack or David Rittich from the rival Calgary Flames, Colorado’s Andrew Hammond, Anaheim’s Reto Berra, L.A.’s Jack Campbell or Jeff Zatkoff, and several more. The options are there, so the pressure is on Chiarelli to find a fair deal and to do it soon. Edmonton may simply lose upcoming games regardless of who is in net, but if the team continues forward with only Brossoit, the blame will fall on the front office for not doing something to at least increase their chances.
Snapshots: Hakstol, Svechnikov, Backup Goaltenders
The Philadelphia Flyers have now lost 10 games in a row, and find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. With just eight wins and 23 points on the year, they sit only ahead of Buffalo and Arizona in the overall standings and are nearly at a breaking point in terms of playoff contention. Despite all that the team is not considering a coaching change, as Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. GM Ron Hextall told Carchidi that Dave Hakstol would be coaching for the rest of the season “and beyond,” ending any speculation that he may be on the chopping block.
This is Hakstol’s third season as head coach of the Flyers, and after getting knocked out in the first round in 2015-16 the team missed the playoffs entirely last year. They were lucky enough to move up in the draft lottery and get the chance to draft Nolan Patrick, but have once again been a disappointing team this year. Brian Elliott, brought in to try and stabilize the goaltending situation has been less than what was hoped for and the team has scored just 70 goals all season. Whatever Hextall says, heat from the Philadelphia fan base will continue if they can’t turn their streak around soon.
- As the World Junior tournament approaches—Canada and the USA will release their potential rosters over the next couple of days—Andrei Svechnikov is about to get back onto the ice. A potential first-overall pick in 2018, Svechnikov has missed the last six weeks with a hand injury. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that he’s expected back in the Barrie Colts lineup on Friday, and will almost certainly be named to the Russian roster soon after that. Team Russia released a list of players that will compete for the final roster, but only included those playing in Russia at the moment. Those skating in North America will still be added over the next week.
- The Edmonton Oilers are actively looking for a backup goaltender according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, and the scribe details potential options around the league. With Cam Talbot on the shelf for at least two more weeks and Laurent Brossoit struggling in the starting role, the Oilers could be forced to make a move or watch their playoff chances slip away. Chad Johnson, a player who the Buffalo Sabres have already received interest in, tops the list and could be an option for the Oilers over the next few days. There’s no guarantee he’d be an upgrade though, as Johnson has struggled this season in his return to Buffalo.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Edmonton Oilers
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 2017-18 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.
Edmonton Oilers
Current Cap Hit: $65,647,000 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Matt Benning (One year remaining, $925K)
F Drake Caggiula (One year remaining, $925K)
F Connor McDavid (One year remaining, $925K)
F Jesse Puljujarvi (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Anton Slepyshev (One year remaining, $925K)
F Kailer Yamamoto (Three years remaining, $925K)
D Darnell Nurse (One year remaining, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
McDavid: $2.85MM
Puljujarvi: $2.5MM
Nurse: $850K
Slepyshev: $600K
Caggiula: $425K
Benning: $300K
Yamamoto: $230K
Total: $7.755MM
Believe it or not, McDavid is still on the list as the Art Ross Trophy winner, Hart Memorial Trophy winner, and Ted Lindsay Award winner is on the last year of his entry-level deal. McDavid will also be listed later in the story under four year and more as McDavid signed his eight year, $100MM extension this summer and will be locked up long term regardless. More on him later …
The Oilers have high expectations for both Benning and Nurse to take that next step. With injuries mounting, both should be vaulted into bigger roles than they were last year. The 23-year-old Benning played in 62 games last year and played solidly while filling in for injured players. The 22-year-old Nurse also had a solid showing in 44 games this year. Both may be asked to jump onto top-four pairings on defense throughout the year.
Slepyshev, who suffered an ankle injury in the offseason looks close to being ready. He had 10 points in 41 games a year ago, but also scored three goals in the playoffs for Edmonton last year and many feel the 23-year-old is ready to take that next step. Caggiula, a big college player from the University of North Dakota, had seven goals and 18 points in 60 games a year ago in his first year with Edmonton and is also thought to be a player ready to make a jump.
Both Yamamoto and Puljujarvi (Edmonton’s 2017 and 2016 first-round picks, respectively) went head-to-head and battled it out for a final roster spot this training camp with Yamamoto getting the edge and Puljujarvi getting sent to Bakersfield, but don’t be surprised if Puljujarvi is back up at some point during the season.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Mark Fayne ($2.6MM, UFA – team saved $1.025MM in cap relief by sending him to AHL)
F Ryan Strome ($2.5MM, RFA)
F Mark Letestu ($1.8MM, UFA)
F Patrick Maroon ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Jussi Jokinen ($1.1MM, UFA)
G Laurent Brossoit ($750K, RFA)
F Iiro Pakarinen ($725K, RFA)
Perhaps the most interesting player the team must focus on will be Maroon, who had a breakout year playing next to McDavid. The 29-year-old wing scored 27 goals and has proven to be one guy who seems to play well next to McDavid. He is a presence in front of the net and a physical force for the team.
Letestu, is another player the team will have to consider. Likely to be the team’s fourth-line center, Letestu put up 16 goals last year, although that was a career high and he’s already 32 years old. Jokinen, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, put up 11 goals last year in Florida, but at 34 years old is likely not a priority to the team.
As for restricted free agents, the team will take a long look at Strome, who the team acquired in the Jordan Eberle deal. The 24-year-old center has had an inconsistent career with the New York Islanders, but put up 13 goals and 30 points last year. The Oilers hope he can keep improving on those numbers. Brossoit will get his first chance to be Talbot’s backup. The 24-year-old looked promising in eight appearances last year.