Marc-Andre Fleury

Snapshots: Johnsson, Fleury, Vejmelka

March 10, 2022 at 7:30 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 16 Comments

With the salary cap set to stay flat for the near future, the battle for most NHL clubs is being able to fit their payrolls under that cap’s $81.5MM upper limit. For the Arizona Coyotes, though, the upcoming battle seems to be managing to ice a roster above the NHL’s salary floor. Per CapFriendly, the Coyotes’ projected cap hit for the 2022 season currently stands at only $37.9MM, and the team’s only major pending free agents are Lawson Crouse and Phil Kessel, two players who very well could be traded before this season’s trade deadline. Essentially, the Coyotes are going to need to add some significant salaries to their cap sheet to get above the cap floor, which currently sits at just over $60MM.

The Coyotes’ need to add salary to reach the cap floor is made more complicated by the team’s arena situation and the finances involved with it. The team is already not known as a financial powerhouse and has historically struggled with inconsistent ownership. The team recently agreed to a deal to play in Arizona State University’s new multi-purpose arena project, settling there on an “indefinite” basis until the team can secure a new long-term home. With a home arena capacity set to be under 5,000, and the team already receiving the maximum amount of support from the league’s revenue-sharing system, it stands to reason that budgets could be tight for the Coyotes moving forward. This means that their effort to get above the salary cap floor for next season could be more complicated than simply doling out a few big contracts. The team may be looking to get a bit more creative, and to take advantage of how the NHL calculates salary cap hits.

The NHL calculates a player’s cap hit through the average annual value of the contract. So if a player signs a 2-year contract worth a total of $10MM, the yearly cap hit is going to be $5MM, regardless of how the individual years’ salaries to be paid out are structured. This means that there are players on teams’ rosters with higher cap hits than actual dollars due to be paid to them for that season, and it seems as though the Coyotes could target those players to be able to get above the cap floor without needing to pay the full $60MM or so that the cap floor is set at.

One of those players with a cap number exceeding actual cash owed is Devils winger Andreas Johnsson. Johnsson, 27, is set to have a base salary of only $750k next season. His signing bonus is set at $1.75MM, but his cap hit is going to be $3.4MM. This makes Johnsson an ideal candidate for them, and TSN’s Darren Dreger links Johnsson with the Coyotes for this exact purpose. Johnsson could be a fit with the Coyotes for not only all the financial reasons previously mentioned but also for his play on the ice. Johnsson has 11 goals and 28 points this season, and his 28 points would make him the fourth-highest scorer on the Coyotes. He is an accomplished offensive player at lower levels who has flashed talent at the NHL level, and has scored 20 goals before. The Coyotes went all-in on mining value from unconventional sources when building their roster this season, as evidenced by the out-of-nowhere success of Travis Boyd. Acquiring Johnsson, as Dreger reported they could, would represent a continuation of that philosophy for GM Bill Armstrong.

In more news about the Coyotes coming from TSN’s Insider Trading panel, TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the Coyotes are “going to have to look” at potential trades for goaltender Karel Vejmelka if the team is unable to reach a deal with him on an extension. Vejmelka is one year away from being an unrestricted free agent, and although the Coyotes, per Johnston, really like Vejmelka and are engaged in trying to get him signed to an extension, their organizational mandate to accumulate as much long-term value as possible could mean that Vejmelka gets dealt to a goaltending-needy team. On a Coyotes team that has struggled all season, Vejmelka has been occasionally brilliant and posted decent overall numbers, with a 3.38 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Again, the Coyotes team Vejmelka plays behind has been among the league’s worst this season, so while these numbers aren’t impressive on their own they are more impressive with proper context. From what Johnston is reporting, it seems as though the Coyotes genuinely do want to keep Vejmelka as a first priority, but the realities facing the team mean they could be forced to deal him.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN has reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs “have spoken” with the Chicago Blackhawks about the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Toronto’s goaltending has faltered in recent weeks, with starter Jack Campbell struggling to find his game and backup Petr Mrazek enduring season-long issues. Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has repeatedly reiterated his faith in the team’s goaltending tandem, but this reported “due diligence” conversation between the two clubs is an indication that perhaps the goaltending situation in Toronto is not as settled as it may seem. LeBrun does note that Toronto is unlikely to be Fleury’s ideal trade destination if he elects to be moved. But regardless of Fleury’s specific situation, this reported contact between the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks is an indication that the Maple Leafs are potentially searching for upgrades in net, and if they end up doing so their pursuit could drastically change the trade market, as the pool of available goaltenders is generally believed to be thin.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Capitals, Comtois, UFA Extension Discussions

March 6, 2022 at 11:11 am CDT | by John Gilroy Leave a Comment

With the March 21st trade deadline approaching, and the Washington Capitals currently in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, the organization is looking at different trade deadline scenarios. The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir shared his thoughts on the team’s deadline approach (subscription required). Perhaps most notably, the Capitals could look for an upgrade at the goaltender position, as the team is currently running a tandem of Vitek Vanecek and the struggling Ilya Samsonov. While Vanecek has impressed as of late, El-Bashir mentions the desire for the Capitals to add a veteran goaltender who would be a “significant or legitimate” upgrade over their current goaltenders.

Also mentioned was the Capitals’ possible desire to add a forward. While an addition such as Filip Forsberg or Claude Giroux has not been ruled out, it is unlikely. El-Bashir suggests Seattle forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Marcus Johansson as potential options for depth scoring. Both players are unrestricted free agents after this season, Jarnkrok carrying a $2MM cap hit and Johansson a $1.5MM cap hit. In addition to those two, the Capitals could also call on the Detroit Red Wings’ Vladislav Namestnikov, as well as New York Islanders’ forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Zach Parise. While none of these players would bring the excitement of a Giroux or a Forsberg, they can certainly provide the low-cost, depth scoring the Capitals need.

Last night on Hockey Night in Canada, SportsNet’s Jeff Marek added a new name to the list of trade deadline candidates: Max Comtois. The young forward has struggled to stay in the lineup this year, and has struggled when he is in the lineup. Comtois has just six points in 31 games this season, missing time with a hand injury and COVID-19 earlier in the year, and has been scratched lately as well. It certainly has been a turn this year for Comtois, after leading the Ducks with 33 points in 55 games last season.
Also on Hockey Night in Canada yesterday, SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman touched on several notable pending UFAs, including Forsberg, Johnny Gaudreau, Tomas Hertl, and Hampus Lindholm. Friedman mentions that their teams are pushing hard to extend them prior to the trade deadline, and of course before the free agency period. While the Calgary Flames are quite unlikely to try and move Gaudreau, with the team poised to make a playoff run, rumors about Forsberg, Hertl and Lindholm continue to swirl, especially with San Jose and Anaheim on the outside of the playoff picture. Nashville on the other hand, is in a tricky position, as they currently sit in a playoff spot, but holding on to a major trade chip in Forsberg. Friedman also adds that while the contract talks have really heated up on Hertl and Lindholm, word around Forsberg and Gaudreau is notably quiet.

Trade Rumors: Blackhawks & Flyers

March 1, 2022 at 8:47 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 10 Comments

It didn’t take long for new Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson to make some waves in his now-official role. In media availability this afternoon, Davidson made it clear that he sees the Blackhawks as a rebuild. If that is indeed the case, then it may be more than just rentals departing Chicago in the near future. Of course, the two big names that could be on the move if Davidson and company move into a full-blown fire sale are Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The face of the franchise, Kane and Toews were the lynchpins of a dynastic run in Chicago and have continued to produce as the franchise has struggled in recent years. With just one year remaining on the matching eight-year, $84MM they signed long ago, Kane and Toews are now much more palatable trade targets if the Blackhawks choose to go that route. With that being said, the duo do have trade protection and any move would likely come from cooperation between the player side and the front office. In the latest edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Darren Dreger suggests that those conversations could be on the horizon, but anticipating a move prior to the trade deadline is likely unrealistic.

While Marc-Andre Fleury has been seen as a much more likely trade victim in Chicago, that may not be the case after all. Chris Johnston notes that there has always been an understanding that the Blackhawks would honor Fleury’s wishes despite only limited trade protection. At this time, he hears that Fleury is leaning toward staying in Chicago through the end of the season rather than accepting a trade. It remains unclear what this means for Fleury’s future, but Davidson’s insistence on a rebuild likely means that his time with the Blackhawks will end after this season, though likely not any earlier. Should Fleury’s mindset on being traded change in the coming weeks, he will remain a highly sought-after target and Chicago could certainly benefit from the trade return.
Another anticipated top rental target whose status is still unknown is the Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude Giroux. Pierre LeBrun reports that Giroux is still on the fence about moving and controls his own fate with a No-Movement Clause. The 34-year-old certainly would like a shot at a Stanley Cup and isn’t going to get one in Philadelphia this season. On the other hand, with 39 points in 49 games this season, Giroux isn’t showing any signs of slowing down and will have other chances at a title if he decides to ride out the year with the Flyers and save his next move for free agency. From the team’s point of view, Giroux will be worth an exorbitant amount if he does decide he is willing to be traded. LeBrun believes that Giroux could be considered the most valuable rental on the market and initial talks that the Flyers have had with potential suitors reflects that valuation. Philadelphia is expecting to receive a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a young roster player (or a package of equal value) for Giroux. Loyalty aside, the team has to be hoping that Giroux is open to a move.
The Flyers face a trickier situation with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. When he was acquired this summer, the team had a different vision for how this season would play out. That involved a more obvious upward trajectory for the club, which would have made signing Ristolainen to an extension an easy call. However, given Philadelphia’s struggles and Ristolainen’s himself, it is unclear how the two sides move forward, if at all. Darren Dreger notes that the two sides are talking contract and there is a significant possibility of an extension. However, if those negotiations do not yield an agreement before the trade deadline then Ristolainen could hit the block. Despite a down year, the big, two-way defender would draw widespread interest.

West Notes: Golden Knights, Forsberg, Blackhawks

February 23, 2022 at 8:41 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 29 Comments

Much has been made of the Vegas Golden Knights’ salary cap management, with the team playing with fire ever since acquiring Jack Eichel. Now, with the team potentially in a bind if they don’t have enough room to activate healthy players off long-term injured reserve prior to the playoffs, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger suggests a post-Trade Deadline cap-clearing move could potentially be in play. The return dates of Alec Martinez and Mark Stone aren’t certain, and it’s possible both could be healthy before May. If that’s the case, the Golden Knights could potentially move a player after the deadline to a non-playoff team in order to become cap-compliant. There’s no rule preventing this, as the Trade Deadline is legally only relevant because players moved after that date aren’t eligible for playoff games. However, as Granger notes, this could likely significantly reduce the trade value of any player Vegas is looking to move out, considering they’d have no other option to become compliant.

Other rumblings from the Wild West:

Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that he’s hearing the Nashville Predators are “actively shopping” Filip Forsberg ahead of the deadline. While the team is a likely playoff lock in the Western Conference at this point, they’re likely not in the Stanley Cup conversation, and Forsberg is a free agent at season’s end. The NHL’s leader in even-strength goals would likely become the deadline’s biggest prize, and any Forsberg deal could reap considerable rewards for Nashville’s future and help replenish a prospect pool that, while it has some nice names, isn’t the strongest. He’s carrying an extremely reasonable $6MM cap hit that most contenders can stomach with some retention.
According to Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus at The Athletic, if the Chicago Blackhawks and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury agree on a trade, it could potentially net the team a first-round pick. While they do say a second- or third-round selection is probably more realistic, some do believe teams will pay up for last year’s Vezina winner. The team does not have their first-round pick this year after including it in the Seth Jones trade.

Trade Deadline Primer: Washington Capitals

February 20, 2022 at 8:57 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is just over a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Washington Capitals.

The Washington Capitals find themselves in a sticky situation with the trade deadline approaching. On one hand, like all other teams currently in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Capitals may as well have already clinched a postseason berth. The other eight clubs in the East are so far out of the playoff picture that Washington is not worried about “if” they make the playoffs. On the other hand, the Caps are also not looking like a top contender this season. For much of the past few months, they have just been jockeying for wild card position with the Boston Bruins, who currently sit five points behind but with three games in hand. In the Metropolitan race, Washington is soundly in fourth, trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins by five points themselves. With limited cap space favoring a quiet approach but an aging core with waning chances pushing to load up for another run, the Capitals are left with difficult choices on how to navigate this year’s deadline.

Record

28-15-9 (.625), fourth in Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Room

No base cap room, $1.913MM in deadline cap space with LTIR, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: WAS 1st, WPG 2nd, WAS 3rd, WAS 4th, WAS 5th, WAS 6th, WAS 7th
2023: WAS 1st, WAS 2nd, WAS 3rd, WAS 4th, WAS 5th, WAS 6th, WAS 7th

Trade Chips

Just how big of a swing will the Capitals take? That will go a long way to determining which of their trade chips are actually available. With a full complement of draft picks in each of the next two years, it is safe to assume that one or more of those will be dealt away. However, Washington would like to retain their first-round picks if possible. Acquiring depth options rather than top targets will help in that pursuit, but won’t help the Capitals to transform into a legitimate contender this season.

Major buyer or just value shopper, it safe to assume that top prospect Connor McMichael is off the table barring an unforeseen blockbuster, which will be hard to do with limited cap space. Though McMichael has been inconsistent this season and hasn’t often been afford top-six opportunity, he projects as a scoring forward and is a critical piece of the future for an aging Washington team with a lacking pipeline.

Can the same be said for Hendrix Lapierre? After making the Capitals out of training camp, Lapierre was returned to his junior team and has had an underwhelming season. However, he is still a promising prospect with a bright future. If Washington makes a big move, perhaps Lapierre could be the centerpiece, but otherwise he should also be off limits.

So which young pieces could be available? Though they have played meaningful NHL roles at time this season, that could only serve to boost the trade value of forwards Alexei Protas and Brett Leason. Both appear ready for full-time roles, especially for rebuilding teams, and their size makes them menacing physical threats on top of scoring prowess. Yet, their ceiling could be limited for both, making them potential trade victims if the Capitals decide to mortage the future this season.

Among other young pieces, AHL defensemen Alexander Alexeyev and Lucas Johansen have struggled to find their way on to the NHL roster and could be looking for a fresh start while sellers look for untapped potential. Even more youthful defensemen Vincent Iorio and Brent Johnson are also intriguing pieces, but the Capitals may not be eager to move on so soon.

Of course, with the Capitals linked to some goaltenders on the trade block and two young netminders on the roster, neither of whom would clear waivers, Washington may have no choice but to give up one of Ilya Samsonov or Vitek Vanecek in order to make that move. Both are impending restricted free agents and a case could be made to keep one over the other. Samsonov is younger yet also more experienced, but hasn’t played his best this season. Vanecek has been the better goaltender and may be more affordable to re-sign, but at 26 years old this next contract will be his last before unrestricted free agency. The Capitals may ultimately have to let the sellers choose which they prefer.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Daniel Sprong, F Joe Snively, D Tobias Geisser, G Mitchell Gibson

Team Needs

1) Goaltending: The situation in the Washington net is fascinating. Multiple sources have reported that the Capitals are interested in adding a veteran goaltender before the deadline, with Marc-Andre Fleury among the names specifically mentioned. Yet, the team is actually seventh in the league in goals against per game making them statistically one of the best situated teams in net, even if they aren’t perfect. Admittedly, Samsonov, who leads the team in appearances, is having a down year with a .906 save percentage and 2.84 GAA, however it isn’t actually having a huge impact on the team and the amount of skepticism he has faced doesn’t seem entirely warranted. Despite some criticism of his own, Vanecek is quietly having a strong season, holding a .915 save percentage and 2.39 GAA. With that being said, he too has been inconsistent. Vanecek is currently sidelined with an upper body injury though, which may only amp up Washington’s alleged pursuit of another goalie. If the team doesn’t decide to swing for the fences for a new starter, they could instead look for an experienced third-string option that has cleared waivers and can be sent to the minors.

2) Top-Six Forward: On paper, an impact forward should actually be an even greater priority than a goaltender. While the Capitals are ranked 11th in scoring, two of their top five scorers are defensemen and there is a major drop-off from Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov and their 110 combined points and the rest of the forward corps. Making the situation even more pressing are the current injuries to Anthony Mantha and T.J. Oshie. The team could use scoring depth even if those two are healthy by the time the postseason kicks off, but if one or both are missing then an established top-six scorer would be a vital addition.

3) Depth Defenseman: The Capitals have run with a consistent and solid six-man defense group this season, though there is room for improvement. However, adding to the blue line is not the top priority and simply adding depth may be the way to go. Michal Kempny looks like a shell of his former self and Matt Irwin is not a dependable option, so beyond that top six there is a need for security. With Kempny, Irwin, and Justin Schultz on expiring contracts, Washington could be in position to add a defender with term if the opportunity arises. However, they may hold off and make a bigger move in the offseason.

West Notes: Fleury, Pavelski, Hayton

February 18, 2022 at 6:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is unsure if he’ll be staying in Chicago past next month’s trade deadline, it seems like he’s making plans for next season. The veteran told reporters, including NHL.com’s Tracey Myers, that while his playing days are coming to a close, he’s hoping to play a 19th season in the NHL:

I don’t have that much left, right? So enjoy this season and hopefully next season again. After that, I don’t know.

Fleury is a pending unrestricted free agent and carries a pricey $7MM AAV but there has been some speculation of some contending teams being interested. While he doesn’t carry full trade protection, the Blackhawks have assured him that he will have a say on where he goes, if he winds up being moved. Fleury mentioned that while he has yet to speak to management about the possibility of a trade, he believes his agent Allan Walsh has been in touch with the team about that.

Vegas Golden Knights Checked In On Fleury, Georgiev

February 15, 2022 at 2:55 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 20 Comments

2:55pm: McCrimmon has responded directly to Seravalli’s report, telling David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that there is “absolutely no credence” to it and that Fleury will not be returning.

1:30pm: The Vegas Golden Knights never shy away from bringing in a big-name player, even if it seems impossible due to cap implications. So why wouldn’t they be interested in the reigning Vezina Trophy winner? Well, that’s a complicated question, given their history with Marc-Andre Fleury, who was reportedly blindsided by a trade to the Chicago Blackhawks last offseason. Despite that history, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the Golden Knights have expressed interest in bringing Fleury back to Vegas.

The interest is because of an injury to Robin Lehner, which Seravalli reports is a torn labrum in his shoulder. Surgery is an eventual possibility and would suggest that the Golden Knights desperately need to address the goaltending situation in the coming weeks. Logan Thompson was recalled yesterday from the minor leagues when Lehner missed practice.

In addition to Fleury, the Golden Knights have apparently looked into Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers, whose role is dwindling because of the outstanding play from Igor Shesterkin. The 25-year-old Georgiev is in the second season of a two-year contract he signed in 2020 and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the year. In 19 appearances (17 starts), he has recorded an .898 save percentage, the lowest of his career.

How will a Vegas team that is about to activate Jack Eichel fit in another big cap hit? Seravalli suggests that Lehner could end up on long-term injured reserve, where he would join captain Mark Stone who went there yesterday. It should be noted that Lehner’s injury and timeline have not been confirmed by the team at this point, with general manager Kelly McCrimmon explaining yesterday that his status for Wednesday’s game wasn’t yet clear.

After a rough start, Fleury has turned around his game of late and now carries a .910 save percentage on the season. Last night, he stopped 31 of 32 shots to beat the Winnipeg Jets.

Colorado Has Shown Interest In Marc-Andre Fleury And Claude Giroux

February 11, 2022 at 8:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 12 Comments

With several key veterans heading towards unrestricted free agency and a strong roster that’s already one of the top offensive teams in the league, expectations are high in Colorado with the belief that they will look to make a big splash to cement their contender status. As part of his trade bait list released earlier today, TSN’s Chris Johnston reported in a separate segment (video link) that they’ve shown interest in a pair of prominent veterans in Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and Flyers center Claude Giroux.

Fleury has had a quiet year with Chicago compared to his Vezina-winning campaign last season but has still managed a respectable .910 SV% and a 2.88 GAA in 34 starts. For context, starter Darcy Kuemper’s numbers are only a little better at a .916 SV% and a 2.54 GAA. Pavel Francouz has been even better in limited action but missed all of last season and most of this one due to injury so some quality insurance between the pipes would make some sense.

As for Giroux, he has continually made it clear that he has not yet decided whether or not he’ll waive his trade protection to facilitate a trade. It’s a decision that seems likely to come close to the March 21st trade deadline but it’s easy to see why the Avs would be interested. He’s on pace for close to 30 goals and 70 points and would make a strong attack much deeper. He’d also be a big boost for them at the faceoff dot as Colorado’s team success rate is only 47.3% while Giroux is one of the league leaders at 60.6% and with greater emphasis placed on situational draws in the postseason, that’s an element that will be of interest to many contenders, not just the Avs.

However, while Colorado may want these players, finding a way to fit them in on the cap will be tricky. They project to have less than $1MM in cap space at the deadline, per CapFriendly while Fleury carries a $7MM AAV and Giroux checks in at $8.25MM. Clearly, the Avalanche would need at least 50% retention on either player if they were to get one of them and would either need to send some sort of salary offset the other way or involve a third team to hold back another 25% of their contract to make the money work. The fact GM Joe Sakic is showing interest in some of the top talents suggests that this is their year to go all-in and if there’s a way to get another top veteran, they’ll find a way to make the money work.

Trade Rumors: Chiarot, Oilers, Coyotes, DeBrusk

January 26, 2022 at 7:44 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 7 Comments

While the Marc-Andre Fleury-Washington Capitals connection was the highlight of the most recent “32 Thoughts” column from Sportnset’s Elliotte Friedman, the insider had plenty else to say about the burgeoning trade market. Though just a small note, the inclusion most likely to come to fruition is Friedman’s report that several teams are pursuing Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot. Chiarot’s name has been out there among trade candidate all season and it isn’t going away. As the top impending free agent on the NHL’s worst team, Chiarot is a near lock to be dealt. Friedman reports that the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, and St. Louis Blues are among the teams confirmed to have interest in Chiarot, but Friedman also keys in on another possibility: the Toronto Maple Leafs. The rumblings out of Toronto suggest that the Leafs are targeting a defenseman at the trade deadline and they may very well need one to escape the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division. Friedman notes that the club kicked the tires on Chiarot when he was a free agent and could be a top contender to land him this time around.

Another report that is hardly outside the box is Friedman’s suggestion that the Edmonton Oilers have looked into just about every goalie that could potentially be traded this season. Among the list of names are some who have already been linked to Edmonton, such as Columbus’ Joonas Korpisalo and Dallas’ Braden Holtby and Anton Khudobin, but other interesting targets include Philadelphia’s Martin Jones and Washington’s Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek. However, the key piece of Friedman’s report is that the Oilers may end up empty-handed if they aren’t willing to improve their offer. Friedman hears from potential trade partners that Edmonton is not willing to move their first-round pick and increasingly hesitant to move their second-rounder as well. Without a third- or fourth-round selection this year, the Oilers are seemingly only peddling late-round picks, with top prospects likely off the board as well. That won’t get it done in a sellers’ market.
One goalie who likely won’t wind up in Edmonton is Arizona’s Karel Vejmelka. Though there have been few bright spots in the Coyotes’ dismal season, Vejmelka’s play has given fans in the desert some hope. The 25-year-old rookie, an unheralded import from the top level in Czechia, has performed well this season. By league standards, his .901 save percentage and 3.40 GAA may not seem like much to be excited about, but as a first-year NHLer playing behind one of the worst rosters in the league, the keeper has held his own in 25 appearances. Rather than quickly flip Vejmelka to another team, the ’Yotes seem insistent on extending the goaltender instead, including him as a core piece in their rebuild.
Still in Arizona, where rumors circle the struggling squad, Friedman reports that young forward Lawson Crouse is unlikely to be traded despite recent speculation. The hulking power forward is not without his flaws, but with 10 goals and 20 points in 40 games, Crouse is well on his way to a career year. Although the Coyotes have shown their willingness to move on from high-potential players for the right price by placing Jakob Chychrun on the block, Friedman states that they have begun telling suitors that they would prefer to keep Crouse.
Elsewhere, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa writes that the market for Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk is in fact as cold as it seems. There was a flurry of speculation when DeBrusk first requested a trade, but it has quieted down significantly since Boston’s play improved in the new year. This isn’t because the Bruins aren’t listening though. Instead, Shinzawa reports that teams seem hesitant to make the commitment to DeBrusk, at least at the Bruins’ asking price. While his play has improved of late, it is still far off his performance earlier in his career and not up to the level that his $4.41MM qualify offer demands. The challenge for the Bruins is to find a team willing to pay the asking price that either is willing to qualify or otherwise negotiate an extension with DeBrusk or conversely a team that sees him as a rental, as recent rumors have suggested the New York Rangers might. Neither the Bruins nor DeBrusk want to extend their relationship, but it may be easier said than done to find the right deal.

Capitals Looking Into Marc-Andre Fleury

January 25, 2022 at 8:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 11 Comments

While the Capitals are quite comfortably in a playoff spot (13 points ahead of Detroit for the final Wild Card slot), they’re also within striking distance of first in the Metropolitan as they were five points out of first heading into tonight’s games. They’ve managed to accomplish this on the backs of Alex Ovechkin and one of the strongest offensive groups in the league even with goaltending that has been near the middle of the pack.

Accordingly, it appears they’re at least exploring a potential upgrade between the pipes as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column that they are looking into the possibility of acquiring Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

Washington is currently platooning youngsters Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov with Zach Fucale getting into a handful of games this season and they’ve played to a 2.56 GAA with a .908 SV%. Those numbers are actually similar to what Fleury has put up this season (2.76 GAA, .913 SV%) although Chicago has had some struggles on the back end that have to be taken into consideration.

It was only last season that the 37-year-old won the Vezina Trophy, recording a 1.98 GAA with a .928 SV% with Vegas who decided to move Fleury to Chicago over the summer to free up some salary cap space with his $7MM AAV coming off the books. The Blackhawks gave up very little in return, the rights to Mikael Hakkarainen, who was released three weeks later.

Accordingly, in the right environment with a chance of a long playoff run, Fleury could represent a notable upgrade and it’s understandable that Washington is at least looking into this possibility. He’d certainly give them a boost for the stretch run while allowing Chicago to bring back a lot more than what they gave up to get him.

That said, making the money work will be a challenge. Washington has just over $2MM in cap space, per CapFriendly, and that’s due to Anthony Mantha being on LTIR. If he’s unable to return before the end of the regular season, that could, in theory, be applied towards Fleury’s price tag but if the winger can return, that will basically make the Caps capped out in order to get back into cap compliance.

Chicago can retain up to 50% and if the Capitals are willing, a third team could get involved and retain 50% of the remainder (25% of the full deal) to help mitigate the cap impact although some further work would need to be done to get compliant. It seems unlikely that GM Brian MacLellan would want to part with either Vanecek or Samsonov to accommodate a few months of Fleury and if that’s the case, they’ll have to find a way to afford to carry three goalies the rest of the way.

Fleury has a 10-team no-trade list in his contract and it’s unknown if Washington is on there. Even if it is, it’s quite likely that Chicago would give the veteran a chance to approve or nix a deal to the Capitals or anywhere else after they worked with him to get him to agree to join the Blackhawks in the first place.

Regardless of whether or not this works out, it appears Washington is trying to think big in terms of shoring up their goaltending situation which will make them a team to watch for in the weeks leading up to the March 21st trade deadline.

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