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Blackhawks Notes: Deadline Status, Kampf, Crawford, Snuggerud

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When the Boston Bruins snapped the Chicago Blackhawks’ winning streak at seven games last night, it brought to light how little the run actually meant in the bigger picture. The Blackhawks have certainly improved in the second half, but are still on the outside looking in by a substantial margin. Even after stockpiling points over the last few weeks, Chicago is currently 12th in the Western Conference and virtually tied with the Edmonton Oilers in points percentage, who trail by two points but have two games in hand. The Blackhawks are four points behind the Minnesota Wild in for the final wild card spot and would have to leapfrog three more teams to get there, two of which hold games in hand, too. The upcoming schedule for the ’Hawks is light; it features five home contests and six non-playoff teams out of eight games. However, the schedule is not as easy the rest of the way. If management takes another small stretch of success before the deadline to mean that the team should not be sellers this season, it could be a mistake. Given that Chicago’s top rentals are not imperative to winning anyway – Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz, Andreas Martinsen, Cam Ward – the best and most likely course of action will be for the Blackhawks to entertain all trade offers over the remaining days before the deadline and not engage in any buyer talk.

  • The Blackhawks announced today that center David Kampf has been placed on injured reserve. Although the placement is retroactive to February 5th, do not expect Kampf back soon. NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis notes that the timeline to return is three to four weeks, making a reappearance by Kampf before the end of the month unlikely. Kampf has 16 points in 50 games for the Blackhawks this season and has been a solid bottom-six forward for the team in his second year since making the jump from Europe.
  • The silver lining to Kampf’s injury, as Roumeliotis points out, is that it opens up a roster spot for goaltender Corey Crawford to potentially make his return. Crawford has reportedly been getting close to game readiness and after missing the past two months while battling concussion symptoms. If Crawford is able to return and at least show that he is capable of splitting time with rookie Collin Delia, that would give the Blackhawks even further encouragement to peddle veteran backup Ward before the deadline rather than carry three goalies.
  • Luc Snuggerud worked quickly to find a new team after his contract was terminated by the Blackhawks on Monday. The young defenseman has signed with a rather obscure club, the Stavanger Oilers in Norway. The team announced a contract for the remainder of the season with Snuggerud. While hockey is growing in Norway, the national pro league is not considered to be among the elite in Europe. In fact, on the entire Oilers roster, including eight North American skaters, only Greg Mauldin has any NHL experience. As such, Snuggerud is expected to step in and make an immediate impact for Stavanger, which is what he was unable to do in the Blackhawks organization.

 

Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we keep going with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have already made a major move. GM Kyle Dubas got a jump start on the deadline market and acquired Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin two weeks ago. It was a much-needed addition of a top-pair caliber defender to a team that had concerning depth. However, Toronto also surrendered their 2019 first-round pick and arguably two of their top five prospects in the process.

With a major asset added and significant trade capital lost, should Dubas and the Maple Leafs refrain from making any more moves? Absolutely not. Toronto has the luxury of cap space this season and it will be a very, very long time before that happens again. The team must be mindful of entry-level bonuses and the cap impact next year if they carry over, but should take advantage of this opportunity to spend. As good as the team has been this season, there are still holes in the lineup that can be filled. The Leafs are also trying to hold off the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens in the divisional race, but almost surely will face one or the other in the first round of the postseason and then, if they’re lucky, the league leading Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. The Atlantic Division is stacked and if Toronto wants to take advantage of a strong roster and ample cap space before an impending salary crunch potentially reshapes their roster this summer, they should be all-out buyers at the deadline. A Stanley Cup title is within reach, but reinforcements would certainly help.

Record

34-18-3, second in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$20.09MM in full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, STL 4th, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, DAL 7th, TOR 7th
2020: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, TOR 4th, TOR 6th, EDM 7th, SJ 7th, TOR 7th

Trade Chips

The Maple Leafs are more likely than not going to make several smaller moves as the deadline approaches rather than another Muzzin deal. Fortunately, that means that the team can likely get away with making young roster forwards Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson and top prospect defenseman Rasmus Sandin untouchable.

However, everything else will still be on the table. That includes more draft picks, although the team’s second-round selection this year will likely be difficult to pry away after losing their first-rounder already. More so, it includes several other intriguing prospects that belong to the team. Some believe that another high-end defensive prospect, Tim Liljegren, is also an untouchable for the Leafs, while others say that he can be had in the right deal. If Toronto is pursuing one of the top names at their positions of need and no longer has a first-round pick this year to offer, Liljegren could be the next-best thing to sellers. Fellow AHL defenseman, Calle Rosen, is having quite a year for the Marlies and could also draw interest. 2017 second-round pick Eemeli Rasanen, currently skating in the KHL, is an interesting trade possibility, as is OHL standout Mac Hollowell, a fourth-round pick last year.

Up front, Jeremy Bracco has established himself as the next impact young forward for the Maple Leafs, if he can survive that long. Bracco, a 2015 second-round pick, is enjoying a point-per-game campaign with the Marlies that is sure to have caught some eyes around the league. Toronto would hate to part with an affordable scoring option for next season, but offering up Bracco could go a long way in trade talks. Trevor Moore could also fight for a spot on the Leafs next year, but is older and has less upside and would hurt less to part with. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is an intriguing junior prospect to keep an eye on, too.

The Maple Leafs are hoping that Boston College goaltender Joseph Woll, a 2016 third-round pick, will turn pro after his junior year and provide some upside and talent in the AHL. However, does that make Woll untouchable? If Toronto thinks he may return for his senior season at BC, they could be willing to move him. The team may also feel more strongly about another goalie prospect, WHL star Ian Scott, as their keeper of the future, making Woll more expendable. It’s doubtful that the team moves Woll, but there are factors that could convince them to part with the promising netminder for the right return.

Then there is a subset of the players that Toronto is hoping to use as trade chips at the deadline. While there are positions of need at the deadline, cap space moving forward is the most important asset for Toronto. The Maple Leafs have a near-impossible cap crunch coming this off-season and could benefit from moving out expensive long-term contracts for extraneous players. Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is the main target; the 27-year-old has five seasons remaining at $4.5MM AAV and has regressed greatly this season. The Leafs will move him if at all possible. Forward Connor Brown, signed through next season at $2.1MM, has also seen his production slip this year and could be used in a hockey deal for a similar style rental.

Five Players To Watch For: D Tim Liljegren, D Calle Rosen, F Jeremy Bracco, D Nikita Zaitsev, F Connor Brown

Team Needs

1) Fourth-line Center: Last season, the Maple Leafs traded for Tomas Plekanec at the deadline. The year before, it was Brian Boyle and Eric Fehr. This is a team that loves to strengthen their checking line, particularly down the middle, and that is a need once again this season. It could be a need that is met very cheaply by any number of veteran two-way centers on expiring contracts. Players that fit that description aren’t often hard to come by. In fact, Fehr may even be available again if the Minnesota Wild fall out of the playoff race. Toronto has been connected to the Detroit Red Wings’ Luke Glendening, but the term on his contract is a concern. Another interesting possibility is the Chicago Blackhawks’ Marcus Kruger.

2) Right-shot Defenseman: Even after acquiring Muzzin, there is still talk that the team would like to add a natural right-handed defenseman. The team has decent depth in right shots in Zaitsev, Igor Ozhiganov, and Justin Holl, but the thought is that they could acquire an upgrade to that group, effectively making them all backup options in the postseason. How much trade capital the Leafs want to spend on a yet another defenseman remains to be seen, but a physical veteran like the New Jersey Devils’ Ben Lovejoy or the New York Rangers’ Adam McQuaid would be a good fit.

3) Depth Forward: Reiterating the intro, if there is cap space available – in consideration of bonus overages – the Leafs need to use it. Another rental forward, even without an obvious fit in the lineup, would come in handy. The team has previously been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes’ Micheal Ferland and the New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello, among others. If they can make it work to add another scoring forward like that, they may as well pull the trigger. Any team in the Atlantic Division can use all the help they can get surviving the postseason.

Evening Notes: Karlsson, Rask, Kruger, Byfuglien

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The Tampa Bay Lightning got a break Saturday when the San Jose Sharks revealed that they had scratched star defenseman Erik Karlsson despite the fact that he participated in the pre-game skate. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Karlsson is nursing an injury, but it isn’t expected to be very serious.

According to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, Karlsson has been struggling with the lower-body injury since the team faced Arizona on Thursday and hasn’t been practicing. He added that Karlsson was limping noticeably after the game against the Coyotes, favoring his left side. While Kurz acknowledged that the injury isn’t serious, the scribe wonders if the Sharks might hold him out until after the All-Star break. San Jose has two games remaining against Florida and Washington on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, and then don’t play again until Feb. 2.

  • The Boston Bruins may have lost Tuukka Rask for some time as the team announced that the goaltender suffered a concussion during Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers and will not return. The hit happened late in the first period when Rangers’ Filip Chytil collided with Rask after scoring a goal. Chytil was actually pushed by Boston’s Charlie McAvoy, sending Chytil airborne and sending Rask backwards, where he appeared to hit his head on the right goalpost. Rask remained on the ice for quite a while before skating off with assistance. Jaroslav Halak took over for Rask.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes that a league source says the Chicago Blackhawks are attempting to trade Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz and Andreas Martinson. While no names are surprises, Powers writes that the team will most likely find a trading partner for Kruger, who has just a seven-team no-trade clause. He is in the final year of a three-year, $9.25MM deal at $2.75MM AAV, which many teams might be willing to take on for some bottom-six help.
  • NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton writes that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who has been out since Dec. 29 with a left leg injury, has resumed skating with the earliest possible return being after the All-Star break. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound blueliner would be an important piece to get back for the Jets, who have missed him in his absence.

Minor Transactions: 12/19/18

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Today is the final day before the holiday roster freeze comes into effect, though there can still be some movement afterwards. Teams are allowed to recall players during the next two weeks, and can also send down any player recalled after December 11th. That would include anyone called up today, meaning we’ll keep our eye on all the minor moves around the league.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Luke Johnson from the minor leagues while putting Marcus Kruger on injured reserve with a concussion. Kruger suffered the injury last night when he was hit by Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman, and will be out indefinitely. Johnson meanwhile returns to the Blackhawks after playing 13 games with the club earlier in the season.
  • Phil Varone is on his way back to the minor leagues, loaned from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms today. Varone has played four games for Philadelphia this season but has been held scoreless in each. The veteran forward is a dominant AHL player though, and has 28 points in 22 games for the Phantoms after posting a 70-point season in 2017-18.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have sent goaltender Adin Hill and forward Conor Garland back to the minor leagues, though with no corresponding moves yet one or two could be back up quickly. Since Hill and Garland were both originally recalled before December 11th, they would not be able to be sent down during the freeze. Now they will be able to freely move up and down throughout, allowing them to get into game action should Arizona activate some of their injured players.
  • The same tact might be taking place in Los Angeles, where Michael Amadio, Sean Walker and Austin Wagner have all been sent down to the AHL. Again, all three players had been recalled prior to December 11th, meaning this move is likely only to create some roster flexibility through the roster freeze.
  • In Vegas however, the Golden Knights have recalled Brandon Pirri and had him at practice today with the club. Pirri has been dominating the minor leagues once again, and with Max Pacioretty headed to the injured reserve, the team needed another forward. The 27-year old Pirri once scored 22 goals in just 49 games for the Florida Panthers, but has struggled to find consistent work in the NHL since. This year for the Chicago Wolves, he has 41 points in 28 games and has looked far too capable for the AHL.
  • Thomas Hickey has been moved to injured reserve, giving the New York Islanders roster room to recall Devon Toews. The 24-year old Toews has yet to make his NHL debut but is a leader for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers all over the ice. The defenseman has 86 points through 130 minor league games since being a fourth-round pick in 2014, and could give the Islanders a decent puck-moving presence going forward.
  • Another Los Angeles Kings player is on his way down, but this time it’s for a conditioning stint. Jack Campbell has been sent to the minor leagues to continue his rehab, an important step on his recovery process from a meniscus injury earlier this year. Campbell is still on injured reserve for the time being.
  • Clark Bishop is on his way back to the NHL, as the Charlotte Checkers announced that the rookie forward has been recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes. Bishop, 22, was a fifth-round pick and was never much of an offensive force in his junior years. The two-way center even split his first pro season between the AHL and ECHL. However, Bishop has worked hard and is now a regular call-up for Carolina in his third season. Bishop has two points in 15 games for the ’Canes this year.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Chicago Blackhawks

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Chicago Blackhawks

Current Cap Hit: $74,008,045 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Nick Schmaltz (one year, $925K)
F Dylan Sikura (one year, $925K)
F Dominik Kahun (two years, $925K)
F David Kampf (one year, $925K)
F Victor Ejdsell (one year, $834K)
F Alex DeBrincat (two years, $778K)

Potential Bonuses:

Kahun: $2.85MM
Sikura: $925K
Schmaltz: $850K
DeBrincat: $133K

Total: $4,76MM

The team has a number of quality youngsters who will eventually cost them a good deal of money. However, the team has high expectations for Schmaltz, who had a breakout season and was one of the few bright spots in Chicago during a dismal season. Schmaltz, in his second year, scored 21 goals and added 52 points and is expected to be the team’s No. 2 center for a number of years in the future. The only key issue that Schmaltz continues to work on is his struggles in the face-off circle as he had just a 40.1 percent faceoff winning percentage last year, which is horrible.

The team’s other major bright spot was the play of DeBrincat. The 20-year-old made the team and then tallied 28 goals in his rookie campaign and looks to be another solid scorer for Chicago to work with in the top-six. The team hopes for a similar season from Sikura, who the team signed out of Northeastern University, where he posted 58 goals over four seasons there. The 23-year-old winger looks to have a solid chance of joining DeBrincat in the top six this season.

Two other interesting names, who could make an impact with the team are Ejdsell and Kahun. Ejdsell, who the team acquired in the Ryan Hartman trade at the deadline, has an opportunity to beat out Sikura for a top-six spot if he has a good training camp, while Kahun, signed to a two-year deal out of Germany, is another candidate to make the team and contribute immediately.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Cam Ward ($3MM, UFA)
F Marcus Kruger ($2.78MM, UFA)
D Jan Rutta ($2.3MM, UFA)
F Chris Kunitz ($1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Schroeder ($650K, UFA)
F Tyler Sikura ($650K, UFA)

While the Blackhawks offseason was relatively quiet, the team did make a splash in the goaltending market after the team went for much of the season last year without their starting goaltender. Because of their lack of depth, the team added Ward to help fill the backup role, who could also take over starting duties if needed. The 35-year-old Ward played 43 games for Carolina a year ago and posted a .906 save percentage along with two shutouts. While those numbers aren’t great, they are better than the goalies they carried a season ago.

The team also brought in some grit, bringing back Kruger as well as signing 38-year-old Kunitz. Both should fill significant roles in the bottom-six and hopefully boost the production of those lines. Kruger struggled since leaving Chicago. He posted just one goal and five assists in 48 games last season and was demoted to the AHL for 19 games. However, in the offseason, Kruger admitted he played the entire season with a hernia, which is what affected his play. Now, fully healthy, Kruger might be able to bounce back. Both are solid one-year options.

The 28-year-old Rutta showed some solid signs of progress in his rookie campaign. He averaged 19:15 of ATOI, scoring six goals and 20 points, as well as having a (minus) one plus/minus ratio. Another season could boost his production as a top-four defenseman.

Two Years Remaining

G Corey Crawford ($6MM, UFA)
D Brandon Manning ($2.25MM, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($1.2MM, UFA)
F John Hayden ($750K, RFA)

The Blackhawks success will likely fall on Crawford, who missed most of the season last year with concussion-like symptoms and the 33-year-old netminder has already indicated that he likely won’t be ready for training camp and could miss part of the season next year.

With those issues, there isn’t necessarily a guarantee that he will bounce back and put up similar numbers from his 2015-16 season when he put up a .919 save percentage in 55 games. His numbers were actually even better in the 2017-18 season before he was injured, posting a .929 save percentage to go with two shutouts in 28 games.

Chicago will rely on Gustafsson and Murphy to help man their defense. Both will need to improve quite a bit to improve their weakened defense. Gustafsson showed some promise after being recalled late in the season from Rockford of the AHL and he posted 16 points in 35 games. The defensive-minded Murphy, who came over in the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade was solid, if not unspectacular on defense. Both will be needed if the team wants to return to the playoffs next year.Read more

Free Agent Profile: Troy Brouwer

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Entering the free agent market late is never an enviable position. Hitting the market in August coming off the worst season of your pro career? That’s a really tough spot and the one facing down veteran forward Troy Brouwer this summer.

Brouwer became the latest addition to the unrestricted free agent market on August 3rd, after the Calgary Flames bought out the remaining two years of his contract in the second buyout window awarded in consideration of the team’s salary arbitration status. As if becoming a free agent more than one month after the signing period began wasn’t enough of a difficult situation, Brouwer also entered a quiet market that had seen just two impact UFA signings – Brooks Orpik and Dan Hamhuis – in the previous two weeks. Now two weeks later, there has still not been another major addition and that includes a lack of interest in Brouwer.

Brouwer, who just turned 33, has begun to show his age. While physicality and two-way play have always been hallmarks of his game, Brouwer also did well for himself earlier in his career with seven straight seasons of 33 points or more while playing for three different clubs. He cashed in on that consistency two years ago, inking a four-year, $18MM contract with the Flames as a free agent – the most lucrative deal of his career. The situation in Calgary turned sour quickly, as Brouwer’s speed and production took a noticeable dip in his first campaign. The reliable forward only managed 25 points and, to add insult to injury, struggled on the defensive side of the game as well. Last season, Brouwer’s even strength ice time was cut to a career low and his production dropped again to a career-worst six goals and 22 points.

At $4.5MM per year, Brouwer’s play last season showed the Flames that he was simply a burden they could no longer shoulder moving forward, even if his buyout meant adding a $1.5MM penalty for each of the next four years. Now, the question is whether he can bounce back from a disappointing tenure in Calgary? And will any team even give him that chance?

Potential Suitors

If the offense is really gone from Brouwer’s game, then he is more of your typical fourth-line grinder at this point in his career. He still plays a very solid short-handed game, has always had a knack for stripping the puck, and can check and win battles along the boards with the best. Brouwer has even been known to excel at the occasional face-off in the past. In an energy role where he would be specifically tasked with bothering the opposition and focused more on preventing goals than scoring them, Brouwer could still thrive, maybe even for a few years.

A versatile, two-way right winger could be in demand with several squads. Especially given the fact that Brouwer’s buyout payments should drive the price of his next contract down, he could be a good value pick up for whichever team lands him. The Colorado Avalanche may be the best fit for Brouwer. The Avs’ forward corps is very young and not very deep in two-way players. The roster is also completely devoid of natural right wingers. The veteran grinder could also serve as a good mentor to young Avalanche forward A.J. Greer. There is a clear fit for Brouwer on the Colorado roster more so than any other team in the league.

The Buffalo Sabres also stick out as a prime candidate to give Brouwer a shot. The team’s off-season indicates that they are all-in and looking to do more than just rebuild this season. While the Sabres are actually deep up front, they lack many players that fit nicely into a fourth-line, penalty-killing role. They also don’t have many right-shot players who are true two-way assets. Brouwer could fill that niche role. However, Brouwer would have to win a job against one of Buffalo’s younger fringe forwards.

Don’t rule out a return to the Chicago Blackhawks either. The team has shown a tendency to be interested in former players and with the likes of Matthew Highmore, John Hayden, and Jacob Nilsson currently penciled in to compete for jobs on the right side, there is a lot of reason to think that Brouwer could make a difference in Chicago. The team does have Marcus Kruger back and signed Chris Kunitz, but Brouwer on that line would make for an intriguing veteran shutdown unit.

Projected Contract

Despite some good hypothetical landing spots, the reality is that if there was demand for Brouwer, he would have signed by now. Some expected the veteran forward to be scooped up off the market as soon as he was bought out, but the interest just hasn’t developed. There is no reason to think that it suddenly will either; grit and character are not exactly traits that teams scramble to replace after injuries or realize they desperately need in training camp. Brouwer could still end up with any number of NHL teams and can still be an effective two-way forward for multiple years. However, in all likelihood he will have to earn that next contract on a PTO . He may even be looking at a mid-season contract situation for a contender to add a locker room presence and depth defensive forward with experience like a Brian Gionta or Ryan Carter in recent years. That is the ceiling for Brouwer after a ruinous time in Calgary.

Retained Salary For 2018-19

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Among the ways teams can increase the value of potential trade candidates is by retaining a portion of their salary. These moves are often used on star players who may have declined slightly and are no longer deemed worthy of their big cap hits, or at the deadline in order to fit in as many contracts as possible for the playoff stretch. Any team can retain up to 50% of a player’s salary for the remainder of the contract, though a single player can only be involved in two of these transactions per contract.

Teams meanwhile are limited to three retained salary transactions on the books at any one time, and they cannot in aggregate equal more than 15% of the cap ceiling. That means, for this season a team can retain up to $11,925,000 in salary given the $79.5MM cap ceiling. Some teams have already started in on that number given the previous retained salary transactions that they are still paying off. Below is a list of all the active contracts involved in transactions like this:

Arizona Coyotes

Mike Smith – Retained $1,416,667 per season through 2018-19

Boston Bruins

Matt Beleskey – Retained $1,900,000 per season through 2019-20

Carolina Hurricanes

Marcus Kruger – Retained $308,333 per season through 2018-19

Florida Panthers

Jason Demers – Retained $562,500 per season through 2020-21

Ottawa Senators

Dion Phaneuf – Retained $1,750,000 per season through 2020-21

Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel – Retained $1,200,000 per season through 2021-22

Vancouver Canucks

Roberto Luongo – Retained $800,000 per season through 2021-22

Vegas Golden Knights

Derick Brassard – Retained $2,000,000 per season through 2018-19

While these transactions are hardly crippling the above teams, they are something to remember when the trade deadline rolls around and clubs are trying to swap contracts. Teams like Toronto and Vancouver who have retained salary for another four years might not want to get into a similar situation and lock up two of their three possible options for the future.

The other question surrounding retained salary transactions will be how they affect the upcoming CBA negotiations, after teams like Vegas have acted as a sort of middle man. Brassard was never really part of the Golden Knights, only coming there on his way from Ottawa to Pittsburgh in order to reduce his salary for the Penguins. Though Vegas received compensation, it is not how the rule was intended to be used.

Central Notes: Maroon, Predators, Kruger

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The St. Louis Blues had one of the best offseasons in the league when they managed to acquire Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bozak, David Perron with in the first few days of the start of free agency. The fact they were able to add those players without mortgaging their future prospects, make their offseason that much more successful. However, when the team signed winger Patrick Maroon to a one-year, $1.75MM deal, the team really looked at their offseason as a roaring success.

Maroon, who opted to give up both money and term so he could sign with his home-town Blues, could easily have gotten both elsewhere. Maroon, who made $2MM last year, has scored 44 goals in the past two years, making the 6-foot-3 physical forward an excellent, inexpensive addition. However, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon writes don’t be surprised if Maroon gets an extension before the 2018-19 season ends. It’s likely the team will give him that deserved money and term when the team’s salary cap situation improves next season.

A lot of that will depend on how Maroon plays next season. The 30-year-old will likely find himself on the team’s third line, which could prove challenging to put up big numbers in. However, with his experience and ability to play along with top-line talent like he did alongside Connor McDavid in Edmonton, Maroon could easily find himself in a top-six role if injuries develop or lines don’t produce like the team hopes.

  • In a mailbag segment, the Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes that he wonders whether the Nashville Predators insistence on not including no-movement clauses is what’s hurting the team from signing top free agents to their team. In fact, the scribe wonders whether the team can keep that policy up when it comes to re-signing defenseman Ryan Ellis. The problem with refusing to include no-movement clauses into contracts is that players will often take less money to stay with the Predators due to the lack of a state tax in Tennessee. However, the issue that many players have is that if the team trades them and the player then doesn’t receive the tax benefits. Only goaltender Pekka Rinne has a no-movement clause.
  • Mark Lazerus of The Chicago Sun-Times writes that despite the team lack of success when bringing back former Stanley Cup Champions to their lineup, the acquisition of Marcus Kruger is a minimal risk. The veteran forward, who was acquired in the Marian Hossa deal with the Arizona Coyotes, is in the last year of a three-year, $9.25MM deal in which he will only cost them $2.775MM against the cap. The forward struggled in Carolina last year, posting just six points in 48 games and played some time in the AHL as well. However, it turns out he played most of the season with a sports hernia injury. At just 28 years of age, the team should be thrilled if they can get some quality minutes out of him on the team’s fourth line.

 

Coyotes Notes: Team Upgrades, Ekman-Larsson, Kruger

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With a strong second half, the Arizona Coyotes are ready to take that next step from cellar dweller to competitive team. The hope is that now that head coach Rick Tocchet has held the coaching reigns for a full season, he can help Arizona take that next step. While the importance of signing of star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is critical to the long-term success of the team is key (he has been rumored to be considering and eight-year extension), the team must continue to upgrade its roster.

According to Tocchet, in an interview with Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan, the team has several key needs with center being at the top of the list, followed by another top-five defenseman and a scoring wing. The team upgraded at center a year ago when it went out and traded defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and their first-round pick in a package deal for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta. Stepan put up solid numbers as the team’s top center, scoring 14 goals and adding 42 assists in his first year for Arizona. However, the team might want a stronger, more veteran presence for the No. 2 center spot, which was held by Christian Dvorak last season. Dvorak had just 22 assists last season.

Despite a solid nucleus on defense starting with Ekman-Larsson and Alex Goligoski as well as the strong additions of veterans Jason Demers and Niklas Hjalmarsson in the offseason and the improved play of youngster Jakob Chychrun, the team would like to add more to their defense. While the team might address that with the fifth-overall pick this year, the team wouldn’t mind adding another player to their group, which might have to come via trade.

  • Tocchet said he has worked hard to form a relationship with Ekman-Larsson over the past year. “In December, we had a really frank 30 or 40 minute talk,” said Tocchet. “I’m not a big meeting guy but we just talked about life and everything. I wanted him to have more of a voice in how we do things. What time should we have practice? Do you like the day off here? Should we travel at 2 PM? I want him to be proactive in those decisions. I want him to take responsibility and I think he understands that now that I want more from him.”
  • In the same article, Tocchet said that the addition of veteran Marcus Kruger is important due to his leadership skills. While the veteran struggled in his one year in Carolina with just six points in 48 games, Kruger did admit he played the entire year with a hernia. However, fully healed, he should give the Coyotes some grit on their fourth line. “The Chicago coaching staff loved him. I hear his hockey IQ is high and he’s a leader in the sense that he does the right things, practices hard. Since I’ve started, hockey IQ to me is bigger than I ever thought it was. When you add players with high hockey IQ, the chemistry comes quicker. He can probably help some young guys with that,” Tocchet said.

Carolina Hurricanes Will Make NHL Draft Difficult To Predict

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes were lucky enough to get the second-overall pick in the upcoming 2018 NHL Draft, but who they will take will be even more interesting. While many believe that winger Andrei Svechnikov, who scored 40 goals for the OHL’s Barrie Colts mostly as a 17-year-old, is the obvious answer. However, there are plenty of other variables, according to the Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy.

An alternate option for Carolina would be to take winger Filip Zadina, countryman and world junior linemate of 2017 first-round center Martin Necas. Zadina put up 44 goals in 57 games in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads.

However, the scribe writes that neither player fills the team’s most important need for the future which is a first-line center, a similar problem that the Montreal Canadiens face later at the No. 3 spot. If Carolina decides that is more important, then trading down might be the team’s best option. Kennedy adds that has been discussed by the organization. A team like the New York Rangers or the New York Islanders, both with an excess of extra picks both in the first round and later, would be logical trade partners.

Although the team recently hired veteran executive Rick Dudley to fill in, the team needs to hire a general manager before any decision can be made about the direction of their selection. While the team bowed out earlier from the playoff race than they had hoped, Carolina has a significant amount of talent, although they lack a star player. However, with a new owner and eventually new general manager and coach, the team may make quite a few changes over the next few months. Even without a permanent GM, the team already traded off veteran Marcus Kruger and there are rumors the Hurricanes may trade off their top scorer in Jeff Skinner before he hits free agency in 2019.

So Carolina becomes quite a wildcard when it comes to this draft.

 

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