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Martin Kaut

Avalanche And Sharks Complete Four-Player Trade

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Ryan Merkley’s trade request has been granted as the Sharks have traded the defenseman to the Avalanche along with winger Matt Nieto in exchange for winger Martin Kaut and defenseman/winger Jacob MacDonald.

Merkley was a first-round pick by San Jose back in 2018 (21st overall) and showed plenty of offensive upside during his junior career in the OHL where he had 269 points in 248 games in four seasons.  However, that hasn’t really translated into much offensive success in the minors as he has just two career goals in the minors, neither of which came this season.  Merkley made his NHL debut in 2021-22, getting into 39 games with the Sharks but he hasn’t had a chance to suit up at the top level this year which resulted in the trade request.  He has 14 assists in 30 games with the Barracuda this season.  He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract with a $863K cap hit and will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Nieto, meanwhile, is no stranger to Colorado as he spent parts of four seasons with them between 2016-17 and 2019-20.  During that stretch, he was a serviceable provider of depth scoring, notching 34 goals and 47 assists in 251 games.  The 30-year-old is producing at a similar clip this season, tallying eight goals and seven assists in 45 games with the Sharks while logging a career-high 15:39 per game.  He won’t see that type of ice time in his second go-round with the Avs but with them in need of reliable options in the bottom six, Nieto should still be called upon to play an important depth role.  He’s also in the final year of his contract with a $850K cap hit and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.

Kaut was also a first-round pick in the 2018 draft, going 16th overall to the Avalanche.  However, while he impressed in the minors as an 18-year-old and earned an NHL stint at 19, he hasn’t had much success at the top level.  So far, he has played in just 47 career NHL contests, 27 of which have come this season where he has just a goal and two assists to his credit while averaging 9:08 per night.  Kaut has also played in ten AHL games this season where he has five goals and three helpers and is currently in the minors having been sent down last week.  The 23-year-old is also in the final year of his entry-level deal, one that carries an AAV of $863K.  He should get an opportunity to see some regular minutes for San Jose down the stretch in the hopes of him developing into a regular in the bottom six down the road.

MacDonald came up as a defenseman but has logged a lot of action on the wing this season with Colorado searching for bottom-six options as they’ve dealt with injuries all year long.  The 29-year-old has suited up 33 times so far in 2022-23, picking up a pair of assists along with 29 hits.  He has made 74 appearances with the Avs over the last three seasons, comprising the bulk of his NHL action (aside from a two-game stint with Florida in 2018).  MacDonald is in the first year of a two-year, two-way contract that pays the minimum salary in the NHL (a $762,500 AAV) and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.  He’s likely to play a similar depth role with the Sharks, filling in at both positions when necessary.

Cap space is limited for the Avalanche and it’s worth noting that they are adding a little less than $100K on their books with this swap.  However, they get a more proven forward in Nieto that should bolster their bottom six and an interesting wild card in Merkley.  If he’s able to develop into a regular defender down the road, this will be a nice pickup for GM Chris MacFarland.  If it doesn’t pan out, all it will cost them is a couple of depth options so it’s a low-risk move that could carry a fair bit of upside as they look to hold onto a playoff spot in the tight Central Division.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Players Clear Waivers

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Dec 9: All five players have cleared, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Rooney, Benson, Kaut, and Carpenter can now be assigned to the minor leagues, while Berglund’s contract will be terminated.

Dec 8: It’s a busy Thursday on the waiver wire, as Kevin Rooney of the Calgary Flames, Tyler Benson of the Edmonton Oilers, Martin Kaut of the Colorado Avalanche, and Ryan Carpenter of the New York Rangers are all available for claim, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Boston Bruins defenseman Victor Berglund has also been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.

Rooney, 29, has not worked out quite as well as the Flames had hoped when they signed him to a two-year, $2.6MM contract in July. After scoring six goals and 12 points in 61 games last season for the New York Rangers, the depth forward has just a single assist in 17 matches for Calgary.

With today’s recall of Matthew Phillips, it appears as though the Flames will go in a different direction for their bottom six. Rooney’s contract will likely keep him from being claimed, though, meaning he can stay with the organization and try to get his game back on track. By moving him to the minor leagues, $1.125MM of his $1.3MM cap hit would come off the books.

For Benson, it’s not quite so rosy. The 24-year-old has played two games with the Oilers this season, barely seen the ice during them, and has no contract security past this year. The 32nd overall pick from 2016 has never been able to stick in the NHL despite strong numbers in the minor leagues, and appears to be a potential non-tender candidate next summer as an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.

Kaut, 23, already cleared waivers at the beginning of this season, but had landed a regular spot in the Colorado lineup since and needed them again to go back to the minor leagues. The 2018 first-round pick has three points in 18 games this year, and was on the ice for multiple goals against in last night’s 4-0 loss to the Bruins.

The Avalanche haven’t been able to find any mix of depth forwards they are happy with, and continue to make changes on a near-daily basis. Kaut’s waiver placement doesn’t necessarily mean he’s headed back down, given all of the injuries they have. He also could be claimed, given his relatively young age and draft pedigree.

Carpenter, like Rooney, hasn’t been able to find the same level of play he had last season with his new team. The Rangers forward has just three points in 21 games and has become a fringe option, moving in and out of the lineup. Even with his familiarity with head coach Gerrard Galant, the Rangers can’t keep putting Carpenter out there without some more consistent play.

Berglund, 23, was picked 195th overall in 2017 and signed his entry-level deal in 2020. It is set to expire at the end of the year and he has barely played this season, meaning the two sides are just splitting a little early so he can chase a job somewhere else. The Swedish defenseman will be an unrestricted free agent and is likely headed back to Europe.

Snapshots: Avalanche Transactions, MacKenzie, Orlov

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The Colorado Avalanche made some roster tweaks early this morning, sending both Martin Kaut and Mikhail Maltsev to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. This isn’t the first roster shuffle of the year for either of these players, as both have split time this year between the Eagles and the Avalanche.

This transaction, though, is likely more of a cap-related paper transaction than a move made with the intention of getting Kaut and Maltsev into AHL games. Without any corresponding call-ups, this move has left the avalanche with just ten forwards on their active roster. While it’s entirely possible that Kaut and/or Maltsev are headed to the AHL for an extended period, that doesn’t look like the likely outcome of these roster moves at the moment.

Some other notes from across the hockey world:

  • Derek MacKenzie, a retired former NHLer with over 600 career games on his resume, seems to have found a new coaching job. After departing the Florida Panthers this summer, (he was there as an assistant coach from 2018-19 through 2020-21) MacKenzie looks set to join the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves as their next head coach, per Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. The Wolves make this move hoping that MacKenzie will be the person to turn their season around amid a 3-8-2 start that led to the firing of coach Craig Duncanson.
  • Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov left last night’s contest against the Arizona Coyotes with a lower-body injury. While the full extent of that injury is not yet known, we do have some more information on Orlov’s status. NBC Sports Washington’s Matt Weyrich reports that Orlov wasn’t on the ice for the start of Capitals practice this morning. Per coach Peter Laviolette, Orlov’s status is considered day-to-day.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Martin Kaut

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Oct 24: While earlier today the Avalanche announced that both Kaut and Megna were recalled, that tweet has now been deleted. The AHL transaction portal has Kaut and Mikhail Maltsev recalled, though the team has not yet confirmed it.

Oct 23: The Colorado Avalanche did some roster tweaking late last night, announcing that they’d sent down forwards Martin Kaut and Jayson Megna to the AHL. The move comes just after the Avalanche concluded a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, their third win of this young season.

These two reassignments should not come as a surprise to anyone closely watching the Avalanche’s moves this season. As The Athletic’s Peter Baugh notes, this transaction was likely made with the salary cap in mind rather than for any reasons related to Megna or Kaut’s performance. The Avalanche have precious little cap space to work with, so they choose to send players such as Megna or Kaut to the minors on off days in order to “accumulate” cap space—banked room that will be potentially more useful later in the season.

As can be seen here, both Kaut and Megna have been part of up-and-down transactions multiple times already this season, so it’s definitely reasonable to expect the team to bring one or even both of these players back to their active roster in time for their next game, which is on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. It’s also possible that they go in a different direction with their roster, by either calling different replacements up from their AHL affiliate or rolling with a few extra defensemen in their lineup (which would be a highly unconventional choice).

Both Kaut and Megna have split time this season between the Avalanche’s main squad and their AHL affiliate. The 32-year-old Megna is a longtime veteran depth player who has been on the NHL/AHL bubble since making his professional debut in 2012-13. Kaut, 23, is in a bit of a different situation at this time in his career, as he finds himself on the roster bubble just a few years after being selected 16th overall at the 2018 draft. Like Megna, Kaut is yet to score in his three NHL games this season although he has had some production at the AHL level.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Martin Kaut

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After failing to make the team out of camp, a highly-drafted Colorado Avalanche prospect is getting another chance with the big club. The team announced today they’ve recalled F Martin Kaut from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, hours after waiving Lukas Sedlak and sending down Ben Meyers.

The 16th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft has yet to make a significant NHL impact, recording just two goals and an assist across 20 games spread over the past three seasons. Kaut started his AHL season strong this year, though, recording three points through his first two games.

With Sedlak and Meyers out of the picture (for now), there appears to be a fit for Kaut in the team’s top-nine forward group at the moment, allowing the Avalanche to bump one of Andrew Cogliano or Logan O’Connor back to a more comfortable fourth-line role. With Gabriel Landeskog’s and Darren Helm’s injuries affecting their offensive depth, another goal-scorer in the picture gives their roster a more well-rounded look.

Kaut had 19 goals, 12 assists, and 31 points in 46 games with the Eagles in 2021-22.

Avalanche Notes: Waivers, Newhook, Helm

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Saying the Colorado Avalanche have had a flurry of waiver-wire activity over the past couple of days surely wouldn’t make them unique; that would make them about a dime-a-dozen amongst other NHL clubs. However, their situation has created some buzz, and now we’re getting some clarity on it as well that not all teams necessarily provide. For one, as reported by Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, former top prospects Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut, who were both placed on waivers yesterday, cleared and have been assigned to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Given the sheer number of players being placed on waivers this weekend, it’s not shocking that this pair would clear, especially given their lack of NHL success, however it was interesting to see the two placed on waivers given their former status as prospects and their still relatively young age (both are 23).

Turning to today’s waiver players, we noted earlier in today’s Waivers tracker that the Avalanche have put forwards Anton Blidh and Mikhail Maltsev on waivers. When head coach Jared Bednar met with the media, including Dater, earlier today, he shed some light on why that decision was made, indicating the two players were placed on waivers for “cap flexibility” purposes. That itself is not particularly surprising, considering that’s likely the reason for many waiver placements around the league right now, but Bednar did continue, saying that he felt Maltsev was “too quiet” in camp. The coach also added, without naming any specific names, “there’s a lot of guys that can ’play hockey.’ But we’re trying to win.”

  • For the most part, training camp is used as a time to decide who makes the roster, and for those who have already secured a spot, it may be about deciding where they play and what role(s) they occupy. That was set to be the case this camp for Avalanche center Alex Newhook, who appeared to be in line for the open second-line center job that was left vacant by Nazem Kadri who signed with the Calgary Flames. However, the team also inked veteran center Evan Rodrigues to a one-year, $2MM contract his offseason, giving Newhook formidable competition for the role. With camp in the rear-view and a focus on the regular season ahead, it seems as though the Avalanche have not made a concrete decision on who will occupy what role. Instead, Bednar told the media, including Dater, that he will give Newhook a real, everyday chance to win the job over “a couple of months.” The decision to essentially not make one, appears to make sense. Operating this way will not only to allow Colorado to evaluate team chemistry and see how Newhook’s development continues, but also to see where Rodrigues stands, who broke out with 43 points in 82 games last year.
  • On the injury front, Bednar said veteran forward Darren Helm likely won’t be able to play until “some time” early in the season. Helm, who played through an abdominal injury during Colorado’s Stanley Cup run last spring, is still recovering. A lack of a concrete timetable at this juncture is a bit concerning, however an early season return is nonetheless encouraging.

Central Notes: Avalanche Injuries, Goligoski, Neighbours

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Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz is about a week away from returning from his lower-body injury, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.  The 31-year-old hasn’t played since the 2019-20 campaign and with Darcy Kuemper not getting off to a particularly strong start this season with a .904 SV% in his first seven starts, Francouz’s return would be a welcome addition if he can find the form he had before his injuries.  Meanwhile, Chambers adds in a separate column that winger Martin Kaut is listed as week-to-week after suffering a shoulder injury on Wednesday versus Columbus.  The rookie is averaging just under nine minutes a game through six appearances so far this season.

More from the Central:

  • Minnesota hopes to have defenseman Alex Goligoski back in the lineup tonight after he missed the last three games due to an upper-body injury, relays Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The 36-year-old is in his first season with his hometown Wild and has been a steadying presence on their second pairing while chipping in with three assists.  Despite the injury, Goligoski has remained on the active roster so they won’t need to make a roster move to get him in the lineup.
  • The Blues could be slow-playing their pending decision on winger Jake Neighbours until Oskar Sundqvist is able to come off LTIR, suggests Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 19-year-old has played in seven games this season, two away from the decision on whether or not to burn the first year of his entry-level deal.  Neighbours has held his own so far with a goal and an assist in those seven contests while averaging nearly 10 minutes a night but more time in the WHL may be best for him in the long run.

Colorado Recalls Eight Players

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With Colorado’s AHL team falling 5-1 to San Jose in Wednesday’s play-in game, the Avalanche have made their end-of-season recalls to join their ’Black Aces’.  Per CapFriendly, the following players have been brought up from the Eagles:

Goalies: Justus Annunen, Adam Werner
Defensemen: Kyle Burroughs, Keaton Middleton
Forwards: Martin Kaut, Sampo Ranta, Miikka Salomaki, T.J. Tynan

The majority of these players likely won’t see any action for the Avs during the postseason barring a rash of injuries but will continue to skate to stay in playing shape unless they’re called upon.  Three of the eight – Burroughs, Middleton, and Kaut – saw NHL action this season with Burroughs being the only one to record a point, notching an assist in five games.  Among the others, Annunen and Ranta are two of their better prospects but are highly unlikely to suit up and are just up for the experience.

Tynan was one of the top scorers in the AHL this season, averaging an assist per game while picking up eight goals in 27 contests.  Among players who played in at least 20 games this season, his 1.30 points per game average was the best in the league.  Salomaki has the most NHL experience among the group with 167 appearances spread across six seasons with Nashville but hasn’t yet had an opportunity to suit up for Colorado.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/22/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • With no other real options, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Pierre-Olivier Joseph from their taxi squad under emergency conditions. The young defenseman is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the  New York Rangers. Joseph, 21, was the 23rd overall pick in 2017 and recorded 17 points in 52 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have elevated Nathan Gerbe from the taxi squad, moving Emil Bemstrom down in his place. The 33-year-old Gerbe hasn’t played yet this season but recorded ten points in 30 games last year for the club.
  • After clearing waivers, Brandon Pirri was re-assigned to the Chicago Blackhawks taxi squad. Carl Soderberg and Brandon Hagel have both been moved to the active roster. Soderberg, 35, has yet to play this season and is expected to make his debut tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Brian Pinho from the taxi squad as they try to fill out a roster card without their four Russian stars. Pinho, 25, scored 20 goals and 37 points in 62 games for the Hershey Bears last season and made his NHL debut in the postseason bubble.
  • Givani Smith has been recalled from the Red Wings taxi squad, giving them another forward option as more players find themselves on the COVID list. The Red Wings start a two-game series with the Blackhawks tonight with a chance to climb even further up the Central Division table.  Taro Hirose was also brought up to the taxi squad.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have activated James Neal off injured reserve, meaning someone needed to go to the taxi squad. That someone is Joakim Nygard, who has been moved off the active roster. Olivier Rodrigue, who had been serving as the taxi squad goaltender, has also swapped places with Dylan Wells. Rodrigue will report to the AHL while Wells is now the third-string option for Edmonton.
  • Samuel Morin has been moved back to the taxi squad as the Philadelphia Flyers wait for their next game. Morin, who is making the switch from defense to forward this season, has yet to get into a game.
  • Brogan Rafferty has been moved to the taxi squad by the Vancouver Canucks, as they continue to try and work out their defensive issues. Rafferty had been up on emergency loan while the Canucks dealt with several injuries, but is now back down on the team’s day off.
  • Victor Soderstrom is expected to make his NHL debut tonight after being recalled from the taxi squad by the Arizona Coyotes. The team has moved Jordan Gross down for the time being, allowing their young phenom to get into a game. Soderstrom, 19, was the 11th overall pick in 2019 and quickly became one of the top defensive prospects in the entire league.  Aaron Ness was sent to the minors while Ivan Prosvetov was added to the taxi squad.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have assigned both Lias Andersson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan to the taxi squad while the team prepares for a four-game road trip that takes them to St. Louis tomorrow. The Kings are coming off their first win of the season and looking to continue to hold their own in a tough West Division.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier from the taxi squad while also activating Mikael Granlund to the active roster after he completed his quarantine protocols.  Olivier leads the Preds in hits in the early going this season with eight while Granlund will make his season debut.
  • Anaheim has made a long list of moves, per CapFriendly.  The Ducks have recalled David Backes, Max Jones, and Josh Mahura to the NHL roster while Anthony Stolarz and Isac Lundestrom are now on the taxi squad.  Sonny Milano has been placed on IR while Lukas Dostal has been sent to AHL San Diego.
  • The Boston Bruins have shuffled Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The two have been shuffled multiple times already this season to bank cap room and will likely be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Philadelphia.
  • Colorado has recalled Martin Kaut on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly.  Conor Timmins was sent back to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.  Erik Johnson isn’t expected to play tonight and Kaut’s addition will allow the Avalanche to dress 12 forwards and six defensemen.
  • The Islanders have shuffled Kieffer Bellows back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The winger has played in all four games this season but with them off until Sunday, New York can save nearly $15K in salary by sending him back for two days.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have flipped defensemen again as Andreas Borgman has been recalled with Luke Schenn going to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  While they’re so deep into LTIR where the small cap savings will be irrelevant, doing so extends Schenn’s waiver exemption a little longer.
  • Vegas has recalled Cody Glass from the taxi squad, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  Nicolas Hague has been sent back down to the taxi squad, meaning the Golden Knights will go back to dressing 13 forwards and just five defensemen.

This page will be updated throughout the day as more moves are officially announced. 

Avalanche Loan Martin Kaut To HC Dynamo

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Oct 26: After playing in just four games with HC Dynamo, Kaut is on his way to Sweden where the Avalanche have reassigned him to MODO. The Czech Extraliga has been at a standstill for weeks due to the COVID-19 situation in the country, meaning Kaut wasn’t getting in any game action. With his sights still set on the NHL, he’ll try his hand in another professional league, though MODO is in the second-tier of Swedish hockey. Kaut is still expected to return to North America when NHL training camps begin.

Sep 12: One of Colorado’s top prospects will be suiting up in the near future.  HC Dynamo of the Czech Extraliga announced that they’ve picked up winger Martin Kaut on loan from the Avalanche.  He had been training with them over the summer so it shouldn’t be long before he sees game action.

The 20-year-old spent this past season in North America with the majority of it coming with their AHL affiliate.  With the Eagles, he had five goals and 13 assists in 34 games, numbers that don’t stand out but are still decent for someone that was eligible to still play junior hockey even though his minor league numbers in his rookie year were a bit better (12-14-26 in 63 games).  The Avs also gave him his first nine NHL contests where he acquitted himself well, collecting two goals and a helper while averaging just over 10 minutes a night of playing time.

Those nine regular season games ultimately kept him off of Colorado’s postseason roster which is how he was able to train with Dynamo in recent months.  One more game with the Avalanche would have officially started his entry-level contract and they weren’t willing to do that.  Instead, his deal slid and will now run through the 2022-23 campaign.

Depending on what Colorado does this offseason, there could be some roster spots up for grabs up front in training camp.  Playing with Dynamo, a team that Kaut has familiarity with having played there for several years including his draft season, could give him a leg up on securing a bigger role when camps get underway.

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