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Matt Irwin

Matt Irwin Announces Retirement

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Unrestricted free agent defenseman Matt Irwin is stepping away from the game, the NHLPA announced. He confirms his retirement after 10 NHL seasons and 461 appearances.

“As I reflect on my career, I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have lived out my childhood dream of playing in the NHL,” Irwin said in a statement released by the players’ association. “My success would not have been possible without the support of my family, my in-laws and especially my wife, Chantel, and two kids, Beckem and Lennon. You all pushed me to be the best version of myself on and off the ice.”

“I’m fortunate to have been surrounded by the best group of teammates that I could have possibly asked for,” Irwin continued. “Each and every one of them made coming to the rink the best years of my life. I hope our paths cross somewhere down the road.”

Now 36, Irwin never played major junior hockey and instead jumped straight from the junior ’A’ BCHL to NCAA hockey with UMass. The left-shot defender spent two seasons there before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Sharks in 2010, kicking off his professional career.

Irwin spent two full seasons with San Jose’s AHL affiliate, then in Worcester, Massachusetts, before receiving his first NHL recall in 2012-13. He appeared in 38 of 48 games for the Sharks during the lockout-shortened season, recording 12 points and a -1 rating while averaging 19:06 per game and finishing 19th in Calder Trophy voting. Irwin also played in all 11 of San Jose’s playoff games as he got an audition in top-pairing minutes at even strength alongside Dan Boyle.

The Victoria, British Columbia native managed to stick around as a full-time NHLer for the following two seasons in the Bay Area but steadily saw his minutes reduced. After a 2014-15 campaign that saw him record a career-high eight goals, Irwin became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Bruins.

However, Irwin only made two NHL appearances in a Boston sweater, instead spending nearly all of the 2015-16 season on assignment to AHL Providence. Understandably, he was one-and-done with the Bruins, and landed a deal with the Predators in free agency the following offseason.

It was the right choice for Irwin, who ended up playing 195 games in parts of four seasons in Nashville – the most of the six NHL franchises he appeared for. Aside from four appearances for AHL Milwaukee in 2016-17, Irwin managed to avoid being sent to the minors for the next seven years, sticking around in bottom-pairing/press box roles for the Predators, Ducks, Sabres, and Capitals.

Irwin’s last NHL games came with Washington in 2022-23. He recorded five points, a -8 rating and 36 PIMs in 61 games along with 75 blocks and 117 hits. He signed a two-way contract with the Canucks for 2023-24 but didn’t make the team, instead spending all of 2023-24 on assignment to AHL Abbotsford, where he recorded 16 points (5 G, 11 A) and a +2 rating in 65 games while serving as an alternate captain.

Irwin closes the book on his NHL career with 25 goals, 68 assists, 93 points, and a -9 rating in 461 games. He also logged 211 PIMs, 725 shots and a respectable 50.6 CF% at even strength while averaging 15:26 per game. He also appeared in 47 playoff games for the Sharks and Preds in 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018, most notably playing in all 22 postseason contests as Nashville advanced to the only Stanley Cup Final in franchise history in 2017.

Irwin also logged 314 AHL appearances in parts of seven minor-league seasons, totaling 32 goals and 103 assists for 135 points. All of us at Pro Hockey Rumors extend our best wishes to Irwin in retirement.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Canucks Recall 13 Black Aces Ahead of Game 2

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The Vancouver Canucks have brought up reinforcements from the minor leagues following the Abbotsford Canucks’ elimination from the AHL playoffs, recalling 13 players (Twitter link). The full list includes forwards Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, Danila Klimovich, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Vasily Podkolzin, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson; defenders Nick Cicek, Matt Irwin, Cole McWard, Elias Pettersson, and Christian Wolanin; and goaltender Zach Sawchenko.

The list features four of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks top five scorers, following the team’s elimination from the AHL’s Pacific Division Finals at the hands of the Ontario Reign. Abbotsford went on a strong postseason run after tying for fourth in the AHL in goals scored during the regular season. Now, their best and brightest will bolster a Vancouver lineup that’s currently up 1-0 on the Oilers. Thatcher Demko is the only Canuck currently out with injury, likely keeping any of today’s recalls from slotting into the lineup right away. But the team will have a wide array of options to choose from should they need a fill-in – ranging from highly-skilled prospects in Lekkerimäki and Räty, to hard-nosed forwards Bains and Podkolzin, to rangy defenders Irwin and Pettersson.

While Podkolzin, Bains, Karlsson, and McWard have each played in NHL games this season, the former is the only one to earn a significant role. Podkolzin played in 19 games and recorded two assists this season, averaging just under 11 minutes of ice time. He’d likely be the first bet for a fill-in should Vancouver need a forward, while Irwin – the only member of the list with Stanley Cup Playoffs experience – likely leads the defenders.

Snapshots: Swayman, Bogosian, Irwin, Granlund

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After having to go through an arbitration hearing to get a contract done with goaltender Jeremy Swayman last summer, it appears the Bruins are trying to avoid that this time around.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column that they’ve started discussions on an extension with the netminder.  Swayman is playing on a $3.475MM award that basically split the submissions from last summer’s hearing and has a nearly identical save percentage this year (.919) as he did a year ago (.920) heading into tonight’s action.  With arbitration eligibility once again this summer, it’s quite possible that Swayman’s price tag pushes past the $5MM mark on a short-term deal and even higher if they could reach a long-term agreement.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • In his latest podcast (video link), Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports that the Wild are trying to sign defenseman Zach Bogosian to a contract extension. Minnesota acquired the 33-year-old from Tampa Bay early in the season and he has held his own on their third pairing, logging over 17 minutes a night while recording nine points and 80 hits in 43 games.  If they can’t get a deal done, however, Johnston reports that the Maple Leafs are among the teams that have checked in on Bogosian’s availability.  They’ve already added on the back end with the reacquisition of Ilya Lyubushkin but if they can’t add an impact blueliner, shoring up their depth – perhaps with another second-timer with the team – isn’t necessarily a bad fall-back plan.
  • One day after recalling him, the Canucks announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Matt Irwin was sent back to AHL Abbotsford. Aside from two short stints with Vancouver where he didn’t play, the 36-year-old has played exclusively in the minors where he has 10 points in 46 games so far.  Carson Soucy is believed to be nearing a return from his hand injury so this assignment could suggest that the blueliner is ready to suit up.
  • The Sharks are trying to be creative to make a Mikael Granlund trade work, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link). The 32-year-old has had a bounce-back year playing a much bigger role in San Jose as he has 36 points in 47 while averaging nearly 21 minutes a night.  However, Granlund has another year left on his deal at $5MM, a price tag that would be difficult for several buyers to afford.  San Jose only has one salary retention slot left so they might prefer to take a pricey contract back over using that final slot on Granlund through next season.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Vasily Podkolzin, Matt Irwin

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The Vancouver Canucks have recalled forward Vasily Podkolzin and defenseman Matt Irwin from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, per a team announcement. The news comes shortly after the team reassigned Arshdeep Bains down to the AHL, and announced that Tyler Myers would be out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

Neither Podkolzin nor Irwin have suited up for a game in Vancouver yet this year, with both having only played in Abbotsford. In now his third season with the Canucks organization since being drafted by the team with the 10th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, Podkolzin has yet to make any serious headway in climbing the ladder of the organizational depth chart.

This season, Podkolzin has played in 44 games for Abbotsford, scoring 15 goals and 28 points throughout the year. In his complete tenure in the Canucks organization at the AHL level, Podkolzin has played in a total of 72 games, scoring 22 goals and 46 points overall.

Irwin, on the other hand, is in his first year with the Canucks organization, coming over as an unrestricted free agent from a two-year stint with the Washington Capitals. Primarily used as a bottom-pairing defenseman throughout much of his career, Irwin has scored three goals and 10 points through 46 games in Abbotsford this season.

It is unlikely that either player will get much playing time at the NHL level, but there is an avenue for both of them. If Vancouver is looking to give any top-nine players a rest, Podkolzin could certainly fill that role for a short period. With Myers also out, the team will now have Irwin and Mark Friedman to choose from to fill in the void.

Pacific Notes: Kylington, Irwin, Barabanov, Rutta, Kunin

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Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington skated with a small group today but head coach Ryan Huska cautioned (video link) that the blueliner is still a long way away from returning.  Kylington signed a two-year, $5MM deal in August 2022 but has yet to play a game on that agreement, missing all of last season and the first seven weeks of this one for personal reasons.  Huska noted that Kylington has skated on his own a bit so this wasn’t the first time he hit the ice but there is no timetable for when he might be able to return.  Kylington is currently on LTIR but with Calgary recently moving Nikita Zadorov to Vancouver, they now have some flexibility to work with when the time comes to welcome him back to the active roster.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Matt Irwin’s stint with Vancouver was short-lived as he has been returned to AHL Abbotsford, per the AHL’s Transactions Log. The 31-year-old signed with the Canucks in free agency but he wound up clearing waivers in training camp, resulting in Irwin seeing his first minor league action since the 2016-17 campaign.  He has two assists in 13 games with Abbotsford so far.
  • The Sharks could soon welcome back a pair of veterans as head coach David Quinn told reporters including Max Miller of The Hockey News (Twitter link) that defenseman Jan Rutta and winger Alexander Barabanov are very close to returning and should play at some point on their six-game road trip. Rutta has missed the last week and a half with an undisclosed injury and has struggled in his first season with San Jose, notching just one point in 19 games with a 37.7 CF%.  Barabanov, meanwhile, has been out since late October with a finger injury.  After putting up 47 points last season, he was held off the scoresheet in his first six games this year.
  • The news on the injury front wasn’t all good for the Sharks, however. Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News relays (Twitter link) that winger Luke Kunin is dealing with an upper-body injury, resulting in him missing tonight’s game against New Jersey.  Kunin sits third on San Jose in goals this season with five, one behind co-leaders Fabian Zetterlund and Mike Hoffman.

Canucks Recall Matt Irwin and Linus Karlsson, Send Akito Hirose Down

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Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin shared that the team has recalled Matt Irwin and Linus Karlsson, while sending defenseman Akito Hirose to the AHL.

Irwin is the only one of the trio to not yet appear in the NHL this season. He’s instead spent 13 games in the AHL, scoring two points and recording 10 penalty minutes. Irwin is in his first season with the Canucks organization, signing a one-year, two-way, $775K contract with the team on July 1st. Vancouver becomes the seventh franchise that Irwin has been a part of throughout his 11-year career. The 36-year-old defender was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Jose Sharks following his sophomore season at the University of Massachusetts in 2010. He has totaled 461 career NHL games, scoring 93 points and recording 211 penalty minutes. He’s also appeared in 262 AHL games and scored 121 points. This season marks the first time that Irwin has played in the AHL since 2016-17 when he appeared in four games with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Karlsson has only played in one NHL game this season, going without a point but recording a +1. He’s also managed 17 AHL games, where he’s scored 15 points, a mark that ranks second on the Abbotsford Canucks. Karlsson joined the Canucks via trade from the San Jose Sharks in 2019, with Vancouver sending Jonathan Dahlen the other way. Karlsson signed his entry-level deal with Vancouver last season. The 24-year-old Karlsson was originally drafted in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Sharks.

These roster moves swap Irwin into the seventh defenseman role that was previously held by Hirose. Hirose has played in three NHL games and 11 AHL games this season and is still looking for his first point of the year in either league. The Canucks signed the 24-year-old at the end of Minnesota State University-Mankato’s 2022-23 season. He appeared in seven NHL games last year, scoring three points, and made his AHL debut this season.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Five Players

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Ian Cole, center Teddy Blueger, and AHL forward Tristen Nielsen to contracts, per the team. Cole will earn $3MM on a one-year deal, Blueger will earn $1.9MM on a one-year deal, and Nielsen signed a two-year entry-level deal. They’ve also signed veteran blueliner Matt Irwin to a one-year, two-way contract. They’ve also added goalie Zachary Sawchenko on a one-year, two-way deal.

One of the primary focuses for the Canucks heading into free agency was upgrading their defense, and it’s tough to do much better than Cole in that aspect of the game. Regularly blocking over 100 shots a year, and averaging one of the better Defensive Point Shares in the league, the induction of Cole marketably improves the quality of the team’s defense headed into next year. Pair that with the signing of Irwin, and the Canucks defensive depth chart has improved considerably in the last 24 hours.

With Blueger, the Canucks should be expecting somewhere in the range of 20-30 points from him next season. A recent player for the Stanley Cup-winning Vegas Golden Knights, Blueger now brings playoff experience to a team that is in desperate need of getting there. Aside from his playoff experience, the addition of Blueger will tremendously help the Canucks penalty kill, a unit that carried a league-worst 71.6% success rate last season.

Trade Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres

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Although we’re not even two months into the season, the trade deadline 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 Buffalo Sabres.

No team has received more media scrutiny this season than the Buffalo Sabres. The team is floundering yet again despite adding the top free agent forward in Taylor Hall and acquiring veteran center Eric Staal. Not only have Hall and Staal disappointed, but very few members of the team have exceeded or even met expectations this season. With failing veterans, stalled youngsters, and a number of expiring contracts, the Sabres are stuck and appear primed for a fire sale and resumed focus on rebuilding.

According to a number of sources, almost anyone on the Sabres could be made available. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Buffalo is “wide open” for business and The Athletic included four Sabres on their Trade Deadline Big Board. It all sounds very exciting to the other 30 teams and their fans, doesn’t it? Well, don’t get your hopes too high for major moves by Buffalo. Given the constraints of an NHL trade market impacted by a flat salary cap as well as real-life financial struggles, not to mention the restrictions on Canadian teams due to COVID-19 border policies, making trades this year is no easy feat. Trading a player like Jack Eichel in-season seems nearly impossible, even if the Sabres wanted to move him which is unlikely. Add in that rookie GM Kevyn Adams is new to the job and trying to build connections in a quiet market while trying to avoid being taken advantage of, and the Sabres suddenly look like a team that might end up playing it safe. Does Adams really want to move the likes of Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson, both of whom are among the productive minority in Buffalo, when the odds of winning such a move seem slim? Does he want to potentially overreact to the frustrations of Jeff Skinner and give away major assets to move his contract? Adams has a number of contracts expiring after this year and next that he can move without much risk of it coming back to bite him. Expect that “wide open” means he’s willing to move any amount of those players, but won’t be too keen to touch anyone else who the team may still be able to build around.

Record

6-14-3, .326, 8th in East Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$410,962 in full-season cap space, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 4th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th
2022: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 3rd, BUF 4th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th

Trade Chips

Hall of course stands out as the top trade chip for the Sabres if you assume that the likes of Eichel, Reinhart, Olofsson, and Rasmus Dahlin are not going anywhere (a safe assumption despite the whispers). The former Hart Trophy winner may not be enjoying a strong season, but he is a known commodity who can play a top-six role for any team in the league. Hall has expressed some interest in re-signing with Buffalo, but without any evidence that he is a fit and with a ways to go in their rebuild, retaining the 29-year-old Hall on a heavy price tag makes little sense. The trouble with trading him though is a potential lack of suitors who can actually afford his $8MM cap hit. A lack of demand could impact what Buffalo is able to receive in a deal, but they should still end up with a nice package. Anything is better than letting him walk for free this summer.

Staal too could see his time in Buffalo come to a quick end. The veteran center is well-respected across the league and brings solid two-way play and postseason experience. While he has lost a step, that won’t stop contenders from seeing him as a worthwhile depth addition.

On defense, Brandon Montour is absolutely on the block. The puck-moving defenseman is headed for free agency and the Sabres have made it known that they are open to renting him out. Montour has not produced as they had hoped and is no longer in their long-term plans, so Buffalo has no reason not to trade the 26-year-old defenseman. Given his offensive upside, his ability to play either side of the blue line, and his palatable $3.85MM cap hit, Montour should be easy to move. Sadly, Jake McCabe also would have been easy to move and would have returned a prime package as arguably the best left-handed defenseman on a trade deadline seller. However, his season is over due to injury and the Sabres will lose out on his trade value.

Even with Montour and McCabe out of the way this off-season, the Sabres still face a potential expansion conundrum on defense. Should Buffalo choose to protect seven forwards and three defensemen, Dahlin is a lock but it leaves only two spots to split between top-four blue liners Rasmus Ristolainen and Colin Miller and young Henri Jokiharju. The Sabres could choose to move one of the three rather than lose them for nothing to the Seattle Kraken. Ristolainen had long been a fixture on the rumor mill, but those talks have cooled significantly since last season. Do the Sabres finally move the talented defenseman, especially as his stock has risen this season? Ristolainen only has one season remaining on his contract and could be tempted to pursue a more talented team in free agency after playing exclusively for Buffalo thus far in his pro career. Miller also has just one year remaining on his deal and comes with a lesser price tag than Ristolainen, albeit with a less complete game as well. Jokijarju, 21, is not necessarily safe either; the young rearguard has not met expectations thus far in his time with the Sabres but he does have impressive upside.

In net, Buffalo will see both members of their NHL tandem hit the open market this summer barring an extension. The Sabres may be well-served to extend 27-year-old Linus Ullmark, but if the feeling isn’t mutual then they should move the net minder while he can still return value. If Ullmark is healthy, he could be a major trade chip for the Sabres. Veteran Carter Hutton is less likely to move given his struggles and his $2.75MM cap hit, but Buffalo will certainly make him available.

Others to Watch For: F Curtis Lazar ($800K, one year remaining), F Tobias Rieder ($700K, UFA), F Riley Sheahan ($700K, UFA), D Matt Irwin ($700K, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks – Sabres fans rightfully want their team to be better and they want them to be better sooner rather than later. However, that isn’t easy to do. A rookie GM with few impact players and little cap space doesn’t have the means to immediately upgrade his roster. This team is headed toward a long, arduous rebuild. What makes accepting that reality even more difficult is that the Sabres do not even have their full complement of draft picks to build upon. Missing a third and a fifth this year and a fifth next year, Buffalo is in the unfortunate position of needing to add talent to their pipeline and don’t even have the complete means to do so. The goal for Adams and company at the deadline should be not only to recoup their missing picks but to add other high-value picks as well.

2) Prospects – If the Sabres are unable to add valuable future prospects in the form of high draft picks, they need to target current top prospects instead. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked Buffalo’s pipeline as 15th-best in the NHL, an unacceptable position for a team that is supposed to be rebuilding. The Sabres need to move from middle-of-the-pack toward the top of the NHL’s prospect rankings if they want to speed up their rebuild. A projected top-four defenseman and center depth should be the specific targets of their aim to add youth.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Matt Irwin, Brandon Davidson

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Buffalo Sabres fans are still waiting for a difference-maker on the first day of free agency, but the front office continues to add depth to the organization instead. After inking Tobias Rieder earlier today, the Sabres have now signed Matt Irwin to a one-year, $700K contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Irwin, 32, has bounced around the league for the better part of a decade now, starting with the San Jose Sharks back in 2012. Undrafted, he now has 359 games at the NHL level, suiting up for the Sharks, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, and Anaheim Ducks.

With Lawrence Pilut playing in the KHL and Brandon Montour still unsigned, the Sabres had a need for some defensive depth. Irwin won’t be a difference-maker for the team, but he can provide stable third-pairing minutes or serve as a capable seventh defenseman.

A little later in the day, the Sabres also signed Brandon Davidson to a one-year, $700K contract, giving them another depth option on the back end. Davidson spent most of the 2019-20 season in the minor leagues with the Stockton Heat but does have 174 NHL games under his belt.

Trade Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators

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With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we will be taking a closer 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?  Next up is a look at the Nashville Predators.

It’s been an up-and-down year in Nashville for a team that had such high expectations. For a while, the team was floundering near the bottom of the Central Division. The team fired long-time head coach Peter Laviolette and replaced him with John Hynes. While the results have been slow-going, Nashville seems to be moving up in the standings. Suddenly, just one point out of a playoff spot, the Predators look like a team that could make a playoff run after all. That puts general manager David Poile in an interesting position at the trade deadline. Should he buy, stand still, or maybe even sell?

Record

30-23-8, fifth in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Slight Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$11.517MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: NAS 1st, NJD 2nd, NAS 2nd, MIN 3rd, NAS 3rd, NAS 5th, NAS 6th
2021: NAS 1st, NAS 2nd, NAS 3rd, NAS 4th, NAS 5th, NAS 6th

Trade Chips

One name seen often as a trade deadline candidate is Mikael Granlund. The winger was brought over from Minnesota to give the team another experienced and gifted top-six forward. However, that hasn’t happened as he struggled with a goal and five assists in 16 games with the team last season. It wasn’t much better early on as he had six goals and 14 points through 35 games under Laviolette, which has had a lot to do with the rumors. However, Granlund seems to have found his game under Hynes. He has nine goals and three assists in those 20 games. Regardless, the 27-year-old who will be an unrestricted free agent next year, still may not be the best fit in Nashville’s system and could be a target for teams that believe he’d be a better fit in their system.

Craig Smith is a somewhat different story. Also a UFA next summer, Smith could be a potential trade candidate if the team feels they can’t re-sign him, although it’s just as possible that Nashville locks him up in the near future as well. Smith has turned it on of late with six goals in his past eight games. He could be part of a package for an upgrade, if the team is ready to move on from him.

The team could find itself bringing in help on defense as the team needs depth, especially with their third pairing. It wouldn’t be surprising if the team moved one of those defenders to send back for an upgrade on defense as well, such as Dan Hamhuis, Yannick Weber or Matt Irwin.

Nashville has most of their picks, but have two second and two third-rounders in this upcoming draft. That might be the ammunition to acquire a player they covet. The team also has a few prospects and while it’s unlikely they would move their top prospect forwards in Philip Tomasino, or Eeli Tolvanen there are a number of other prospects who could interest a team, such as forward Egor Afanasyev or defenseman Jeremy Davies in the right deal.

Five Players To Watch For: F Egor Afanasyev, F Mikael Granlund, D Dan Hamhuis, F Craig Smith, D Yannick Weber

Team Needs

1) Top-Four Defenseman: Despite having one of the best top-four pieces in the NHL before this season started, the Predators knew they here hoping for a lot when they traded P.K. Subban and handing his role to rookie Dante Fabbro. He has had an up-and-down year, but injuries to other members of the top-four, including Ryan Ellis, has forced their third pairing players to move into the top four at times, which has been a disaster, which means the team could really use another top-four blueliner and move Fabbro down a notch on the depth chart. Many feel that New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen could be a good fit here.

2) Upgrade In Top-Six: The Predators have two potential unrestricted free agents in Granlund and Smith coming up and with cap considerations, they might be better off packaging them to another team in hopes of getting a forward with term that can help them both this year and in the future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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