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Matt Tennyson

New Jersey Adds Tennyson, Mermis, Street

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The New Jersey Devils have made some major additions this summer in the likes of No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes, superstar defenseman P.K. Subban, and today’s big free agency addition, forward Wayne Simmonds. It’s now time to fill out the organizational depth chart, and the team has done just that. The Devils have announced the signings of three veteran fringe players, defensemen Matt Tennyson and Dakota Mermis and forward Ben Street. The trio all signed two-way deals, with Tennyson signing on for two years while Mermis and Street will be under contract for just one.

Tennyson, 29, may be best known for his constant dance between the minor leagues and NHL the last several seasons. He was involved in 15 separate transactions last season for the Buffalo Sabres, popping back and forth from the Rochester Americans but only actually suiting up four times in the NHL. He may not get a lot more opportunity than that in New Jersey, but at least he’ll get some stability with a two-year contract.

Mermis meanwhile would likely kill for even that opportunity in the NHL. The 25-year old has played just ten games with the Arizona Coyotes and instead spent the rest of his professional career in the minor leagues. In 62 games for the Tucson Roadrunners last season the defenseman recorded 24 points, but ended up a Group VI unrestricted free agent looking for work this summer. He too will likely report to the Binghamton Devils to start the year.

Street, 32, had the most NHL experience last year out of the group, suiting up for 21 contests with the Anaheim Ducks when they found themselves lacking any semblance of center depth. The veteran minor league forward has been a top scoring threat for years in the AHL but has just eight points in 56 career NHL games. That likely won’t change much next season with the Devils, but he will be there in case they face any injury troubles throughout the year.

Free Agent Focus: Buffalo Sabres

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Free agency is now just a few days away and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. The Buffalo Sabres, now that they have inked Jeff Skinner to an eight-year, $72MM deal earlier this month, don’t have as much to worry about as the team has neither many important restricted or unrestricted free agents they need to worry about.

Key Restricted Free Agent: G Linus Ullmark – The Sabres may not have gotten the season they were hoping for from free agent goaltender Carter Hutton, but they also had high hopes for Ullmark to take the next step and establish himself as a solid backup to the veteran. However, whether that will be the case is another question. While Ullmark looked early on in the season like the answer as the team’s backup, his play started to slip as the year wore on and he struggled especially late in the season, eventually finishing with a 3.11 GAA and a .905 save percentage. However, with no other young goalie particularly close to being ready to challenge him, it’s likely the Sabres will give Ullmark another year to develop his body for the long-haul for the season.

F Zemgus Girgensons – While hardly an impact player, the Sabres have been using the 25-year-old as a bottom-line depth option for six years already as he provides the team with some size and grit that the team needs at the bottom of their line-up. While he hasn’t broken the 10-goal mark since the 2014-15 season (he scored five last year), he did finish with 144 hits last season, his highest numbers since his rookie season. The question is whether the team sees him as a long-term option as he is one year away from becoming a unrestricted free-agent.

F Evan Rodrigues – The team has like what it has seen from Rodrigues, who signed with Buffalo after four years at Boston University and has since worked his way through the AHL and finally saw a full season in Buffalo this year. While his numbers were quite pedestrian as he finished the year with nine goals and 29 points, he has seen increased playing time and the team hopes he can still provide some middle-six depth for the team, although he should receive a slight raise from the $650K that he made last season.

Other RFAs: F Remi Elie, F Johan Larsson, D Jake McCabe, F C.J. Smith

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Jason Pominville – He has played 11 seasons for Buffalo over the course of his career and despite hitting 36 years of age, the team may consider bringing back the veteran as an inexpensive depth option. After all, he posted 16 goals last season, while playing a career-low 12:28 last season. While he certainly wasn’t worth the $5.6MM he was making last season, he would be worth a low-cost deal, who could provide the team’s youth with a veteran presence.

Other UFAs: F Eric Cornel, F Kyle Criscuolo, D Jack Dougherty, F Taylor Leier, F Sean Malone, D Brycen Martin, F Matt Moulson, F Daniel O’Regan; D Matt Tennyson, G Scott Wedgewood, G Adam Wilcox

Projected Cap Space: The Sabres currently sit a little more than $15MM under the cap ceiling, according to CapFriendly, and should have some cap room to try to find some offense to help out their struggling second line. With the recent addition of defenseman Colin Miller from Vegas, the team should be in good shape with their defense, but the team’s biggest problem was putting the puck in the net, which the team hopes that it can improve on with the right roster moves.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 4/6/19

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The final day of the regular season one is certainly a busy one with everyone aside from Anaheim in action.  While the 16 playoff teams are locked in, several seedings have yet to be determined so there is still plenty at stake.  There is bound to be a lot of roster movement today; we’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • With Corey Crawford leaving Friday’s game early due to injury, the Blackhawks announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Kevin Lankinen from Rockford of the AHL. The 23-year-old is in his first year in North America and has split the season between the AHL and ECHL levels.  He’s expected to back up Cam Ward in their season finale against Nashville.
  • A day after being sent down, Matt Tennyson is once again back up with Buffalo, per the AHL’s Transactions page. The 28-year-old has been shuttled back and forth from the Sabres and AHL Rochester on a daily basis for the last week and a half but he hasn’t seen any action with the big club during that time … and several hours later, the Sabres announced that they assigned Tennyson back to Rochester.
  • The Bruins announced that they’ve recalled winger Anton Blidh and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon from AHL Providence on an emergency basis.  It’s Blidh’s second recall of the season although he didn’t get into a game with Boston in his first stint with the team.  He has 20 points and 92 penalty minutes in 71 games with Providence.  Meanwhile, Lauzon has split the season between the two teams, suiting up in 15 games with the big club and 28 with Providence.
  • The Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman Jacob Middleton to San Jose of the AHL.  He played in San Jose’s last two games, picking up an assist while logging a little more than 12 minutes a game.  His spot in the lineup is expected to be filled by Erik Karlsson who is set to return after missing nearly six weeks due to a groin injury.  Their AHL team also announced that blueliner Ryan Merkley, their 2018 first-rounder, has been assigned to the minors following his elimination from the OHL postseason.
  • The Dallas Stars have announced they have assigned forward Joel L’Esperance to the Texas Stars of the AHL for the team’s potential playoff run. The 23-year-old forward had been recalled in late Februrary and has two goals in 18 games, although he did score Friday for Dallas. L’Esperance has potted 29 goals in 50 games for Texas this season.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have assigned forward Michael Amadio to the Ontario Reign to make room for Blake Lizotte, according to Fox Sports’ Patrick O’Neal. Amadio was recalled in late February and scored six goals and 13 points in 43 games. However, the Kings intend to give Lizotte, recently signed out of St. Cloud State, a chance to play in their final game of the season. Lizotte scored 14 goals and 42 points in 37 games.

Minor Transactions: 03/31/19

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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin picked up his 50th goal of the season on Saturday in the team’s 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay, giving him eight 50-goal seasons throughout his career. That puts the Capitals forward among elite company, as only Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky have accomplished that feat. Of course, both of those two players have done it nine times, which means that Ovechkin will need to pull it off one more time if he wants to tie those two legendary players. With another slate of potential season-altering games today, with the playoffs now right around the corner, keep an eye out for the minor moves that teams are making to give them the best chance to maximize their points in these final games:

  • The Buffalo Sabres have returned defenseman Matt Tennyson to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The team recalled him Thursday, but Tennyson didn’t see any action in either game the Sabres have played since then. The 28-year-old Tennyson has four goals and 20 points in 45 AHL games.
  • The San Jose Sharks have returned defenseman Jacob Middleton after recalling him Saturday night to serve as an emergency defenseman, according to CapFriendly. He did not play in Saturday’s overtime win over Vegas. The 23-year-old Middleton will return to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, where he has five goals and 19 points in 54 games.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Boston Bruins have assigned center Karson Kuhlman to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. Kuhlman was recalled Friday on emergency conditions. Kuhlman did not see any action in the team’s loss to Florida Saturday. The 23-year-old Kuhlman has 12 goals and 30 points in 58 AHL games.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Kaden Fulcher from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL under emergency conditions. He is expected to backup starter Jimmy Howard while Jonathan Bernier is out with an upper-body injury. Fulcher hasn’t even made an appearance with the Griffins as the 20-year-old has played his entire season with the ECHL Toledo Walleye where he has gone 15-7-2 with a 3.00 GAA and a .899 save percentage. CapFriendly also reports that the team has recalled forward Dominic Turgeon on an emergency basis. The 23-year-old prospect hasn’t played a game for Detroit this season, but has accumulated six goals and 19 points in 69 games with the Griffins.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs officially announced they have recalled defenseman Calle Rosen from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Rosen, who signed as a free agent in the summer of 2017, played four games for Toronto immediately then, but then was assigned to the Marlies. He put up 22 points in 62 games that year , but has taken his game to another level this season as he has posted seven goals and 46 points in 54 games and was signed to an inexpensive, tw0-year extension with the understanding he will take over a spot on the Maple Leafs’ blueline next season. Rosen is expected to meet the team in New York and play with the team on Monday.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled defenseman Mark Barberio from his conditioning stint with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The 29-year-old blueliner hadn’t played in a game since Jan. 21, so the team sent him to the AHL to get his timing back in case they need to use him. Barberio has played in just 12 games this season for the Avalanche. He picked up an assist in two games with the Eagles.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled forward Austin Watson from his conditioning stint with the Milwaukee Admirals, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. Watson, who had been suspended indefintely to an “alcohol related relapse,” and entered Stage Two of the joint Substance Abuse and Behavioral Program, was reinstated on Mar. 18. To get him ready for the approaching playoffs, the team sent him on a conditioning loan where he scored four goals in two games.

Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres

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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 continue with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Buffalo Sabres.

By all accounts, Jeff Skinner isn’t going anywhere at the deadline and that’s all Sabres fans should really care about. Whether it’s because the team wants to use all the time they have to re-sign him or whether it’s due to his No-Movement Clause, Skinner is staying put through the end of the season, at the very least.

Beyond Skinner, the Sabres lack any real rental players of value. They also lack much incentive to give up trade capital for rentals of their own; there’s realistically one playoff spot left in the Eastern Conference and Buffalo would need to pass up the surging Carolina Hurricanes and the dynastic Pittsburgh Penguins to get it. The Sabres have overachieved this season, even if their hot start to the year makes it seem like they’ve underachieved of late. No one expected this to be a playoff team, so no one will blame them for holding on to their assets and maybe moving a player or two. At the same time, it’s possible they sneak in and no one would be upset if they made a value addition or two. It’s quite possible that Buffalo stands pat at the deadline, but expect them to dabble in both the buyers’ and sellers’ markets in the coming days.

Record

28-21-7, fifth in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Fence Sitter

Deadline Cap Space

$14.94MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

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

Trade Chips

Everyone wants a piece of Matt Moulson, right? How about Kevin Porter? Matt Tennyson? Honestly, the Sabres likely won’t be big sellers because there isn’t much to sell. The team’s best – and maybe only – traditional rental is 36-year-old forward Jason Pominville. Pominville got off to a strong start to the season but has been streaky the rest of the way en route to 13 goals and 23 points in 50 games. If a contender is interested in Pominville and can afford to add $5.6MM of salary for ideally a third-line forward, then the Sabres will certainly listen. However, those offers may be few and far between and, if they aren’t impressive, Buffalo might prefer to hang on to the well-like veteran. The other name that might be on the move is Group 6 UFA Danny O’Regan. O’Regan has not seen any NHL action this season after being traded away by the San Jose Sharks last year and will thus earn his free agency as an underutilized 25-year-old per the CBA. Rather than lose him for nothing, the Sabres will likely try to trade the productive minor league forward.

A closer look at the Buffalo roster also reveals some non-UFA rental candidates. With excellent depth on the blue line in both veterans and promising youngsters, the Sabres are more than able to sell from a position of strength. Impending RFA Nathan Beaulieu has been a poor fit in Buffalo for two years now since coming over from the Montreal Canadiens. The team owes Beaulieu a $2.5MM qualifying offer this summer to retain him, which seems unlikely. The Sabres could definitely treat Beaulieu like any other expiring asset and trade him away. Jake McCabe is also an RFA in need of a new contract, but is a full-time contributor in Buffalo and seems far less likely to be traded. A team looking to improve their depth in net could look at RFA Scott Wedgewood as an option.

As for players with term, the Sabres would surely like to move Vladimir Sobotka. The 31-year-old has another season remaining on his contract at $3.5MM and has been a major disappointment in his first year in Buffalo. Takers may be hard to come by, but the team will likely take what they can get for a largely unnecessary roster piece. With a better fit, Sobotka could still prove to be an effective bottom-six forward. The buried contract of gritty forward Scott Wilson would also be nice to move, but unlikely. Of course, if anyone made a half-reasonable offer for expensive and ineffective forward Kyle Okposo, he would also be moved, but such a deal won’t happen.

Five Players To Watch For: D Nathan Beaulieu, F Jason Pominville, F Danny O’Regan, F Vladimir Sobotka, D Matt Tennyson

Team Needs

1) Secondary Scoring: Buffalo is very top-heavy on offense, with the first line doing the vast majority of the scoring. The young roster forwards should improve next season and the team should be players in the free agent market, but as for this year they could use a boost. A cheap rental would help the Sabres stay in the playoff hunt. However, the ideal addition would be a young player with team control. Nikolay Goldobin, Tobias Rieder, and Nick Cousins are among several RFA names rumored to be available.

2) Forward Prospects: The Sabres have both established and high-potential young forwards on the roster right now. They also have a few promising prospects in Europe and three first-round picks this year. Basically, they’re in great shape with players and projects. However, they lack “prospects”, that intermediate level of guys who could push for a spot in camp or be a difference-maker in the AHL in the next year or two. The current young “stars” of the Rochester Americans have left much to be desired this year. In potentially moving one of their more valuable trade pieces, it would make sense for Buffalo to target some pro-ready forwards.

Minor Transactions: 12/07/18

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It’s a quiet Friday night in the NHL with just four games on the schedule, but many eyes will be watching the Carolina Hurricanes and Anaheim Ducks after yesterday’s TSN reporting. Both teams are apparently looking for upgrades, and will get a first hand look at some potential options when they meet in California. As for the rest of the league, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • After serving as insurance last night for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Gabriel Carlsson is on his way back to the minor leagues. The 21-year old has played just one game with the NHL club this season, but is a useful waiver-exempt option for them to help out whenever they have a need. Carlsson will eventually need some extended playing time with the Blue Jackets, but it doesn’t appear that is imminent.
  • Matt Tennyson and Scott Wedgewood have been recalled by the Buffalo Sabres, despite the team announcing that Carter Hutton’s absence from practice yesterday was just maintenance. It’s unclear what this means for the Sabres game tomorrow night, but the team at least feels that it needs some insurance in net. Tennyson has been used in this way already this season, and now that Jake McCabe and Casey Nelson are out week-to-week he may stay with the club for a while.
  • Jean-Sebastien Dea is in the NHL once again, taking the place of Dominik Simon on the Pittsburgh Penguins roster. Simon has been moved to injured reserve, while Dea returns to the team that he made his NHL debut for. After taking a quick trip to New Jersey through waivers and playing 20 games for the Devils, Dea was reclaimed by the Penguins in late November. He’s registered two points in two games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins since rejoining the organization.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have activated Dustin Byfuglien and Dmitry Kulikov from injured reserve, while designating Andrew Copp there instead. The team will welcome two defenders back as they try to continue their pursuit of the Nashville Predators in the Central Division.
  • Phil Varone has been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers, perhaps to give the team an offensive boost after dropping last night’s game against Columbus. Varone is the reigning AHL MVP after recording 70 points last season, and is off to an even better pace this year. The 28-year old has played just 50 NHL games in his career.
  • Austin Wagner is heading to the Ontario Reign of the AHL for the time being, assigned by the Los Angeles Kings today. Wagner played 18 games with the Kings this year, but now that Nikita Scherbak has been cleared to return to action he’s no longer needed.
  • Riley Barber has been recalled by the Washington Capitals, giving them another option at forward for their game tomorrow evening. T.J. Oshie, who is still dealing with a concussion has been moved to injured reserve to make room. The Capitals are certainly not at full strength while Oshie and Tom Wilson remain out with head injuries, but it is to the benefit of Barber who will try to impress the coaching staff during the short stint. The 24-year old forward has just three NHL games under his belt but is working on a great start to the season in the AHL.
  • Nick Paul is on his way up to the Ottawa Senators once again, already his seventh transaction of the season. The 23-year old forward is the definition of an insurance plan for the Senators so far this year, getting into six games but playing the majority of his season in the minor leagues. The 6’3″ forward has 11 points in 15 games in the AHL, but is still looking for his first goal in the NHL this year.

Snapshots: Nylander, Hextall, Pilut

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock did nothing to curb his outspoken nature when asked about William Nylander again today, telling reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic that he still believes that the young forward will be on the team but the organization won’t beg him to return. Meanwhile, Frank Seravalli of TSN tweeted this morning that the Philadelphia Flyers had been in touch with Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas in his recent “last call” for trade offers. TSN broadcaster Gord Miller also heard that from a source in Philadelphia, and detailed what those talks were about:

This was the previous regime that was contacted by the Leafs on the weekend, and the Leafs asked for—they wanted to tap into the Flyers’ young D. Right away the Flyers said “Ivan Provorov? Not touchable.” So Provorov, who scored 17 goals last year is not on the table. Now again, this is the old regime. So the focus turned to Shayne Gostisbehere.

When Miller references the “old regime” he is speaking about former Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who was let go this week along with assistant GM Chris Pryor. The conversation regarding a fit between the Flyers and Nylander continues, but is highly speculative at that point especially given the changes in the Philadelphia front office since this apparent negotiation happened. Still, it only lends credence to the idea that Dubas and the Maple Leafs have been doing their due diligence in preparation for the deadline tomorrow, when there will finally (hopefully) be a conclusion one way or the other regarding Nylander.

  • Speaking of Hextall’s recent firing, the former Philadelphia GM spoke with the media today and expressed his shock at the entire situation. Hextall did not see his dismissal coming, and was “stunned” when team president Paul Holmgren delivered the news. Hextall is of course a legend in Philadelphia from his playing days, including being one of the rare players to ever win a Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP despite losing in the Stanley Cup Finals. Still, his tenure as GM had not yet resulted in any deep playoff success and upper management had grown tired of waiting.
  • With all eyes still on the Buffalo Sabres as they continue their fight for the Atlantic Division crown just a year after finishing last in the NHL, a new face will be scrutinized under the lights. Lawrence Pilut will make his NHL debut according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, despite the recent recall of Matt Tennyson. That gives Buffalo fans another highly anticipated Swedish defenseman to watch, and one that brings plenty of offensive upside. Pilut had 22 points in 16 games for the Rochester Americans before his call-up, and is still just 22 years old.

Minor Transactions: 11/30/18

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As we close in on the end of November, there are storylines aplenty around the league. William Nylander’s contract situation should come to a close, while the Philadelphia Flyers continue to search for a new GM. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche are pushing for the top spot in the entire NHL. With five games on the schedule for tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

Zach Bogosian Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Buffalo Sabres are off to a pretty good start this season, and will now get part of their leadership group back on the ice. Zach Bogosian has been activated from injured reserve and will suit up for his season debut tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has assigned Matt Tennyson to the minor leagues to make room on the roster.

At one point in time, Bogosian was seen as a top two-way defenseman in the NHL and one of the league’s up and coming stars. That point what quite some time ago though, and the 28-year old has struggled to stay healthy over the last several years. Playing in just 18 games last season with the Sabres, he registered a single point and was a complete question mark coming into training camp. Bogosian even responded directly to some of his doubters, indicating that he was working hard to get back to full strength and ready for the season. Now he’ll get a chance to show the entire world that he can still be a top-four defenseman in the NHL and log the big minutes that the Sabres desperately need him to.

Though Rasmus Dahlin has been as advertised and is already averaging nearly 19 minutes a night, the team could really use another option to use on the penalty kill and at even strength. Nathan Beaulieu is currently averaging fewer than 14 minutes of even-strength action, while Casey Nelson isn’t too far ahead of that. It’s Nelson that’s coming out of the lineup tonight, and who could eventually lose his spot completely if Bogosian can prove his health. That’s still certainly a question, but it’s one that the Sabres will eagerly await the answer to later tonight.

Fifteen Players Placed On Waivers

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Another busy day on the waiver wire as 15 players were placed on waivers today, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). No players was claimed from yesterday’s group of 16 players, but with the regular season fast approaching, teams are continuing to make big decisions.

F Justin Bailey (Buffalo)
F Nicholas Baptiste (Buffalo)
F Riley Barber (Washington)
D Matt Bartkowski (Minnesota)
F Patrick Brown (Carolina)
F Erik Condra (Dallas)
G Andrew Hammond (Minnesota)
F Mike Liambas (Minnesota)
D Evan McEneny (Vancouver)
F Greg McKegg (Carolina)
F Michael Mersch (Dallas)
F Liam O’Brien (Washington)
F Kyle Rau (Minnesota)
F Matt Read (Minnesota)
F Anton Rodin (Anaheim) — placed on unconditional waivers (per Lavoie)
D Matt Tennyson (Buffalo)

There are a few interesting names, including the “Hamburglar,” who lost his bid to unseat goaltender Alex Stalock as the backup goaltender in Minnesota. Hammond hasn’t been a full-time backup since the 2015-16 season, but has shown flashes of brilliance when he’s hot, including getting into three playoff appearances for Colorado last year. One of those games, Game 5, Hammond stopped 44 of 45 shots in leading the Avalanche to a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. However, he wasn’t able to keep that success going as he yielded five goals the following game as Colorado was eliminated.

The 23-year-old Bailey is another interesting player who has worked his way up level-by-level and was on the border of a regular spot. Bailey has had three stints in the NHL now and last year’s was one of the more successful ones has he tallied three goals and four points in 12 games. Baptiste is another 23-year-old in Buffalo, who got an even longer look with the Sabres, 33 games, but only managed four goals in that time.

Read is another player with tons of experience. The 32-year-old had played quite a bit in the NHL before struggling to get playing time in Philadelphia, while the 25-year-old Rau posted 23 goals in Iowa last season in the AHL.

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