Michael Stone

Poll: Who Will Be The Next Player To Be Dealt?

February 23, 2017 at 4:17 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 7 Comments

The trade deadline festivities are kicking off, with a couple of moves for rental defensemen already being completed. Calgary sent a couple of picks to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday for Michael Stone, a player that jumped in to fire with 17 minutes in his first game and will move up to the second pairing tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flames scratched Dennis Wideman, who is now open to a trade if it means he’ll be “wanted” in his new locale.

Then today, the Pittsburgh Penguins showed the league how much a second-round pick is really worth in this “weak” draft class, acquiring 35-year old Ron Hainsey from Carolina. Hainsey couldn’t be happier about the deal, as reported by Jason Mackay of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

If you could pick a place, this would be the place. The group that they have coming off last year, there’s a lot of excitement when you hear you’re going to Pittsburgh. Not having a great opportunity like this for so long, it’s something to get pretty excited about.

Hainsey hasn’t seen the playoffs once in his entire 15-year career, but now is set to hit the postseason as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. The team will need him too, they announced that Trevor Daley would be out for six weeks just a few moments after the deal.

So now we ask you, the reader, who you think will be the next on the move in the NHL. Will we see another Arizona rental head to a contender, or will Colorado start selling off their whole team? Vote now, and make sure you let us know where you think they’re headed in the comments below.

(Mobile users click here to vote)

Dennis Wideman Willing To Waive No-Movement Clause

February 23, 2017 at 2:21 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Since the Calgary Flames acquired Michael Stone on Monday afternoon, much of the chatter around the team has been whether they will be able to find a taker for Dennis Wideman since the veteran defenseman is now basically out of a job. Wideman was scratched yesterday and told Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald today that he would definitely be open” to waiving his NMC to facilitate a deal of some sort. Wideman wants to go somewhere he’s “wanted”, though that may be difficult given his declining play and hefty cap hit.

Wideman has played 810 games in the NHL and was once considered a premiere puck-moving defenseman capable of racking up points in bunches. He has four 40+ point seasons under his belt but the game seems to have slipped just out of his grasp this season. Calgary seems determined to give Matt Bartkowski a chance at locking down the third pairing, meaning Wideman will be sitting in the press box more often than not.

It will be interesting to see if Calgary can find a taker for Wideman, who carries a $5.25MM cap hit but $6MM in real salary. The team could retain some of his salary, but are already tight against the cap and using the relief granted from Ladislav Smid’s LTIR status. Perhaps they’ll include Wideman in another move they make and overpay elsewhere, but it seems like he’s stuck in Calgary for the time being. Don’t forget that the playoffs are a grind though, and one injury—perhaps to a surgically repaired knee of a recent acquisition—could force Wideman right back into a big-minute role for the Flames.

Snapshots: Miller, Chayka, Dorion

February 22, 2017 at 1:24 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Ryan Miller was the topic on the mind of Pierre LeBrun of ESPN yesterday, when he discussed the possibility of the goaltender waiving his no-trade clause to move at the deadline. Today, Rick Dhaliwal of 1130 News in Vancouver reports that Miller’s agent Mike Liut will talk to his client about the possibilities this week, but that nothing is decided as of yet.

Miller has just five teams that he can be traded to without his permission, and with the news that the Los Angeles Kings will be soon getting Jonathan Quick back, the three we know of—Los Angeles, San Jose and Anaheim—don’t seem to need a goaltender. If he is acquired at the deadline it will likely be because he’s waived his clause to pursue another chance at the Stanley Cup.

Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News writes that John Chayka isn’t even close to finished after dealing Michael Stone earlier this week. He has so many assets that he could move at the deadline—like Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan—that he’ll likely be one of the busiest GMs this week. Indeed, Chayka himself admitted today on Arizona Sports 98.7 (via Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports) that he’d had discussions on some big deals. The trio of rentals mentioned above are likely to move, but the Arizona GM could also move Anthony Duclair, Jamie McGinn or Tobias Rieder if he chooses to.
We learned today that Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion had been getting calls on Curtis Lazar, but what did those deals look like? He joined TSN today (video link) and said that other teams have been trying to “fleece” him. Obviously teams are looking at his single point this season and thinking that they could get a former first-round pick at an all-time low value. Dorion for his part still believes he will be a very good NHL player, and it’s just an unfortunate set of circumstances this season.

Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames

February 21, 2017 at 10:10 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline now just over a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

The Calgary Flames kicked off their trade deadline a bit early this season, acquiring right-handed defenseman Michael Stone from the Arizona Coyotes on February 20th, before many other teams have even decided whether they’re true buyers or sellers. With Stone, Calgary is getting one of the top rental defenseman on the market, whether you believe in his underlying numbers or not. Depth on the blueline is no longer much of an issue for the Flames, who are still currently in a playoff spot.

While they likely won’t catch the leaders in the Pacific, they are right in the thick of the wildcard hunt with 62 points and a good young team. It’ll be an interesting deadline to be sure, as the team doesn’t seem like it is finished just yet.

Record

29-26-4, 4th in Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$2.67MM – full-season cap hit due to LTIR space, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.

Draft Picks

2017: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th
2018: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 4th, FLA 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th

Trade Chips

The Flames used a couple of picks to grab Stone, and it looks like if they want to do anything else it would be more of the same. The Flames don’t have much off their roster that they would be willing to move outside of Dennis Wideman who is making too much money for too little performance for anyone to want him. The team could trade Micheal Ferland or Matt Stajan if they thought they could upgrade in the bottom-six, but it would be tough to find a deal that makes sense for either one.

The most talked about name going into the deadline will be Sam Bennett, but without much cause. The team doesn’t seem like it is anywhere close to accepting the idea that they need to move on from the former 4th-overall pick, despite his down season. Bennett is only 20, and if teams gave up on their top picks that early they’d find themselves in the lottery more often than not.

In terms of prospect capital, the Flames could waive Hunter Shinkaruk or Tyler Wotherspoon around hoping for a bite, though neither would get the return that the team would jump at. There system is filled with former top prospects who are almost getting to the point where they need to be tested in the NHL, and perhaps a rebuilding squad would take a chance on one or two of them.

Five Players To Watch: G Brian Elliott, D Dennis Wideman, F Micheal Ferland, D Jyrki Jokipakka, F Kris Versteeg

Team Needs

1) Goaltending – It almost stops here (no pun intended) for the Flames after they addressed their second defense pairing with Stone. Their goaltending has simply not been good enough for a team that wants to make a splash in the playoffs. Elliott hasn’t been anything close to what the team had thought they were getting, and Chad Johnson has been admirable but average in his takeover. If the Flames could find a legitimate number 1 goaltender it would be a big help, but even a capable 1A guy that can split the rest of the season with Johnson could be helpful. If Mike Smith hadn’t been told he’s staying in Arizona it would be a perfect fit.

2) Third-Line Center – Though the team shouldn’t give up long-term on Bennett, they need to find a capable leader for their third line that isn’t him. Stajan is no longer capable of that kind of role, and the bouncing ball of wingers isn’t helping. If the Flames could find a legitimate shutdown center capable of driving that line, their forward group would get a lot more dangerous as a whole.

3) Top-Six Right Winger – If they can’t find the center, then adding a better option than Versteeg or Troy Brouwer on the top line is a must. Though both are capable of 20+ goal seasons at their best, they haven’t shown that ability this season. Replacing Versteeg with a more dangerous scoring threat would take some of the pressure off the kids up front and allow Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan to show what they can do offensively.

Arizona Coyotes Trade Michael Stone To Calgary Flames

February 20, 2017 at 3:16 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have broken open the trade gates, dealing defenseman Michael Stone to the Calgary Flames. The Flames will send a 2017 third and conditional 2018 fifth-round pick back and that Arizona will retain 50% of his salary for the remainder of the season. The condition will kick in should Calgary be able to re-sign him.

The Flames will only be on the hook for $544K for the rest of the season, a small number for a team that is still trying to make the playoffs this season. This won’t stop them from being active at the deadline, as they still have almost $3MM of further LTIR relief should Ladislav Smid remain out for the rest of the season.

Stone is a 26-year old defenseman who before this season had been a solid contributor at both ends of the rink. Last year he registered 36 points in 75 games but just hasn’t been able to stay healthy throughout his career. A right-handed defender, we ranked him 15th among our Midseason Free Agent rankings, despite a disaster 2016-17.

For just a third-round pick, Stone is an excellent gamble for the Flames who know him quite well. Brad Treliving worked for Arizona before becoming the Calgary GM, and should understand what he can bring to the table when he is healthy. At very worst, they’ll get a few months with him to try and get him under a longer-term contract.

As written previously on PHR, right-handed defensemen are one of the hardest commodities to acquire in the NHL, and if Stone can get back to the form he showed last season (even without the inflated point totals from his powerplay time) he is worth much more than a third-round pick.

This might signal the beginning of the fire-sale in Arizona, who are expected to deal all of their expiring contracts before the March 1st deadline. Martin Hanzal, Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata have all been rumored for the last few weeks, but it is now Stone that has moved first. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets after the deal was completed that Arizona may not even be finished today, as they continue to work on other deals.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to break the news on Twitter that the two sides had agreed to a deal, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet providing the details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Deadline Trade Market: Defensemen

February 19, 2017 at 8:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

Rental defensemen are often a hot commodity leading into the NHL Trade Deadline and this year is set to be no exception. While there are several depth players available, there are also some blueliners that could be moved that would be impact acquisitions for their new teams. Here’s a closer look at how the market is shaping up.

Top Player Available

Kevin Shattenkirk – St. Louis – Last season, the Blues lost wingers David Backes and Troy Brouwer for nothing in free agency and the belief is that GM Doug Armstrong isn’t willing to let the same thing happen here even though they have climbed right back into the playoff picture.

Shattenkirk, who was ranked as the top UFA this year in our midseason power rankings, would be a top pairing player on quite a few contenders and would step onto the top power play unit just about everywhere. Not surprisingly, the asking price is believed to be quite high with a first rounder and a top prospect among the assets the Blues are seeking.

What’s particularly interesting is that St. Louis is amenable to let teams speak to Shattenkirk’s agent regarding a possible extension in a sign-and-trade scenario. If an agreement could be reached prior to a trade, the Blues would likely be in line for a stronger return for their top scoring blueliner.

Potential Top Four Options

Ron Hainsey – Hurricanes – While his numbers don’t jump out at anyone, Hainsey has quietly been an effective minute-munching defenseman for several years now. He doesn’t have the offensive upside that some of the others do but teams looking for stability on their second pairing will likely have some interest in adding him to the fold.

Dmitry Kulikov – Buffalo – He hasn’t fared particularly well with the Sabres after being acquired back at the draft from Florida and lingering back issues are certainly a concern as well. However, he has shown himself to be capable of logging considerable minutes (over 22 per game). He’s also one of the younger players believed to be available at just 26 years of age.

Johnny Oduya – Dallas – The Stars haven’t used him as a top four player too often this season but the veteran has been one dating back several years now and there are buyers where he would fit in on a second pairing. Like Hainsey, the two-way upside isn’t really there but Oduya can anchor a penalty kill and be a reliable presence in the defensive end.

Michael Stone – Arizona – After a breakout season offensively last year, Stone has yet to make anywhere near the type of impact he or the Coyotes were expecting this season. He also has seen his ice time drop by two minutes a night but is still over 20 minutes on average. After taking a one year, ‘show me’ deal in the summer, Stone will be motivated to show he still can be an effective offensive threat wherever he winds up.

[Closer Look: Trade Candidate Profiles for Hainsey, Kulikov, Oduya, and Stone]

Notable Depth/Role Players

Michael Del Zotto/Mark Streit – Philadelphia – Both players have been top four options in the past but Streit is better served as a power play specialist and a third pairing player at this point while Del Zotto’s inconsistency has resulted in a drop in usage this season. If teams are looking to add someone that they could envision themselves re-signing in the summer, the younger Del Zotto (he’s 26) will likely be the preferred option.

Cody Franson – Buffalo – After struggling to find a new contract in 2015, Franson wound up with the Sabres where he hoped he’d be able to continue the offensive progression he showed with Toronto beforehand. That hasn’t happened and as a result, he has been more of a third pairing player with the Sabres. With the shot he has though, he could still be an intriguing option on a power play.

Brendan Smith – Detroit – Smith has been a player that has left the Wings wanting more over the past few seasons. While he has flashes of strong play, he also has been prone to some poor decision making which makes him a bit of a wild card. He’s still fairly young at 28 and should have several suitors but because of his inconsistency, it’s hard to forecast him as more than a third pairing option on a new team.

[Closer Look: Trade Candidate Profiles for Del Zotto, Franson, and Smith]

Others That Could Move

These players would all serve as lower-end depth options for an acquiring team and would likely be available for a mid-round draft pick.

Matt Hunwick/Roman Polak – Toronto, Kyle Quincey – New Jersey, Nick Schultz – Philadelphia, Fedor Tyutin – Colorado

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Western Conference Snapshots: Russell, Davidson, Coyotes, Stars

February 9, 2017 at 11:40 am CDT | by Glen Miller 1 Comment

Like many teams, the Edmonton Oilers will face some difficult choices when choosing whom to protect in the expansion draft. The recent emergence of Brandon Davidson and the team’s reported desire to re-sign Kris Russell beyond the current campaign has created a surprising logjam on the blue line. Assuming the team elects to protect seven forwards and three defensemen, it’s a near certainty that the Oil will keep Adam Larsson, Oscar Klefbom and Andrej Sekera, which means the team will have to expose Davidson. But David Staples of the Edmonton Journal offers up a solution for Edmonton: protect four defenders, including Davidson, and make Jordan Eberle available to Vegas to select.

While acknowledging that Russell has been a solid, if unspectacular addition to the team’s defense corps and probably would be worth a modest extension, Staples argues that Davidson, four years the former’s junior, is a better long-term option due to his cost and similar on-ice performance. As a pending free agent, Russell won’t have to be protected from the expansion draft unless he inks an extension prior, but Davidson will or the club risks losing him for nothing. One way to make the numbers work would be to leave Eberle unprotected. Eberle, who has two more years on a deal with a $6MM annual cap charge, has underachieved this season, registering just 11 goals in 55 games. If Vegas took a chance on the gifted offensive winger, it would solve two problems for Edmonton: one, it allows the team to keep Davidson and two, the team would save a sizable chunk of cap space which can then be allocated to long-term extensions for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who will reach restriced free agency following the 2017-18 and 2016-17 seasons, respectively.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

The Arizona Coyotes are one of only a small handful of teams known to consider themselves sellers ahead of the trade deadline and they have several marketable assets that will draw interest in the coming weeks. Sarah McLellan of AZ Central lists the players she believes could be moved at the deadline. Martin Hanzal headlines the list as she notes his size and two-way acumen would appeal to practically any playoff contender. Right-shot defender Michael Stone, in the final year of his contract, could be an attractive piece since most teams are looking for blue line depth, particularly on the right side, at this time of year. McLellan includes Shane Doan but writes that it may be next to impossible to find the right fit; a serious Stanley Cup contender in need of a player of his ilk. Perhaps the most interesting name to make the cut was that of Anthony Duclair. The 21-year-old winger was considered a foundation building block coming into the season but with just nine points in 41 games earning him a demotion to the minors, it’s clear he has fallen out of favor in the desert.
Mike Heika recently fielded questions from readers in a mailbag feature on SportsDayDFW.com and offered insight into a wide array of Stars-related topics. The biggest concern readers seem to share is the club’s struggles in the goal-prevention department. Heika points out that goaltending is a huge problem, with the team’s netminders registering a Save % of 0.904 compared to the Washington Capitals league-leading rate of 0.928. The Stars have committed more than $10MM of cap space to Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen, a figure more than any other team has allocated toward their top two goalies. If the Stars want to salvage their season they may need to strongly consider an upgrade between the pipes and as we learned yesterday, the team has apparently shown interest in Marc-Andre Fleury already. While the Penguins are likely going to deal Fleury before the upcoming expansion draft, it’s unclear how much they would get in return.

McKenzie’s Latest: Coaching Vacancies, Coyotes Rentals

February 8, 2017 at 6:43 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

In a series of tweets after appearing on NBCSN, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that both the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers will likely seek permission from the Boston Bruins to interview Claude Julien for their coaching vacancies. Though Julien is just couple of days removed from the job in Boston, many people feel like he’ll immediately bounce back and helm one of the open teams.

McKenzie adds that the New York Islanders, who fired Jack Capuano last month will not talk to Julien about their vacancy, instead happy with Doug Weight for the time being. Julien would be an interesting option for the Golden Knights, who have made it known that they want a big name for their first coach. Ken Hitchcock and Gerard Gallant are also available, though McKenzie reported this week that Hitchcock is currently just enjoying his time off.

Julien has been the coach of the Bruins since 2007-08, and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2011. After back to back seasons out of the playoffs, and an up and down 2016-17 the team decided to move on. He’s been to the playoffs in 9 of his 14 seasons (though some have been partial) and is generally regarded as one of the best coaches in the league.

McKenzie also responded to a report that three Arizona Coyotes officials (including GM John Chayka) are in attendance at tonight’s Chicago Blackhawks-Minnesota Wild game saying that the Coyotes are trying to market their rentals. A matchup between two Western Conference contenders would be a great place to do that, though Chicago GM Stan Bowman has said multiple times that they will likely be very quiet at the deadline do to cap issues.

The Coyotes have a number of expiring contracts, including Shane Doan, Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal and Michael Stone. Several of those if not all, are likely to move before the deadline. Stone is an interesting case though, as his relative youth (26) could still fit in with the rebuild of the Coyotes. His health is a concern, as is the inconsistent play this season but he should still command a hefty price on the free agent market and would be a solid addition for many teams around the league at deadline time.

Latest From Garrioch: Julien, Doan, Coyotes, Shattenkirk, Duchene

February 5, 2017 at 5:52 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

While many are wondering if the Bruins will opt to replace Claude Julien as head coach, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests that team owner Jeremy Jacobs has played a big role in keeping him around. On the flip side, he notes that team president Cam Neely wouldn’t mind a change being made. Julien is the longest-tenured coach in the NHL and is in his tenth season behind Boston’s bench. The Bruins currently find themselves in a playoff spot but they sit just one point ahead of Toronto who have five games in hand so it likely won’t be long before they’re on the outside looking in.

Garrioch also covered several league-wide topics in his Insider Trading column. Here are some of the highlights although the full column is worth a read:

While it’s far from a guarantee that Arizona right winger Shane Doan decides to agree to a deal, it sounds like he may be staying in the Pacific Division if he does move as he would prefer to not have to go too far. Anaheim, San Jose, and Los Angeles are believed to have interest in the 40 year old. After a 28 goal 2015-16 campaign, Doan’s offensive production has slowed down considerably this year as he has just five goals and 12 assists in 51 games. Accordingly, he would be a bottom six forward if he does eventually agree to a move.
While it’s well-known that the asking price for Coyotes center Martin Hanzal is quite high, GM John Chayka has also put a very high price tag on some of their other rental players including right winger Radim Vrbata, center Ryan White, and defenseman Michael Stone. As of yet, no one’s willing to meet the prices and it’s worth remembering that the playoff bonuses in Vrbata’s contract will be absorbed by whoever acquires him which should affect his value. Stone’s likely to fetch a decent return as one of the better rental blueliners but the price for White, a fourth line center, shouldn’t be too high.
One team in the Eastern Conference received permission over the last two weeks to talk to St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk regarding a contract extension. However, that deal fell through. It has been suggested over the past few weeks that it’s much more likely that Shattenkirk will have to be dealt as a rental and not in a sign-and-trade deal which would undoubtedly yield a better return for the Blues.
The Lightning are among the teams to express an interest in Matt Duchene. Given who they have to re-sign this summer (including forwards Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson, and Ondrej Palat), it seems difficult to imagine that they’d be able to keep them and add Duchene’s $6MM cap hit although it’s also possible that one of those players could be of interest to Colorado GM Joe Sakic in a possible deal.

Trade Candidate: Michael Stone

January 24, 2017 at 12:25 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Things weren’t supposed to go this way for Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone. After signing just a one year contract in the summer, he was hoping for a big season to take him into his first crack at unrestricted free agency. That has yet to happen while the Coyotes are nowhere near a playoff spot which makes him a prime candidate to be traded.

Contract

One year, $4MM – Will be a UFA in July

2016-17

Stone missed the first three games of the season while recovering from a torn ACL sustained back in late March. While he was able to reassume a top four role upon returning to the lineup, he hasn’t been able to maintain the offensive progress he had displayed in recent years. It could be suggested that part of that is attributable to the arrival of Alex Goligoski but even so, the decline in Stone’s offensive game is quite notable.

A couple of areas that haven’t been affected this season are his willingness to play physical and block shots as he’s averaging over two of each per game while he’s still logging over 20 minutes per game. Those are all elements that contenders would love to add to their back end so despite his struggles, he should still have several teams interested in him.

Season Stats

35 GP, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points, -9 rating, 8 PIMS, 45 shots, 20:19 ATOI

Potential Suitors

A top four defender that plays the right side is something that pretty much any team with eyes on seriously contending would want to add. The Lightning showed interest in him earlier in the year but GM John Chayka’s asking price was too high at the time. The Rangers could be a team to watch for as well – they have a void on their back end and have the money to absorb his cap hit in full. Considering the number of contending teams that are tight to the cap, that’s certainly an important factor.

In the West, the Blackhawks would undoubtedly love to add another top four blueliner to take some of the pressure off their top pairing but they don’t have the cap space to make it work with Arizona retaining or Chicago sending a contract back. While Edmonton’s defense is much improved this year, they could still stand to add a top four option and like the Rangers, they have the cap space to fit him in easily as well.

One darkhorse team to watch for if they continue their hot streak is the Maple Leafs. While trading for a rental player would go against standard practice for a team that’s still building, Stone would give Toronto a stabilizing presence on a thin blueline, something that they will need if they want to make a serious run at a playoff spot. They have the prospect capital and some extra second round picks to work with as well. The Leafs make sense as a landing spot for Stone in free agency so if he’s on their radar, it’s conceivable that they could look to add him now to not only help a postseason push but also for the chance to see how he would fit in before potentially making him a long-term offer in the offseason.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering that the team already has Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Goligoski, and Connor Murphy signed for at least two more years plus a pair of promising youngsters in Jakob Chychrun and Anthony DeAngelo, it’s unlikely that the Coyotes will pursue a long-term contract extension with Stone. Unless Chayka’s asking price remains too high through the March 1st trade deadline, he’s pretty much a lock to be dealt.