Nathan Beaulieu

Josh Morrissey Out Until April

February 26, 2019 at 11:29 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Winnipeg Jets experienced some uncertainty right before the trade deadline after losing Josh Morrissey to injury the day before. It wasn’t exactly clear how long Morrissey would be out, but the team acted quickly by bringing in Bogdan Kiselevich and Nathan Beaulieu to add some depth on the blue line. Today, Jets head coach Paul Maurice announced that Morrissey will miss all of March and is looking at a return in early April.

Morrissey, 23, is an absolutely huge part of the Winnipeg blue line and the anchor of the left side. He averages more than 22 minutes a night and trails only Jacob Trouba in terms of scoring from the Jets defenders. His 31 points in 59 games are already easily a career high, as he has developed nicely into a top-end puck-moving option for the team while not losing any of his shutdown ability. There are few players who can excel like Morrissey does in almost any situation, and it will be an extremely tough task to replace his minutes adequately.

The Jets finish their season on April 6th and will presumably be starting their first playoff series a few days later, meaning Morrissey will have to jump right back into extremely important games and shake off the rust immediately. It’s nice that the team has other top options like Trouba, Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien, but they’ll need Morrissey to be at his best as they try to navigate the Western Conference playoff picture.

His absence will likely create a huge opportunity for one of Beaulieu or Kiselevich to show what they can do. Both players found themselves in the press box on a regular basis with their last teams, but have shown ability in the past. Kiselevich notably was pursued heavily by the Jets before eventually signing in Florida, an indication that the team believes in his talent level and could give him a shot. Beaulieu struggled to find his game in Buffalo but is still just 26 and has experience in the NHL playoffs.

2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap

February 25, 2019 at 5:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):

To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff

To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons

To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes

To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)

To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal

To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput

To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations

To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations

To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)

To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid

To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick

Nathan Beaulieu, Bogdan Kiselevich Traded To Winnipeg Jets

February 25, 2019 at 2:42 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

The Winnipeg Jets were in the market for a depth defenseman, and they have found a pair in Nathan Beaulieu and Bogdan Kiselevich. The Buffalo Sabres have traded Beaulieu to the Jets in exchange for a 2019 sixth-round pick, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, while a 2021 seventh-round selection is heading to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Kiselevich, reports colleague Darren Dreger. Both defenders are impending free agents, Beaulieu an RFA and Kiselevich a UFA.

Beaulieu, 26, proved to be a poor fit in Buffalo. After recording 28 points in 74 games in his final season with the Montreal Canadiens in 2016-17, Beaulieu was dealt to the Sabres for a third-round pick. Less than two years later, he had registered just 16 points in a combined 89 games and Buffalo were content to move on for a mere sixth-rounder. Beaulieu has shown to be a capable puck-moving defenseman, but the system and the depth chart worked against him with the Sabres. Now in Winnipeg, Beaulieu is likely to challenge for regular play time with several Jets defenders injured. A strong showing down the stretch or in the postseason could even earn him an extended stay with the team. Beaulieu will be owed a $2.5MM qualifying offer for the Jets to retain his rights and the team is facing a difficult cap crunch this off-season, so Beaulieu will really have to perform well in his brief time with the team.

As for Kiselevich, the 29-year-old is in his first NHL season after coming over from the KHL. Kiselevich has only seen 32 games worth of action to this point with Florida – likely why the team was happy to move him for just a future seventh-rounder – but has actually played well in his limited exposure. Nevertheless, this is very much a deep depth addition for the Jets and Kiselevich may never actually suit up for the team. If he hopes to stay in the NHL beyond this season though, he will try to earn some ice time before the end of the year.

Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres

February 14, 2019 at 5:45 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

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.

Atlantic Notes: Buffalo Trade Options, Point, Ennis, Jaros

February 3, 2019 at 2:12 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

With a desperation for scoring wingers, The Athletic’s Jon Vogl (subscription required) writes that the Buffalo Sabres need to consider moving some of its depth on defense if it wants to add some secondary scoring to its ranks. The team is in desperate need at the right wing position, both now and in the near future, and there is little help on the way from Rochester. The Americans top two right wingers are Daniel O’Regan, who is expected to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this offseason due to not playing enough games at the NHL level, while the team’s first-line right winger, Wayne Simpson, is on a minor-league deal.

Vogl writes the team is overloaded with defenseman with more help on the way as the team has Brendan Guhle, Brandon Hickey and Will Borgen are performing well in Rochester. With that kind of depth, the team should consider moving a depth defenseman like Nathan Beaulieu, Marco Scandella, Matt Hunwick or even Jake McCabe as trade options to get a winger. He suggests that Dallas, Detroit, New Jersey, St. Louis and Winnipeg as potential trade partners before the deadline.

Despite missing Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury and being listed day-to-day, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the game that Brayden Point was held out as a precaution because it was the second game of a back-to-back set and the team has a day off today, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Cooper added that he believes Point should be OK and is likely to play against Vegas on Tuesday.
NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy reports the Toronto Maple Leafs got some good news as forward Tyler Ennis, who has been out of the lineup since Dec. 22 with a broken ankle, skated Saturday and is coming closer to a potential return, although head coach Mike Babcock was quick to point out that there is no timeline for his return. “I don’t know exactly the timeline on that,” Babcock said. “I know he skated real well today in his testing. They always tell you, ’I’m ready, I’m ready’ but that doesn’t mean they get a get-out-jail free card yet.”
Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren reports the Ottawa Senators offered no new information on the injury suffered by defenseman Christian Jaros when he was tripped into the boards Saturday by Detroit’s Darren Helm. He remains day-to-day. Jaros has been averaging 13:48 of ATOI, but has seen an increase of ice time recently, even getting some top-four minutes.

Nathan Beaulieu Requests A Trade

January 16, 2019 at 7:10 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 12 Comments

Sabres defenseman Nathan Beaulieu has asked to be traded, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). He’s slated to be a healthy scratch tonight against Calgary, something that has been a recent occurrence as of late.

The 26-year-old is in his second season with Buffalo after being acquired from Montreal just before the protection lists for the Vegas Expansion Draft were due. At the time, the hope was that an opportunity for more ice time elsewhere would help him unlock the potential he had shown, allowing him to become a top-four defenseman. Unfortunately for Beaulieu and the Sabres, that hasn’t happened.

Last year, he dealt with a concussion and multiple illnesses while spending time as a healthy scratch. As a result, he put up just nine points in 59 games, well below the 28 he had tallied in his final season with the Canadiens. On top of that, his playing time dropped from 19:29 per game in Montreal to less than 16 minutes a night with Buffalo.

This season, things haven’t gone much better. His hold on a spot on the lineup continues to be tenuous and he has been a frequent scratch once again. Beaulieu has played in just 26 games this season and while he has been a bit better offensively (his 0.27 point per game average equals his average from his time in Montreal), his ice time has dropped to just 14:46 per night. Clearly, he doesn’t have the confidence of the coaching staff.

Beaulieu is in the second and final season of a two-year, $4.8MM contract that he signed shortly after being acquired. He’s owed a qualifying offer of $2.5MM this summer and has arbitration eligibility. As things stand, it appears to be highly unlikely that Buffalo will tender him an offer so the trade request has been made in the hopes of restoring his value somewhere else. Given his limited role, there probably won’t be many suitors but a team looking for some mobility on the back end may be inclined to take a flyer on him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sabres Notes: Botterill, Skinner, Reinhart, Smith, Okposo

August 4, 2018 at 4:28 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

The Buffalo Sabres acquisition of winger Jeff Skinner only suggests to a defeated Buffalo fanbase that the Sabres intend to shake things up and improve on their inability to even reach the playoffs since the 2010-11 season. However, Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News takes it a step further as he suggests that general manager Jason Botterill and the Sabres fleeced the Carolina Hurricanes in their stealing of Skinner and it shows how Buffalo means business.

The key to the deal is the fact that Buffalo didn’t give them anything off their current rosters for a top-line left wing. The only player they did hand over will be playing in the NHL next season. Of the picks that Botterill did give to Carolina, the GM didn’t give up one of the three first-rounders that Buffalo has in the 2019 draft. And for Buffalo, Harrington writes, it’s a no-lose for the Sabres. If Skinner signs a long-term deals, they win. If they trade him at the deadline, they should be able to get a similar return than what they paid for him in the first place.

The Athletic’s Jon Vogl (subscription required) writes that Skinner is currently focused on getting integrated in Buffalo and coach Phil Housley’s system and his mind is not on his contract. The 26-year-old has said he is not focused on his contract. “Our focus with Jeff is to make this transition into Buffalo as easy as possible for him,” general manager Jason Botterill said, “for him to get settled in, focused in on the start of the season, go through the process here for him to get to know his teammates, get to know Phil (Housley), get to know myself, and we’ll talk about things such as extensions or contract down the road.”
The Athletic’s Joe Yerdon writes that there is little movement on a contract for Sabres’ restricted free agent Sam Reinhart. Botterill said the team would be waiting until all arbitration cases are completed, which suggests that Reinhart and his camp wanted to see how everyone did before agreeing to a new deal. Reinhart is coming off a career-high 25 goals and 50 points.
In another Yerdon piece, the scribe writes that the Sabres are expecting a lot of development from their defensemen now that they have assistant coach Steve Smith aboard for this upcoming season. The former Carolina Hurricanes’ assistant is well known for working well with young defensemen including Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, Jaccob Slavin and Noah Hanifin to name a few. He could have a positive affect on a number of players in Buffalo, including Rasmus Dahlin, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nathan Beaulieu, Marco Scandella and Brendan Guhle.
Scott Billeck of NBC Sports writes that this will be a big year for high-priced winger Kyle Okposo to prove himself. After suffering through two major concussions over the past two years, the 30-year-old needs a bounce back season after posting just 34 goals over the past two seasons. He’s likely going to start on the team’s second-line next to rookie center Casey Mittelstadt. However, he must show he can stay healthy to even come close to showing he’s worthy of the $6MM AAV he’s carrying for the next five years.

Minor Transactions: 2/3/18

February 3, 2018 at 5:15 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With 26 teams in action today, there will likely be plenty of roster shuffling around the league. Here’s where we’ll keep tabs on those moves.

As expected, the Stars have recalled a goaltender to take Ben Bishop’s spot on the roster, summoning Landon Bow from AHL Texas, per the AHL’s transactions page. The 22-year-old has yet to play at the NHL level but has been a regular in the AHL this season, posting a 2.81 GAA with a .905 SV% in 28 appearances this season.
The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Cameron Gaunce from Cleveland of the AHL. He has two goals and ten assists in 36 minor league games so far this season and gives them some more depth with Ryan Murray still injured.
The Penguins have recalled winger Zach Aston-Reese from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, per a team release. Aston-Reese was highly sought after in college free agency last season and is off to a good start to his first full professional season with 29 points (9-20-29) in 41 games. To make room for him on the roster, winger Conor Sheary has been placed on injured reserve.
The Bruins announced that they have summoned winger Austin Czarnik from Providence (AHL) on an emergency basis. The diminutive forward has been very productive in the minors so far this season as he sits tied for sixth in league scoring with 42 points (13-29-42) in 38 games.
The Buffalo Sabres have assigned forward Nicholas Baptiste back to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, according to NHL.com’s Joe Yerdon. The 22-year-old was called up on Jan. 19 and played four games for the Sabres. He scored his first NHL goal on that stint with a goal last week against Vancouver. He likely was sent down as the team is ready to activate defenseman Nathan Beaulieu off of injured reserve. Beaulieu has been on IR since Jan. 23.

Atlantic Notes: Green, Johnson, Beaulieu

January 24, 2018 at 5:48 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

MLive’s Ansar Khan expects the Red Wings to wait until close to the trade deadline before moving any of their players. The strategy worked well for them last as they were able to garner a strong return for pending UFA defender Brendan Smith. They hold arguably the top trade chip on the back end this season in Mike Green and given his $6MM cap hit, interested teams may prefer to wait to acquire him anyway to reduce the amount of salary they’re taking on. However, it’s also a possibility that doing so could wind up delaying the trade market on the back end as other buyers look to see what the benchmark will be.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

Goaltender Chad Johnson’s decision to leave his hometown Calgary to go back to Buffalo caught some by surprise. The netminder acknowledged to Postmedia’s Eric Francis that he did receive an offer from the Flames but wanted more of a challenge at this stage of his career. Suffice it to say, the decision hasn’t panned out too well; while he received more money ($2.5MM) than he may have got had he stayed in Calgary, Johnson has struggled mightily with the Sabres, posting a 3.64 GAA and a .884 SV% in 18 appearances this season.
Still with the Sabres, defenseman Nathan Beaulieu has left the team to return back to Buffalo to be evaluated for a possible concussion, notes John Vogl of the Buffalo News. He has already been placed on IR. If he is indeed diagnosed with a concussion, it will be his second one already of the season. Beaulieu’s first year with Buffalo has not gone well when he has been on the ice either as he has dropped to the third pairing and is averaging his lowest ice time since 2014-15 while tallying just a goal and three assists in 34 games.

Atlantic Notes: Chara, Beaulieu, Hemsky, Paquette

November 10, 2017 at 6:19 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 8 Comments

Although the Bruins currently find themselves on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, it’s not likely to change their plans regarding team captain Zdeno Chara, suggests Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston. Even if they don’t climb their way back into the postseason picture, they’re still expected to attempt to re-sign the 40-year-old for another season and not make him available as a rental player by the trade deadline. Chara is still logging heavy minutes in Boston this season (averaging 23:28 per game) and while he’s slowing down, he still should be able to contribute for at least one more year beyond this one.

Headlines