Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Nick Bjugstad

West Notes: Myers, Lekkerimaki, Markstrom, Bjugstad

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Defenseman Tyler Myers is one of several Canucks veterans that are set to hit the open market in July and the team won’t be able to afford to keep all of them.  CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports (audio link) that the veteran has told his agent that he’d like to remain with Vancouver.  The 34-year-old is in his fifth season with the Canucks and while his $6MM price point is above market value, he’s still logging important minutes, especially on the penalty kill where he ranks second in shorthanded ATOI.  While a $6MM contract isn’t likely coming his way this summer, Myers should still command interest from several teams on a multi-year deal which should help land him a contract somewhat close to that price tag.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Still with Vancouver, while Canucks fans were likely hoping that top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki would join AHL Abbotsford for the stretch run, that might not be the case. In an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link), GM Patrik Allvin indicated that there is a possibility that the 19-year-old could play for Sweden at the Worlds in May.  In that case, they’d likely not bring Lekkerimaki to North America and let him vie for a spot on that team.  The 15th overall pick in 2022 had 31 points in 46 games with SHL Orebro this season.
  • Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom has missed the last week with a lower-body injury but it appears he won’t be out much longer. Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg relays (Twitter link) that the veteran netminder has resumed skating and a return to the lineup on Saturday versus Vancouver is possible.  The 34-year-old was featured prominently in trade speculation at the trade deadline thanks to a strong season that has seen him put up a 2.68 GAA and a .910 SV% in 41 games so far.
  • Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad is listed as day-to-day and his availability for Wednesday’s game against Dallas is uncertain, notes team reporter Patrick Brown (Twitter link). The 31-year-old has done well in his second stint in Arizona this season, collecting 17 goals along with 20 assists in 67 games so far.  The uncertainty over his availability is what resulted in Nathan Smith’s recall earlier today.

West Injury Notes: Martinez, Eriksson Ek, Bjugstad

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Alec Martinez is finally back on the ice for practice for the Vegas Golden Knights a short while after being placed on the team’s injured reserve (X Link). Given that he was not in a non-contact jersey this afternoon, it is reasonable to assume that Martinez should be back in the lineup for the Golden Knights soon.

Once Martinez officially returns to the lineup for Vegas, the team will have a really good problem to have. After acquiring Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames on March 7th, the Golden Knights have put themselves in a position to place Martinez on the team’s bottom-pairing comfortably.

Unfortunately, this return likely spells the end of consistent playing time for either Nicolas Hague or Zach Whitecloud. Unless the team opts to run with seven defensemen, either Hague or Whitecloud will serve as a healthy scratch as the Golden Knights look to hang on to the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Other injury notes:

  • After missing the team’s game against the Anaheim Ducks with a lower-body injury, it appears that Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek may not join the team on their upcoming road trip to California. Joe Smith of The Athletic reported that Eriksson Ek is still considered day-to-day, and the team was waiting to see how he responded to the next couple of days of practice.
  • Earlier this evening, when the Arizona Coyotes matched up against the New Jersey Devils, Nick Bjugstad left the game after having only accrued 7:24 of ice time and did not return (X Link). It will be a tough blow to a Coyotes lineup if Bjugstad is unable to play for the foreseeable future, as he has recently been a focal point of their lineup. In the last 12 games, Bjugstad has scored seven goals and 10 points in total, averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time per night.

Central Notes: Coyotes, Kovalenko, Zaitsev

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Coyotes had a fairly underwhelming trade deadline after getting minimal returns for Mathew Dumba and Jason Zucker but as PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan notes, GM Bill Armstrong did not have the green light to retain salary which certainly restricted their options on the trade front to teams who had the cap space to take on the full contract of which there were few.

Meanwhile, Armstrong indicated that there was strong interest in centers Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Kerfoot along with winger Michael Carcone.  All three players have one year left on their respective contracts and are at price tags that range from below market value to affordable so it’s no surprise teams were calling the Coyotes about those players.  Clearly, there wasn’t an offer to their liking so all three remain in Arizona, at least for now.

More from the Central:

  • Avalanche prospect Nikolai Kovalenko left his KHL playoff finale today with what looked to be a knee issue, notes Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now. The 24-year-old had another productive year with KHL Torpedo, notching 35 points in 42 games while on loan from Colorado.  Kovalenko is on an NHL contract and has widely been expected to make the jump and play out the stretch with the Avs.  That is, as long as this injury doesn’t change those plans.
  • The Blackhawks will welcome back defenseman Nikita Zaitsev tonight against Washington, relays Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 32-year-old had missed the last 19 games with a knee injury and bone fracture.  Zaitsev has played in 26 games so far this season, recording two goals and five assists along with 52 blocks and 55 hits.  Meanwhile, his average ice time is down to 15:56 per night, a career low.  That’s not exactly the ideal platform season that Zaitsev was looking for as he’ll be hitting unrestricted free agency in July.

Arizona Coyotes Extend Bill Armstrong

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Arizona Coyotes announced this morning that they have extended the contract of general manager Bill Armstrong. Financial terms and the length of the multi-year agreement were not released. The deal comes on the heels of what was a very busy summer for Armstrong and the Coyotes as they have added a lot of talent to their NHL roster including veterans Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, Sean Durzi, Alexander Kerfoot and Nick Bjugstad.

PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan later reported Armstrong is now under contract for six more seasons – Armstrong signed a four-year extension, while the team picked up a previously existing option for 2024-25. He’s now under contract through the 2028-29 campaign.

The 53-year-old has been the Coyotes general manager since the 2020-21 season and has overseen a rather large rebuild during that time. Armstrong essentially stripped the Coyotes roster down to the studs and rebuilt it through drafting, trades, and free agency. Prior to joining Arizona, the Richmond Hill, Ontario, native worked in the St. Louis Blues’ scouting department from 2004-18. It wasn’t until the 2018-19 season that he earned a promotion to assistant GM before eventually joining Arizona.

The Coyotes have not qualified for the playoffs since Armstrong took over, and the team has only made the playoffs a total of four times since 2004. While they are once again going through a lean period, Arizona looks to be on the verge of a good run of hockey in the desert. Should they stay there.

The team will likely get a jolt from this summer’s signings and trades as well as top prospect Logan Cooley, who could be a difference-maker in Arizona as early as this season.

The signing of the coaching staff, Armstrong, and the player acquisitions this summer show stability within the hockey operations of Arizona, even if the team’s future off the ice is up in the air.

Arizona Coyotes Extend André Tourigny

at CDT | by 6 Comments

August 23: Arizona has confirmed Tourigny’s extension, which lasts for three years.

August 22: Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports is reporting that the Arizona Coyotes have officially signed head coach André Tourigny to a contract extension. It was reported earlier this month that the two sides were involved in negotiations and that a deal was close, but sources now tell Morgan it is completed.

At the time of the negotiations, Morgan reported that the holdup was Tourigny’s desire to get extensions in place for his coaching staff as well as himself – something that has reportedly been accomplished as the Coyotes have also locked up John Madden, Mario Duhamel and goalie coach Corey Schwab to extensions.

A native of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Tourigny is about to embark on his third season at the helm of the Coyotes. And while his 53-90-21 record with Arizona is ugly on the surface, he has been guiding a roster that largely consists of prospects and castoffs. But record aside, Tourigny has done a good job keeping the group competitive on most nights and fostering a culture that must be positive given that several players who have been traded away previously have elected to return when they hit free agency.

No terms of the new contract have been released, but it should make the upcoming season more comfortable for Tourigny and his staff as they start a season where there will be expectations on the club to win some games. Arizona has been one of the busier teams in the off-season, swinging a trade for Sean Durzi and signing Jason Zucker, Alexander Kerfoot, Matt Dumba, and Nick Bjugstad.

Tourigny hasn’t had pressure to win thus far in his reign as the head coach of the Coyotes, but with a new contract in hand, and some serious depth added to the lineup, the pressure will begin to mount for Tourigny and Arizona to win some games.

Coyotes Nearing Extension With Andre Tourigny

at CDT | by 6 Comments

There has been mutual interest between the Coyotes and head coach Andre Tourigny about a possible contract extension.  It appears that the deal is basically in place as PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports (video link) that both the term and money of an extension have been agreed upon.  At this point, the delay in announcing is tied to Tourigny’s desire to get his assistant coaches new deals as well.

Those assistants would be John Madden and Mario Duhamel along with goalie coach Corey Schwab.  Blaine Forsythe is also a part of Tourigny’s staff for the upcoming season but he was hired less than a month ago so his contract has already been taken care of.

The 49-year-old has been the bench boss for Arizona for the past two years and while his 53-90-21 record isn’t particularly exciting on the surface, the Coyotes are certainly in the middle of a rebuild.  To their credit, they’ve been a fairly competitive squad most nights in spite of the fact they haven’t iced the more talented team in many of them.  Tourigny has received plenty of praise for how his team has performed while establishing a positive team culture which helped entice veterans Nick Bjugstad and Troy Stecher to return after being moved as rental players at the trade deadline.

Tourigny is already under contract for the upcoming season so there is no immediate rush to get something done.  However, Morgan suggests that everything should be in place before the Coyotes travel to Australia to take on Los Angeles in a pair of exhibition games later this month.

Snapshots: Nylander, Dumba, Domi

at CDT | by 10 Comments

Chris Johnston reported on The Chris Johnston Show that the Toronto Maple Leafs and forward William Nylander remain far apart in extension talks. Johnston said that he believes that the 27-year-old is looking for a contract that pays him over $10MM annually while the Maple Leafs offer is in the range of $8MM-$9MM per season.

Nylander’s ask is reasonable given that he has put up back-to-back 80+ point seasons and is a pending unrestricted free agent. The trouble for the Leafs will be managing a potential Nylander extension with the cap hits of Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and whatever number Auston Matthews signs for. Couple that with the Morgan Rielly extension and a salary cap that hasn’t budged much in recent seasons, and it could create a very top-heavy team in Toronto going forward.

Nylander had a career year last season putting up 40 goals and 47 assists in 82 games and has silenced critics in recent years who doubted his ability to score in the postseason. Nylander has been a point a game player in both the regular season and the playoffs the past few years and would generate a ton of interest if his name were to be floated in the trade market.

In other snapshots from around the NHL:

  • Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports is reporting that the Arizona Coyotes have been in pursuit of free agent defenseman Matt Dumba since the start of free agency on Saturday. Dumba picked a very unfortunate time to have the worst offensive season of his NHL career as he put up just four goals and 10 assists this past season in 79 games with the Minnesota Wild. The 28-year-old Regina native has been a 25-point defenseman for most of his career but regressed offensively last year and saw very little in the way of power play time. Arizona has been aggressive in free agency thus far signing Jason Zucker, Alexander Kerfoot, and retaining Nick Bjugstad while trading for defenseman Sean Durzi.
  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet mentioned this morning that newly acquired Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi would like to remain with the team well beyond the one year he signed on for. Domi was inked to a one-year deal that will pay him $3MM this season, but as Friedman puts it Domi wants Toronto to be his long-term home and it’s easy to see why. Domi’s father Tie Domi was one of the most popular Maple Leafs in recent history and Max spent much of his childhood in Toronto while his father was still playing. He will now get the chance to put on the same jersey he watched his father wear and play in front of the same fans who cheered his Dad on for 12 seasons.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Nick Bjugstad, Three Others

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Arizona Coyotes have signed forward Nick Bjugstad to a two-year, $2.1MM deal, per PHNX’s Craig Morgan. Bjugstad spent most of last season in Arizona before a mid-season trade sent him to the Edmonton Oilers. They’re also signing former Coyote Alex Galchenyuk to a one-year, two-way contract with a $775k cap hit $225k AHL salary, and $325k total guarantee according to PuckPedia.

They’ve also added forward Travis Barron to a one-year, two-way deal with a $775k cap hit and $100k AHL salary, per PuckPedia. Arizona also officially announced the signing of goaltender Matt Villalta to a one-year, two-way deal.

Bjugstad returns to the Coyotes after he returned to a top-six role there for the first time in a long time in 2022-23, recording a respectable 23 points in 59 games and showed flashes of the skill he displayed early in his career before injuries limited his long-term ceiling. He could very well find himself in the same role, competing for ice time down the middle with Barrett Hayton, Jack McBain, and Travis Boyd.

The Coyotes have also brought back Galchenyuk, who spent the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign in a Coyotes jersey, recording 21 points in 60 games. He did well when relegated to a minor-league role with the Avalanche last season, though, putting up a point per game, and could certainly find his way back into an NHL role alongside players like Michael Carcone and Liam O’Brien.

Barron and Villalta will spend the entirety of the season in AHL Tucson.

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Nick Bjugstad

at CDT | by 9 Comments

3:15 pm: The details of the trade have been confirmed by the Coyotes, making the transaction official.

2:35 pm: The Edmonton Oilers have added another player to the mix for their playoff run, acquiring Nick Bjugstad from the Arizona Coyotes, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The Coyotes will receive a 2023 third-round pick and Michael Kesselring, while retaining 50% of Bjugstad’s contract. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also reports that defenseman Cam Dineen is heading to Edmonton in the deal, and he’ll report to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

Bjugstad, 30, has never quite lived up to the high expectations from his early career in Florida, but has played at a relatively high level for the Coyotes this season. With more regular ice time, some of his offensive production has returned, and he brings size, physicality, and versatility to the Oilers bottom six.

Standing 6’6″ and more than willing to use his frame to lean on defenders, Bjugstad has scored 13 goals and 23 points in 59 games this season. He won’t be expected to do a ton of scoring in Edmonton, but for $450K in cap space, he’s well worth a mid-round pick.

The Oilers are all-in, trying to surround Connor McDavid with enough firepower to win the Stanley Cup. Mattias Ekholm’s addition to the blueline already paid dividends last night, and now Bjugstad can bring a little more punch down the middle. A third-round selection is meaningless to a team like this, other than its value in trade.

For Arizona, though, completing another short-term salary retention to squeeze a draft pick out of Edmonton is good work. The team is up to 22 picks in the top three rounds of the next three drafts, and—if managed properly—could turn that into quite the pile of young talent.

Interestingly enough, as CapFriendly points out, the Oilers had exactly enough cap space to pull off this trade after getting the Nashville Predators to retain salary on Ekholm yesterday. A lot of eyebrows raised when the Predators only held onto 4% of the total, but it ended up being exactly what general manager Ken Holland needed to bring in Bjugstad.

Edmonton Oilers Looking To Add A Forward

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers have been on the hunt for defensive help for the better part of this season. GM Ken Holland was able to put that need to rest yesterday by swinging a trade for Mattias Ekholm. Despite the upgrade, it appears that Holland is not done.

Darren Dreger reported last night on TSN’s Insider Trading that Edmonton is still looking to add a forward and have shown interest in Tyler Bertuzzi as well as Nick Bjugstad.

Bertuzzi would be a tough add for Edmonton as his $4.75MM cap hit could prove problematic given the Oilers cap situation, but Bjugstad’s cap hit is just $900K. Both Bertuzzi and Bjugstad are pending unrestricted free agents playing on teams that appear likely to miss the playoffs.

Bertuzzi has had a down year this season with the Detroit Red Wings. He has just four goals in 29 games after scoring 30 goals last season in 68 games. He has missed considerable time this year and also missed most of the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season. Given his recent history, injury risk could be a concern to any team interested in Bertuzzi’s services. Cost could also be a concern as Detroit is reportedly asking for a first round pick.

Bjugstad on the other hand has dealt with injuries his entire career, but he has remained relatively healthy this season. He has had somewhat of a resurgence with the Arizona Coyotes scoring 13 goals, his first time breaking the 10-goal mark since 2017-18. The former first round pick appeared to be a budding star with the Florida Panthers back in 2014-15 when he scored 24 goals, but since that time he has yet to crack the 20-goal mark.

Any Oilers addition will likely need to be a dollar for dollar move at this point, or require a team or two to retain salary. The Oilers have just $450K of deadline cap space to make a move as they are still dealing with dead cap hits from the buyouts of James Neal and Andrej Sekera, as well as the retained salary from the Milan Lucic trade with the Calgary Flames. Lucic and Sekera come off the books at the end of this season, which should open the door for Holland to add to the Oilers this summer.

AJAX Loader
Load More Posts

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top