Central Notes: Wild Physicality, Heinola, Boqvist
Paul Fenton and the Minnesota Wild have made a lot of moves since the trade deadline last year and the general manager has started to put his mark on the franchise after taking over more than a year ago. However, one thing that many have noted is that the Wild have gotten much smaller over the last year with many wondering if that could affect the team’s success down the road.
The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) was asked that exact question in his most recent mailbag as the scribe notes that the Wild have traded off Charlie Coyle (6-foot-3) and Nino Niederreiter (6-foot-2), while getting back smaller, more finesse players in Kevin Fiala and Ryan Donato as the team seems to be without that physical edge that most teams feel they need to survive a 82-game season, something that the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues had an abundance of this past year.
Russo admits it’s a concern, but the team does have a number of smaller players, who are physical, including newly acquired Ryan Hartman, Luke Kunin and the team’s hopes that Jordan Greenway will begin to use his size to be more physical.
- While the Winnipeg Jets’ trade of Jacob Trouba has been panned by almost everyone, the Winnipeg Free Press’ Mike McIntyre writes that one aspect of the trade that many haven’t thought of is the value of the 2019 first-round pick they got along with unheralded defenseman Neal Pionk. The team selected defenseman Ville Heinola with the 20th pick in the draft as part of the deal. The blueliner almost immediately moves to the top of Winnipeg’s prospect list and could develop into a top-four option for years, although it could take a year or two until he arrives. Regardless, if Heinola does become a top-four regular and Pionk becomes a reliable option on defense as well, the deal doesn’t look that bad after all.
- With the trade of Henri Jokiharju, the Chicago Blackhawks could find themselves with the potential need of a young player to step up for the team this season. NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis writes that Adam Boqvist is expected to turn pro this year and is expected to play for the Rockford Ice Hogs in the AHL if he doesn’t make the Blackhawks’ team out of training camp. That’s good news for Chicago as Boqvist could have returned to the OHL for another year. The team’s first-round pick in 2018 (eighth-overall) scored 20 goals and 60 points in 54 games for the London Knights in his only season there.
Central Notes: Kulikov, Jets Defense, Rask, Timmins
The Winnipeg Jets have already lost quite a bit of their talent on their blueline as the team has already lost Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba and Ben Chiarot this offseason with little in return other than Neal Pionk. However, because Pionk filed for arbitration (along with Andrew Copp) on Friday, the Jets could lose another defenseman off their roster.
The Athletic’s Murat Ates (subscription required) points out that Pionk and Copp filing for arbitration opens up a second buyout window for Winnipeg in three weeks, which might suggest that the Jets could consider buying out defenseman Dmitry Kulikov when that happens. The 28-year-old defenseman, who has one year remaining on his deal at $4.33MM, has not worked out like the team had hoped and there are questions whether he could fulfill the role of a top-four defenseman now that the team has holes to fill.
Kulikov has played just 119 games over two seasons, often sitting as a healthy scratch and has just three goals and 17 points in those two seasons. The team may want to consider letting Kulikov, which would save the team $2.89MM in cap savings for this year, something that could be used towards acquiring another defenseman. Of course, the Jets could just as easily decide that he can play in their top four and keep him, but it’s a legitimate option Winnipeg can consider over the next three weeks.
- Staying with the Jets, the Winnipeg Sun’s Paul Friesen writes that the losses Brandon Tanev (to Pittsburgh) and Chiarot (to Montreal) are more critical losses than people think. Those two players were ranked first and second, respectively on the Jets’ squad last year in hits. Tanev led the team with 278 hits, while Chiarot finished with 171. That’s a significant amount of physicality the team lost. Blocked shots aren’t any better as the team’s top two leaders in that category were lost as well, including Trouba (to New York Rangers) who had 171 blocks, while Chiarot was second on the team with 139. That could be a bad sign for the team’s overall defense.
- The Athletic’s Tony Abbott (subscription required) projects the Minnesota Wild’s early depth chart after the Wild went out and signed forwards Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman. The team possesses quite a bit of depth and the one player that could find himself without a job is Victor Rask. The 26-year-old forward, who was acquired in the unpopular trade involving Nino Niederreiter with Carolina, could find himself outside the team’s top 12 next season and he will be making $4MM next season. Rask struggled mightily when he got to Minnesota, posting just two goals and three points in 23 games.
- The Colorado Avalanche had high expectations for prospect Connor Timmins at the start of the season. Unfortunately, the team lost him to a concussion for the entire season. While he’s shown some signs of practicing with the team during the playoffs in a non-contact jersey, The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark (subscription required) reports that Timmins was a full participant at the team’s development camp recently and was, in fact, was one of the standouts there. The next step is to see how he performs in the preseason. Timmins, the team’s 2017 second-round pick, will likely play a full season in with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL next season.
Snapshots: Kessel, Malmquist, Vladar
It’s been confirmed by many sources now that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel himself nixed the proposed deal that would have sent him to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Jason Zucker, among other pieces. What was unclear is exactly why. Kessel is a native of nearby Wisconsin and played his college hockey for the University of Minnesota. It would seem that the Wild would have been a nice fit for the veteran scorer. However, as noted by the Athletic’s Michael Russo, Kessel’s reasoning for turning down the destination is quite simple: he doesn’t think the team is a contender. In fact, after talking to those close to Kessel, Russo phrases it as Kessel didn’t think the team was even “close to contending”. GM Paul Fenton certainly left a mark in his first season at the helm, trading away established veterans Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, and Nino Niederreiter and on paper the team does look to be in more of a rebuild than a title window. Fenton reportedly called Kessel to try to change his mind, but to no avail. Kessel will be 32 next season and has already showed signs of slowing down, so the star winger apparently has his sights set on competing for more Stanley Cups before his playing days are over. That could make the prospect of dealing him that much harder for Penguins GM Jim Rutherford, further limiting Kessel’s trade options to contenders on his eight-team trade list that have both the means and interest in acquiring him. Meanwhile, Fenton and the Wild have to hope that other prominent players, free agents or trade targets, don’t share in Kessel’s pessimistic outlook on the team’s chances or they may have a hard time improving this off-season.
- Kessel’s home of Madison, Wisconsin is set to see another promising player make his way into town in a couple of years. Liam Malmquist, a standout high school forward from Edina, Minnesota, has announced his commitment to play his college hockey for the University of Wisconsin. However, Malmquist will not join the Badgers until 2020-21 and will play next season for the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, the team announced today. Malmquist, 18, is an undersized scoring forward, whose lack of stature and relatively weak competition level likely kept him off the radar of NHL team’s in his first time through the draft last year. However, after recording 52 points in 24 games this year, he’s entered the conversation as a possible late-round overage waiver this June. Malmquist’s older brother, Dylan Malmquist, remains unsigned but just wrapped up a strong collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame. Even if Malmquist is not drafted, he can stay in the pro picture if he is able to replicate or top his brother’s numbers while at Wisconsin. He should be surrounded by plenty of talent too, as Malmquist joins a talented Badgers team that will add top 2019 prospects Alex Turcotte, Cole Caufield, Ryder Donovan, and Owen Lindmark, as well as intriguing 2020 name Dylan Holloway next season and another top 2020 prospect in Tanner Latsch the year after.
- The Boston Bruins have already lost forward Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and defenseman Emil Johansson to Europe this off-season – even though the team’s off-season has yet to begin – and for the good of their minor league depth hope to avoid any other such losses. However, it is worth noting that AHL goaltender Dan Vladar was the subject of a recent trade in the KHL. Vladar’s rights were acquired by contender Lokomotiv Yaroslavl from HK Sochi in exchange for 22-year-old active KHL forward Alexander Polunin, a somewhat hefty price for just a player’s rights. There has been no word as to whether Vladar has talked about jumping overseas, prompting the trade, but it certainly shouldn’t be ruled out. Vladar, a 2015 third-round pick of the Bruins, is still only 21 but has yet to make an NHL appearance in three pro seasons. Vladar played as the Providence Bruins’ backup this season, making 31 appearances to starter Zane McIntyre‘s 47. Both goalies put up just pedestrian numbers and McIntyre, a pending unrestricted free agent, is not a lock to return. With NHL backup Jaroslav Halak also signed for just one more season, it could be that Vladar remains on the fast track to start for Providence next season and one day back up Tuukka Rask. One would think that position would keep the young net minder stateside. However, he now faces a challenge from other promising young goalies in the pipeline like Kyle Keyser and Jeremy Swayman and may no longer feel that he is guaranteed to ever see time with the Bruins. Such a mindset could see Vladar off to Russia this summer.
Overseas Notes: Cannata, Praplan, Niederreiter
It’s not clear who will be the Colorado Avalanche backup goaltender next season, but it certainly won’t be Joe Cannata. The 29-year old goaltender will not re-sign with the Avalanche after spending the last two seasons in their minor league system, as he is headed overseas to play in the Swedish second league. Cannata was originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in 2009 but never ended up playing an NHL game after his college career ended in 2012.
The Avalanche have just two goaltenders under contract for 2019-20 in the whole organization, meaning they’ll need to ink another one before long. While Philipp Grubauer can handle a large role in the NHL, Adam Werner has very little experience in North america and surely won’t be used as the primary backup this season. Pavel Francouz and Semyon Varlamov are scheduled for unrestricted free agency, while Spencer Martin is an RFA once again.
- Vincent Praplan‘s time in North America is coming to a quick end. The Swiss forward is headed home to play for SC Bern this season after just a single year in the AHL. Praplan was originally signed by the San Jose Sharks in 2018 but was flipped to the Florida Panthers in a deadline deal. While he’s only 24, Praplan signed in Switzerland for another four years, effectively ending any thought of returning to Florida. The restricted free agent’s rights will be retained with a qualifying offer, but would expire before his new deal with Bern.
- Speaking of Switzerland, their IIHF World Championship team has received some good news today as Nino Niederreiter is on his way to help. The Carolina Hurricanes forward will give the team another offensive threat as they try to continue their perfect tournament so far. The Swiss are currently 4-0 after dispatching Italy, Latvia, Austria and Norway with relative ease. Their big tests will come over the next two days when they take on Sweden and Russia, hopefully with a new face in the lineup.
Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes
With the trade deadline just days away, 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 Metropolitan Division, here is a look at the Carolina Hurricanes.
In less than 100 hours, the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline will come and go. While there are many deals still to be made, most teams have at least decided if they are buying, selling, or sitting out at the deadline. Perhaps the one team still waiting to make that call are the Carolina Hurricanes, and for good reason.
Tuesday night was a rough result for the Hurricanes. The team fell to the non-playoff New York Rangers, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens both picked up wins. Carolina now trails both of those teams by three points, while the Columbus Blue Jackets occupy the final wild card spot with a one-point lead and a game in hand on the Hurricanes. Despite their strong play of late, Carolina looks like the first team out in the Eastern Conference right now. Of course, that can change before the deadline. The ‘Canes have a winnable match-up tonight against the Florida Panthers, followed by a tougher test against the Dallas Stars on Saturday. How they perform, as well as the results for the Blue Jackets, Penguins, and Canadiens, before Monday will inform their deadline decision.
Carolina holds the NHL’s longest playoff drought of nine years and desperately would like to make the playoffs. At the same time, they are a young team who could really use the return on any trade assets if the postseason doesn’t look realistic. It’s a difficult choice to make, but where they sit in the playoff race after the next few days could cause them to lean one way or another or, perhaps the most likely outcome, no way at all.
Record
31-23-6, fifth in the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
TBD
Deadline Cap Space
$76.26MM in full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 43/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2019: CAR 1st, BUF 2nd, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CGY 6th, BOS 7th
2020: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, BUF 3rd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, BUF 6th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
Trade Chips
With their status at the deadline still so uncertain, chances are the Hurricanes will be involved in both the buyers’ and sellers’ markets, but could very well choose to do nothing at all. For discussion’s sake though, let’s say the Hurricanes decide to sell. Of the two options, selling is more probable as there are no pieces that Carolina could move that would automatically end their push for the postseason. The one player who would certainly be on the move is impending UFA power forward Micheal Ferland. Ferland, acquired from the Calgary Flames in the off-season, has been excellent in Carolina and is in fact on pace for a career high in points. However, Ferland seems destined to test the free agent market and the recent acquisition of Nino Niederreiter has made his departure manageable. Carolina would miss Ferland’s contributions down the stretch this season, but are prepared for life without him and would likely land a nice return if they chose to trade him. Several contenders are in search of grit and offense at this time of the year and Ferland checks both boxes.
Ferland is the only impending UFA skater thought to have any value on the trade market. Captain Justin Williams is not available and Greg McKegg has been a serviceable player that is more valuable to the ‘Canes as a depth option than any low-end return might be. However, goaltenders are a different story. Both Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek are impending free agents and both have performed well this season, especially McElhinney. With Scott Darling still under contract next year, young Alex Nedeljkovic in consideration, and a strong goalie free agent class, it’s unclear if McElhinney or Mrazek will be back in Raleigh next season. With that in mind, the Hurricanes may be willing to part with one or the other at the deadline if the right offer presents itself. It goes without saying that if the team could move Darling, they would.
Elsewhere in the lineup, there continues to be speculation that the Hurricanes would like to deal from a position of strength on defense. With Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, and Trevor van Riemsdyk on the roster, Carolina is flush with talented right-shot defenders. Chances are one will be dealt at some point soon. However, it will be in a hockey trade, with the ‘Canes getting a top-nine forward back in return. Such trades are uncommon at the deadline, so don’t hold out hope that the team will be make such a move before the off-season.
What if the Hurricanes are buyers? Then the list of trade chips is a slightly more extensive. Charlotte Checkers defensemen Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown continue to wait patiently for roles in Carolina that may never come and the time may have arrived for the Hurricanes to move them in the right deal. The same could be said for another pair of impending RFA’s, forwards Andrew Poturalski and Saku Maenalanen, both of whom have been productive in the minors but underutilized at the top level. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what is an impressive pipeline for the Hurricanes, but as they’re not expected to be major buyers, top names like Martin Necas, Janne Kuokkanen, Jake Bean, and Adam Fox are likely untouchable. Carolina has plenty of draft picks to peddle as well, rather than moving their top prospects
Five Players To Watch For: F Micheal Ferland, G Curtis McElhinney, D Haydn Fleury, D Roland McKeown, F Saku Maenalanen
Team Needs
1) Top-Six Forward: It’s no secret that the Hurricanes desire a top-six forward. The team was in on William Nylander for months before he re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs (they could revisit that option this summer) and eventually swung a deal with the Minnesota Wild for Nino Niederreiter. However, scoring is still an issue. This season, only the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders have scored fewer goals per game than Carolina among teams in playoff position. The offense is stagnant at times and has been carried by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen all year. Looking ahead, the likely loss of Micheal Ferland could further diminish scoring next season. Although the pipeline is loaded with capable forward in Carolina, the team needs a long-term top-six addition. It remains to be seen if such a player is available at the deadline this year. Expect the ‘Canes to kick the tires on Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman, as well as the likes of Jason Zucker or Adam Henrique.
2) Value Forwards: If Carolina decides to buy in to playoff run this year, but the prices are too high on a long-term forward acquisition, the team would be better off trying to wait out the market to add some bargains than give up considerable future pieces for top rentals. For example, the idea of an Eric Staal return is great, but not an affordable option for Carolina. Instead, players like Richard Panik, Sven Andrighetto, or Alex Chiasson would come at a much lesser cost and would be less risky acquisitions in light of Carolina’s current playoff position, but would help fill some gaps in the lineup and create some more offense. The Hurricanes may very well stand pat at the deadline, but making even just a minor addition up front could go a long way.
Metropolitan Notes: Holtby, Bjugstad, Niederreiter
The Washington Capitals finally broke their seven-game losing streak, but there still is plenty of concern on whether the Stanley Cup champions can re-establish themselves as top candidates to re-capture the title this season. While many point to fatigue as the team played a lot of extra games in the playoffs last season, there are even bigger concerns, including the goaltending.
Perhaps one of the biggest area of concern, according to The Athletic’s Scott Burnside (subscription required) is the play of their goaltending, most particularly the play of Braden Holtby, who is posting another disappointing regular season. Despite an impressive Stanley Cup championship run during the playoffs, Holtby struggled during the regular season with a 2.99 GAA and a .907 save percentage. This year has been even more disappointing as the veteran has a 3.10 GAA and a .905 save percentage. He ranks 19th, among goalies with 20 or more appearances, at even-strength save percentage with a .918.
“The goalies have just lost it here,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. “They’re flailing away at it, letting in bad goals at bad times, stuff like that.”
- Seth Rorabaugh of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the impressive play of Pittsburgh Penguins’ newly acquired center Nick Bjugstad could eventually bring about head coach Mike Sullivan‘s dream of spreading out Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel over three lines. The belief is that the additions of Bjugstad as well as Jared McCann should open up multiple possibilities on offense which neither Derick Brassard or Riley Sheahan did. “Nick Bjugstad is a guy that’s shown an ability to score in this league,” Sullivan said of a player whose career season of 2014-15 saw him score 24 goals and 43 points in 72 games. “He’s a 45- to 50-point guy. He has more upside, he’s still young. He brings more size to our team and a whole lot of skill.”
- News & Observer’s Chip Alexander asks the question ‘What was Paul Fenton thinking?’ when referring to what so far looks to be a steal of a trade when the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Nino Niederreiter from Fenton and the Minnesota Wild for Victor Rask. Niederreiter has sparked the team with five goals in five games as the team has gone 3-1-1 in that span, including a big victory over Vegas Friday, while Rask has just one assist in Minnesota over four games. Niederreiter seems to have found a home on the team’s first line next to Sebastian Aho and veteran Justin Williams.
Deadline Primer: Minnesota Wild
With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Central Division, here is a look at the Minnesota Wild.
First-year GM Paul Fenton said it himself today that the Wild “can’t trade draft picks” this year due to their lack of depth in the pipeline. Yet, did they not just trade a fifth-round pick for defenseman Brad Hunt a few days ago? Fenton’s message is clear that the team is worried about their lack of youth on the NHL roster and few elite prospects in the system. He surely does not intend for Minnesota to be a “buyer” in the traditional sense this year. However, there is no reason to think that all of the Wild’s draft picks and prospects are off the table.
Minnesota has quietly won eight of their past twelve games and, while the myriad other teams competing for the final spot in the Central Division or a wild card berth continue to struggle to make up ground, the Wild have pulled away with a three-point lead over the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. There are still many games left, but Minnesota is starting to differentiate themselves as a legitimate playoff team. With that status comes a need to strengthen the roster and address problem areas – especially the 24th-ranked offense – to make the most of a postseason opportunity. Perhaps Fenton and company can succeed in those goals with pure hockey trades, but odds are the team will warm up to moving more late picks or middling prospects if that’s what it takes.
Record
26-21-3, third in the Central Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$11.87MM of full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2019: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN or WAS 5th*, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
2020: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
* – Wild owe the Vegas Golden Knights the better of their two 2019 fifth-round picks in return for Brad Hunt
Trade Chips
If you believe what Fenton says, then the Wild will be unwilling to move their best trade capital this deadline season. While he namely is talking about high draft picks, that likely also includes top prospects like forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Luke Kunin, and Ivan Lodnia, defenseman Filip Johansson, and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen. The recent emergence of Jordan Greenway at the NHL level also makes him untouchable. If a team is looking to land a top young player for their rental at the deadline, they likely won’t find one from Minnesota.
However, Fenton’s willingness to make hockey trades – one-for-one player swaps – opens up many other possibilities. 26-year-old forward Charlie Coyle has long been a fixture on the trade block and this could be the year that the Wild finally move the two-way contributor and his team-friendly contract. The other roster forward that could garner considerable attention is 22-year-old Joel Eriksson Ek, who just can’t seem to find his way at the NHL level and could use a change of scenery. With defenseman Mathew Dumba potentially sidelined for the season, Minnesota would be hard-pressed to remain a factor in the Western Conference playoff race while also trading away any of their blue line regulars. However, AHLers Louie Belpedio and Carson Soucy could be intriguing options for rebuilding teams.
Outside of the pro ranks, some other prospects who could be on the move include Providence College forward Brandon Duhaime or London Knights defenseman Jacob Golden, but the Wild will likely be hesitant to move younger prospects if they don’t have to.
With every win, the Wild become less and less likely to entertain any offers for their own impending free agents. In what is already a buyer’s market, Minnesota is unlikely to get great value for their UFA’s and would be better served to hold on to them, whether that’s star veteran Eric Staal or valued depth like forward Eric Fehr, defenseman Nate Prosser, and goaltender Alex Stalock. One piece that could move is current third-string goaltender Andrew Hammond, if a contending team is willing to pay for depth in net.
Five Players To Watch For: F Charlie Coyle, F Joel Eriksson Ek, D Carson Soucy, F Mason Shaw, G Andrew Hammond
Team Needs
1) Scoring Winger: To Fenton’s credit, he has addressed many of Minnesota’s needs already, adding Hunt to improve defensive depth, trading for Victor Rask to add another capable center, and even grabbing Pontus Aberg to help improve scoring. However, the slumping Rask and unproven Aberg alone are not going to turn around one the league’s least impressive offenses, especially with Nino Niederreiter now gone. Outside of Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund, no Wild forward has wowed offensively this season. The team needs to add another goal-scoring forward, preferably a winger, and they need to do it this year if they want to compete with other contenders in the postseason. If Fenton wants to make long-term hockey trades, he could look at adding someone like the Los Angeles Kings’ Tyler Toffoli or the New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider in a deal for a player like Eriksson Ek. If he comes around to the idea of an affordable rental, the Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello may be a better option, while the Ottawa Senators’ Ryan Dzingel or the Detroit Red Wings’ Gustav Nyquist could also be fits. It will all depend on the asking price. If they can add two scoring wingers, even better.
2) Draft Picks: One thing is certain – Fenton’s assessment of the team’s pipeline is not wrong. The Wild lack almost any prospects who realistically project to be top NHL players and desperately need to reload the system with some talent. When it comes to moving pieces around, especially if they do opt to trade away impending free agents, Minnesota would be wise to continue to protect their own high draft picks while trying to add more valuable picks along the way.
Trade Rumors: Hurricanes, Oilers, Nylander
The Carolina Hurricanes struck arguably the biggest trade of the regular season so far when they acquired Nino Niederreiter from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Victor Rask earlier today. However, GM Don Waddell is likely far from done. Not long after the deal was announced this afternoon, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun stated that the Hurricanes are still looking to add to their roster. LeBrun speculates that the team will add another top-six forward and will try to tap into their surplus of defensemen and defensive prospects to do so. The Hurricanes have the NHL’s longest playoff drought at nine seasons and would very much like to get back to the postseason this year and are well within striking distance of that goal past the midpoint of the season. While the team has succeeded in many areas this season, they continue to have struggles with scoring and, as LeBrun points out, could desperately use another talented forward. Yet, at the same time, the Hurricanes are also reportedly open to moving one of their most successful scoring forwards this season, Micheal Ferland. Ferland is on pace for a career season in his first year in Carolina, but the two sides had been unable to come to terms on an extension. Following the addition of a very similar player in Niederreiter, Ferland’s time in Carolina could soon be coming to an end. Between listening to offers on one highly-sought after rental forward and actively in pursuit of another top name on the market, the Hurricanes promise to remain in the rumor mill through the trade deadline next month and should have some more fireworks in store.
- Another team desperate to make the playoffs this season are the Edmonton Oilers. While the Oilers are reportedly willing to move a number of assets for long-term forward help, the hype surrounding a possible Jesse Puljujarvi trade appears to be cooling off and GM Peter Chiarelli may opt for adding an affordable rental rather than making another high-risk trade. In his latest “31 Thoughts” column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman names the Oilers as a suitor for the New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello. The veteran winger has been hot lately and could certainly help with Edmonton’s scoring woes down the stretch. As Friedman points out, and the Oilers surely know as well, Zuccarello also should not be too expensive to acquire. The Rangers received a second-round pick and middling prospect from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline last season for Michael Grabner, who was in the midst of a season not dissimilar from Zuccarello’s this year and was also an impending free agent. Chiarelli and company would likely be happy to give up a package such as that to add much-needed help up front.
- William Nylander is finally under contract and playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it’s been a slow start for the young forward in his return to action and an equally disappointing result for his team since his return. Making too much of that could be a mistake, but facing an impending salary cap crunch and mounting Stanley Cup expectations, GM Kyle Dubas and the Leafs brass have little room for error. Count former Toronto GM Brian Burke among those who would jettison Nylander as soon as possible if they were in Dubas’ shoes. Burke said on Sportsnet today that the front-loaded nature of Nylander’s contract should allow the team to move him and he expects that trade to occur this off-season. Burke acknowledges that Nylander is a talented player, but doesn’t agree with his nearly $7MM yearly cap hit and feels he is too similar to other players on the Leafs’ roster and considers him to be a costly “surplus player”. Whether Dubas and company agree with that assessment remains to be seen, but a Nylander trade this summer is certainly not out of the question.
Carolina Hurricanes Trade Victor Rask For Nino Niederreiter
The Carolina Hurricanes have made another huge trade to change up their core group of forwards, this time sending Victor Rask to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Nino Niederreiter. Both teams have struggled to find a ton of offense from their groups over the last few seasons, leading them to try and shake things up with a move like this.
At first blush, the deal seems to be a huge win for the Hurricanes given Rask’s incredible struggles this season. The 25-year old center has just six points in 26 games since returning from a freak hand injury in late November and has at times been relegated to fourth-line minutes in Carolina. That’s obviously not Rask’s ceiling, as he has twice previously recorded at least 45 points, but he wasn’t getting it done for the Hurricanes under Rod Brind’Amour and needed a fresh start elsewhere.
That’ll come in Minnesota where it’s unclear if Rask will stay in the middle of the ice. Charlie Coyle has been playing at the center position and finding great success, though he has plenty of experience on the wing where there is now a vacancy. Wild GM Paul Fenton had been clear that there were changes coming in Minnesota, and Niederreiter was one of the obvious candidates to be moved.
In fact, the bruising winger played just 9:31 in his final game for Minnesota after being dropped to the fourth line almost immediately after starting the game. Ironically he scored in those limited minutes and was successful in the shootout win to notch two points for the Wild over the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday night. That goal was just Niederreiter’s sixth even-strength tally of the season, a huge problem for a player who has made a living recording 20-goal seasons in the past. That sort of production is exactly what the Hurricanes are looking for, and Carolina GM Don Waddell called him a “proven goal-scorer” in the accompanying press release.
We wrote back in November how the Hurricanes needed help up front scoring goals, and that’s exactly what they’ll hope to accomplish with this addition. Niederreiter also fits right into the possession style that Carolina loves to employ, and is one of the better two-way wingers in the league. Still, the contract swap represents a $1.25MM increase for the Hurricanes through 2021-22 while Niederreiter immediately becomes the team’s highest-paid forward with Jordan Staal on injured reserve. He’ll be asked to do a lot in Carolina, and could even find himself on the top line in short order.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Extensive Power Forward Trade Market Forming
If the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline is deep at any one type of player, it is power forward. As the February 25th deadline grows closer and teams begin to make tough decisions about who goes and who stays, it is becoming clear that many big, physical scoring forwards are about to be up for grabs before they hit free agency. Just this past week, it was reported that the Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds was likely to be moved and inferred that the Carolina Hurricanes and Micheal Ferland were unlikely to come to terms ahead of the deadline. And that’s just the beginning.
Outside of the 6’2″ Simmonds and 220-lb. Ferland, there are plenty of other names out there that fit the power forward mold. Since this summer, the New York Rangers’ Kevin Hayes has been earmarked for a deadline trade. If they cannot agree to an extension, the Ottawa Senators may be forced to move star Mark Stone. Should the New York Islanders or Colorado Avalanche fall out of the playoff race, Brock Nelson and Colin Wilson – neither of whom look like long-term fits on their respective teams – should be on the block. To some surprise, Patrick Maroon‘s time with his hometown St. Louis Blues appears to be already running out. Even role player power forwards like New Jersey’s Brian Boyle and Florida’s Troy Brouwer should draw interest.
Many of these players feature on the trade bait lists from both The Athletic and TSN, as well as some non-UFA power forwards like the Blues’ Brayden Schenn, the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, the Wild’s Nino Niederreiter, and even young Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers. While it may seem like too many names for too few teams – and it is a buyer’s market this year for sure – The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun mentioned a number of suitors for a power forward who could make a move for one or more of these trade candidates in the coming weeks. At the top, LeBrun sees some of the biggest contenders as likely landing spots, naming the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and Calgary Flames as good fits for Simmonds, Ferland, and the like. He also adds the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights into that group. Of course, the Bruins and Jets also have needs down the middle and could be more ideal fits for Hayes or Nelson, while the wingers would appeal more to Tampa Bay and Nashville. While LeBrun casts doubt on the Toronto Maple Leafs being interested, if an arms race begins the team could feel pressured to add to their forward corps as well. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, both in need of secondary scoring, could also jump in on the action, while the Patric Hornqvist injury could prompt the Pittsburgh Penguins to make another move.
With so many power forwards potentially available and prices expected to be low, it could be that the majority of playoff-bound teams decide to add a hired gun up front this season. You can never have too much size and grit in the postseason, not to mention scoring touch, and the 2019 deadline could be defined by many players possessing those exact traits heading to new teams. With plenty of talent available, one of the aforementioned players might just end up being the x-factor for the eventual Stanley Cup champions this year.