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Mirco Mueller Signs In SHL

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One of the last notable unsigned NHL free agents has found a new home for this season. Defenseman Mirco Mueller, most recently of the New Jersey Devils, has moved on from pursuing an NHL contract to sign in Sweden. The SHL’s Leksands IF has announced a contract with Mueller for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

Mueller, 25, was arguably the best unsigned blue liner left on the open market prior to this signing. Among current free agents, Mueller trailed only veteran Ron Hainsey in games played, time on ice per game, and points. That wasn’t even a career-best season either, as Mueller posted personal highs across the board in 2018-19 with 11 points, 75 hits, and over 18 minutes per night in 53 games with the Devils.

While Mueller’s defensive efforts over the years deserve some scrutiny, he had been a good semi-regular defenseman for quite a few years with New Jersey and the San Jose Sharks. Still growing into his game, the young defender seemed like a player that an NHL team would have been willing to take a shot on. Instead, he should step into a major role for Leksands for the rest of the year. The team, which is in the middle of the pack in the SHL this year, boasts some talented former NHL forwards scoring at an impressive clip, such as Carter Camper, Carter Ashton, and Peter Cehlarik. However, they have not received much production from the blue line, an area where Mueller will be of major assistance. Given his age, NHL experience, a potential production in the SHL over the rest of the season, Mueller could be back in North America before too long.

Atlantic Notes: Anderson, Senators, Stamkos, Weise

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Although Craig Anderson won’t be returning to the Senators next season, he isn’t planning on calling it a career just yet.  He told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that he still has some goals that he wants to achieve and that he won’t be overly picky about where he lands.  While it’s unlikely that the 39-year-old will have a significant market, there should be some interest from teams that are looking for a veteran second netminder.  Before this season, he had made at least 40 appearances in four straight years and with an expectation that 2020-21 will be more compact than normal, having a backup that’s capable of handling more than a typical number two workload will be more important than usual.  Anderson posted a 3.25 GAA along with a .902 SV% in 34 games with Ottawa this season.

Elsewhere around the Atlantic Division:

  • Still with the Senators, the team is in discussions with pending unrestricted free agents Ron Hainsey, Matthew Peca, and Scott Sabourin on new deals, Garrioch reports in a separate column. Hainsey logged over 20 minutes a night on Ottawa’s back end this season and would give them a bit of stability on a relatively young back end but would likely need to come cheaper than the $3.5MM he made this season to stick around.  Peca was acquired at the deadline from Montreal while Sabourin was converted to an NHL deal just before the season started and both would likely be vying for a depth role if they re-sign.
  • Steven Stamkos once again won’t be available for the Lightning as they look to wrap up the Stanley Cup tonight against Dallas, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters including Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). The captain has been limited to just one game and 2:47 of playing time this postseason although he did score an important goal in Game Three of this series in that lone appearance.
  • Canadiens winger Dale Weise will not be re-signing with Montreal and will instead hit the open market, notes Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports (Twitter link). The 32-year-old spent most of the season in the minors but was recalled down the stretch while also seeing action in five playoff games while being held off the scoresheet.  Lavoie adds that Weise’s intentions are to try to land an NHL deal and that he isn’t pursuing opportunities overseas.

East Notes: Islanders, Hainsey, Drouin, Meyer

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The New York Islanders had high hopes this season and looked like serious contenders in the Metropolitan Division at the trade deadline. The Islanders even went out and were active at the trade deadline, suggesting that they were going to go for it, trading a first, two seconds and a conditional third-round pick to pick up center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and defenseman Andy Greene.

Suddenly, however, the Islanders have struggled, losing six straight and going 2-5-3 in their past 10 games, and sliding out of the top three in the Metro. The Islanders now are hanging onto a wild card spot and if the team cannot figure things out, they could easily slide out of the playoffs. Newsday’s Andrew Gross writes that falling out of the playoffs would be a disaster for the Islanders.

The scribe adds that there would be a lot of question marks if that happens and wonders if the team needs to add a star forward in the offseason to give the team a boost in the future. One possibility would be trying to sign soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Taylor Hall away from Arizona. Hall spent the past three and a half years in the New York area and if the Islanders can find the cap room, make him a significant offer.

  • The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that Ottawa Senators defenseman Ron Hainsey is a strong candidate to re-sign with the club this offseason. The 38-year-old blueliner, who signed a one-year, $3.5MM contract with Ottawa last summer, has spent the season paired with Thomas Chabot, mentoring the young defenseman. Hainsey has one goal and 11 points this season, but more importantly carries a plus-10 rating on a weak Ottawa squad and is a personal favorite of coach D.J. Smith, who got to know him when he was an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Montreal Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin has skated several times this week. The 24-year-old has been out most recently with an ankle injury that has already waylaid him for three games and there still remains no timetable on when he will return. Drouin has not been able to stay healthy this season, being held to just 27 games this year due to various injuries. He currently has seven goals and 15 points.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets will have a decision to make soon on one of they draft picks, Carson Meyer, who is wrapping up his senior season with Ohio State University. The 22-year-old is having a breakout season with 17 goals and 31 points, but Columbus must decide if they want to offer the 2017 sixth-round pick a NHL contract. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes the team might sign Meyer to a professional tryout agreement with the Cleveland Monsters to see how the forward might fare at the professional level before making a final decision. He also will become an unrestricted free agent in August of this year.

Trade Candidate: Ron Hainsey

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

From the moment he signed in Ottawa at the beginning of free agency in July, the countdown towards Ron Hainsey’s next trade has been underway.  The veteran blueliner played an important role in the postseason for Toronto the last two years but with the Senators well out of the playoff picture already with an expiring contract, there isn’t much of a case to keep him around for the stretch run which makes the question of a trade a matter of when and not if.

Contract

Hainsey is on a one-year, $3.5MM contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency once again in July.  The deal contains a 10-team no-trade clause.

2019-20

The 38-year-old was brought in to be a veteran mentor for a young Ottawa core while taking some pressure off a relatively untested back end.  He has done exactly that.  Hainsey is serving as an alternate captain already and has moved back and forth on the top two pairings and is once again logging more than 20 minutes a night for the ninth straight season.  He also has spent time playing on both the left and right sides which has only boosted his value to the Sens.  Generally speaking, he hasn’t done anything to get himself traded (it wouldn’t be shocking if Senators GM Pierre Dorion has already kicked the tires on what it might cost for an extension) but with Ottawa well out of the playoffs, there isn’t a compelling case to keep him around.

Season Stats

46 GP, 1 goal, 10 assists, 11 points, +6 rating, 8 PIMS, 32 shots, 20:11 TOI, 43.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Hainsey has shown that he can handle minutes in the top four, most teams will probably view him as a third pairing option.  Veteran defenders is something that practically every contender looks to add to shore up their depth but here are a few teams that stand out as potentially strong fits.

In the East, Hainsey’s former employer in Toronto makes some sense if they can make the finances work (and that could prove to be too difficult).  But the Maple Leafs could certainly stand to add someone who has some familiarity with the roster already and a proven ability to play with their top blueliner in Morgan Rielly.  Another of his former teams in Carolina could make sense.  The Hurricanes are believed to be looking for extra depth in the wake of the Dougie Hamilton injury and while Hainsey isn’t a natural righty, he has played that side enough in recent years to be a legitimate option on that side and they have enough cap room to fit him in.  Washington is going to be shopping at the lower end of the market for depth but Hainsey would give them a nice upgrade on their third pairing.  They would need Ottawa to retain some salary though.

Out West, Winnipeg has had a tough season when it comes to their back end with their key departures and several injuries among those that are there.  Hainsey could potentially step into a spot in their top four if they’re willing to go the rental route.  Calgary could be forced to pivot to defense depending on what happens with Mark Giordano‘s injury from Tuesday night and they freed up enough money to add him with their move last month.  Edmonton’s preference at this point is likely depth down the middle but if they can’t get that, they’ll likely pivot to strengthening their back end where Hainsey would give their third pairing a boost.

Likelihood Of A Trade

All things considered, the likelihood is quite high that Hainsey will be on the move here.  Unless he’s willing to sign a very team-friendly extension that is worth more than whatever mid-tier draft pick or prospect they’d get in return, the smart play for Ottawa is to move him out and if they’re so inclined, try to bring him back in free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Tortorella, Senators, Hajek

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Following his latest rant about officiating over the weekend, it was only a matter of time before Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella received a fine from the league.  That came down today as the league announced that they’ve fined him $20K plus an additional conditional fine of $25K should there be another similar outburst between now and December 29th of this year which basically places him on press conference probation.  The conditional element is a rather unique one but perhaps it’s justified as this is the twelfth time that Tortorella has been subject to discipline from the league – three suspensions and nine fines.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Senators appear to be getting one of their injured defensemen back for Thursday’s game against Florida. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes (Twitter link) that defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is likely to return after missing the last seven games due to a lower-body injury.  However, Ron Hainsey is likely to miss at least another week.  Meanwhile, netminder Anders Nilsson has resumed skating after being diagnosed with a concussion following his last start back on December 16th.
  • Still with Ottawa, GM Pierre Dorion told Garrioch that they expect defense prospect Lassi Thomson to return to North America next season. Thomson was selected 19th overall by the Senators back in June out of Kelowna of the WHL but opted not to return there and instead returned to Ilves of the SM-liiga this season on loan.  Thomson is currently at the World Juniors where he captains Team Finland and collected three assists through the opening round of the tournament.
  • While Rangers defenseman Libor Hajek is a part of their future core on the back end, he hasn’t finished his time in the AHL just yet. Head coach David Quinn told reporters, including Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, that the 21-year-old is likely going to be assigned to AHL Hartford once he’s cleared to return from his current knee injury that has held him out of the last dozen games.  Hajek has at least resumed skating so his return may not be too far away.

Snapshots: Brown, Thomas, Gomez

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Connor Brown may seem like just one of a number of additions the Ottawa Senators have made this off-season, but it turns out that the team had their eye on the veteran forward for some time and have high expectations for him this year. Speaking with Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Senators GM Pierre Dorion states that his interest in Brown began long before the team hired former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant D.J. Smith as their new head coach and belongs in a separate category from familiar additions Nikita Zaitsev, Ron Hainsey, and Tyler Ennis. While that group of veterans was brought in from Toronto to provide leadership and stability in a young locker room under a first-time NHL head coach, Dorion sees a larger role for Brown. “We just feel he was someone on a very skilled team that probably didn’t get the offensive looks he would have gotten on a lot of other teams,” Dorion states, suggesting “We feel he’s going to get back to being the 20-goal scorer he was in his rookie year.” Brown did hit 20 goals, as well as 36 points, in a breakout rookie campaign three years ago, but his goal scoring totals have dropped precipitously since then: 14 goals in 2017-18 and 8 goals in 2018-19. Brown will certainly have the opportunity to improve his numbers on an Ottawa roster that lack many established scorers, but Dorion’s projection of 20+ goals may be lofty for a player who has looked comfortable as a 30-point, two-way forward over the last few years.

  • Akil Thomas is on the Los Angeles Kings’ roster for their upcoming rookie tournament and is poised to compete for an NHL roster spot in training camp. However, even though their intention was to honor the young forward, his junior team made it clear that they don’t expect him to break camp with the Kings this year. The OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs have named Thomas their captain for the 2019-20 season, the team already announced, although Thomas is still weeks away from pushing for a place with the Kings. Thomas more than earned the role with his play last year, recording 102 points in 63 games for a powerhouse team that has since lost the likes of Jason Robertson, Jack Studnicka, and Ben Jones to the pros. Nevertheless, even those dominant numbers don’t guarantee the 2018 second-round pick a role with L.A. this season. The Kings sport an impressive group of prospects competing for few openings. Recent high picks Rasmus Kupari and Jaret Anderson-Dolan probably have an edge on Thomas if the Kings opt to add a rookie forward to the starting lineup, likely leading Niagara to safely assume that their star forward will be back this season.
  • After two years on the job, Scott Gomez has decided to leave the New York Islanders coaching staff, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports. The team has confirmed the move and stressed that Gomez was not fired. Gomez was originally hired by Doug Weight, but served under Barry Trotz last season as well. Gomez is remembered most for his dynamic offensive play early in his pro career with the New Jersey Devils. It could be that his philosophy on offense didn’t mesh with Trotz’ ultra-conservative scheme, prompting him to seek a better fit elsewhere, but there has been no word as to the reasoning behind Gomez’ departure. If Gomez wants to continue coaching, there is undoubtedly a place for him in the pro or junior ranks.

Free Agent Profile: Marc Methot

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It doesn’t seem that long ago that Marc Methot was considered to be a high-end shutdown defenseman. Actually, it was just two years ago when the veteran was with the Ottawa Senators, that he averaged just short of 19 minutes per game for eight straight seasons. However, after signing a four-year, $19.6MM extension to remain in Ottawa in 2015, the Senators choose to expose his contract in the Vegas expansion draft and the defense-greedy Golden Knights opted to grab him, immediately flipping him to Dallas for a prospect and a 2020 second-round pick.

Unfortunately, the Stars didn’t capitalize on Methot’s impressive defensive play as he struggled with injuries in his two years in Dallas. In those two years, he has appeared in just 45 games and only nine of them came in the 2018-19 season. In fact, the knee injury that sidelined Methot for most of the season last year, could keep him out even longer than people had expected.

Having hit free agency this year at age 34, TSN reported in July that Methot might not be ready for the 2019-20 season at all due to the knee surgery that he underwent in January. However, despite the injuries, he still was a valuable commodity when he was on the ice with his defensive play and ability to play physically and provide key hits during the game.

Potential Suitors

The most obvious suitor could be retirement depending on how Methot’s knee responds from his surgery. TSN’s Shawn Simpson reported last month that Methot has started skating, which could increase his suitors if he can prove he is ready to return to the ice. If his knee can hold up, he could provide key depth on any team’s defense as a shutdown third-pairing defenseman, which plenty of teams would need.

A reunion in either Ottawa or Columbus might make sense, but Ottawa has already added a number of veterans to its defensive core, including Ron Hainsey and with a number of young blueliners waiting to get playing time, he might not be a good fit with his hometown. However, Methot could find a way there. In Columbus, the team is likely set on defense, but one injury could change that and a coach like John Tortorella would appreciate a defensive-minded veteran.

The New Jersey Devils are a team that could be interested in Methot as he might provide a good fit at the bottom of their lineup. There are plenty of other teams that might still need some depth on their defense such as the Anaheim Ducks, Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals. However, much of who might be interested in Methot, may be determined by team injuries and their needs.

Projected Contract

Methot’s situation might require him to wait to sign a contract until he can prove that he’s healthy and can really contribute to an NHL team, meaning he might have to wait until well into the 2019-20 season before signing a deal. Once he can prove he’s healthy, assuming he can and doesn’t opt to retire instead, Methot will likely have to settle for a minimum-salaried deal and prove his value to the team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Senators Expected To Sign Ron Hainsey And Tyler Ennis

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A pair of former Maple Leafs appear to be on their way to Ottawa.  The Senators are closing in on signing forward Tyler Ennis to a one-year contract, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link).  TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds (Twitter link) that defenseman Ron Hainsey is also expected to sign with the Sens.  Financial terms of the contract for Ennis aren’t yet known while Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Hainsey’s deal will carry a $3.5MM AAV.

Ennis spent last season with Toronto after being bought out by Minnesota in June of 2018.  He fared relatively well in a limited role, managing to collect 18 points in 51 games despite averaging less than ten minutes a night of playing time, predominantly in a fourth line role.

It’s likely that Ennis will get a larger opportunity with Ottawa as he joins a roster that’s not as deep as Toronto’s.  It could be a good fit for both sides as the 29-year-old looks to prove that he can still be more of an offensive contributor while the Sens could conceivably flip him in a trade later next season to a team looking for more depth for the stretch run.  Ennis slotted in 41st on our Top 50 UFA Rankings.

Meanwhile, Hainsey wound up playing a big role with Toronto last season, averaging over 20 minutes a night on their back end for the second straight year.  While they had hoped to limit his ice time considering his age (38), he wound up spending most of the year in their top four, something that’s likely to be the case with Ottawa.  He’s expected to be a mentor on what’s a very young back end and, like Ennis, he immediately becomes a potential midseason trade candidate.  Hainsey earned the 29th spot in our UFA Rankings.

Free Agent Notes: Boyle, Hainsey, Acciari

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Five to six teams have reached out to free agent forward Brian Boyle according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who lists the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres as two interested parties. Boyle is coming off a two-year $5.1MM contract that he signed with the New Jersey Devils but finished with the Nashville Predators, and could still be an interesting bottom-six addition for many teams.

Now 34, the gigantic forward has always had a knack for scoring big goals and tallied 18 last season despite averaging just over 13 minutes a night. The 6’6″ Boyle has played center for much of his career but can also line up at left wing and provide a net-front presence on the powerplay. The 2018 Masterton Trophy winner after a battle with cancer, he obviously still believes he has some hockey left in him even as he heads into his mid-thirties.

  • Ron Hainsey believes the same, as agent Matt Keator told reporters including LeBrun today that the 38-year old won’t be retiring as long as his phone is ringing. The free agent defenseman played the last two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and routinely lined up on the top pairing with Morgan Rielly, averaging more than 20 minutes a night. With 23 points in each of those years and a career-high +30 rating in 2018-19, it’s easy to understand why there might be interest. Even Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas admitted to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet that the team would love to bring Hainsey back, but admits they might get priced out given their cap concerns.
  • The Boston Bruins have extended a contract offer to Noel Acciari according to team reporter Joe Haggerty, but they know the hard working forward will draw interest from other teams. Acciari, 27, is coming off a season in which he recorded just 15 points in 72 games but was a physical force recording 221 hits and logging a good amount of time on the penalty kill.
  • Columbus Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger tweets that the Blue Jackets have spoken with the representatives of free agent forward Marcus Johansson, who is a free agent after his Stanley Cup run with the Boston Bruins. Johansson is coming off a three-year, $13.75MM deal originally signed with the Washington Capitals but has dealt with injury over the last two seasons. He recorded 30 points in 58 games in 2018-19, but was an excellent piece for the Bruins in the postseason adding some secondary scoring down the lineup. Johansson is a versatile player capable of lining up at any forward position, and should have plenty of interest around the league.

Atlantic Notes: Palat, Pageau, Dermott, Hudon, Rask

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Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper announced that winger Ondrej Palat is not expected to play Sunday, but after that the 27-year-old is expected to be listed as “day-to-day” and could be back soon. Palat hasn’t played since Oct. 26 when he left the game with a lower body injury and subsequently was listed out for at least four weeks. That seems about right as the team could get him back at some point this week.

Palat has appeared in just nine games this season and has failed to find the back of the net as he has just five assists in that span. The team needs the winger to return and re-establish himself in the team’s top-six as he also dealt with injuries last year as he played in 56 games, tallying only 11 goals.

Cooper also added that defenseman Anton Stralman is being re-evaluated and will be out Sunday. The 32-year-old hasn’t played since Nov. 8 with an undisclosed injury. Stralman has eight points in 16 games.

  • The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has been out all season with a torn Achilles muscle, continues to make amazing progress as he joined the team on their four-game road trip in New York and skated with the team Sunday in a non-contact jersey. Despite a six-month timetable in mid-September, Pageau looks closer and closer to returning to the team quite a bit earlier than the original diagnosis. Garrioch also notes that Mark Stone, Colin White and Mark Borowiecki all took part in skating Sunday.
  • The Athletic’s Ian Tulloch (subscription required) breaks down the play of many of the Toronto Maple Leafs from Saturday’s game. Of note, Tulloch writes that one necessity in the near future is that Toronto must find a way to find a spot in their top-four for defenseman Travis Dermott. The 21-year-old is only averaging 17:53 of ATOI, but has been used more and more, getting 23:06 of ice time Saturday. The scribe adds that Dermott has developed into the team’s top defenseman and the Toronto needs to make adjustments accordingly, which means cutting playing time for struggling blueliners Ron Hainsey and Nikita Zaitsev.
  • After being a healthy scratch for Friday’s game, Montreal Canadiens forward Charles Hudon talked to head coach Claude Julien, who told him to be more aggressive, like he was last season when he had 126 hits, according to Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan. Hudon’s response was he had 13 hits in 9:09 of ice time.
  • It looks like the break that Tuukka Rask took a week ago has been paying off for the netminder. Rask has had three impressive starts since taking a critical weekend off earlier this month, including a .938 save percentage in his three appearances since his return, according to the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont.

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