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Ryan Spooner

Trade Candidates: Ryan Spooner

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

Throughout the Claude Julien reign in Boston, one which has been wildly successful overall, but has had more than a few bumps in the road over the past three seasons, there has been a stigma that Julien does not work well with young players. Often the reasoning behind confusing trades, like those of Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton, has been that they “don’t fit the system”. It has been apparent that many young players have spent time in Julien’s “dog house” and if you don’t play the way he wants, it’s often your ticket out of town.

Ryan Spooner deserves all the credit in the world for lasting this long. The 24-year-old center has had to work extra hard to be an impact player in Boston, as it is clear that he is not one of Julien’s preferred players. Spooner struggled to carve out a role for himself in 2013-14 and 2014-15, despite playing well when called up. Last season, he finally broke through with a 49-point campaign and had seemingly cemented himself as the Bruins’ third-line center of the future. Julien had other plans though. The head coach has had more success with young players this year than ever before, with Brandon Carlo, Frank Vatrano, and Austin Czarnik all playing big roles. Even a former “dog house” tenant in Colin Miller has earned the coach’s respect. However, it’s been a rough year for Spooner. Julien has moved him all around the lineup, often avoiding playing him at his natural center position, and Spooner’s numbers have felt the impact of this mismanagement. A cerebral play-maker with great vision, Spooner has a lot of skill and many teams would be interested in his services. GM Don Sweeney and the Bruins won’t give him away for nothing, but if the right deal for top four defenseman comes around, they won’t hesitate to offer up Spooner.

Contract

Spooner is in the final year of a two-year, $1.9MM contract, a “show me” deal signed with the Bruins back in 2015, and will be a restricted free agent this summer. With a cap hit of just $950K, the deal paid off when Spooner was one of the best value players in hockey last season. At the deadline, the young offensive weapon would count less than $500K against the salary cap and would be under team control going forward as a restricted free agent. Spooner does have salary arbitration rights this summer, however, and could likely seek a contract similar to the Carolina Hurricanes’ Victor Rask, who got six years, $24MM.

2016-17

Spooner is a natural when it comes to reading the ice and making plays and performs his best when he is able to hold the puck and find open line mates. Spooner is a true center. However, he has spent far more time playing left wing on the Bruins second, third, and even fourth lines this season than he has as their third line center. His statistics show the impact. His assists are down and he’s taking more shots, which is not his strong suit. With the return of Matt Beleskey from injury, Julien and the Bruins finally have a completely healthy forward group, and it has led to Spooner finally getting back to his spot as the third-line center. As long as he stays there, expect his numbers to improve. Additionally, Spooner continues to show this season, after scoring half of his goals with a man-up last year, that he is a power play ace. However, the reasons that he hasn’t earned Julien’s full trust are also clear. Spooner struggles to play a solid two-way game, though he has become tougher along the boards, and is very bad at the face-off dot.

Season Stats

51 games: 7 goals, 17 assists, 24 points, -5, 38.5 FO%, 11 powerplay points, 14:29 ATOI

Potential Suitors

The Bruins can benefit more long-term from retaining Spooner, especially with Julien’s future in doubt, than they can from trading him. That is, unless someone is willing to deal a top-four defenseman to get him. The Bruins do have a very deep prospect system, especially down the middle, and could replace Spooner if they needed to. However, someone will have to make it worth their while.

The West-leading Minnesota Wild are an intriguing possibility. Staring down an almost certainty that, without making a move, they will lose a great defenseman in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, the Wild need to be open to moves, even as they fight for a Stanley Cup this season. Though free agent acquisition Eric Staal has worked out immensely and captain Mikko Koivu isn’t going anywhere, the Wild have made it know that they would like to add another top-nine forward and a skilled, young center like Spooner fits the bill. If Minnesota asks Sweeney for Spooner as part of a deal for Jonas Brodin, Marco Scandella, or Matt Dumba, it seems likely that the former NHL defenseman would say yes. The same situation could apply to the Anaheim Ducks, who had talks with the Bruins this summer concerning Cam Fowler, but their salary cap situation and Expansion Draft situation make it more unlikely that they could find a sensible way to trade for and extend Spooner.

Outside of Bo Horvat, the Vancouver Canucks have almost no promising young centers or center prospects. Henrik Sedin is 36 years old and Brandon Sutter is better suited for a bottom-six role. Spooner would look good as the team’s future #2 pivot, but is GM Jim Benning willing to move Chris Tanev to make it happen, or would the Bruins settle for Alexander Edler or Ben Hutton?

Likelihood Of A Trade

It’s unfair to say that the Bruins would need to be blown away to trade Spooner, but someone will have to make them a very good offer. If the season continues to be short ups followed by long lows for the B’s, they’ll be outside the playoff picture come Trade Deadline day and more willing to shake the team up with a deal. However, Spooner’s skill is undeniable and he is still under team control at the end of the season as a restricted free agent. They won’t trade him just for a trade’s sake.

Bruins Scouting Ducks-Wild Game

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It would be a surprise to no one that the Boston Bruins’ brass are out watching other teams. While the Bruins are still clinging to a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, currently tied with the Ottawa Senators for second with 52 points, that position is only temporary. The Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, just two points behind, have six games in hand on Boston. They are currently doing battle with each other, which could result in a three-way tie with a Toronto win, a drop to third in the division with a Senators win, or the worst-case scenario, a Leafs OT-win in which both results would occur. Regardless, the Bruins are not going to be able to hang on to their spot long with the way they have been playing. Boston has lost three straight, including shutouts by the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders and a crushing 6-5 shootout defeat to the Detroit Redwings wherein they blew two three-goal leads. The Bruins have only won six of their last sixteen games and those six wins have come against four teams that are struggling as much or more than they are: the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers (twice), and Buffalo Sabres (twice). Beyond just wins and losses, there are rumors about coach Claude Julien, reported turmoil in the front office surrounding president Cam Neely, injuries on defense to Kevan and Colin Miller, a 16-game goal-less streak for early-season superstar David Pastrnak, and ongoing issues with line chemistry. The Bruins need a shake-up to save their season, and everyone knows it.

So, when Minnesota Wild beat writer Michael Russo reported that Bruins GM Don Sweeney was on the press box list at tonight’s game, with the Wild hosting the Anaheim Ducks, it came as no surprise. Both teams are known for their immense lack of talented depth on defense, something that Boston would definitely be interested in. While the team has been shut out three times this month, their scoring has actually been trending upward. Patrice Bergeron has begun to shake off his early struggles, Frank Vatrano has been a shot in the arm since his return from injury, and Brad Marchand and Torey Krug have remained on fire. The recent return of Matt Beleskey should help to add some scoring and balance out the forward lines (much-needed), while the AHL’s Providence Bruins, who won 9-1 tonight, have been explosive and could potentially offer support up front. That’s not to say that the Bruins, who will have about $17MM in cap space by the time the NHL Trade Deadline rolls around, won’t still look to add an impending free agent forward with some finish, but despite appearances, the offense should be able to figure itself out in the short-term. The defense is a different story. While the Bruins are loaded with defensive talent in the system, none of it is on its way this year and maybe not next year either, and the Bruins need some help now. Krug has four goals and 25 assists, but has also had his issues in his own end. His pair mate Adam McQuaid has had a nice bounce-back season, but offers little in the way of puck movement and offense. Same goes for the top pairing of Zdeno Chara and Brandon Carlo, who have been one of the better shutdown duos in the league this season, but are slowing down as a 39-year-old and a rookie respectively. John-Michael Liles, an impending free agent, has just recently returned from injury and has yet to make a major difference. Colin Miller, though he has upside, was in and out of the lineup even before his injury, and Kevan Miller, also injured, is likely better suited as an extra man. The Bruins need a legitimate top-four defenseman for this year and for the near future, and both the Wild and Ducks provide intriguing trade partners.

As it stands right now, Anaheim and Minnesota are both guaranteed to lose a top-four caliber defenseman in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, if the Vegas Golden Knights choose to select that player. A team can either protect seven forwards and three defenseman or eight skaters total, allowing them to protect a fourth defenseman. Neither situation works out particularly well for either team. The Ducks will be forced to protect veteran Kevin Bieksa, due to his no-movement clause, and will likely choose to protect young cornerstone blue liners Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, and Cam Fowler as well, even if it means leaving a promising forward like Jakob Silfverberg exposed. However, Vegas could choose to instead take another good young defenseman in Josh Manson or potentially Simon Depres. Similarly, the Wild too are expected to protect four defenseman, selecting from Ryan Suter (a veritable lock), Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Marco Scandella, and Matt Dumba. One way or another, one of those d-men will be exposed and almost certainly scooped up by the Golden Knights. So, with both teams fighting for position atop the Western Conference and with their eye on a Stanley Cup, Anaheim and Minnesota also have to be thinking about trading a defenseman. They would much rather get something in a trade rather than nothing in the draft, even if that means dealing away talent in a Cup-contender season. Armed with a deep prospect system and quality forwards they may willing to part with, such as David Krejci, Ryan Spooner, and Jimmy Hayes, the Bruins would be an interesting suitor for either team. With Don Sweeney in attendance, watching two teams that are facing a difficult situation and may feel like pressured to make a move, an important shake-up trade could be on the horizon in Boston. Could it be the revitalized Fowler? The youngster Dumba? A more Bruin-like player like Scandella or Manson? Only time will tell, but the connection between the Bruins and these defense-deep teams will be something to keep an eye on as we head toward the Trade Deadline in just over a month.

East Notes: Spooner, Ovechkin, Islanders Executive Search

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The Hurricanes, Sharks, and Islanders are among the teams that have been in trade talks with Boston regarding forward Ryan Spooner, reports CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty.  The Bruins are believed to be shopping the 24 year old who is off to a slow start this season with nine points in 25 games.  Spooner, a natural center, has spent a lot of time on the left wing and has bounced anywhere between the first and fourth lines which hasn’t allowed him to settle into one specific role so far.

It’s believed that GM Don Sweeney is looking for a top six forward in return for Spooner, who carries a cap hit of just $950K this season.  While there aren’t many top six forwards with a cap charge under $1MM, the Bruins do have some cap space to work with (a little over $3.6MM per CapFriendly) which would make it easier to take a higher priced player back if they can find the right trade.

For his part, Spooner reiterated that his preference is to stay with Boston, the team that drafted him back in the second round (45th overall) back in 2010.  With Matt Beleskey set to miss the next six weeks due to a knee injury, Spooner should slide into his spot in the lineup and although that will mean he’ll need to continue to play the left wing, having a bit more certainty in his role may go a long way towards him re-establishing himself as an offensive threat after putting up 49 points last season.

More from the East:

  • Capitals head coach Barry Trotz is not happy with captain Alex Ovechkin when it comes to his discipline, writes Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. Ovechkin has taken five minor penalties in Washington’s last three games and leads the team with 11 in total, something that Trotz calls “unacceptable”.
  • As part of their search to bring in a high level executive, the Islanders are interested in speaking with former Vancouver GM Mike Gillis, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link). TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (Twitter links) that the team has spoken with former Isles Pat LaFontaine, Pat Flatley, and Glenn Healy and that they may have interest in Laurence Gilman, another former executive with the Canucks. He notes that Vancouver has not yet been asked for permission to speak with either Gillis or Gilman, something that is required as both still are under contract to the Canucks this season despite being let go.

Ryan Spooner, Matt Hendricks On The Trade Block

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As part of their Saturday Headlines segment (video link), Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos and Elliotte Friedman provided some information regarding a couple of players believed to be on the trade block:

Ryan Spooner (Bruins)

Kypreos suggested that the Vancouver Canucks could be a possible fit for the Boston center.  GM Jim Benning is familiar with the 24 year old from his time as an Assistant GM with the Bruins while Spooner has also had some success with Loui Eriksson, who left Boston to sign with the Canucks back in July.

After a 49 point season last year, Spooner has had a quieter start to this season with just eight points (3-5-8) in 24 games.  However, with a cap hit of just $950K, he’s an affordable player for any team and with the Canucks likely looking to transition towards being more of a younger team, the fit makes sense.

Friedman noted last month that teams had been expressing an interest in Spooner but it’s far from a guarantee that he gets dealt.  It’s certainly possible that the Bruins view him as part of their long-term core and that this slow start isn’t a sign of things to come.

CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty reports that talks regarding Spooner have increased in recent weeks and that the team is now seeking a top six forward in return, a departure from their previous asking price of a top four blueliner.  He also gets the sense that Boston’s management is motivated to move him as he may not be the right fit for head coach Claude Julien’s system.

Matt Hendricks (Oilers)

Hendricks was a healthy scratch in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win against the Ducks and Friedman believes that Edmonton is making him available to other teams.  He has missed over a month with a lower body injury and as a result, Hendricks has played in just five games so far this season.

With a cap hit of $1.85MM this season, teams may be hard pressed to fit Hendricks into their salary structure, especially since the 35 year old is limited to a fourth line role.  Friedman suggests that his hometown Minnesota could be a potential fit.  However, the Wild are currently into LTIR meaning that their cap space to work with is extremely limited.  For any deal to work, Minnesota would likely have to send equal salary the other way or the Oilers would have to retain some of his salary.

Both Kypreos and Friedman also touched on Montreal’s Max Pacioretty.  While they were quick to emphasize that the Canadiens are not shopping their captain, Kypreos suggested that there may be a bit of friction between Pacioretty and head coach Michel Therrien.  He has heard that several teams around the league are watching the situation closely and suggests that if Montreal decides to commit to playing more of a defensive game in front of Carey Price, that they could consider moving the 28 year old for a top four defenseman.  However, with a cap hit of $4.5MM, quite low for a four time 30-goal scorer, it would be challenging for GM Marc Bergevin to get top value back at a similar price tag.

Friedman’s Latest: Spooner, Flyers, Canadiens, Trouba, Capitals

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As is the case every Tuesday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman released his latest 30 Thoughts column.   As always, the whole article is worth a read but here are some of the highlights, including Ryan Spooner in Boston, the Flyers looking to free up some cap space, an update on Jacob Trouba, and more:

  • Teams are expressing an interest in Boston center Ryan Spooner, particularly since he was a healthy scratch for their home opener. He’s one year removed from a 49 point season with a cap hit of just $950K so he’d fit in on the cap for most teams around the league.  He’s still just 24 years of age so it’s certainly conceivable that the Bruins still view him as part of their future.  Friedman wonders if prospect Austin Czarnik could play a role in whether or not the team looks at moving Spooner.  He may not be ready for full-time duty just yet but he could be in the near future.
  • With Michael Del Zotto and Scott Laughton are nearing a return to the lineup, the Flyers are believed to be trying to make a move to free up some cap room. Both players are currently on LTIR so the team will need to get cap compliant before they can activate them.  Matt Read is off to a strong start this year with five goals already and Friedman suggests they may not be as willing to move him now as they were earlier.
  • The Canadiens are shopping for some defensive help but are in particular looking for a top four player. With Cam Fowler presumably off the market and Jacob Trouba not believed to have interest in playing for any of the Canadian teams, there aren’t really many of those available at the moment.
  • Speaking of Trouba, he has shown no interest so far in a short-term bridge deal that would allow him to get back to action while still basically maintaining his trade request. We took a closer look yesterday at where things are with Trouba, who has one month to sign or else he’ll be forced to sit the rest of the NHL season.
  • With Evgeny Kuznetsov (pending RFA) and Karl Alzner (pending UFA) needing contracts at the end of the year, Washington GM Brian McLellan acknowledges that this could be the last run for the Capitals with their current core group. He believes the team is as strong as it has been in a long time down the middle with the addition of Lars Eller although he is off to a slow start offensively with just one goal so far this season.

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