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Minor Transactions: 10/17/23

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It’s a busy hockey day across the world, as the Champions Hockey League prepares for Game Day 6. This brings together a slew of exciting matchups, including a bout between Sweden’s Farjestad and Germany’s Munich Red Bulls. Farjestad has excelled in the CHL so far this season, winning four of their five games and averaging 4.4 goals-for and 1.8 goals-against on a per-game basis. Munich is coming off a tough loss in their home league but boasts one of the few offenses that can keep up with Farjestad. Munich also has the league’s scoring leader: former NHL first-round pick Jonathon Blum.

Hockey fans will have plenty to keep them busy with seven CHL games, and nine NHL games, on the slate today. The transaction wire remains as busy as the action on the ice and, as always, we’ll track notable player movement here.

This page may be updated throughout the day. 

Minor Transactions: 10/14/23

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With most leagues now underway for their 2023-24 seasons, there is still a lot of activity on the minor transactions front as players look to secure spots before it’s too late.  Here’s a rundown of transaction activity that has an NHL connection.

  • The Kings’ AHL affiliate in Ontario announced that they’ve released veteran goalie Jean-Francois Berube from his tryout agreement; he had previously been in camp with Los Angeles. The 32-year-old has bounced around the minors over the past few seasons, spending time with five different organizations over the last four years.  Berube last saw NHL action back in 2021-22 with Columbus but will have his work cut out for him to get back to the top level as first, he’ll need to catch on with another AHL squad.
  • After getting cut from Carolina’s training camp, veteran forward Nick Shore is returning to HV71 in Sweden according to a report from SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson and Jacob Johannesson. The 31-year-old last saw regular action back in 2019-20 with Toronto and Winnipeg and has 299 games at the top level under his belt.
  • Scott Harrington’s tryout with Anaheim’s farm team was short-lived as AHL San Diego announced that he has been released. The 30-year-old finished last season with the Ducks after being claimed on waivers at the end of February and held his own, picking up four points in 17 games while averaging over 18 minutes a night.  Now, he’ll have to head to a new organization and will likely have to settle for an AHL contract at this point to catch on somewhere.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

West Notes: Lindholm, Schenn, Kings, Harrington

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There has been some optimism about the Flames and pending UFA center Elias Lindholm working out an extension after the veteran indicated a desire to get a deal done.  However, the two sides aren’t close to an agreement, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported in TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment (video link).  Calgary could point to the extension that Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele just signed, a seven-year deal that carries a cap hit of $8.5MM as a possible comparable, if not a bit lower given that Lindholm’s career numbers aren’t as high as Scheifele’s.  However, if the Flames want to get a deal done early, their offer might have to get closer to the $9MM range on a max-term agreement or close to it.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Predators defenseman Luke Schenn was a late scratch for tonight’s game against Seattle with what the team is calling (Twitter link) a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old logged a little more than 15 minutes in his first game with Nashville after inking a three-year, $8.25MM contract with them this past summer.
  • Earlier this month, the Kings wrapped up a one-year extension with head coach Todd McLellan. He won’t be the only member of the coaching staff on an expiring deal next season as GM Rob Blake told reporters including LA Kings Insider’s Zach Dooley that all of their coaches are now under contract through the 2024-25 campaign.
  • Scott Harrington is still looking to land a full contract for this season. After failing to secure a deal with the Ducks in training camp, he’ll remain with the organization for now on another tryout agreement, this time of the AHL variety as their affiliate in San Diego announced they’ve inked him to a PTO deal.  The 30-year-old has primarily been in the NHL over the last six years but he’ll have to work his way back up this season.  In the minors, a PTO can last for 25 games and a player can sign two of them in a playing year.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Scott Harrington To PTO

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Scott Harrington to a professional tryout, according to a team post on X.

Harrington, 30, will attempt to extend his stay with the Ducks after he landed there via the waiver wire in February. He started the 2022-23 season as a member of the San Jose Sharks, signing there as a free agent in late September, but was included in the blockbuster deal that sent Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils on February 26. New Jersey waived him the following day, and the Ducks opted to claim the veteran defender.

In 45 games split between the Sharks and Ducks, Harrington recorded four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 45 games with a respectable -6 rating, given the poor quality of the teams he played on. Working his way into a more consistent bottom-pairing role, Harrington played his most games in a single season since he suited up for 73 with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018-19. Now nine seasons deep into his NHL career, the journeyman defender has posted 49 points in 255 games split between the Blue Jackets, Ducks, Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

If he can convert on his PTO, Harrington could very well stick in the NHL full-time next season for the first time in a couple of years. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has been clear about his intention not to rush the team’s boatload of defensive prospects, and Harrington, along with 22-year-old Jackson LaCombe, could conceivably comprise the Ducks’ left side on defense on opening night behind Cam Fowler. The Ducks signed Robert Hägg last month to fill a depth role on defense, but Harrington posted better results last season and would likely slot in above Hägg on the team’s depth chart if he lands a contract.

Examining Maple Leafs Bargain Bin Free Agent Targets

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Joshua Kloke of The Athletic wrote an article today highlighting seven bargain bin free agent targets that could help the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. The Maple Leafs currently sit about $2MM over the salary cap despite putting Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray on LTIR for next year, making it difficult to imagine Toronto doing much shopping in free agency unless they sign two-way deals or move out a contract. The names on the list were interesting, and certainly, they reflect the Maple Leafs’ salary cap predicament.

The most interesting name on Kloke’s list was three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews. Much speculation has been made this off-season about the future of Toews as he has battled health issues the past few seasons and may be leaning towards retirement. Toews was effective last year, albeit in limited action as he dressed in just 53 games and put up 15 goals and 16 assists. The former captain of the Chicago Blackhawks doesn’t have much to play for at this point, but if he were to choose the Maple Leafs as a destination, he could slide into a similar role that Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton had when they arrived in Toronto a few years ago. Toews could be a very effective fourth-line center for Toronto even at this point in his career, but one must wonder if wants to.

Zach Aston-Reese was another name on the list and is coming off a season in which he scored a career-high 10 goals with Toronto. By all accounts, Aston-Reese was well-liked in Toronto and was effective for them in a fourth-line role. We profiled the Staten Island, New York native just days ago in our Free Agent Profile series and highlighted that the 28-year-old has some of the best defensive analytics in the league but offers very little offensively.

Another name on the list was a young reclamation project and that is 25-year-old Jesse Puljujarvi. The right-winger is coming off a very disappointing season in which he scored just five goals and was dumped by the Edmonton Oilers in a cap-cutting move last year. Puljujarvi has been a disappointment in his young career after getting drafted fourth overall in 2016. He has just 51 goals and 63 assists in 334 NHL games but is just a year removed from a 36-point season in 2021-22. The Maple Leafs would probably be a good landing spot for Puljujarvi as he could play in more of a sheltered role in Toronto and wouldn’t be relied upon to provide much offence. On the flip side of that, he struggled to play with skilled players like Connor McDavid, which leads to speculation about whether he’d be able to play with any of Toronto’s skilled forwards.

The most realistic target for the Maple Leafs on the list was center Derick Brassard. Brassard entered last season on a professional tryout with the Ottawa Senators and put up decent numbers in limited playing time. The 35-year-old had 13 goals and 10 assists in 62 games while averaging just 12 minutes of ice time per game. It’s possible that Brassard might also elect to retire, but he did express a desire to keep playing at the end of last year. He also enjoyed playing closer to home having grown up in Hull, Quebec, which is just across the river from Ottawa. Should Brassard want to stay close to family, Toronto would make sense. From the Maple Leafs’ perspective, there is no harm in bringing in a veteran like Brassard on a one-year deal for the league minimum. He would give them a scoring option in the bottom six who can fill in at center, and they could bury his contract in the minors without penalty should things not work out.

The other names on Kloke’s list were defensemen Ethan Bear and Scott Harrington, as well as forward Sam Gagner. Harrington is a former Maple Leaf and could offer some depth on the backend, while Bear is expected to miss a significant chunk of the year and would be a mid-season addition. Gagner could offer the Leafs some depth scoring on the fourth line and is close with John Taveres from their days playing in London. Perhaps a return home could be possible for the 33-year-old Gagner.

Evening Notes: Ovechkin, Harrington, Hughes

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Alex Ovechkin will miss the Washington Capitals game this evening according to a team release. The Capitals star goal scorer is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 37-year-old winger has scored 42 goals and 74 points in 72 games this season, leading the team in scoring once again and reaching the 40-goal plateau for the 13th time in his illustrious NHL career.

The Capitals have already been eliminated from playoff contention in a disappointing season for the veteran team. They sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with 77 points in 78 games, but Ovechkin continues to chase history. He has scored 822 goals in his career, which puts him 74 back of Wayne Gretzky for most goals in NHL history.

  • Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Harrington will miss tonight’s game with an upper-body injury, per a team statement. The 30 year old has played 45 games this season with the Ducks, and has played over 20 minutes in each of the team’s past three games. The team did not give any further details other than to say Harrington would not play tonight.
  • Luke Hughes, recently signed to an entry-level contract by the New Jersey Devils, will get some game action soon according to General Manager Tom Fitzgerald (twitter link). Hughes was drafted by the Devils fourth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft and just finished his second college season. The 19-year-old defenseman scored ten goals and 48 points in 39 games this season and will likely make his NHL debut in the coming days.

Anaheim Ducks Claim Scott Harrington

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After being traded from the San Jose Sharks to the New Jersey Devils, Scott Harrington is quickly on his way back to California. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the depth defender has been claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Ducks.

While the Devils likely hoped they could sneak Harrington through, this isn’t a big loss as the prize of the deal was Timo Meier.

In Anaheim, the 29-year-old defender will get a much bigger opportunity at the NHL level, especially if the Ducks move out some of their expiring contracts in the next few days. Harrington, quietly, has racked up 238 regular season games in the NHL, mostly playing the seventh defenseman role.

There is at least a chance that the Ducks could even flip him, should another team be interested in adding Harrington as a depth piece. Anaheim would have had the second crack at him on waivers, given they sit in 31st place, only ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Michael Houser Clears Waivers

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Feb 28: Houser has cleared, but Harrington was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks.

Feb 27: The Buffalo Sabres have signed Michael Houser to a midseason contract for the third season in a row, and placed him on waivers for the purpose of an assignment to the minor leagues. Houser was playing with the Rochester Americans on an AHL deal (again), and would need to clear waivers to remain there. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that Scott Harrington, recently acquired by the New Jersey Devils, is also on waivers.

Houser, 30, has actually been incredible in his limited NHL opportunities with the Sabres, stepping into emergency situations and playing very well. Last season in two games he allowed just four goals on 77 shots, winning both appearances and posting a .948 save percentage. He’s never been that effective at the minor league level but has now cashed in with three consecutive one-year NHL contracts.

It is unclear why exactly the Sabres are signing him now, but it could suggest one of their other goaltenders will be traded away in the coming days. There has been some rumbling that Craig Anderson has drawn a bit of interest, and Eric Comrie’s contract is likely one the team is ready to move on from.

This was always the likely scenario for Harrington after joining the Devils, as he won’t have a full-time NHL role with his new team. That doesn’t necessarily mean he will spend the rest of the season in the minor leagues, but at this point the team doesn’t need him on the active roster and can stash him in the AHL. That is, of course, unless a team wants to take him, but Harrington already cleared waivers twice this season, so the risk seems minimal.

Pacific Notes: Kane, Hayden, Harrington, Martinez

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While Oilers winger Evander Kane was believed to be well ahead of schedule, it was still expected that he’d be out a little while longer.  However, as team reporter Jamie Umbach relays, the veteran was a full participant in practice today and is hoping to be cleared to return to the lineup on Tuesday against Seattle.  Kane has missed the last 31 games after having his wrist sliced by a skate and would be a huge addition to their top six forward group.

However, the Oilers will have to make several roster moves in order to get cap-compliant to be able to activate Kane and his $5.125MM AAV from LTIR including the demotion of several players and the expected transfer of defenseman Ryan Murray to LTIR.  Postmedia’s David Staples examines the list of possible candidates to be waived in order to help free up that money and suggests that veteran center Derek Ryan might be the likeliest to hit the waiver wire, a move that would free up $1.125MM on the cap.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Late Sunday, the Kraken announced (Twitter link) the recall of forward John Hayden from AHL Coachella Valley. The 27-year-old has impressed in his first taste of minor league action since 2017-18, collecting 13 goals and 12 assists in 34 games for the Firebirds.  With Jaden Schwartz listed as day-to-day, Hayden appears to be the insurance policy to ensure that there’s an extra forward available if needed.
  • Sharks defenseman Scott Harrington left Wednesday’s game early with an upper-body injury but it appears it won’t keep him out for long. Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News notes (Twitter link) that the veteran was back at practice on Sunday.  Harrington has a goal and five assists in 16 games this season with San Jose, a decent showing after attending training camp on a PTO.  He wasn’t in the lineup today against New Jersey but he should be nearing a return to game action.
  • The Golden Knights announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Alec Martinez suffered an undisclosed injury during tonight’s game against Dallas and did not return. Head coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t have an update on the veteran following the contest.  Martinez has six assists in 40 games so far this season while chipping in with 141 blocked shots.

San Jose Sharks Recall Scott Harrington

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The San Jose Sharks announced this afternoon that they’ve recalled defenseman Scott Harrington from the San Jose Barracuda, their AHL affiliate. No corresponding transaction was announced, however it does come a day after the team placed defenseman Mario Ferraro on IR. The recall gives the Sharks a full 23-man squad, but more importantly, seven defenseman on the roster for this evening’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

Harrington, 29, signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Sharks back in September to serve as key defensive depth for San Jose as the team works through its (bigger picture) roster transition. The defenseman has bounced between both levels so far this season, getting into a pair of games for the Sharks, where he’s recorded one assist, as well as five games for the Barracuda, including an assist there too.

The veteran defenseman, a second-round pick of the Penguins back in 2011, made his NHL debut in 2014-15 as a member of those Penguins, but spent the bulk of his career in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, primarily serving as depth. Last season, Harrington had his first AHL work since 2016-17, where he played in 50 games for the Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate. Given his shuffle in the San Jose organization thus far, it’s unclear what the plan for Harrington is right now, but with the absence of Ferraro on the backend, there could be some extra minutes to go around for the Sharks.

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