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Shayne Gostisbehere

Free Agency Notes: Gostisbehere, Quick, No-Movement Clauses

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As the defending Eastern Conference Champions start the 2023-24 NHL season, they will reportedly be without defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. Both will be recovering from separate surgeries, and both are expected to be out for about a month after the season kicks off. Needing another defenseman aside from Gustav Forsling to manage the offensive load on the back end, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports the team has an interest in unrestricted free agent, Shayne Gostisbehere.

A top-pairing of Gostisbehere and Forsling shouldn’t be expected to replicate the output of Ekblad and Montour, but those two would be serviceable for the first month of the season, and would even represent a superb top-four once Ekblad and Montour make their return. If the Panthers and Gostisbehere do come to an agreement, it will be interesting to see the term handed out, as the team currently doesn’t have any defenseman signed beyond 2024-25.

It wasn’t so long ago that Gostisbehere was considered a salary dump, after being traded along with a second-round pick in 2022 and a seventh-round pick in 2022, to the Arizona Coyotes for nothing but future considerations. After landing in the desert, Gostisbehere had an offensive resurgence of sorts, scoring 24 goals and 58 assists in 134 games with the Coyotes. At last year’s trade deadline, Gostisbehere was moved to the Carolina Hurricanes for a third-round pick in 2026. In a combined total of 38 games in Carolina, Gostisbehere scored three goals and ten assists split between the regular season and the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Other notes:

Shayne Gostisbehere To Test Free Agency

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It’s been a busy week. There have been several significant trades, the sell-off of high-priced assets, and buyouts exercised to clear cap space. Oh yeah, and the 2023 NHL Draft, where all 32 teams added young, exciting talent to their prospect pipelines.

One thing that may have slipped under the radar was a note at the very bottom of Pierre LeBrun’s Tuesday column for The Athletic: Shayne Gostisbehere “will not be re-signing with Carolina.”

Gostisbehere, 30, finished 13th on our list of the Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents after an interesting season. He started the year with the Arizona Coyotes, continuing to provide strong offensive production from the back end. His 31 points finished eighth in Coyotes scoring, despite only playing 52 games for the team.

A deadline deal took him from the bottom of the standings to the top, as he joined the Carolina Hurricanes to try and fix a struggling powerplay. In 23 games with Carolina, Gostisbehere added three goals and ten points, posting insane possession numbers in a sheltered role.

That sheltered situation positions Gostisbehere as such an intriguing free agent. He is not a strong defender, and takes too many risks to be trusted as a top-pairing option (at least on a contender). But few defensemen in the league can generate offensive chances as efficiently as him, and he routinely tilts the ice in his team’s favor when played in the right situation.

Since entering the league in 2015, Gostisbehere sits 17th in points from defensemen, ahead of names like Aaron Ekblad, Shea Theodore, and Josh Morrissey. Over that stretch, he ranks even higher in powerplay points, ahead of players like Morgan Rielly and Dougie Hamilton.

There is a role for Gostisbehere on a contending team, but it’s unclear how much teams will want to pay. The six-year, $27MM contract he received from Philadelphia in 2017 is probably out of the question, but it will be interesting to see how much he can secure this time.

Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Shayne Gostisbehere

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The Carolina Hurricanes, not to be outdone by their Eastern Conference counterparts, have added another player for their upcoming playoff run. Shayne Gostisbehere has been acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a third-round pick in 2026.

The Coyotes did not retain any of Gostisbehere’s $4.5MM contract.

If there is one thing the Hurricanes were having trouble with this season, it’s the powerplay. Their team is so well-rounded that they have lost just 11 games in regulation, but with the man advantage, they rank 23rd at just 19.37%. That’s only barely ahead of the Coyotes, a team that is generally considered to have some of the worst offensive skill in the league.

What’s the difference? Well, Gostisbehere, for one. The 29-year-old defenseman has always been a wizard at the top of a powerplay umbrella, slinging passes around and using a hard shot to create havoc in front of the net. To this point, 135 of his 301 career points have been a man-up, though just ten of those have come this season, as he has ceded time to Jakob Chychrun and others.

Still, the Hurricanes have used players like Gostisbehere very effectively in years past. Tony DeAngelo, for instance, put up 51 points in 64 games with the club last season before they cut him loose.

This is a masterclass in asset management and weaponizing cap space by Arizona, who acquired Gostisbehere in 2021, adding a second-round pick and seventh-round pick to take his contract off the books of the Philadelphia Flyers. He played good hockey for the Coyotes, was paid very little on a front-loaded contract, and then was flipped for another significant draft pick.

While the Coyotes will still have to prove they can hit on those picks, develop them and build a competitive team, this is about as good as it gets for a rebuilding club.

Central Notes: Francouz, Gostisbehere, Krug

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It will pretty much strictly be Alexandar Georgiev’s net for the time being in Colorado as Peter Baugh of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that netminder Pavel Francouz will be out for the next three weeks due to a lower-body injury.  The 32-year-old is no stranger to missing time as his NHL career high in games played in a single season is only 34.  However, Francouz has done rather well this season, posting a 2.53 GAA with a .919 SV% in 15 starts, numbers that are actually a little better than Georgiev.  The Avalanche recalled Justus Annunen earlier today and it’s worth noting that their next four games are a pair of back-to-backs but with the youngster having just two career NHL appearances and Colorado only being two points up on a playoff spot, it’s possible that Georgiev will need to play both ends of those contests.

More from the Central Division:

  • One of Arizona’s top trade chips should be back in action soon as PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports (Twitter link) that blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere could return to the lineup on Sunday. The 29-year-old has missed the last three weeks with an upper-body injury.  Gostisbehere has 29 points in 48 games in 2022-23 – a point-per-game output that’s nearly identical to last season – and is in the final year of his contract that carries a $4.5MM AAV.  The Coyotes were given a pair of draft picks by Philadelphia to take on his deal back in 2021 and they’re well-positioned to add another pick or two by trading him, likely with salary retention, before the March 3rd trade deadline.
  • Blues defenseman Torey Krug is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against Colorado, NHL.com’s Lou Korac notes in his latest piece for Sports Illustrated. The veteran left Tuesday’s game early with an injury but was able to suit up on Thursday.  Head coach Craig Berube indicated that the undisclosed issue for Krug is unrelated to the injury he sustained earlier in the week.  Krug has 22 points in 38 games so far this season.

Shayne Gostisbehere Out 4-6 Weeks With Upper-Body Injury

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In just about the worst timing possible, Shayne Gostisbehere is expected to miss four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. The Arizona Coyotes’ defenseman suffered the injury on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks, when he played just 19:20, only the tenth time all season he was under the 20-minute mark.

Bad timing not because the Coyotes are playing for a playoff spot, but because he is a leading candidate to be moved at the trade deadline. The 29-year-old defenseman is in the last season of a six-year, $27MM deal and has racked up 29 points in 48 games so far. With the Coyotes willing to retain some salary, Gostisbehere could have been an interesting pickup for several contenders looking to add a bit of offensive punch to the back end.

An injury now means could have already played his final game with the Coyotes. If that’s the case, it has been an extremely productive period for the third-round pick, even though the team hasn’t experienced much success in the standings.

In the summer of 2021, the Philadelphia Flyers sent Gostisbehere to the desert along with a second and a seventh-round pick for nothing more than cap relief. They received future considerations in return, while Arizona assumed the entirety of Gostisbehere’s contract.

From the moment he arrived in Arizona, he’s been productive, scoring 13 goals and 51 points last season. Gostisbehere ranks 17th in scoring among defensemen across the entire league over the last two seasons, ahead of names like Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, Seth Jones, and Dougie Hamilton.

An injury like this will only hurt his value heading into the deadline, reducing whatever return the Coyotes were able to get. Hopefully, for Arizona, he’ll be able to return and play at least one game before March 3rd, but if he can’t, a buyer will be taking a chance that Gostisbehere’s game isn’t affected down the stretch.

West Notes: Hayton, Gostisbehere, Wild, Sharks

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Coyotes center Barrett Hayton is expected to undergo hand surgery that will keep him out for the next five to eight weeks, reports Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports (Twitter link).  It has been a disappointing season for the 21-year-old who has been given a much bigger role than he had under Rick Tocchet but it hasn’t materialized in more production as he has just two goals and four assists in 26 games despite playing over 16 minutes a night.  His entry-level deal expires this summer and being out for this long certainly won’t help him build any value for his next contract.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • Still with Arizona, Shayne Gostisbehere is a player whose fortunes have changed for the better since being dealt to the desert. After Philadelphia had to part with a pair of draft picks to get the Coyotes to take on the rest of his contract, the 28-year-old has picked up 23 points in 32 games to sit second on the team in scoring.  Despite that, GM Bill Armstrong indicated in an interview with Arizona Sports (audio link) that they’re not particularly anxious to move him even though they may be able to get some value for him.  Gostisbehere is signed through 2022-23 with a $4.5MM AAV.
  • The Wild may soon be getting some more bad news on the injury front as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that defenseman Jonas Brodin’s upper-body injury is believed to be serious enough to be a long-term issue. He was injured while blocking a shot against Boston on Thursday and leads all Minnesota players in ice time at 23:35 per game.
  • Minnesota should get some good news soon when it comes to their ever-growing injury list, however, as Russo adds in a separate tweet that center Joel Eriksson Ek is ahead of schedule in his recovery from his upper-body injury and could return as soon as Friday. His IR placement earlier today was retroactive and he will still be eligible to play in that game.
  • Meanwhile, as part of a long list of players not playing tonight, the Wild revealed (Twitter link) that defenseman Alex Goligoski has been placed in COVID protocol. He joins Brandon Duhaime and Jordan Greenway as those currently unavailable and if his placement was for a confirmed positive test, he’ll be out for at least the next five days.
  • The Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve added center Nick Bonino along with assistant coach John MacLean to the COVID protocol list. They join center Logan Couture and forward Lane Pederson as those that aren’t available for the time being.

Arizona Coyotes Acquire Shayne Gostisbehere

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The Arizona Coyotes have acquired Shayne Gostisbehere from the Philadelphia Flyers. The offensive defenseman has been in the rumor mill for years, but will finally find his way out of Philadelphia. The Coyotes will also receive a 2022 second-round pick and a 2022 seventh-round pick, the Flyers will not receive anything. Philadelphia GM Chuck Fletcher released a short statement on the move:

This was a difficult decision but one we thought was necessary given the reality of the salary cap. Shayne has been a quality player for this organization since the moment he arrived in Philadelphia and has been a part of many special moments in his seven seasons as a Flyer.

After landing Ryan Ellis just before the trade freeze went into effect, it was clear the Flyers would need to clear some money before the season started. Moving Gostisbehere accomplishes that, as his $4.5MM cap hit will be going to the Coyotes in full.

Ever since he signed a six-year, $27MM contract extension in 2017, there has been speculation about Gostisbehere’s future in Philadelphia. He had burst onto the NHL scene in 2015-16 with 46 points as a rookie, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting, and followed it up with an up-and-down sophomore campaign. At first, the new deal seemed like a steal, as Gostisbehere racked up 65 points in 78 games during the 2017-18 season. But then things started to unravel, to the point where he was made a healthy scratch several times over the last two seasons.

This year, he had 20 points in 41 games, still playing a high-risk style that drove offense but sacrificed defense. There’s no question that he can be a valuable piece to a team looking for someone to contribute from the back end, but with the other options already in the Flyers system, he had become redundant.

For Arizona though, Gostisbehere not only represents a player that can still contribute, but also a way to recoup some of the assets the organization has lost over the last few years. The team was forced to forfeit two high draft picks after scouting violations and then renounced another after selecting a player that had been convicted of assault. By accepting Gostisbehere’s full cap hit, they’ve added two picks to the system that they can use to build it back up.

The Coyotes, under the leadership of new GM Bill Armstrong, now have seven second-round picks over the next two drafts. Though the 11th pick this year, which originally belonged to them, will still be forfeited, they at least will be able to pump prospects into the organization that have a chance to help them find success in the future. Twice now, along with accepting Andrew Ladd’s deal, the team has used cap space as a weapon. It will be interesting to see if Gostisbehere actually plays out his deal in Arizona, or is actually flipped at some point to a contender at a lesser cost.

This story originally referenced a tweet from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that indicated the picks were going to Philadelphia. 

Shayne Gostisbehere Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has issued a two-game suspension to Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for his boarding of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman at the end of last night’s game. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that this is not a defensive play in which Gostisbehere is attempting to reach the puck carrier to prevent the goal from being scored. It is only after the empty net goal was apparent that Gostisbehere adjusts his skating path, takes a hard stride to reach Friedman and begins to initiate this contact. It is significantly after the puck enters the net, well past the time where Friedman should reasonably expect and prepare for contact that the shove is delivered.

The league notes the shove was at a dangerous distance from the boards and though acknowledged that Gostisbehere has not been fined or suspended in his 380-game career, decided to issue the two-game ban.

Gostisbehere will now miss two of the remaining three games in the season. The Flyers will not be making the playoffs after a disappointing year and will now need to find another body to insert into the lineup down the stretch.

Shayne Gostisbehere To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety took a lot of heat for their decision to not suspend Tom Wilson yesterday, but that won’t stop them from moving forward with other supplementary discipline. The league has announced that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will have a hearing today for his hit on Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman last night.

The incident occurred with a few minutes left in the game just as Friedman slid home an empty-net goal. The Penguins player turned away from the net, and Gostisbehere delivered a cross-check that sent Friedman sliding into the boards at a high speed. A scrum ensued, and it looks like Gostisbehere will earn more than just the two-minute minor he was assessed on the play.

Obviously, any decision the DoPS makes today will be scrutinized even more than normal, but the two incidents don’t have anything to do with each other. In the eyes of the league, this was a dangerous play by Gostisbehere that is deserving of a harsh penalty. The Flyers have three games remaining on the schedule.

East Notes: Reinhart, Capitals, Carlo, Gostisbehere

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As a result of the Sabres losing Jack Eichel to injury plus Eric Staal and Curtis Lazar to trades, the Sabres were forced to put Sam Reinhart back at center, a position he hasn’t played at much over the last few seasons.  As Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald points out, that position change has sparked the 25-year-old as he has 10 goals and five assists in 16 games since the move heading into tonight’s game against Boston.  Reinhart is a restricted free agent for the final time this summer after avoiding arbitration last fall with a one-year, $5.2MM deal.  That number represents his qualifying offer and if the team believes he can be a regular down the middle moving forward, he’d enter those contract discussions with a bit more leverage.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Capitals defenseman John Carlson was a late scratch for tonight’s game due to a lower-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). He’s listed as day-to-day.  Carlson is currently tied for second on Washington in scoring with 10 goals and 32 assists in 49 games.  The Caps did get some good news on the back end though as Justin Schultz returned after missing three straight with a lower-body injury of his own.
  • Boston blueliner Brandon Carlo is hoping to return next week, relays Eric Russo of the Bruins’ team website. It has been a rough couple of months for him; after returning from a concussion suffered on a hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson, he then suffered an upper-body injury in his second game back in April 1st and hasn’t played since.  Carlo is averaging 18:29 per game this season in 23 contests.
  • Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is expected to return to practice on Friday and could be available to return as soon as Saturday, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. He has missed two straight games (including tonight’s contest) with a sprained knee.  After a rough first half of the season, he quietly has 11 points in his last 21 games.

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