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Steven Kampfer

Minor Transactions: 12/28/19

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The NHL returned to work last night, with several strange results to kick off the unofficial second half of the season. The Maple Leafs beat the Devils in overtime on a goal in which they never touched the puck, the Sabres were shutout 3-0 in a game in which they outshot the Bruins, and the Wild, Blackhawks, and Ducks all pulled off convincing upsets. As more teams return to action today, it promises to be a busy stretch for roster changes, as evidenced by a multitude of moves early on. Follow along with all of the day’s transactions here:

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled two and reassigned one, adding forward J.C. Beaudin and defenseman Christian Jaros and sending forward Logan Brown to AHL Belleville. Brown will surely be disappointed after expressing his frustration with his role in Ottawa earlier this season. At the same time, the young forward has not exactly dominated in his 23 games with the team this season, recording one goal and eight points.
  • After being sent down (in a paper transaction) yesterday, Mathieu Joseph is back with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team announced. With Carter Verhaeghe still sidelined, Joseph is needed in the Bolts lineup. He’ll need to make the most of the opportunity though, as his seven points so far this season have him off the pace of his 26-point rookie campaign.
  • Steven Fogarty has been called up by the New York Rangers, marking his first recall to the NHL this season. Fogarty played in ten games with the Rangers last year, but failed to record a point. However, his AHL numbers suggest that it’s only a matter of time before he gets that first point.
  • The New Jersey Devils have activated goaltender Louis Domingue from the injured reserve and assigned him to AHL Binghamton. With Gilles Senn currently backing up MacKenzie Blackwood, the Devils don’t need Domingue at the present time. His six appearances with New Jersey prior to his injury did little to convince the team that he is worthy of a permanent roster spot.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced that they have recalled winger Keegan Kolesar from Chicago of the AHL.  The 22-year-old had 20 goals in the minors last season but has been held without a tally through 18 games with the Wolves this season.
  • With the recent injuries to Ilya Mikheyev and Trevor Moore, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled winger Kenny Agostino and defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the AHL’s Marlies.  Agostino spent most of last season in the NHL and could find himself in a regular role with Toronto relatively quickly.  Mikheyev and Moore were placed on injured reserve to make room on the roster.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Anaheim Ducks have assigned forward Daniel Sprong to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 22-year-old forward was recalled a week ago and made his season debut for the Ducks, but finished with a minus-three in the game he played. He will return to the Gulls where he has seven goals and 18 points in 24 games.
  • CapFriendly reports the Boston Bruins have assigned defenseman Steven Kampfer to the Providence Bruins in the AHL. The blueliner was an emergency recall after an injury to defenseman Torey Krug. This could be a paper transaction with the team potentially recalling him officially before Sunday’s game against Buffalo.

Torey Krug Placed On Injured Reserve

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After sustaining an upper-body injury on December 23rd, Torey Krug has been placed on injured reserve. The Boston Bruins have recalled Steven Kampfer from the minor leagues to take his place under emergency conditions. Krug left the game on Monday after taking a hard hit from Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals, though it is not clear exactly what the ailment is at this point.

If Krug misses any significant time, the Bruins will have to find other ways of moving the puck quickly to their talented forwards. The 28-year old has been one of the most consistent offensive defensemen in the league the last several years and had 26 points in his first 33 games this season. That included 14 powerplay assists, a spot that the Bruins will need to find a replacement for as well.

Obviously the exit of Krug doesn’t completely torpedo a Bruins team that sits firmly in first place in the Atlantic Division, but the group had already shown cracks in their armor recently. Boston is just 2-4-4 in their last ten games and do have a hard-charging Toronto Maple Leafs team now within nine points. The ship needs to be righted at some point, and losing Krug certainly doesn’t help.

Boston Bruins Waive Steven Kampfer

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Monday: Kampfer and T.J. Tynan, who was also placed on waivers, have cleared according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Both can now be sent to the minor leagues.

Sunday: In an inevitable move, the Boston Bruins have announced today that veteran defenseman Steven Kampfer has been placed on waivers. The team hopes that he will clear waivers and can be reassigned to AHL Providence, but the team is taking a risk by exposing the ten-year pro. Kampfer has been held scoreless in four games so far this year, but recorded six points in 35 games with Boston last year and added another point in three playoff games.

The decision to waive Kampfer was inevitable not due to his play, but due to the roster crunch in Boston. Kampfer, who began his career with the Bruins back in 2010, returned to the team before last season as part of the return from the New York Rangers in exchange for Adam McQuaid. Kampfer was seen by many as a throw-in, but ended up playing a crucial role in 2018-19. Beginning the year as the team’s eighth defenseman, Kampfer was the only one of that eight who did not miss time due to injury in a season that featured 12 different defensemen for Boston. Kampfer was also the only one of those 12 who was not under team control beyond the end of the year. That changed in June, when the Bruins first move after the Stanley Cup Final was to re-sign Kampfer to a two-year, $1.6MM deal. The length and non-minimum value of the deal was a nice reward and promise of commitment for Kampfer’s hard work that season.

However, the contract was likely also created with impending waiver exposure in mind. The Bruins knew that with seven bona fide NHL defenders under contract – Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, John Moore, Matt Grzelcyk, and Kevan Miller – and the emergence of Connor Clifton as an NHL option, the odds that Kampfer could stick on the NHL roster all year was slim. They hoped that the extended term or slightly higher cap hit could dissuade teams from claiming Kampfer to serve in that same valuable depth role. Last week, when Clifton lost his waiver exemption and Moore returned from injury, it became clear that this theory would soon be tested.

With Miller still working toward a return to health, top defensive prospect Urho Vaakanainen playing well in a recent NHL stint, and veteran Alexander Petrovic excelling in Providence, the Bruins could survive the loss of Kampfer if he was to be claimed. However, the team could potentially need him more next year, after the likely free agent departures of Miller and Petrovic and possible retirement of Chara. Kampfer’s hard-working style and defensive awareness paired with considerable experience makes him a valuable asset, even if he is not getting regular ice time. For that reason, more than a few teams will entertain making a claim, especially contenders with depth concerns on the blue line. The Bruins can only hope that the other 30 teams decide he is not worthy of an NHL roster spot, even though the defending Eastern Conference champs proved otherwise last year.

Kevan Miller Confirmed To Miss Start Of Season

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Last month, the Boston Bruins revealed that defenseman John Moore would miss the beginning of the regular season due to off-season shoulder surgery. At the time, they also mentioned that Kevan Miller was also at risk of missing the start to the year while continuing to recover from a fractured knee cap. The team has now followed that up with confirmation that Miller will not participate in the preseason and will not be ready to begin the season, per NBC Sports Boston.

Miller, 31, struggled through a litany of injuries last season that caused him to miss 43 regular season games and the Bruins’ entire playoff run. It was the fractured knee cap that cost him the stretch run and postseason and severely limited his off-season training. GM Don Sweeney stated that Miller is not even ready to begin skating with the team yet and is a ways away from a return at this point. Even once he is healthy, one has to question what Miller’s role will be in Boston moving forward. The physical rearguard was clearly slowed by his injuries when active last season, recording just seven assists, playing a less intense style in his own end and, as a result, logging his lowest average ice time since his rookie season. Given his injury history and continuing concerns, the Bruins extended fellow righties Connor Clifton and Steven Kampfer to multi-year deals this off-season, while the newly extended Charlie McAvoy and yet-to-be-signed Brandon Carlo are clearly the future on the right side of the blue line. Entering a contract year, it seems unlikely that Miller has a future in Boston and could find it hard to earn starts and ice time over his potential 2020-21 replacements once he returns.

While Miller and Moore are out, the Bruins’ depth should be capable of shouldering the burden. McAvoy is back under contract and the team will likely move on Carlo soon. In fact, Sweeney mentioned that the absences of Miller and Moore could allow the Bruins to employ Long-Term Injured Reserve if necessary to sign Carlo. Those two plus Clifton and Kampfer give the Bruins good options on the right side. On the left side, captain Zdeno Chara has faced his own injury concerns this off-season, but it is looking optimistic for a healthy start to the season. Torey Krug, Matt Grzelcyk, and numerous promising minor league prospects provide options behind him as well. The team will also host Alex Petrovic on a PTO in camp, who would provide even more stability as an experienced stay-at-home defenseman. Whoever returns earlier from injury between Miller and Moore will likely have a leg up in winning back regular play time, while the other could struggle to carve out a role. The four years remaining on Moore’s contract do give him an advantage over Miller though, again putting into question the immediate future of the injury-prone veteran.

Snapshots: Shattenkirk, Miller, Malik

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There appears to have been more interest in Kevin Shattenkirk than most anticipated, making his one-year, $1.75MM pact with the Tampa Bay Lightning all the more interesting. Earlier today, it was reported that the Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes were just two of eleven teams that reached out to Shattenkirk. Now, The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein states that the Anaheim Ducks went so far as to make Shattenkirk a formal, multi-year contract offer. He notes that the Los Angeles Kings also entered the mix. Colleague David Pagnotta adds that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets were also serious contenders. As for some of the other possible suitors, there was rampant speculation that both the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers would have interest in Shattenkirk. At the end of the day, the veteran puck-mover clearly chose what he felt was his best opportunity to return to form as a high-scoring, dynamic defenseman, playing with the uber-skilled Lightning. There were surely offers for more money and term than what Shattenkirk ended up accepting to go to Tampa, and what remains is to make the most of that gamble by asserting himself as a top option on a crowded blue line and padding his stats before hitting the free agent market again next summer.

  • Despite Shattenkirk’s ties to the city during his collegiate career, it’s safe to assume that the Boston Bruins were not one of the teams interested in his services. The Bruins are having a hard enough time getting their own right-handed defensemen under contract with limited cap space, never mind adding another to the mix. Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo remain unsigned and the team has acknowledged that one or both may miss time during training camp due to to the rigors of difficult negotiations. Barring some magic from GM Don Sweeney and company, Boston will likely have to make a move to free up cap space. While many hope that it would be overpaid and ineffective veteran David Backes leaving town, such a trade would be hard to make and/or would cost the Bruins too much in picks or prospects. NBC Sports’ James O’Brien writes that defenseman Kevan Miller is instead the most likely casualty. Miller is a strong two-way defenseman who can make an impact on any team, when healthy. The problem is that he is not healthy as often as the Bruins have liked, leading them to invest heavily in defensive depth, such as signing John Moore last summer and extending Steven Kampfer and Connor Clifton in recent months. The Bruins have the depth to survive next season without Miller, after which he is likely to leave as a free agent anyway. Eliminating Miller’s $2.5MM cap hit may give the team just enough wiggle room to sign McAvoy and Carlo to long-term contracts. Meanwhile, even with so many teams facing salary cap issues, there would be a market for Miller’s services as a year-long rental to play a shutdown role for a contender.
  • NHL scouts will have to travel to the Czech Republic to evaluate one of the 2020 draft class’ top goaltenders in-person this upcoming season. 17-year-old Nick Malik, son of former NHL defenseman Marek Malik, was drafted by the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in this summer’s CHL Import Draft, but will not sign with the club. His Czech junior team, HC Ocelari Trinec, announced today that their starting goaltender will be staying through the 2019-20 season. Malik is considered one of the top handful of goaltenders early on in the 2020 evaluation process, with one scouting source, Future Considerations, naming him their No. 2 goalie and No. 59 overall prospect in their preliminary rankings last month. The Czech keeper, who was actually born in Raleigh, North Carolina while his dad was playing for the Hurricanes, has turned heads with his calm demeanor and lightning reflexes in net and performed very well at the U-17 World Junior Championship last year. Rather than split time with new Greyhounds acquisition Christian Propp, who made 51 appearances for the North Bay Battalion last season, Malik will likely be the undisputed starter for Ocelari and will have the chance to make more appearances in the Czech secondary pro league.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Steven Kampfer

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Tuesday: The Bruins have officially announced the contract, confirming the duration and salary reported by Seravalli.

Monday: Defensive depth proved to be key for a Boston Bruins team that struggled with injuries on the blue line throughout the regular season and into the postseason. All but one the 12 different defenseman that took the ice for the Bruins this season were under team control moving forward, either under contract or as restricted free agents. But the team has worked quickly to rectify the situation with that lone outlying unrestricted free agent. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Boston has re-signed Steven Kampfer to a two-year deal worth $800K annually.

Kampfer, 30, began his second stint with the Bruins last summer, when he was traded by the New York Rangers in the deal that landed Adam McQuaid. Kampfer began the year as Boston’s eighth defenseman, but as a bevy of injuries plagued the team all year, particularly fellow veteran righty Kevan Miller, Kampfer ended up playing in 35 games and was the only Bruins defenseman who began the year on the NHL roster that did not miss time due to injury. Kampfer proved to be an optimal extra man, as his experience and sound defensive play made him a great plug-and-play option. While not much of an offensive contributor, Kampfer is valued for his ability to step in and play a smart, safe defensive game, rarely looking out of place when he filled in.

The two-year term on Kampfer’s new contract is telling for multiple reasons. First, it means that the Bruins see Kampfer as more than just a year-to-year investment and the future of the team’s blue line is far less certain beyond next season. Two of Boston’s biggest injury concerns on defense, 41-year-old Zdeno Chara and accident-prone Kevan Miller, are also not signed beyond next year. So while the team is very deep on the back end next year, there is a chance that they could lose some of that depth a year from now and Kampfer could be even more important then than he is next season. Additionally, Seravalli reports that there has been interest in Kampfer from other teams. That news plus the two-year term makes it a safe assumption that this is a one-way deal for Kampfer. Such a contract won’t be as appealing on waivers if the Bruins do need to move Kampfer to the minor leagues. Although John Moore will not be ready to start the season due to recent major surgery, at some point during the year the team could hypothetically have Kampfer, Moore, Chara, Miller, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Torey Krug, and Matt Grzelcyk all healthy, which could make Kampfer the odd man out if there is a roster crunch.

A team-friendly contract for a familiar and reliable player on a cap-strapped team would seem to be good news all around for the Bruins. However, barring a trade or another year of rampant injuries, Kampfer’s extension does not bode well for promising prospects like Connor Clifton, Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon. All four got into the Bruins’ lineup this season, but the odds of a return appearance just took a hit. The circumstances are especially troubling for Clifton, who played in 19 regular season games and 18 playoff games this year and looked ready to take on Boston’s first man up role next year. After getting so close to a Stanley Cup title this year, Kampfer’s extension is clearly a sign of a team focused on winning now, even if that means burying their budding prospects for another year or two.

Atlantic Notes: Moore, Miller, Senators’ COO, Canadiens’ Backup

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With the news that Charlie McAvoy will miss Game One of the Eastern Conference Final, the Boston Bruins know that they will need someone else to step up and fill both his spot in the lineup and his considerable minutes. While the latter responsibility will likely fall to increased roles for Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug, as well as captain Zdeno Chara of course, someone will have to come off the bench and be ready to contribute. Who exactly that will be remains a mystery, but the pool of potential options has increased. Speaking with the media today, Bruins GM Don Sweeney revealed that John Moore will be available on Thursday and that Kevan Miller has not been ruled out either. Moore was injured early in the Bruins’ last series and did not return, while Miller has not played at all in the postseason while rehabbing a lower-body injury. Sweeney did not sound optimistic that Miller would be the choice for Game One, but did promise that the further the team plays into the postseason, the more likely it is that he will return to the lineup. Miller began the season as a top-six regular for Boston, as he has for several years now, but injuries cost him all but 39 regular season games. An especially injury-prone defense corps this season has helped the Bruins give the likes of Moore, Matt Grzelcyk, Steven Kampfer, and Connor Clifton all considerable play time, and head coach Bruce Cassidy has entrusted the youngsters Grzelcyk and Clifton with starting roles moving forward in the playoffs. If Miller is still unable to go on Thursday, the decision would thus come down to Moore versus Kampfer, with the latter providing a right-handed shot and more stable defense, but the former bringing more experience with the team and more puck-moving ability to help with McAvoy’s absence. It will be an interesting decision for Cassidy and his staff and one that could play a major role in the Game One result.

  • Ottawa Senators’ COO Nic Ruszkowski is leaving his post after just one year on the job. As The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes, this is yet another shake-up to a front office that is still searching for a President of Hockey Operations, not to mention a head coach. Garrioch reports that Ruszkowski’s departure has spurred the Senators to restructure their administrative structure, with several executives moving into new roles to take on some of Ruszkowski’s duties. While the team claims that this restructuring will “strengthen our club”, Ruszkowski’s unexpected resignation is yet another stain on a difficult season for the Senators and only adds to the mythos of owner Eugene Melnyk being a difficult individual to work for. The team has a lot of work to do this summer on all fronts and hopefully can get their front office sorted out sooner rather than later.
  • The Montreal Canadiens may be paying Carey Price $10.5MM per year, but that doesn’t mean they expect him to play in every game. Yet, Price started the second-most games in the league this season, making 66 appearances. The poor play of backup Antti Niemi forced head coach Claude Julien’s hand in many cases and the team has already told Niemi, an unrestricted free agent, that he will not be back. Simply promoting Charlie Lindgren likely isn’t a much better option either. Instead, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels writes that the Canadiens will looks for experience and value on the free agent goalie market this summer. Engels warns that Montreal should not overpay for a backup, given the investment in Price to be “the guy” for ideally 60 games or so each year, but also feels they need a trusted veteran who could step in as the starter in case of injury. A cost-effective, proven veteran goalie is not always an easy thing to find, but Engels does throw out the likes of Cam Talbot, should he opt not to re-sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, Brian Elliott, Curtis McElhinney, Anders Nilsson, Keith Kinkaid, and Michael Hutchinson as top options. In all likelihood, it will be one of those names backing up Price come October.

Bruins’ Kevan Miller Out “Week-To-Week”

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This season’s Boston Bruins team nor veteran defenseman Kevan Miller are any strangers to injury. The Bruins have dealt with mass amounts of man-games lost this year, including from Miller, who had missed 26 games this season already, split between two separate 13-game injuries. As such, it was hardly a surprise when head coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned today that what was initially considered a routine minor injury for Miller has proven to be anything but. Following what Cassidy called “bad news on an MRI”, Miller is considered “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury.

Miller has already missed three games on this third injury stint of the year, taking his total games sidelined to 29 versus just 36 played. The rugged defenseman is not afraid to put his body in harm’s way, whether that’s blocking shots or taking a hit to make a play. While that’s part of what endears him to his teammates and coaches, it also lands him on the IR more often than he would like. This situation is no different, as Miller took a puck up high against the Vegas Golden Knights and left the game early and has not appeared for the Bruins since. All three of his injuries this season have come while in the shooting lane, while this is the second season in a row that Miller has been injured while visiting the Golden Knights. Even in his injuries the dependable defender is consistent.

Even having missed close to half of the season so far, Miller still leads Boston in blocked shots, showing how adept he is at the task but also why it has so frequently caused him harm. He is also second only to Charlie McAvoy in hits per game among Bruins defenseman, so that element of his game will also be missed down the stretch. However, depth on the blue line is not an area of concern for Boston this season. John Moore, who only recently lost his starting job once the Bruins were at full health on the back end, has taken over Miller’s role seamlessly. Steven Kampfer, who the team has not needed to play in the calendar year, is another veteran option and a right-shot should Cassidy wish to balance out his blue line with Miller out. There’s also Urho Vaakanainen, Jeremy Lauzon, Jakub Zboril, and Connor Clifton, who are all highly regarded and have logged NHL minutes already this season. All Boston defenseman may have to ramp up their aggressiveness in Miller’s absence, but otherwise the team should be fine. Even with Miller out for potentially weeks longer, the Bruins should be capable of dealing with another injury or allowing for rest down the stretch. Of course, the hope is Miller is ready to return before the postseason begins.

The Bruins also issued some good news today, announcing that key bottom-six forward Sean Kuraly should be ready to go for Thursday night’s game. Kuraly missed Boston’s last game and will presumably miss their next on Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes with a concussion, but is on the road to recovery. As for star forward David Pastrnak, Cassidy simply said that he is on schedule in his rehab. This comes after the two week re-evaluation promised last month after he underwent thumb surgery, but stops short of issuing a new timeline. Seeing as the Bruins have not lost in regulation since January 10th, the team is under no pressure to rush Pastrnak – or Miller – back early.

Adam McQuaid Traded To Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have already pushed quite a few chips to the middle of the table, and now will throw a tip to the dealer. Adam McQuaid is the latest player to be acquired by the Blue Jackets according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, while Darren Dreger of TSN adds that the New York Rangers will receive a 2019 fourth-round pick and a 2019 seventh-round pick. The Rangers’ confirmation of the deal adds that minor league defenseman Julius Bergman was also included in the return.

With this trade, the Rangers recoup the same picks they traded to the Boston Bruins to get McQuaid this off-season, essentially renting the physical blue liner for five months at the cost of depth defender Steven Kampfer. The asking price for McQuaid was rumored to be at least a third-round pick. Following the Dallas Stars’ acquisition of a similar veteran defenseman in Ben Lovejoy from the New Jersey Devils yesterday for a third-rounder and young defenseman Connor Carrick, that price was expected to go up. However, it seems the market never really developed for McQuaid despite the lack of quality rental defenders on the trade block.

The Blue Jackets made their two big trades before deadline day, adding former Ottawa Senators forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, but continue to address their depth in other areas with a second value addition today. After adding former New Jersey Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid as a solid third-string option in net for just a future fifth-round pick, they add a nice complementary piece on the blue line in McQuaid. Solidifying their defensive depth has been a need for the Blue Jackets and McQuaid fits the bill. The 6’4″, 210-lb. defender is an experienced pro with a Stanley Cup title to his name – the only Blue Jacket with that claim – and brings a strong, physical presence to the right side. McQuaid is likely to slot in as an everyday bottom-pair defenseman for Columbus down the stretch and in the postseason.

Columbus is likely done for the day and for good reason. Although they have addressed many needs and have found good value in several trades, the McQuaid acquisition leaves the Blue Jackets with just their own third-round pick and the Calgary Flames’ seventh-round pick to represent their entire 2019 draft class. GM Jarmo Kekalainen has undoubtedly decided to go all in this season to get Columbus deep into the postseason for the first time in franchise history, but has done so at the cost of the pipeline. The question now is whether it was all worth it.

Trade Rumors: Johansson, Canucks, Sharks, McQuaid

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The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun writes that New Jersey Devils center Marcus Johansson could prove to be one of the best bargains at the trade deadline. LeBrun notes that Johansson’s stock has dropped due to his recent injury history, but has been back on the rise due to his recent production. Johansson has seven points in his past six games and buyers have taken notice. LeBrun reports that Johansson’s five-team no-trade list should not hinder a deal and Devils GM Ray Shero will pull the trigger, sooner rather than later, if he gets a fair offer. However, LeBrun believes there is a chance Shero will keep Johansson and try to re-sign him if he receives only low-ball offers. Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman echoes that Johansson is for sale, but that Shero will be aggressive in the sale as he was with Brian Boyle. Friedman names the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks as teams that have already checked in on Johansson, but that will hardly be the extent of the interest by the time the deadline rolls around.

  • Friedman believes that the Canucks, who seem like an outlier among the buyers interested in Johansson, are looking to replace the production of the injured Sven Baertschi as they try to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. Although few expect Vancouver to be major buyers, they are still just one point out of the final wild card spot and could make some minor tweaks to stay involved. Friedman adds that Washington Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky is another forward that the Canucks have looked into. Burakovsky makes for an interesting fit in Vancouver, as the Capitals seek a replacement forward in return and the Canucks have their own talented, but underwhelming young forward on the block in Nikolay Goldobin. A deal centered around the duo seems like a possibility.
  • As for the Sharks, Friedman believes that they intend to add forward depth before the deadline. While Johansson seems to be of interest, Friedman notes that a very different style of player could also be in their sights. He believes that a reunion with Eric Fehr, currently with the Minnesota Wild, could be in store. The Wild appear to be sellers now and Fehr, who fit in well as a deadline addition for the team last year, is a logical target for both the team’s cap situation and need to strengthen their defensive play up front. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz feels that San Jose needs to target a goaltender before the deadline. The Sharks have received poor results from Martin Jones and Aaron Dell this season – the team has the worst even strength save percentage in the league – and last nights’s game, in which Jones allowed six goals on 20 shots against the Boston Bruins could be the last straw. While Kurz comes to the conclusion that an addition in net is unlikely, he hopes the team considers all of their options.
  • Appearing on TSN 1050 in Toronto yesterday, Bob McKenzie stated that New York Rangers defenseman Adam McQuaid is very likely to be moved before the deadline. The impending UFA defender was acquired from the Boston Bruins this off-season for a fourth-round and seventh-round pick, as well as fellow blue liner Steven Kampfer, and McKenzie feels that the Rangers will move him for any package wherein they can recoup those picks or better. Friedman says similar, writing that there has been “traction” on McQuaid move. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been frequently linked to McQuaid, but the tough, stay-at-home righty should have a significant market.

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