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Sven Baertschi

Evening Notes: Jagr, Baertschi, Necas

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Hockey legend Jaromir Jagr has hit a lull in his off-season prep, announcing in an Instagram post that he’s suffered a torn hamstring. He’ll now be out for three-to-six weeks, adding that the injury was likely a result of overtraining, which team physio Pavel Kolar warned him against. In a quote translated from Czech by Derek O’Brien of The Hockey News, Jagr said, “When I talked to the physiotherapist Pavel Kolář about the fact that I would like to properly train, he warned me not to do anything that my body is not used to. Of course, I didn’t listen to him… I went for a run. Not the sprints I used to do uphill, but normally straight. But I put weights on my ankles and tore my hamstring.”

Jagr, a partial owner of Kladno, will now miss the team’s remaining four pre-season games and could be out for the start of the Czech Extraliga season on Sep. 18. Kladno has a game roughly every other day from there on out, eating into Jagr’s goal to play in every Extraliga game this season. The inevitable Hall-of-Fame winger has stayed productive into his 50s, scoring 18 points across his last 31 Extraliga games, dating back to 2022. He’s never shown any reason for doubt, and even through a hamstring injury, he hopes to continue a productive playing career in Kladno as soon as possible.

Other quick notes from around the NHL:

  • Former Vancouver Canucks winger Sven Baertschi has joined the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks as an assistant coach, shares Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. Baertschi spent two years with the Winterhawks in 2010 and 2011, ultimately scoring a dazzling 240 points in 156 games with the club. That was enough to motivate the Calgary Flames to select Baertschi with the 13th overall selection in the 2011 NHL Draft, though he never managed to live up to that precedent. His career year came with Vancouver in 2016-17, when he posted 18 goals and 35 points in 68 games. Baertschi finished his NHL career with 138 points in 292 games, playing in parts of 10 seasons. That’s a hockey career to be proud of – meager scoring or not – and Baertschi will now look to carry his experience back to the juniors team that helmed his early career.
  • Plenty of teams expressed interest in former top trade piece and recent Hurricanes re-signee Martin Necas, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the latest written 32 Thoughts. Among the interested parties were the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets, though Necas was ultimately swayed to stay in Carolina thanks to the support of his teammates off the ice. Necas will now look to make the most of his two-year contract after posting 71 and 53 points in the last two seasons, respectively. That’s strong production, and Necas should earn an impressive contract when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, pending any collapse over the next two years.

Sven Baertschi Announces Retirement

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August 3: Baertschi has confirmed his retirement in a statement from SC Bern, citing health concerns. “Like most players, I’ve had a number of injuries that are now taking their toll,” Baertschi said. “After months of training, I realized that my body can no longer perform as well as I need it to. And playing with less than 100 percent, I can’t accept that.”

August 2: Left winger Sven Baertschi left the NHL for Europe last offseason, and after just one year overseas, Swiss outlet Blick reports that Baertschi is retiring with two seasons left on his contract with NL club SC Bern. The Swiss forward is stepping away from the game at 30 years old after accumulating 138 points in 292 games with the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights between 2012 and 2022.

The first three and a half seasons of his career were spent in Calgary, who selected him with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft after he put up 85 points in 66 games with the WHL’s Portland Winter Hawks. However, concussion issues quickly derailed a promising career after a trade to the Vancouver Canucks in 2015. He would never eclipse the 70-game mark in a single season with the club and never played more than 53 after his first reported concussion in 2016-17.

While he never found his footing in Calgary, he did post some solid numbers in a middle-six role for the Canucks before injuries stunted his play. His career-best campaign came in that 2016-17 season when he recorded 18 goals, 17 assists and 35 points in 68 games while averaging nearly 16 minutes per game.

After four injury-riddled seasons with the Canucks, Baertschi continued to slip down the depth chart and spent most of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns in the minors on assignment with the AHL’s Utica Comets. It looked like he had gotten his mojo back in that first campaign with Utica, recording 46 points in just 43 games, but he didn’t make the Canucks out of camp in 2020-21, and his production quickly trailed off.

He signed with the Vegas Golden Knights as a free agent the following offseason, where he again provided solid but unimpressive production for their minor-league affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. He did get into one game with Vegas in November 2021, skating 13:54 in a 5-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings. That will be his final NHL game. Playing in his home city of Bern last season, he produced well below expectations with just four goals in 36 games.

PHR extends its best wishes to Baertschi in retirement, especially in regards to his long-term health.

Sven Baertschi Signs In Switzerland

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It’s time to go home for Sven Baertschi, after being limited to the minor leagues once again. The 29-year-old winger has signed a three-year deal with SC Bern of the Swiss National League, taking him back to Europe after more than a decade in North America.

Selected 13th overall in 2011, Baertschi was, at the time, the second highest drafted player ever from Switzerland (only behind Nino Niederreiter, picked fifth the year previous). There were high hopes for the skilled winger, who had burst onto the CHL scene with an incredible rookie season with the Portland Winterhawks. His following season was so good that when the Calgary Flames faced injuries partway through the 2011-12 season, he was an emergency recall all the way from junior. In a five-game showcase less than a year after he was drafted, he scored three goals and it appeared as though the Flames had a potential superstar talent on their hands.

Unfortunately, that success didn’t continue. Baertschi wouldn’t break that three-goal mark in any of the next three seasons in the NHL, as he bounced up and down from the minor leagues. A move eventually took him to Vancouver, where he experienced some modest success with the Canucks, but still nothing compared to that initial excitement.

This season, on a one-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, Baertschi had 28 points in 44 games for their AHL affiliate, and suited up just once at the NHL level. A three-year deal overseas likely seals the end of his NHL career, meaning he’ll finish with 138 points in 292 regular season games.

Jonathan Marchessault Placed In COVID Protocol

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Things are going from bad to worse for the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has placed Jonathan Marchessault in the COVID protocol, making him unavailable for the time being. He joins William Carrier, who was put in the protocol yesterday. In their place, Paul Cotter and Sven Baertschi have been recalled from the Henderson Silver Knights.

Notably, not only was Marchessault active against the Vancouver Canucks a few days ago, but he also attended the Las Vegas Raiders game on Sunday alongside Robin Lehner. For now, the team appears to have their starting goaltender available for tonight’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, but an outbreak in the Golden Knights room would devastating for a team that has already dealt with major injury issues this season.

In fact, it was only a few days ago that the team’s captain, Mark Stone, returned to the lineup after missing a good chunk of the early season. Max Pacioretty, Zach Whitecloud, and Nolan Patrick are still sidelined, along with the newly acquired Jack Eichel.

Perhaps that’s a silver lining, in that several young players have already had to step up early on. Cotter, for instance, made his NHL debut and scored one goal in two appearances, just a few years after going in the fourth round. He’ll get another opportunity now with Marchessault out, though his fellow call-up certainly has the experience factor. Baertschi has 291 regular season games under his belt and was even an 18-goal scorer in 2016-17 with the Vancouver Canucks. The 29-year-old has eight points in 12 games with Henderson this season as he tries to climb his way back to the NHL.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Sven Baertschi

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After spending almost all of the past two season buried in the AHL by the Vancouver Canucks, Sven Baertschi is looking for a fresh start and a shot at an NHL lineup spot. He has found a taker in a Canucks division rival, the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has announced a one-year, two-way contract worth the minimum $750K. While unassuming at first glance, Baertschi’s natural skill combined with Vegas’ limited cap space makes this a fascinating reclamation project to follow.

Once an up-and-coming NHL scorer with 92 points in 190 games over a three-year span with the Canucks, Baertschi’s play began to slip two years ago and Vancouver did not hesitate to bury his contract in the minors. However, there is still a chance that he can re-discover his scoring touch on a talented Golden Knights team and hold on to a roster spot. At a minimum salary, the could make him a dangerous discount player for the team.

If not, Baertschi will at least be a veteran leader in the AHL for Vegas and a call-up option. Simply staying in North America despite interest back overseas is a testament to Baertschi’s commitment to continue playing at the highest level, even if an NHL role is not guaranteed.

Trade Rumors: Pearson, Flames, Capitals, Bruins

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As the Vancouver Canucks’ season descends further and further into an inescapable disappointment, TSN’s Darren Dreger states on “Insider Trading” this evening that no impending free agent in Vancouver is off limits to suitors. However, that doesn’t mean that all current impending free agents will remain as such through the trade deadline in just over five weeks. Dreger notes that the Canucks would prefer to re-sign forward Tanner Pearson, who is coming off a career year in 2019-20. Negotiations on a new contract have not yet begun, but GM Jim Benning would like to start talks as soon as possible in order to have a clear picture ahead of the deadline. If there is no meeting of the minds on a potential extension and seemingly little chance of progress ahead of the deadline, the Canucks will have to trade Pearson. The two-way winger is their most valuable rental trade chip, as depth options Brandon Sutter, Sven Baertschi, and Jordie Benn have lofty cap hits relative to their value and veteran defensemen Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic have No-Movement Clauses that they may not be eager to waive. If the Canucks can’t re-sign Pearson before the deadline, or at least get a handshake agreement in place, trading him to a contender is their best chance of leaving the deadline with a nice haul of picks or prospects without having to move a term player.

  • The rival Calgary Flames are currently buyers and their biggest need is a winger, but Pearson doesn’t meet their most important criteria. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Calgary GM Brad Treliving is on the hunt for a right winger and, more specifically, a natural right-handed shooting right winger. The Flames’ best right-shot forward is Elias Lindholm and, while he has played on the wing many times before, the team prefers his fit at center. Unfortunately, that leaves the club with a lack of top-six caliber righties to put on the wing. Josh Leivo, Brett Ritchie, and the recently-waived Dominik Simon (a lefty) have not been the answer. The team also prefers to keep top-nine lefties like Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube on the left side if possible and certainly do not want both on their off side. As a result, Calgary is seeking a trade partner. Seravalli does not address whether the Flames are only seeking rentals or if, seeing as the righty problem isn’t going away, they are looking at all options. The team already faces some difficult Expansion Draft decisions in regards to its deep forward corps, so a term acquisition could prove problematic. Among rentals, New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev or Detroit’s Bobby Ryan stand out as the few top available options at a shallow position on the market.
  • Seravalli notes that another team with a very specific need could be the Washington Capitals. While Washington has received a stellar performance in net from rookie Vitek Vanecek, pressed into the starting role temporarily while Ilya Samsonov was sidelined, both Samsonov and Vanecek lack a crucial component to playoff success: experience. Seravalli wonders if the Capitals trust the young tandem enough to ride them into the playoffs, with veteran Craig Anderson as the third-string, or if the team needs to make a trade. Bob McKenzie echoed this same concern on NBC Sports on Wednesday. Experienced rental options include Devan Dubnyk, Antti Raanta, Jonathan Bernier, and possibly Pekka Rinne. But the question becomes whether or not any of these older goalies are an upgrade to Vanecek based only on experience, as only Rinne has outplayed him this season.
  • While it should come as no surprise to anyone who has reviewed their salary cap status, Bob McKenzie appeared on NBC Sports’ broadcast on Wednesday night and essentially stated that the Boston Bruins have the cap flexibility to do whatever they want at the trade deadline. He added that the team is in this situation “by design” and that GM Don Sweeney is open to any and all possibilities. The Bruins have dealt with injuries on defense and at forward and have experience concerns on the back end and scoring issues up front, so fans were happy to hear McKenzie say they could add a prominent defenseman or forward, “or both”. Currently pressed by injuries, the Bruins have just under $3.5MM in cap space which still prorates to nearly $8.7MM at the deadline, per CapFriendly. However, the Bruins banked cap space earlier this season when they had fewer injuries and could still get healthier before the trade deadline. With no one on the injured reserve eating up cap space at the deadline, CapFriendly estimates that Boston could have upwards of $12.7MM in prorated cap space. For context, that could be enough to add top-priced rental Taylor Hall and a defenseman like Ryan Murray while staying under the cap. The Bruins will be a team to watch over the next five weeks.

North Notes: Benning, Baertschi, Murray

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It hasn’t been a good start to the season for the Canucks who have won just six of 17 games so far which has Vancouver on a six-game losing streak and in sixth place in the North Division.  Between that and a tough offseason, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period suggests that ownership is not pleased with the situation and are pondering replacing GM Jim Benning in a move that could happen sooner than later if the struggles continue.  Benning has been at the helm for Vancouver since 2014 and has two more years left on his deal after this one so letting him go would certainly be costly from a financial perspective.  The Canucks are back in action on Saturday for the second game of a four-game stint.

More from the North Division:

  • Still with Vancouver, teams in Switzerland are calling regarding winger Sven Baertschi, his agent Andre Rufener confirmed to Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic (Twitter link). With the veteran having cleared waivers once again, a loan overseas to play out the season closer to home before becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer makes sense in theory but the plan remains for him to stay with AHL Utica and try to earn a midseason recall.
  • The Senators will be without starting goalie Matt Murray for tomorrow’s game against Winnipeg, the team announced (Twitter link). He left Thursday’s contest after two periods with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.  Marcus Hogberg will get the start in Murray’s absence.  Filip Gustavsson is on the taxi squad and will be recalled to the active roster on Saturday.

Sven Baertschi Opts Out Of NHL Return

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Canucks winger Sven Baertschi was expected to be among Vancouver’s list of nine recalls for their upcoming Qualifying Round series against Minnesota but that won’t be the case anymore.  Instead, he has informed the team that he has opted out of returning, reports Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic (Twitter link).

This season was one to forget for the 27-year-old as he spent the majority of the season the minors with AHL Utica.  To his credit, he was quite productive with the Comets, picking up 13 goals and 33 assists in just 43 games but it failed to materialize into much of an NHL opportunity has he had just six games with Vancouver where he had two assists.

Baertschi cleared waivers at the start of the season, largely due to his contract which carries a $3.367MM cap hit and runs through the 2020-21 campaign.  While his camp had asked for a trade on multiple occasions, nothing came of it with that contract likely being the sticking point.  The Canucks will have to decide in the offseason whether or not they want to buy out the last year of that deal or have him back in a similar role for next season.

In the meantime, Baertschi’s withdrawal has opened up a spot for Kole Lind to attend camp with the Canucks.  The second-year pro has yet to play in the NHL but saw his production increase considerably compared to his rookie year; he had 44 points in 61 games this season after just having 17 in 51 contests in 2018-19.

Canucks Expected To Recall Nine Players For Training Camp Next Month

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With training camps set to start on July 10th, teams are in the process of determining what recalls they will be making to get their expanded rosters intact.  As things stand, 30 skaters can attend training camp with 28 being allowed to be on the postseason roster while teams can carry an unlimited number of goaltenders.  Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma reports that the Canucks have figured out their recall list which is as follows:

F Sven Baertschi
F Justin Bailey
D Guillaume Brisebois
D Jalen Chatfield
F Tyler Graovac
D Olli Juolevi
G Michael DiPietro
D Brogan Rafferty
D Ashton Sautner

Up front, Baertschi is the most notable among the group.  He has plenty of NHL experience under his belt (and another year on his contract with an AAV of $3.36MM) but spent most of the year with AHL Utica where he averaged over a point per game.  With his prior NHL action though, he’s someone that they could comfortably put in the lineup if injuries arise.

Defensively, Juolevi stands out and not because he’s the only one who hasn’t been recalled to the NHL in the past.  The fifth-overall pick in 2016 battled some injury trouble again this season but is still viewed as one of their better prospects.  The odds of him getting into a game are unlikely but this will at least be an opportunity to practice in an NHL environment which should help his development.

Vancouver is also likely to welcome back winger Micheal Ferland to the fold.  While he has battled concussion troubles all season long, he has resumed skating and it appears that he should be in the mix for a spot in the lineup where he’d likely slot in on the fourth line after being off for so long.

The Canucks will take on Minnesota in the best-of-five play-in round which is tentatively slated to begin sometime in late July or early August assuming an agreement can be reached between the NHL and NHLPA on Return to Play protocols.

Vancouver Canucks’ Sven Baertschi Clears Waivers

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Monday: Baertschi has cleared waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Sunday: Just a day after requesting a trade, the Vancouver Canucks announced they have placed forward Sven Baertschi on waivers. This will be the second time this season the 27-year-old has been put on the waiver wire.

Baertschi was put on waivers back on Sept. 30th, just before the start of the season. The veteran of 291 NHL games cleared, most likely due to his $3.37MM cap hit for the next two years. He was sent to Utica for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Baertschi didn’t let that stop him, however, as he has dominated at the AHL level, but has failed to make much a difference with the Canucks. With the Utica Comets this season, Baertschi has played 16 games and has scored four goals and 19 assists for 23 points, well above a point-per-game average.

Baertschi, who has been quite injury prone over his career, has struggled at the NHL level since signing a three-year extension back in the summer of 2018. He appeared in just 29 games last season due to injuries again, scoring nine goals and 14 points. This year, Baertschi has managed just two assists in six games. Known as a scoring, top-six player, the team doesn’t see him as such and don’t see him as a bottom-six option.

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