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T.J. Brodie

Calgary Flames Activate T.J. Brodie From Injured Reserve

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The good news continues for T.J. Brodie and the Calgary Flames, following his recent episode at practice. The defenseman has been activated from injured reserve, while Brandon Davidson has been sent to the minor leagues.

Brodie collapsed during a practice earlier this month and was taken to hospital. When all tests came back negative and team doctors diagnosed it as a fainting issue, Brodie slowly returned to practice and will now rejoin the lineup when the Flames take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Calgary won their last game but are still 3-6-1 in their last ten and sitting in sixth place in the Pacific Division. Brodie’s return will be a welcome addition, though the team needs more from the rest of the guys on the ice as well.

Pacific Notes: Vancouver Penalty Kill, Brodie, Nygard, Vilardi

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The Vancouver Canucks may not be leading any categories in their penalty kill, but with a 13th-ranked special teams unit that kills off penalties at 82.9 percent, the team found itself challenged against Washington Saturday as the team was without four of its top penalty killers. The team played without Jay Beagle (hip), Brandon Sutter (groin), Tyler Motte (foot) and Alexander Edler (upper body), yet still fared quite well shutting down Washington’s power play on three separate occasions to win the game in a 2-1 shootout.

The Province’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team may be without that group for several more days and the success of the team’s battered penalty kill will likely have a big impact on the remainder of their three-game road trip throughout next week.

  • The Calgary Flames could be getting back defenseman T.J. Brodie sooner than later. The blueliner, who collapsed during practice on Nov. 14, skated on his own Saturday and, according to a Sportsnet report, is expected to join practice with the Flames on Sunday. The team has done a barrage of tests, but have found no evidence that Brodie’s collapse was nothing more than him fainting. Brodie has joined the team on their road trip and may return to action as soon as Monday against Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old has eight assists in 21 games.
  • Edmonton Oilers forward Joakim Nygard was brought in from the SHL to add a speedy winger who can immediately become a top-nine presence, who could help their quick-moving centers with some secondary scoring. However, despite his impressive speed in 10 games, Nygard just has one goal to show for it as he has struggled to finish around the net. Edmonton Sun’s Jim Matheson suggests that Nygard may be more of a third-line winger as opposed to a second-liner. “There’s still another level there,” said head coach Dave Tippett. “The good thing about him? He’s really determined, he’s not here to mess around. He wants to be a good player and that’s positive to see.”
  • The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required) writes that Los Angeles Kings prospect Gabe Vilardi fared well in Friday’s AHL debut. The 11th-overall pick in 2017 has barely played in the past year and a half with a back injury, having seen four games with the AHL Ontario Reign last season. While Vilardi didn’t register a point, he did have a breakaway opportunity and looked happy throughout the contest. “Now, to see him last night, he had a smile on his face,” Kings director of player personnel Glen Murray said. “We lost the game (4-1). But for him, it was successful. It was a passing grade, for sure. He’s come a long way. It’s been a long year. He did well. To be off a year – his game legs aren’t going to be there – but he made some nice plays, won a lot of faceoffs and he had this breakaway in the third period last night.”

T.J. Brodie Released From Hospital

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November 21: Flames’ GM Brad Treliving issued an update on Brodie’s status:

TJ has been working out for the past several days and today skated on his own under the supervision of our medical staff. Over this past week he has had consultations with appropriate specialists in Calgary. To date all medical evaluations and testing have been reassuring. We still work to complete final testing and are optimistic he will re-join the team in the near future. TJ has been placed on injury reserve retroactive to November 14th.

November 15: After a scary incident at Calgary Flames practice, word has come down that T.J. Brodie is feeling better. Brodie collapsed and was convulsing on the ice before being taken to hospital, but today Dr. Ian Auld explained at a press conference that the incident was more likely related to fainting than to a significant brain issue. Several tests came back negative, though the team is still taking it slow and making sure he has fully recovered.

There is no timetable for Brodie’s return and in the meantime the Flames have recalled Oliver Kylington from the AHL. In order to fit him in, Juuso Valimaki has been moved to long-term injured reserve.

Brodie is an extremely important part of the Flames’ defense, but obviously everyone involved is concerned with his long-term health.

Western Notes: Brodie, Faulk, Grubauer, Prout

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Doctors are still trying to find the cause for Calgary Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie’s collapse during practice Thursday at the Saddledome, and while there still is no answer, according to Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson, many of the worst-case scenarios have already been ruled out.

“All tests that have been done to date have come back negative,” said Calgary general manager Brad Treliving. “We’re not going to leave any stone unturned in terms of the tests we go through, and there is no set timetable for TJ’s return. We’ll just go through the process and check every box and make sure we administer every test. But there is good news in that he has come through everything thus far and is doing well, feeling good and is on the mend.”

He will remain out for the time being until the team has a better understanding on why he collapsed.

  • In his most recent mailbag, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) suggests that it’s far too early to look at the disappointing numbers of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk and suggest his acquisition was a mistake. Rutherford admits that his numbers are down from his numbers when he played for the Carolina Hurricanes, however he needs time to adjust to new teammates and a Craig Berube’s new system. “He’s been fine,” Berube said Thursday. “It takes time for a guy that’s been one place his whole career and he’s moved. It’s not going to happen overnight. We’ve got to be patient and I think we have been patient. He’s played pretty well, though. He doesn’t have a goal, but he’s been shooting the puck. One or two will go in and that will change things.”
  • With two minor league goaltenders on their roster, The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark reports that goaltender Philipp Grubauer is progressing by the day. Grubauer practiced once again, but the scribe reports that this was the first practice that saw him play at full strength. Head coach Jared Bednar also noted that backup Pavel Francouz remains in concussion protocol, although the goalie claims he’s feeling better. Clark also adds that forward Tyson Jost remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
  • Despite returning and appearing in two games with the San Jose Sharks, the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka reports that defenseman Dalton Prout is out again with an upper-body injury and no timeline has been set for when he might return. Prout appeared in two games, going scoreless, but adding seven penalty minutes, while adding a much needed veteran presence at the bottom of their defensive lineup.

 

Snapshots: Brodie, Marner, Staal

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The Calgary Flames still need to shed some more salary in order to fit in what is expected to be a big contract for Matthew Tkachuk, and Sportsnet’s Eric Francis suggests on radio that T.J. Brodie might have to be the one to go. The defenseman has been involved in trade speculation for some time and as Francis notes, the team has two up-and-coming options in Rasmus Andersson and Juuso Valimaki (not to mention Oliver Kylington, who is also pushing for an NHL spot.)

The Flames already shed themselves of some money by buying out Michael Stone recently, but project to have just over $7.75MM in cap space to sign both Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane. The 29-year old Brodie has just one year left on his current contract with a $4.65MM cap hit and is still an effective offensive option from the blueline. Francis worries that the Flames may have to part with another player to find a fit for Brodie after a deal earlier this offseason fell apart with the Toronto Maple Leafs thanks to Nazem Kadri’s no-trade clause. With just a month left before training camps open, Flames GM Brad Treliving still has plenty of work to do.

  • Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they too have an unsigned restricted free agent holding things up. Mitch Marner still doesn’t have a contract for the 2019-20 season, but linemate John Tavares doesn’t seem worried. Speaking with TSN this weekend, Tavares explained that “there’s still some time” for the contract to be worked out and is hopeful that Marner is there on the first day of training camp. The Maple Leafs currently project over the salary cap for the upcoming season but have more than $10MM tied up in Nathan Horton and David Clarkson who will be placed on long-term injured reserve at some point.
  • Jared Staal has been hired by the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears as an assistant coach, transitioning to a new role in professional hockey. The younger brother of Eric Staal, Jordan Staal and Marc Staal played two games for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2012-13 but had spent most of his career in the minor leagues. His playing days ended after suiting up for the Edinburgh Capitals of the EIHL in 2016-17. The 28-year old was originally drafted in the 2008 second round, but couldn’t quite climb to the same heights as his brothers. Perhaps he’ll get to that level as a coach, something he’s obviously getting an early start on.

Morning Notes: Dzingel, Hall, Kadri

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Ryan Dzingel is arguably the top remaining unrestricted free agent, ranked No. 12 overall by PHR and the leading scorer this past season among all available names. Yet, there’s been surprisingly little noise surrounding Dzingel, a 27-year-old coming off of a career high’s across the board. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that some teams are skeptical about Dzingel’s potential for production, not based on his year overall but rather his late-season stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets. After being moved at the NHL Trade Deadline by the Ottawa Senators, Dzingel recorded just 12 points in 21 games with Columbus and eventually lost the trust of the coaching staff in the postseason, with one point in nine games earning him a healthy scratch. Brooks remarks that the Blue Jackets’ lack of interest in retaining Dzingel, a former star at nearby Ohio State University, is one of several “red flags” for the young winger this off-season.

It’s likely that price is playing a role in Dzingel’s market as well. After a 56-point campaign, Dzingel’s camp was though to be seeking a $5MM AAV over a long-term contract. In a vacuum, that would seem to be a fair offer, but in a market where many teams are closer to the salary cap limit than expected, a player who is coming off a disappointing final few months of the season may need to lower his expectations. That rings especially true if he wants to land with one of his reported top destinations and a team known to have interest, the Chicago Blackhawks. Dzingel is an Illinois native and his skill set would seem to fit in perfectly with his hometown Blackhawks, who could still use another top-six winger. However, The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope writes that the team would have to move out a player, likely Artem Anisimov or Connor Murphy, to accommodate Dzingel’s salary demands. Until that happens, Pope cites GM Stan Bowman, who recently said his roster is “pretty full” and currently only in need of “housekeeping”. That doesn’t mean that Chicago, whose off-season moves have pointed toward a deep desire to return to contender status, will not continue to pursue Dzingel, but it may prove too difficult at his current asking price. If the scoring winger wants to ensure he has a long-term fit in a place that he’d like to be, Dzingel could consider taking a lesser deal to join the Blackhawks.

  • Another team looking to return to the playoffs are the New Jersey Devils and GM Ray Shero and company have certainly done their part in that pursuit this summer, drafting Jack Hughes, trading for P.K. Subban, and signing Wayne Simmonds. While the ultimate goal is to become a contender as soon as possible, the more pressing need – also with that goal in mind – is to convince superstar forward Taylor Hall that New Jersey is a team worth staying with to win a Stanley Cup. Hall is an impending free agent next summer and could be in line for a record-breaking contract, whether he tests the open market or not. The Devils have the cap space to meet his salary demands, but needed to focus this off-season on improving the talent around him after a season in which the team finished well outside the playoff picture. On paper, New Jersey should return to relevance next season and early indications are that Hall is happy with the transformation. In an interview with TSN, the 2018 Hart Trophy winner said that seeing the summer used to improve the talent level of the team and inject new blood after a disappointing campaign is exactly what you want to see. He added that Shero asked his opinion of the Subban trade before it was made and that he was totally on board and excited to play with his fellow star. All signs point to Hall being in favor of these off-season changes and eager to get started with the new season. If the Devils perform to the level they should on paper, Hall will have much more reason to consider a long-term extension to stay in New Jersey.
  • New Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri could have gone elsewhere if he wanted. The Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons reports that Kadri flexed his No-Trade Clause to block a trade to the Calgary Flames. Even after taking calls from Flames GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters, Kadri nixed a deal that would have seen he and Connor Brown, now an Ottawa Senator, go to Calgary in exchange for T.J. Brodie and Mark Jankowski. Simmons did not explain why Kadri was anti-Calgary, but did note that the fit in Colorado is better. As for the end result for the Leafs, Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot are a better package, but cost the the team young defenseman Calle Rosen, who Simmons states they did not wish to move, as well as a third-round pick. Also, Brodie would have been a more affordable defenseman to re-sign compare to Barrie, who could very well price himself out of Toronto after one year. It’s a toss up on which deal would have been better had Kadri not put his foot down.

Calgary Flames, Matthew Tkachuk Taking Time To Get Deal Done

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The Calgary Flames have many offseason tasks they must deal with this summer, but the No. 1 priority of the team is locking up their top restricted free agent, Matthew Tkachuk. However, with a number of big-name restricted free agents cashing in on mega contracts in the last couple of years, the negotiations are expected to take a while. In fact, The Fourth Period reports that the two sides are in no rush to get a deal done quickly.

Both Calgary and Tkachuk have already had initial discussions, but negotiations aren’t expected to pick up again until later this month, most likely after the NHL Entry Draft. Much of the initial discussions likely dealt with the type of deal that Tkachuk is looking for as he could either sign a short-term bridge deal or a long-term deal. If the team isn’t ready to shell out an expensive long-term deal, they could offer a three-year bridge deal in hopes of seeing whether Tkachuk is worthy of such a deal that would take him to his final year of restricted free agency.

Several restricted free agents have cashed in recently, especially in Toronto as Auston Matthews signed a five-year, $58.2MM contract ($11.63MM AAV) in February, while William Nylander signed a six-year, $45MM deal ($6.96MM AAV) in December after holding out. There are quite a few key restricted free agents this offseason and Tkachuk might want to wait some of them out to see what the market sets at, including Toronto’s Mitch Marner, Carolina’s Sebastian Aho, San Jose’s Timo Meier and Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor amongst others.

Tkachuk is coming off a breakout season in the final year of his entry-level deal as he potted 35 goals and picked up 77 points this season, something they were hoping for after they drafted him sixth overall in 2016. A physical, menace-type player, Tkachuk is critical to the team’s long-term plans, but with plenty of cap concerns approaching, the team could opt to give him a little less money if he accepts a shorter-term deal. However, a long-term deal might be the preferred outcome in case Tkachuk continues to take steps forward in his development, which is quite possible considering he’s still only 21 years old.

The Flames are projected to have more than $14MM in cap space this offseason, giving them the room to lock up Tkachuk to a long-term deal, although the team still has other key restricted free agents in Sam Bennett, Andrew Mangiapane and goaltender David Rittich to sign. The team also must decide on whether to bring back unrestricted free agent Mike Smith in net to pair with Rittich. If not, the team will have to find a goaltender on the free agent market to replace him. That could take up a significant amount of cap room, although there have been rumors the team could move one of their veteran defenseman, either T.J. Brodie or Travis Hamonic, to open up some more cap space and free up a defensive roster spot for some of their upcoming defensive prospects. General manager Brad Treliving might also attempt to trade forward James Neal and his bloated $5.75MM AAV contract, although finding a taker might prove to be a challenge considering he has four more years remaining on his contract.

Flames Looking To Trade A Defenseman

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Last June, the Flames moved out one of their key defensemen in Dougie Hamilton as part of a swap with Carolina at the draft.  It appears that they will be looking to move out a key blueliner once again this offseason.  In his latest edition of the Bobcast (audio link), TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that GM Brad Treliving is looking to move one of T.J. Brodie or Travis Hamonic.

The reason for wanting to do this is two-fold.  Calgary has youngsters Juuso Valimaki and Rasmus Andersson that appear to be ready to take on a bigger role for next season.  They also have a very expensive pending contract with restricted free agent winger Matthew Tkachuk that will eat up a lot of their remaining cap space.

Brodie is in the final year of his contract with a $4.6504MM cap hit and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2020.  While he’s a left-shot player, he has spent quite a bit of time playing on his off-side which would certainly bolster his trade value.  He has also been a fairly consistent point producer, surpassing the 30-point mark in six straight seasons and his skating is certainly an asset as teams are asking their defense corps to be more mobile.

Hamonic, a draft day acquisition back in 2017, is a much different style of player.  He’s more of a shut-down defender and has been quite an effective one over the years going back to his time with the Islanders.  However, staying healthy for an entire season has been an issue for him throughout his career.  He’s also in the final year of his contract with a cap hit that’s just over $3.857MM and will be UFA-eligible in 2020.

With the free agent class not being particularly deep in terms of capable top-four defenders, the Flames should garner plenty of interest in the blueliners in the weeks to come.  Considering Treliving’s recent history of being active on the trade front at the draft, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see a deal happen when that gets underway on June 21st.

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