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Tristan Jarry

East Notes: Krug, Jarry, Rasmussen

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With Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo now signed, Bruins GM Don Sweeney can turn his focus to his next crop of free agents, a group that is headlined by defenseman Torey Krug who is slated to be unrestricted in July.  Sweeney told NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty that he expects to have some extension discussions with Krug’s camp once he has a chance to do some forecasting.  The back-loaded nature of McAvoy and Carlo’s deals means that their back end will automatically cost a fair bit more a few years from now while they already have over $56MM in commitments for 2020-21 so there is definitely some projections that will need to be done on Boston’s end.  Krug’s offensive ability has him in line for a notable raise on his current $5.25MM AAV.

Elsewhere around the East:

  • The Penguins explored trades involving goaltender Tristan Jarry this summer, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. That’s not entirely surprising considering the three-year deal that they handed Casey DeSmith last season which makes Jarry the potential odd man out.  He needs to clear waivers to make it back to the AHL so presumably, teams that might have interest would be limiting their offers accordingly knowing there’s a good chance that he’ll be available for free over the next couple of weeks.
  • Detroit’s preference is to develop Michael Rasmussen as a center despite spending most of last year on the wing, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. As a result, it appears as if there’s a good chance that the 20-year-old will spend a good chunk of the season in the minors after being a full-time NHL player a year ago.  Part of the reason for that was that he wasn’t eligible to play in the AHL due to his age and the NHL-CHL agreement but that’s no longer in effect now.  Rasmussen was the ninth-overall pick back in 2017 but with the Red Wings having decent depth down the middle already, dropping down a level may be the best way to develop him at his natural position.

Metropolitan Notes: Jarry, Johnson, Patrick, Kempny

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have a goaltending dilemma approaching them. The team has three goaltenders who are competing for the two spots on the Penguins roster with Tristan Jarry battling with incumbent Casey DeSmith for the backup spot behind Matt Murray. However, while the competition was the exact same one year ago, the Penguins were able to keep all three by simply sending Tristan Jarry to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

That may not be as easy this year, according to TribLive’s Seth Rohrabaugh. Jarry, who was waiver exempt last season, no longer will be, meaning Pittsburgh would have to pass him through waivers if they want to send Jarry back to the AHL. Rohrabaugh adds that the Penguins did attempt to move the 24-year-old this summer, but failed to get a decent return on any trade. However, general manger Jim Rutherford may have no choice but to look at trade options once again and even have to settle for a late draft pick as there is a good chance the team could lose him if Jarry can’t beat out DeSmith. Either way, there is a good chance Pittsburgh might lose one of their goaltenders before the season starts.

  • Sticking with the Penguins, The Athletic’s Rob Rossi (subscription required) writes that while Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson says he’s equal at playing on both sides of the defense, head coach Mike Sullivan says he intends to move him back to his natural left-side in hopes of getting more out of the 32-year-old blueliner. Sullivan prefers to keep all his defensemen on their natural side, if possible. At the moment, the coach has Johnson penciled in next to Justin Schultz, who brought out the best in him.
  • Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reports that Philadelphia Flyers forward Nolan Patrick skated today and attended a team meeting, but the 20-year-old is considered week-to-week due to an upper-body injury. Patrick, who already moved back a line after the team signed Kevin Hayes this summer, must prove that he can avoid the injury bug as the center has struggled off and on with minor injuries throughout his first two seasons.
  • J.J. Regan of NBC Sports writes that Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny is doubtful to play in the preseason after undergoing surgery to repair a torn left hamstring in April, but the Capitals hope that he might be ready for the start of the regular season. Kempny, who has become one of Washington’s most reliable defensemen since they acquired him from Chicago at the 2018 trade deadline, but the 29-year-old hasn’t skated yet at any team practices.

Penguins Notes: Cap Crunch, Murray, Jarry, Trade Candidates

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Although the Penguins have minimal cap space and two players still in need of new contracts in defenseman Marcus Pettersson and center Zach Aston-Reese, GM Jim Rutherford told DKPittsburghSports’ Dave Molinari that he doesn’t foresee needing to make a small cap-saving move to get in compliance with the $81.5MM Upper Limit for next season.  Instead, he indicated that their plan is to carry less than the maximum 23 skaters, a strategy that would certainly carry some risk if short-term injuries were to arise.  That plan also suggests that their intention is to sign each RFA to a one-year contract as anything longer would certainly carry a larger cap hit.  Per CapFriendly, Pittsburgh has just over $840K in cap space with a 22-man roster but some of those players on their current roster could be in the minors to start next season.

More from Pittsburgh:

  • In that same interview with Molinari, Rutherford indicated that there have been no discussions yet regarding a potential contract extension for goalie Matt Murray. He’s entering the final year of his contract with a $3.75MM AAV and as an RFA with arbitration rights next summer, it’s going to cost considerably more to keep him around.  The GM also believes that they won’t need to trade fellow netminder Tristan Jarry.  While he’s no longer waiver exempt, Rutherford feels that with most (if not all) of the backup slots around the league now filled, there’s much less of a risk to exposing him to the waiver wire.
  • If the Penguins do indeed decide to make a move to free up cap space to give themselves some additional flexibility, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that winger Bryan Rust, center Nick Bjugstad, and defenseman Jack Johnson are the likeliest trade candidates. Rust was inconsistent last season and with a $3.5MM AAV, they could look to save there.  Bjugstad failed to come close to his 2017-18 output so his $4.1MM price tag is a bit on the high side though they’d likely prefer to see what he can do after a full training camp under his belt.  Johnson’s cost is the cheapest at $3.25MM per season but with four years remaining, Vensel acknowledged that Pittsburgh would need to provide an incentive to be able to move his contract.

Dustin Tokarski Signs AHL Deal

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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have added another experienced goaltender, signing Dustin Tokarski to an AHL contract for the 2019-20 season. While adding depth at any position is hardly newsworthy, the Penguins already had three minor league goaltenders under contract including Tristan Jarry, who has been included in trade speculation for some time. In fact, Jarry found himself among the most likely to be traded by The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) recently, alongside Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust.

Tokarski, 29 comes to the organization with a decade of professional experience, including 39 NHL appearances and even five games in the playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens in 2014. The last several years however he has been limited to almost entirely minor league action. Last year, Tokarski split the season between the Hartford Wolf Pack and Charlotte Checkers, winning the Calder Cup (the second of his career) with the latter.

It seems unlikely that Tokarski would be signed to play in the ECHL, though he could serve as a backup for Jarry in the AHL if the team feels comfortable sending their other young goaltenders to the low minors. Otherwise, his presence could mean another trade is coming in Pittsburgh sooner or later.

Minor Transactions: 02/09/2019

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It’s a busy Saturday slate for the NHL, with 28 teams set to square off today. All seven Canadian clubs are set to play, as the nation celebrates Hockey Day in Canada, while in the U.S. ten teams will get an early start with 1:00pm ET puck drops. With several other games in the late afternoon, evening, and late night, it’s a true all-day affair for the league. While you enjoy all the action, keep up with what should be a busy day for transactions as well:

  • Attached to the trade yesterday that saw Laurent Dauphin and Adam Helewka head to the Nashville Predators from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Emil Petterson was an AHL exchange as well. The Tuscon Roadrunners, affiliate of the ’Yotes, announced that they have acquired forward Jeremy Gregoire from the Preds’ affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, for future considerations. Gregoire, a former Montreal Canadiens prospect, was not qualified by the team after last season and signed with the Admirals as a free agent. The 23-year-old center has 12 points in 42 AHL games this year. Arizona GM John Chayka has shown in the past that he values a postseason run for his minor league team, adding pieces at each of the past few trade deadlines to help his top prospects experience the postseason even if the Coyotes don’t qualify.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Kevin Boyle from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. This is not a positive sign for the status of starter John Gibson, who left Thursday night’s game with an injury and did not practice yesterday. It seems likely that Boyle will back up Chad Johnson today when the Ducks visit the Philadelphia Flyers. Boyle, 26, has been with the Ducks organization for the past three seasons after signing as a free agent out of UMass – Lowell, but is still looking for his first NHL appearance.
  • The Ottawa Senators have called up veteran grinder Darren Archibald, the team announced. Archibald, who turns 29 years old today, was acquired alongside Anders Nilsson from the Vancouver Canucks earlier this season. The big winger has two points in ten NHL games this year, but was held scoreless in his Ottawa debut early last month and then sent back down. Yet, as Archibald continues to quietly put together a productive AHL campaign and brings a heavy, physical presence to any lineup, he has earned another shot with the Senators. The impending UFA is trying to prove to possible suitors this off-season that he is more than just a minimum salary, two-way player.
  • After their victory over Winnipeg earlier today, the Ottawa Senators announced they have returned Archibald to Belleville. He did not appear in today’s win.
  • The New Jersey Devils have made a flurry of moves, according to CapFriendly. They report that the team has officially placed forward Miles Wood on the injured reserve and activated rookie winger Joey Anderson. Wood left the Devils’ last game with an arm injury, but his injury status had been unclear. Obviously, this is an injury that will keep Wood sidelined for some time. Hopefully Anderson can make up for his absence; the collegiate product had two points through eleven games this season before breaking his ankle in November. New Jersey has called up additional reinforcements from AHL Binghamton as well in forward Nick Lappin and recently-acquired defenseman Ryan Murphy. Lappin has yet to play in the NHL this season after suiting up for 49 games with the Devils over the past two years, but brings some added experience to the table among the options to replace Wood. Murphy, who came over from the Minnesota Wild last week, will hope to show that he can still produce at the NHL level. The 2011 twelfth overall pick has failed to live up to his draft position so far in his pro career.
  • CapFriendly also notes that the St. Louis Blues have called up defenseman Chris Butler from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. The 32-year-old veteran has over 400 NHL games to his credit, but only 12 this season and 24 total over the past four seasons with St. Louis. However, Butler – the Rampage captain – has continued to be effective in the minors. With the Blues suddenly surging toward a playoff berth, a recent report indicated that they might prefer to hold on to one or both of their impending free agent defenseman on the roster, Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson. If that is the case, the team could be using this opportunity to showcase Butler for a potential trade to a contender so that they might walk away with some kind of return at the deadline without moving an established NHLer.
  • Haydn Fleury’s recent stretch of bouncing back and forth between the NHL and the minors continues.  The Hurricanes announced that they have sent the defenseman back to AHL Charlotte.  It’s the third time in less than three weeks that they’ve done so with recalls coming shortly after each time, something that will likely be the case again this time.   Fleury isn’t getting much playing time in Carolina so this is allowing him to at least get some game action in to stay ready in case he’s called upon by the big club.
  • It didn’t take long for the Pittsburgh Penguins to get their starting goaltender back as Matt Murray is expected to back up Casey DeSmith Saturday. Therefore the Penguins announced they have returned Tristan Jarry to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. Jarry was recalled Thursday on an emergency basis while Murray was out, Jarry’s trip didn’t last long and he didn’t see any action with the club either.
  • With Travis Hamonic officially back, the Calgary Flames opted to make a roster move with eight defenseman on their roster. The Flames announced they have assigned defenseman Rinat Valiev to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 23-year-old was recalled last Saturday as an emergency defenseman, but never saw the ice.

Tristan Jarry Recalled Under Emergency Conditions

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are in action tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers, and aren’t expected to have Matt Murray in net. That’s because Murray is out with another injury, this time listed as day-to-day with an upper-body ailment. That means Tristan Jarry has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton under emergency conditions, not the first time he’s replaced Murray for injury reasons this year.

Head coach Mike Sullivan made it clear that the injury to Murray is not a concussion, but would not further elaborate. Unfortunately this seems to be par for the course when it comes to Murray, as the young goaltender can’t seem to stay healthy for any length of time. After dealing with another concussion earlier in the year, Murray was activated in mid-December and has looked good since, carrying a .930 save percentage over his last 15 games. That kind of production is exactly what the Penguins need, especially as they try to catch the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals for a higher playoff seed.

Jarry, who is still just 23 years old, has spent the majority of this season in the minor leagues where he has posted a .912 save percentage across 27 games. Having him in the system is integral for the Penguins even after extending DeSmith earlier this year, as they need someone who can step in and contribute in case of injury.

Snapshots: Jarry, Shattenkirk, Red Wings, Chicago’s Goaltending

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The Hurricanes have shown an interest in Penguins goalie prospect Tristan Jarry in the past, notes Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  With Pittsburgh signing Casey DeSmith to an extension recently, Jarry’s name has come up as a speculative trade candidate between now and the February 25th trade deadline.  Carolina’s top two goalies at the moment in Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek are both slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the Hurricanes circle back on Jarry at some point over the next month.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Kevin Shattenkirk has fared better in recent weeks compared to his tough start to the season. With that in mind, Larry Brooks of the New York Post suggests that this stretch may give the Rangers an opportunity to trade him.  The 29-year-old hasn’t lived up to his four-year, $26.6MM contract signed back in 2017, one that has two years remaining on it.  However, he has been a quality point producer before his time in New York and with teams looking for help on the right side, there may be an opportunity to get out from under his deal (or at least most of it).  Shattenkirk has a no-move clause in his deal as well as a 10-team no-trade list.
  • While the Red Wings are believed to be likely to move some of their pending unrestricted free agents, GM Ken Holland indicated to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press (video link) that he’s open to moving anyone that isn’t part of their young core (which likely includes winger Anthony Mantha plus centers Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou) or future assets such as prospects and draft picks. Detroit wound up making a deal of significance involving a player like that last season when they moved winger Tomas Tatar to Vegas and since they have several other veterans on long-term deals, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to go that route again.
  • With Corey Crawford resuming on-ice drills as he works his way back from a concussion, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times mentions that there will be a roster logjam when he’s cleared to return. The team thinks highly of youngster Collin Delia and likely won’t want to return him to Rockford of the AHL while Cam Ward and his no-move clause is also on the roster.  Assuming Crawford gets the green light to return before the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chicago ask Ward to consider waiving his clause to accept a trade somewhere else.

Metropolitan Notes: Holtby, Jarry, Van Riemsdyk, Hickey

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The Washington Capitals look like they can breathe a sigh of relief as goaltender Braden Holtby was at practice Sunday after Columbus’ Cam Atkinson accidentally put his stick through a hole in Holtby’s mask into his left eye, forcing him to leave the game. It’s still unclear if the goaltender would start against St. Louis on Monday, the first of a back-to-back set, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.

“Obviously anything with your eyes is a little scary,” Holtby said. “It’s fortunate that it wasn’t anything too serious. You just move on. … I didn’t have the sight to keep going. I just wouldn’t have been a benefit to the team. it was one of those things. Eyes heal quickly, so just 24 hours and I’ll be back to normal.”

The incident on the ice Saturday in the second period and the immediate thought looked scary with many worrying that the team’s star goaltender could miss a significant amount of time. However, it looks like the injury isn’t as serious as originally thought. Head coach Todd Rierden said that the team doesn’t intend to recall a goaltender from the AHL at this moment with the general belief that the team could start Pheonix Copley Monday and start Holtby on Tuesday against Nashville on Tuesday.

  • While there have been reports out of Pittsburgh that the team may be ready to move a defenseman, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that general manager Jim Rutherford may also be ready to move third-string goaltender Tristan Jarry as well. The 23-year-old and second-round pick in 2013 is a solid prospect, but with 24-year-old Matt Murray locked in as the starter and the fact that backup Casey DeSmith was recently extended for another three years, Jarry could be a nice trade chip. He has one more year at $675K before he hits restricted free agency, although his two-way deal will turn into a one-way deal next season. NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz adds, however, that goaltenders don’t often bring a lot back in trades, pointing out that Filip Gustavsson was a better prospect and he was just one part of a package to get Derick Brassard last season.
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk has a 50-50 chance of playing Monday after being banged up Saturday against New Jersey. Van Riemsdyk, who has struggled with injuries as well as production, had one of his better games of the season, playing 17:01 and scoring a goal and adding an assist, despite the loss. The 29-year-old has two goals and two assists in the last two games.
  • Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that New York Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey, who has missed 11 straight games with an upper-body injury, has had a slowdown in his recovery, according to head coach Barry Trotz. Hickey has been skating on his own, but was held out of the team’s last full practice on Wednesday. “We want to do what’s best for the player,” Trotz said. “I don’t know if it’s a setback. We just want to be cautious with it. He’s real important for us and we’re not trying to rush him at all. We back him off a little bit and that’s on trainers’ orders.”

Matt Murray Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Pittsburgh Penguins finally have their expected starter back. Matt Murray has been activated from injured reserve, while Tristan Jarry was sent back to the minor leagues. Now the question becomes how the Penguins will use Murray, given Casey DeSmith’s stellar play as the starter in his absence. DeSmith has posted a .925 save percentage through 20 appearances this season, a number Murray has reached since 2016-17.

Back in October, head coach Mike Sullivan claimed that Murray was still obviously the team’s number one, despite DeSmith’s success early on. That assertion will be tested as the season progresses, and the Penguins attempt to continue their climb up the ladder of the Metropolitan Division standings.

After starting his career about as well as possible with back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, Murray has struggled recently to find an elite level capable of putting the Penguins over the edge. Some of that has to do with injury—Murray has suffered from multiple ailments including several concussions over his short career—and some with simple inconsistency. Both things will be tested now that he has ample competition for the starter role, in both DeSmith and top prospect Jarry. The team certainly can’t wait around for his play to rebound if they want to keep pace in the Metropolitan, where the Washington Capitals are starting to extend their lead and look like the dominant team that took home the Cup last season.

Florida Panthers Seeking Upgrade In Goal

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Entering the season, the Florida Panthers’ goaltender trio of Roberto Luongo, James Reimer, and Michael Hutchinson seemed like one of the deepest in the league. As the second month of the season wraps up, the Panthers currently hold the second-worst goals against average in the NHL and their play in the net has been the team’s greatest weakness. As a result, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports (subscription required) that, despite their considerable depth, Florida is looking for an upgrade behind the injury-plagued Luongo.

Injuries have limited Luongo, 39, to just nine appearances, but even when healthy he has not looked like himself. Luongo holds a 3.07 GAA and a .902 save percentage that, if the season were to end today, would be his career-low. It could be that Luongo’s play is reflective of his poor health, especially considering his strong performance just last year. However, between his injury issues and inconsistent results, Luongo simply can’t be relied upon as a bona fide starter. Of course, that was the reasoning behind the Panthers initially signing Reimer three years ago. Reimer looked the part in his first season in 2016-17, with perhaps his best NHL campaign. Yet, his numbers tailed off last season as he too struggled with injuries and now this year Reimer looks far from a starting option. The 30-year-old leads the Panthers with 14 appearances, but has just four wins, tied with Luongo despite five more showings. His performance has been bleak, with an .895 save percentage and 3.39 GAA. Yet, the injury concerns and inconsistency of Luongo and Reimer is exactly why Florida signed Hutchinson this summer. That has quickly proven to have been a mistake, as the AHL veteran has been out of his depths in four NHL games, sporting a brutal .839 save percentage and 4.17 GAA. Hutchinson has struggled to even perform at an average level in the minors this season.

Nothing has worked out according to plan in Florida, so the team needs to make a move to improve in net. The problem with that plan, as LeBrun points out, is that Reimer still has two years remaining on his contract at $3.4MM. That contract could prove very difficult to move. Luongo is also signed long-term, with three years remaining, but it appears that the team would prefer to hold on to him despite his current struggles, even if they were able to find a take. As such, a long-term solution in net may be difficult to find, unless the team is also able to move Reimer. Nearly any established goalie signed beyond this season would put too much strain on the Panthers’ payroll, which is already close to $2MM from the salary cap. An expensive rental, such as Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, would also be difficult to manage. Cheap rentals, such as New Jersey’s Eddie Lack, Carolina’s Petr Mrazek, Edmonton’s Al Montoya, and recent waiver placement Calvin Pickard, are readily available, but would be unlikely to shift the status quo substantially. The Panthers could make a play for a young, affordable goalie lacking opportunity, such as Montreal’s Charlie Lindgren, Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko, Los Angeles’ Cal Petersen, or Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, but it would come at a cost. The Panthers may want to upgrade their goalie depth, but such a move won’t come easy for the team this season.

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