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Victor Rask

Minnesota Wild Activate Bjugstad; Move Dumba To IR

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The Minnesota Wild have announced a few important transactions, starting with the activation of Nick Bjugstad from injured reserve. To make room, the team has placed Matt Dumba on IR and waived Victor Rask.

Bjugstad, 29, has played in just 28 games so far this season and was placed on injured reserve earlier this month. The big forward is a long way from the player that scored 24 goals and 43 points in 2014-15 but still represents some valuable depth for the Wild to insert into the lineup. He has four goals and five points this season in those 28 games while averaging just over ten minutes a night.

For a team like Minnesota, who have their sights set on the Stanley Cup, improving around the fringes of the roster can be an important step. Bjugstad isn’t a huge improvement over Rask but he does carry less than a quarter of the cap hit. In fact, his $900K is more than reasonable for a fourth-line player that adds some size and versatility–able to line up at center or the wing.

Dumba, meanwhile, is expected to miss a few weeks with a lower-body injury. He has played just one game since the start of the month and is now on injured reserve, likely retroactive to his appearance on February 12. That mean’s he’s eligible to return in the next few days, though it’s not yet clear when he actually will be ready to get back into the lineup.

Victor Rask, Zane McIntyre Clear Waivers

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Jan 5: Both players have cleared waivers, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. Rask is expected to be assigned to the taxi squad, where the Wild will receive $1.125MM in cap relief. McIntyre will be assigned to the Iowa Wild.

Jan 4: Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Minnesota Wild placed forward Victor Rask and goalie Zane McIntyre on waivers today.

While McIntyre wasn’t in the Wild organization prior to today, the waiver placement means that he signed an NHL contract with the Wild today. He was previously with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on an AHL contract, appearing in three games and posting a .904 save percentage to go with a 2-1-0 record.

McIntyre has spent time on NHL rosters over the past few years but hasn’t gotten into a game since he played eight with the Boston Bruins in 2016-17. Those are the only eight NHL games he has under his belt, but he’s been a capable enough AHL man over the years and that’s the role he’ll play in Minnesota.

Rask’s waiver placement is partially salary-motivated, as the 28-year-old forward is in the last year of a contract that carries a $4MM cap hit. If he clears waivers, the Wild can save roughly $1MM on that hit while he’s in the minors.

He has four goals and six assists in 21 games this season, occasionally serving as a healthy scratch.

West Notes: Rask, Blues, Coyotes

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The Wild will not buy out center Victor Rask, GM Bill Guerin told Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 27-year-old has struggled mightily over his two seasons in Minnesota, compiling just 16 points in 66 games while being a frequent healthy scratch along the way.  That’s hardly production that’s worthy of a $4MM price tag for two more years which made him a strong candidate to be released.  Instead, they’ll hold onto Rask and hope that he’ll be able to rebound and perhaps fill one of the vacancies created by the departures of Eric Staal and Mikko Koivu.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch posits that the Blues will likely add a veteran goaltender in free agency. While the team has high hopes for Ville Husso, he has yet to play at the NHL level and they’re counting on him to be a capable backup for Jordan Binnington.  Adding a veteran third-string option that could start out at the AHL level but be brought up if Husso struggles or injuries arise would be a wise move although getting someone that may be willing to leave some NHL money on the table in favor of a higher two-way deal (or a fully guaranteed one-way contract) will be important with their salary cap situation.
  • The front office changes continue in Arizona as new GM Bill Armstrong makes his mark. Just days after firing scouting director Lindsay Hofford, the Coyotes have parted ways with assistant to the GM Jake Goldberg, reports Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider (Twitter link).  The 30-year-old had been promoted to that role this season after spending the previous two years as their director of hockey operations.

Snapshots: Wild Injuries, Hall, Fleury, Letestu

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After blocking several point shots on the same penalty kill on Thursday night, Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek looked to be in a lot of pain and the fact he didn’t return to the game was cause for concern.  However, head coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters, including Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link), that the lower-body injury should only keep him out for a week or two.  Meanwhile, center Victor Rask is listed as day-to-day and will not suit up on Sunday against Montreal.  Additionally, winger Mats Zuccarello was transferred to injured reserve to create a roster spot for their earlier recall of Gabriel Dumont today.  He last played on October 12th meaning that he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s able to return.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Devils GM Ray Shero acknowledged to reporters, including Corey Masisak of The Athletic (Twitter link), that he spoke with Taylor Hall’s agent over the last few days but stopped short of indicating if any discussions were held regarding a potential contract extension. Hall’s future with New Jersey is one of the big storylines around the league in the early going of the season and their slow start to 2019-20 has only increased the spotlight.  He has a $6MM cap hit but could come close to doubling that on his next deal if he has a strong performance this season and stays healthy.
  • Canadiens defenseman Cale Fleury is dealing with a minor injury and won’t play today, notes Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette. Head coach Claude Julien has already classified the rookie as doubtful for their game on Sunday as well but that the issue shouldn’t hold him out for more than a week.  Christian Folin will return to the lineup in Fleury’s absence.
  • Jets center Mark Letestu has been shut down through the end of the month due to an undisclosed injury, reports TSN 1290’s Brian Munz (Twitter link). He has already been transferred to injured reserve.  The issue could pave the way for rookie David Gustafsson to have more of a regular role after playing in just two games so far this season.

Minnesota, Pittsburgh In Trade Talks Regarding Phil Kessel

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2:40pm: Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has actually heard that Kessel may not waive his clause for a deal to Minnesota. Other teams that are on his small trade list have contacted the Penguins, and LeBrun believes it is a matter of “when not if” for a trade at this point.

1:05pm: The Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t been secretive about their plans to shake up the roster this summer, and Phil Kessel’s name has been front and center in all of the trade speculation. That seems to be coming to a head, as Josh Yohe of The Atheltic (subscription required) reports that the Penguins are in talks with the Minnesota Wild on a trade revolving around Kessel. Yohe notes that Jason Zucker, who has also been available in recent months, would likely be going the other way if a deal can be reached, while Jack Johnson and Victor Rask have been discussed.

The trade has apparently been “on the table for days” with Kessel’s no-trade clause the only impediment at this point. That trade clause allows Kessel to submit a list of only eight teams he can be traded to, though he can obviously waive it to accept a deal anywhere else.

Kessel, 31, is coming off another point-per-game season that saw him register 27 goals and 82 points while continuing his near decade long iron man streak. The veteran winger is an incredible offensive player but has often been critiqued for his inconsistent defensive effort and prickly personality. While teammates will often speak extremely highly of the Wisconsin native, he has proven difficult to coach at times and has already been traded twice in his career.

Still, his offensive ability and Stanley Cup experience are exactly what the Wild are looking for after failing to make the playoffs this season. Owner Craig Leipold recently made it clear that he wants the team to get back to the postseason tournament next season, and GM Paul Fenton has already done quite a bit of work to break up the former veteran core. Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter have all been shipped out over the last few months, and Zucker could now be on his way out as well.

Yohe’s colleague Michael Russo detailed earlier this week how Zucker was being shopped around, and even listed Kessel first in his examination of potential returns. The fact that Kessel provides a right-handed shot for the Wild forward group, an attribute they are desperately in need of, makes him an even more attractive option.

Obviously if a deal is completed it will likely include more than just the two forwards, but in a vacuum they don’t represent very different financial commitments. Zucker has four years left on his contract that carries a $5.5MM cap hit while Kessel carries a $6.8MM hit over the next three. The Wild would actually end up paying less actual salary, give the front-loading of Kessel’s deal and the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs are still retaining $1.2MM per season.

Minnesota Wild Activate Victor Rask From Injured Reserve

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The Minnesota Wild gave up a lot to acquire Victor Rask earlier this season, but have only received ten games out of the 26-year old center after he suffered an injury and was forced out of the lineup. That’s about to change, as Rask has been activated from injured reserve today and is expected to make his return to the lineup tonight.

Rask was supposed to come into Minnesota and help them strengthen the middle of the ice, but had just two points through those ten games before going on injured reserve. In fact, he’d been demoted to the fourth line and played just over seven minutes in each of the games before his injury, a stark difference to the impact that Nino Niederreiter has made for the Carolina Hurricanes. Niederreiter, who was traded straight up for Rask, has 21 points in 22 games with the Hurricanes including 11 goals.

A return to form for Rask would be a huge addition for the Wild, who are currently in the midst of a last-second playoff race. The team has changed several of their key players this season but now sit in the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, just a point ahead of the hard charging Arizona Coyotes. If Rask could once again become the 48-point center he was in 2015-16 the Wild may have a good shot at doing some damage in the post season, but he’ll have to prove he’s healthy enough to contribute at all first.

Snapshots: Nilsson, Rask, Panthers, Gabrielle

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The Senators are likely to give Anders Nilsson a lot of action down the stretch as they have yet to decide on whether or not to offer the pending UFA a deal for next season, suggests Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  The 28-year-old has fared better with Ottawa since being dealt from Vancouver, posting a respectable .910 SV% in 18 appearances compared to the .895 mark he had in a dozen games with the Canucks.  Veteran Mike Condon is still under contract for next season but his hip issues continue to be problematic; Garrioch noted that he had a recent setback as he continues to rehab his current injury.  With that in mind, the Sens will likely want to have some insurance if Condon can’t play next season which could come by keeping Nilsson around.

More news and notes from around the league:

  • The Wild announced that center Victor Rask will return to the lineup on Monday after missing nearly a month with a lower-body injury. He has struggled since joining Minnesota in a midseason trade for winger Nino Niederreiter; the Swiss winger is averaging a point per game with Carolina which Rask has just a goal and an assist since the trade.  With Minnesota is the thick of the playoff hunt, they’ll need more from him down the stretch.
  • Florida is set to get a pair of forwards back in the coming days. Jameson Olive of the Panthers’ team website notes (Twitter link) that forwards Denis Malgin and Colton Sceviour are likely to return this week.  Malgin (lower body) is expected to return on Thursday while Sceviour (wrist) has had his cast removed and could be back over the weekend.
  • Bruins prospect Jesse Gabrielle is out for the rest of the season due to a concussion, reports Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. He has sustained three separate head injuries dating back to training camp with the last two coming at the ECHL level.  The 21-year-old has one year left on his entry-level deal following this season.

Minor Transactions: 02/19/19

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The NHL is busy tonight with nine games on the schedule, including a Central Division battle between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. With the St. Louis Blues on a ten game winning streak, the Stars are just trying to keep pace in the playoff race while the Predators try to hold onto second spot. As teams prepare for that action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman as Dustin Byfuglien deals with another injury. Byfuglien will miss the next few games, meaning Poolman is up to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. The 25-year old has played 30 games for the Manitoba Moose this year, but is still waiting to make his season debut in the NHL.
  • Ashton Sautner has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks as they deal with several injuries to their defense corps. Sautner, 24, played in five games for the Canucks last year but has spent this entire season in the minor leagues.
  • With Victor Rask moved to injured reserve, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Cal O’Reilly from the AHL. O’Reilly has 38 points in 43 games with the Iowa Wild this season and has long been an exceptional minor league player. The 32-year old has yet to make his season debut for Minnesota. UPDATE: O’Reilly has been sent back to the minor leagues already.
  • Dale Weise is on his way back to the minor leagues, this time to make room on the roster for Paul Byron. The Montreal Canadiens have activated Byron from injured reserve, a huge boost to their team as they search for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
  • Blake Coleman has been activated from injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils, meaning the end of the run for Nick Lappin. The Devils sent Lappin back to the AHL today after just three games in the NHL.
  • Jan Rutta has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning as Victor Hedman deals with a minor injury. Mathieu Joseph has been returned to the AHL to make room on the roster for another defenseman. Hedman is not expected to be out long.

Metropolitan Notes: Holtby, Bjugstad, Niederreiter

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The Washington Capitals finally broke their seven-game losing streak, but there still is plenty of concern on whether the Stanley Cup champions can re-establish themselves as top candidates to re-capture the title this season. While many point to fatigue as the team played a lot of extra games in the playoffs last season, there are even bigger concerns, including the goaltending.

Perhaps one of the biggest area of concern, according to The Athletic’s Scott Burnside (subscription required) is the play of their goaltending, most particularly the play of Braden Holtby, who is posting another disappointing regular season. Despite an impressive Stanley Cup championship run during the playoffs, Holtby struggled during the regular season with a 2.99 GAA and a .907 save percentage. This year has been even more disappointing as the veteran has a 3.10 GAA and a .905 save percentage. He ranks 19th, among goalies with 20 or more appearances, at even-strength save percentage with a .918.

“The goalies have just lost it here,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. “They’re flailing away at it, letting in bad goals at bad times, stuff like that.”

  • Seth Rorabaugh of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the impressive play of Pittsburgh Penguins’ newly acquired center Nick Bjugstad could eventually bring about head coach Mike Sullivan’s dream of spreading out Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel over three lines. The belief is that the additions of Bjugstad as well as Jared McCann should open up multiple possibilities on offense which neither Derick Brassard or Riley Sheahan did. “Nick Bjugstad is a guy that’s shown an ability to score in this league,” Sullivan said of a player whose career season of 2014-15 saw him score 24 goals and 43 points in 72 games. “He’s a 45- to 50-point guy. He has more upside, he’s still young. He brings more size to our team and a whole lot of skill.”
  • News & Observer’s Chip Alexander asks the question ’What was Paul Fenton thinking?’ when referring to what so far looks to be a steal of a trade when the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Nino Niederreiter from Fenton and the Minnesota Wild for Victor Rask. Niederreiter has sparked the team with five goals in five games as the team has gone 3-1-1 in that span, including a big victory over Vegas Friday, while Rask has just one assist in Minnesota over four games. Niederreiter seems to have found a home on the team’s first line next to Sebastian Aho and veteran Justin Williams.

Carolina Hurricanes Trade Victor Rask For Nino Niederreiter

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The Carolina Hurricanes have made another huge trade to change up their core group of forwards, this time sending Victor Rask to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Nino Niederreiter. Both teams have struggled to find a ton of offense from their groups over the last few seasons, leading them to try and shake things up with a move like this.

At first blush, the deal seems to be a huge win for the Hurricanes given Rask’s incredible struggles this season. The 25-year old center has just six points in 26 games since returning from a freak hand injury in late November and has at times been relegated to fourth-line minutes in Carolina. That’s obviously not Rask’s ceiling, as he has twice previously recorded at least 45 points, but he wasn’t getting it done for the Hurricanes under Rod Brind’Amour and needed a fresh start elsewhere.

That’ll come in Minnesota where it’s unclear if Rask will stay in the middle of the ice. Charlie Coyle has been playing at the center position and finding great success, though he has plenty of experience on the wing where there is now a vacancy. Wild GM Paul Fenton had been clear that there were changes coming in Minnesota, and Niederreiter was one of the obvious candidates to be moved.

In fact, the bruising winger played just 9:31 in his final game for Minnesota after being dropped to the fourth line almost immediately after starting the game. Ironically he scored in those limited minutes and was successful in the shootout win to notch two points for the Wild over the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday night. That goal was just Niederreiter’s sixth even-strength tally of the season, a huge problem for a player who has made a living recording 20-goal seasons in the past. That sort of production is exactly what the Hurricanes are looking for, and Carolina GM Don Waddell called him a “proven goal-scorer” in the accompanying press release.

We wrote back in November how the Hurricanes needed help up front scoring goals, and that’s exactly what they’ll hope to accomplish with this addition. Niederreiter also fits right into the possession style that Carolina loves to employ, and is one of the better two-way wingers in the league. Still, the contract swap represents a $1.25MM increase for the Hurricanes through 2021-22 while Niederreiter immediately becomes the team’s highest-paid forward with Jordan Staal on injured reserve. He’ll be asked to do a lot in Carolina, and could even find himself on the top line in short order.

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