East Notes: Rangers, Johansen, McAvoy
With the Rangers needing to find out ways to clear out salary cap space in the near future, their trade chips don’t appear to be drawing much interest. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that Brendan Smith has yielded no interest while the only way they can move fellow buyout candidate Kevin Shattenkirk is if they take back another onerous contract (which wouldn’t do much to help their cap situation). Meanwhile, they haven’t had any takes for winger Vladislav Namestnikov yet either. With basically two weeks until their second buyout window opens up (which could come earlier if both Jacob Trouba and Pavel Buchnevich re-sign before their scheduled hearings), GM Jeff Gorton will certainly be active in the coming days to try to find a fit on the trade front.
Elsewhere in the East:
- Lucas Johansen was once Washington’s top defensive prospect but he has been passed on the depth chart over the last couple of seasons. Accordingly, NBC Sports Washington’s J.J. Regan posits that the blueliner could ultimately find himself on the trade block before too long as a result. The Capitals have some quality depth on the back end in their system and his first-round pedigree could still be of interest to some teams; with only a small group of plausible trade chips, it’s possible that Johansen could be made available at some point next season.
- While Charlie McAvoy is among the sizable class of notable restricted free agents this summer, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty suggests that a bridge deal for the defenseman may be the best way to go. McAvoy has lots of offensive upside but he hasn’t yet been able to put it together on a consistent basis while also dealing with injury troubles. Between that and the fact he’s not eligible for an offer sheet, he doesn’t have a lot of leverage. From the Bruins standpoint, a shorter-term contract would also make it easier for them to re-sign fellow RFA Brandon Carlo without needing to free up much salary. That said, that route is probably a Plan B at this point as finding a suitable long-term fit is likely the priority for both sides.
Rangers Have Made Vladislav Namestnikov And Pavel Buchnevich Available
With the Rangers needing to clear up some cap space following their acquisition of winger Artemi Panarin earlier this month, defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith have come up as speculative candidates to be bought out during the second buyout window. However, as Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post notes, they are looking at the trade market as well and have made wingers Vladislav Namestnikov and Pavel Buchnevich available.
Namestnikov struggled in his first full season in New York and came up well short of the 48 points he produced with the Lightning and Rangers in 2018-19. He had just 11 goals on the season, not the type of production that they were expecting when they signed him to a two-year, $8MM contract last summer. However, on an expiring deal, there should be teams with some interest that believe a change of scenery could help him get back to his Tampa Bay levels.
Buchnevich’s presence here is a little more interesting. The restricted free agent had a career-best 21 goals last season and has emerged as a capable middle-six winger for New York. While he is going to salary arbitration, it seems unlikely that he’d be able to command the contract that Namestnikov has. Since he still has three years of team control remaining, GM Jeff Gorton should be able to command a strong return if they do indeed move him.
Cyrgalis also mentions Chris Kreider as a potential trade possibility although for a different reason entirely. If they can agree on a contract extension, then he clearly wouldn’t be made available. However, if they wind up still being far apart on a new deal, then it’s certainly possible that he could find himself on the move.
As things stand, the Rangers have a little over $7MM in cap space, per CapFriendly. However, defenseman Jacob Trouba will basically take up all of that with Buchnevich, Anthony Deangelo, and Brendan Lemieux still needing new contracts as well. Their second buyout window won’t open up until Trouba and Buchnevich both sign. If Buchnevich was to go to his hearing on July 29th, his reward wouldn’t come until the end of the month which would give Gorton about two and a half weeks to deal with his cap crunch. That makes the Rangers a team to watch for in the coming weeks.
Vladislav Namestnikov Generating Trade Interest
It’s not often that a forward averaging just ten minutes a night and with just one point in his first eight games generates a lot of trade interest, but that might be the case for New York Rangers center Vladislav Namestnikov. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that there is some interest in Namestnikov and that the Rangers may be willing to listen. The 25-year old center has been pushed further and further down the lineup this season for the Rangers, and played just 13 shifts (9:25) on Tuesday night.
Though he may not be performing well this year, there’s good reason to believe Namestnikov can still be an effective player in the NHL. Originally selected 27th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, he eventually grew into a talented offensive player that lined up alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov for a time. Though skating next to those two superstars helped along his numbers, his underlying possession statistics have always been relatively good and he’s at least shown that he can play up in the lineup if given the chance.
Part of the reason the Rangers may have decided to move on from him as a core piece is the fact that Namestnikov is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2019-20 season. Signed to a two-year, $8MM contract in July, he may be both too expensive and slightly too old to really figure into their rebuild. He’ll be looking for a long-term deal when he hits the open market—provided his play rebounds in New York or elsewhere—just while the Rangers are ready to start competing again with their young core. Just like Kevin Hayes, who has made it clear he’d rather stay with the Rangers, there might just not be room for them on the next iteration of the team.
Vladislav Namestnikov Signs Two-Year Contract With New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with Vladislav Namestnikov on a two-year contract that will pay him $4MM a season. There had been rumors earlier in the day that Namestnikov was considering a return to the KHL, but agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey immediately shot them down and indicated the deal was in the works. Namestnikov will instead remain in New York and try to find some chemistry with the team that acquired him midseason.
After being sent by the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the package to acquire Ryan McDonagh, Namestnikov struggled in New York. With just four points in 19 games, he finished his season with 48—which was still a career high, but much less than he was on pace for at the time of the trade. Of course, in Tampa Bay Namestnikov had spent much of the season on a line with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, something he won’t be afforded during his time with the Rangers. Instead, they’ll rely on him to create offense on his own and help round out a forward group that has a lot of potential, but were very inconsistent last season.
Interestingly the 25-year old will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this deal, meaning he could turn into trade bait again should the Rangers struggle to rebound from their disappointing season in 2017-18. There’s a ton of talent in the Russian forward, who can play center or wing, but he hasn’t quite been able to put it all together for a full season. If that happens in New York, they’ll have a very valuable asset on their hands, or a key player to build around on a free agent deal.
For now, a $4MM cap hit puts him as the fourth highest-paid forward on the team and he’ll be expected to produce like it. We’ll have to wait and see if he ends up playing center, or if Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson‘s development ends up pushing Namestnikov to the wing once again.
Free Agent Notes: Holden, Ellis, Namestnikov, Wilson
The Vegas Golden Knights already surprised a few when they reached out and stole Paul Stastny away from Western Conference rival Winnipeg. However, the Golden Knights are apparently not done as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Vegas is the front-runner for unrestricted free agent defenseman Nick Holden.
Holden, who spent time with both the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins last season, would be a solid depth defenseman that could add to Vegas’ core. he averaged 19:00 ATOI between both clubs, but only posted four goals and 17 points on the year. However, the 31-year-old may be starting to show a decline in skills as he was a 34-point player in 2016-17 with the Rangers.
Incidentally, Holden is being pursued by two teams as the Boston Bruins are also vying for the blueliner’s services, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The Bruins, after all, gave up a third-round pick and low-end prospect Rob O’Gara at the deadline.
- LeBrun also mentions that while Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, who will be a unrestricted free agent in one year, can sign an extension as of today. However, the scribe writes that Nashville isn’t there yet. They intend to reignite talks with Ellis and his representatives within the next one to two weeks. Nashville wants to keep Ellis in the fold at all costs as the team has put major emphasis on having a dominant four defense. The team already has P.K. Subban ($9MM AAV) and Mattias Ekholm ($3.75MM AAV) locked up for four years, while Roman Josi ($4MM AAV) is signed for another two years.
- The New York Rangers can breathe easier after the agent for restricted free agent Vladislav Namestnikov, Dan Milstein, refuted rumors that the forward was leaving for the KHL. Namestnikov, who was acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, but saw his playing time drop once he arrived in New York. After averaging 17:30 of ATOI as a Lightning, his playing time dropped to 15:43, along with his offensive production. After potting 20 goals with Tampa Bay, he managed just four points in 19 games with the Rangers. However, Milstein insists the rumors are not true and that Namestnikov believes playing in the NHL is a privilege and honor and an extension is in the works with the New York Rangers.
- Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports the Buffalo Sabres are currently working on re-signing winger Scott Wilson. The 26-year-old was picked up in a December trade this last season from the Detroit Red Wings and played a regular role as a bottom-six forward. After not scoring a point in 17 games with Detroit, he tallied six goals and 14 points in 49 games in Buffalo.
Rangers Likely To Trade A Center This Offseason
With many teams in the league looking for center help this offseason and seeing few options on the free agent market, the trade market seems to be the best way to fill that heavily in-demand. Just earlier this week, the Montreal Canadiens traded Alex Galchenyuk, who failed to succeed at the center position for the team in previous years, to Arizona. The Coyotes have already stated they intend to move him back to center in hopes that he can make the conversion and fill their No. 2 center hole.
The New York Rangers seem to be in a unique situation. Despite the franchise suddenly finding themselves in rebuilding mode, the one thing the Rangers have plenty of is reliable centers. In fact, the team has eight potential centers currently on the roster, including Mika Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes, Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, Vladislav Namestnikov, Ryan Spooner, Boo Nieves and Brett Howden. While some of those eight will be forced to move to the wing position, there is also a strong possibility that the team will move at least one of those centers during the offseason, and very possibly, before next week’s draft.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes that while the team has a solid combination of Zibanejad, Chytil, Hayes and Andersson currently penciled in as their top four centers next season, that’s a logjam at that position that likely would not aid the development of Chytil and Andersson, two teenagers who need as much playing time as possible at the NHL level. Andersson especially, last year’s No. 7 pick in the 2017 draft, needs time on the ice and a fourth-line role isn’t going to cut it.
The scribe writes that Hayes may be available after quietly putting up a career-high 25 goals while playing center for New York last year. The restricted free agent is in line for a potential five-year deal worth about $4.5MM per year based on his success last season and there is no guarantee that Hayes would earn the No. 2 center spot with all this depth. Regardless, Hayes would be a highly coveted commodity for many teams who are in desperate need for help at that position.
The key for the Rangers is to trade him straight out for help on their blueline, according to Brooks, who adds that New York is unlikely to use Hayes as part of a package to move up in the draft. The team’s biggest need is at defense and there are many teams that could use a center and have defense to trade, including the Calgary Flames who might be ready to move Dougie Hamilton.
Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference
After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:
Deadline Day
Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller
New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek
Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen
Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole
Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick
New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon
Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick
New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner
Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera
Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels
Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick
Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris
Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg
Senators, Karlsson Trying To Get Trade Done By Deadline
The Ottawa Senators and Erik Karlsson are both working hard on making a deal happen by the trade deadline with the Tampa Bay Lightning being the leading candidate to acquire the star defenseman, according to Elliotte Friedman Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada.
“Whatever gets said, the belief is the Ottawa Senators want to try to make this happen and Erik Karlsson wants it to happen, and they have been grinding away in the last two or three days to see if they can,” Friedman said. “Obviously Tampa Bay is a leading contender, I think they’ve thrown several different proposals at each other.”
While negotiations haven’t reached their final stages, other teams have also shown interest in Karlsson, including the Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights.
The idea that Karlsson could end up in Tampa Bay is not unrealistic considering he is close friends with fellow Swede Victor Hedman. The two playing on the Lightning’s blueline could be the ultimate piece for a team that want to win a Stanley Cup this year. However, what would be the cost? While Tampa Bay has quite a lot of solid prospects they could deal, Ottawa would almost definitely be looking for a major piece from the team’s active roster with names such as Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde and Vladislav Namestnikov, rumored to be names that Ottawa would want back.
“I’m sure the names Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde have come up, but at the very least it might even cost them [Vladislav] Namestnikov and we know how important he is to the first line in Tampa Bay,” said Kypreos on the same segment of Hockey Night in Canada. “But Ottawa wants a major piece back.”
Friedman added in the segment that he believes if Ottawa is willing to accept Namestnikov as the centerpiece of the deal, “that’s something that Tampa would do.” However, the real question is what else would Ottawa want? The team is unlikely to part with 19-year-old Mikhail Sergachev, who seems to have turned the corner after recent struggles.
You also have to factor in the injury to Ondrej Palat, who is out for another two or three weeks with what many believe is a high ankle sprain. Does the team have enough depth to survive without a Namestnikov, who is a major influence on the team’s first line. The 25-year-old is having a breakout season with 20 goals and 24 assists in 62 games this year. He is only making $1.94MM this year, but will be a restricted free agent next year, which could make him harder to sign for the future.
Devils’ Miles Wood Suspended Two Games For Boarding
1:01 p.m. — The Department of Player Safety have suspended Wood for two games for boarding Namestnikov.
8:53 a.m. — The Department of Player Safety announced they will hold a hearing today for the New Jersey Devils Miles Wood for his boarding of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vladislav Namestnikov during Saturday’s game. Watch the video here.
Early in the second period, Wood appeared to leave his feet and delivered a hit to Namestnikov from behind, sending his head into the boards. To make matters worse, Tampa Bay teammate Andrej Sustr attempted to come to Namestnikov’s aid, but instead took a punch to the visor and sustained a bloody face.
Wood, who has had no previous suspensions, was given a two-minute minor penalty for boarding. He also received a two-minute minor for roughing for the fight with Sustr, which the Tampa Bay defenseman also received. To make matters worse for Tampa Bay, Wood also scored the game-winning goal.
Erik Johnson Suspended For Two Games
6:19 PM: Johnson has been suspended for two games, the Department of Player Safety announced (video link). He will be eligible to return on December 23rd against Arizona.
2:06 PM: The Department of Player Safety tweeted they will hold a hearing today for Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson for his boarding of Tampa Bay’s Vladislav Namestnikov on Saturday. The incident happened late in the second period as Johnson cross-checked Namestnikov, who fell hard into the boards behind the Colorado net. The veteran defenseman received a slashing minor, a boarding major and a game misconduct at the time.
The Lightning have recently gone through this as the team just lost veteran forward Ryan Callahan after crashing into the boards against the Arizona Coyotes. He was placed on injured reserve and could be out for some time.
“Dangerous play,” said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. “You just hold your breath on those. Got a little fortunate with Vladdy, obviously didn’t get as fortunate with Callahan.”
Namestnikov returned in the final period and still managed to log 18:05 of ice time Saturday and seems to be OK. The 25-year-old is having a breakout year as he has 13 goals and 15 assists on the team’s top line alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.
Johnson refused to comment on the hearing, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers.