Minor Transactions: 03/07/18
The winning streak continued for the Nashville Predators yesterday, who now have come out on top in nine straight games. The Predators, buyers once again at the trade deadline, now sit just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the best record in the NHL and look ready to make an impact in the playoffs once again. As they and other teams prepare their lineup on a quiet night in the NHL, we’ll keep track of all the minor transactions around the league.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced Daniel O’Regan‘s recall earlier this morning, bringing up the prospect acquired in the Evander Kane trade. O’Regan has played 19 games in the NHL for the Sharks this season, but won’t get to make his Sabres debut just yet. He stayed out late after practice and will likely be a healthy scratch tonight.
- Montreal has sent Zach Fucale back to the minor leagues for the time being, likely indicating that Antti Niemi should be ready to return tomorrow night. Fucale is still waiting for his first chance in the NHL, but has struggled in his limited time with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. The 22-year old is still a legitimate goaltending prospect, but he’s clearly not ready to make an impact at the highest level.
Poll: Will The San Jose Sharks Re-Sign Evander Kane?
When the NHL trade deadline finally came around, one name that was expected to be the big prize was all but out of the news. Evander Kane‘s rumor mill had quieted tremendously in the weeks leading up to the deadline, with Rick Nash taking over as the top rental option. The Buffalo Sabres might have waited too long, as they ended up being unable to secure a first-round draft pick for Kane when they eventually did deal him.
The San Jose Sharks were the eventual buyers, and apparently were the only team to submit a real offer for the enigmatic winger. Much of that probably has to do with the fact that in the 21 games leading up to the deadline, Kane had just five points. It looks like a steal for San Jose now, as Kane has already matched that number in his first three games for the Sharks and provides a scoring boost while the team tries to lock up their position as a Western Conference contender.
The condition on the second-round pick Buffalo did send, is that if the Sharks re-sign Kane the Sabres will receive that much-coveted first rounder. Is that going to happen? No one can tell you for sure, but Kevin Kurz of The Athletic believes that GM Doug Wilson would like to try.
One of the biggest red flags in Kane’s history on the open market would be his lack of playoff experience. The 26-year old has now played 560 games in the NHL without advancing to the postseason, something that the Sharks intend on changing this year. If he helps get them to the playoffs, and shows his capability as a big-bodied scoring threat therein, he could fetch a long-term big money deal on the open market. Even without a long playoff run, he still stands to enter free agency as one of the top offensive options, and ranked third on our Midseason UFA Power Rankings.
Do you believe San Jose will make it work with Kane and convince him to stay? Should they even be considering it? What happens if they get knocked out early, or Kane is a no-show come playoff time? Vote below on whether you think Kane will re-sign with the Sharks, and explain why in the comment section.
Will Evander Kane re-sign with the Sharks?
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Yes 58% (542)
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No 42% (400)
Total votes: 942
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Jonathan Cheechoo Officially Retires From Professional Hockey
Though he hasn’t played in the NHL since 2010, Jonathan Cheechoo has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey. The 37-year old winger had played the last four seasons in the KHL, though wasn’t part of a professional team for the 2017-18 season. The San Jose Sharks, Cheechoo’s most recognizable team, will honor him before their game on March 24th.
Selected in the second round of the 1998 draft, Cheechoo was a dynamic offensive player in the OHL and quickly turned that goal scoring prowess into success in the NHL. In 2005-06 after the lockout, Cheechoo took home the Maurice Richard trophy for leading the NHL in goals with 56. He, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau were nearly impossible to stop (especially on the powerplay), scoring 93, 92 and 86 points respectively that season for the Sharks. Though Thornton and Marleau are still excellent players in the NHL, Cheechoo’s flame would burn brightly and quickly extinguish.
After another impressive season with 69 points, Cheechoo’s offensive production would quickly deteriorate to the point where he registered just 14 points in his final season with the Ottawa Senators. He’d continue to score in the AHL, until leaving for the KHL in 2013 to become one of the league’s more dangerous offensive threats. In four seasons in Russia, Cheechoo put up 164 points in 217 games and was named an All-Star three times. Cheechoo’s NHL career ended with 305 points in 501 games.
In his announcement, Cheechoo thanks the Sharks for giving him a chance in the NHL:
First of all, I would like to thank the San Jose Sharks organization for drafting me and giving me the opportunity of playing in the National Hockey League. We had many awesome years of incredible hockey! I want to thank all of my former teammates. It was an awesome experience to play alongside all of you. You made the game enjoyable and helped me to become a better player and person.
Eastern Notes: Kane, Budaj, Sanheim, Reaves
Evander Kane has found a new home, at least for the rest of this year. While it’s too early to know whether he will stay in San Jose for the foreseeable future, the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that the Sharks might be the best fit for the 26-year-old personality. In a 10-point notebook on Kane, Harrington writes that what Kane really needs is to be on a veteran team who will tell him how things work, something that he did not have in Buffalo.
The Sharks, who are loaded in veterans such as Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Joel Ward and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, should be able to have some controlling effect on Kane. Thornton already proved that when the veteran picked Kane up from the airport in a limousine after the trade. He also writes that Kane already is showing off his speed with San Jose as he’s tallied up three assists in two games with the Sharks. That speed was not very apparent over the past couple of months in Buffalo, but the scribe writes that Kane was well aware Buffalo management wanted to move on from him and may have lost interest in sacrificing himself for the Sabres.
Harrington also adds that general manager Jason Botterill should have made a trade earlier when Kane was hot. Knowing his reputation, which only got worse in the last couple of months with his teammates, they never were likely to get the asking price that Botterill was demanding. In the end, it was quite obvious that only veteran teams showed interest in Kane as the runner-up at the deadline was the Anaheim Ducks.
Due to his reputation, Harrington wonders whether Kane will be forced to take a lesser deal this offseason. Players at his age and skill should be getting a long-term deals at $6-7MM, but Kane may be forced to accept something closer to a four-year term if teams continue to worry about his ability to co-exist with his teammates.
- Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith tweets that Tampa Bay Lightning backup goalie Peter Budaj, who hasn’t played since Dec. 29, is really close to returning to the team. The team could have a decision to make, however, as emergency backup Louis Domingue has won four of his six starts and has played well for Tampa Bay. Domingue, who has a 3.29 GAA and a .905 save percentage would have to be officially recalled, however, if they want to keep the 25-year-old. The team has already used two of their four allotted recalls on Anthony Cirelli and Adam Erne, so the team may not want to use a third recall yet and might stick with Budaj. The 35-year-old has struggled with Tampa Bay this year, however, with a 3.80 GAA and a .878 save percentage.
- John Boruk of NBC Sports Philadelphia writes that the Philadelphia Flyers talked to the Ottawa Senators right before the trade deadline about acquiring winger Mike Hoffman. The scribe writes that sources have said the Senators asked for a package that included defenseman Travis Sanheim and a first-round pick as a starting point. While a first-rounder (they have two of them this year) might have been a possibility, Sanheim proved to be the deal-breaker.
- Providence Journal’s Mark Divver tweets that he spoke to a pro scout who believes the Pittsburgh Penguins made a mistake when they traded enforcer Ryan Reaves to the Vegas Golden Knights last week. While Reaves took a lot of criticism for his lack of offense with the Penguins, he provided the team with leadership and a physicality the team really needed. The scribe writes that the Penguins struggled when things got tough Thursday when they played the Boston Bruins.
Vincent Praplan Signs Entry-Level Contract With San Jose Sharks
Entry-level contracts continue to be given out, but this time it is not a drafted prospect that has signed, but an Olympic athlete. Vincent Praplan has signed an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks, not long after finishing his stint with the Swiss national team at the Olympics. Praplan attended training camp with the Sharks in 2017, but has played this season in the Swiss NLA.
The 23-year old forward has no doubt been on the radar of NHL teams for several years, dating back to his single season in the OHL with the Brampton Battalion. As a 19-year old, Praplan recorded 53 points in 61 games in that lone season before returning to the NLA full-time for the last four years. This season brought 38 points in 45 games, and continued development of his defensive game.
San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson had this to say about Praplan in the team release:
Vincent is a highly skilled playmaker who can play any forward position. We saw first-hand at our rookie tournament last summer what he can do with the puck and think he will fit perfectly within our puck pressure system. His speed allows him to be a threat on the penalty kill, and his offensive instincts make him an asset on the power play. We’re excited for him to join our organization.
Now listed at 6’1″ 195-lbs according to the Sharks, Praplan was the most dangerous Swiss forward at last year’s World Championships, where he recorded seven points in eight games. He has plenty of international experience, and is a worthwhile gamble for the Sharks.
It seems likely that his contract will begin next season, though no official word has been released so far.
Aaron Dell Signs Two-Year Extension With San Jose Sharks
In what will surely make the goalie market quite different this summer, the San Jose Sharks have signed Aaron Dell to a two-year extension worth a total of $3.8MM. Dell was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. The salary breakdown is as follows:
- 2018-19: $2.2MM
- 2019-20: $1.6MM
Despite having just 45 NHL appearances under his belt at age-28, Dell has played well enough that he could have been considered a starting option on the open market. The free agent signing out of the University of North Dakota was leading the league in several categories at one point this season, and now has a .912 save percentage through 25 appearances.
Earning just $675K on a two-way deal, Dell is one of the most cost-effective goaltenders in the entire league this season. With starter Martin Jones is starting a six-year, $34.5MM extension next season, the Sharks could have a solid tandem locked up for at least two years. Though there was no guarantee he would get looks as a starter on the open market, he’s giving up the chance to become a #1 somewhere else.
With his play the last two seasons, Dell had set himself up to follow the footsteps of goaltenders like Scott Darling and go from relative obscurity as a backup to starting goaltender. We discussed the dangers of such a pursuit earlier this year, but the Sharks re-signing him means no team will have to make that tough decision. Instead, he’ll be able to continue working as one of the more reliable backups in the league, and try to help the Sharks to another Stanley Cup Finals appearance.
Kevin Kurz of The Athletic first reported that the deal was close.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Trade Deadline Recap: Western 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 Western Conference:
Deadline Day
Winnipeg Jets receive:
F Paul Stastny
St. Louis Blues receive:
F Erik Foley
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick
Vegas Golden Knights receive:
F Tomas Tatar
Detroit Red Wings receive:
2018 first-round pick
2019 second-round pick
2021 third-round pick
Nashville Predators receive:
F Ryan Hartman
2018 fifth-round pick
Chicago Blackhawks receive:
F Victor Ejdsell
2018 first-round pick
2018 fourth-round pick
San Jose Sharks receive:
F Evander Kane
Buffalo Sabres receive:
F Danny O’Regan
Conditional 2019 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick
Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera
New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner
Vegas Golden Knights receive:
D Philip Holm
Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Brendan Leipsic
Winnipeg Jets receive:
D Joe Morrow
Montreal Canadiens receive:
2018 fourth-round pick
Calgary Flames receive:
F Nick Shore
Ottawa Senators receive:
2019 seventh-round pick
San Jose Sharks Acquire Evander Kane From Buffalo Sabres
The San Jose Sharks have acquired Evander Kane from the Buffalo Sabres, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN in exchange for a conditional 2019 first-round pick, conditional 2020 fourth-round pick and Daniel O’Regan. Kane has not signed an extension with the Sharks, and is still scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports that the bidding was down to San Jose, Anaheim and Calgary today.
The first-round pick is tied to the re-signing of Kane. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports, if the Sharks don’t re-sign the 26-year old forward before July 1st, it becomes a second-round pick in 2019 instead—unless the Sharks also win the 2018 Stanley Cup. It’s unclear what the conditions are on the fourth-round pick.
O’Regan, 24, is a former teammate of Sabres’ forwards Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues at Boston University and has played 19 games for the Sharks this season. Though he has just four points on the season, O’Regan does have some offensive upside and could jump right into the Buffalo lineup. He has 25 points in 31 games in the AHL, and though he’s a bit undersized could give them another option down the middle for the next few years. He’s a restricted free agent in the summer, but should be relatively cheap to sign for the Sabres.
The package Buffalo received for Kane may seem a little light at first glance, especially when compared directly to Rick Nash from this week. That’s likely because of the struggles he’s gone through of late, and his lack of playoff experience. Kane has just six points in 23 games in 2018, and hasn’t played a single postseason game in his nine-year career.
There is also obviously the case of Kane’s perceived attitude, which could have influenced the market that Buffalo was able to create. Kane has had off-ice trouble in the past, and though there hasn’t been much lately on any turmoil in the Buffalo dressing room, playoff teams often don’t want to risk their team chemistry on a player with a reputation. San Jose does have a strong leadership group, and decided that this package was more than acceptable for a player capable of scoring 30 goals in a season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Predators Add Depth In Minor Move With Sharks
The Nashville Predators announced they have made a minor deal as they acquired forward Brandon Bollig and goaltender Troy Grosenick from the San Jose Sharks for a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft.
It’s the second move for the Predators today, who earlier traded away forward Pontus Aberg in a three-team deal, that netted them a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft.
Bollig, a 31-year-old veteran, hasn’t played a game for the Sharks this season. The winger has played the past two years in the AHL and likely is being brought aboard to increase the depth on the Milwaukee Admirals, their AHL affiliate. With the Barracuda, Bollig has eight goals and two assists in 45 games this year with 68 penalty minutes.
Grosenick also will provide the team some depth on the goaltending depth chart. The 28-year-old has served as an emergency backup this year for the Sharks, but has never appeared in a game. He currently has a 2.98 GAA with the Barracuda in 20 appearances.
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.