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Florida Panthers Acquire Danick Martel

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The Florida Panthers have completed a minor league trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning, acquiring Danick Martel in exchange for Anthony Greco. Both players will report to their respective new AHL organizations.

Martel, 25, has put together a solid season for the Syracuse Crunch, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise at this point. The undrafted forward was a star in junior and has scored in every season of professional hockey so far. Originally part of the Philadelphia Flyers organization, Martel scored at least 20 goals in each of his three years with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, a mark he looks poised to crack again this season.

That doesn’t mean he’ll help Florida’s NHL hopes however, as Martel has just 13 games of experience at the highest level and has yet to score a single goal. He’ll also become a group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.

Greco meanwhile isn’t a much different case. The 26-year old was also an undrafted free agent signing, this time out of Ohio State University. The undersized winger has had excellent seasons in the AHL including a 30-goal, 59-point campaign in 2018-10, but has appeared in just a single NHL contest. He is also scheduled to become a group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Five Key Stories: 02/10/20 – 02/16/20

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Can you really pick just five? In a news cycle in which superstar Erik Karlsson being ruled out for the season doesn’t even crack the top ten headlines, here are the five most important stories (admittedly with some other notes sprinkled in) of the week that was:

Bouwmeester Suffers Cardiac Incident: The hockey world stood still on Tuesday night, after the game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks was suspended under very scary circumstances. Veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a “cardiac event” while on the bench during the first period of the contest, collapsing onto the ground. Bouwmeester required resuscitation by the teams’ training staffs to re-start his heart before he was rushed to the hospital. While awaiting word on his condition, there was an outpouring of support from teams and players in all corners of the hockey world for the well-respected veteran. Fortunately, the team issued a statement that Bouwmeester was in stable condition, followed by a report on Friday that he had undergone successful heart surgery. While questions remain about Bouwmeester’s availability to the reigning Stanley Cup champs this season, as well as the future of the impending free agent’s career, the focus will be on rest and rehabilitation for a while still to come.

Minnesota Fires Boudreau: In 13 seasons as an NHL head coach, Bruce Boudreau has only missed the playoffs twice and those seasons occurred seven years apart. However, one of those seasons was 2018-19 and things were not looking good for a return to the postseason in Minnesota this year. New GM Bill Guerin opted to cut ties with his veteran coach on Friday before he could miss consecutive postseasons for the first time in his career. Assistant Dean Evason was named the interim replacement, while Boudreau will begin looking for a new home – a process that historically has not taken him very long.

Elsewhere in the division, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice received the opposite treatment, despite similar struggles this season. Already one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NHL, Maurice received a three-year contract extension from the Jets.

Penguins Acquire Zucker: Firing Boudreau was not the only major shake-up in Minnesota this week. Long-time Wild star Jason Zucker was finally traded on Monday after more than a year of speculation, even through front office changes. In the end, he winds up with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the same team that nearly acquired him this summer for Phil Kessel. Former Pittsburgh executive Bill Guerin made good on his major trade as Minnesota GM, landing a 2020 first-round pick, top prospect defenseman Calen Addison, and a capable forward and potential extension candidate in Alex Galchenyuk. Meanwhile, the Penguins add the forward they have been seeking – especially in light of Jake Guentzel’s season-ending injury – in Zucker, a veteran with the speed and skill to keep up with Sidney Crosby and three more years remaining on his contract at a reasonable rate. Zucker scored two goals in just his second game with the Penguins on Friday.

Devils Deal Two Key Players: The trades kept rolling on Sunday with the New Jersey Devils as the center of attention. Another new GM, Tom Fitzgerald, is making good on his promise to maximize the return on tradable assets from the rebuilding club. In two separate deals, the Devils added a first-round pick and second-round pick in 2020, promising forward prospect Nolan Foote, and minor leaguer David Quenneville. Of course, it came at a cost, as long-time captain Andy Greene was dealt to the rival New York Islanders and fan-favorite forward Blake Coleman was moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, with such strong returns and pieces like Sami Vatanen, Wayne Simmonds, and more expected to go as well, this is the beginning of potentially franchise-altering deadline for New Jersey.

Oilers Extend Nurse: The Edmonton Oilers needed some good news this week, with superstar Connor McDavid out two-to-three weeks with an injury and fellow forward Zack Kassian suspended for seven games. They got it with news of a contract extension for young defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse, 25, signed a two-year, $11.2MM deal prior to restricted free agency and a potential arbitration battle this summer. The new AAV for Nurse represents a sizeable salary bump, but for good reason, as he has established himself as a dependable top-pair defender and a point-producer. While the relationship between Nurse and the Oilers was once a concern, it now seems to be in good order, with expectations already that the two sides will negotiate a more long-term extension after next season.

Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire Blake Coleman

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Just a few hours after reports emerged that the New Jersey Devils had traded forward Blake Coleman to the Colorado Avalanche, after which he was scratched from tonight’s game, the forward has officially been dealt. However, not to Denver. TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report that Coleman has been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He adds that the return for New Jersey is a 2020 first-round pick and forward prospect Nolan Foote. The first-rounder will be the Vancouver Canucks’ pick acquired in the J.T. Miller trade, rather than the Bolts’ own selection. Both teams have confirmed the deal.

At first glance, it is clear that the Lightning paid a hefty price in this exchange. Not only did Tampa give up a first-round pick, and the likely higher pick of the two they owned, but Foote was also their first-round selection just last year and the top forward in the pipeline. The big winger, who is the son of former NHLer Adam Foote and brother of Bolts prospect Cal Foote, already has pro size and is continually developing a next-level skill set and hockey IQ. Foote, the captain of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, has scored at more than a point-per-game pace this season and also added five points in seven games at the World Junior Championship. Foote looks ready to help an NHL team sooner rather than later and the Devils will now be the club to reap that reward.

However, the metrics of production versus pay may help to explain why Coleman commanded such a sizeable cost and why he may be a crucial addition for the cap-strapped Lightning. Coleman is in the second year of a three-year, $5.4MM deal signed with the Devils. That means he is making just $1.8MM against the cap this year and next. At that value, the 28-year-old has recorded 21 goals and 31 points through 57 games this season, his second 20-goal season in a row. Not only that, but Coleman is also an intelligent two-way player who brings physicality and poise with his defensive game. Coleman has been one of New Jersey’s best players this season and his addition to a deep Lightning lineup makes for an embarrassment of riches in Tampa. After a shocking first-round sweep last season, the 2019 President’s Trophy winners are loading up in hopes of ensuring that such a collapse does not occur again.

TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, who had reported earlier today that a Coleman deal to Colorado was done, maintains that the Avalanche as well as the Boston Bruins were in the running for the versatile forward until the end. It’s fair to assume that the cost of beating the Bolts’ offer likely proved to be too much for either squad. It will be interesting to see if either team circles back to New Jersey to discuss another term forward in Kyle Palmieri, or if that asking price – probably even higher – will be too much as well. The Bruins especially are feeling the pressure of this addition by Tampa Bay, the biggest threat to unseat them at the top of the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division as well as a very likely playoff opponent.

While Foote sticks out as the most impressive piece heading to the Devils, it is worth noting that the team now has three first-round picks in June: their own, the Arizona Coyotes’ pick from the Taylor Hall trade, and now Vancouver’s pick via Tampa. They also added a second-round pick earlier in the day from the New York Islanders in exchange for veteran defenseman Andy Greene. With Palmieri possibly on the move and a Sami Vatanen even more likely to be dealt (Travis Zajac and Wayne Simmonds are also names on the rumor mill), the Devils are not done making moves and could at least one more first-round pick before the trade deadline passes next week.

Minor Transactions: 2/15/20

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As usual, the Saturday slate of games across the NHL is a busy one with 22 teams in action including Colorado and Los Angeles facing off at the U.S. Air Force Academy as part of the Stadium Series.  There is likely to be plenty of roster movement today which we’ll keep track of here.

  • The Sabres announced (Twitter link) the recalls of defenseman John Gilmour and goaltender Andrew Hammond from AHL Rochester. Gilmour has spent most of the season in the minors but hasn’t come close to his 54-point output from a year ago with just 13 points in 32 games.  He will likely be taking the place of Zach Bogosian on the roster.  Meanwhile, Carter Hutton is taking a maintenance day which warranted Hammond’s recall to get them back to two goalies on the active roster.  Buffalo is back in action on Sunday against Toronto.
  • Joey Keane’s first NHL stint was a short one as the Rangers announced last night (Twitter link) that they had returned him to AHL Hartford.  He didn’t suit up against Columbus as the team opted to dress Brendan Smith instead.
  • Andrei Chibisov has twice been recalled by the Jets this month but he’ll be waiting a little while longer to make his NHL debut as the team announced (via Twitter) that he has been sent back to AHL Manitoba.  The 26-year-old is in his first season in North America after previously playing in Russia and has 24 points (7-17-24) in 47 games with the Moose this season.
  • The Flyers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Mark Friedman from AHL Lehigh Valley.  The 24-year-old has played in five games this season with Philadelphia where he recorded his first career NHL point (an assist).  Friedman has spent the bulk of the year with the Phantoms where he has 13 points in 38 games. The team followed that up hours later by announcing that Friedman has been returned to Lehigh Valley. The team obviously didn’t need him.
  • With the return of Steven Stamkos, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have assigned forward Mathieu Joseph to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The forward was originally sent to Syracuse to find his confidence back in December, but was brought up recently to fill in with all of the team’s injuries. In three games since being promoted, Joseph was scoreless with just three shots on goal.

Lightning Assign Alexander Volkov To Syracuse

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  • The Lightning announced that they’ve returned winger Alexander Volkov to AHL Syracuse. The 22-year-old has gotten into nine games with Tampa Bay this season, recording one assist. The move suggests that one of their injured forwards – Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Anthony Cirelli – could be ready to return for Saturday’s game in Philadelphia.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned Morgan Frost back to the AHL for the time being, as they prepare for tomorrow’s early game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning have won nine in a row, meaning the Flyers have quite the task ahead of them.

Snapshots: Matheson, Toffoli, Handemark

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The Florida Panthers iced a unique lineup on Tuesday night with not one, but two defensemen skating as forwards. While Mark Pysyk has served in that hybrid role frequently this season, Michael Matheson also tried his hand. The result was a win and goal and two assists for Matheson. While Matheson does not receive a tremendous amount of attention, the Boston College product has been a reliable two-way blue liner for Florida since day one and other teams are beginning to take notice. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Panthers have explored the trade market for Matheson this season. He believes that a number of teams are interested and after Tuesday’s display of versatility and offensive touch, there may now be a few more. The stumbling block to any trade though would be Matheson’s contract. The dependable defender actually has a very fair $4.875MM cap hit, but it is term that could be a problem. Matheson is in just the second year of a maximum eight-year contract that carries through the 2025-26 season. Any team looking to acquire Matheson has to be more than just interested, they have to be dedicated, as Matheson could be around for a long time. The Panthers probably won’t take a discount on a return due to the term of the deal though. Florida was happy to have Matheson in the fold for many years to come just a couple of seasons back and they likely will not move the homegrown defenseman without a strong return.

  • Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli continues to be one of the hottest names on the market with a number of potential suitors. However, some think that the Philadelphia Flyers have emerged as the favorite to land the two-way winger. Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer added fuel to that fire by reporting that former Flyers GM Ron Hextall, now an employee of the Kings, is in Florida scouting Flyers-Panthers on Thursday night. The Kings have been scouting the Flyers frequently, but Hextall’s presence takes things up a notch. No one in L.A. knows Philadelphia better than Hextall and the team would likely not make a move without his seal of approval. Perhaps they will get that nod from Hextall on a potential return for Toffoli after tonight’s game.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are hardly buyers in the trade market, but they will be looking to add in the off-season. One player that the team has been linked to is Swedish forward Fredrik Handemark. The 26-year-old center is a big, two-way center who has impressed for several years with the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL. In a season in which he has already matched his career high in points with weeks still to play, the consensus is that Handemark has outgrown Sweden and will look to make the jump to the NHL next season. Swedish news source Aftonbladet reports that there is interest from NHL teams, including the Red Wings, who Handemark calls his childhood favorite. Detroit has had great success with Swedes in the past, including a fellow two-way pivot in Henrik Zetterberg, and Handemark could be an affordable, effective addition for GM Steve Yzerman’s rebuilding club. Aftonbladet also mentions Orebro’s Mathias Brome, Farjestad’s Gustaf Rydahl, and HK Sochi’s Malte Strömwall as other Swedish standouts who have been linked to the Red Wings this season.

Trade Deadline Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning

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With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Tampa Bay Lightning

After a crushing loss in the first round last spring, the Tampa Bay Lightning came back with plenty of question marks. Could they repeat the same outstanding regular season? Would Andrei Vasilevskiy maintain his Vezina performance? Could Nikita Kucherov remain in contention for the Hart Trophy? Early on each of those things did not seem possible, but after really turning up the heat over the last two months they’re challenging for the Atlantic Division crown once again.

Record

37-15-5, second in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$8.63 in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: TBL 1st, VAN 1st*, TBL 2nd, TBL 3rd, TBL 4th, DET 4th, TBL 6th, OTT 6th, TBL 7th
2021: TBL 1st, TBL 2nd, TBL 3rd, TBL 4th, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, TBL 7th, NSH 7th, NJD 7th

Trade Chips

You might think that a team which has amassed so much talent may have a bare prospect cupboard or nothing to deal, but that’s not the case in Tampa Bay. The team has continued to produce assets through their draft and development system, while also holding onto as many high picks as possible. Just this year the team has two first-round selections they could dangle, after moving J.T. Miller to the Vancouver Canucks.

If they wanted to dangle some young roster talent, they have plenty of that as well. While the team isn’t going to part with future Selke Trophy candidate Anthony Cirelli, other players that have come through the system in recent years like Mitchell Stephens, Carter Verhaeghe and Mathieu Joseph could be of value. All three are restricted free agents at the end of the season, and with a cap crunch coming could be expendable.

In the minor leagues they have talent too, with the likes of Alexander Volkov, Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk and Alex Barre-Boulet all having various degrees of success. Cal Foote and Nolan Foote are likely off limits at this point unless the Lightning get into a big trade—something you can never rule out with this organization—but it would take a lot to pry the brothers out of their system.

Like every year, the names Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn will also surely come up in trade speculation at some point. The trio of role players are all having fine seasons, but there is enough there to replace them if the team feels they’re upgrading elsewhere.

Five Players To Watch For: F Mathieu Joseph, F Alexander Volkov, F Taylor Raddysh, F Boris Katchouk, F Tyler Johnson

Team Needs

1) Bottom-Six Size: No, the Lightning won’t be going out to get an enforcer for the fourth line, but the team does seem interested in adding some size to the bottom-six in some fashion. Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required) recently suggested that Joe Thornton could be a fit as a player that brings size and plenty of playoff experience. It’s not so much that the future Hall of Fame center is going to throw his weight around, but he could give the team a little different look after rolling out those first few units of speed.

2) Defensive Depth: To be honest, this would even be a real need for the Lightning had Jan Rutta and Ryan McDonagh both not suffered injuries recently. The Lightning don’t even really need to add anything at the deadline after going 23-4-2 over the last two months. But if they want to go deep in the playoffs this year they might do well to add an expiring contract on the back end just to give them a security blanket in case of future injuries. You can bet the team is keeping an eye on a player like Sami Vatanen and waiting to see how the market shakes out at the deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 02/10/20

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We’re now just two weeks from the 2020 NHL trade deadline and the rental market is still not exactly clear. Even after the Toronto Maple Leafs squeezed a backup goaltender out of Los Angeles, we’re still waiting on teams to really start buying and selling. As they prepare for the six games on the schedule, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have returned Andrew Hammond to the minor leagues, though it is not clear whether he’ll be back for tomorrow’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Carter Hutton was away from the team for a family reason during yesterday’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
  • Mathieu Joseph has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning, returning to the NHL after more than a month away from the team. The 23-year old winger has seven points in 34 games with the Lightning this season.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Pontus Aberg to help them out at practice, given some absences up front. Though William Nylander is back, John Tavares and Justin Holl have taken his place on the shelf with an illness. Zach Hyman is also missing the practice as a maintenance day, while Kyle Clifford is away attending a funeral.
  • Alex Lyon has been returned to the AHL by the Philadelphia Flyers, indicating that Carter Hart is ready to return for them. The Flyers take on the Florida Panthers tonight in the first half of an important back-to-back.
  • Martin Fehervary has been recalled and will play for the Washington Capitals again tonight, after being involved in a paper transaction yesterday. Fehervary is getting a look in order for the Capitals to know what kind of depth they have on defense as the deadline nears.
  • Calle Rosen has been returned to the Colorado Eagles, as the Avalanche return home after a five-game road trip. Rosen has played eight games for the Avalanche this season after being acquired in the Tyson Barrie–Nazem Kadri deal last summer.

Montreal Canadiens’ Jonathan Drouin Returns To Lineup

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He hasn’t skated in a game since Nov. 15, but now that it’s been almost three months, the Montreal Canadiens are getting forward Jonathan Drouin back tonight. The 24-year-old underwent wrist surgery on Nov. 19 and was originally expected to miss eight weeks, but needed closer to 11. The winger was a game-time decision and went through warm-ups and now is expected to play. CapFriendly reports that the team has activated him as well.

It’s a key return for Drouin, who has had an up-and-down career so far in three years with Montreal. Drouin established himself as a top young winger after scoring 21 goals and 53 points in his third year with the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, Tampa Bay opted to send him to Montreal in a package for Mikhail Sergachev, where he immediately struggled in his first year, scoring just 13 goals. He was able to rectify that last year, scoring 18 goals and 53 points. This year, it looked early on like he was going to break out, scoring seven goals and 15 points in 17 games, close to a point-a-game player. However, the injury put an end to a potential big season.

Drouin’s return (and hopefully fully healthy) is critical to the success of the Canadiens. Montreal brought him in to be a key piece to their top line. The team has been quite successful with Drouin in the lineup. The team is 11-5-3 record with him in the lineup, while the team is just 15-18-4 without him. Drouin will slide onto the third line alongside Max Domi and Artturi Lehkonen.

Ryan McDonagh To Miss At Least Two Weeks

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  • Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh is expected to miss at least two weeks due to his lower-body injury, relays Diana C. Nearhos of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The injury was sustained back on Thursday night against Pittsburgh.  Head coach Jon Cooper indicated that this won’t be a season-ending issue but that they’ll re-evaluate him after the two-week mark which suggests that the veteran could be out for a little while after that stretch.

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