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Atlantic Notes: Gardiner, Kotkaniemi, Abdelkader, Rask

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Even though the Toronto Maple Leafs have their hands full with the contract negotiations with William Nylander and the future negotiations with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) writes that the team also will likely have issues with defenseman Jake Gardiner.

The scribe writes that while Gardiner has expressed his desire to remain with Toronto long-term and general manager Kyle Dubas has met up with Gardiners’ representative, Pat Brisson, it’s likely that Gardiner will have to wait until the contracts of Nylander, Matthews and Marner are finalized, which could edge him out if those players don’t take hometown discounts. Regardless, after Nate Schmidt signed for $5.95MM AAV a few days ago, Gardiner could get quite a bit more on the open market especially with so few quality blueliners available on the free agent market next season. He might be able to command $7MM per year. However, he will likely have to take less than $6MM if he wants to remain in Toronto.

  • Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette writes that today’s game against the Boston Bruins will be the 10th game for rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi, signifiying that the team intends to burn the first year of the 18-year-old’s entry-level contract. While a few weeks ago, a move like this might have been in doubt, Kotkaniemi has shown considerable improvement over the past couple of weeks, making this move automatic for the team. He is averaging 14:04 ATOI and has four assists through his first nine games. Head coach Claude Julien compared him to Boston’s David Pastrnak at the same age. “They’re both guys who had to fill out and get stronger, but you can see the kill level,” said Julien. “With both players, you have to protect them a bit and that’s what I’ve done with K-K. It’s a little tougher when you’re on the road and you don’t get the last line change but he’s been in tough situations and he’s handled them well.”
  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free-Press writes that one of the biggest problems to the Detroit Red Wings dismal performance through the first 10 games of the season has been the play of some of the veterans, especially the performance of Justin Abdelkader, who not only is quite offensively with one assist in 10 games, but is also struggling playing his physical brand of hockey. “You want to physically be engaged every game,” Abdelkader said. “You look for hits, and they’re definitely harder to come by in this game now. But that’s a part of my game. I’ve felt really good — had a really good summer, good training camp.”
  • In a mailbag series, NBC Sports Joe Haggerty questions whether Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask is really a No. 1 goalie, pointing out that he struggles when he is used regularly, which forced the Bruins to sign Jaroslav Halak to a $2.75MM contract. A true No. 1 goaltender wouldn’t require a team to pay that much for a backup and play 30 games for him. Add to that that Rask is known to be a slow starter and really struggles when the defense in front of him isn’t at their best, Haggerty doesn’t believe that the team currently can look at him as a top-rated goalie.

Darling, Neuvirth Complete Conditioning Stints

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The Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes were in similar situations earlier this month when they claimed Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both had an NHL goaltender—Michal Neuvirth and Scott Darling respectively—injured, and were looking for short-term help without giving up an asset or rushing a prospect. Now both are in the same situation again, as Neuvirth and Darling are ready to return.

The Hurricanes announced today that Darling has been recalled from his conditioning stint with the Charlotte Checkers, while Neuvirth told reporters including Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey that he would re-join the Flyers in Boston after playing for the Lehigh Valley Pchantoms last night. The question now for both teams is what happens to that extra goaltender that they claimed earlier in the year.

For the Flyers, it’s likely a simple decision of putting Pickard back on waivers. The team is unlikely to carry three goaltenders for any substantial length of time, and don’t seem ready to rid themselves of starter Brian Elliott just yet, despite his slow start. Elliott has just a .882 save percentage through the early going, and has allowed 24 goals through seven games. Pickard meanwhile has performed even worse with an .833 through his three appearances.

In Carolina, things aren’t nearly as clear. Though McElhinney hasn’t performed nearly as well as he did for the Maple Leafs or even Columbus Blue Jackets, he could potentially be a better option this season than what Petr Mrazek has shown so far. This is the third straight season that the former Detroit Red Wings goaltender has performed poorly, and is providing little value to the Hurricanes for his $1.5MM salary. That contract would also likely keep him from being claimed, something that certainly couldn’t be said for McElhinney.

In fact for both Pickard and McEllhinney, getting through waivers is an unlikely scenario. The Maple Leafs were left with very little goaltending depth after losing both, and then saw third-string netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo go down to injury in the minor leagues. That left them with Eamon McAdam getting an emergency call-up from the ECHL when Frederik Andersen tweaked his knee, something that the team will want to avoid going forward. If the Maple Leafs are the only team to put in a claim on Pickard or McElhinney, they could assign either goaltender directly to the minor leagues and keep them in the system without having to use a roster spot. It’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t try that for at least one of the two if they’re placed on waivers today or tomorrow.

Toronto’s Kyle Dubas Meets With William Nylander’s Agent In New York

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In the final restricted free agent negotiation in the NHL this season, there has been little to report for some time. The Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander have been quiet in their negotiations, save for a face to face meeting between the young forward and GM Kyle Dubas in Switzerland recently. When the Maple Leafs GM was spotted at a recent New York Rangers-Calgary Flames game in New York, rumors exploded that he may be discussing a trade. Instead, he was in the city to speak personally to Nylander’s agent Lewis Gross, meetings that have kept the dialogue “open” according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Nylander meanwhile had been practicing in Austria with a professional team trying to stay sharp, but was not with them today according to former player Carlo Colaiacovo and Darren Dreger of TSN. While that absolutely does not guarantee a contract is imminent, it’s all that Maple Leafs fans have to go on given the relative silence surrounding the negotiation.

These talks continue as the Maple Leafs have hit a rough patch on the season. Without Nylander in the lineup, teams have begun to figure out how to stop Auston Matthews at even strength and take advantage of their defensive group. That’s resulted in just one goal from Toronto over their past two games, and two losses at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. Nylander’s game is a possession one, and ends up helping the Maple Leafs at both ends of the rink given his ability to protect the puck and create offense.

There’s reason to believe that a contract is coming soon, if only because of the deadline of December 1st that is fast approaching. If Nylander does not sign by that date he will be ineligible to play at all this season, something that does not benefit either side. As James Mirtle of The Athletic (subscription required) wrote recently, it is starting to look like the eventual contract will have to be a bridge deal, but how long and for how much is still up in the air. For now, Dubas and Gross will have to keep working towards a solution that fits both parties, or risk losing out on an entire season of earning potential and NHL experience.

Frank Corrado Signs AHL Contract With Toronto Marlies

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Some may remember Frank Corrado from his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, patiently waiting for a turn in the lineup that never seemed to come. Corrado was in the Maple Leafs organization for nearly two full seasons, but only played 41 games with the club and routinely sat in the press box as the extra instead of even getting playing time at the minor league level. Dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017, he at least was given the chance to suit up more often for their AHL affiliate, though still didn’t receive much NHL playing time.

Corrado is now heading back to that Maple Leafs organization, as the now 25-year old defenseman has signed an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies to try and get his professional career back on track. Coming off a major knee injury, he’ll try to work his way into the defending Calder Cup champions lineup and show he still has enough left to challenge for an NHL role.

Corrado was originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in 2011, but has played in just 76 NHL games and 175 regular season AHL contests over parts of seven seasons. That’s an impressively low total for a defenseman who has shown at times to be a quality puck-mover and capable of handling himself at both ends of the ice. Though the NHL is now several steps away, he’ll be given another opportunity at the AHL level.

Bridge Contract Likely For William Nylander

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While the mutual preference of both the Maple Leafs and winger William Nylander would be to get a long-term deal done, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that this no longer appears to be an option.  He notes that there isn’t an AAV that is high enough for Nylander’s liking that fits in with Toronto’s salary structure for 2019-20 and beyond.

With that in mind, the Leafs are basically down to two options – either sign him to a bridge contract or trade him and by all accounts, the latter route is something they have no interest in going at this point nor has Nylander requested a move.

Accordingly, the bigger question now is how long the bridge deal will be.  Although the 22-year-old has gone through his entry-level contract, only two of those seasons qualified as counting towards UFA status as he failed to play in 40 games back in 2015-16.  As a result, Nylander is still five years away from being able to become an unrestricted free agent.  That gives Toronto the opportunity of pursuing a three-year bridge pact instead of the standard two while still leaving him with a couple of arbitration-eligible seasons at the end of the deal.  In doing so, they’d also have a much better idea of what they can afford long-term as by then, both winger Mitch Marner and center Auston Matthews will be locked up as well.

As most core players coming off of their entry-level deals sign long-term deals, there aren’t many comparable contracts in recent years to work with.  One that would be close is Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov.  Following two straight seasons of over 60 points (same as Nylander), the Russian inked a three-year, $14.3MM contract.  That took up 6.53% of the salary cap at the time; that percentage of the current cap today would work out to an AAV of just over $5.19MM which would seemingly represent the ceiling of a Nylander bridge deal.  A contract like that could very well be back-loaded as well to yield a higher qualifying offer at its expiration.

Toronto GM Kyle Dubas has stated on many occasions that he believes that he can keep the core of the team together even after bringing in John Tavares this offseason.  Given the state of where things are, it appears that he’ll have to settle for giving Nylander a short-term deal to make that happen.

Central Notes: Dano, Kamenev, Blackhawks, Bouwmeester

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It’s been six days since winger Marko Dano was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche and the 23-year-old forward finally got an opportunity to practice with the team Sunday, but no one is quite sure when he may make his Avalanche debut, but it could come as early as Monday, according to NHL.com’s Callie Parmele.

Dano already has some familiarity with the team, especially with head coach Jared Bednar and assistant coach Nolan Pratt, who both were on the Springfield Falcons coaching staff during the 2013-14 season when Dano made his North American debut in the AHL for the team’s final 10 games. Bednar was promoted to head coach the following year where he had even more time with Dano.

“We had a good run in Springfield, and it’s always good when you know the coach,” Dano said of his relationship with Bednar. “We haven’t seen each other for a long time, and I am excited to work with him and I appreciate the chance they have given to me.”

  • Still with the Avalanche, the team likes what it sees in Vladislav Kamenev, who received the most ice time of his career on Thursday when he skated 12:36 against the New Jersey Devils. Although he hasn’t turned that extra time into offense (he has no points in five games this season), he is building trust in his head coach. “We feel like from watching him work in practice in that area, we can give him those minutes,” Bednar said Friday. “We trust him with those minutes. He’s done a nice job in the games so far. I think he’s getting better and better as he feels more comfortable and feels like he belongs, which is normal. I just want him to keep pushing himself and try and be a difference maker every night.”
  • While Chicago Blackhawks Stan Bowman hardly can admit victory in his offseason trade a year ago when he traded Artemi Panarin to Columbus for Brandon Saad and Anton Forsberg, he knew that the Panarin’s contract situation would be a problem for the Blackhawks too had they chosen to hold onto him, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription required), who analyzes who won last year’s trade. Saad has struggled in his return to Chicago and is struggling on the bottom-six, while Forsberg hasn’t fared any better in net for the team, but Bowman knew there were going to be problems with Panarin, who has shown little to no interest in signing an extension in Columbus and has put the team in a tough position as he plays out the final year of his contract while they are trying to compete for a playoff spot. “They’re in a tough spot now,” Bowman told The Athletic on Saturday night. “What do you do with him? I saw that coming as a challenge.”
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that considering how well the St. Louis Blues defense played on Saturday, he doubts whether the team will put defenseman Jay Bouwmeester back on the ice for Monday’s game against Winnipeg. The veteran was scratched for the first time in his career Saturday as his play hasn’t been up to his usual standards. The Blues put forth one of the best games of the season, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1.

St. Louis Assigns Nikita Soshnikov To AHL For Conditioning Stint

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The St. Louis Blues have activated forward Nikita Soshnikov from LTIR and have announced they have loaned him to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL for a five-game LTI conditioning stint.

Soshnikov, who suffered a concussion in the preseason after taking a puck to the ear, will try to regain his form over those five AHL games and could be eligible to return to the Blues for their Nov. 1 game at home against Vegas.

The 25-year-old was acquired by St. Louis in a mid-season trade from Toronto last season in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick. Soshnikov, who couldn’t crack the Maple Leafs’ lineup last season, did appear in 12 games for the Blues once he arrived, posting a goal and an assist. He did play in 56 games for Toronto during the 2016-17 season, posting five goals and nine points. Upon his return, he should compete for bottom-six minutes with the team.

Soshnikov’s agent, Dan Milstein, first announced the transaction.

Minor Transactions: 10/19/18

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The Pittsburgh Penguins showed the Toronto Maple Leafs what center depth was really about, and the Edmonton Oilers squeaked out their home opener in front of a rabid fan base. Last night was a good one in the NHL, and there are three more prime matchups for this evening. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves teams make to get ready for the weekend right here:

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Nick Paul from the AHL, as they get ready for their matchup tomorrow night. With Brady Tkachuk the latest to be put on injured reserve, the Senators were down to just 12 healthy forwards and needed to recall at least one more. The team actually still only has 21 players on the roster, and could make additional moves before taking on the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow.
  • Kristian Vesalainen has been sent down by the Winnipeg Jets, meaning he could potentially see his contract slide once again. Vesalainen has played in five NHL games so far, meaning he’d need another five in order to burn the first season of his entry-level deal. If the Jets let him play in the minor leagues instead, they’ll save a year of cheap production.

Crawford, Murray, Andersen, Quick All Set To Return From Injury

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The goaltending position will get a little stronger today, as three top options return to their respective teams. Matt Murray and Frederik Andersen will both be back in the net as the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs face off, while Jonathan Quick has been activated in Los Angeles. Still, the biggest news of the day lies in Chicago. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford will make his first start since December 23, 2017 when he takes on the Arizona Coyotes at home. Luke Johnson has been sent to the minor leagues by the Blackhawks in order to activate Crawford to the roster.

Getting Crawford back is a huge step for the Blackhawks, who have looked unlike their championship selves since their starting goaltender went down. The veteran netminder was dealing with a concussion and related symptoms for months, but appeared in training camp hopeful he could return to action quickly this season. That’s about to happen, and it will be an exciting moment for teammates and fans alike. Crawford holds a career .919 save percentage and actually was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career when he suffered the injury. The team has not received quality goaltending from Cam Ward after signing him this offseason to a one-year, $3MM deal, and may end up waiving Anton Forsberg if Crawford can re-take ownership of the net.

For Toronto getting Andersen back is extremely important, given the lack of goaltending depth they suddenly find themselves with. Kasimir Kaskisuo, the default third stringer since Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard were claimed off waivers, suffered a serious injury recently with the Toronto Marlies and will be out for a fair amount of time, while minor league backup Jeff Glass is on an AHL deal. That meant young Eamon McAdam was the backup recently and just one more injury from being the stater for the Maple Leafs.

Quick and Murray both represent returns to normalcy for their respective teams, but both of their replacements did well in their absence. Jack Campbell in Los Angeles posted a .922 save percentage in his five games, while Casey DeSmith did the same in his three starts for Pittsburgh. There’s no reason to think Quick or Murray will suffer another injury quickly, but if they do the team at least knows there are capable backups behind them.

Toronto Maple Leafs, William Nylander Meeting In Switzerland

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In all war-time negotiations, both sides usually like to find a neutral meeting place for any peace negotiations to limit the leverage for one group or the other. It’s apparently no different in contract talks, as Lance Hornby of Postmedia reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander’s camp will meet in Switzerland today. Though there’s little indication of what exactly will take place at the meeting, just the fact that the two sides are getting together has to be a positive sign in what has turned into quite a lengthy contract negotiation.

Nylander of course remains without a contract while the Maple Leafs roll through opponents, off to a 6-1 start by scoring the league’s most goals. Kasperi Kapanen has taken Nylander’s usual spot on the right side of Auston Matthews and looked like a star himself, though he’s adamant that he isn’t trying to replace his good friend. The Maple Leafs would obviously like to have Nylander back in the lineup, but at their price given the upcoming contract negotiations with Matthews and Mitch Marner. The team has to worry about getting everyone signed and under the cap, something that assistant GM Brandon Pridham will have worked out various scenarios for.

Though there have been reports of the Maple Leafs offering a long-term contract in the low $6MM range and Nylander’s camp countering with something approaching $8MM per season, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet added recently that the team had made a four-year offer as well. That deal would see Nylander’s cap hit drop to somewhere between $4-5MM, and keep him a restricted free agent at its conclusion. Hornby and his source have no information on whether the Switzerland meeting is to work out a deal like that, or just to touch base with a player who is still important to the organization.

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