Carolina Hurricanes Had Trade Fall Through At Last Minute
The Carolina Hurricanes have been rumored to be very interested in adding a scoring forward this season, and they may have almost gotten their wish last week. On the latest edition of Insider Trading for TSN, Pierre LeBrun reports that a deal fell through at the last minute with a Western Conference team. LeBrun restates the Hurricanes’ interest in a top-six forward and while it sounds like William Nylander is off the table after signing his long deal, apparently they have interest in Kasperi Kapanen of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Speculation can run wild on who the Hurricanes were dealing with in the West, but the simple fact is that Carolina is urgently looking to get some more firepower up front. With another goal tonight for the Maple Leafs, Kapanen continues to impress in an elevated position next to Auston Matthews and is setting himself up for a nice contract negotiation of his own in the offseason. The 22-year old forward had struggled to find any real consistency at the NHL level for the first few years of his career, but had 21 points in 31 games coming into tonight’s action and is finally fulfilling the potential that made him a first-round pick. The Maple Leafs of course have other concerns in the summer months, given that Matthews and Mitch Marner are also restricted free agents.
Even if Kapanen is not available—which LeBrun makes no real assertion on one way or the other—there will be plenty of offense to go around as the trade deadline nears later this season. Another name mentioned in the segment by insider Bob McKenzie, though not in specific reference to Carolina is Jeff Carter, who still has three years left on his contract after 2018-19 but isn’t actually owed much salary. That makes him a pretty attractive trade target if teams are willing to sacrifice some young assets for the rebuild in Los Angeles, though nothing seems imminent there either.
One has to wonder whether Carolina will find what they’re looking for soon, given the urgency the front office is likely feeling. The team entered play tonight at 13-12-4 but had scored just 72 goals in those 29 games. That put them ahead of only the Kings, a place you don’t want to be if you’re trying to compete for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Snapshots: Houston, Liljegren, Hunwick
Ever since Tilman Fertitta bought the Houston Rockets of the NBA in September 2017, the market has been the center of much speculation that an NHL franchise could soon be heading there. Fertitta has expressed public interest in bringing the NHL to Houston, and visited the league offices to speak with the commissioner’s office about what it would take. None of that means in the slightest that there is actually going to be a second Texas-based team in the near future, but it does keep Houston at the forefront of any expansion or relocation speculation.
Today Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reported on Twitter that Fertitta has had “preliminary talks” regarding the purchase and relocation of the Arizona Coyotes, though the Rockets’ owner would not comment on the story. There have been other rumors recently that the Coyotes are speaking with potential buyers, but absolutely no indication that they or the league would be interested in relocation at this time. Expansion, the other option for potentially getting a team to Houston, is also seemingly off the table for the time being given that Seattle has just been introduced. The NHL has fought hard to keep the Coyotes in Arizona for years, even through struggles with the fan base, arena and on-ice product. While this report doesn’t undo any of that, it once again indicates that there is an interested owner ready to pounce should the league’s position change.
- Timothy Liljegren has been replaced on the Swedish World Junior preliminary roster by Philip Broberg, due to the ankle injury he suffered recently. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect would have been one of the country’s returning players after taking home a silver medal last season. Broberg meanwhile is a potential first-round pick in the upcoming draft, and could improve his stock even further with a top performance as a 17-year old. The smooth-skating defenseman can take over a game with his puck-moving skills, and has the size to really be a difference maker at the NHL level.
- Matt Hunwick is set to head to the AHL on a conditioning stint in order to get back in game shape after a long rehab process. The former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman was traded to the Buffalo Sabres along with Conor Sheary this summer, but has yet to play a game for the organization. There isn’t a ton of room on the Sabres blue line for the veteran when everyone is healthy, but the way Sabres defensemen have been suffering injuries he may be needed as soon as possible. Hunwick is in the second season of a three-year contract that carries a $2.25MM cap hit, and is currently on long-term injured reserve.
Ducks Acquire Adam Cracknell From Maple Leafs For Steven Oleksy
The Ducks and Maple Leafs have completed a swap of veteran depth players. Anaheim has acquired center Adam Cracknell from Toronto in exchange for defenseman Steven Oleksy. Both teams have announced the deal.
Cracknell signed with Toronto early in free agency, inking a one-year, one-way contract worth $650K. He spent most of last year in the minors with the affiliates of the Rangers and Canadiens and has spent all of this season with the AHL Marlies. He has fared well in his limited action, collecting three goals and seven assists in 14 games. However, with the recent return of Sam Gagner from Vancouver and the acquisitions of Morgan Klimchuk and Michael Carcone, Toronto had a surplus of veteran AHL forwards to deal from as they’ve done here. The 33-year-old is a veteran of 208 career NHL games and could get a look with the Ducks at some point this season on their fourth line.
The Ducks found themselves in a similar situation when it came to Oleksy. Veterans Luke Schenn and Andrej Sustr have both spent considerable time with their AHL affiliate in San Diego and as a result, he was dropping down their depth chart. In 15 games with the Gulls this season, he has a pair of assists along with 36 penalty minutes. The 32-year-old also has 73 career games of NHL experience under his belt but will likely serve as a veteran depth player for the Marlies who he rejoins after spending part of the 2016-17 season with them. Oleksy is in the second and final season of a two-year, one-way contract that also pays $650K and will be an unrestricted free agent in July.
In addition to this trade, the two sides also completed a minor league swap with Anaheim acquiring goaltender Jeff Glass from Toronto in exchange for future considerations. Glass has struggled with the Marlies this season, posting a 4.31 GAA with a .849 SV% in ten games. He made his NHL debut last year, getting into 15 games with Chicago. The 33-year-old is on a minor league deal and will not count against Anaheim’s 50 contracts.
Calle Rosen Signs Two-Year Contract Extension
The Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up some of their defensive depth for the next two seasons, inking Calle Rosen to a two-year contract extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $750K, and will take him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2021.
Rosen, 24, signed with the Maple Leafs out of Sweden in 2017 as an undrafted free agent who had found success with the Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL. Making the NHL roster out of training camp he played just four games last season with the Maple Leafs, instead spending the majority of the year in the minor leagues with the Toronto Marlies. Though he struggled at times to find consistency in his own end, by the time the Calder Cup playoffs rolled around Rosen was one of the most dynamic defensemen in the entire AHL. His 11 points in 16 postseason games helped lead the Marlies to a Calder Cup championship.
The left-handed, smooth skating defenseman has played in the minor leagues again this season, recording 19 points in 24 games. That production has put Rosen firmly in the Maple Leafs plans going forward, especially given the status of two of their NHL defensemen. Ron Hainsey and Jake Gardiner are both unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, and the Maple Leafs might end up not being able to afford them given the big contract already signed by William Nylander and pending extensions for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The team might look at the blue line for savings, and a $750K cap hit provides that.
Zach Hyman Suspended Two Games For Hit On Charlie McAvoy
5:50: The Department of Player Safety has suspended Hyman for two games for the hit against McAvoy on Saturday. He is expected to miss games in Carolina and then a key divisional matchup against Tampa Bay on Thursday. He will be back in the Maple Leafs’ lineup for Saturday’s game in Florida. Hyman will forfeit $24,193.55 from the suspension.
1:14: The Department of Player Safety announced that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman will have a hearing today for interference on Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy on Saturday.
Hyman was ejected from Saturday’s game against Boston after a blindsiding hit against McAvoy with about 10 minutes left in the game and Toronto trailing 6-2. McAvoy was having a solid night with a plus-four rating in more than 18 minutes of ice time. McAvoy was just in his second game back after returning from a concussion, which had sidelined him for 20 games. McAvoy exited the game to undergo concussion protocol. He did return to the bench in the final minute of the game.
Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy believed Saturday that it deserved a look from the Department of Player Safety.
“I thought it was late. I thought it was unnecessary. If the league takes a look at it – I don’t know if they will or not, usually they do if there’s a major involved. It’s one of those things where you’re at a point in the game, hasn’t been a lot of body checking from the other team and all of a sudden there’s a late unsuspecting one, and it annoys you,” said Cassidy. “Especially when it’s Charlie [McAvoy], who had just came back [from a concussion]. So you’re wondering are they targeting him or not? You don’t know that.”
Western Notes: Vancouver-Seattle Rivalry, Baertschi, Pietrangelo, Vlasic
With Seattle becoming the NHL’s 32nd team, you might think the Vancouver Canucks wouldn’t be thrilled to have a team right on their doorstep. However, that’s not the case. In fact, Vancouver ownership and fans are thrilled to bring a natural rival for their team and hope that it will continue to spark interest not only in Seattle, but bring in more fans in Vancouver as well, according to the Associated Press.
”Vancouver is already a partner. They were the most enthusiastic team in the league about this. They love the idea of this rivalry,” Seattle team President Tod Leiweke said. ”I think for the two cities to connect like this, the two cities are 130 miles away but now they’re going to connect in a whole different way and I think that’s one of the great things that is going to come out of all this is a deep, deep visceral connection between Vancouver and Seattle and we’re going to play some great games.”
Both franchises hope that the rivalry will increase marketing, interest in the game and the hope that each franchise’s fanbase will travel back and forth between cities when they face off against each other. While there would normally be reason to worry that each franchise might take away from each other in terms of fans, there is no concern of that here as it is believed the U.S.-Canadien border is likely the perfect barrier for fans on which side they want to follow.
- Sticking with Vancouver, Canucks head coach Travis Green said that forward Sven Baertschi is progressing nicely and might be ready to practice with the team when in Vancouver on Monday and Tuesday. Baertschi has been out since Oct. 24 with a concussion. Baertschi has only appeared in 10 games for Vancouver this season and has three goals and three assists.
- While only a rumor, Sportsnet reports that Nick Kypreos reported on Hockey Night in Canada tonight that the St. Louis Blues are considering moving defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the prime target, suggesting that the Maple Leafs are offering Nikita Zaitsev, picks and prospects as part of a package. While that would be a huge win for the Toronto Maple Leafs, expect much of the league to weigh in on Pietrangelo if St. Louis truly intends to trade him. Pietrangelo, who is currently on LTIR, could become a unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that one of the biggest problems with the San Jose Sharks is the regression of veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is starting the first year of an eight-year, $56MM contract, pointing out that the 31-year-old Vlasic is playing like a third-line defenseman this season and his minus-14 plus/minus ratio is quite accurate as he has struggled mightily.
- Fox Sports Jon Rosen reports that Gabriel Vilardi is not in the lineup for the Ontario Reign of the AHL due to an injury and is expected to be evaluated on Monday by Los Angeles Kings doctors. The 19-year-old forward has been on a long-term conditioning assignment in Ontario, having posted one assist in four games there so far. He has missed significant time in each of the last two seasons due to back injury.
Minor Transactions: 12/06/18
After a quiet Wednesday night in the NHL the league scheduler is back in action with 11 games on tap for tonight. That includes some prime divisional matchups in the Eastern Conference and a big game between the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames. While we wait for the action to get started this evening, we’ll keep track of all the minor roster moves made ahead of time.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Brian Lashoff in time for their game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Danny DeKeyser‘s recent hand injury, the team was left with just six healthy defensemen for the game. It’s unlikely that Lashoff is inserted into the lineup, but will serve as insurance in case anyone is injured over the next few hours.
- Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled their own defenseman, as Gabriel Carlsson is on his way back to the NHL. Carlsson has played just a single game for the Blue Jackets this season, but is a huge part of their future blue line plans after being selected in the first round in 2015. His long reach and defensive ability should come in handy if the team puts him into the lineup right away.
- In a somewhat surprising move, the Dallas Stars have sent Roope Hintz to the AHL. If the move is anything more than a paper transaction to save some cap space during a day between games, it makes the loss of Gemel Smith on waivers even more questionable. The Stars were already carrying just 22 players after the loss of Smith, meaning they could activate Martin Hanzal from long-term injured reserve.
- Nelson Nogier made his season debut for the Winnipeg Jets this week, but is already on his way back to the minor leagues. The Jets made the move earlier today, expecting one of their regular defensemen to be ready when they get back on the ice. Nogier will surely get another chance, but for now will have to continue his development in the AHL.
- Matt Beleskey is on his way back to the Rangers who announced that they have recalled him from Hartford of the AHL. His stint in the minors was short-lived as he was sent down back on Sunday. The veteran has played just once with New York this season but has been productive in the minors with nine points in 14 games.
Snapshots: Despres, Maple Leafs, Zuccarello
Simon Despres was offered a contract by the AHL’s Laval Rocket before this season began, but opted not to sign with the team. After spending a couple of months examining his options, the veteran defenseman has decided to take them up on their offer after all. Except now, the deal is just on a tryout basis. Laval announced today that Despres has signed a PTO with the team. Despres, a former first-round pick and NHL regular with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, struggled with injuries and was more or less forced out of the league in recent years. After finally returning to full health last season and performing well with the KHL’s HC Slovan Bratislava, Despres expressed an interest in returning to the NHL this year. Interestingly, he specifically mentioned his interest in the relatively new AHL franchise in his hometown of Laval and eventually signed a PTO with the Montreal Canadiens this summer in hopes of landing a two-way contract where he could play in Laval and potentially work his way onto the Habs’ roster. He fell short of that goal, but a one-way AHL contract with the Rocket seemed like the next-best thing. Hopefully it’s not too late to land a real contract with Laval.
- The official camp roster for Sweden’s World Juniors entry will be announced tomorrow. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs have the luxury of knowing two of their prospects – defensemen Tim Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin – will be selected to the team. The Leafs also have the luxury of ample depth that will allow them to send both to the tournament without a second thought, reports Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. With the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this season, Sandin leads all defensemen on the team with four goals despite playing in all twelve games, while Liljegren has been arguably the team’s top defensive defenseman. Neither of the two look quite ready for the NHL just yet, but are well on their way.
- Not many players have the clarity and foresight about their own status to predict when they’ll be traded, but a respected veteran like Mats Zuccarello does. The New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis relays a report from a journalist in Zuccarello’s native Norway that Zuccarello believes a trade is more likely than him finishing out the year in New York. A career Ranger, Zuccarello is likely upset about the end of his time with the team coming, but as a pending free agent on a rebuilding club, he was likely moving on one way or another. Zuccarello will likely be a coveted piece at the trade deadline.
Josh Leivo Traded To Vancouver Canucks
After the Toronto Maple Leafs finally were able to sign William Nylander, it created a roster crunch for their NHL group. One forward needed to be sent out, and with no obvious waiver-exempt options the front office turned to the trade market to see if they could get a deal. A deal they did get, by sending Josh Leivo to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Michael Carcone.
For Leivo, even though a trade takes him away from the powerful Maple Leafs and to a new, unfamiliar organization, it is probably a welcome result. The 25-year old forward has been battling for years to try and make an impact on Mike Babcock and the Maple Leafs coaching staffs, only to find himself in the press box more than on the ice. Originally selected 86th overall in 2011, Leivo has played just 84 NHL games to this point in his career, spending more than that as a healthy scratch throughout the years. The last time he even had any substantial time in the minor leagues was 2015-16, when he was nearly a point-per-game player for the Toronto Marlies.
In the NHL, Leivo has produced 28 points in those 84 games and too rarely shown that he has the versatility to contribute in a bottom-six role. That’s all he was going to get in Toronto given their other young forward talent, but he never really grew into the type of player that Babcock wanted on his fourth line. Instead, his ice time was extremely limited even when he did get into the lineup, although he was given time on the second powerplay this season.
Vancouver will likely attempt to coax every bit of offensive potential out of Leivo, using his big body and hard, powerful shot to create a mismatch alongside some of their smaller forwards. If they can get any production out of him the deal will be a win for them, given that they only sacrificed an undrafted minor league forward.
Toronto was in a tough spot and was likely heading for a situation where they would lose Leivo or someone else to waivers anyway, so they accepted Carcone to at least get something in return. The 22-year old had a great season in his final year of junior with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, but has had middling results in the AHL so far. That changed early this season with 17 points in his first 20 games, but there is still a long road ahead of the undersized forward if he’s ever to make the NHL.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 12/03/18
Just three games grace the NHL schedule this evening, while the Board of Governors meet to discuss the future of the league. The best matchup may just be the upstart Buffalo Sabres taking on the powerhouse Nashville Predators, in a game that could have implications in each team’s respective division. The Sabres have lost control of the Atlantic after holding top spot for a moment, while the Predators are now tied with the Avalanche atop the Central. While the rest of the league licks their wounds and determines how to approach the upcoming week, we’ll have all the minor moves right here.
- Speaking of the Predators, the team has sent Anthony Richard back to the minor leagues after he made his debut on the weekend. Nick Bonino is expected to be put back in the lineup after his recent illness, leaving no room for the young Richard to contribute.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Travis Dermott to the AHL in a paper transaction in order to make room for William Nylander, but was recalled again immediately after the Josh Leivo trade. Dermott has established himself as a full-time member of the Maple Leafs’ blue line, and is a big part of what they’re trying to build in Toronto.
- Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson is on his way back to the Boston Bruins after having been down for only a day himself, and could be back in the lineup tomorrow night. The young Bruins’ forward has split his time this season between Boston and Providence, but is still trying to become the offensive difference-maker that he showed he could be in college.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Conor Garland from the minor leagues after Michael Grabner was moved to injured reserve. Garland has yet to suit up in an NHL game but has a long history of offensive production. An MVP of the QMJHL, the fifth-round pick scored 129 and 128 points in back to back seasons for the Moncton Wildcats.
- Ilya Kovalchuk has been officially moved to injured reserve with his ankle injury, and will be out for at least a month. The Kings will hope recently added forwards like Brendan Leipsic and Nikita Scherbak can help carry the offensive load while Kovalchuk recovers.