Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Maple Leafs Rumors

Snapshots: Lupul, Hinostroza, Ryan

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Joffrey Lupul is technically still under contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, despite not suiting up for a game in two years. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet relays some of Lupul’s feelings from a recent podcast appearance, which indicates that though he might have some regrets on how his career ended, there isn’t a comeback in the works.

Lupul could technically sign a contract with an NHL club in the offseason as a free agent, but there doesn’t seem to be any indication he will. The 34-year old forward is instead concentrating on his life after hockey, even referring to himself as “retired.” Lupul’s career would end with 420 points in 701 games, including a career-high 67-point campaign in 2011-12 with the Maple Leafs.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks will have a little less roster flexibility after tonight’s game as CapFriendly points out, as Vinnie Hinostroza is set to play in his 80th career game. That means Hinostroza will no longer be waiver-exempt, though he seems to have solidified his place in the lineup anyway. The 23-year old forward has 14 points in 22 games this season for the Blackhawks, and is another example of a smaller player finding success in today’s game. Selected in the sixth round partly due to his size, Hinostroza hasn’t stopped scoring at any level of hockey.
  • If the Ottawa Senators had any plans to try and move Bobby Ryan and his huge contract they might have to wait until the offseason. The 30-year old forward will be out a minimum of three weeks according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, putting a return before the trade deadline in doubt. Ryan does have 20 points in 39 games this season as he’s battled through several injuries, but isn’t the same goal-scoring threat he once was. Owed another $30MM over the next four seasons, his contract has quickly become a huge hindrance on the Senators’ future plans.

Minor Transactions: 02/05/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After a light Sunday schedule because of the Super Bowl, the NHL has just four games on tap for Monday night. Despite the lack of on-ice action, there will be plenty of minor moves around the league. As always, we’ll keep track of all of them right here.

Josh Leivo Asks To Be Traded

at CDT | by 15 Comments

Maple Leafs winger Josh Leivo is in his second straight season of seeing limited playing time and with it looking less and less likely that this will change in the weeks to come with Kasperi Kapanen coming up from the minors and playing well, he has requested a trade if he isn’t going to get more ice time, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports (video link).

Josh LeivoLeivo is waiver eligible which is what has left him in limbo, similar to what had been happening last season with now-Penguins blueliner Frank Corrado.  Toronto doesn’t want to risk losing him for nothing as he would almost assuredly be picked up if they were to place him on the wire.

Leivo’s agent Ian Pulver spoke to Jonas Siegal of The Athletic (subscription required), indicating that there is no bad blood between the two sides.

Josh is a player who would stand in front of a train for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Josh was drafted by the Leafs and he wants to be a long-time Leaf. He would love to be in the lineup Monday night, and every night thereafter. Having said that, he hasn’t been in the lineup for a long time, and hasn’t played much in the past two seasons.  He has reached a point in his career where he simply needs to play regularly.

While it looked like Leivo would start to get more playing time following a one-year, $925K extension he signed back in November to avoid potentially hitting Group VI unrestricted free agency, that hasn’t been the case.  The 24-year-old has played in just 12 games this season, notching a goal and two assists while averaging just 10:54 per night in playing time.

Overall, Leivo has had a bit of success when he has had the opportunity to play.  Although he has played in just 53 career NHL games over parts of five seasons, he has managed a respectable 10 goals and 11 assists in limited playing time (just 10:57 per game on average).  That should attract some interest around the league, especially since his cap hit of $613K falls below the league minimum salary.

While Toronto is certainly looking to add before the trade deadline, this case may be one where it makes sense for them to take a future asset in return.  The Leafs are currently at the maximum of 50 contracts so picking up a draft pick or unsigned prospect here would free up an opening for them to add a veteran before the end of the month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Maple Leafs Activate Rielly, Assign Holl to AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have activated defenseman Morgan Rielly off of injured reserve and assigned defenseman Justin Holl back to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

Rielly’s return should only help the Maple Leafs who have won four straight and five of their last six games. One of the team’s top defensemen, Rielly has missed their winning streak, but should add some leadership and improved offense to the team. The 26-year-old, who had to miss the all-star game after suffering an upper-body injury on Jan. 18, and is still on pace to put up career numbers. He has five goals and 26 assists in 47 games this season.

Holl, who had was an emergency recall on Wednesday after the team placed defenseman Roman Polak on injured reserve, played in two games for Toronto and was quite impressive, providing the team some offense of his own. A former second-round pick in 2010, Holl scored a goal in each of the two games he played for the Maple Leafs. He became the sixth defenseman in the NHL to score goals in his first two NHL games. In fact, his career numbers show he has played in two games, taken two shots and scored two goals. He also has a +5 plus/minus rating. He has four goals and 20 points in 39 games for the Marlies this season. Polack remains on injured reserve.

Poll: Should The New York Rangers Buy Or Sell?

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Every week in our live chat, a question is inevitably asked:

Will the New York Rangers buy or sell at the deadline?

The question is understandable given the Rangers’ inconsistent season so far. Though they are right in the thick of the playoff chase in the Metropolitan Division, there has been several occasions where the team doesn’t look deep or good enough to make a real impact in the postseason. Tonight is one of those nights so far, as they trail the Toronto Maple Leafs as of this writing 4-0.

The Rangers have some significant assets if they decide to sell, including captain Ryan McDonagh and top scorer Mats Zuccarello. Both players have another year on their deals at a reasonable cap hit, and could bring back considerable value if made available. The decision to make them available though, doesn’t seem certain this point.

They also have several expiring contracts in Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, David Desharnais and Nick Holden, all of whom could be valuable on the trade deadline market. Those players could be moved without sacrificing any talent next season, but would signal a sort of white flag on 2017-18.

So what do you think? Should the Rangers blow it up completely, just move out a few rentals or actually add for a run at the playoffs? It’s not out of the question that they could be in a playoff spot by this time next week, making it hard to decide to throw in the towel. Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Justin Holl Recalled By Toronto Maple Leafs

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Justin Holl is finally getting a chance with the Maple Leafs, even if it is just as last-minute insurance. The team has recalled the defenseman under emergency conditions, placing Roman Polak on injured reserve with a viral infection, and labeling Ron Hainsey as a game-time decision due to an illness.

Holl was a second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, but after spending four seasons at the University of Minnesota failed to land an NHL contract. Instead, he worked through two years of AHL contracts before signing a one-year entry-level deal with the Maple Leafs in the summer of 2016. For the past three years, he’s been a huge part of the Toronto Marlies blue line and is having the best offensive season of his professional career with 20 points in 39 games.

The 26-year old can skate very well for a player of his size, and actually takes more risks than you’d expect. If he does get into the Maple Leafs lineup tonight, it would be his NHL debut and could even lineup beside Travis Dermott, who he has played with at times in the minor leagues. As we discussed in Jack Johnson’s recent trade profile, the Toronto defense depth is razor thin as evidenced by this call up.

Nikita Zaitsev is returning to the lineup for the first time since December 15th, and will likely have to handle quite a bit right away. Hainsey and Polak have been the team’s main penalty killing options with Zaitsev out, a role that would now have to be split among the other defenders.

Trade Candidate: Jack Johnson

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

After a public bankruptcy case and a diminishing role with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jack Johnson requested a trade. He felt backed into a corner, and needed to act to ensure financial stability for his family after his player career ends. Since news of the request broke, Johnson’s ice time has once again increased. Will the Blue Jackets move him somewhere else, or give him the important minutes he needs to showcase for his next contract?

Jack JohnsonContract

Johnson is in the final season of a seven-year, $30.5MM contract—$4.36MM cap hit, $5.0MM salary. He will be a UFA in July, and holds no trade protection.

2017-18

With the increased roles of young defensemen Zach Werenski, Seth Jones and Markus Nutivaara, Johnson has seen his impact on the Blue Jackets decrease in his final year under contract. Once a powerplay quarterback and perennial 30-40 point producer, the 31-year old has been limited to defensive specialist and penalty killer for nearly two seasons. His offensive production this season has been non-existent, with only seven points through 50 games.

Tough matchups and starting nearly 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone are part of the explanation for that lack of production, but so is a normal decline in mobility and explosiveness as he navigates his thirties. He’s turned into a solid penalty killing option for the Blue Jackets, and has astoundingly taken just four minor penalties all season. There is clearly still a role for Johnson in the NHL, but with other more dynamic offensive talents on the market like Mike Green, it will be hard for him to secure an opportunity better than the one he still enjoys in Columbus.

Season Stats

50 GP, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, -7 rating, 8 PIM, 61 shots, 19:35 ATOI, 45.9 CF%

Potential Suitors

There is never a shortage of teams looking for experienced help on the blue line as the stretch run approaches, and Johnson’s name will certainly be among those that draw inquiries. Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, Los Angeles, Washington, and the New York Islanders could all fit Johnson in under the right circumstances, though it’s not clear if any have reached out at this point.

One fit that does seem to stick out is that of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have been looking for defensive help for some time. Though Travis Dermott’s debut has gone well to this point, their depth at the position is still razor thin as showcased when Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev were both out of the lineup. If the Maple Leafs decide to acquire another veteran option, Johnson could stick out as a possibility. The defenseman’s handedness (left) doesn’t help him in this scenario, but with the ability of Rielly, Dermott and Ron Hainsey to play their off-side, Mike Babcock would still have plenty of options.

Likelihood Of A Trade

A few weeks ago a trade seemed like an inevitability in the case of Johnson, who was struggling on the ice and seeing the bench more than ever before. Now though, a move doesn’t seem quite as certain. Every team needs depth on defense, and Columbus are in an absolute dog fight for the playoffs in the Metropolitan Division. With Ryan Murray—a trade candidate himself—still fighting to get back from injury, Johnson is needed to soak up minutes on the PK and shelter some of the more offensive options the Blue Jackets have.

It wouldn’t at all be surprising to see him on another team come February 26th, but it is far from certain. If the Blue Jackets decide that they’re going for it this season, and can’t find a deal for the top-nine forward they desperately want, holding onto Johnson could be the best option. Though he doesn’t come with much playoff experience, he does come with incredible success. In 23 postseason contests, Johnson has 21 points and logged a whopping 26 minutes a night last playoffs for the Blue Jackets.

Including Pittsburgh as an example from last season, the playoffs can grind through a defense corps and put you on your seventh, eighth or ninth option quickly. If there isn’t a deal for a forward to be found, maybe Johnson will have to prove himself once again in Columbus.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Candidate: James Van Riemsdyk

at CDT | by 14 Comments

With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have their eyes set firmly on the postseason after their exciting rebound campaign in 2016-17. This season, despite the obvious expectation to be buyers at the deadline, several pending free agents will draw interest from around the league. James van Riemsdyk will pose the toughest decision, as his price could be as high as nearly any rental on the market.

Contract

van Riemsdyk is in the final season of a six-year, $25.5MM deal – $4.25MM cap hit, $5MM salary.  He will be a UFA in July and holds a 10-team no-trade list.

James van Riemsdyk2017-18

Despite seeing his ice time drop for the fourth consecutive year, van Riemsdyk is once again having an excellent offensive season. He’s actually tied a career-high in terms of goals per game at 0.38, and is taking advantage of the sheltered role Mike Babcock is using he and Tyler Bozak in. His possession numbers are easily the best he’s ever posted, and he’s still shooting at the above-average clip he’s always had.

Though van Riemsdyk doesn’t offer a ton of versatility, he’s a destructive force within a few feet of the net, using soft hands to find and bury pucks behind goaltenders. He’s also one of the league’s very best at tipping point shots, and could improve almost any powerplay in the league. He’s played the role of top line winger before, and though he’s not perfectly suited to go head to head with the opponent’s best players, he can take advantage of weaker matchups.

Season Stats

50 GP, 19 goals, 11 assists, 30 points, -9 rating, 22 PIM, 147 shots, 14:41 ATOI, 56.1 CF%

Potential Suitors

If van Riemsdyk hit the market there would be no shortage of interested teams. St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Nashville, Tampa Bay and many others could all use a talented 30-goal winger that comes with a relatively inexpensive cap hit.

As Darren Dreger of TSN recently explained on radio, many of the same teams looking at Evander Kane as a potential upgrade could look at van Riemsdyk in the same way. While Kane comes with some off-ice baggage, van Riemsdyk is a quiet contributor who hasn’t seen his name in the headlines unless it was for a game-winning goal.

One has to wonder whether the New Jersey Devils would have any interest in bringing in a hometown kid. van Riemsdyk grew up in New Jersey, playing minor hockey in Brick and Lincroft before heading out to join the US Development Program. His parents still live in the area, and after starting his career with rival Philadelphia, would likely love seeing their boy pull on a Devils sweater. New Jersey moved out some of their forward depth by trading Adam Henrique earlier this year, and with Marcus Johansson dealing with his second concussion of the season they could use another option for the powerplay. If they truly believe they can make noise in the Eastern Conference, perhaps they take a swing at one of the top goal-scoring options out there.

Likelihood Of A Trade

While it would be an exciting move for New Jersey fans, it doesn’t seem likely to happen. The Maple Leafs are worried about their own postseason depth, and unless something changes in the next few weeks, seem poised to hold onto their pending free agents as “own rentals.”

That could change if the price for Kane becomes astronomical, or a top-4 defenseman shakes loose from one of the contenders, but with van Riemsdyk such a key part of the offense a move doesn’t seem likely. Interestingly, he’s also stated his preferred option would be to re-sign with the Maple Leafs though the contract terms that have been rumored may be too rich for them.

If van Riemsdyk really will cost $36MM on the open market (a six-year deal at $6MM per season), the Maple Leafs might not be able to afford him in their future salary structure. If that’s true, they’ll have to take a long hard look at their internal or external replacements for the playoff stretch and weigh them against the return a trade would bring. If they believe Kasperi Kapanen, for instance, could benefit from receiving more regular playing time, maybe selling van Riemsdyk to the highest bidder and collecting the first-round pick/prospect (or more, depending on the market) would be the best option. The team could turn around and use those assets to acquire that top defenseman, or add some center depth for the coming years.

Final Standings Projections At The Mid-Way Point

at CDT | by 5 Comments

It’s impossible to tell exactly how the remainder of the 2017-18 season will shake out, but with the NHL set to resume it’s unofficial second half of the season tomorrow, there’s no better time to look at the current state of the league. The final standings could look much like they do now or they could differ greatly, depending on whether or not the status quo shifts over the next few months. The trade deadline, rookie wall, and the health rigors of an 82-game season can all change the course of the campaign for many teams, but as of now, this is what the final standings and 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs will look like:

Atlantic Division

  1. Tampa Bay Lightning – 119 points
  2. Boston Bruins – 115 points
  3. Toronto Maple Leafs – 98 points
  4. Detroit Red Wings – 79 points
  5. Montreal Canadiens – 77 points
  6. Florida Panthers – 77 points
  7. Ottawa Senators – 68 points
  8. Buffalo Sabres – 62 points

Metropolitan Division

  1. Washington Capitals – 105 points
  2. New Jersey Devils – 96 points
  3. Columbus Blue Jackets – 95 points
  4. Philadelphia Flyers – 94 points
  5. Pittsburgh Penguins – 92 points
  6. New York Islanders – 90 points
  7. New York Rangers – 90 points
  8. Carolina Hurricanes – 87 points

Eastern Conference First Round Playoff Match-ups:

#1A Tampa Bay vs. #2W Pittsburgh
#1M Washington vs. #1W Philadelphia
#2A Boston vs. #3A Toronto
#2M New Jersey vs. #3M Columbus

Central Division

  1. Nashville Predators – 113 points
  2. Winnipeg Jets – 108 points
  3. St. Louis Blues – 101 points
  4. Dallas Stars – 98 points
  5. Colorado Avalanche – 97 points
  6. Minnesota Wild – 95 points
  7. Chicago Blackhawks – 89 points

Pacific Division

  1. Vegas Golden Knights – 116 points
  2. San Jose Sharks – 101 points
  3. Calgary Flames – 97 points
  4. Los Angeles Kings – 95 points
  5. Anaheim Ducks – 93 points
  6. Edmonton Oilers – 79 points
  7. Vancouver Canucks – 74 points
  8. Arizona Coyotes – 54 points

Western Conference First Round Playoff Match-ups:

#1P Vegas vs. #2W Colorado
#1C Nashville vs. #1W Dallas
#2C Winnipeg vs. #3C St. Louis
#2P San Jose vs. #3P Calgary

The biggest takeaway from this current outlook? It won’t take 100 points to be a playoff team this year, but the vast number of mediocre teams opens the door for some last-minute playoff drama. The Islanders, Rangers, Wild, and Kings all project to be just one win outside of a playoff berth. These races could come down to the wire. It should be a fun second half.

Which Teams Would Have Flexibility In Another Expansion Draft?

at CDT | by 18 Comments

Midway-through the 2017-18 NHL season, it is nearly impossible to predict what rosters could look like following the 2019-20 season, more than two years away. Trades, free agency, and much more shape teams often in ways that no one sees coming. With that said, it seems like another Expansion Draft is coming to add the league’s 32nd team, the Seattle __________, and the timeline most are suggesting is a June 2020 draft date. Like it or not, the general managers of the other 31 NHL need to be keeping that in the back of their mind with each move they make over the next two seasons.

However, it could be that some have already made decisions that could impact their roster protection plans more than two years from now. The structure of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft will the remain the same, allowing for teams to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or eight skaters regardless of position and one goalie from being selected. The one caveat that threw more than a few teams for a loop last June was that all players with No-Movement Clauses (NMC) in their contracts had to be protected, unless the players voluntarily chose to wave them i.e. Marc-Andre Fleury. So, with that one aspect of the expansion process in mind, it is possible to look ahead at certain long-term contracts to see, assuming those players don’t waive them ahead of time, who could be locked in for protection in 2020 or which teams will have more flexibility without any such players:

Total Flexibility

Arizona Coyotes (0) – The only NMC players on the Coyotes are defensemen Alex Goligoski and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Hjalmarsson will be a free agent in the summer of the projected Expansion Draft and Goligoski’s clause will have shifted to a Modified No-Trade Clause. Arizona will likely have complete flexibility.

Buffalo Sabres (0) – Kyle Okposo’s NMC expires after this season and Jason Pominville’s contract expires after next season. Buffalo won’t have any restrictions on their protection scheme as of now.

Calgary Flames (0) – There is no one on the roster with a NMC and no one that will predictably get one by the end of the 2019-20 season. Kudos to GM Brad Treliving.

Los Angeles Kings (0) – Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar in their only NMC player right now and even his clause will have shifted to No-Trade by 2020. L.A. is free and clear.

Nashville Predators (0) – GM David Poile does not seem to be a fan of NMC’s in his recent long-term deals and in the new NHL expansion era, that’s a good thing.

New Jersey Devils (0) – see Calgary Flames

New York Islanders (0) – The Andrew Ladd and Johnny Boychuk contracts already look bad for the Isles. They would be much worse if their NMC’s didn’t expire soon. With John Tavares and Josh Bailey both candidates for NMC’s should they re-sign in New York and a defense that needs a re-haul, the Islanders could lose some flexibility, but they should be fine.

Toronto Maple Leafs (0) – The Leafs have no NMC players under contract beyond 2019-20 right now. That could easily change with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander in need of extensions, but Toronto should still be in a good spot. After all, those are players that would protected regardless.

Vancouver Canucks (0) – Loui Eriksson’s NMC shifts to a No-Trade Clause following this season and will be an afterthought by 2020. It’s fortunate, as Eriksson’s tenure in Vancouver has not gone according to plan.

Vegas Golden Knights (0) – The Golden Knights didn’t sign or trade for any players with NMC’s and only drafted two – Marc-Andre Fleury and David Clarkson – who already had them and they both expire before the Knights would be set to become the NHL’s second-newest team. With that said, the current Knights’ roster will see a lot of turnover in the next two years and they may struggle to avoid NMC’s completely.

Washington Capitals (0) – GM Brian MacLellan has avoided NMC’s in any of his recent mega-deals. If he can do it again this summer in his attempt to re-sign (or replace) John Carlson, then the Caps will be in good shape for another round of expansion drafting.

Winnipeg Jets (0) – The NMC in Bryan Little’s contract will both kick in and expire between now and June 2020. The Jets should be left with a fully flexible lineup.

Some Flexibility

Boston Bruins (2) – There’s little concern that Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron will still be playing at a high level in two years. Their NMC’s should be a non-factor for Boston. If David Krejci and, especially, David Backes still had their NMC’s too at that time, there would be a real logjam up front. However, both will have shifted to Modified No-Trade Clauses by then, potentially saving the Bruins from making tough decisions about their many talented young forwards.

Carolina Hurricanes (1) – As important a job as he’s had in Carolina, Jordan Staal will never be the star forward that finally puts them over the top. If his NMC causes a problem in 2020, he could easily be traded to a contender to play a complementary role. The Hurricanes need to retain as many promising young forward assets as they can in hopes of one day finding that true superstar.

Colorado Avalanche (1) – There are mixed opinions on Erik Johnson, but he has a leadership role for the Avalanche and will be key in grooming a strong crop of up-and-coming defensive prospects. The Avs won’t lose sleep about having to protect him in expansion, especially if he’s still one of their top-pairing guys in two years.

Columbus Blue Jackets (1) – The Blue Jackets were one of the biggest losers in the most recent Expansion Draft. They might be smart to sell off Nick Foligno if there’s any risk that history repeats itself.

Dallas Stars (3) – Call it optimism about his play in his first season in Dallas, but the NMC for Alexander Radulov doesn’t seem like it will be a major issue even after a couple more years. Of course, Jamie Benn’s NMC will also be a non-factor. Ben Bishop on the other hand may not be the goalie the Stars would prefer to keep in two years. As of now, there’s no immediate competition though.

Detroit Red Wings (1) – Detroit only has one NMC player who will still be under contract in 2020-21 (and another season after that), but it’s Frans Nielsen, who has been a major disappointment for the team since coming over from the New York Islanders. He could throw a wrench in their plans if he continues his downward trend over the next two seasons.

Minnesota Wild (2) – The Ryan Suter and Zach Parise mega-deals will still be making an impact in 2020, but with most of the core locked up throughout that season and no other NMC contract likely on their way, Minnesota should be okay in the Expansion Draft.

Montreal Canadiens (2) – Even if the Canadiens continue to struggle through two more seasons, there will be few Habs fans that blame superstar goalie Carey Price. His NMC won’t be an issue because the team would never dream of leaving him exposed. Jeff Petry on the other hand could be a problem. Luckily (?), it doesn’t look like Montreal will have many defenders worth protecting even in the next couple of seasons.

Ottawa Senators (2) – Some things never change. The NMC’s for Bobby Ryan and Dion Phaneuf were problems for the Senators in this past Expansion Draft and they’ll likely be problems again next time around. If Phaneuf is traded between now and then, that alleviates some concern for Ottawa. Good luck moving the Ryan contract though.

Philadelphia Flyers (1) – Only Claude Giroux has and predictably will have an NMC come June 2020. That’s a pretty safe situation for Philly.

San Jose Sharks (1) – Marc-Edouard Vlasic plays a confident, stay-at-home defensive game that often ages nicely. He looks to be the only NMC in San Jose in 2020, which shouldn’t cause a stir.

St. Louis Blues (1) – Patrik Berglund will be on the wrong side of 30 and still under a NMC when the potential 2020 draft rolls around, but with the rest of their core signed long-term without NMC’s, the Blues should be pretty safe.

Tampa Bay Lightning (2) – Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman may be the two safest NMC contracts in the NHL. Fortunately, Ryan Callahan’s otherwise-problematic NMC expires just prior to projected 2020 Expansion Draft.

Little Flexibility

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler will all be 35+ and still be NMC-protected in 2020. That’s a large chunk of your protected forwards to dedicate to players in the twilight of their careers. Some up-and-coming young talent could leave Anaheim again in this next Expansion Draft a la Shea Theodore.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) – The downside to signing all of your core players to long contracts with NMC’s could hit the Blackhawks hard in the next Expansion Draft. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will be well past 30 and Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith will be in their mid-to-late 30’s during the 2020-21 season, but all four will need to be protected ahead of that season, which could force other promising younger players out of Chicago’s protection scheme. At least they’ll narrowly avoid having an issue in net with Corey Crawford’s contract expiring prior.

Edmonton Oilers (2) – Milan Lucic and Kris Russell. Each two years older than they are now. Those aren’t exactly players that a team wants to be forced to keep. It’s foreseeable that one or both could have a negative impact on the team’s protection plan.

Florida Panthers (3) – The Panthers probably won’t mind having three players locked up come Expansion 2.0. The team knew what they were doing when they signed Keith Yandle long-term. Even in his mid-30’s, Yandle will be a reliable player and a leader for the young Florida defensive core. Sure, they considered asking him to waive his NMC this past June, but they never actually did. Yandle won’t be a major issue in two years unless his play falls off considerably. There should be no concern whatsoever over Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, whose NMC’s kick in later on in their contracts. The same might not be true about Evgeni Dadonov, whose been somewhat underwhelming so far in Florida, but luckily his contract runs out just prior the probable draft date.

New York Rangers (4) – Although they will have near total control over their forwards, outside of Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers could be in a tough position with their protection schemes in net and on the blue line in 2020. Then-38-year-old Henrik Lundqvist will require protection, as will underachieving defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Marc Staal. New York is apparently readying themselves for somewhat of a rebuild, which could mean some of those players are traded beforehand. Otherwise New York could face quite the dilemma.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) – It seems unlikely, even years from now and in their mid-30’s, that the NMC’s for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Phil Kessel would cause trouble for the Penguins. Injury-prone defenseman Kris Letang could be different though. Being forced to protect him after another two seasons of hard minutes could be difficult to swallow. Pittsburgh also has some work to do filling out the forward corps between now and 2020. GM Jim Rutherford would be well-served to avoid acquiring or handing out any further NMC’s.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top