Snapshots: Vanek, Tavares, Matthews
Thomas Vanek is probably the most likely player to be traded from the Vancouver Canucks in the next few days, and yet there remains a chance he could re-sign with the team instead. Speaking with Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, Vanek explained he’d love to play another year with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, but they haven’t given him an answer about their future yet.
Obviously, there is also the option of trading him this weekend only to re-sign him in the summer when he becomes a free agent. Vancouver already brought back Erik Gudbranson, their other top rental option, and don’t seem poised to really be big sellers at the deadline. Vanek brought in a third-round pick last season for the Detroit Red Wings, and could likely fetch a similar price if Vancouver decides to shop him around.
- After Josh Bailey was re-signed to a six-year contract this morning, many pointed out how it might help the New York Islanders re-sign his linemate John Tavares. The Islanders were making it clear that they wanted to keep this group together and were committed to winning. Not so fast, says John Shannon of Sportsnet, who tweets that the signing will “not have any effect” on the Tavares negotiations, and that the captain will still wait until after the season is over to make a decision.
- Auston Matthews suffered damage to his shoulder last night, and will be out for “a bit” according to head coach Mike Babcock. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet details how the Toronto Maple Leafs plan on dealing with the loss of their superstar center, and notes that the team will not change their approach to the trade deadline.
Trade Candidates: Mark Letestu
With the trade deadline just days away, we continue to profile several players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.
Mark Letestu has not had a good season. In fact, in many ways this is the worst season of his NHL career. However, when Trade Deadline season rolls around each year, experienced, versatile depth forwards on expiring contracts are consistently the most common type of player dealt. Letestu fits the bill, hence the rampant speculation that he will be traded. Like Letestu, the Edmonton Oilers have not had the 2017-18 campaign they expected and have no reason to keep Letestu and, based on his play this season, are likely eager to trade him to the highest bidder. This is not a question of if Letestu will be dealt, but when and to whom.
Contract
Letestu is in the final season of a three-year, $5.4MM contract signed with the Oilers in 2015. The deal holds a $1.8MM cap hit and no trade protections.
2017-18
The 32-year-old Letestu is coming off a career-high 35 points in 2016-17. While he may not be an offensive juggernaut, Letestu has been the definition of reliable in his nine-year NHL career. He can play on the power play and penalty kill, excels at the face-off dot, and is hardly ever found taking a bad penalty. In 2017-18, he has continued to dominate the dot and play clean hockey; that’s about all he’s done right. Letestu has seen his offense disappear this season and, with it, his play time. He is currently on pace for 25 points this season, 10 fewer than last year and tied for the second-least of his career. Even worse, most of that production came earlier in the season. Letestu recorded 16 of his 18 points prior to the new year and is currently on a 24-game goal-less streak, with just two assists to show for the last two months. To qualify that lack of impact on the score sheet, consider that Letestu is still averaging more than two minutes per night on the power play as well. Between his significant power play and penalty kill time – despite no offense and a team-worst plus/minus – Letestu is left with under nine minutes a night of five-on-five time this season.
Season Stats
58 GP, 8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points, -16 rating, 10 PIM, 91 shots, 12:57 ATOI, 50.7 CF%
Potential Suitors
Despite a miserable season, there continues to be immense interest in Letestu. That is not to say that the Oilers will receive an immense return when they trade him, but there will be some competition driving up the price for a player that otherwise would be worth very little. Some teams may consider Letestu’s personal struggles a function of Edmonton’s poor season and hope for a bounce back to his 2016-17 level of play with a change of scenery. Others may just see him as a specialist and continue to use him as Edmonton does – power plays, penalty kills, face-offs, and little else.
Among the teams rumored to be interested in Letestu are the Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He would fit well as an energy line or 13th forward on any of those teams. Other squads who could use another body up front include the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, and Boston Bruins, while several others are sure to do their due diligence on his availability as well. However, as The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline alluded to, the perfect fit for Letestu is likely back with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Letestu spent parts of four seasons in Columbus before signing with Edmonton, including arguably his best season in 2013-14. Not only that, but Portzline points out that Letestu and his family still call Ohio home. While too much stock is often put into familiarity when it comes to transactions and Letestu likely won’t have a say in his destination, the landing spot makes sense for other reasons as well. The Jackets are still fighting hard for a playoff spot and may not be willing to pay for a premium player with their playoff future still uncertain. Letestu will likely be more affordable and, as an added bonus, can jump right into the lineup, rejoining some past teammates and lending his experience to the many younger, newer Jackets forwards. More specifically, Columbus has also struggled greatly with special teams this season, sporting the league’s worst power play and a bottom-five penalty kill. They may have a better chance than anyone at giving Letestu an environment where he can rediscover his even strength game and scoring touch, but even if he doesn’t, he can at least help to rejuvenate the special teams.
Likelihood of a Trade
The likelihood of Letestu being traded is as close to 100% as any player on the block. The Oilers have absolutely no reason to keep him and there is high interest in his services. At some point over the next few days, Letestu will have a new home for the remaining months of the 2017-18 season.
Latest On Ryan McDonagh’s Trade Market
As the rumors start to bubble up around New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs—one of the teams with perceived interest—are not on his 10-team no-trade list. That would mean the Rangers could trade McDonagh to the Maple Leafs without asking him, though no deal seems imminent.
The Boston Bruins are also listed as “in the mix” though LeBrun reports that the asking price will need to drop before they do anything. That asking price is likely tremendous given McDonagh’s status as a top-pairing defenseman with another year on his reasonable contract. The Rangers are interested in bringing back young players during their sell off, and McDonagh is their greatest trade chip.
The Maple Leafs have been looking for another top-4 defenseman for quite some time, and though Travis Dermott‘s emergence as a legitimate NHL option has helped, the team still could use an upgrade on the back end. McDonagh would immediately upgrade their group, though his addition would give them another left-handed option to go along with Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner, Ron Hainsey and Dermott. Playing defensemen on their off-side has never been a favorite of head coach Mike Babcock, and he’s already had to use Hainsey on the right all season.
For Boston, remaining in the mix for McDonagh is a bit surprising after they already traded for his former teammate in Nick Holden. Obviously McDonagh is a different asset than Holden, but his acquisition would simply give them too many defensemen. If the Bruins did go after him, they’d likely be sending back a blue liner of some sort.
Maple Leafs Interested In Mike Green
While Tampa Bay is believed to be the front-runner for Red Wings defenseman Mike Green, they aren’t the only team in the Atlantic interested in his services. MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that the Maple Leafs have also shown an interest in bringing in the pending unrestricted free agent. Toronto’s interest in adding some help on the back end is well-known but Green isn’t the typical defensive-minded blueliner that many have expected the Leafs to covet. As a result of their recent trades, Toronto has quietly freed up enough cap space to absorb Green’s full $6MM contract without needing Detroit to retain which could give them a leg up on more cap-strapped squads.
San Jose Sharks Acquire Eric Fehr From Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded veteran center Eric Fehr to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick. Fehr had been playing for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, loaned away earlier this year after being buried in the minor leagues.
Fehr, 32, had found something of a career resurgence in San Diego, scoring 28 points in 34 games. His $2MM cap hit was prohibitive to him playing in Toronto, despite the Maple Leafs looking for another fourth-line center option. Now heading to San Jose, Fehr will provide some veteran depth for a club looking to get back to the playoffs. Fehr won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins two years ago, and has played in 60 playoff contests throughout his career.
For the Maple Leafs, this sheds another contract and gives them more financial flexibility at the deadline. Since the team was in long-term injured reserve salary exemption, moving Fehr’s deal actually opens up quite a bit more room for them at the deadline. CapFriendly reports that Toronto can now add up almost $6.5MM in cap hit, making them potential players in nearly everyone on the market. That contract spot is also important for the club, as they had been at 49 of a possible 50 since trading Nikita Soshnikov.
Fehr had cleared waivers twice in the last 12 months, but his contract stopped any team from taking a chance on him. Now just a few months away from free agency, the Sharks can afford to add him to their books and will still have the flexibility of keeping him in the minor leagues should they want to. A seventh-round pick—while relatively little for the Sharks—is a nice return for the Maple Leafs, who obviously had no plans for the veteran forward.
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Leafs Pursuing Defensive Depth
While the Maple Leafs have been linked to Red Wings center Luke Glendening, the team is also pursuing defensive depth in advance of the trade deadline, reports Postmedia’s Lance Hornby. Pittsburgh’s Ian Cole has been speculated as a fit for Toronto previously but it’s looking less likely that he will be moved now and while Matt Hunwick – who is believed to now be available – is familiar with their system, the remaining term on his contract may be a concern. The Leafs have room to fit someone in under the cap through LTIR this season but with their notable expiring contracts and core youngsters needing new deals fairly soon, a rental player may be the best way for them to go.
Detroit’s Holland “At Top Of List” To Run Seattle Franchise
With the likelihood that Seattle will end up with their own expansion franchise in the coming years, the importance of hiring a top general manager will be surfacing quicker than ever. The Vegas Golden Knights have proved that running an expansion franchise might just be one of the top job in the NHL as George McPhee has showed. Now that Seattle has officially filed an expansion application recently, the team might be looking for their own GM, if/when it gets approved.
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland might be “at the top of the list,” of candidates to fill that role in Seattle in the near future.
“Let’s make no mistake about it, Kenny Holland is out there,” Kypreos said during the Headlines segment Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. “His contract is going to expire at the end of the year. No talks at all scheduled. It appears it might go all the way to the end of the season before it gets addressed. You’ve got to put him at the top of the list.”
Some might consider that surprising. While Holland has put together an impressive resume with the Detroit Red Wings, who have won four Stanley Cups under his tenure, he has struggled to stabilize the franchise over the last few years, refusing to rebuild the franchise and signing multiple players to over-inflated deals with no-movement clauses which has set back the franchise.
Others mentioned as potential early candidates include John Ferguson, Jr., the executive director of player personnel of the Boston Bruins and former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin. The Athletic’s Craig Custance adds Vegas Golden Knights’ assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon to the list of potential candidates as well.
Leafs Expect Jake Gardiner To Play Saturday
- The Maple Leafs expect to have defenseman Jake Gardiner in their lineup tonight against Pittsburgh, notes Postmedia’s Terry Koshan. He left Wednesday’s game versus Columbus due to lower-body spasms and did not participate in practice on Friday.
Luke Glendening Drawing Trade Interest
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the expected sellers at this year’s trade deadline, with Mike Green leading the way in terms of players they could move. Another name, Luke Glendening, may be getting some interest as Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars have asked about the forward.
Glendening, 28, would represent the depth center that we listed recently as a potential need for the Maple Leafs and Stars, and could give both teams another penalty kill option. Signed to a four-year contract extension in 2016, he has three years left on the deal that carries a cap hit of $1.8MM per season. That number is more than reasonable for a fourth-line option, even if Glendening doesn’t offer much in terms of offense.
In 337 career games—many of which came under Toronto coach Mike Babcock when he was still with Detroit—Glendening has just 74 points. It’s his impact in the faceoff circle that is more impressive, as he’s won 53.1% of his draws throughout his career, including 57.8% this season.
Toronto has had a revolving door of sorts at the fourth-line center position for the last few years, with Dominic Moore staking the latest claim. Though Moore has done relatively well in that role lately, he’s an unrestricted free agent in the summer and will turn 38 in the summer. Frederik Gauthier, the heir apparent to the role, has struggled at times in his short NHL stints, and could be falling out of favor with the organization.
Dallas has had similar problems with their center depth this season, uncertain of the consistency Jason Spezza can provide and dealing with injuries to Martin Hanzal. Though Radek Faksa has emerged as a quality checking center, the team could still use an addition to strengthen their group for a potential playoff run. Glendening doesn’t come with a ton of playoff experience, but could likely fit into Ken Hitchcock’s system with ease.
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Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Nikita Soshnikov To St. Louis Blues
As we wrote yesterday, the Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves with an excess of wingers heading toward the trade deadline and today have moved on from one of them. The team has traded Nikita Soshnikov to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick. Soshnikov is technically still on injured reserve, though he has completed a conditioning stint in the minor leagues and from all accounts is ready to return to NHL action.
The Maple Leafs had been at the 50-contract limit for some time, and needed to make a trade to open up room for some flexibility into the deadline. Moving Soshnikov not only gives them that flexibility, but also an asset in exchange for a player who would have a hard time cracking the lineup. The 24-year old winger has dealt with injury for much of the last calendar year, including a concussion suffered when he collided with Zdeno Chara at the end of last season. That has clouded his future, but there remains upside for the Blues.
In Soshnikov, they’re acquiring a hard working winger capable of engaging physically and playing a few different roles on the team. Though he’s not guaranteed to score at the NHL level, he has shown that ability in the minor leagues and possesses a good shot with a quick release.
Unfortunately, two things made a departure seemingly inevitable in Toronto. First, Soshnikov lost his waiver-exempt status earlier this season and would have likely been snatched up had they tried to pass him through. Second, his contract includes a European Assignment clause, meaning he could choose to go back to Russia if sent to the minor leagues. Though Soshnikov has not made any indication he would exercise the clause, it likely played into the Maple Leafs decision.
The Blues will have to decide in the next few days whether Soshnikov is fit to return from injured reserve, and where he fits into their plan for the last part of the season. As a pending restricted free agent, his camp will surely be pushing for an opportunity to show that he can contribute in a meaningful way down the stretch.
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