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Pittsburgh Penguins Trade Olli Maatta To Chicago

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Dominik Kahun and a 2019 fifth-round pick, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

With a surplus of defensemen on their roster, the Penguins were going to have to make a move and unload one of their defensemen as the team already had Kris Letang, Justin Schultz, Brian Dumoulin, Erik Gudbranson, Jack Johnson, Chad Ruhwedel and Marcus Pettersson on the NHL roster. Maatta was a prime candidate to be moved after a so-so season in which the 24-year-old went from a seven-goal, 29-point season in 2017-18 to a one-goal, 14-point season this past year. Injuries have also plagued Maatta as he missed six weeks with an upper-body injury late in the season.

It looks like Pittsburgh got good value in return for Maatta, however, as they team picks up Kahun, who had an impressive rookie season for Chicago. The 23-year-old signed a two-year entry-level deal out of Germany and immediately proved his worth by making the Blackhawks’ squad out of training camp and showed off his versatility by being able to play any forward position. He contributed 13 goals and 37 points, but with the number of NHL forwards that Chicago has on its roster, the team had the luxury of trading one away to bolster its defensive core. Kahun should bolster the team’s middle-six, providing offense on whatever line the team needs.

“He is a speedy, versatile player capable of playing all three forward positions,” said Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford. “He also saw time on Chicago’s power-play and penalty killing units. We are very excited for him to join our team.”

While adding Kahun, perhaps the biggest plus to the trade was freeing up some cap space. By moving his three years and $4.08MM contract and acquiring the cheaper Kahun ($925K), the Penguins have added $3.16MM in cap space this season. The Penguins also add a coveted draft pick for this year, even if it’s in the fifth round. Pittsburgh had already traded away its second, third, fourth and sixth-round picks for this draft, so adding a second fifth-rounder helps make up for those lost picks.

For Chicago, with $19MM in projected cap space this offseason, adding Maatta’s contract wasn’t a problem and the team still is expected to have more than $17MM in cap space to make more moves this offseason. The team needed to add some experienced depth to its team and it likely was going to do it via trade. The fact that Maatta is left-handed, however, will have him battling with a group of left-handers for playing time, including Duncan Keith, Erik Gustafsson, Slater Koekkoek and Carl Dahlstrom.

 

New York Islanders Agree To Terms With Jordan Eberle

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The New York Islanders have locked up another one of their pending free agent forwards, this time agreeing to terms with Jordan Eberle on a five-year contract. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports the deal comes with an average annual value of $5.5MM. CapFriendly provides the full breakdown:

  • 2019-20: $5.25MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus + full NTC
  • 2020-21: $4.75MM salary + full NTC
  • 2021-22: $7.0MM salary + 16-team NTC
  • 2022-23: $4.75MM salary + 16-team NTC
  • 2023-24: $ 3.75MM salary + 16-team NTC

Eberle, 29, has played two seasons with the Islanders since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers in the summer of 2017 . He was scheduled to be one of the top options in free agency this season even with his relatively down year, but will now be relied upon as a core piece of the Islanders moving forward. His $5.5MM cap hit is actually a slight drop from the six-year $36MM deal he had been playing under previously, but still puts him right behind Brock Nelson as the second highest-paid forward on the Islanders for the time being.

That kind of commitment comes even after Eberle struggled at times this season. With new head coach Barry Trotz installing a more rigid, defensive structure, Eberle’s offensive production dropped to just 19 goals and 37 points in 78 games. Some were questioning whether he could be the same impact forward he had shown in the past, but an impressive playoff run with nine points in eight games seems to have convinced the team he can. It’s not like he doesn’t have a solid resume, as Eberle had recorded at least 20 goals in each of the previous five seasons and reached a career high of 34 in 2011-12 with Edmonton. Still remembered for his World Junior heroics, the now-veteran forward has a knack for scoring important goals at opportune times.

This contract is interesting however, given the Islanders still have not announced an extension for captain Anders Lee. GM Lou Lamoriello has now handed out new expensive deals for Eberle and Nelson, the two pending free agent forwards who seemed more likely than Lee to hit the open market. The team still has more than enough cap space to make a deal with Lee—and goaltender Robin Lehner—work, but if they want to be aggressive on any of the other names in free agency they’ll have to be careful how much they commit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Washington Capitals Trade Matt Niskanen

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The Washington Capitals have cleared some much needed cap space, trading Matt Niskanen to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Radko Gudas. The Flyers will be retaining 30% of Gudas’ remaining contract, which leaves Washington responsible for just $2.345MM for the 2019-20 season. Niskanen meanwhile has two years left on his deal which carries a $5.75MM cap hit.

This deal has plenty of layers to it, but the most obvious one for the Capitals is how it gives them more operating space this summer. The team is dealing with a very tight cap situation thanks to some big contracts they’ve handed out over the last few seasons, and are carrying a $1.15MM bonus overage as well. With new contracts needed for players like Jakub Vrana and Andre Burakovsky there was always someone that would be a cap casualty. If it had to happen, Niskanen was perhaps the most obvious choice given the acquisition of Nick Jensen last season and his subsequent extension. The Capitals can move Jensen—or Gudas, if they choose—into the top four for a much lower price tag.

While he may come with a reputation as a player who sometimes crosses the line, Gudas has also been relatively underrated throughout his career. The physical right-shot defenseman is an excellent player in his own end and can effectively get the puck out of the zone. His possession numbers have been strong for years, and he has tallied more than 20 points three times in his career despite never seeing consistent powerplay time. While he may not be as experienced or as effective as a healthy Niskanen, he’s certainly not just a throw in for the Capitals.

For the Flyers though, a move like this is to get an experienced reliable veteran to help guide their young blue line over the next two seasons. Niskanen has averaged more than 20 minutes a night for the last seven seasons and has taken on all kinds of different roles throughout his career. Sometimes a powerplay quarterback, sometimes a shutdown defender, the 32-year old will come to Philadelphia with something to prove after a down season. Niskanen recorded just 25 points in 80 games, his lowest total since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. The Flyers will hope that’s not the first sign of a rapid decline, as he’ll likely be asked to play a huge role for them in 2019-20.

AHL Notes: Popugaev, Jevpalovs, Weinger

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As NHL teams prepare their rosters for the pending free agent frenzy, AHL teams are doing the same. The clubs are trying to retain as much talent as possible to set themselves up for a strong 2019-20 campaign without necessarily having to rely on their parent club. With that in mind, here are some minor transactions that have taken place today:

  • The Binghamton Devils signed Nikita Popugaev to a one-year AHL deal, meaning he won’t be heading back to the KHL just yet. Popugaev came over from Russia this season and played 17 games for the Devils, recording five points and finishing a -9. The Russian winger stands 6’6″ and was an interesting prospect coming out of the CHL in 2017 when the Devils decided to use the 98th overall pick on him. His stint in the KHL went poorly from a production standpoint, but he’ll hopefully take the next step in his development for the Devils next season.
  • The Laval Rocket have agreed to terms with Nikita Jevpalovs on a one-year AHL contract. Jevpalovs went undrafted out of the QMJHL despite his 100-point campaign in 2014-15, and first signed an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately he was not issued a qualifying offer after the 2016-17 season and decided to go overseas to the KHL. Following a disappointing season there, Jevpalovs joined the Rocket last season and recorded 25 points in 69 games.
  • The San Jose Barracuda have signed Evan Weinger to a one-year AHL contract, bringing the 22-year old forward back for another season. As a rookie in 2018-19, Weinger posted 22 points in 60 regular season games and was one of the team’s best players in a first round playoff loss. Born in Los Angeles, Weinger will get a chance to keep playing close to home next season.

Esa Lindell Signs Six-Year Extension

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The Dallas Stars have locked up a big part of their defense, signing Esa Lindell to a six-year contract extension worth $34.8MM. The deal carries a $5.8MM average annual value, and keeps Lindell in Dallas through the 2024-25 season. The deal also includes a full no-movement clause in the final four seasons. CapFriendly gives us the full breakdown:

  • 2019-20: $6MM salary, $1MM signing bonus
  • 2020-21: $4.8MM salary
  • 2021-22: $5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $5MM salary, $1MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $5MM salary
  • 2024-25: $5MM salary

GM Jim Nill explained why the team committed to Lindell:

Esa is a consummate professional who has proven himself dependable in every situation and is just an absolute workhorse. When you combine his strength, conditioning, hockey IQ and skill, he has become an integral part of this team. Along with John Klingberg and Miro Heiskanen, the three make up the foundation of a blueline that will not only be a strength for our club, but one that will be as good as any in the NHL for the foreseeable future. 

Lindell, 24, was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer but instead will be giving up several UFA years in his new deal. That is part of the reason why the contract’s cap hit is such a big raise on the $2.2MM Lindell earned this season, but the Stars obviously feel comfortable committing that amount of money to him. They have good reason, as the young defenseman has turned into one of the premiere two-way players in the league and averaged more than 24 minutes a night this season for the Stars.

While Klingberg and Heiskanen are often asked to carry much of the offensive load, Lindell serves as a perfect complement that is able to compete at both ends of the rink. He was leaned on heavily in the defensive zone by head coach Jim Montgomery this season and easily led the club in penalty killing time, averaging more than three minutes a game shorthanded. Even with all that responsibility, Lindell still managed to set career highs in goals (11) and points (32) while suiting up in all 82 contests.

In the playoffs Lindell continued to shine, recording four points in 13 games for the Stars while averaging nearly 27 minutes a night. The 6’3″ defenseman is an elite shot blocker, is willing to engage physically and still can move the puck effectively to his more offensive teammates. That package sums up to an excellent player for the Stars, who have found their way back to Stanley Cup contention.

Lindell’s deal though doesn’t come without some risk. His $5.8MM cap hit puts him 26th in the entire league among defenseman and well ahead of Klingberg, who comes in at $4.25MM through 2021-22. Only Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are signed longer for the Stars, meaning any step backwards by the young defenseman could make his contract into a troubling one for the team. Still, that seems unlikely at this point for a player who has consistently improved since being drafted 74th overall in 2012.

Not only will he provide a legitimate top-4 counterweight to the right-handed Klingberg, Lindell also serves as a more experienced veteran for Heiskanen to look up to and rely on as he takes the next steps of his professional career. The two Finnish defenders will be manning the left side of the Stars’ blue line for years to come, a luxury in today’s NHL.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 05/14/19

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The middle of May doesn’t always bring with it a number of small transactions, but today happens to be a different story. Here are some minor moves from around the league:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Patrick Brown once again, the latest transaction in a playoff-long shuffle between the AHL and NHL. Brown is up under emergency conditions meaning he will have to be sent back down if all of the Hurricanes are healthy enough to play in tonight’s game. He’ll start his own playoff series later this week when the Charlotte Checkers take on the Toronto Marlies in the AHL Eastern Conference Final.
  • The Rockford IceHogs have signed Liam Coughlin and Jack Ramsey to one-year AHL contracts, meaning they will stay with the Chicago Blackhawks organization for at least another year. The pair of draft picks both would have seen their exclusive negotiating rights expire later this summer after four year careers in the NCAA.
  • The Binghamton Devils have done the same, signing Ludvig Larsson to an AHL deal for 2019-20. Larsson played three years at Merrimack College before suiting up this season for Pennsylvania State University. Undrafted, he then spent seven games with the AHL Devils at the end of the year, enough to convince him to return to the organization for another season.
  • 37-year old former NHL defenseman Anton Volchenkov has re-signed with his KHL club for one more year, giving him another chance to continue a long and successful playing career. Originally selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the 2000 entry draft, Volchenkov played nearly 800 games in the NHL before returning to Russia, including 86 playoff contests.

Minor Transactions: 5/6/19

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While it has been quiet on the transaction front in the NHL today, there has been a bit of movement when it comes to prospects.

  • The Hurricanes have assigned prospect Jesper Sellgren to their farm team in Charlotte, the AHL team announced. The defenseman was a sixth-round pick of Carolina last June and fared relatively well in his first full season in the SHL with Lulea.  Sellgren has inked a PTO with the Checkers to cover the remainder of their postseason but he remains under contract in Sweden for one more year.
  • The Maple Leafs have released defenseman Eemeli Rasanen from his PTO with their AHL affiliate, per the AHL’s Transactions page. The 20-year-old split the season between Jokerit of the KHL and Kiekko-Vantaa of the Mestis, Finland’s second division before joining the Marlies in mid-March when his season came to an end.  However, he played in just five regular season games down the stretch and has yet to suit up in the postseason.  Rasanen, a second-rounder back in 2017, is already signed with Jokerit for the 2019-20 season.

Minor Transactions: 05/04/19

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After last night’s defeat, the New York Islanders have been eliminated, swept out of the postseason by the Carolina Hurricanes, and just seven team remain alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Of those seven teams, just two – Carolina and the Columbus Blue Jackets – also have AHL affiliates still playing for a Calder Cup title. There are very few teams fortunate enough to still be recalling and reassigning players, but follow along here for any such roster moves:

  • For the fourth day in a row and fifth time this week, Hurricanes defenseman Jake Bean is on the move. Carolina has recalled the rookie rearguard this morning after sending him to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers yesterday to play in their second-round opener against the Hershey Bears. Bean has been operating as the Hurricanes’ eighth defenseman, but with the news of Trevor van Riemsdyk’s season-ending injury, it’s possible that he could be in for a longer stay in Raleigh this time around. Bean played in only two regular season games with the ’Canes and has not seen any action in the NHL playoffs, but has been Charlotte’s best defenseman this year with 44 points in 70 games.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned rookie forwards Max Comtois and Isac Lundestrom to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, with the prospects having wrapped up their seasons elsewhere. While it was a forgettable season in Anaheim, San Diego is still alive in the Calder Cup chase and have now received a major boost from the addition of these two players. Both Comtois and Lundestrom played with the Ducks and the Gulls early in the regular season before being loaned away following the World Junior Championships in January. Comtois had seven points in ten games in Anaheim and played in four games with San Diego as well before returning to the QMJHL to close out the year. He scored at nearly a two points-per-game clip in the regular season and point-per-game clip in the postseason during an incredible stint with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Lundestrom did not play juniors at all this season, but instead returned to his Swedish Hockey League club Lulea HF, but not before skating in 15 games with the Ducks and another dozen with the Gulls. Last year’s 23rd overall pick led Lulea’s forwards in scoring this postseason at just 19 years old.

Carolina Hurricanes Trade Adam Fox

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After finding out that they weren’t going to be able to sign top prospect Adam Fox, the Carolina Hurricanes have traded his rights to the New York Rangers. In return, the Hurricanes will receive the Rangers’ 2019 second-round pick and a conditional 2020 third. That third-round selection will bump up a round if Fox plays 30 games next season.

The Rangers were always the expected destination for a trade, given the belief that he would leave college early and sign with them. Fox has completed three seasons at Harvard and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but instead is expected to start his professional career in 2019-20.

This was the exact scenario that the Calgary Flames did not want to take part in when they decided to include Fox in last summer’s blockbuster trade with the Hurricanes. It was clear to them that he had no intention on signing in Calgary, but the Hurricanes did believe that they could get him under contract. For whatever reason, that wasn’t to be and the Rangers seemed like the eventual destination. The Hurricanes front office made it clear that they would seek out a trade this summer, and they did well to secure at least some sort of return for the college star.

Fox, originally selected in the third round back in 2016, developed into one of the best defensemen in college hockey and put up 116 points in 97 regular season games for Harvard over his three years. A natural powerplay quarterback, he routinely carried the puck up the ice and gained the zone himself before setting up teammates for high danger chances. While not a physical presence, his defensive ability also improved to the point where many expect him to step right into the NHL next season. Right-handed offensive options are difficult to find, and the Rangers have now secured one with a ton of potential.

For the Hurricanes, this trade will certainly bring back some interesting franchise memories. In September 2006, the Hurricanes traded third-overall pick Jack Johnson to the Los Angeles Kings after he turned down their offers to sign out of college. That was just a few months after Carolina had secured their first Stanley Cup, something the current team is trying to replicate this spring. If they are somehow able to, it would be an odd quirk of history to have failed to sign another top college defenseman in the same year.

Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer was first to report that Fox has been traded, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed it was to the Rangers.

Minor Transactions: 04/25/19

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The second round is coming up and all four wild card entries are still alive. The NHL playoffs is a wild and crazy ride this season but hockey fans everywhere are loving it. As the eight remaining teams prepare for action in the coming days, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • Clark Bishop is back up with the Carolina Hurricanes as the team prepares for their second round matchup with the New York Islanders. Bishop has bounced up and down during the postseason due to the injuries to Andrei Svechnikov and Micheal Ferland, and will once again be considered an insurance policy for the start of round two.
  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Zane McIntyre to serve as a third goaltender while they get set to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. In addition, the team has assigned Kyle Keyser to the minor leagues after his OHL team was eliminated from the junior playoffs.
  • Joe Cannata is on his way to the Colorado Avalanche, recalled today from the minor leagues. Cannata played most of the season at the ECHL level, but can give the team an extra practice goaltender for the time being.
  • Dylan Gambrell, Lukas Radil and Josef Korenar are on their way to San Jose, joining the Sharks after their AHL club was eliminated from the playoffs last night. The San Jose Barracuda lost in four games to the San Diego Gulls, meaning the Sharks will have some extra bodies hanging around for their playoff run.

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