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Waivers: 09/29/22

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Waivers will officially open today, meaning teams around the league can start cutting eligible players with the purpose of sending them to minor league clubs. While the full list will come out at 2 pm ET, some have already started announcing their initial placements. You can see all of the day’s cuts here, but we’ll also keep track of just the waiver portion in this post.

Arizona Coyotes

F Michael Carcone
F Jean-Sebastien Dea

Colorado Avalanche

F Charles Hudon
F Spencer Smallman
D Andreas Englund
D Brad Hunt
D Joshua Jacobs
G Jonas Johansson

Los Angeles Kings

F Austin Wagner

New York Islanders

F Richard Panik
G Kenneth Appleby

New York Rangers

F C.J. Smith
F Turner Elson

This page will be updated throughout the day

Conor Geekie Returned To WHL

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As we now get closer and closer to the start of the regular season, some of the top selections of the 2021 and 2022 drafts will be sent back to their junior teams to continue developing. Making the NHL is a difficult task, and with CHL players under the age of 20, the AHL is not an option due to age restrictions. Today, the Arizona Coyotes have sent Conor Geekie back to the WHL’s Winnipeg ICE, where he will remain for the rest of the season. The team has also sent undrafted netminder Anson Thornton to the Barrie Colts.

Geekie, 18, was the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft, after his outstanding 2021-22 season that saw him score 70 points in 63 games with Winnipeg. He and Matthew Savoie, the ninth overall pick (Buffalo), drive one of the most exciting offensive teams in junior hockey, and should make the ICE a contender once again this year.

Standing 6’3″ but with a game focused more on skill than size, Geekie projects to be a long-time asset down the middle for the Coyotes. At this point in the rebuild, there is no benefit from rushing a player like him, meaning a trip back to junior was always in the cards. Still, it will be interesting to see what kind of forward momentum he can build this year after already dominating most nights as a 17-year-old.

Notably, since he only turned 18 in May, Geekie will not be eligible for the AHL in 2023-24 either, as he will still be under the 20-year-old cutoff. That means the ICE could potentially get him for two more years, should he fail to make the Coyotes again next fall. For now, he’ll likely be a candidate for the Canadian Word Junior team in December, and a top performer all year in the WHL.

Maveric Lamoureux Sent Back To QMJHL

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We’re just one day away from the official start of the NHL’s preseason calendar, with a unique slate of games scheduled for tomorrow. In addition to the Boston Bruins paying a visit to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Arizona Coyotes and St. Louis Blues will face-off against one another from Wichita, Kansas in a neutral-site contest. Perhaps most interesting are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, who seem to have pulled a page right out of the baseball playbook with the team’s playing a split-squad, day-night doubleheader including a 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm puck drop in Toronto. With all that action, there are several notes from around the league worth mentioning, primarily related to the opening of camp and the beginning of games, which we will keep track of here:

  • It appears the Arizona Coyotes have sent 2022 first-round pick Maveric Lamoureux back to juniors ahead of training camp (link). Given the defenseman’s age and raw skillset, as well as Arizona’s position in their rebuild, it wasn’t likely Lamoureux was going to make a major impact in camp and the team likely felt he was best served by heading back to the Drummondville Voltigeurs now rather than later.
  • Also sent back to juniors was Boston Bruins prospect Brett Harrison (link). A third-round pick in 2021, Harrison may have had the opportunity to raise eyes in training camp with Boston, however the forward projects to be a standout with the Oshawa Generals this season after tallying 61 points in 65 games last season. Oshawa kicks off its 2022-23 regular season in Barrie this Thursday.
  • A number of players have been officially activated off of injured-reserve today. Though many of these are not a surprise, some did come with question marks and in the wake of the recent injury updates around the league, particularly Sean Couturier of the Flyers, not everything can always be taken as a given. The Pittsburgh Penguins activated recently-signed forward Drake Caggiula (link). Moving out west, the Vancouver Canucks have activated forward Nils Hoglander and defenseman Tucker Poolman off of IR (link). In the desert, the Vegas Golden Knights activated forwards Brett Howden and Reilly Smith (link).

Andrew Ladd Fails Physical; Headed For IR

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It appears as though Andrew Ladd’s career may be coming to an end, as Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that the veteran forward has failed his physical due to lingering knee issues. He will be placed on injured reserve, which has a much greater impact than just taking him out of the lineup.

When the Arizona Coyotes agreed to take on Ladd’s contract from the New York Islanders in the summer of 2021, the trade included some very interesting conditions. Basically, if this exact scenario happened – Ladd still under contract for 2022-23, but not able to play – the Islanders would owe the Coyotes a 2023 third-round selection. If the veteran forward retired prior to this season or played even a single game, the pick wouldn’t be transferred.

The trade already brought two second-round picks to Arizona, one of which was used on overaged defenseman J.J. Moser, who stepped almost directly into the Coyotes lineup after being picked 60th overall in 2021. Moser had 15 points in 43 games while averaging nearly 19 minutes a night and figures to be a key building block for Arizona moving forward. Ladd himself even provided some valuable minutes, scoring seven goals and 12 points in 51 games last season after an impressive comeback.

Adding another third-round pick to the deal, while giving up nothing but money, certainly seems like a pretty nice haul for the Coyotes, who have collected draft picks better than any team in the league. Over the next three years, Arizona now holds 19 picks in the first three rounds alone. That’s after they picked three times in this year’s first round, twice in the second, and twice in the third.

If it is the end for Ladd, it comes after making it to an impressive milestone at the end of last season. The 36-year-old has played in 1,001 regular season games, scoring 256 goals and 550 points. He raised the Stanley Cup in both 2006 and 2010, first with the Carolina Hurricanes and then with the Chicago Blackhawks.

More On Jakob Chychrun Trade Speculation

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One of the ongoing talking points this summer when it comes to the Arizona Coyotes has been the future of Jakob Chychrun. A trade has been expected for some time now, yet with training camp opening this week, the defenseman is still a part of the organization that drafted him 16th overall in 2016. Recently, general manager Bill Armstrong discussed the situation and called Chychrun a “pro’s pro” in regard to how he has handled all of the speculation.

Today, Chychrun spoke directly with the media, including PHNX Sports, about what has happened so far. The team approached him at the beginning of last season about whether he wanted a trade to a more competitive situation, and Chychrun (after discussing it with his family) decided to take them up on the offer.

I don’t want these years to keep going by, and be ten, twelve years in the league not having a real good chance or shot at, not only at the playoffs, but winning the Stanley Cup…

…I think the team understands that mutual position right now for me to get moved on to a situation with a chance to win, a team that is fighting for the Stanley Cup. And for them here to get assets. I understand how rebuilds work, and I think it could be mutually beneficial. 

The candid nature of Chychrun today was surprising, yet it wasn’t much of a shock to hear that he is looking for a more competitive atmosphere. The Coyotes have leaned heavily into a rebuild, trading away nearly all of their successful players from recent years, and now look set to ice a roster mostly made up of NHL cast-offs or reclamation projects. The likes of Andrew Ladd, Zack Kassian, Nick Ritchie, Nick Bjugstad, Patrik Nemeth, and Shayne Gostisbehere are all expected to be regulars, not exactly the Stanley Cup contender that Chychrun mentions.

That said, it’s hard to know exactly when a deal will be reached. This situation is similar to one that played out in Colorado a few years ago, when Matt Duchene had made it clear that he didn’t want to go through another season with the Avalanche like the 22-win 2016-17 campaign. There were rumors all summer about where he would go but when training camp arrived, he showed up and went about his work. Duchene played 14 games for the Avalanche before a deal was worked out with the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators, one that ended up bringing back Samuel Girard and several other pieces (including one that became Bowen Byram).

That’s the mutually beneficial part, as a trade of Chychrun is likely to collect several important assets for the Coyotes, ones that can help them more down the road than he will be able to–despite still being just 24. With three years (including this one) on his deal, the team should be able to demand quite a haul of futures.

One complicating factor may be Chychrun’s health, which, according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports, is still a question mark. The defenseman had bone spurs removed from his ankle in the summer in addition to wrist surgery, and there is not yet a timeline for getting back on the ice.

Coyotes Re-Sign Barrett Hayton

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With training camps almost underway, the Coyotes have finally taken care of their last restricted free agent, announcing the signing of center Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract.  While the team didn’t release the financial details, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports (Twitter link) that the deal will carry an AAV of $1.775MM while CapFriendly provides (Twitter link) the breakdown:

2022-23: $1.42MM
2023-24: $2.13MM

The 22-year-old was the fifth-overall selection by Arizona back in 2018 and while he has shown some improvement since then, it’s safe to say that he hasn’t yet lived up to that draft billing.  Last season, Hayton spent most of the season with the Coyotes, recording 10 goals and 14 assists in 60 games while averaging over 16 minutes per game; all of those numbers were career-highs.  He also got into four games with AHL Tucson where he only managed a single assist.

Injuries have limited Hayton as well in the early going as he only has 94 career NHL appearances under his belt over his three professional seasons, notching 13 goals and 18 assists.  His numbers haven’t been much better in the minors either as he has managed just seven goals and nine assists in 35 AHL contests.  But he’s still young enough to believe that his best days are still ahead of him.

This bridge contract allows both sides a little more time to assess Hayton’s long-term future.  His days of waiver exemption are now over so he’ll be up with Arizona for the entire season for the first time and he’ll likely have a spot in their top six again in 2022-23.  If he can take some strides offensively over the next couple of years, he’ll put himself in line for a nice raise in 2024 and cement himself as part of their long-term plans.  He’ll be owed a qualifying offer of $2.13MM in 2024 to retain his rights as a restricted free agent, this time with arbitration eligibility.

Arizona Coyotes Reportedly Had Interest In Charlie Lindgren

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The Edmonton Oilers have had a busy offseason, signing Jack Campbell, Evander Kane, and Brett Kulak in an attempt to shore up their roster after a promising run to the Western Conference Final. One of the natural consequences of that spending has been that the team will rely on placing Oscar Klefbom and Mike Smith on long-term injured reserve in order to remain cap compliant. Today, Thomas Drance of The Athletic released an interview he conducted with Oilers GM Ken Holland, and in it, Holland spoke on the team’s cap situation as well as the state of their blueline. (subscription link)

When asked about the LTIR situation and how it relates to training camp battles, Holland said that top prospect Dylan Holloway is “probably going to have to be on the opening night roster” in order to maximize the benefit the team receives from those LTIR placements. He didn’t commit to keeping Holloway beyond that point, though, and did state that he’d rather Holloway play “20 minutes a night” in the AHL rather than play in a limited role in the NHL.

Now, for some other notes from across the Western Conference:

  • One other topic Holland touched on in his interview was the team’s defense. While Holland did state that he didn’t think the team would be able to carry 23 players on its roster, he did touch on the upcoming battle for spots on the Oilers’ blueline. Holland said that he wanted “one of” the group of Vincent Desharnais, Dmitri Samorukov, Markus Niemelainen, Philip Broberg, and Mike Kesselring “to make the team.” Of note here is that all but Samorukov on that list are waivers-exempt per CapFriendly, so that factor alone may give Samorukov the leg up in the battle for a spot on that defense.
  • While Karel Vejmelka impressed at times last season, describing the Arizona Coyotes’ goaltending situation as anything but wide-open would be a mistake. The team didn’t make major additions in their crease this summer, adding Jon Gilles on a minimum deal and Christopher Gibson on a PTO, but that wasn’t for a lack of trying. Craig Morgan of PHNX.com cites sources to report that the Coyotes “targeted” goalie Charlie Lindgren on the open market before he ended up signing with the Washington Capitals. Lindgren earned a three-year $1.1MM deal, a contract that surprised some in both its cost and length due to the fact that Lindgren was an AHL goalie last year, albeit a brilliant one. That contract should be less of a surprise now though as its clear there was competition to secure Lindgren’s services.

Latest On The Arizona Coyotes

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Much has been made about the Arizona Coyotes situation off the ice, namely with their current and future arena plans. As NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly made clear in his recent availability, the NHL is rather optimistic about the future of the franchise. On the ice, things have been relatively quiet for Arizona, who are in the midst of a significant rebuild. This summer, some players went out and some came in, but the blockbuster Jakob Chychrun trade that seemed almost a given didn’t play out and outside of a few blue chip prospects coming in at the draft, the team didn’t exactly take any massive steps forward in their build.

Recently, PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan had a chance to sit down with Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong to discuss not just the big picture on the organization, but also some of the smaller news and notes as the team heads into training camp. The first bit of news came about Chychrun, who Armstrong expects to be present at the start of training camp. With all the rumors about a potential trade of the star defenseman enveloping player, team, and the entire league for that matter, it’s easy to understand why there might be a riff, however Armstrong made clear Chychrun is a “pro’s pro.” The other bit of concern would be the season-ending injury he suffered March 12th of last season against the Boston Bruins. But as Armstrong adds, the team has been in regular contact with Chychrun, keeping updated on his rehab. What happens with Chychrun, whether he remains with the Coyotes or not, and for how long, remains a mystery, but regardless, the 24-year-old carries another three years at $4.6MM on his current deal, one which includes a modified no-trade-clause in the final two.

Morgan and Armstrong also discussed young forward Barrett Hayton, who is one of the last remaining RFAs throughout the NHL. Armstrong said the negotiations continue with Hayton, but described them currently as a “staring contest.” Still, the GM praised his player and said he understands how the situation might be difficult for him, but making known that this is still business and the focus is on working with his representatives to get a deal done.

As for veteran winger Andrew Ladd, he still has not yet made a decision about his future, which includes the 2022-23 season. Ladd himself told Morgan that he’s still thinking on it, wanting to avoid any sort of emotional decision. That decision, though, could come as soon as next week, when Ladd will go through routine training camp physicals. The oft-injured veteran, who played through injuries last season too, could have his future decided for him then. Currently, Ladd carries a $5.5MM cap hit, however only $4MM is salary, $3MM of which has already been paid via signing bonus. Should Ladd retire prior to the start of this season, or should he play any games, Arizona would lose a conditional third-round pick sent by the New York Islanders as part of the trade that brought Ladd from Long Island to the desert.

Lastly, Armstrong said the team could be interested in adding another goaltender to the mix, though that wasn’t certain. The GM said they were still active in the market, but was open-ended about opportunities within, saying this training camp, like last year’s, comes with “a ton of opportunity.” Right now in net, Arizona has Karel Vejmelka, Jon Gillies, Ivan Prosvetov, David Tendeck, and Anson Thornton under contract, along with Christopher Gibson in camp on a PTO.

Clayton Keller Should Be Ready To Start The Season

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While Coyotes forward Clayton Keller won’t be ready to play at the start of the preseason, he told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that he expects to be ready for Arizona’s season opener on October 13th.  The 24-year-old was well on his way to a career year last season with 63 points in 65 games but at the end of March, he fractured his leg which ended his campaign prematurely.  The original timetable for a return after surgery was four-to-six months and it appears this recovery will be on the long end with Keller likely to have a reduced workload in their exhibition games if he’s able to get into the lineup at all.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Kings center Alex Turcotte is on the roster for their rookie tournament but AHL Ontario head coach Marco Sturm told reporters, including Andrew Knoll of the Los Angeles Daily News, that Turcotte has not been cleared to participate yet. The 21-year-old sustained two concussions last season, the second of which came in the playoffs.  Evidently, the symptoms from that one are still lingering which could have his ability for the start of training camp next week in question.
  • Jets forward Cole Perfetti has been cleared to participate in Winnipeg’s rookie tournament contests after dealing with multiple injuries last season, relays Postmedia’s Scott Billeck.  The 20-year-old got into 18 games with Winnipeg in his rookie year and acquitted himself well with seven points while averaging over 14 minutes per game.  Perfetti suffered a shoulder injury back in February and while rehabbing it, he re-aggravated a back injury that needed several months to heal.  He’ll use this event as a tune-up for training camp.

Bill Daly Optimistic About Coyotes Short, Long-Term Arena Situation

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As many of the league’s bright young stars convened today at the Lifeguard Arena in Henderson, Nevada for the North American Player Media Tour, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly had a chance to meet with the media to discuss a wide range of topics relevant to the league. Daly touched on a recent wave of women being hired and promoted into upper-level management roles with NHL teams, the promising overall start to the Seattle Kraken franchise, the youth movement of NHL teams, the Arizona Coyotes arena situation, and the league’s revenue.

There’s been much speculation around the league’s revenue projections and what it could mean for a significant raise to the salary cap ceiling moving forward. Given the agreement between players and team owners to split revenue 50/50, revenue being naturally down due to the impact of COVID-19, and the players need to pay the difference back in escrow, the salary cap has had to remain relatively flat the past few seasons. The expectation has been that the cap will rise by $1MM next offseason before seeing a meaningful increase ahead of the 2024-25 season, with some speculation that it could happen even sooner. Much of that was confirmed by Daly, who reported a league-record in revenue for this past season, the first time its surpassed $5BN. With the unprecedented revenue last season, one which was still impacted by COVID-19, Daly said that if they see the same kind of excess revenue this season, the timeline for a significant cap increase could come sooner than expected. Ultimately, Daly still believes that based on their current projections for 2022-23, that increase may have to wait another year.

  • Also from Daly’s availability, the Deputy Commissioner was optimistic about the state of the Arizona Coyotes and their short and long-term arena plans. Daly cited the Tempe City Council’s approval of their proposed arena plan in the city, which does still need further approval, as a positive. He also referenced the positive impact playing in an arena of that size could have on the players, expecting it to be filled nightly, thus enhancing the atmosphere, as well as the relative success of this strategy with the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers and their brief stint in an MLS stadium while their current stadium was being built. Finally, when asked about the duration the team might have to spend playing at Arizona State University, Daly said the worst case scenario appears to be three years, while the best case would be two. No matter which way you frame it, this situation is surely difficult and awkward for the team and the league, however seeing the silver linings laid out does give the team some hope as it rebuilds not only on the ice, but off of it too. Final approval on a new arena plan and setting it into motion would be the best possible outcome for the organization, and when it happens, it could certainly have major, immediate impacts on the team and fanbase.
  • As prospect games got underway today, including one contest between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens featuring prospect Filip Mesar, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu provided an update on Montreal’s plans for Mesar for the upcoming season. Basu reports the team isn’t sure if they would like Mesar to play with the Laval Rocket, their AHL affiliate, or with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, who hold Mesar’s rights. However, it appears clear Mesar will not be returning Europe for the upcoming season. The 26th overall selection from this year’s NHL draft, Mesar played the last two years for Poprad in his native Slovakia, recording 30 points in 73 games over the two campaigns. The decision not to keep Mesar in Europe makes sense, given the need to help him adjust to North American ice and its style of hockey. Deciding between the AHL and OHL could be tough, as the OHL won’t give Mesar opportunities to play against older and more experienced competition, but will give him experience as a top of the lineup player, like Montreal hopes he will be. The AHL will give Mesar a taste of what playing in the NHL will be like in some respects, but may be a bit too advanced for him to see the top of the lineup and thrive like he might in Kitchener.

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