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Snapshots: Blues, Schenn, Bally Sports

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The St. Louis Blues had a resounding win last night over the Florida Panthers, but it came at a cost. Both forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Torey Krug left the game with injuries, and they could be without both tomorrow against the New Jersey Devils, says head coach Craig Berube.

Berube confirmed Saad, who’s dealing with an upper-body injury, will miss the game. Krug is questionable with a lower-body injury. Both players have already missed chunks of the season with injuries, contributing to the Blues’ mediocre record. Saad’s injury opens the door for veteran Josh Leivo, who has four goals and 13 points in 38 games, to step into a top-six role for the time being. Neither Saad nor Krug have a timeline for their injuries, although Krug’s is obviously a short-term absence.

  • Despite other hot-commodity defensemen being scratched for asset protection, Vancouver Canucks defender Luke Schenn doesn’t expect the same treatment. Schenn told reporters that he “expects to be playing every night” ahead of the March 3 trade deadline, despite multiple teams having reported interest in the stay-at-home defenseman. The 33-year-old has 18 points and a +5 rating in 53 games this season.
  • The NHL Board of Governors had an emergency meeting today to discuss the financial struggles of Bally Sports Network’s parent group, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Diamond Sports, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, operates the Bally Sports umbrella of regional sports networks that broadcasts the home games of many U.S.-based teams. Today, they skipped a debt payment of $140MM as the organization nears bankruptcy. A potential sudden, unexpected lack of TV revenue is certainly a bit of financial concern for the league.

Thatcher Demko Denies Trade Request Reports

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  • Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko told reporters including CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal today that rumors of a trade request are unfounded. Dhaliwal added that Demko’s agent, Jordan Neumann, had reiterated to him that Demko didn’t want out of the Canucks organization. After a two-and-a-half month absence due to injury, Demko is close to returning to the Canucks lineup in the near future.

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Spencer Martin Clear Waivers

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Feb 14: Both players have cleared and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Feb 13: According to Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness, who spoke with reporters including Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby has been placed on waivers today. The club needed room for the return of Dylan DeMelo and is “selfishly” hoping that Jonsson-Fjallby clears and can stay with the organization.

He isn’t alone. Spencer Martin has also been placed on waivers by the Vancouver Canucks, suggesting that Thatcher Demko will soon return from injury.

It’s a significant fall for Martin, who signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Canucks in April to serve as the team’s primary backup. At the time, it seemed rather undeserved given he had only played in nine NHL games, but the Canucks were confident in his ability to play at the highest level after posting a .950 save percentage in his short time with them.

Unfortunately, he’s come nowhere near that number this season, with an .871 through 29 appearances. The goaltending in Vancouver has been rather dreadful, even if their defensive performance has hung netminders out to dry far too often.

The move essentially signals that Collin Delia has passed him on the depth chart, and will remain as the backup for Demko moving forward.

For Jonsson-Fjallby, this could potentially lead to another fresh start somewhere else. Not only do the Washington Capitals have the option of re-claiming him and sending him directly to the minor leagues if they are the only team interested, but his play could draw the gaze of some other teams looking for depth forwards. Through 45 games with Winnipeg, the 25-year-old has four goals and 11 points, routinely showing off his speed to get in on the forecheck.

He won’t be a top-six impact player, but could be of interest for clubs looking to add penalty killing and energy to a fourth line.

Valtteri Pulli Drawing NHL Interest

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Most of the news right now revolves around the NHL trade deadline, as media members try to find out where everyone will be playing when the dust settles. But yesterday, Jeff Marek squished in another interesting nugget during the 32 Thoughts podcast for Sportsnet.

Valtteri Pulli, an undrafted Finnish defenseman, is drawing interest from several NHL clubs.

A number of teams that have shown interest but at varying degrees. I’ve heard of a couple different teams that are really hot on him, and a couple that just will kick tires. I’m having a hard time trying to figure out who is really aggressive and who is just curious.

It sounds like the teams with interest (and again to varying degrees) are the San Jose Sharks…the Winnipeg Jets, the Boston Bruins, the Vancouver Canucks, the Nashville Predators, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the New York Islanders. 

Pulli, 21, is a 6’6″ left-shot defenseman who is in his first full season for TPS in the Finnish Liiga, and has three goals and 14 points in 47 games. While those numbers don’t sound too impressive, he has shown flashes of high offensive potential, as he learns to use his massive frame to protect the puck and get it to dangerous areas.

Of course, flashes of potential don’t get you NHL minutes, and Pulli is by no means a finished product. He’ll turn 22 next month, though, meaning teams will have lots of time to try and develop him into an impact player.

Since he turns 22 next month, Pulli will be limited to a two-year entry-level contract when he does sign.

Latest On Brock Boeser

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With Bo Horvat already out the door, Brock Boeser is one of the players remaining the Vancouver Canucks who has featured most prominently in trade rumors. The 25-year-old is a talented offensive player who is up to 35 points in 45 games this season. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin was asked about Boeser in an interview with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, and said regarding any Boeser trade that he “[doesn’t] want to force anything.”

Latest On Luke Schenn

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One of the names that have been floating around in trade speculation for weeks now is Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn. The tough, experienced defender would be a good fit on several clubs, in part due to his extremely reasonable cap hit of $850K.

Today, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that things are “getting close” on Schenn, and notes that the Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins are still in the mix to acquire the veteran. The Tampa Bay Lightning, meanwhile, who have been linked most often to Schenn thanks to their history together, are out, according to Pagnotta.

If the reported price tag of a third-round (or more) is correct, you can see why the Lightning might decide to pull out of the running. The club doesn’t have much ammunition to make trades this year after sending multiple first-round picks away, and probably doesn’t want to use their highest selection this year on a player that would see limited minutes in the postseason.

Of course, things could certainly change. Depending on how long these negotiations go and how many other pieces are moved in the meantime, new contenders might emerge for Schenn’s services. Even if he isn’t going to make a huge impact, getting a two-time Stanley Cup champion for $850K is certainly an intriguing option for many contenders.

Latest On Brock Boeser

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  • While Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser could be one of the more talented wingers on the trade market over the next month or so, he could be in for a bit of a wait until it’s determined whether or not he’s dealt. On 32 Thoughts, Friedman reported that Boeser may be widely seen as a possible backup plan for teams that fail in their pursuit of San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier. As a result, his status in terms of a trade could be stuck in a “holding pattern” until there is more clarity in Meier’s situation.

Maple Leafs Reportedly Interested In Tyler Myers

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  • Pagnotta also reports that the Vancouver Canucks “have been engaged in trade talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs” regarding veteran defenseman Tyler Myers. While it might be quite the challenge to find a way to make the cap hit fit into the Maple Leafs’ current structure, Pagnotta did note that Toronto is not part of Myers’ no-trade protection, eliminating that potential barrier to a deal. While most (including PHR) have concluded that the Maple Leafs’ biggest needs for the deadline lie up front, it seems GM Kyle Dubas could be targeting help for his back end as well.

Studnicka (Illness) Sent Home From Road Trip

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  • The Canucks have sent Jack Studnicka back to Vancouver and the forward won’t play on the rest of their road trip, relays Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre (Twitter link). The 23-year-old is dealing with a non-COVID illness that is slowly improving.  Studnicka was acquired from Boston early this season and has four goals and two assists in 30 games with Vancouver so far.

Boston Bruins Linked To Luke Schenn

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No matter the scale, the Boston Bruins intend to add to a formidable group of defensemen. The Fourth Period reported today that Boston has “explored the price tag” on Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn, and The Nation Network’s Nick Alberga called them a “leading contender” to acquire Schenn if the Canucks decide to trade him, along with the Calgary Flames.

While Schenn may not have the big-name aura of  Jakob Chychrun or even Vladislav Gavrikov, it would be a more pragmatic acquisition for Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. The Bruins are at the tail end of their contention window, and acquiring Schenn would come with a lower acquisition cost. It allows them to fortify an already strong defense while maintaining some core pieces for the team’s future, such as Fabian Lysell.

Schenn’s contract also makes it a more palatable trade for Boston. The team currently has $3.25MM in trade deadline cap space, per CapFriendly, but that’s with Jake DeBrusk and his $4MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve. He’s expected to return before the deadline, so the Bruins’ cap flexibility is much closer to $0. Schenn is a pending unrestricted free agent with an $850,000 cap hit, which Boston could swallow easily with some minor roster transactions, especially if Vancouver retains some salary for the short duration of the contract.

On the ice, though, Schenn doesn’t move the needle much for Boston. His +8 rating is second among Canucks defensemen, only behind Quinn Hughes, but more advanced metrics aren’t as kind to Schenn’s individual defensive impact this season at even strength. Schenn likely slots as an extra skater for Boston unless he can wrangle a lineup spot away from Connor Clifton, who’s played more minutes this season with better impacts defensively.

Acquiring depth is never a bad thing, though. Bringing Schenn into the fold also brings his 800-plus games of NHL experience, and he provides a more experienced option to step into the playoff lineup should injuries occur. The team still has Anton Stralman available under contract, but he’s played just 11 games this season, split between the NHL and AHL.

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