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Poll: Which Team Most Needs To Make A Trade?

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At the quarter mark of the season, the wheels have begun turning for many general managers. Enough time has passed in the 2019-20 season to tell whether a team can contend as currently constructed or not. The standings at the end of November are usually a strong indicator of where teams will end up at the conclusion of the regular season and a number of clubs will not be happy with where they currently sit. The New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, and Edmonton Oilers hold the five best records in the NHL and may be content to wait for the NHL Trade Deadline to make a move, but others are already feeling the pressure to do so as soon as possible.

The two biggest disappointments of the season so far are easily the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames. The Flames were the regular season champs of the Western Conference with 107 points, while the Leafs were a 100-point team themselves. Yet, the struggle for both squads seemingly started in last year’s playoffs with frustrating first-round exits. Toronto again fell victim to the rival Boston Bruins, while Calgary was stunned in five games by the eight-seeded Colorado Avalanche. Both teams entered the new season with something to prove but have only found more disappointment. The Flames and Maple Leafs are shockingly just .500 teams through 20+ games apiece, with each riding a significant losing streak. Neither team has any cap space available, but are in desperate need of a shake-up nonetheless. The Leafs seem to be lacking an edge defensively (and could also use a goalie), while Calgary’s offense is third-worst in the league.

However, is maintaining relevance more important than finally achieving it? Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but after strong starts to the season, the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks appear to be tailing off yet again. Buffalo was electric to begin the year, just as they were in 2018-19, but are just 2-6-2 in their past ten games and would miss the playoffs if they started today. That would make it a league-worst nine years in a row without postseason hockey for the Sabres, who somehow need to find a way to stay consistent over the course of a season, especially in the Atlantic Division. A new addition up front would go a long way for Buffalo. The Canucks are doing a slightly better job, still holding down the third spot in the Pacific Division, but they are far from safe at their current pace. Vancouver’s .571 points percentage is just 16th in the league and the team is trending in the wrong direction, winning just three of their past ten contests. With the aforementioned Flames, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the red-hot San Jose Sharks on their heels, Vancouver cannot afford to let this lapse in play continue. A veteran leader in the locker room who can also make an impact on the ice would be a major addition for the young Canucks.

Which one of these four teams most needs to make a trade to shake things up and get back to their winning ways? Or is there another team under pressure whose needs are even more immediate? Vote below and support your selection in the comments.

Minor Transactions: 11/17/19

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Most of the NHL is at rest today after the huge number of Saturday games, meaning just four teams are in action. The Buffalo Sabres travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks, while the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights get reacquainted in Sin City. As teams prepare for the next week of action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • Noah Gregor has been returned to the AHL after playing in ten games for the San Jose Sharks. The 21-year old center failed to register his first NHL point but at least got his feet wet and saw what would be required of him at the next level.
  • Former NHL goaltender Justin Pogge has found a new home for this season, signing a one-year deal with Sodertalje SK in Sweden’s second league. The 33-year old netminder has spent the last several seasons overseas after a North American career that saw him quickly turn from top prospect to AHL afterthought. In seven career NHL games, Pogge posted an .844 save percentage and 4.36 goals against average.
  • Miikka Salomaki has been assigned to the minor leagues by the Nashville Predators after five games with the team. The 26-year old was recalled on October 19th, meaning he’s close to needing waivers again. Sending him to the AHL now leaves the Predators with some extra roster flexibility.
  • The Boston Bruins have returned three players to their AHL affiliate, according to the AHL transactions page. The website reports that the Bruins have sent forwards Paul Carey and Trent Frederic and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to Providence. Carey played Saturday in their shootout loss to Washington, receiving 6:22 of playing time. Frederic played back-to-back games Friday and Saturday, but was held scoreless, while Vaakanainen played in three games, playing 19:19 on Saturday.
  • The Athletic’s Darren Haynes reports that the Calgary Flames have recalled forward Dillon Dube from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Dube, who has dominated in the AHL, but struggled last year in his first taste of NHL action, was brought in to spark the team, which has been struggling with offense recently. Dube has four goals and 13 points in 13 games with the Heat. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis adds that forward Alan Quine was sent to Stockton in a corresponding move.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have assigned forwards Brandon Pirri and Nicolas Roy to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Pirri cleared waivers and has already been reported to have been sent to Chicago, while Roy has been up and down multiple times this year as a fourth-line option for Vegas. The 22-year-old has fared well in six games, posting a goal and three points.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they have re-assigned center Rhett Gardner to the Texas Stars of the AHL. The 23-year-old had appeared in eight games for Dallas but failed to register a point. He had eight shots on goal over that span. With no game until Tuesday, it could just be a paper transaction to save some cap space.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Joe Hicketts to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. Hicketts has appeared in five games for the Red Wings, which included picking up his first point of the season Saturday in their shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned defenseman Colton White to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. White was recalled Friday by the team but served as an emergency defenseman for Saturday’s game against Montreal.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forward Eetu Luostarinen from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, according to a Checkers’ release. The 21-year-old Luostarinen was recalled 10 days ago, and appeared in three games for the Hurricanes, registering one assist, before being returned to Charlotte. The 2017 second-round pick has looked good in the AHL with five goals and eight points in 12 games.
  • After being sent back to the minors following Saturday’s game, the Canadiens announced that they’ve recalled winger Charles Hudon from AHL Laval.  He played less than eight minutes yesterday in his season debut but with Paul Byron and Jonathan Drouin both injured, Montreal was down to just 11 healthy forwards.
  • The Rangers have decided to give Lias Andersson some more playing time as they’ve assigned him to Hartford of the AHL per a team release.  The seventh pick in 2017 has just one assist in 17 games this season while playing less than ten minutes per night.  Winger Tim Gettinger has been recalled to take his place on the roster.

Vegas Golden Knights Place Brandon Pirri On Waivers

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Sunday: Elliotte Friedman reported that Pirri cleared. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that Pirri will report to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

Saturday: With just one point in 11 games, the Vegas Golden Knight decided to make a change and have placed third line forward Brandon Pirri on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

The move is somewhat surprising as Pirri has proven to be a solid depth-line option despite his struggles scoring so far this year and might be the perfect candidate to be claimed off waivers tomorrow. Pirri is currently on the first of a two-year, $1.55MM deal with a very affordable $775K AAV, which even the tightest of cap teams would be able to make room for. The 28-year-old has just one assist in 11 games for the Golden Knights and that lone point came on Oct. 4.

Pirri signed with the Golden Knights in the organization’s first year, but spent his first season with the Chicago Wolves, potting 29 goals and 52 points back in 2017-18. He continued to post big numbers last season in just 29 games, scoring 18 goals and 42 points before finally getting the call to Vegas where he went on an impressive scoring streak, scoring eight goals in his first 11 games for Vegas. However, he wasn’t able to maintain that pace, scoring just four more over the next 20 goals.

Most expected Pirri to find a better situation elsewhere when he hit free agency in the summer as playing time in Vegas was hard to come by. However, instead, Pirri surprised everyone by signing a team-friendly deal with the Golden Knights instead.

Vegas likely feels it has enough depth in their bottom-six to live without Pirri. The team has Cody Glass, Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch on the third line with winger Valentin Zykov expected to return to the lineup on Nov. 29 after his 20-game suspension is finished. The team also has a number of options in the AHL, including 20-year-old prospect Lucas Elvenes, who is second in the AHL in scoring with five goals and 21 points.

 

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Peyton Krebs To Entry-Level Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights locked up one of their newest prospects Saturday by signing their 2019 first-round pick, Peyton Krebs. The team announced they have signed the 18-year-old to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Krebs was once considered an unreachable prospect for Vegas, selecting at 17, as the young prospect was considered to be a possible top-five pick and a lock to go in the top-10. However, Krebs tore his Achilles during offseason training, just weeks before the draft. While there was talk of that not affecting his draft stock, he did fall with the Golden Knights snatching the young center up quickly when their turn came up.

Krebs has been rehabbing that injury since, spending much of his time in Vegas working with the team training staff. Coincidentally, the Krebs’ signing comes as he has been cleared to return to game action and has been returned to the WHL’s Winnipeg’s Ice, where he was named team captain. He is expected to return to the ice on Sunday.

With Cody Glass now with Vegas as a full-time player, Krebs has slid into his role as Vegas’ top prospect. The center scored 19 goals and 49 assists last year in 64 games as a 17-year-old with a weak Kootenay Ice squad, before the team relocated to Winnipeg. Krebs is considered to be one of the top two-way centers in the WHL and an impressive pass-first center.

College Hockey Round-Up: 11/13/19

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The University of Minnesota is one of the more storied programs in college hockey history and Minnesota-Duluth has appeared in each of the past three NCAA Championship Games, winning the last two. But is this finally the year of Minnesota State? The Mavericks are the No. 1 team in the nation and sport an 8-1-1 record through their first two games. Minnesota State has been impressively stingy, allowing just 1.30 goals per game behind the efforts of Dryden McKay and his .946 save percentage. Forward Marc Michaelis and defenseman Connor Mackey have also impressed early on. However, the concern, as it is every year for Minnesota State, is competition and whether their WCHA schedule can properly prepare them for the national tournament. The team is playing great and could very extend their current .800 winning percentage through the whole regular season, but will they be ready when the competition heats up this spring? Minnesota State has never made it to the National Championship nevertheless taken home the title, but they hope to change that this season.

Recent Results

Oftentimes, a team is only as good as it’s goaltending. That has been the case thus far for two of the most talented rosters in college hockey, as No. 15 Wisconsin and now-unranked Boston University are enduring surprising struggles this season that start in net. After sweeping No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth in October, the Badgers looked ready to make good on the high expectations placed on their young, highly-skilled squad. However, they ran into No. 8 Penn State two weeks ago and dropped both road games by a combined score of 10-3. To make matters worse, they also fell to Nebraska-Omaha this past weekend in a major upset. Starting goaltender Daniel Lebedeff has an .887 save percentage in ten games and his struggles have only been exasperated by a lack of support defensively for a team relying too heavily on freshmen Alex Turcotte (LAK) and Cole Caufield (MTL). But at least they’re not BU. The Terriers currently sit at 2-3-4 after failing to pick up a win in the past two weeks, going 0-2-2 against the University of Maine and No. 10 Providence College. Starter Sam Tucker has not played his best, but it’s backup Vinnie Purpura who has proven to be totally unreliable thus far for a BU team that simply needs more out of everyone – other than maybe red-hot Trevor Zegras (ANA). Things don’t get easier for the Terriers either, as they face No. 5 UMass in a home-and-home this weekend.

At the other end of the spectrum is No. 12 UMass Lowell, who has had a number of games stolen by the stellar play of senior keeper Tyler Wall (NYR). It’s hard to argue that Wall, the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week for three weeks running, is not the best goalie in the NCAA thus far and a possibly Hobey Baker candidate if the River Hawks continue to move up the rankings. The team already has the designation being the only Hockey East team without a conference loss after sweeping the University of Vermont and getting a win and a tie against another impressive goaltender, Jeremy Swayman (BOS) and the Maine Black Bears to stay undefeated in college hockey’s toughest conference. With freshman forward Matt Brown tied for third in the country with 15 points as well, UMass Lowell is looking strong early this season. Remove a puzzling loss and tie against Colgate and this could be a top-five team.

Two weeks back, No. 4 Notre Dame managed to escape a hard-fought weekend series with the University of Minnesota with a win and a tie, but there was some doubt about whether they could stay undefeated as they were set to go up against No. 11 Ohio State. After all, the Buckeyes had just completed a sweep of the rival Wolverines of the University of Michigan and were riding high. Yet, the Fighting Irish remained perfect by edging out back-to-back one-goal wins over Ohio State.

The other two undefeated teams in the nation hail from the ECAC, as No. 3 Cornell and No. 13 Harvard got their seasons started two weeks ago and have remained perfect thus far. Cornell picked up wins over Michigan State (twice), Brown, and Yale by a combined score of 19-7, with Morgan Barron (NYR) leaping to the league lead in points per game with five goals and five assists in four games. Meanwhile, three members of the Crimson recorded six points apiece and Mitchell Gibson (WAS) allowed two goals on 65 shots as Harvard picked up wins over Dartmouth, Princeton, and the previously-ranked Quinnipiac.

And what of former top seed Denver? After easily disposing of Niagara, the Pioneers suffered their first loss against rival Minnesota-Duluth this past weekend and managed a tie in the other game of the series. Denver falls back to No. 2 in the rankings, but could re-take the top spot from Minnesota State if they can survive upcoming series with No. 9 North Dakota and No. 20 Western Michigan.

Dugan Dominating

While game results have been up and down for No. 10 Providence College, now 5-3-2 on the year, the consistent has been scoring. The architect of the nation’s most prolific offense has undoubtedly been sophomore sensation Jack Dugan (VGK). At 24 points on the year, Dugan is already 60% of the way toward surpassing his 39 total points from last year and has done it in less than 25% of the games. Not only that, he is also miles ahead of where leading scorers were last season. No player in the NCAA hit 24 points until December last year, whereas Dugan is already there. If Providence was to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and Dugan was to keep up this torrid pace, 100 points could potentially come into play. No one in college hockey has cracked the hundred-point mark since Maine’s Paul Kariya in 1992-93, so Dugan would be joining elite company. Yet, even if Dugan’s production falls off or the Friars are one-and-done in the tournament, the Golden Knights’ prospect still stands a realistic chance of being the highest scoring playing in the NCAA since the turn of the century – he would need just 83 points to claim that title.

Dugan’s play is also having obvious effects on his teammates. The NCAA leader in assists with 19, Dugan’s helpers are feeding the likes of Tyce Thompson (NJD) and Greg Printz. Thompson sits alone in second in the college hockey points race with 16, including eight goals, which is tied for second in the NCAA. It’s Printz’ nine goals that lead the way, and his 13 total points have him inside the top ten.

The problem for Providence right now is that they are leaning too much on their top line and getting too little from their other nine forwards and six defensemen. If the hot streak does start to cool for Dugan and company, the Friars could be in trouble.

National Signing Week

National Letters of Intent have been sent out to athletes all over the globe as today marked their first opportunity to officially commit to play college athletics. Here are some of the intriguing early names headed for NCAA hockey:

Minor Transactions: 11/11/19

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A new week begins by celebrating Veterans or Remembrance Day (depending on your place of origin), a cause linked closely to the hockey world for some time. There are two games on tap around the NHL, including the teams from the capitals of both Canada and the United States. Washington will try to keep their recent hot streak rolling against the Arizona Coyotes, while Ottawa travels to Carolina in search of their third consecutive win. As those and the rest of the league’s teams prepare for action, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Alexander Volkov back to the minor leagues after the young forward played in four games with the team. Volkov, 22, was given an opportunity with some of Tampa Bay’s best forwards, but failed to record his first NHL point. There is plenty of time for that though as he looks to be quite high in the prospect depth chart for the Lightning.
  • After giving him a chance to travel with the Buffalo Sabres to Sweden for the Global Series games, Lawrence Pilut has been returned to the minor leagues. The Swedish defenseman didn’t actually play in the overseas games, but still got to experience the trip as a member of an NHL club. Pilut hasn’t played for the Sabres yet this season, but does have six points in eight minor league appearances.
  • Though there has been no update yet on Torey Krug’s status after he left last night’s game, the Boston Bruins have recalled Urho Vaakanainen from the minor leagues under emergency conditions. That would suggest that Krug is out for at least one game, but we’ll have to wait and see later today.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are on a heater since acquiring Robby Fabbri, and now bring back another exciting young forward. Givani Smith has been recalled by the team for the second time this season. Smith has played in three games for the Red Wings so far but is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights don’t play until Wednesday and have completed their usual off-day assignment of Nicolas Roy and Nicolas Hague, but the pair have a third member on the bus to the AHL. Cody Glass has also been sent to the Chicago Wolves today, a curious move given his success so far this season. Glass has seen his ice time reduced significantly over the last two games, playing fewer than 12 minutes in each.
  • Gavin Bayreuther didn’t leave Winnipeg with the Dallas Stars and instead was reassigned to the Texas Stars who play the Manitoba Moose this afternoon. The 25-year old defenseman hasn’t played in a game for Dallas yet this season.
  • Brendan Guhle has been recalled by the Anaheim Ducks, while the team reassigned Simon Benoit to the AHL. Guhle was sent down at the end of October and has played well with the San Diego Gulls, registering four points in four games.

Western Notes: Walker, Rantanen, Tuch, Zucker

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It isn’t hard to think of who the Los Angeles Kings’ best defenseman is — Drew Doughty. It’s an automatic response. However, that may not have been the case through 15 games this season. The Athletic’s Jordan Samuels-Thomas (subscription required) writes that Sean Walker has been the unsung hero on defense for a Kings’ team that has struggled this year.

The 5-foot-11, 194-pound blueliner has been the top performer in most statistical categories for the Kings’ this year. He ranks second among defensemen with six points, but is tops in 5×5 play in Corsi-for per/60 and Corsi-for percentage, while he is also third among Kings’ defensemen in expected goals per/60, while also showing off strong offense and possession numbers.

While Walker doesn’t have the immense talent that Doughty had, he has been a bright spot on the Kings’ current roster.

  • Las Vegas Review Journal’s David Schoen reports that Vegas Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch had a setback Friday after sustaining an upper-body injury last week. The original hope was for Tuch to meet up with the team on their road trip, but with just two days remaining on that trip, it doesn’t look like Tuch will be meeting up with the team. “I was hoping he was going to come in for this trip. He’s not coming in. There’s nothing that changed with his injury,” said head coach Gerard Gallant. Tuch has appeared in just two games for the Golden Knights this season.
  • Adrian Dater of ColoradoHockeyNow reports that Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen’s status remains vague. Rantanen has been working out on his own, but has yet to skate on the ice as of yet. The forward was injured on Oct. 21, suffering a lower-body injury, but head coach Jared Bednar said he had no idea when Rantanen might get back on the ice.
  • Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker got the point after the first period Thursday night when head coach Bruce Boudreau benched him for a large amount of time in the final 40 minutes of play after the winger struggled defensively that allowed the San Jose Sharks to get out to an early lead. According to Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required), Zucker only played two shifts in the second period and five in the third, playing in a season-low 10:09. “We talk about it all the time. We show him all the time,” Boudreau said about Zucker’s defensive struggles. “He’s gotta be committed to doing it all the time, not just when you feel like it.”

Minor Transactions: 11/07/19

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The NHL schedule is packed with action tonight as 22 of the league’s teams take the ice. Among them are the Colorado Avalanche who will try to right the ship against a division rival, and the New York Islanders who will go for an 11th-straight win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. As teams prepare for the action, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Zachary Senyshyn and Peter Cehlarik from the minor leagues before their game tomorrow night. Senyshyn had two assists in his first game of the season on Tuesday despite playing just under 11 minutes. The 22-year old forward is finally getting a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level.
  • As expected, the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled both Nicolas Roy and Nicolas Hague from the minor leagues. The team had sent them down to save some cap space while they were between games.
  • The same was true with the Islanders, who today recalled Seth Helgeson and Otto Koivula once again. Koivula is still waiting to make his NHL debut, but is at least making an NHL salary whenever he spends a day with the big club.
  • Brandon Davidson is back in the NHL, this time with the Calgary Flames. The 28-year old defenseman has been recalled by the team to replace Oliver Kylington, who has been sent back to continue his development. Davidson has 162 NHL games under his belt, but hasn’t been a regular for several years.
  • Adam Werner has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche as an extra goalie while Philipp Grubauer was missing from practice today. The team has yet to give an explanation, but Pavel Francouz appears to be the starter for the time being.

Minor Transactions: 11/06/19

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Last night was another step in the right direction for three struggling Western Conference teams, as the Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild were all victorious in their respective matchups. The same can not be said about the Los Angeles Kings, who are now 5-10 and have trade rumors swirling all about. Just two games are on the schedule tonight, and as teams prepare for that action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • With Alexandre Texier nearing a return, the Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Markus Hannikainen to the minor leagues. Hannikainen still hasn’t played in a single game for the Blue Jackets this season after suiting up 44 times in 2018-19. The 26-year old is just injury depth at this point.
  • Dominic Toninato has been recalled by the Florida Panthers, after they sent Riley Stillman back yesterday. The Panthers acquired Toninato from the Colorado Avalanche just a few months ago, and this will be his first call-up with the organization.
  • German Rubtsov’s time with the NHL club is over for now, as the Philadelphia Flyers have sent him back to the AHL and recalled Mikhail Vorobyev. In three games Rubtsov was held scoreless and still looks to have some development to do in the minor leagues. The 21-year old has played just 21 AHL games so far after injury robbed him of much of the 2018-19 season.
  • Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy are on their way back to the Chicago Wolves, the latest in a series of transactions for the pair of Vegas Golden Knights prospects. The team is using off days to bank some cap space, but could recall one or both down the road.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have sent Ashton Sautner back down, a good sign after he was forced from his only game with an injury. The 25-year old defenseman won’t be a full-time player for the Canucks this season, but is valuable injury depth.
  • Josh Mahura has been assigned to the Anaheim Ducks, another likely cap-saving move that while the team waits for their next game. The Ducks don’t play again until Sunday.
  • Zachary Senyshyn and Cameron Hughes have both been sent back down by the Boston Bruins, who don’t play again until Friday evening. At least one of the young forwards will likely be recalled at that time, but for now the team will save some cap space on the off days.
  • Jayson Megna has been returned to the AHL by the Colorado Avalanche, with T.J. Tynan taking his place on the NHL roster. The 27-year old Tynan has been on fire at the minor league level, scoring 12 points in his first ten games for the Colorado Eagles.
  • The Washington Capitals have returned Liam O’Brien to the minor leagues, giving him a chance at some playing time after sitting on the sidelines the last few days. O’Brien is an important player for the Hershey Bears, but hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since 2017-18.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced that defenseman Dennis Gilbert has been re-assigned to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. The 23-year-old has split his season between the NHL and AHL, most recently getting some starts in Chicago in place of Brent Seabrook. 

Alex Tuch Not Travelling With Vegas On Their Road Trip

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  • The Golden Knights will be without Alex Tuch for the start of their four-game road trip, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Tuch sustained an upper-body injury in just his second game of the season after returning from an LTIR stint to start the season.  Head coach Gerard Gallant declined to comment on whether or not the winger is in concussion protocol and suggested that it’s possible that Tuch rejoins the team later on during the trip.

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