Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Mattias Janmark
After acquiring Adam Gaudette, the Chicago Blackhawks have sent one of their other forwards elsewhere. Mattias Janmark has been traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in a three-team deal that also includes the San Jose Sharks. The full deal:
- To Vegas: Mattias Janmark, 2022 fifth-round pick (CHI), Nick DeSimone
- To San Jose: 2022 fifth-round pick (BUF)
- To Chicago: 2021 second-round pick (VGK), 2022 third-round pick (VGK)
Chicago retained 50% of Janmark’s cap hit, and subsequently the Sharks retained 50$ of what remained. That means the Golden Knights are on the hook for just 25% of what is remaining on Janmark’s deal.
Adding a player like Janmark is a sneaky pickup for the Golden Knights, who already have a team capable of contending for the Stanley Cup. The 28-year-old forward has 10 goals and 19 points in 41 games this season and has proven in the past he can produce some valuable secondary scoring from a depth role.
A strong skater, Janmark can play on the powerplay or penalty kill, but it’s hard to see him getting much time with the man advantage in Vegas. Instead, he’ll give the team another moving part in their bottom-six or even move up in a pinch.
Still, one could argue that the Golden Knights gave up more for Janmark than the Bruins did for Taylor Hall. A huge part of that (not to mention Hall’s no-movement clause) is the difference in cap hits; Janmark comes with just a $2.25MM full-season hit on his one-year deal, while even a 50% retained Hall was at $4MM. The Blackhawks did well to receive a second-round pick and another pick swap, adding some valuable draft capital to the cupboard for a player who is on an expiring contract.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first to note a deal was coming.
No Suspension For Ryan Reaves For Hit On Jordan Gross
- Golden Knights winger Ryan Reaves won’t face any supplementary discipline for his hit on Coyotes defenseman Jordan Gross yesterday, reports David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The ruling appears to be that while there was definitely contact to the head, it was not the principal point of contact.
Trade Deadline Primer: Vegas Golden Knights
We are now just days away from the NHL Trade Deadline and a few moves have already been made with more to come. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vegas was expected to be a contender this season and despite some key players missing time due to injury and salary cap constraints forcing them to play below the minimum number of skaters on multiple occasions, they’ve done just that. They will also be tap-dancing around the salary cap for the rest of the season so while GM Kelly McCrimmon would certainly like to try to add to his roster, they will be hard-pressed to try to do so. Nevertheless, here is a closer look at their situation.
Record
25-11-2, 2nd in West Division
Deadline Status
Buyer (if they can create the cap space to do so)
Deadline Cap Space
$160K in regular cap space, $184K on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2021: VGK 1st, NJ 2nd, VGK 2nd, WPG 4th, CAR 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th
2022: VGK 1st, VGK 2nd, VAN 3rd, VGK 3rd, WPG 4th, BUF 5th, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th
Trade Chips
McCrimmon likely doesn’t want to deal away from the core of his roster but Tomas Nosek is a player whose role can be filled by a lower-price player if they need to add some space. His $1.25MM price tag is hardly overly expensive for his role as their fourth-line pivot but filling his spot with someone making the league minimum could then free up enough room to bring in another league-minimum veteran. That’s hardly exciting but for a team whose depth is being tested, there is some value in simply having an extra option available. There’s also definitely some risk to moving a veteran center from a team that doesn’t have a ton of depth down the middle already but if they want to open up a little bit of wiggle room, that’s certainly a route they can go.
Defenseman Nick Holden cleared waivers last week in a move that was designed to give Vegas a bit of short-term cap flexibility by moving him on and off the roster. He’s also someone that could be replaced by a cheaper player or could serve as a salary offset in a move to bring in another defenseman, one that could be counted on to play more than the 15:47 per night that he has logged so far this season. Holden has another left on his deal after this one with a $1.7MM price tag.
In terms of some minor leaguers that may draw interest, Jimmy Schuldt is a name some may be familiar with. It was just two years ago that the defenseman was viewed as the top college free agent available, drawing plenty of suitors. While the 25-year-old made his NHL debut that season, he hasn’t seen any action at the top level since then and is heading for unrestricted free agency again this summer. If a team wants to get a closer look at him before then, he could draw some interest. Jack Dugan, the top scorer in college hockey last season, is having a nice first season with AHL Henderson and will be someone that selling teams will ask about. It’s unlikely that McCrimmon will want to move him but if there is a low-cost player that can make an impact beyond this season on the table, the asking price will be high and the 23-year-old will be coveted.
Others to Watch For: F Mason Primeau (unsigned, draft rights expire June 1), F Dylan Sikura ($750K, UFA)
Team Needs
1) Depth Defenseman – Which contending team isn’t looking for extra depth on the back end. Their cap situation has forced them to go with five at times this year and they’re going to be dancing around the Upper Limit the rest of the way as well. A league-minimum option – preferably one that can play the right side – would be a useful acquisition.
2) Depth Center – Basically, it’s the same idea as above. The departure of Paul Stastny has left them thin down the middle and center depth is something that all contending squads covet. Again, having someone at the league-minimum salary of $700K (or less, if the trading team retains money) would be a wise pickup for McCrimmon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Johnson, Winnik, NCAA Transfers
After Adam Johnson‘s sudden and unexpected departure from the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks, the forward has landed back in North America. Johnson has signed a contract with the AHL’s Ontario Reign for the remainder of the year, the team announced. This isn’t quite the NHL contract that was expected when Johnson returned home from Sweden, but is still a good opportunity for the 26-year-old to show off for the L.A. Kings and other NHL teams before the off-season. Johnson played in 13 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past two years, recording four points, and has put up good numbers in the AHL previously. The University of Minnesota-Duluth product is hoping that another strong showing in the minors will prove that he is worthy of another NHL deal.
- Veteran forward Daniel Winnik will not be returning home, though. Winnik, 36, will continue his playing career for at least another season by signing a one-year extension with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League. The contract also includes an additional option year, if the experienced pro actually has two years left in him. Winnik played in nearly 800 career NHL games before departing for Switzerland in 2018, suiting up for eight different teams along the way. He has found more consistency in the second stage of his career, having already played three seasons with Geneve-Servette and now gaining one or two more to come. Winnik has excelled overseas even in his late thirties, playing at a near point-per-game pace.
- There will be a number of familiar faces in new places across the NCAA next season. It has already been an unprecedented off-season for notable transfers, even with the Frozen Four still yet to be played. More than a dozen players have already switched schools, including some NHL prospects. Two of the more recent names to make a change include Vegas Golden Knights’ forward prospect Brandon Kruse and Winnipeg Jets’ goalie prospect Jared Moe. Kruse, 22, has already played four full seasons at Bowling Green, but will take advantage of his fifth year of eligibility due to COVID to become a graduate transfer to Boston College, the program confirmed. The 2018 fifth-round pick has been one of the Falcons’ best forwards and is a nice pickup for the Eagles, who are still believed to be in the running for several other noteworthy transfers as well. Moe, 21, is moving on from Minnesota after sitting behind Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Jack LaFontaine this season (and LaFontaine has committed to another year with the Gophers as well). Moe has reported on his own that he will flip to Big Ten rival Wisconsin next season, where the starting job is at least open to competition. Moe may not be the only Winnipeg keeper to transfer this off-season too; UMass Lowell goaltender Logan Neaton is also in the NCAA Transfer Portal after he too was used sparingly this season.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Maxim Marushev
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed one of the very last few picks of the 2020 draft, inking Maxim Marushev to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal begins in the 2021-22 season, meaning he won’t be eligible for any action with the NHL club this year.
Already 22, Marushev went undrafted several times before the Golden Knights finally used the 215th overall pick on him in October. After recording 40 points in 35 VHL games last season and making his KHL debut, his numbers dropped considerably for the minor league Bars Kazan team in 2020-21, putting up just 21 points in 37 games. Regardless of the offensive decline, the Golden Knights still believe in him enough to hand over an entry-level deal and bring him into the organization.
It’s not clear what the plans are for the young Russian yet, or whether he’ll come over to join the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL down the stretch. For now, he’s just a seventh-round flier that the Vegas development staff will eagerly get their hands on at some point down the road.
Chandler Stephenson Suspended Three Games
The Department of Player Safety has come down hard on Vegas Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson, issuing him a three-game suspension for elbowing Los Angeles Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot last night. As the accompanying video explains:
It is important to note that while we accept Stephenson’s arguement that he did not attempt to hit Bjornfot in the head, this is not a case where a blow to an opponent’s torso or shoulder rides up and makes subsequent or glancing contact with his head. This is a direct and forceful elbow to an opponent’s head which caused an injury.
Bjornfot did not return to the game and is doubtful for the Kings game tomorrow. Stephenson has not been fined or suspended previously in his career and did receive both a major penalty and a game misconduct for the incident, but was still given a hefty ban today.
He’ll miss games against the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues over the next few days, two teams chasing the Golden Knights in the West Division standings.
Chandler Stephenson To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The Department of Player Safety has another big day ahead of them. Not only is Nathan MacKinnon‘s helmet throw likely being looked at for supplementary discipline, but Chandler Stephenson of the Vegas Golden Knights will also have a hearing today to determine his suspension for a high hit.
The incident occurred late in the second period of last night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings with the Golden Knights down 4-1. Stephenson tracked Tobias Bjornfot into the corner and after the puck had already been passed away, delivered a high hit that injured the Kings defenseman. After the referees huddled to decide his fate, Stephenson was given a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct. Bjornfot would leave the game.
The Vegas center will likely have to face a suspension of at least one game, taking him out of the team’s match tomorrow against the Minnesota Wild. A ruling should come down later this evening.
Nick Holden, Liam O’Brien Clear Waivers
March 31: Though Gostisbehere will still claim the headlines, Holden and O’Brien also cleared waivers today. Both players can be assigned to the taxi squad or, in O’Brien’s case, kept in the AHL.
March 30: While Shayne Gostisbehere got all the waiver attention, two more players were put on waivers Tuesday. The Vegas Golden Knights placed veteran defenseman Nick Holden on waivers again, while the Colorado Avalanche sent Liam O’Brien through waivers after signing him to a one-year deal earlier this morning, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Holden already cleared waivers earlier this season, but a player must pass through waivers again if he has played 10 games in the NHL. For Holden, the veteran is at 13 games and with everyday salary meaning so much, the team must attempt to pass him through waivers once again. Whether he will be claimed is a different story as more teams are eager to add to their ailing blueline. However, Holden is making $1.7MM AAV not only for this year, but for next year as well and many teams may want to avoid that second year, considering he is already 33 years old. Holden has one assist in 13 games for the Golden Knights, averaging 15:44 of ice time.
As for O’Brien, the Avalanche signed him and were forced to put him on waivers to either assign him back to the Eagles or put him on the taxi squad.
Golden Knights Sign Layton Ahac, Zack Hayes To Entry-Level Deals
The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have signed two defensive prospects to entry-level contracts. The team signed Layton Ahac and Zack Hayes to three-year contracts, both which will begin for the 2021-22 season. No contract terms have been announced. Ahac has signed an AHL contract for the rest of the season, while Hayes is already playing for the Henderson Silver Knights.
The 20-year-old Ahac was the team’s third-round pick in 2019 (86th overall) and has spent the last two seasons with Ohio State University. The defenseman is considered a stay-at-home defenseman as he tallied three assists in his freshman year with the Buckeyes and then followed that up with one goal and nine assists in 27 games. His offense has improved as the blueliner hopes to develop into a solid two-way defensive player.
As for Hayes, the undrafted free agent signed a one-year deal during the offseason with Henderson and has impressed in 17 games, scoring a goal and four points, earning a NHL contract in the process. The blueliner did score seven goals in his final season with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL, but was best known for his defensive prowess.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/30/21
There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:
West Division
- Late Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights made a number of roster moves, according to CapFriendly, which includes recalling forward Cody Glass and defenseman Dylan Coughlan, while also calling up goaltender Oskar Dansk on an emergency loan. Dansk was just filling in for Marc-Andre Fleury who got the day off. The team also called up forward Dylan Sikura, defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and goaltender Logan Thompson to the taxi squad.
- Vegas also announced it has assigned center Cody Glass to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, which is somewhat surprising after the forward put up an impressive performance Monday against Los Angeles. Of course, that doesn’t mean he will play a game for Henderson, but something to keep an eye on as Vegas works the salary cap before the trade deadline.
North Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have reassigned three players to the taxi squad, including forwards Adam Brooks and Scott Sabourin as well as defenseman Timothy Liljegren. All three played in the Toronto Marlies victory over Stockton Monday with Brooks and Liljegren each picking up goals, while Sabourin picked up a five-minute major. The team also assigned forward Nicholas Robertson and defenseman Calle Rosen to the Marlies.
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have recalled three players from the taxi squad to the NHL club, including forwards Zac Dalpe and Liam Foudy as well as recalling goaltender Cam Johnson on emergency conditions. That likely means that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo may not be ready to step into backup duties. After clearing waivers, the team has also assigned defenseman Scott Harrington to the taxi squad.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov and Frans Nielson from the taxi squad, their standard roster moves before a game.
- With a need of defensive help, the Florida Panthers announced the recall of veteran Anton Stralman to the NHL squad. The 34-year-old has three goals and nine points in 29 games this season.
- Another day, another shuffle of forwards in Dallas. The team announced that Ty Dellandrea, Justin Dowling, and Tanner Kero have all been activated from the taxi squad, while Joel L’Esperance has been reassigned to the taxi squad. All four have been transaction fixtures this season.
East Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace to the taxi squad from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. After an undisclosed injury to Tristan Jarry, the team may need Lagace closer to home. To make room on the taxi squad, the team has send forward Jonathan Gruden to the WBS Penguins.
This page will be updated throughout the day.