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Ottawa Places Max McCormick On Waivers

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With a number of players coming back from injury, the Ottawa Senators have decided to make some room on their roster as they placed winger Max McCormick on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

McCormick didn’t get much playing time with the Senators as he has only appeared in 14 games this season. Even when he did, Senators head coach Guy Boucher wasn’t big on handing him much playing time as he averaged just 7:30 of ATOI this season. He did play in the three recent games (albeit not the previous two) and got even less time as he averaged under six minutes a game. He has one goal this season.

The forward could be a cheap option for another team, although it would seem unlikely any team would want to take a chance on him. McCormick does make just the minimum $650K and will be an unrestricted free agent after this year. He played 30 games with Ottawa last season, producing three goals and five points.

Chicago Blackhawks Place Jan Rutta On Waivers

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Friday: Rutta has cleared waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The defenseman has been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs, meaning $1.025MM of his cap hit will be buried. The remaining $1.225MM will continue to be applied to Chicago’s salary cap.

Thursday: The Chicago Blackhawks were apparently unable to find a trade partner that wanted to take one of their depth defensemen, and have now risked one to waivers. The team has placed Jan Rutta on waivers today, exposing the 28-year old to the entire league.

Rutta was originally signed out of the Czech Republic in 2017, and did well enough in a part-time role for the Blackhawks that they decided to offer him an extension this past March. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and it took a one-year $2.25MM contract to convince him otherwise. That deal also includes a European Assignment Clause, which is a very important part of today’s transactions. If Rutta clears waivers and the Blackhawks attempt to assign him to the minor leagues, there’s a chance he could force them to send him to Europe instead.

The idea of him getting claimed might also be unlikely at this point. Though the right-handed defenseman has shown he’s capable of playing at an NHL level, his attributed cap hit may end up scaring off any team that shows interest. It’s likely what kept the Blackhawks from trading Rutta or Brandon Manning in the first place, given the uncertainty around whether they can actually help a team on a full-time basis. Contenders like Toronto, Boston and Edmonton could have use for this type of player, but might not want to commit all $2.25MM to what is essentially a lottery ticket at this point.

Chicago meanwhile finally ended an eight-game losing streak with a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, and had Carl Dahlstrom make an immediate impact in his first game this season. The 23-year old played 22:34 in the game, only trailing Duncan Keith and the recently returned Connor Murphy in minutes from the blue line. The emergence of Dahlstrom and fellow youngster Henri Jokiharju have made Manning and Rutta expendable, at least as the team looks to try and rebuild their back end on the fly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Detroit Seeking First-Round Pick In Package For Jimmy Howard

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While the latest “31 Thoughts” of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned several major names as speculative trade targets, the insider buried the lede with his knowledge of the price of a more concrete trade block name. Friedman writes that Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard is in fact available, as expected. However, he also notes that GM Ken Holland and company have “made it clear (they) want at least a first-round pick” in return.

Howard, 34, has had his fair share of struggles over the year, with one strong season for every one off season over his ten years as a regular in Detroit. However, the impending free agent picked a good season to be on an upswing. Howard has a .923 save percentage thus far, a top ten rate in the NHL, as well as a 2.67 GAA in 22 games. The veteran has thoroughly outplayed free agent pickup Jonathan Bernier, who has struggled greatly in 13 appearances and has settled into a backup role.

Yet, Bernier signed a three-year deal in Detroit this off-season while Howard’s contract is set to expire and is time with the Red Wings is ending. The team has little hope of contending for a playoff spot this season, making Howard an identifiable trade option to teams around the league. Detroit seems ready to oblige the demand of the market, but they won’t give Howard up for nothing. A first-round pick “at least” could be seen as a lofty expectation for a goaltender at the trade deadline, as few teams generally in the playoff race need a starter and are hesitant to overpay for a backup. However, unless Sergei Bobrovsky or another yet unknown big name hits the trade market, Howard is the top available name and by a wide margin. Friedman tabs 37-year-old Craig Anderson as another option, but doesn’t endorse the Ottawa Senators veteran as an ideal pickup and casts doubt on the availability of young Montreal Canadiens keeper Charlie Lindgren. The likes of Michal Neuvirth and Anders Nilsson are also likely to be available, but may wind up on waivers for free as well. Depending on how their respective team’s seasons go from here on out, Cam Talbot and Brian Elliott could potentially hit the market as well, but not until the deadline at the earliest. Howard is and will likely remain the top name on the rumor mill and if the Red Wings want to hold out for a package including a first-rounder, odds are they will eventually receive just that.

Chad Johnson, Martin Bakos Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Bakos has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated, while Johnson has been claimed by the Anaheim Ducks.

Monday: After making a move to recall Jordan Binnington yesterday, it was obvious something was brewing in St. Louis. The Blues today have placed goaltender Chad Johnson on waivers, likely with the intention of sending him to the minor leagues. The Boston Bruins meanwhile have placed Martin Bakos on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It’s a tough break for Johnson, who signed a one-year $1.75MM contract in the offseason to replace the outgoing Carter Hutton—who coincidentally, replaced Johnson in Buffalo. The veteran goaltender has not played well this season, posting an .884 save percentage through ten appearances, but is by no means the only problem in St. Louis. The entire team has struggled to string any wins together, but this is the move that they’ve decided to make to shake things up.

Johnson, 32, does have a history of success in the NHL, but took a big step backwards last season with the Sabres and has followed it up with an even worse start. It would be surprising to see anyone jump at the chance to claim him given his cap hit, though there are some teams around the league in need of goaltending help that may take a chance. More likely is he reports to the minor leagues to try and get his game back in order, before eventually returning to the NHL to help the Blues. If he does clear and is assigned to the AHL, the Blues will also get a $1.025MM break on his cap hit, though Binnington’s $650K eats up most of the savings.

Bakos on the other hand has been playing the entire season in the minor leagues with the Providence Bruins, after signing a one-year two-way contract in the summer. The Slovakian forward has played the last few seasons in the KHL or Czech league, and figured he’d try his hand at North American hockey. That experiment seems to be over, and Bakos will return to Europe after seeing his contract terminated with the Bruins.

Anaheim Ducks Claim Goaltender Chad Johnson

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Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller suffered an injury on the weekend, and the team has quickly made a move to fill his role behind starter John Gibson. The Ducks today claimed Chad Johnson off waivers from the St. Louis Blues, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Miller is expected to be out around six weeks, giving Johnson the opportunity to show that he can still be an effective goaltender in the NHL.

While Johnson brings a good amount of NHL experience to Anaheim, the move does come with a substantial amount of downside for the Ducks. The team is already using long-term injured reserve in order to stay below the salary cap, and will take on Johnson’s entire $1.75MM contract by claiming him. That amount can’t even be fully buried in the minor leagues, meaning he’ll remain on their books even after Miller returns unless someone else claims him at that point. He also represents the team’s 50th contract, putting them at the limit and restricting any other potential moves they can make. The Ducks now can’t make another waiver claim without removing a contract, nor can they sign a college or European free agent. That problem can be fixed later on with a trade, but it does limit their flexibility for the time being.

All that in mind, the team certainly needed to find an answer in net. While Gibson is an outstanding starter, he does have a history of injury and the team didn’t have much NHL experience behind him. Jared Coreau is up with the team at the moment, and has just 21 mostly unsuccessful appearances under his belt. Johnson has played in 183 NHL games, starting his career back in 2009-10 with the New York Rangers.

Still, it’s been some time since Johnson was considered a premier backup in the league. Last season for the Buffalo Sabres he recorded a 10-16-3 record while posting a .891 save percentage, and those numbers have only gotten worse this year in St. Louis. While there may be reason to believe he can turn things around in Anaheim, the 32-year old is certainly no guarantee. If he does struggle with the Ducks, it seems unlikely that he would be claimed again on waivers, meaning Anaheim might be stuck with his contract for the entire season.

Sergei Shumakov Clears Unconditional Waivers, Signs A Minor League Deal With Florida

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Saturday: In a somewhat surprising move, Shumakov has inked a tryout deal with Springfield of the AHL, Florida’s minor league affiliate, reports Igor Eronko of Sport-Express.  That suggests he hasn’t given up on playing in the NHL just yet and will now try his luck in the Panthers organization.

Friday: Shumakov has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated.

Thursday: The season of contract terminations continues, this time with the placement of Sergei Shumakov on unconditional waivers according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post and Chris Kuc of The Athletic. The Washington Capitals only signed the Russian forward in September, but obviously things have not worked out as planned between the two sides. Shumakov will likely be headed back to the KHL provided his termination goes smoothly.

Shumakov, 26, signed a one-year entry-level contract this offseason to try his hand at the NHL, but couldn’t crack the Capitals roster out of camp. After a career-high 40 points in the KHL last year, even his play at the AHL level wasn’t exceptional with just four points in ten games. Those ten sound like the only games he’ll play in North America, though after terminating his deal he could technically sign elsewhere around the NHL.

On the one-year deal, if Shumakov expressed a desire to return to Russia there was little reason for the Capitals to keep him around. Unless they had plans on recalling him soon, there’s little chance he would have agreed to a new contract in the summer, despite being a restricted free agent. Washington will give up those rights by terminating the deal.

It will be interesting to see if Shumakov returns to CSKA, where he played last season for the first time. There is always a chance that we see him back in North America down the line, but he’s no longer an asset of the Washington organization.

Xavier Ouellet Clears Waivers

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12/8: Ouellet has cleared waivers and has been reassigned by the Habs to the AHL’s Laval Rocket.

12/7: The Montreal Canadiens have placed another young player on waivers, as Xavier Ouellet finds himself there today. The Canadiens are expecting Noah Juulsen back this weekend, and needed to clear some room on the blue line for him.

Ouellet, 25, has played 19 games for the Canadiens this season after signing a one-year, two-way deal in the summer. Bought out of his previous contract with the Detroit Red Wings, Ouellet landed in the city where he started his junior career, and looked to be a capable fill-in while the Canadiens waited for Shea Weber and company to get healthy. He’d fallen out of favor in Detroit, but was still young enough to establish himself in the NHL.

Unfortunately, Ouellet finds himself in an overcrowded group now that Juulsen is set to return and Brett Kulak has played his way into the lineup. The Canadiens will have eight healthy defensemen and needed to make a decision on someone. Ouellet is the only one of them outside of Juulsen that is on a two-way deal, which may have factored into the decision. That $700K two-way deal might be interesting to someone else around the league though, as he provides a relatively cheap option that has experience coming in and out of the lineup.

The Canadiens have already lost Nikita Scherbak and Jacob de La Rose on waivers this season, and very well could lose Ouellet tomorrow. Though none of the three are exactly fundamental players on their roster, losing depth for nothing is never the ideal situation. The Canadiens have plenty of contract slots available, and are likely hoping that Ouellet can sneak through and report to the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

Boston Bruins Claim Gemel Smith Off Waivers

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The Boston Bruins have added some depth to their forward group, today claiming Gemel Smith off waivers from the Dallas Stars. Smith was the odd man out in Dallas now that Roope Hintz has established himself as a full-time player and Martin Hanzal is returning to the lineup.

It’s not hard to understand why the Bruins claimed Smith, given the struggles of their bottom six this season. The team went out this offseason and added Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom to replace some of their outgoing talent, but the pair has combined for just eight points on the year. Add that to the fact that David Backes is a shadow of his former self and young players like Danton Heinen and Ryan Donato have seemingly taken a step backwards and you have a clear picture of top-heavy situation in Boston. Only five forwards have more than 10 points on the season, and even David Krejci’s 19 includes just two goals.

To be sure, Smith isn’t some sort of offensive dynamo that will be the cure to everything that ails the Bruins. In fact he only has 20 points in 77 career games, and was never an elite scoring threat in junior or the minor leagues. What he does bring though is a consistent two-way effort every night that can chip in a goal now and then, while providing some positional versatility. Smith has a history at the center position, though he has rarely gotten the opportunity to play there in Dallas.

It’s not a home run for the Bruins, but another swing for a team that has yet to find much consistency in the bottom part of their lineup. Add in that Smith is just 24, is a restricted free agent at the end of the year and costs only $720K this season, and it’s easy to see why the claim was made.

Gemel Smith Placed On Waivers By Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars have made a move up front to create some room for the imminent return of Martin Hanzal, placing Gemel Smith on waivers today according to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic. Shapiro tweeted yesterday that the Stars were making a decision between sending Roope Hintz back to the AHL or waiving Smith, and they’ve now apparently chose the latter option.

Smith, 24, has played 77 games with the Stars since the beginning of the 2016-17 season but hasn’t been able to establish himself as the consistent bottom-six option many believed he could be. The fourth-round pick has 11 goals and 20 points in those 77 games, but has been played so sparingly that it’s not surprising to see him on the way out. There is some reason to believe he could be claimed, given his relative youth and inexpensive contract—Smith carries just a $720K cap hit—but given that he already cleared waivers in the offseason the more likely result is he will be sent to the Texas Stars of the AHL.

Interestingly, if Smith does make it through to the minor leagues and spends the rest of the season there the Stars will likely be sacrificing him as an asset altogether. Turning 25 in April, Smith will be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency after this season if he fails to play in another three NHL games. Even if he does get into another few games, the fact that he has been passed over on the Stars depth chart and is arbitration eligible once again makes him a candidate to go unqualified by the team in the offseason anyway.

Canucks Return Sam Gagner To Toronto Marlies

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Veteran forward Sam Gagner was surprised to find that he would not be starting the season at the NHL level after the Vancouver Canucks waived him and subsequently assigned him to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. However, Gagner got the call from the injury-plagued Canucks in mid-November and saw it as an opportunity to win back his job with Vancouver. Gagner’s efforts were clearly not enough, as the team announced today that they have returned Gagner to the Marlies.

In seven games in Vancouver, Gagner played a pivotal role for the Canucks, averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game. In fact, in his last game on Saturday, Gagner logged more than 19 minutes, among the Canucks’ top skaters that night. His ice time also included a healthy amount on the power play, where he has always been effective. Altogether, Gagner only recorded three points – a goal and two assists – but was crippled by a 5.9% shooting percentage that would currently go down as the lowest of his career and is far from the norm over his twelve seasons. Nevertheless, three points in seven games is far from overwhelming and Gagner was a non-factor defensively and a liability at the face-off dot during his brief call-up. Gagner could certainly be of benefit to Vancouver this season, but he certainly did not do enough to force their hand in keeping him, especially with trade acquisition Josh Leivo incoming and Jay Beagle getting close to a return.

The question now is whether or not Gagner improved his stock enough during the recall to rejuvenate his trade market. The likely end to Gagner’s time in Vancouver became a trade as soon as they waived and reassigned him earlier this season. A solid player with years of success at the NHL level, few believe Gagner should be relegated to the minors full-time, but no teams were willing to take on his full contract via waivers. After seeing him play big minutes again for the Canucks, as well as point-per-game production in the AHL, it is possible that competitors could begin putting in calls to Vancover GM Jim Benning.

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