Carolina Hurricanes Place Scott Darling, Valentin Zykov On Waivers
With Curtis McElhinney playing well, the Carolina Hurricanes have made a decision on which of their three goaltenders to send to the minor leagues. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic is reporting that Scott Darling will be placed on waivers today. The goaltender is not at Hurricanes practice today, and will likely be sent to the minor leagues should he clear. The team has also placed Valentin Zykov on waivers, after his conditioning loan ended this week.
Darling, 29, is almost certain to clear given his hefty contract. The former Chicago Blackhawks goaltender signed a four-year, $16.6MM contract with the Hurricanes in 2017, but has basically done nothing to deserve NHL playing time since. In 50 games since inking his big deal, Darling has an .889 save percentage and 3.17 goals against average. His 15-25-8 record is incredibly poor given the team’s overall 48-44-14 mark over the same time frame. Given the fact that McElhinney has taken the net and run with it since being claimed from the Toronto Maple Leafs before the season began, there was little reason to keep Darling on the NHL roster any longer.
If he does clear and reports to the minor leagues, the Hurricanes will save $1.025MM in cap space (prorated) while Darling remains in the AHL, though the team is still on the hook for his entire salary. For a club like Carolina, the cap space doesn’t make much of a difference, meaning this was purely a hockey move to get the best 23-man roster. Darling could potentially find his footing in the minor leagues, or the Hurricanes could try to trade him in order for him to get a fresh start.
Zykov on the other hand is a very interesting waiver addition. The 23-year old forward has just three points in 13 games this season for Carolina, but was a 33-goal man in the AHL just a season ago and was originally selected 37th overall by the Los Angeles Kings. There’s reason to believe that he could still be of use to an NHL club, but his overall body of work with Carolina hasn’t been enough to earn him a full-time role just yet. If someone does take a chance on the young forward, they’d need to keep him and his $675K cap hit in the NHL.
Eric Martinsson Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Wednesday: Martinsson has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated.
Tuesday: It’s been an unusually busy season for contract terminations, and the Minnesota Wild are the latest to agree to it with one of their minor league players. The team has placed Eric Martinsson on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination, which would allow the 26-year old defenseman to return to Sweden and the SHL.
Martinsson was signed in May to a one-year entry-level contract after several successful seasons with the Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL. The mobile defenseman can do a little bit of everything on the ice, and had found early success with the Iowa Wild of the AHL, scoring nine points in 13 games. Unfortunately, that success doesn’t seem to be enough for him especially given the already surfacing reports that several teams in the SHL are chasing him.
Over the last few seasons there has been an increase in the number of contracts handed out to experienced European professionals, as NHL teams try to find overlooked talent without having to trade for or draft it. Martinsson, like the long list of other players who have terminated their deals this year, clearly just haven’t worked out. That strategy is likely going to continue though, as all it costs the NHL organization is a few months or a year of minor league salary while they get a first hand look at the player.
Calvin Pickard, Jean-Sebastien Dea Placed On Waivers
Philadelphia Flyers president Paul Holmgren was clear that he would make a change to the team’s goaltending situation if he felt the need even as they continue their search for a new GM, and today did just that. The Flyers have placed Calvin Pickard on waivers, while also sending forward Tyrell Goulbourne back to the minor leagues. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the New Jersey Devils have also placed Jean-Sebastien Dea on waivers.
Pickard, 26, was claimed off of waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs just prior to the start of the season and ended up playing 11 games for the Flyers so far. His performance so far hasn’t been good despite a 4-2-2 record, as he has registered an .863 save percentage and is allowing more than four goals per game on average. Part of the problem may be the Flyers defensive structure given Pickard’s career .909 save percentage, but he hasn’t shown much NHL ability at this point.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have some value though, especially to the Maple Leafs who could very likely put in a claim for him. Should they be the only team to do so they would be able to send Pickard directly to the Toronto Marlies, who have had goaltending troubles for much of this season. Pickard won a Calder Cup with the Marlies last season, though he was the backup to Garret Sparks at the time. His contract carries an $800K cap hit, and would be completely buried in the minor leagues if he cleared waivers or ended up with the Marlies.
Dea meanwhile has been playing full-time with the Devils, recording five points in 20 games but became the odd man out when Marcus Johansson returned to practice. The 24-year old Dea has had a lot of success in the minor leagues with the Pittsburgh Penguins since signing out of the QMJHL as an undrafted free agent, but didn’t receive a qualifying offer from that organization in the summer. He then re-signed a one-year two-way deal with the Penguins, before being claimed by the Devils on waivers at the end of September.
Karl Alzner Placed On Waivers
Tuesday: Alzner has cleared waivers as expected, and is on his way to the minor leagues.
Monday: The Montreal Canadiens had to make a decision about their defense corps as they prepare to welcome captain Shea Weber back, but it wasn’t going to be easy. Today, they have placed Karl Alzner on waivers with the intent of sending him to the minor leagues. Alzner is not at practice with the Canadiens today, and will almost certainly clear waivers thanks to his hefty contract.
Alzner, 30, is less than two years removed from signing one of the largest contracts of the 2017 offseason, a five-year $23.125MM deal with the intent of him shoring up the Montreal blue line. The former Washington Capitals player was meant to be another physical, veteran presence alongside Weber and allow the team to develop their young defensemen slowly. Unfortunately, Alzner’s game took a quick and decisive downward turn and he started this season in head coach Claude Julien‘s dog house. Scratched on opening night and several more since then, Alzner has played just eight games this season despite previously playing all 82 games (or 48 in the case of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season) in his previous eight years.
Suddenly, not only does Alzner look like he’s headed for the minors but his NHL career could potentially be over. With a $4.625MM cap hit he would have to substantially improve his play to be appealing to any team in the league, and with three more seasons still left on his contract after this year he’ll be 34 before he could be back up with a lower cost. That is, unless the Canadiens buy out his contract at the end of the year.
Unfortunately, that buyout option doesn’t look very appealing at the moment. While the Canadiens would get more than $3.5MM in cap savings for the 2019-20 season, that benefit wouldn’t last because of the structure of Alzner’s deal. In fact, in 2020-21 they’d still have to carry a $4.2MM cap hit because of his low base salary. That’s more than the $3.6MM cap hit he’ll cause by playing in the minor leagues. Alzner also has a seven team no-trade clause, if the Canadiens hope to move him somewhere else for some cap relief.
Remember though, Alzner’s cap is not dead money like a player who has suffered a career-ending injury. With him healthy, the team still owes him his full $6MM salary this season, and though that decreases in the future, a team like Arizona who has been known to take on injured contracts in the past likely wouldn’t have much interest. There’s no insurance paying Alzner’s deal, meaning he’ll be a very expensive minor league asset for Montreal going forward.
Vancouver’s Darren Archibald Placed On Waivers
Monday: Archibald has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Sunday: As many expected after the Vancouver Canucks activated defenseman Alexander Edler Saturday but didn’t make a corresponding move, the team has now placed Darren Archibald on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The Canucks designated Archibald as a non-roster player Saturday, according to CapFriendly, to complete the Edler transaction until the forward could be placed on waivers today. Archibald was recalled by the team on Oct. 30 and appeared in nine games, but averaged just 7:38 of ATOI, potting one goal, adding an assist and 12 penalty minutes. However, with an overload in forwards and the impending return of Brock Boeser soon, the team had to send a forward down.
The team did get Edler back finally, who made his return on Saturday after nearly a month after suffering a MCL strain in late October. Edler provides Vancouver with a much needed defensive leader and picked up 16:19 of ice time on his first game back, although he is expected to quickly work his way back to his normal ice time as he averages 21:47 for the season.
Winnipeg Jets Claim Marko Dano Off Waivers
The Winnipeg Jets will say hello to an old friend, as they have reclaimed Marko Dano off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. The Jets have immediately assigned Dano to the minor leagues, meaning they were the only team to put in a claim. Josh Brown meanwhile, who was on waivers with Dano, has cleared and can be assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Dano, 23, is reaching the end of the line as a top prospect after flaming out of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks and now Avalanche organizations. He’s been given an opportunity at the NHL level with four different franchises now, and has been unable to assert himself with any of them. Still, he’ll return to a Jets organization that is known for its strong development system. His progress may have been slowed the last few seasons by the lack of consistent playing time, something he’ll surely receive in the minor leagues with the Manitoba Moose.
The Moose are now without Kristian Vesalainen for the rest of the season given his recent departure to the KHL, and could use another high-end forward to help them in their pursuit of the Calder Cup. Dano has only actually played in 89 regular season games in the minor leagues since debuting in 2013-14, meaning a full season in the AHL might be exactly what he needs to turn the corner in his career.
Marko Dano, Josh Brown Placed On Waivers
The Colorado Avalanche have come to the same conclusion that the Winnipeg Jets did earlier this year, that Marko Dano is not ready to be a full-time NHL player. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Avalanche have placed Dano on waivers today, along with Josh Brown of the Florida Panthers. Brown has been on the season-opening injured reserve list, meaning he’s likely now healthy enough to join the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.
Dano, 23, hasn’t been able to live up to his first-round draft pedigree and could now potentially be joining his fifth organization since being selected in 2013. He made the biggest impact with his first team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, but has flamed out in Chicago, Winnipeg and now Colorado. That high pedigree and obvious talents are enough to make someone take a chance on him, but there is little reason to believe he’s going to put it all together at this point.
Winnipeg could also reclaim him, which would allow them to send him right to the minor leagues if they are the only team to do so. With Kristian Vesalainen expected to head to the KHL, perhaps they would take another chance on Dano and try to get him ice time in the minor leagues. The young forward carries an $800K one-way contract, but is a restricted free agent again after the season and comes with several years of team control. If he does slip through, he’ll almost certainly be assigned to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.
Snapshots: Martinsson, Kovar, Niagara
Eric Martinsson‘s days with the Minnesota Wild seem to be numbered, but he’s not likely to be too upset about it. Swedish new source “Hockey News SE” reports that the Martinsson and the Wild have come to a mutual agreement that the recent free agent signing is to be placed on unconditional waivers in the near future for the purpose of terminating his contract. Martinsson, 26, signed with Minnesota back in May, looking to make the jump overseas after a successful stretch in the Swedish Hockey League with the Vaxjo Lakers. Instead of earning a spot on the NHL roster, Martinsson was in fact a relatively early cut from training camp. While the puck-moving blue liner has nine points through 13 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild, he seems no closer to pushing for a chance in Minnesota than he did before the season began. As such, Martinsson would like to return home to Sweden and the Wild are expected to oblige him. Eric Martinsson is just the latest in a stream of players departing the North American minors to return to Europe this season, although Hockey New SE speculates that Martinsson’s return will be of considerable interest to many teams in the SHL.
- Veteran forward Jan Kovar is also pondering a return to Europe. Kovar signed with the New York Islanders this summer after years of success in the KHL and in his native Czech Republic. Kovar was expected to not only compete for a job with the Isles, but potentially even center a scoring line. Instead, Kovar proved to be a poor fit with the team in camp and did not crack the starting lineup. His contract was quickly terminated, but in holding out hope for another NHL opportunity, he signed with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Kovar has nine points in ten games with Providence, while their parent club, the Boston Bruins, have struggled with injuries and consistency, but no contract offer seems to be coming. The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver now reports that Kovar has not practiced with the team in two days and is supposedly weighing overseas contract offers. Divver believes that Kovar has offers in the KHL and NLA, as well as back home in the Czech Republic, but no such opportunities in North America. Divver additionally questions whether Kovar plays with the requisite pace to succeed in the NHL, a criticism that has come up frequently during his brief efforts this season.
- Less than 25 games into the season doesn’t seem to be too early for a blockbuster trade in the Ontario Hockey League. The Kingston Frontenacs, with just seven win thus far the second-worst record in the league, have cashed in on two of their best assets. The Niagara Ice Dogs announced today that they have acquired Jason Robertson and Jacob Paquette from Kingston. Robertson, a second-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2017, has back-to-back 80+ point seasons and is currently fourth among OHL scoring leaders with 38 points and second in goals with 23. Paquette, a seventh-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2017, is a big, physical defender and a locker room leader as well. Niagara is currently tied for second in the Central Division and tied for sixth overall in the league, but will almost certainly see a considerable boost from this trade. Yet, Kingston also received a king’s ransom in the deal. The Ice Dogs surrendered a total of eleven future draft picks, including three second-rounders and three third-rounders, as well as promising draft-eligible defenseman Billy Constantinou and forward Ian Martin. The Frontenacs may have disappointed their fans by virtually giving up on the season less than halfway in, but will reward them with a solid flow of talent for years to come.
Ducks Place Hampus Lindholm On Injured Reserve
The Anaheim Ducks continue to deal with a rash of injuries, as top defenseman Hampus Lindholm has now joined the sidelined. CapFriendly reports that Lindholm has been placed on the injured reserve, a change also reflected on the team’s official roster albeit not yet announced by the Ducks.
There has been no word yet on the type or extent of the injury that Lindholm has suffered, but Ducks fans will hold out hope that it is relatively minor. The team is already without Cam Fowler, on IR with a facial fracture, and have yet to see Korbinian Holzer this season due to a wrist injury. On top of a depleted back end, the team is also missing quite a few names up front, including core forwards Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves. A Lindholm absence of any length hurts, but Anaheim can ill afford a long-term hiatus.
Lindholm, 25, not only leads all Ducks skaters in ice time, but his 25:29 ATOI is seventh-best in the whole league. Lindholm is also tied for third in scoring for Anaheim with ten points, among the top scoring defensemen in the Pacific Division. Without Lindholm and Fowler, the Ducks are sorely lacking their regular leadership and top sources of production on the blue line. Although they have yet to announce this transaction as well, the team’s roster shows that defensemen Jake Dotchin and Josh Mahura have been recalled and both could soon find their way into the starting lineup, with Luke Schenn clearing waivers and destined for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Dotchin played in 48 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, but has yet to make his Ducks debut, while first-year pro Mahura would be making his first NHL appearance. The two have performed well for San Diego this season, but face a tall task if asked to help make up for a long-term Lindholm absence in Anaheim.
Ducks Place Luke Schenn On Waivers
Sunday: Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports that Schenn cleared waivers and will report to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
Saturday: The Ducks have placed defenseman Luke Schenn on waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link). The veteran has had a limited role with Anaheim this season, playing in just eight games while averaging a career-low 11:59 per night of ice time. He’s in his first season with the Ducks after inking a one-year, $800K contract with them this offseason.
The timing of this move seems a little curious on the surface with Cam Fowler out indefinitely following surgery to repair a complex facial fracture. At the very least, the team has a pair of veterans with recent NHL experience in the minors that they can call up to take Schenn’s place in Andrej Sustr and Jake Dotchin.
Given that Schenn is a right-shot defender (something that is typically in high demand) and has a relatively cheap price tag, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team in need of some defensive depth place a claim. They’ll have until 11:00 AM CST on Sunday to do so. If Schenn clears and is sent to their AHL affiliate in San Diego, his full cap hit will come off Anaheim’s books.