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Ottawa Senators Claim Magnus Paajarvi

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The Ottawa Senators have claimed Magnus Paajarvi off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. The 26-year old forward was always a good candidate to be claimed, and he’ll now try to take the next step in his career in the Canadian capital.

With Jaden Schwartz returning from injury for the Blues, the team had to free up a roster spot and Paajarvi drew the short straw. The bottom-six forward played in 44 games for the Blues this season, recording just four points. That stat line isn’t out of the ordinary for Paajarvi, who came into the league with impressive offensive potential but has registered just 97 points through 352 games. Expected to be a force around the net and able to beat defensemen one-on-one with his speed, Paajarvi  instead settled into a defensive and energy role first in Edmonton and then St. Louis.

He’s never shown much creativity in the offensive zone, but for Ottawa a claim of Paajarvi gives them another lottery ticket down the stretch. As we’ve seen first hand in Vegas this season, sometimes a change of scenery can spark a new level of production in players, something Ottawa will certainly hope for. The Senators are for all intents and purposes out of the playoff race already, and can afford to give some playing time to a former top draft selection.

Earning just $800K this season, Paajarvi is actually scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. While he’ll certainly draw some interest from around the league as a depth player, a good second half could secure him even more. The Senators, expected to be sellers at the deadline, pick up a free asset that they could even flip if his production improves at all, or at least use him to fill in the gaps by any outgoing forwards.

Rangers Claim Cody McLeod; Blues Waive Magnus Paajarvi

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The New York Rangers have decided to add a little toughness to their lineup, today claiming Cody McLeod off waivers from the Nashville Predators. Nathan Gerbe, who was also on waivers after signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets, has cleared and will be assigned to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. In addition, Magnus Paajarvi has been waived by the St. Louis Blues.

Magnus PaajarviThis is the second time the Rangers have claimed a physical fourth-line presence this season after adding Adam Cracknell earlier in the year. While Cracknell was eventually flipped in a minor trade, McLeod could catch on as a bang-and-crash winger who is ready to drop the gloves in defense of a teammate. Though that style is rarely seen in the game these days, McLeod has continued to find work and will try to prove his value in New York.

The Rangers needed to make a corresponding roster move to fit McLeod in, and sent Daniel Catenacci to the minor leagues to make room. Vinni Lettieri and Anthony DeAngelo are the only players on the roster who are waiver exempt, however Peter Holland could’ve also still also been sent without having to clear waivers again, as he hasn’t been up long enough for his clock to reset.

Paajarvi’s inclusion on waivers is interesting, if not entirely unexpected. The Blues have activated Jaden Schwartz from injured reserve, and needed a roster spot for him to fit in. While Tage Thompson and Ivan Barbashev are both waiver-exempt, both have proven themselves as key parts of the forward group and won’t be sent down anytime soon.

Instead, it’s Paajarvi’s turn to be risked on waivers. The 10th-overall pick in 2009 hasn’t ever established himself as an offensive presence in the NHL, instead playing the roll of checking forward and penalty killer. In 352 career games, Paajarvi has 97 points including just four this season. While his age (26), size (6’3″ 206-lbs) and draft pedigree all suggest that there still could be another level to his play, nothing on the ice confirms it.

Still, he could be an interesting player for a contending team to add if they’re not happy with their own depth. Earning just $800K before hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, Paajarvi poses very little risk in terms of financial commitment. It’s important to note that Arizona, Toronto and Minnesota are all at their 50 contract limit, meaning they’d need to rid themselves of another player before making a claim.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Nashville Predators Place Cody McLeod On Waivers

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The Nashville Predators have placed forward Cody McLeod on waivers, while the Columbus Blue Jackets have waived Nathan Gerbe as expected after signing him earlier today. The Predators will need another roster spot for Filip Forsberg when he comes off injured reserve, and only Kevin Fiala is waiver-exempt.

McLeod, 33, was acquired by the Predators last season to add some toughness and physicality to the fourth line. In 56 games with them last season including 15 playoff contests, McLeod recorded six goals and 152 hits, collecting 120 penalty minutes along the way. He’s returned on the final season of his three-year deal, recording two points in 23 games.

While McLeod does add some level of physicality, the Predators had been using him less and less recently, with his last game coming more than three weeks ago. He had played more than 10 minutes just once this season, and doesn’t seem to be a big part of the team’s plans going forward.

Interestingly though, the Colorado Avalanche are still retaining a portion of McLeod’s $1.33MM cap hit, meaning he is an extremely affordable piece for a club looking for that same physical play Nashville was after last season. If unclaimed, he would likely head to Milwaukee to play in the AHL.

Gerbe, signed out of the Swiss NLA today, requires waivers in order to be assigned to the NHL or AHL level. Usually a formality for signing players, it’s extremely unlikely that anyone would put in a claim on the diminutive forward.

Nathan Gerbe Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Nathan Gerbe to a one-year, two-way deal. Gerbe will need to clear waivers to sign with the club, usually a formality in these situations. No financial details were released at this point.

Gerbe, 30, hasn’t played in the NHL since 2015-16, instead spending the last two seasons in the Swiss NLA. The forward, known most for his small stature (he stands 5’4″) scored seven points in 47 games for the Carolina Hurricanes during his last tour in the league, but does have a pair of 16-goal seasons on his resume. Despite the usual stereotype about small players being pure skill, Gerbe actually brings a bit of grit and toughness to the game. Willing to throw his body around and dig in the corners, he’s never shied away from the physical side of the game.

The Blue Jackets yesterday sent Brandon Dubinsky away from the club, either for another examination of his eye, or according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) something more disciplinary in nature. Even before the loss of Dubinsky to a fractured orbital bone the team has been thin at forward for much of the season. Though Gerbe doesn’t represent much upside, he could give them some veteran depth at either the NHL or AHL level and be a useful piece if he can show that he’s still able to compete in the North American game.

Columbus Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger was first to report the deal was close last night.

David Booth, Michael Chaput On Waivers

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Tuesday: Both Booth and Chaput have cleared waivers and could be sent to the minor leagues, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. While it seems unlikely that Booth will be loaned to the Grand Rapids Griffins and instead will stay in the Red Wings lineup, Chaput has already been sent to Utica to continue playing.

Monday: We knew Michael Chaput would be on waivers today after the Vancouver Canucks announced it yesterday, but he’s joined by David Booth of the Detroit Red Wings according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Booth has already cleared waivers twice this season, but would need them again to be sent to the minor leagues.

Booth has played sparingly this season for the Red Wings, suiting up in 17 games but averaging just over seven minutes of ice time. The 33-year old veteran signed a one-year, two-way deal in the offseason but hasn’t been very effective scoring just four points. A former 30-goal scorer, Booth returned after two relatively unsuccessful seasons in the KHL and appears to be close to the end of his playing career. It would be surprising to see a claim put in on him, especially after already clearing twice.

Chaput on the other hand could be a potential addition for a team looking for some depth down the middle. A good faceoff man, the 25-year old hasn’t shown much offense during his short NHL career and would likely only be added as a fourth-line player or 13th forward. We’ll have to wait and see whether either is on their way to a new team tomorrow.

 

Minor Transactions: 01/23/18

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The NHL will be taking another break in a few days for the All-Star festivities, and with that tonight’s schedule is packed full of games. With 12 games and 24 teams in action, several minor moves could be made to shore up the edges of a roster. We’ll keep track of all those moves right here.

Canucks Place Michael Chaput On Waivers

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The Canucks have placed center Michael Chaput on waivers, per a team announcement on Twitter.  This comes on the heels of center Bo Horvat being activated off injured reserve earlier in the day although they didn’t need to waive Chaput to free up the roster spot because of defenseman Erik Gudbranson being transferred to IR.

Chaput has only played nine games with Vancouver this season but he has been up with the team for longer than 30 days since he last cleared so the Canucks have to put him on the wire once again.  In those nine games, he was held off the scoresheet while averaging 9:47 per game.  He has been more productive at the AHL level with Utica though, collecting nine goals and seven assists in 23 contests.

The 25-year-old is only a year removed from playing a somewhat regular role in the NHL and has been well above average at the faceoff dot the last three seasons so there is a chance that someone in need of center depth could be interested.  He carries a cap hit of just over $687K and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility next summer.

Because the announcement came past the 11:00 AM CST daily deadline, Chaput won’t officially hit the wire until Monday which means that teams will be eligible to claim him until Tuesday.

Columbus Blue Jackets Claim Jussi Jokinen

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have been looking all season for some help at forward, and today they’ll try a new option. The team has claimed Jussi Jokinen off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings, meaning he’ll join his third team of the season. Jokinen was first signed by the Edmonton Oilers, and then traded to the Kings in exchange for Mike Cammalleri.

Columbus has been rumored to be involved with several forwards around the league over the last year, including making an offer for Matt Duchene before he ended up in Ottawa. While Jokinen isn’t an answer to all of their problems, he does represent an interesting fit in one spot in particular. The Blue Jackets’ powerplay has been among the league’s worst all season, and that’s where Jokinen has made a living over his career.

Since entering the league in 2005-06, Jokinen has recorded 196 of his 552 points on the powerplay, putting him 43rd in the NHL during that time. While he’s certainly not as dominant a presence there as in the past, he can certainly help a group that hasn’t been able to find any consistency this season.

Jokinen also has experience at center, though he hasn’t played the position full-time in several years. With the Blue Jackets finding themselves lacking depth down the middle at times, his versatility will come in handy. Still, that doesn’t preclude the fact that he has just six points on the season and will turn 35 before the season is over. There is no guarantee he can find some of his past success, though Columbus seems about as good of a fit as he could ask for.

Golden Knights Recall Jason Garrison

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When the Vegas Golden Knights selected 13 veteran defenseman in the NHL Expansion Draft this past June, traded for Shea Theodore, and signed Brad Hunt, it was clear that moves would need to be made to handle their overage on the blue line. Yet, even after trading away Marc Methot, Trevor van Riemsdyk, David Schlemko, and Alexei Emelin soon after selecting them, it still left the NHL’s newest team with a log jam on the back end. The long-term injury status of Clayton Stoner also helped the cause, but by the end of October, the team was faced with no options remaining but to waive Griffin Reinhart and, more surprisingly, Jason Garrison. Both players cleared waivers and were assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, where they have remained since.

However, Garrison is finally getting the chance to return to the NHL ranks. The Knights announced today that they have recalled Garrison from the Wolves. With Jonathon Merrill and Luca Sbisa both sidelined with injuries, Vegas is in need of some added depth on the blue line for the first time this season. The Expansion Draft pick from the Lightning is expected to join the team on their current road trip in Tampa and could make his return against his former team. A veteran of over 500 NHL games, Garrison was once a formidable defender, though his play has slipped as his age has climbed. Nevertheless, few would have expected the 33-year-old to have just four NHL games under his belt in 2017-18 versus 31 games logged in the AHL.

While Garrison cleared waivers earlier this season, the Knights do face some risk by calling him back up to the big league squad. If Garrison stays on the roster for less than 30 days or plays in less than 10 games, he can safely be returned to the AHL. However, should Garrison exceed either of those limits, he would need to be passed through waivers again if the Knights want to demote him prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. If Garrison performs admirably in that short stint, he could prove to be a tempting option for another contender to grab on waivers. Thus, Vegas faces a situation where they either want to return Garrison to the minors as soon as possible or ensure he stays on the roster until the Trade Deadline has come and gone.

Los Angeles Places Jussi Jokinen On Waivers; Paul Martin Clears

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Paul Martin has cleared waivers today and can be sent to the San Jose Barracuda, while the Los Angeles Kings have placed Jussi Jokinen on waivers. The Kings acquired Jokinen earlier this year in exchange for Mike Cammalleri, but he’s been generally ineffective with just five points in 18 games.

Jokinen, 34, signed a one-year $1.1MM contract with the Edmonton Oilers this offseason, but got off to a dreadful start to the year with just a single point in his first 14 games. That comes just two years after he was a 60-point player in Florida, where he recorded 34 even-strength assists. Jokinen’s fall from grace has been sharp, but his relatively low cost could potentially lead to a claim.

If he does sneak through waivers, the Kings would be able to bury nearly his entire cap hit in the minor leagues. Though that would be a tough spot to play for a veteran of 923 NHL games, it would certainly provide them with some experienced depth for a playoff run.

Martin on the other hand comes with a much higher price tag. His $4.85MM cap hit is in effect through next season as well, making him almost impossible to claim on waivers. As Craig Custance of The Athletic writes, any team looking to add him would need to send money back or have the Sharks retain some of his salary.

For now though, a trip to the AHL might be the best thing for Martin. He’s only played in three games all season and needs to prove that he can still contribute before any team wants him. Remember that clearing waivers actually does increase his trade value, as any acquiring team would be able to immediately move him to the minor leagues without going through waivers again. The Sharks will save a prorated $1.025MM against the cap by burying him for the time being.

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