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Montreal Notes: Danault, Shaw, Shaw

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced several incidents up front, including Phillip Danault experiencing concussion-like symptoms. The 24-year old forward took a Zdeno Chara slapshot to the head this weekend, and will now be re-evaluated on a daily basis.

It’s not clear when Danault will return to action, which is a big blow for the Canadiens. The young center has 23 points on the year after putting up a solid 40-point season in 2016-17, his first full-time NHL campaign. His loss weakens what is already a thin group down the middle, while also removing the team’s third-leading scorer.

  • Unfortunately, Danault’s announcement comes just after the team revealed that Andrew Shaw is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury suffered in the same game against the Boston Bruins. Shaw will be reevaluated in a week’s time, but it’s just another blow for a forward group that was already struggling. Shaw has 19 points on the year and leads the team in powerplay goals with five.
  • Earlier the team claimed Logan Shaw off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. He’ll wear #49 with the club and give them some needed depth down the middle, but is far from an answer to their disappointing season. Shaw has just 25 points in 150 career games, and hasn’t played a ton of center at the NHL level.
  • One has to wonder whether these latest injuries will accelerate the Canadiens’ trade deadline plans, as they now have a huge hill to climb to get back into the playoff race. Without Danault and Shaw, and still eight points behind the New York Rangers for the second wildcard spot, the Canadiens look destined to be sellers at the deadline. Andrew Shaw was considered a potential piece for sale despite his contract, but it’s unclear how this latest injury will affect his market.

Paul Martin Placed On Waivers; Montreal Claims Logan Shaw

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The early reports were true, and Paul Martin has indeed been placed on waivers by the San Jose Sharks according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. LeBrun also notes that the Montreal Canadiens have claimed Logan Shaw off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks.

Paul MartinMartin, 36, has had a rough season as he battled through injuries and a lack of playing time. The Sharks have seemingly moved on from him, and are currently looking for a trade partner to give him another opportunity. While a waiver claim could certainly offer that, it’s more likely that he goes unclaimed and heads to the San Jose Barracuda to try and rebuild some value. His $4.85MM cap hit this year and next is a real impediment to any team that is interested, and any deal right now would likely have to include some degree of salary retention.

If Martin does clear, and immediately starts to play for the Barracuda, there is obviously still a place for him in the NHL. The veteran defenseman recorded 26 points and more than 19 minutes a night just last season, and has been an effective stay at home counterpoint to Brent Burns’ roving nature in the past.

It’s important to note that both the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs are at the 50 contract limit, and would need to move out a player in order to make a claim or acquire Martin in trade.

Shaw on the other hand was just waived by the Ducks after they claimed J.T. Brown from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and now finds his way to Montreal to help their forward depth. The 25-year old has eight points in 42 games for the Ducks this season, and provides some size—though not a ton of physicality—for the Canadiens to insert into their bottom-six.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Paul Martin Could Be Headed For Waivers

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As reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, veteran defenseman Paul Martin is being shopped by the San Jose Sharks. That claim was confirmed by GM Doug Wilson to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, who said the team is working with Martin and his representatives to try and get him a new opportunity. On Twitter, he relayed comments from Martin’s agent Ben Hankinson:

It’s kind of a tough one for him because he knows he can play and he wants to play with the Sharks. Right now, there isn’t a spot for him. That’s his first choice but obviously the goal is to play somewhere and help a team win in the NHL. Now we’re going down that path and trying to find a team. Paulie wants to play and he’d love to win. Kind of walking down that pathway now to see where he could be a fit.

Additionally, Pashelka reports that Martin could find himself on waivers in the next few days, which would result in a stint with the San Jose Barracuda if not claimed.

Martin has played in just three games this season after dealing with several injuries and the impressive play of several other Sharks’ defenders. In the third year of a four-year, $19.4MM contract, the 36-year old defenseman comes with a $4.85MM cap hit, a prohibitive factor for many potential claiming clubs. It’s hard to imagine any team would claim him on waivers, which would come with the responsibility of his entire remaining contract. More likely may be a trade with the Sharks retaining some salary, in order to receive a real asset in return.

If he does end up on waivers and goes unclaimed, a stint in the AHL might actually be the best thing for the veteran. Though he’d obviously like to be playing in the NHL, he hasn’t been able to show that he’s still able to contribute at this level, and sitting in the press box isn’t doing anything to change that. A few weeks logging big minutes in the AHL might entice a team to bring him aboard for their playoff run. Martin does have plenty of playoff experience, suiting up for 115 postseason games in his career with three different clubs. He logged more than 22 minutes a night with the Sharks in 2015-16, on their way to the Stanley Cup final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In the meantime, the Sharks have activated Dylan DeMelo from injured reserve and loaned Marcus Sorensen to the minor leagues. DeMelo hasn’t played in 10 days, and has suited up for 22 games this season.

Anaheim Claims J.T. Brown, Places Logan Shaw On Waivers

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The Anaheim Ducks claimed J.T. Brown off of waivers Sunday and placed Logan Shaw on waivers to make space for him, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Brown, who was placed on waivers Saturday by the Tampa Bay Lightning, will now join the Ducks in hopes of providing some bottom-six offense for them.

Brown played sparingly in Tampa Bay, who was looking to free up roster space so the team can audition some of its top youngsters from their AHL franchise. They 27-year-old has spent six seasons with Tampa Bay, but has seen his playing time drop to an all-time low of 9:22. He has played in just 24 games for the Lightning this year, often being a healthy scratch. He has a goal and three assists on the year and might be best known this season for raising his fist in protest during the national anthem on Oct. 7. Brown is the second Lightning player to be lost to waivers this season as they lost Gabriel Dumont earlier this year to Ottawa.

The 25-year Shaw, on the other hand, has seen a significant amount of action this year, mostly on the team’s fourth line, as he’s played in 42 of the team’s 44 games. However, with just two goals and six assists this year while averaging 11:29 of ice time, the team hopes he might clear waivers and they can keep him with their AHL affiliate.

Lightning Place J.T. Brown On Waivers

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed right winger J.T. Brown on waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).

Brown is in his sixth NHL season, all spent with Tampa Bay.  He has had more of a sparing role in 2017-18 though as he has played in only 24 games so far this season while spending considerable time as a healthy scratch.  He has a goal and three assists on the year (his last point came more than two months ago) while averaging a career-low 9:22 per game in ice time.  In his career, Brown has 19 goals and 42 assists in 286 games while adding six points in 37 postseason contests.

The 27-year-old is in the final season of a two-year contract that carries a cap hit of $1.25MM.  As a result, if he clears waivers on Sunday and is sent to the minors, the Lightning will still carry a prorated cap charge of $225K on their books.

Cody Franson Clears Waivers

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Well, so much for the report that there were several teams interested in Cody Franson. The veteran defenseman has cleared waivers for the Chicago Blackhawks, and has been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t be traded in the coming days, as we’ve seen previously with players immediately after they clear waivers. In his place, the Blackhawks have recalled Erik Gustafsson.

Gustafsson hasn’t played in an NHL game in nearly two years, but is still just 25 and has been playing exceptionally well at the AHL level. The Swedish defenseman has 17 points in 25 games for Rockford, and has earned another shot with the big club. Amazingly, Brent Seabrook is the defenseman who stayed out late after practice today according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times and could be a scratch for tonight’s Blackhawks’ game.

Seabrook of course has six more seasons on his current contract at a cap hit of $6.88MM, and holds a full no-trade clause through 2021-22. His decline has been rapid and unfortunate for the Blackhawks, who don’t have the luxury of wasting cap space while still paying Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane some of the highest salaries in the league.

Chicago Blackhawks Place Cody Franson On Waivers

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8:15pm: Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that it’s likely that Franson is claimed on waivers tomorrow, citing a “playoff team” that is very interested in selecting him. That mystery team apparently believes that he’ll be claimed before they even get a chance, and Johnston weighs in on why. Franson is a potential asset at the trade deadline, even with his divisive play style, and could be a free asset to flip for a non-playoff team. With his low cap hit it would be a very low-risk move for a team out of the playoffs even if it results in just a late-round pick at the deadline.

11:05am: The Chicago Blackhawks have placed Cody Franson on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. It’s an interesting move for several reasons, not the least of being the fact that they could bury his entire $1MM salary in the minor leagues should he clear. The Blackhawks are notorious for living right up against the salary cap ceiling, and are in a familiar position this season living in cap room created by Marian Hossa’s long-term injured reserve status.

Cody FransonFranson, 30, continues to draw both extremely positive and extremely negative performance reports depending on who you speak to. The defenseman once again had to wait out a contract all summer, signing a professional tryout with the Blackhawks to attend camp before signing his one-year, $1MM deal in early October. He’s played 23 games for Chicago this season, recording seven points, but still receives criticism for his diminishing foot speed and lack of defensive presence.

Despite everything that looks wrong about his game however, Franson continues to record extremely positive possession statistics. This season he leads all Chicago players in CF%, a measure of shots taken versus shots against while the player is on the ice. That’s not a new thing for Franson, who has never posted a negative shot differential in his entire career. Whether that can be explained by his penchant of throwing the puck on net from the point, or a sheltering from the Chicago coaching staff (and others in the past), Franson remains a frustrating player to watch at times despite the numbers showing he gives a positive impact on the game.

While surely the Blackhawks hope to slip him through waivers unclaimed, he does seem like a candidate for several teams. His right-handed shot, ability on special teams and still strong first pass are things needed by several clubs including places like Montreal and Toronto (the Maple Leafs of course are at the 50 contract limit, meaning they’d need to make a move to put in a claim). It wasn’t long ago that he couldn’t find a contract around the league, and nothing has really changed in his game since then. Still, there may be someone who thinks he can help them, at least temporarily.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 01/08/18

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Teams around the NHL are beginning their mandated bye weeks, marking an unofficial midpoint of the season. With that, there is only a single game on tap for tonight, between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. That won’t stop clubs from making minor moves to improve, and we’ll have all the recalls and reassignments right here.

Laurent Brossoit And Frank Corrado Clear Waivers

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Sunday — Friedman reports that both Brossoit and Corrado have cleared waivers. Broissoit has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, while Corrado is headed for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Saturday — A pair of players are on the wire today as the Oilers have placed goalie Laurent Brossoit on waivers while the Penguins have done the same with defenseman Frank Corrado, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).

Brossoit’s placement comes as no surprise on the heels of their acquisition of Al Montoya from Montreal earlier in the week.  Montoya is now ready to be activated off of injured reserve with his concussion symptoms now gone so Brossoit became the odd man out.

This season, the 24-year-old netminder has posted a 3.22 GAA and a .886 SV% in 13 appearances, numbers that are well below the league average.  However, he had fared better as of late, allowing two or fewer goals in three of his last four starts.

As for Corrado, he has been up-and-down with Pittsburgh this season but has seen limited action.  In five games with the big club, he has averaged just 11:30 in ice time while being held off the scoresheet.  He has been more productive with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, putting up nine points in 19 games.  Although he already cleared waivers once this season, Corrado has spent more than 30 days on the NHL roster since then which requires him to pass through once again.

Calgary Flames Place Freddie Hamilton On Waivers

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The waiver wire has just one name on it today according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, and that name is Freddie Hamilton of the Calgary Flames. It’s an interesting move for the Flames, who only recently recalled the waiver-exempt Andrew Mangiapane when Michael Frolik was placed on injured reserve.

Hamilton, who has only played eight games for the Flames, has been waived twice now this season, originally clearing in early November. He was never assigned to the minor leagues that time, as the Flames waived and demoted Tanner Glass just a few days later instead. On this occasion, Hamilton might not be as safe. Though Mangiapane only played a bit over seven minutes in his debut, the 21-year old is a dynamic offensive player that could work his way into a higher spot in the lineup, similar to the path Mark Jankowski has taken this season.

Hamilton, the older brother of teammate Dougie Hamilton, now has just six points in 67 career NHL games despite a tag of being an offensive player himself when working his way through the system. He’s rarely been given the chance to show that offense at the NHL level, and will have to re-establish himself at the AHL level should he clear and be sent to the Stockton Heat.

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