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Edmonton Oilers Place Nathan Walker On Waivers

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The Edmonton Oilers have made a move just before the roster freeze, placing forward Nathan Walker on waivers. In a corresponding move, the team has recalled Anton Slepyshev from the minor leagues and placed Oscar Klefbom on injured reserve. Walker was only claimed by the Oilers earlier this month, and will now be available once again to the rest of the league. If reclaimed by the Washington Capitals without any other team putting in a claim, Walker could be sent to the minor leagues immediately.

Walker, the first Australian to be drafted and play in the NHL, made his debut earlier this season when he suited up for the Capitals. Despite scoring in that first game, he played just six more games with the Capitals before hitting the waiver wire and moving up to Edmonton. In two games for the Oilers he’s been held scoreless, but still has some interesting upside for a team looking to add speed to their bottom-six.

Though technically the roster freeze will come into effect before Walker is through the waiver process, he can still be claimed by any team and report to them immediately. That could potentially give a team an extra player for the next week should they have the roster room, only to see him hit the wire once again after rosters are thawed out after Christmas.

Boston Bruins Place Matt Beleskey On Waivers

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Friday: Beleskey has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the AHL. As CapFriendly points out, since the team activated Ryan Spooner yesterday in Beleskey’s roster spot, and moved the waived forward to “Waiver Non-Roster” to clear space, he must immediately report to the Providence Bruins. That doesn’t mean he can’t be traded, much the opposite. Any acquiring team could put Beleskey in the minor leagues right away, without him having to clear again.

Thursday: The Boston Bruins have decided that they’ve waited long enough for Matt Beleskey to make an impact, and have placed the forward on waivers today according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Beleskey has played just 14 games for the Bruins this season, but has been held without a single point.

"<strongBeleskey was signed to a five-year, $19MM contract in the summer of 2015 and has two more seasons after this one at a $3.8MM cap hit. His deal has become one of the very worst contracts in the entire league, as even last season saw him register just eight points in 49 games. Friedman reports that he’ll be heading to Providence to play in the AHL if he goes unclaimed.

By burying Beleskey in the minors, the Bruins would save a prorated $1.025MM in cap space. It seems very unlikely that he would be claimed by a team, meaning if the Bruins want to get rid of his contract they’ll have to find a trade partner or buy him out this summer. Beleskey does have a partial no-trade clause, but can be traded to 23 teams around the league. If the Bruins retained salary, perhaps there is someone who believes the 29-year old can still provide some value.

By winning again last night, the Bruins now hold a healthy four point lead over the Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division, with three additional games in hand. It’s clear the team believes they are a playoff contender this season, and is making sure they can put the best team forward every night. By burying Beleskey, the team opens up some more cap flexibility and the ability to make an addition at some point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Vegas Golden Knights Claim Ryan Carpenter

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After hitting waivers yesterday, Ryan Carpenter has been claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The former San Jose Sharks forward played 16 games with the team this season, recording a single point. A corresponding move will have to happen for the Golden Knights, who currently have 23 players on their active roster.

This is a very interesting move by the Golden Knights, as they don’t seem to have any need for Carpenter at the moment. The team is full of forwards capable of centering the fourth line and penalty killing, the two things Carpenter did for the Sharks. Perhaps the team sees a higher potential in the 26-year old, since he has shown a high offensive profile in the minor leagues.

As Pierre LeBrun reports, the Golden Knights have scouting Carpenter since before the expansion draft but weren’t able to select him when the Sharks used a protection slot on him. They eventually did select David Schlemko, but immediately flipped him to the Montreal Canadiens for nothing more than a fifth-round pick.

Carpenter went undrafted, but after starring at Bowling Green University the Sharks signed him in the spring of 2014. He’s since earned two additional contracts, including the two-year deal he’s currently under that runs through the 2018-19 season. The contract is two-way in nature this season—meaning he earns different amounts depending on whether he’s in the AHL or NHL—but turns into a one-way minimum salary deal next season.

Interestingly, the Golden Knights only have two waiver-exempt players on the roster at the moment, and neither of them seem poised to be sent down. Alex Tuch and Shea Theodore started the year in the minor leagues to give the team some flexibility, but are key parts of the team now. Instead, Stefan Matteau is the likely candidate to go back down as though he’s not waiver-exempt, he did clear in late September and has yet to spend the 30 days on the active roster that would reset his clock.

Minor Transactions: 12/13/17

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The transaction freeze is coming quickly in the NHL, as all 31 teams will lock down their rosters between December 19-27th. That means they have just a few days left to make any trades or waiver assignments they need, leading to daily intrigue around the league. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves of the day right here.

  • The St. Louis Blues have swapped backup goaltenders, sending Ville Husso back to San Antonio while calling up Jordan Binnington from the Providence Bruins. The Blues of course don’t have a primary affiliate this season, which explains why their prospects are scattered throughout the league. Husso had been up to fill in for the injured Carter Hutton, but needs playing time of his own to continue his development. Enter Binnington, who can backup Jake Allen for the time being.
  • The Nashville Predators have sent Frederick Gaudreau back to the AHL according to Adam Vingan of the Tenessean meaning that Scott Hartnell or Ryan Johansen are likely back tonight. Gaudreau has three points in 17 games this season.
  • Ville Pokka has been recalled by the Chicago Blackhawks while Cody Franson is moved to injured reserve. The Blackhawks have been waiting for Pokka to make his mark in the NHL since acquiring him in 2014, but he’s continued to struggle with defensive miscues throughout his career. If he does get into the lineup, it would be his NHL debut and a chance to prove that his offensive value can overcome any lapses in his own end.
  • Ben Harpur has been sent back to the AHL by the Ottawa Senators, though it’s not clear why yet. Head coach Guy Boucher recently said that Mark Borowiecki wasn’t close enough to return yet, and Chris Wideman is still out long-term. Harpur’s assignment leaves the Senators with just six healthy defensmen on the active roster, meaning another move is likely to follow. In the meantime the team has called up forward Nick Paul, bringing him back after his latest stint in the AHL. Paul, a 22-year old winger, has played four games with the Senators this season but has been held scoreless.
  • Arizona has recalled Joel Hanley from the AHL, bringing the 26-year old back for the third time this year. Hanley has played four games for the club this year, and is eligible to be brought up and down as he cleared waivers just a week ago. The team had sent Kyle Capobianco back to the minor leagues to keep him in game action, but needed another defenseman with Niklas Hjalmarsson still not ready to return.
  • The New Jersey Devils have brought Nick Lappin up from the AHL to replace Marcus Johansson, who ends up on injured reserve for the second time this year. Lappin had been tearing up the minor leagues with 12 goals in 23 games, continuing his pattern of finding the back of the net with ease. Johansson is out with an ankle bruise suffered on Saturday.
  • Duncan Siemens has been reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage, as the Colorado Avalanche continue to try and spark something in the first-round pick. Siemens was selected 11th-overall in 2011, but hasn’t been able to crack the NHL for any length of time. In five career games, he has zero points.

Contract Totals A Limiting Factor For Minnesota, Toronto

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In the NHL, a team is allowed to have 50 Standard Player Contracts signed at any one time. That includes all players on the active roster, in the minor leagues or on long-term injured reserve. Players under the age of 20 who’ve been loaned back to their junior or European clubs are exempt, giving the team some flexibility on signing draft picks during the year.

Teams generally try to leave themselves a few open slots in case an opportunity arises—through waivers, trade or free agency—to add a useful player. Two teams don’t currently have this luxury as CapFriendly points out, as Minnesota and Toronto both have hit the 50-contract cap. They’ve come about it in different ways.

Nate ProsserMinnesota was at 49 contracts for much of the season, until they claimed Nate Prosser off waivers from the St. Louis Blues at the end of last month. Prosser’s addition pushed them right up against the cap, likely a contributing factor in their search for a landing spot for Kyle Quincey. They could use the cap space from a Quincey trade—he’s still causing a $225K cap hit while in the minor leagues—but being at the 50-contract mark limits them in other ways.

As referenced above, they can still sign draft picks to entry-level deals, as they did recently with Ivan Lodnia. The bigger issue is that they can’t go after any other players on waivers, or negotiate a trade without sending bodies out the other way. Ridding yourself of contracts isn’t as easy as it sounds. Waiving or assigning players to the minor leagues doesn’t move them off the list, meaning you have to either agree to a mutual termination (very unlikely with the vast majority of players) or trade them away.

Toronto recently filled up in a different way. To start the season, Carl Grundstrom’s contract didn’t count towards the limit because he was 19 and playing in Sweden. Earlier this month he celebrated his 20th birthday, and became ineligible for the SPC exemption. The fact that Toronto had already traded for Calvin Pickard earlier in the year had brought them closer to the limit, with Grundstrom pushing them right up against it.

The Maple Leafs have been cognizant of this situation in the past, even allowing Dominic Toninato to hit free agency after his college career because they didn’t have a contract slot for him. Toninato signed with the Colorado Avalanche and even made his NHL debut this season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the team move out a contract before long to recapture some flexibility, though it’s not clear who that would be.

Either way, it’s something to watch out for when the Maple Leafs or Wild are involved in a transaction. The two teams have to carefully navigate their contract limits, or end up missing out on a possible opportunity.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ryan Carpenter Placed On Waivers

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The San Jose Sharks have placed Ryan Carpenter on waivers according to CapFriendly. This move could mean that Joonas Donskoi is healthy enough to return from injured reserve, but it means Carpenter is likely headed for the minor leagues.

In 16 games this season, the 26-year old Carpenter has just a single point. The undrafted center has been an excellent minor league offensive producer, but hasn’t been able to carry that scoring touch over to the NHL level. Though he’s not been afforded much ice time in his 28 career games, the Sharks need some more production from the fringes of their roster.

Interestingly, his value at center could be enticing to other clubs around the league. Carpenter is signed to a two-year deal that pays him the minimum salary at the NHL level, and has been an average faceoff man and penalty killer for the Sharks. Any team looking for some more depth down the middle could put in a claim, though there isn’t a ton of upside there to receive.

Anaheim Places Jared Boll On Waivers

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Monday: Boll has cleared waivers, and can now be assigned to the minor leagues. No one was placed on waivers today.

Sunday: The Anaheim Ducks placed enforcer Jared Boll on waivers this morning, according to Elliotte Friedman. The fourth-line winger had only played eight games this year due to a lower body injury suffered on Nov. 8.

Boll, who was signed to a two-year deal by the Ducks back in 2016 has struggled to get on the ice this year. He was expected to help fill in for all the injuries the team had suffered over the course of the year, but his own injuries got in the way. With the impending return of Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, possibly any day now, the need for a slow, grinding forward may no longer be necessary as the team can put more skilled players on their fourth line instead.

Boll played 51 games for the Ducks last season, picking up 87 penalty minutes and three assists. This year in his eight games, he has picked up nine penalty minutes and scored one goal. He has averaged just 4:08 of ice time in those games.

Tanner Kero, Tyler Graovac Placed On Waivers

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Friday: Kero has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. The team has recalled Hinostroza in his place. Graovac has also cleared and been assigned to the minor leagues, though no recall has been made in his place.

Thursday: According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided to place Tanner Kero on waivers today. Kero has been a healthy scratch for the majority of the season, and has three points in eight games on the year. The Blackhawks have lost five straight games and dropped to sixth in the Central Division at 12-11-5.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also reports that Tyler Graovac will join Kero on waivers today, placed there by the Washington Capitals. Graovac has played just five games for the Capitals, but has not scored a point yet this season. Greg McKegg, on waivers yesterday, has cleared.

While Graovac isn’t much of a surprise, given that he was acquired as a depth piece for the Capitals anyway and their team should be getting Andre Burakovsky back any day, Kero’s waiving will turn some heads. The 25-year old was an important piece for the Blackhawks last season, scoring 16 points in 47 games at the NHL level. Though he’s by no means a star, he moved up and down the lineup last season with relative success.

Instead, the Blackhawks seem poised to make a call-up from the minor leagues. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times believes it could be Vinnie Hinostroza, the diminutive 23-year old who seems able to score at will for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Ironically, Hinostroza was actually outscored by Kero last season in a similar number of games (Hinostroza put up 14 points in 49 games).

Marek Mazanec On Waivers; Will Sign With New York Rangers

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Wednesday: As expected, Mazanec has cleared waivers and signed with the Rangers. He was immediately assigned to the AHL, along with Alexandar Georgiev who’d been up while Henrik Lundqvist dealt with the flu. Mazanec is likely on a minimum salary two-way contract, meaning he would have $650K cap hit in the NHL.

Tuesday: Marek Mazanec is about to return to North American professional hockey, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that he will sign with the New York Rangers. Mazanec has been placed on waivers today, meaning he’s destined for the AHL once he clears. Mazanec had been under contract with the Nashville Predators this summer, but had his contract terminated to pursue an opportunity in the KHL.

After the Predators added both Matt O’Connor and Anders Lindback, it was expected that the organization would move away from Mazanec. Still though, they issued him a qualifying offer and he filed for salary arbitration, eventually settling on a two-way contract. That deal was terminated when Mazanec found a job with Slovan Bratislava in the KHL, but they’ve now moved on as well. Mazanec struggled for Slovan, posting an .899 save percentage through 23 games this season. The team has KHL veteran Jakub Stepanek to fill the crease for them, who has played better so far this year.

Joel Hanley of the Arizona Coyotes and Matt Moulson of the Buffalo Sabres, on waivers yesterday, have both cleared and can be assigned to their respective AHL teams. The Sabres had been trying to find a taker for Moulson and his $5MM cap hit, but instead will have to bury him in the minor leagues. The team will gain a prorated $1.025MM in salary cap relief from assigning him to the AHL.

Pittsburgh Penguins Place Greg McKegg On Waivers

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Greg McKegg on waivers today, after registering just four points in 26 games. The Penguins need a roster spot for an extra defenseman after Justin Schultz was injured yesterday. There’s no guarantee that McKegg is assigned to the minor leagues, but it is likely.

Greg McKeggMcKegg has been a full-time center for the Penguins until recently, but even when he was in the lineup hasn’t seen the ice very much. Averaging fewer than 10 minutes a night, he does contribute some on the penalty kill and has already nearly matched his career-high in goals this season. A former prospect of the Toronto Maple Leafs, McKegg has bounced around since being traded for Zach Hyman in 2015.

The Penguins are still out looking for help down the middle, which would eventually move McKegg out permanently. For now they’ll stick with Carter Rowney in the fourth-line role, but would likely rather Riley Sheahan to slide down after acquiring a different option for the third group.

McKegg is no stranger to waivers, having been placed their a handful of times throughout his career. The 25-year old could be claimed by another club looking for some depth at center ice, as he is on a minimum two-way deal and wouldn’t hurt a salary cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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