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Adam Cracknell Claimed By New York Rangers

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The New York Rangers have claimed Adam Cracknell off waivers from the Dallas Stars, while Michael Bournival of the Tampa Bay Lightning has cleared and been assigned to the Syracuse Crunch. Cracknell will now compete for playing time in New York, though it will be interesting to see what corresponding move the Rangers make.

As Brian wrote yesterday, Cracknell spent all of last season with the Stars, suiting up for a career-high 69 games. His 10 goals and 16 points were also both easily career bests, and he provided a big body that was versatile enough to play different forward positions. At 32, he doesn’t offer much upside but can provide decent penalty killing and responsible bottom-six play.

The Rangers had been carrying just 22 players on their roster, with Jesper Fast starting the year on injured reserve. While Cracknell’s addition certainly puts his name in the mix for fourth-line minutes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll get into the lineup right away. The team, who bounced back from an 8-5 loss at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs to shutout the Montreal Canadiens last night, will have a decision to make on young Filip Chytil.

Chytil was a healthy scratch last night after seeing fewer than 13 total minutes of ice time in the first two games combines. While he was impressive in training camp, if the team is unwilling to give him time to develop in-game he’s not long for the NHL. The 18-year old can play seven more games in the league before burning a year of his entry-level contract.

Lightning Place Michael Bournival On Waivers

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed winger Michael Bournival on waivers, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link).  If he clears on Monday, it’s expected that he will report to their AHL affiliate in Syracuse.

Bournival had been dealing with an undisclosed injury that caused him to start the season on injured reserve although it appears he has been given the green light to return now as injured players are not eligible to be waived.

The 25-year-old split last season between Tampa Bay and Syracuse.  He suited up in 19 games for the Lightning, scoring a pair of goals while adding an assist.  However, he was much more productive with the Crunch, tallying 19 points (9-10-19) in 38 regular season contests.  He also played a big role in Syracuse’s run to the Calder Cup Final (where they lost to Grand Rapids) as he notched eight goals and seven helpers in just 22 games.

Bournival has played in parts of three NHL seasons in his career between the Canadiens and Lightning.  In total, he has 108 games under his belt, notching 22 points (12-10-22).  Assuming he clears, Bournival will be a candidate to move back and forth as injuries arise in Tampa Bay.

Stars Place Adam Cracknell On Waivers

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Though there was no activity on the waiver wire on Saturday, that’s not the case today as the Stars have placed winger Adam Cracknell on waivers, according to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).  He adds that this could be a case where the team is just looking for some additional roster flexibility instead of looking to send him to the AHL right away.

Adam CracknellCracknell spent most of last season as a regular in Dallas, playing in a career-best 69 games while collecting ten goals and six assists, also career highs.  He has played in one of two games for the Stars this season and was held off the scoresheet.

The 32-year-old has played parts of eight NHL seasons with St. Louis, Columbus, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Dallas, getting into 204 games while recording 43 points (22-21-43).  He’s on a one-way contract worth $675K and is set to be an unrestricted free agent in July.

It’s also possible that the Stars could be looking to create a little bit more salary cap flexibility.  They currently have only $635K in cap room per CapFriendly and could conceivably be looking to shift Cracknell back and forth and save a bit of money in the process.  They don’t really have the ability to do that with too many other players as defenseman Julius Honka is the only waiver-exempt player on the roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Martin Marincin, Calvin Pickard Clear Waivers

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According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, both Martin Marincin and Calvin Pickard have cleared waivers. In Marincin’s case, it isn’t much of a surprise after the 25-year old failed to win a spot in training camp once again. The Maple Leafs have assigned him to the Toronto Marlies and recalled Calle Rosen, who was part of that training camp battle just a few days ago.

In Pickard’s case, there is no guarantee he will be assigned to the minor leagues right away. Instead, he could be dangled as trade bait since he would be able to go to the AHL for any team around the league. The Golden Knights currently have three goaltenders on the roster, after successfully claiming Malcolm Subban this week.

Either way, sliding Pickard through waivers now looks like a well-timed move by GM George McPhee, as he waited until teams were reticent to install a new backup goaltender. While Pickard has shown the ability to succeed at the NHL level, a bad preseason may have soured some on his potential going forward. The Golden Knights will get to keep him as an asset, though their minor league affiliate already has three goaltenders, since they’re allowing St. Louis to also send players.

Jordan Binnington, Oscar Dansk and Maxime Lagace were on the Chicago Wolves’ opening roster, which would leave little room for Pickard unless someone (or two) were moved down to the ECHL. That said, the Golden Knights still only have 11 forwards healthy and on the roster. Since no one else was placed on waivers today, if Pickard isn’t assigned somewhere, they’ll have to either dress seven defensemen, place another player on injured reserve, or make a trade of some sort to open a roster spot.

Minor Transactions: 10/05/17

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We’ll keep track of all the assignments around the league right here, as teams fine tune their rosters.

  • The Golden Knights assigned Brandon Pirri to the Chicago Wolves after clearing waivers. The 26-year old forward was just signed to a contract yesterday, after failing to earn on in Florida’s training camp. For the Golden Knights, there is no risk to signing a former 20+ goal scorer to see if he can still compete at this level. The team may be weak on offense all year, and could look to Pirri to infuse some scoring touch on the powerplay at some point.
  • The Boston Bruins sent Emil Johansson back to Providence, and will go with the more veteran Paul Postma as their extra defenseman. Johansson joined the organization last year after his European season was over, and played in six games for the P-Bruins down the stretch. A seventh-round pick, Johansson is highly regarded by the Bruins staff and could get his shot at the NHL at some point this year.
  • The Calgary Flames made another move, sending Garnet Hathaway to the minor leagues in order to clear room for Jaromir Jagr. Jagr was introduced yesterday at a press conference but likely won’t suit up for the team until he gets a few practices under his belt. The Flames could have used his offense last night as they were shutout by the Edmonton Oilers, in a game where Hathaway played just 11 minutes.
  • The Washington Capitals have loaned Chandler Stephenson to Hershey after clearing waivers, meaning the 23-year old will have to wait patiently for his next NHL opportunity. Since being drafted in the third round, Stephenson has only been given short chances at a job with the Capitals, playing in 13 games over the past two years. Still looking for his first NHL point, he’ll have to prove it at the AHL level once again.
  • Grand Rapids will be getting some help, as the Detroit Red Wings have assigned Matt Lorito and Eric Tangradi to the AHL. Tangradi cleared waivers today, and will return to the team he helped take to the Calder Cup championship a year ago. In the playoffs for Grand Rapids, Tangradi scored 19 points in 19 games, and will try to do the same this year. The Griffins have also signed Matt Carey to a professional tryout, and sent Matej Machovsky to the ECHL.
  • According to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver, the Avalanche have indeed sent Joe Colborne to San Antonio to begin the season. Colborne was among those who cleared waivers today, and will have to work his way up from the minor leagues if he wants to return to the NHL. It’s a far fall for Colborne, who was a 19-goal scorer in the league just two seasons ago with Calgary, but suffered the same fate as many Avalanche players and posted a career-low in points last season. Scoring just eight all year, his $2.5MM salary looks like a dreadful overpay.
  • The Blue Jackets have assigned defenseman Markus Nutivaara to the AHL (via the Cleveland Monsters website). For the former seventh-round pick appeared in 66 games during his rookie campaign, collecting two goals and five assists. He also made his way into a pair of playoff games, compiling one goal and one assist.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Martin Marincin, Calvin Pickard Placed On Waivers

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According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Martin Marincin and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Calvin Pickard have been placed on waivers today. All five players who were placed on waivers yesterday have cleared.

Marincin made the Maple Leafs final roster over several challengers but didn’t play in their first game last night against the Winnipeg Jets. Perhaps the team was waiting to make sure that rookie Andreas Borgman could hold his own in a regular season game before moving on from Marincin, though the timing is interesting. Roman Polak also continues to practice with the club, and could be a potential signing to add some more physicality to the team. Head coach Mike Babcock has been clear with his praise of Polak over the years, and has also been critical of Marincin.

The more interesting name though is Pickard, who looked locked into the backup role in Vegas until a late waiver claim of Malcolm Subban. Since the Golden Knights already have roster troubles with all of their defensemen, carrying three goaltenders never seemed like a realistic option. Still, Pickard has shown that he’s a capable NHL goaltender and was the Golden Knights’ expansion selection from Colorado. While admittedly there weren’t many other options on the rebuilding Avalanche, if he is claimed it will go down as somewhat of a questionable decision.

Pickard was drafted in the second round by the Avalanche in 2010, and has since developed into an excellent professional goaltender. With a career save percentage of .914 in the NHL even behind a struggling Colorado team, he’s at minimum a backup in the league. Subban, while having a higher draft pedigree than Pickard, is far from a sure thing at the NHL level after struggling in his two career games. Still, the team may see him as a big upgrade in potential, especially with the team not expected to compete. Pickard is a restricted free agent next summer and is arbitration eligible, while Subban still has another year after this on his two-way deal.

For the Maple Leafs, burying Marincin in the minors would save them $1.025MM in cap space which the team could use to improve elsewhere during the season. Last year they showed no issue with burying veteran NHL players, as Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek and Colin Greening all spent nearly the entire year in the AHL. Since Pickard makes just $1MM, he’ll cause no cap penalty on the Golden Knights, who are closer than you may think. The team is currently $5MM under the cap, though that will change drastically when Vadim Shipachyov ($4.5MM) is recalled. That said, they don’t have a ton to worry about as Mikhail Grabovski and David Clarkson could both be placed on long-term injured reserve if the team needed room.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Brandon Pirri

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8:06 PM: The team has officially announced the signing.  It’s a two-way deal worth the league minimum $650K at the NHL level.

11:22 AM: The Vegas Golden Knights appear to have signed Brandon Pirri, as the forward has been placed on waivers by the club today. Pirri was on a professional tryout with the Florida Panthers, but apparently has now signed a deal with the NHL’s newest team.

Vegas, who yesterday sent down three players—Vadim Shipachyov, Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch—still expected to make the team had just eleven forwards on the roster today. That roster work was done in order to protect their extra defensemen (of which they have many), but is now made even more clear by the Pirri signing. While there is no guarantee he makes the club to start the year, the team has added an experienced NHL forward with plenty of goal scoring ability to supplement their team.

The Golden Knights still seem required to make a trade before Friday’s opener to send one or two of their defensemen elsewhere, but it’s clear that the team has a plan in place to maximize their roster spots. Perhaps they’re hoping to sneak someone through waivers after teams begin the season, though who that would be is still unclear. The team has nine defensemen on the roster, not including Clayton Stoner who was placed on injured reserve, or Theodore who is expected to be recalled this week. All of them require waivers to be sent to the minor leagues.

Pirri though is an interesting add for the Golden Knights. After scoring 22 goals in just 49 games with the Panthers in 2014-15, it has still been a struggle to find a full-time job for the 26-year old. Vegas will be the fifth stop already in his career already, and most of it has to do with his defensive responsibility. Pirri has never been a very good two-way player, but did find his most success under Gerard Gallant and could find it again. On a team that will be desperate for scoring, Pirri could represent an interesting option.

Harry Zolniercyzk On Waivers, Signaling New Contract

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Wednesday: The team has announced the signing. Zolnierczyk will earn $650K at the NHL level on a two-way, one-year contract.

Tuesday: According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the only player on waivers today is Harry Zolnierczyk, and he was placed there by the Nashville Predators. Since Zolnierczyk had been on a professional tryout with the Florida Panthers last we checked, that would indicate that he’s signed a contract with the Predators for the upcoming season.

Zolnierczyk played with Nashville last season, getting into 24 games during the regular season but suiting up for another 11 during their Stanley Cup finals run. He made an impact during the playoffs, but is still a fringe NHL player and will likely be signing a two-way deal. In 84 career games, the 30-year old has 13 points.

The more interesting thing about Zolnierczyk being the only player on waivers is what it means for other teams around the league. Clubs are required to get down to 23 players by today’s deadline, meaning the rest of the cuts needed around the league must be waiver-exempt players. Teams could also be placing players on injured reserve, or trading them to get their rosters in order for the start of the season.

Waivers & Recalls: 10/04/17

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The first day of the regular season has brought a fair amount of movement already, with extensions, retirements and trades. There are also five players that have been placed on the waiver wire, while others have been recalled to play in their respective team’s opening games. Here are the minor moves from today:

Waivers:

Brandon Pirri (VGK)
Chandler Stephenson (WSH)
Joe Colborne (COL)
Eric Tangradi (DET)
Patrick Wiercioch (VAN)

Recalls:

Alex DeBrincat (CHI)
Gustav Forsling (CHI)

Alex Chiasson Signs With Washington Capitals

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The Washington Capitals have signed Alex Chiasson to a one-way, one-year contract worth $660K. Chiasson had been on a professional tryout with the team but was expected to earn a contract once the season began. Team writer Mike Vogel reports that the team will place Chandler Stephenson on waivers today to make room, with the intent of sending him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

Chiasson spent last season with the Calgary Flames, scoring 12 goals and 24 points in 81 games. The former Dallas Stars’ prospect has carved out a nice career so far as a defense-first winger, capable of adding a bit of secondary scoring when asked. His career-high of 35 points in 2013-14 isn’t expected, but he’ll help fill a role vacated by Daniel Winnik in the bottom-six. The Capitals have seen quite a bit of turnover in their forward ranks, but will rely on new players like Chiasson and Devante Smith-Pelly to pick up the slack behind their impressive top group.

Despite watching several high profile free agents walk this summer, the Capitals were still pressed right up against the cap and needed to find some cheap options that still had upside. Chiasson is exactly that, and after proving he hasn’t lost a step in camp he should fit right in. Once Stephenson is waives, the team will be approximately $80K short of the cap ceiling, which won’t allow them much room to operate in-season. Big contracts to T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov made sure of that, as the pair was handed more than $13.5MM to return this season.

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