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Drew Shore Returns From Europe, Signs With Canucks

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Monday: According to CapFriendly, Shore has cleared waivers and is now eligible to play though it’s not yet clear when he would debut.

Sunday: Former-NHLer Drew Shore is a current-NHLer once again. Shore is on entry waivers today and has signed with the Vancouver Canucks for the remainder of the season, per a team announcement. Shore makes his way back from Europe after playing this season with EHC Kloten of the Swiss National League A (NLA).  It is because he played overseas this year while not being on Vancouver’s reserve list that he has to clear waivers before he can join the team.

Rarely does leaving the NHL work out as well for one’s hockey career as it has thus far for Shore. A second-round pick of the Florida Panthers back in 2009 and the brother of the L.A. Kings’ Nick Shore, Kings’ minor-leaguer Quentin Shore, and 2017 draft-eligible Baker Shore, a lot was expected of the eldest of a talented hockey family out of Denver, Colorado. However, Shore struggled to find his footing in the NHL early on, scoring just 20 points in 67 games with the Panthers over the course of his first two pro seasons. In 2014-15, Shore had not played a single NHL game by mid-January, when he was dealt to the Calgary Flames. The trade made matters worse, as Shore was only given 13 games with Flames in a season and a half with the organization and scored only four points in that time. Tired of the minors and his lack of production at the highest level in North America, the 26-year-old center signed with Kloten in Switzerland this summer. In the NLA, Shore seemed to finally find his game, recording 24 goals and 24 assists in 50 games. His 24 goals ranked third in the league, while his 48 total points finished sixth. Shore achieved these numbers on a team that was significantly less talented than most of its competition and featured only one other former NHL forward, James Sheppard. Shore carried the squad and helped them to avoid relegation.

Now that Shore has re-established his game, at least in what many consider the second-best hockey league in Europe, he is going to try his hand at the NHL once more. His signing with Vancouver is yet another shrewd move to add to the recent streak of GM Jim Benning. Shore is still young and spent the last year dominating talented competition and developing the open, offensive European game that the Canucks try to implement. The team is out of playoff contention – though Shore would not have been eligible to compete anyway – but can still take the rest of the season to assess their new asset for his future fit. Gambling on Shore is a low-risk, high-reward investment for Benning as well as something for disheartened Vancouver fans to follow for the remainder of the season. Little downside for the team, fans, or player in this scenario.

Deadline Day Waiver Update

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One player is headed to a new team today, and not via trade. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Vancouver Canucks have claimed forward Joseph Cramarossa off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. Cramarossa was one of seven players placed on the waiver wire yesterday, but Friedman reports that Eric Fehr (PIT), Marc-Andre Bergeron (CBJ), Jyrki Jokipakka (CAL),  Mike Weber (MIN), Chris DiDomenico (OTT), and Gabriel Dumont (TB) have all cleared today.

Cramarossa, 24, had finally developed into an NHL-caliber player this season in Anaheim, after earning skating in his first pro game earlier this season. The rookie winger has been a mainstay on the Ducks’ fourth line, skating in 49 games and recording ten points, while playing a physical two-way game. He’ll now bring that aggressive, high-energy style to Vancouver. A third-round pick of the Ducks in 2011, it may have taken Cramarossa a while to get to the NHL, but the Canucks can now capitalize on years of development in Anaheim by bringing an NHL-ready checking line forward into the fold.

Cramarossa will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so expect the stretch run to be a tryout for an extension in Vancouver.

Eric Fehr Headlines Tuesday Waivers

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Eric Fehr was placed on waivers today along with a few other names in different situations. Joseph Cramarossa (ANH), Marc-Andre Bergeron (CBJ), Jyrki Jokipakka (CAL),  Mike Weber (MIN), Chris DiDomenico (OTT), Gabriel Dumont (TB) all hit the wire today as well, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Fehr, 31, has seen his role in Pittsburgh diminished greatly this season and has just eleven points in 51 games. Though he still has another year left on his current deal at $2MM, the team has reduced his minutes to under 11 per night and are likely seeing what kind of interest there is around the league. The former 20-goal scorer could head to the minors to save the Pens some cap-room for the rest of the season if they are looking to make another deal before the deadline. The team is currently into their LTIR room.

Most of the other names won’t come as much of a surprise, though Jokipakka will likely gather some interest from around the league after a solid start to the season went downhill. DiDomenico and Bergeron both just signed deals and need to clear waivers to become eligible. Weber, a veteran of 351 NHL games who was dealt at last year’s trade deadline had been acting as the Iowa Wild’s captain in the AHL before signing his NHL deal today. He is a solid depth piece for the Wild as they look to go deep into the playoffs this season.

Arizona Coyotes Acquire Teemu Pulkkinen From Minnesota Wild

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After clearing waivers today, Teemu Pulkkinen is off to Arizona. The Coyotes have acquired the minor league scoring winger from the Minnesota Wild for future considerations. As the Coyotes continue their rebuild, the team has added another dangerous offensive player to their minor league stables. Teemu Pulkkinen

Pulkkinen was picked off waivers by the Wild earlier this year from the Detroit Red Wings, but still hasn’t been able to establish himself as a force in the NHL. His AHL numbers are outstanding but some believe that his skating ability is not yet strong enough to compete in the big leagues. Now he’ll likely get an extended chance with Arizona to prove those naysayers wrong, as according to Dave Vest of NHL.com he will join the team in Boston for their game tomorrow night. The Coyotes have nothing to lose this season and can give Pulkkinen time in the NHL to see if he can come close the nearly point-per-game pace he’s established in the minors.

As Arizona sells off its expiring assets, they’ve now completed two deals with Minnesota in the past 24 hours. Yesterday they dealt Martin Hanzal in a larger deal and perhaps had agreed to include Pulkkinen after seeing what happened on waivers today. The Coyotes have continued to stockpile young talent both at the NHL level and in the minors, hoping that in a few seasons they will have enough to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Their newest Finnish forward is just 25 years old and is now on his third franchise. With just 79 games under his belt in the NHL he’ll be up for arbitration this summer as he becomes a restricted free agent for the third time. The rest of this season will likely determine his future in the league.

Greg McKegg, Zac Dalpe Claimed Off Waivers

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According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, the Tampa Bay Lightning have claimed Greg McKegg off waivers from the Florida Panthers, and the Columbus Blue Jackets claimed Zac Dalpe from the Minnesota Wild. Both Ryan Carter and Teemu Pulkkinen cleared today.

McKegg will join a crowded group in Tampa Bay after the team called up both Adam Erne and Yanni Gourde this morning as well. The former third-round pick may be another option for the team should the decide to trade any forwards before Wednesday’s trade deadline. Though he hasn’t found much success at the NHL level thus far in his career, he does provide some center depth for a team that has an expiring contract in Brian Boyle likely on the market.

Minnesota had been trying to slip Dalpe through waivers to reset his clock before the Wednesday trade deadline according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, but will now have to give him up to the Columbus Blue Jackets who are dealing with some injuries up front and could use some help. The former Carolina Hurricanes second-round pick has bounced around the AHL ranks throughout his career and will hope for an extended look at the NHL level with his new team.

As Russo points out, the Wild are willing to trade Pulkkinen after he cleared waivers, and a team could immediately install the elite AHL scorer into their minor league system. Should they find a taker, he’ll likely not command a big price after the Wild acquired him off waivers from the Red Wings earlier this seaosn.

Sunday Waivers: Dalpe, Pulkkinen, Carter, McKegg

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As we get ready for the final few days before the March 1st trade deadline, the Minnesota Wild have waived several players according to Renaud Levoie of TVA Sports. Today they placed Zac Dalpe, Teemu Pulkkinen and the newly signed Ryan Carter on waivers. Florida also placed forward Greg McKegg on waivers, after 31 fairly ineffective games this season.

Dalpe is on his way to Minnesota after returning from a meniscus injury suffered earlier this year, and has been placed on waivers to reset his clock as Michael Russo of the Star Tribune explains. The 27-year old forward is a former second round pick that has never quite found his way in the NHL despite performing well in the minor leagues. Recalled mostly as insurance for the next three games, he’ll provide some center depth over the next few days.

Russo also opines that Pulkkinen was placed on waivers as a type of memo to the league that he is available, though after playing just nine games in the NHL the league probably already knew that. The elite AHL scorer has never been able to make an impact at the NHL, mostly because of his skating ability. That quarter-step behind that is the difference between the two leagues often puts Pulkkinen behind the play, though he has been given very few chances to adapt, shuffled between the two leagues often throughout his career. Perhaps a rebuilding team will take a look at him before the deadline and let him play the rest of the season in the NHL to try and make the adjustments necessary.

McKegg has been a disappointment since being acquired for Zach Hyman in 2015. While the Maple Leafs have installed Hyman on their top line riding shotgun with Auston Matthews, the Panthers have been less enthralled with their player, giving him very little icetime and even sending him to the minors at times. The Leafs also received a seventh-round pick in that trade, making it even more painful for Panthers fans every time they see Hyman’s name on a scoresheet. McKegg will likely have to find his game again at the AHL level before getting another shot with the NHL club.

Kings Activate Quick, Nolan From IR

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Two-time Stanley Cup winning goalie Jonathan Quick has been activated from LTIR by the Los Angeles Kings, as first reported by TSN’s Frank Seravalli, and is scheduled to make his first appearance in more than four months this afternoon as the team prepares to play host to the Anaheim Ducks. Quick has been sidelined due to a groin injury suffered in the first period of the 2016-17 season opener. It’s hoped the return of the veteran netminder will help propel the Kings, currently five points behind Nashville for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, back into a postseason slot.

The Kings have relied primarily on veteran backup backstop Peter Budaj with Quick sidelined. Budaj has more than held his own in 51 starts, tying his career high in Save % with a 0.917 mark and posting a career-best 2.12 GAA. He also leads the league in both shutouts (7) and losses (20).

It’s hard to fault the goaltending for the team’s struggles given Budaj’s strong performance but Quick’s return will certainly provide a boost for the Kings down the stretch. Additionally, any idea the Kings may have entertained about acquiring a veteran backstop at the trade deadline can be shelved and the club can instead focus their efforts and resources on upgrading other areas of the roster.

In addition to Quick, forward Jordan Nolan was also activated from IR by the team, according to Helene Elliot of the LA Times. Nolan, who has missed the last three weeks due to a lower-body injury, has four goals and eight points in 41 contests this season. While not much of an offensive threat, the gritty pivot adds size and physicality to the team’s fourth line.

With Quick’s return, the Kings have reassigned Jeff Zatkoff to Ontario of the AHL. Zatkoff, who cleared waivers earlier this week, has struggled between the pipes for L.A., winning just two of eight starts and compiling a Save % of just 0.879 and a GAA of nearly three.

 

 

Metro Division Snapshots: Rangers, Flyers, Helgeson

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While many believe the New York Rangers need to upgrade their blue line before they can be safely be considered Stanley Cup contenders, head coach Alain Vigneault is content with the team’s current roster, writes Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News.

“For me, right now I like my team,” Vigneault said Friday. “I like the way the guys prepare and their work ethic and how they compete. Jeff (Gorton) and I communicate every day on our team and obviously our needs, etc. But I’m focused on the group that I have now and on the next game that’s coming up, and I’m preparing them. He knows my opinion on our group and if there are areas we can improve. He knows that, he’s known that for quite some time. I’m really focused on this group and what we need to do.

“I’m happy with what we have here. I think we’ve got a good team, a good, young group that’s hungry, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

It’s common for coaches, and in particular Vigneault, to direct much of his focus on the players available to him at the moment and on how to get them playing their best hockey as a group. It’s understandable for the coach to take this public stance, even if the club is actively looking to add ahead of the deadline, as he wouldn’t want to weaken his GM’s position by advertising that the team isn’t comfortable with the roster as is. But the Rangers have been in “go for it” mode for the last several seasons and there is still much doubt whether the team as currently constructed is good enough to go all the way. If Rangers GM Jeff Gorton finds a deal that makes sense, one that improves the team without sacrificing NHL talent and/or mortgaging the club’s future, expect him to pull the trigger.

Elsewhere in the Metro Division:

  • With the Philadelphia Flyers falling further away from a playoff spot (the team is currently five points behind the Islanders for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card slot with two teams to pass) GM Ron Hextall has made it clear his team will not be a buyer at the trade deadline, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Instead, Hextall has indicated he will wait to see where the team resides in the standings after this weekend’s slate of games before determining just how much he is willing to sell off. The team will undoubtedly listen to fair offers for any of their five pending UFA’s, a group that includes Michael Del Zotto, Mark Streit, Nick Schultz, Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth. But should the Flyers fall further out of the race, would Hextall consider dealing away players with term left on their deals? “Not to make us a worse team,” he said. “If we make something happen [with trades] and if we can bring someone up and we take a lateral move, yeah, that’s kind of where you want to get to. That’s why you don’t want to bring up 20-year-olds that aren’t ready to play.” It’s a reasonable tact to take given where the organization is in terms of their rebuild/retool. With plenty of quality young talent yet to come, it makes sense to remain patient and avoid making any impulsive trades, whether to fortify the current roster or to add additional young assets.
  • Seth Helgeson, whom the New Jersey Devils placed on waivers yesterday, has cleared but will remain with the team for the time being, tweets Andrew Gross of NorthJersey.com. In a subsequent tweet, Gross relays that Devils head coach John Hynes indicated the decision to keep the defenseman on the big league roster was made to maintain “roster flexibility.” Helgeson has appeared in nine contests this season for New Jersey, registering his first NHL goal.

 

Predicting The Next “Bartkowski Deal”

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The genius that was the Matt Bartkowski signing should not be understated. By now, the extension for the purpose of Expansion Draft exposure has become commonplace, but what GM Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames did was unique. They went outside the organization to sign a player to a multi-year deal who fulfilled the criteria of having played in 40 games this season or 70 games over the past two years. Except Bartkowski hadn’t played a single NHL game this season; he had been on a minor league contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. What that means is Bartkowski had to have played in over 70 games last season alone, and indeed he had skated in 80 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2015-16. In fact, Bartkowksi was the only defenseman on the planet who played in over 70 games last season yet was not signed to an NHL contract this season. Therein lies the genius that was the unassuming signing of Bartkowski. The Flames picked up the only player on the market who could automatically fill their need for an exposure-eligible defenseman.

With a reportedly quiet trade market this season, there are bound to be teams facing expansion protection problems after the March 1st Trade Deadline comes and goes, whether it’s on the blue line or up front. Will someone follow in Treliving’s footsteps and scoop up a player who played in 70 or so games last season but remains unsigned as of now? The short answer is probably not.

Looking at the short list of players who meet the games played criteria, it very well could be that Bartkowski stands alone as an unsigned player looking to continue playing hockey, even if that means signing a two-year, two-way contract and likely logging major AHL minutes. Especially on defense, a team like the Carolina Hurricanes is likely out of luck if they want to replicate the Bartkowksi maneuver. The only unsigned player who qualifies for exposure is Matt Carle, who played in 64 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year and six earlier this year with the Nashville Predators. However, Carle announced his retirement in November when he cleared waivers and was likely going to be moved to the AHL. Carle seems content with collecting buyout checks from the Lightning and almost certainly would have no interest is returning to hockey with a two-year, two-way deal. There are really no other defensemen that even have a reasonable chance of meeting the 40/70 criteria. Bartkowski was essentially it.

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Jeff Glass, Seth Helgeson Placed On Waivers; Bryan Bickell Clears

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According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, Jeff Glass and Seth Helgeson have been placed on waivers today. Bryan Bickell, the only player on waivers yesterday has cleared.

Glass was signed to a contract just yesterday by the Chicago Blackhawks, and would need waivers in order to remain in Rockford where he is currently playing. Similar to the situation Adam Pardy went through earlier this year, Glass is not expected to spend much time in the NHL this season unless the Blackhawks decide to move Scott Darling at the deadline.

Helgeson has played in nine games with the Devils this season after they brought him up in December. He hasn’t seen game action in almost two weeks, and even then had been playing just over 13 minutes a night. The former fourth-round pick will likely clear, as other defensemen who are more established than him have done so in weeks past.

Bickell was placed on waivers in order to extend his stay with the Charlotte Checkers as he continues to work back from his diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis earlier this year. The road has been long for the three-time Stanley Cup winner, but he’s determined to make it back to the NHL this season. The entire hockey world is rooting for him, whether you’ve hated playing against him in the past.

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