Vadim Shipachyov To Terminate Contract, Return To Russia
Though Eric Engels of Sportsnet is standing by his report that Shipachyov has decided to go back to Russia, Bob McKenzie of TSN now tells us that Shipachyov will not be on unconditional waivers today. He admits it might happen in the future, but the fact that he isn’t just yet does leave a tiny bit of hope for those who would like to see another team in the NHL acquire him. Part of the hold up is likely that Shipachyov will be required to pay back some of his $2MM signing bonus (pro-rated for the amount of contract that is to be terminated), a defense against these very scenarios. Engels reports that that process is underway.
It still seems overwhelmingly likely that the Russian center will return to the KHL this season, ending what can’t even be called a promising NHL career. In three games he scored his first goal, but was then sent back down to the AHL because of a combination of roster constraints and inconsistent play. When he does, watch out for him on the next iteration of the Russian Olympic roster. Though he obviously wasn’t included yet, he will become a candidate for selection as soon as he returns home.
Earlier updates
- Though there seemed to be some hope Monday morning when a report surfaced that Vadim Shipachyov‘s agent was still talking to teams about a possible trade, that glimmer of hope has been destroyed. Engels reports that the Vegas Golden Knights’ forward has decided to return to Russia, and will be put on unconditional waivers tomorrow in order to mutually terminate his contract.
Minor Transactions: 10/30/17
The NHL will have plenty of moves today as team prepare for the next month of the season, and try to deal with injury and inconsistency. The Columbus Blue Jackets already called up an intriguing young forward prospect as they try to overcome an injury to Cam Atkinson. We’ll chronicle the rest of today’s minor moves right here.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Max McCormick once again from the AHL’s Belleville Senators. McCormick has played two games for Ottawa this season, and is an important member of Belleville’s group. The 25-year old, that blends physical play with a bit of scoring upside, has just four points in 29 NHL games. Should he get back into the lineup, it will likely be as a fourth-line presence once again.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Hunter Miska from the AHL, continuing their merry-go-round of goaltenders. Miska has yet to make an appearance in the NHL after signing a two-year entry-level contract this spring. The Coyotes of course placed Louis Domingue on waivers yesterday, and will likely send him to the AHL if he is not claimed by another team. It seems as though Scott Wedgewood, who the team acquired recently, will be asked to step into the starter’s role should Antti Raanta remain injured.
- According to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Flyers are expected to recall Mark Alt from the AHL. Philadelphia is dealing with injuries to both Samuel Morin and Shayne Gostisbehere, meaning Alt will likely go straight into the lineup alongside Brandon Manning for their game tonight against the Coyotes. If he does, it would be just the second NHL game for the 26-year old Alt, who hasn’t turned into quite the shutdown defender that the Carolina Hurricanes envisioned when they selected him 53rd-overall in 2010.
- Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver reports that the Canucks will recall Anton Rodin from the Utica Comets, marking his first call-up since clearing waivers just prior to the season. Rodin, a 26-year old forward who spent three games with the Canucks last season, underwent knee surgery in February and had a long rehab to get back on the ice. In three games with Utica this year he’s scored two points.
- The Buffalo Sabres have sent Zach Redmond back to the AHL, likely due to the impending return of Justin Falk to the lineup. The Sabres are off until Thursday when they travel to Arizona to take on the Coyotes, and could have Falk back in the lineup. Redmond will return to the Rochester Americans where he can make a much bigger impact.
- The Minnesota Wild have brought two of their recent assignments back up, recalling Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin. The Wild had a couple of days off in between Saturday’s matchup and tomorrow’s game, so they sent the pair down to let them bank some cap space by manipulating the roster. The young promising forwards will likely be back in the lineup when they take on the Winnipeg Jets, especially after Kunin was buzzing all over the ice in this weekend’s game.
Shea Theodore Officially Recalled By Vegas Golden Knights
The wait is over for Shea Theodore, who has finally been recalled by the Vegas Golden Knights. After both Jason Garrison and Griffin Reinhart have cleared waivers in recent days, the team now has enough roster flexibility to call up Theodore, who was expected to be one of the key members of the expansion team this year.
Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks during the expansion process in exchange for taking Clayton Stoner and his contract off their hands, Theodore was considered the prize of the draft. The blue-chip defense prospect had spent 53 games in the NHL to that point and looked ready to become a top contributor in the league. Still, even with his high-end potential the team sent him to the AHL to start the year because of his status as waiver-exempt.
As the team kept winning—Vegas is now 8-1 to start the year—it was harder to justify removing anyone from the roster, and there just wasn’t room for the defenseman to make his mark. Patiently he waited in the AHL playing for the Chicago Wolves, where he dominated to the tune of 11 points in eight games. It was clear his time was coming, just as soon as GM George McPhee felt comfortable trying to sneak Reinhart through waivers.
With Stoner on injured reserve, and now Reinhart and Garrison in the minor leagues the Golden Knights are down to just eight defensemen on the roster, a number that is far less unusual than when they were carrying ten earlier in the year. Even though he’s the newest member, Theodore will likely go straight into the lineup and could even start logging important minutes right away. Though he’s not as polished as some of the other options the Golden Knights have, his dynamic offensive skill and excellent skating ability should make him one of the most exciting players in Vegas right from the start.
For a team that was expected to struggle this season, it’s an awfully good start to the year. They’ll now insert another good young player into a lineup that has shown it’s more than just cast-offs and wash-ups. The Golden Knights will take on the New York Islanders tonight in the first game of a grueling six-game road trip.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Domingue, Reinhart Placed On Waivers
Monday: Both Domingue and Reinhart have cleared waivers and will be assigned to their respective AHL clubs.
Sunday: Arizona goaltender Louis Domingue and Vegas Golden Knights’ defender Griffin Reinhart were both placed on waivers this morning, according to Elliotte Friedman. Assuming both players clear waivers on Monday, they will be assigned to their respective AHL teams.
Domingue became expendable yesterday after the Coyotes traded for New Jersey Devils goaltender Scott Wedgewood. Domingue has received the lions’ share of minutes in goal for Arizona this year with the injury woes that starter Antti Raanta has sustained. The Coyotes’ backup for the past two years has struggled this year with a 4.33 GAA and a miserable .856 save percentage in seven games, prompting the team to look for a replacement in Wedgewood. The transaction also likely indicates that Raanta might be ready to return to action after having sit out for all, but three games so far this year with multiple injuries.
Reinhart has been one of the Vegas Golden Knights multitude of defensemen who general manager George McPhee has been protecting on their roster, forcing other players such as Shea Theodore to have to sit in the AHL, waiting for an opening. The former fourth-overall pick in the 2012 draft has never been able to break through at the NHL level and along with his size (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) and draft status has been considered to be a guy that could develop into a legitimate NHL player and has been given numerous chances to succeed. However, Reinhart was a healthy scratch for the Golden Knights’ first seven games before they sent him to the Chicago Wolves on a conditioning stint. He has struggled there in two games, prompting the decision to put him on waivers.
Vadim Shipachyov Trade Still A Possibility
When the waiver list came out today, it conspicuously did not include the name of Vadim Shipachyov (or any others for that matter). The Vegas Golden Knights forward is currently suspended for leaving their AHL affiliate, and was considered to be a candidate for contract termination. That would require clearing unconditional waivers, but as Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports there remains the possibility of a trade. Shipachyov signed a two-year $9MM contract this summer, but has played just three games for the Golden Knights so far this season.
Shipachyov started the year on the roster of the Chicago Wolves of the AHL due to his waiver-exempt status, but didn’t report to the team for their first few games. Instead, he stayed in Vegas with his family helping them become accustomed to life in the United States. When he was called up to the Golden Knights, he played three games but didn’t make much of an impression on his coach even while the team continued their torrid start. When sent down this time, he first reported to practice before leaving the team once again. He was subsequently suspended, making a bad situation even more tense.
Should the Golden Knights not be able to find a trade partner, a mutual termination of his contract would likely come with a return to the KHL. It remains very unlikely that he would sign a new contract with someone in the NHL this season, though technically that would be a possibility. Engels reported last night on Sportsnet that he believed Shipachyov’s agent Petr Svoboda was still talking with a few teams trying to help facilitate a trade, though it is not clear how close any deal is.
The Golden Knights have recently waived both Jason Garrison and Griffin Reinhart without incident, sending them through to the minor leagues and opening up roster spots. One of those is expected to be used on Shea Theodore instead of Shipachyov, showing that this isn’t just about roster construction. The team has room to bring him back up if they wanted to, but with how he has reacted recently it may have forced their hands.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Reway Clears Unconditional Waivers, To Be Terminated
Sunday: CapFriendly reports that Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Martin Reway has cleared unconditional waivers and the team is terminating his deal.
Saturday: The Canadiens have placed Reway on unconditional waivers for the purpose of mutual contract termination, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).
Reway missed all of last season with a heart ailment but had made a return to playing this season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Laval. The team was easing him into the lineup by avoiding playing him in back-to-back situations but he still suited up in five games, collecting two assists and six penalty minutes along with a -5 plus/minus rating.
However, the 22-year-old left the team on Thursday to ponder his future and with this move, it appears that his preference may be to return to playing overseas at this time. This isn’t the first time this month that the Canadiens have utilized a contract termination as they did so with defenseman Mark Streit after he declined to report to the minors.
Assuming he clears, the Canadiens will be off the hook for the remaining two years of his contract, one that carries a cap hit of just over $700K. It will also drop them to 45 contracts on of the 50-contract limit.
Canadiens Place Martin Reway On Waivers
The Canadiens have placed prospect Martin Reway on unconditional waivers for the purpose of mutual contract termination, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).
Reway missed all of last season with a heart ailment but had made a return to playing this season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Laval. The team was easing him into the lineup by avoiding playing him in back-to-back situations but he still suited up in five games, collecting two assists and six penalty minutes along with a -5 plus/minus rating.
However, the 22-year-old left the team on Thursday to ponder his future and with this move, it appears that his preference may be to return to playing overseas at this time. This isn’t the first time this month that the Canadiens have utilized a contract termination as they did so with defenseman Mark Streit after he declined to report to the minors.
Assuming he clears, the Canadiens will be off the hook for the remaining two years of his contract, one that carries a cap hit of just over $700K. It will also drop them to 45 contracts on of the 50-contract limit.
Las Vegas Places Jason Garrison On Waivers
The Golden Knights have finally done what many expected weeks ago, and placed some of their defensemen on waivers. Jason Garrison is the odd-man out according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, after only dressing for four games this season,
It seems as though George McPhee has finally accepted that a trade isn’t going to be possible for some of his assets, and has resigned to trying to squeeze them through waivers. Garrison is an unlikely claim, as he comes with a $4.6MM cap hit for this year (though he earns only $2.5MM in actual salary and is an unrestricted free agent next summer). The 32-year old defenseman was once one of the most frightening weapons in the league with the man advantage, scoring 16 goals with Florida in 2011-12. While his shot is still powerful, the rest of his game has deteriorated while powerplays are moving further and further away from relying on defensive shots from the point.
Garrison has made quite the career for himself after going undrafted and attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth. In 534 career games, he’s recorded 159 points and earned himself a six-year contract worth $27.6MM. While this seems like it may be the end of his NHL career this season, there may be renewed interest in him on the open market next summer, albeit with a greatly reduced price tag.
Vegas, to the ire of many of their fans, have been using the minor leagues to house some of their more interesting players. Shea Theodore, Alex Tuch and Vadim Shipachyov have all spent time in the minors, while the NHL squad carried nine or ten defensemen on the active roster. The waiver-exempt status all three hold has been an important asset to McPhee and the Golden Knights, but now as they get healthy they will need to make decisions on other players. Remember, there is a chance that Garrison is not assigned to the AHL after clearing waivers, as the team could instead make a different decision. Sometimes, players are waived to help their trade value, though in this case it still seems unlikely.
*This article previously linked to a erroneous report of Griffin Reinhart also being placed on waivers. He has instead been sent to the Chicago Wolves on a conditioning stint, but remains on the Vegas roster.
Minor Moves: Corrado, Heinen, Mitchell
The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Justin Schultz on injured reserve, and recalled Frank Corrado from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in his stead. Schultz suffered a concussion on Tuesday night, and is out indefinitely while he works his way through the league protocol.
Corrado, 24, was acquired by the Penguins last year from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a salary dump of sorts. The Maple Leafs took on Eric Fehr’s $2MM/year contract, after he had cleared waivers with the Penguins. Fehr cleared waivers again yesterday for the Maple Leafs, and could be sent to the minor leagues today. Corrado played just two games down the stretch last season, and has been stuck in the minors to being this year. The defenseman has two points in six games.
- The Boston Bruins have brought Danton Heinen back from the minor leagues ahead of their matchup with the San Jose Sharks tonight, rewarding the young playmaker for his excellent early play. Heinen has eight points in four games for the Providence Bruins, including seven assists. That isn’t just a minor league trend, as prior to his assignment he recorded three points in three games for Boston as well. The 22-year old fourth-round pick is showing considerable upside and could get into the lineup on a more full-time basis going forward.
- The Minnesota Wild have also continued to bounce players up and down, today recalling Zack Mitchell from the AHL. Mitchell had previously been up with the team for three games, where he registered one point while playing fewer than ten minutes per night. The undrafted forward has been a big part of the Iowa Wild for several years, and filled in for Minnesota last year as well. Likely not much more than a 13th forward, this likely isn’t the last transaction to include Mitchell this year. He will eventually need to clear waivers again as he cleared on September 28th, just before the season began.
- The Joshua Ho-Sang move from yesterday was indeed a prelude to Alan Quine‘s activation, as the team has moved him from season-opening injured reserve to a conditioning stint. While Quine will have to play a couple of games in the minor leagues, he still counts towards their 23-man roster for the time being.
Morning Moves: Kloos, Petan, Cracknell
The Minnesota Wild have sent Justin Kloos back to the minor leagues after getting Mikael Granlund back last night. Kloos also played in the game but received fewer than nine minutes of ice time. The 23-year old forward will certainly get another chance eventually at the NHL level, after excelling at the University of Minnesota.
Kloos is a homegrown talent, born in Lakeville, Minnesota and developed in the state high school ranks before heading to Iowa and the USHL. Undrafted, he would eventually find his way back to star as a Golden Gopher, even captaining the UMN team in his final two years. Kloos signed a two-year entry-level deal this spring, and will continue to try and beat the odds to become the latest undersized forward to go from overlooked prospect to NHL contributor.
- The Winnipeg Jets have activated Matt Hendricks from injured reserve, and assigned Nic Petan to the Manitoba Moose. Hendricks is expected to be back in the Jets’ lineup when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow night. The 36-year old forward is in his first year with Winnipeg, after spending the previous few season with Edmonton. Though he can’t be relied upon for much offense, he is tough to play against and has always been excellent in the faceoff dot. He’ll likely work his way onto a penalty kill for the Jets, something he’s done relatively well throughout his career.
- Adam Cracknell has cleared waivers for the New York Rangers, something the Dallas Stars couldn’t accomplish earlier this month. The Rangers snagged him and inserted him into the bottom-six, but his role there wasn’t long-lived. After a relatively excellent season a year ago, Cracknell has been held scoreless through the first five games of the season (one for Dallas, four for New York) and now finds himself in limbo. Assigned to the AHL, he’ll join a Hartford Wolf Pack team that is spinning their wheels with a 3-3-1 record.