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Toronto Maple Leafs Place Travis Boyd On Waivers

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have put forward Travis Boyd on waivers once again, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. The 27-year-old was put on waivers at the start of training camp and cleared and now must go through the process once again. Boyd has appeared in 20 of the Maple Leafs 32 games this year, but has also spent a good amount of time on the team’s taxi squad.

The move is designed to maximize Toronto’s cap space before the upcoming trade deadline. Assuming Boyd clears, which isn’t necessarily a guarantee, the Maple Leafs can send him down to the taxi squad to accrue cap space. With no players currently on LTIR, the team can now save up some extra space before the trade deadline to potentially open up more opportunities for the team. Boyd makes the minimum, $700K salary, but having him on the taxi squad between games can save the team quite a bit.

Boyd has fared quite well since coming over via free agency during the offseason. The forward has three goals and eight points in 20 games this year, while averaging just 9:40 of ATOI.

Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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Although we’re just two months into the season, the trade deadline is already less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Edmonton Oilers.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle standing between the Edmonton Oilers and their longest playoff run in the Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl era is not their North Division competition, but their lack of cap space. The Oilers are ready to be all-out buyers and compete for a Stanley Cup, but they lack the cap space to do much at all. They are already using Long Term Injured Reserve space and even most of that is already chewed up. Any trade will either have to see salary go the other way or be paired with another transaction to shed salary.

The Oilers have been bold in their waivers decisions this year, placing the likes of James Neal, Alex Chiasson, and Jujhar Khaira among others on the wire. Neal will require waivers again after two more games played, but is not a realistic waiver claim candidate anyhow. Plus, Neal’s off-roster status is currently reflected in their still-lacking cap space. Chiasson and Khaira though would require waivers again to be moved off the roster and there is reason to be believe that the Oilers may not risk it a second time. Could Zack Kassian be the next name they take a chance with? Signed to a long-term contract with a significant amount of salary, Kassian is probably unlikely to be claimed and could open up some space. He appears to have lost his top-six role and may be worth the risk.

The fact that a contender must consider risking their starting players on waivers to open up enough space to add different starting players just shows the dire cap situation in Edmonton. Add in the team’s lack of 2021 draft picks and an organizational philosophy that has been opposed to trading top prospects and it may be difficult for the Oilers to make a big move. With that said, they will find a way to make some sort of addition or two.

Record

20-13-0, .606, 3rd in North Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$0MM in full-season space (LTIR), 1/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: EDM 1st, EDM 4th, EDM 6th, PIT 6th, EDM 7th
2022: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th

Trade Chips

The Oilers’ best chance at adding an impact forward to their roster is by moving out salary to offset the addition. Although the Edmonton blue line may not seem like a top unit in the NHL, they are very deep which could make a roster defenseman expendable. Especially considering the impending Expansion Draft, which could cost the Oilers a young roster defenseman anyhow, there is some added incentive to deal from the blue line. 23-year-old Ethan Bear, who was trending upward heading into this season, has hit a wall in his development instead, recording just three points thus far, seeing a career low in ice time, and even sitting a few games as a healthy scratch. Bear still undoubtedly has value and could be the Oilers’ top trade chip, if they’re willing to move him. Competing for the No. 6 defenseman role for Edmonton this year has been William Lagesson, 25, and Caleb Jones, 23, who like Bear will each be restricted free agents after the 2021-22 season and are eligible for selection in the Expansion Draft. While Jones may have more upside, Lagesson has been the preferred player of the coaching staff due to his superior defense, even recently playing a top-four role. Jones’ contract is also slightly more expensive, which could be considered. Assuming the Oilers use the 7-3 protection scheme in the Expansion Draft and Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom (though not a lock) are protected, only one of these three young defensemen can join them. However, only one can be selected as well. That works out to one of the trio being expendable in a deadline move, especially with top prospects like Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg pushing up the pipeline as well.

The Oilers don’t have the same depth up front, but as previously mentioned have been willing to take risks on waivers this season to gain cap flexibility. If they feel Chiasson or Kassian are unlikely to clear waivers, they could shop either one to open up space or potentially in a swap. They could also look at moving some of their fringe forward to teams with a greater need for depth beyond their starting group.

Either as a sweetener to move another contract or as part of a return if they’re able to open up cap space, the Oilers will also have to consider moving some of their prospects. Tyler Benson, who has been more talk than walk as a pro prospect for Edmonton, may need a change of scenery after years of being unable to earn a full-time role with the NHL club. Cooper Marody, tearing up the AHL this year and having earned some NHL experience last year, could also be an attractive name. While Bouchard, Broberg, and Dylan Holloway are likely untouchable, would Edmonton consider moving other top prospects like Raphael Lavoie, Ryan McLeod, or Matej Blumel? Would they dip into their deep group of young goaltenders, such as Stuart Skinner, Dylan Wells, Olivier Rodrigue, or Ilya Konovalov?

Others to Watch For: D Dmitri Samorukov ($825K, 2022 RFA), D Markus Niemelainen ($817.5K, 2022 RFA), F Gaetan Haas ($915K, UFA), F Patrick Russell ($700K, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Affordable Top-Six Forward – It may seem strange for the Oilers’ biggest need to be at forward. Edmonton is a top-ten team in goals per game, shots per game, and power play efficiency – arguably a top-five offense in hockey. Yet, that offensive production is heavily skewed towards just two players: McDavid and Draisaitl. A quick look at the depth chart also clearly shows that the team lacks quality top-six wingers, with players who should be above-average bottom-six players instead slotted as below-average top-six forwards. McDavid and Draisaitl deserve to have more talent around them, a need that has plagued the Oilers for years. Additionally, Edmonton faces a path to the NHL’s final four this season that goes through Winnipeg, a team with defensive issues, and Toronto, a team with goaltending issues. In a battle of three elite offenses, the North Division is likely to go to the team that can simply outscore the others. Right now, that isn’t Edmonton, but it wouldn’t take much to shift the scales.

The caveat of course is that without some cap gymnastics, the Oilers cannot be players for any of the high-priced forwards on the rental market (or any market for that matter). The focus must be on bargain buys, adding players who can produce at a high level while being paid at a low level. Among rentals, Bobby Ryan, Erik Haula, Carl Soderberg, or old friend Sam Gagner (yet again) could all fit the bill. Among players with an additional year of term, possibly more attractive anyway, Vladislav Namestnikov, Calle Jarnkrok, Rocco Grimaldi, Curtis Lazar, and Colin Blackwell are all intriguing options. If available, L.A.’s Alex Iafallo is likely the very best value addition.

2) Depth Forward – On the off chance that Edmonton has the cap space and a contract slot left, they could make another move and it should again be up front. Depth is key in the postseason and the Oilers simply don’t have it at forward. They could stand to add some playoff experience, defensive ability, and if possible top-six upside in an established veteran forward. While goaltending continues to be a major long-term need of the Oilers, solving that problem in-season given all of the factors working against such deal make it extremely unlikely.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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March 20: All three Michaels have cleared waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Amadio and Chaput can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues, while Houser remain with the Rochester Americans.

March 19: Bad day for Michael. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Michael Houser (BUF), Michael Amadio (LAK) and Michael Chaput (ARI) have been placed on waivers today. Houser only just signed a contract with the Buffalo Sabres today, meaning he needed to clear waivers to be assigned to the taxi squad or stay in the minor leagues.

Chaput has known these waters before, clearing waivers several times in his career so far. The most recent occasion was in January just before the season began, but now that he has played 10 games for the Arizona Coyotes, he’ll need to clear again to go back to the taxi squad. The 28-year-old forward hasn’t recorded an NHL goal since the 2016-17 season and has gone completely scoreless this season. He’ll likely go unclaimed once again, giving the Coyotes the ability to move him up and down.

It’s Amadio that may draw some interest out of this group, given his age and interesting history. The 24-year-old winger was the 90th overall pick in 2014 and played extremely well in the minor leagues, scoring at a near-point-per-game pace for the Ontario Reign. In 168 NHL contests, he has just 39 points, though 16 of those came last season in a limited role through 68 appearances. Unfortunately, Amadio has just two points on the season this time around and hasn’t even been able to generate many shots on net. Unless a rebuilding team sees him as a piece that could be salvaged, he will likely clear just like the others.

Senators Notes: Goaltending, North Dakota, Trade Deadline

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Senators GM Pierre Dorion spoke on TSN 1200 in Ottawa this morning and addressed many of the most pressing issues facing his team down the stretch this season. And while that won’t include a playoff push, as the Senators hold the NHL’s second-worst record and are well outside of a playoff spot in the North Division, Dorion still stated that he would like to see more consistency out of his roster the rest of the way. The position of greatest concern right now is obviously goaltending. Ottawa is allowing 3.91 goals against per game this season, the worst mark in the league by a wide margin. The Senators’ depth in net appeared to be strong entering the season with newly-acquired starter Matt Murray at the top, promising backup Marcus Hogberg ready for a full-time NHL role, college standout Joey Daccord as next man up, and top prospects Filip Gustavsson and Kevin Mandolese to fall back on as well. Yet, Murray and Hogberg have struggled greatly and the Senators’ goaltending actually improved when the pair were lost to injury, making Daccord the starter by default. However, Daccord is now expected to miss the rest of the season due to an injury of his own. This prompted not only the waiver claim of Anton Forsberg, but also for the team to send a chartered private plane to Winnipeg to pick him up, so as to avoid any quarantine period. Forsberg, who amazingly has not played at any level this season despite being claimed on waivers three times, will start for AHL Belleville on Saturday and is then likely to dress as backup behind Gustavsson on Monday, according to The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Gustavsson, who made his NHL debut by providing a shutout third period in relief of Daccord on Wednesday, will make his first start on Monday and he and Forsberg appear likely to split starts until Murray and/or Hogberg are healthy enough to return to action. Dorion considers Murray “week-to-week” and hopes Hogberg will be ready for an AHL conditioning stint before the end of the month.

  • Without anything to play for this season, the stretch run could actually be an exciting time for the Senators as they take a look at some other options in action before next season. That could very well include any number of current members of the University of North Dakota, once their NCAA season comes to an end. Ottawa has spent a number of high draft picks on Fighting Hawks commits in recent years and now the No. 1 team in college hockey is seeking a National Championship, fueled by Senators property. For now, Dorion says that he has informed North Dakota forward Shane Pinto and defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker, Jake Sanderson, and Tyler Kleven to simply focus on their pursuit of a title and worry about their pro futures later. However, once the postseason has ended for North Dakota – as early as next weekend or as late as April 10 – Dorion could sign any of the group and insert them into the Senators lineup right away. He specifically called Pinto, Bernard-Docker, and Sanderson “close” in terms of their pro readiness. Bernard-Docker, a junior, and Pinto, a sophomore, are more likely to sign this year than Sanderson, a freshman, even though he was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Beyond the North Dakota players that Ottawa already owns, their link to the program and the immediate opportunity available could give them a leg up in wooing a pair of the very best college free agents available. Seniors Matt Kiersted and Jordan Kawaguchi are certainly on the Senators’ radar and could be intrigued by joining the Ottawa rebuild. Dorion did not address the immediate pro future of North Dakota transfer Jonny Tychonick, another talented draft pick whose University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are also hoping to make the NCAA Tournament.
  • As for players that could be leaving the Senators before the end of the season, Dorion opined that this could be a very quiet trade deadline for his team, a sentiment that many other teams have echoed. In a buyer’s market that is influenced by difficult salary cap situations and border restrictions, there is a feeling that there might not be much action before the April 12 deadline. Dorion claims that teams are “checking in” but there apparently hasn’t been much traction on forming actual deals. The Senators are not in a great position to trade this season anyhow. Recently re-acquired winger Ryan Dzingel is their most valuable rental piece, but may not even be available if there is mutual interest in an extension. Dzingel has already re-discovered his scoring touch back in Ottawa, notching four goals in eight games. Expensive and unproductive veterans Artem Anisimov and Erik Gudbranson, depth defensemen Mike Reilly and Braydon Coburn, and grinders Matthew Peca and Micheal Haley are the only other expiring contracts the Senators have and lack much, if any value. It could be a quiet deadline indeed in Ottawa barring a surprise move.

Dan Renouf Clears Waivers

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March 18: Renouf has cleared waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. He can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

March 17: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Colorado Avalanche have placed Dan Renouf on waivers for the second time this season after he cleared in early January. Since then he has played in ten games, meaning to return to the taxi squad he will have to clear again. The Avalanche have had massive injuries to their defense group lately but are getting closer to several returns, meaning Renouf’s time in the lineup is likely coming to an end.

The 26-year-old defenseman had three points and a fight in those ten games, impressing many along the way. The minor league veteran was never drafted and had played just a single NHL game before this season, spending the rest of the time in the AHL for various clubs. On a two-year, two-way deal with the Avalanche, he at least has shown he can hold his own at the highest level.

Still, he seems an unlikely claim given his overall lack of experience or upside. Perhaps if a team is dealing with several injuries to the back end they could take a flier on the pending free agent, but it seems much more likely that he’ll pass through and be assigned back to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

Anton Forsberg Claimed By Ottawa Senators

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For the third time this season, Anton Forsberg has been claimed off waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. This time he is headed to the Ottawa Senators where the team is dealing with injuries to both Matt Murray and Marcus Hogberg. Forsberg is coming from the Winnipeg Jets, meaning that while he will have to face some COVID protocols, he won’t have to deal with the full two-week quarantine reserved for players coming to Canada from the U.S.

The 28-year-old Forsberg hasn’t actually played a single minute of action this season, despite now being on his fourth team. Originally signing a one-year, $700K contract with the Edmonton Oilers in October, he was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes at the start of the season. Two days later, after Alex Nedeljkovic cleared waivers, Forsberg was back on the wire. His NHL experience once again landed him a claim, this tie from the Jets, who then needed to wait for him to quarantine (though, he never actually did leave Canada during his short stop with the Hurricanes). He’s been with the Jets since the middle of January but failed to play in a single game for the team.

That opportunity may come with the Senators, who have been forced to go with Joey Daccord for the last several games. The 24-year-old rookie won his first NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after Murray suffered an injury in warmup, but has otherwise struggled to keep the puck out of the net. In seven appearances, Daccord is 1-3-1 with an .896 save percentage.

There’s no guarantee that Forsberg would fair better than that in Ottawa, but at least he comes with some experience at the NHL level. In 48 career games he has posted a .901 save percentage and actually appeared in 35 games during the 2017-18 season.

Jimmy Vesey Claimed By Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks have added a forward to the mix, claiming Jimmy Vesey off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The 27-year-old winger is earning just $900K on a one-year contract and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Though he will face a quarantine of some sort, it will not be the two-week period that is reserved for players entering Canada from the U.S. Vancouver is actually in Ottawa to play the Senators, meaning he can easily be picked up without having to take a commercial flight.

Vesey wasn’t much of anything for the Maple Leafs, who gave him ample opportunity to establish himself in the top six playing next to talent like John Tavares and William Nylander. He recorded just five goals and seven points in his 30 games and had been recently demoted to the fourth line. Though he had shown a bit of jump in that role, losing a player that had logged fewer than ten minutes in each of his last six games certainly won’t hurt that much.

That is especially true if there is an easy replacement, and it appears there is. Both Wayne Simmonds and Alex Galchenyuk joined Maple Leafs practice today in regular sweaters, perhaps indicating they’ll both be in the lineup when the team is back in action this weekend. Simmonds has been out for weeks after breaking his wrist, while Galchenyuk was brought in as a project and rebuilt his confidence at the minor league level. In six games with the Toronto Marlies, Galchenuk scored eight points; now he’ll have to show he can be a reliable contributor at the NHL level.

For Vancouver, claiming Vesey doesn’t come with much risk given his low salary and expiring contract. Perhaps the Canucks can unlock some hidden offensive potential, or use him as a competent bottom-six option. Even Vesey’s five-goal performance this season would be seen as successful when compared with some of the disappointing numbers in Vancouver, including Adam Gaudette, Jay Beagle, Jake Virtanen, and Antoine Roussel, who have combined for eight goals in 114 appearances.

Several Players Placed On Waivers

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March 17: Vesey and Forsberg were claimed by the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators respectively, but both Byron and Grigorenko have cleared. The latter two can now be placed on the taxi squad or sent to the minor leagues.

March 16: Several players have been placed on waivers today, including Paul Byron of the Montreal Canadiens. Byron is joined by Jimmy Vesey of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anton Forsberg of the Winnipeg Jets, and Mikhail Grigorenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Byron has already experienced this once this season, clearing waivers a month ago. Since then he had played more than ten games, meaning if the Canadiens want to place him on the taxi squad he’ll have to clear again. It’s been a disastrous two seasons for the 31-year-old forward, with just 17 points since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That includes just two goals in 27 games this season, a far cry from the player who was one of the most effective even-strength scorers in the league just a few years ago. With the development of other younger players on the Montreal roster, Byron finds himself either buried in the lineup or on the sidelines watching. His $3.4MM cap hit (through 2022-23) certainly makes him a tough target to claim.

Vesey hasn’t seen waivers before, but it doesn’t come as much of a surprise at this point. The 27-year-old forward has seven points in 30 games for the Maple Leafs and has been relegated to the fourth line in recent weeks. He has only cracked the 10-minute mark three times in his last ten games and played just 4:41 a few nights ago. With the Maple Leafs expecting Wayne Simmonds back soon and facing a delicate cap situation, Vesey’s time has come to be moved to the taxi squad.

Forsberg was already claimed off waivers twice this season, first by the Carolina Hurricanes and then by the Jets just a few days later. Now he faces another round that could change his destination as teams are still struggling to find NHL experience in net. Injuries all across the league make goaltenders like Forsberg valuable, if only because he could enter an NHL game in a pinch. It’s not like that’s actually happened this season though, through the first two months Forsberg hasn’t played a single game.

Grigorenko is an interesting name, after signing a one-year $1.2MM deal with the Blue Jackets as a return to the NHL. The 12th overall pick in 2012, Grigorenko left the NHL in 2017 to return to Russia and play in the KHL. After developing his game further there, his return was supposed to be a strong addition for Columbus. Unfortunately, with just seven points in 18 games and limited minutes, it hasn’t really worked out. Perhaps another team believes they can get the best out of him down the stretch, but a return to the KHL seems possible after this season concludes.

Jack Johnson, David Backes Clear Waivers

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March 15: Both players have cleared as expected. Johnson and Backes can both be moved to the taxi squad.

March 14: It is a veteran-laded waiver wire today, as according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, David Backes and Jack Johnson have both been placed on waivers today.

Johnson, 34, has seemingly failed again in his latest bounce-back bid, this time with the New York Rangers. Bought out by the Pittsburgh Penguins in October, Johnson signed with the Rangers just a few days later for one year and $1.15MM. In 13 games with New York, he has just a single point, is averaging the fewest minutes of his career, and is once again getting caved in by all possession metrics. It seems clear that his time as a lineup regular should be over and perhaps it now will be with this waiver assignment.

If Johnson clears, $1.075MM of his cap hit can be buried by placing him on the taxi squad or assigning him to the minor leagues. If Vitali Kravtsov is indeed coming to join the team now that his KHL season has concluded, they will need some extra cap space to fit him in.

Backes meanwhile has seen this movie before, given he cleared waivers last season and again in January. The veteran forward brings great leadership and physicality, but just can’t keep up at age-36. In ten games for the Anaheim Ducks this season, he has two goals. If his play wasn’t enough to keep him from a claim, Backes’ contract is. The veteran is in the final year of the five-year, $30MM deal he signed in the summer of 2016 and still carries a cap hit of $6MM. Similarly, $1.075MM can be buried if Backes is placed on the taxi squad or sent to the minor leagues.

Jake Gardiner Clears Waivers

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March 14: Gardiner has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the taxi squad.

March 13: Jake Gardiner’s tenure in Carolina hasn’t gone particularly well.  He has underwhelmed offensively, been in and out of the lineup at times and now he finds himself on waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report (Twitter link).

The 30-year-old is in his second season with the Hurricanes and after being a core defenseman over most of his eight seasons with Toronto, he has been more of a depth player with Carolina with his offensive numbers and playing time taking big dips as a result.  So far this season, Gardiner has yet to score while recording seven assists in 17 games.  Meanwhile, his average ice time has dipped below 16 minutes a game to just 15:48, surpassing his previous career-low which was set last season.  Clearly, this isn’t the return they were expecting when they gave him a four-year, $16.2MM contract in September of 2019.

Between the contract and below-average performance, it’s seemingly all but a foregone conclusion that Gardiner will clear at 11 AM CT on Sunday where he’ll be free to be shuffled to the taxi squad.  Several teams have placed underachieving, high-priced veterans on waivers in recent weeks for that very purpose, to free up some cap and roster flexibility while bringing the player back onto the active roster for games they’ll be playing in.  At this stage, it would seem as if Gardiner will follow that path; this isn’t a case where his time with Carolina will be over.

As for how much cap room they would save when Gardiner eventually is sent to the taxi squad, they would only free up a prorated $1.075MM on the days he’s not on the active roster.  But with the Hurricanes looking as if they’ll be a buyer once again at the trade deadline, any extra cap room would go a long way.

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