Injuries Delaying Roster Decisions For Islanders, Kraken
The NHL season is now underway and yet the well-documented roster crunches of the New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken have gone completely unnoticed even as the league’s 23-man roster deadline came and went. What happened? Well, it may seem counterintuitive, but both teams have been helped out by injuries and health-related absences. However, they aren’t out of the woods yet and may only be delaying the inevitable.
In New York, the Isles knew that they would receive salary cap and roster flexibility by placing defenseman Johnny Boychuk on Long-Term Injured Reserve, but veteran forward Matt Martin also landed on IR. While just one unexpected injury may not seem like a lot, it has had a massive impact on how the Islanders prepare for the start of the season. While the club was successfully able to pass pricier veterans Richard Panik and Thomas Hickey through waivers and on to AHL Bridgeport, they have not yet had to make the tough decision between any of their other more attractive fringe players. Once Martin returns, someone else has to go. Martin’s fourth line replacement Ross Johnston appears to be safe as the apparent next man up, but is at least in the mix. Serviceable veteran Leo Komarov is not expected to be in the Isles’ Opening Night lineup on Thursday, but has been a valuable depth player for years in New York and is even more attractive to other teams now that he is on an expiring contract. Young Kieffer Bellows, whose new contract was finally registered with the league, would also be very interesting to other teams and represents the Islanders’ best top-six substitute. There is no easy choice as all three are more likely than not to be claimed, which explains why GM Lou Lamoriello has reportedly been exploring the trade market.
Things are a little more dire in Seattle, where the league’s newest team would like to keep their Opening Night roster intact but stand little chance of doing so. Already the team has had to make some risky waiver placements, including Kole Lind and Cale Fleury, but have been lucky thus far. Dennis Cholowski‘s time on the wire could yield a different result, but even that loss would pale in comparison to what is coming down the line if the Kraken don’t make a move first. The lone holdover from the team’s recent mini-breakout of positive COVID-19 tests, veteran forward Calle Jarnkrok will be available sooner rather than later. Marcus Johansson, placed on injured reserve today, will likely be the next one back and Colin Blackwell is only expected to miss the first month of the season. Further down the road, the team will also need room for Yanni Gourde, who is expected back closer to December. That’s four valuable veterans forwards who all need spots on the Seattle roster, which already sits at 23 members with only one – Lind – that can safely be sent to the minors. On one hand, these early injuries allow the Kraken to take a look at some players who otherwise would not have made the roster, like waiver claim Alex Barre-Boulet for example. On the other hand, these “extra” players will eventually need to be waived, traded, or force the team to trade others instead. Lind and Barre-Boulet seem like easy cuts, but that is just two of four. Would Ryan Donato, who scored the first goal in franchise history on Tuesday, clear waivers? Would young grinder Nathan Bastian? Veteran center Riley Sheahan? The Kraken have a number of questions left to answer and their early injuries have only kicked the can down the road. The longer they wait, especially if the team is playing well, the less likely their fringe players are to clear waivers and the less likely that potential trade partners may be to make a deal rather than wait them out. GM Ron Francis and company have their work cut out for them.
While the preseason trade market remained quiet and there were no earth-shattering waiver claims, this is at least partially due to some unexpected injuries in New York and Seattle. At some point these situations will need to be resolved and, one way or another, players will wind up changing hands.
Dennis Cholowski Placed On Waivers
The Seattle Kraken have placed defenseman Dennis Cholowski on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Kraken got good news on several players that were in the COVID protocol just ahead of their game last night, meaning Cholowski–who started the year on the injured/non-roster list–isn’t needed right away, and will likely be assigned to the minor leagues should he clear.
Cholowski was expected to play last night for the Kraken until Jamie Oleksiak cleared at the last minute, making it curious how he was even moved to the non-roster list at all. The team could have submitted him to waivers with the purpose of assigning him to the AHL, which would force them to send him down at least temporarily should he clear. While that may have not been the ideal situation for the team, they were going to have to waive defensemen eventually after collecting so many in the offseason.
Without him on the roster, the team is still carrying eight options at the position. William Borgen and Carson Soucy were both scratched last night, but either is more than capable of stepping into the lineup if needed. They also likely pose more of a waiver claim risk, even with Soucy’s $2.75MM contract. After Cholowski’s disappointing 2020-21, he very well could clear unscathed.
A first-round pick in 2016, the 23-year-old defenseman has not developed the way the Detroit Red Wings hoped and finds himself battling to even stay in the NHL. The Kraken are currently sharing the Charlotte Checkers as they wait for their own AHL affiliate to start play in 2022-23, meaning that’s where Cholowski would likely end up should he go unclaimed.
Philadelphia Flyers Claim Zack MacEwen
The Philadelphia Flyers have claimed another player off waivers, this time grabbing Zack MacEwen from the Vancouver Canucks. The Flyers added Patrick Brown earlier this week.
MacEwen was basically pushed out of the Canucks’ lineup by Alex Chiasson, who finally signed an NHL contract after attending training camp. The 25-year-old forward has never shown much offensive upside at the NHL level with just nine points in 55 games, but does bring a high level of physicality and size. The 6’3″ power forward recorded 65 hits in 34 games for the Canucks last season despite averaging fewer than nine minutes a game, racking up 44 penalty minutes in the process.
Undrafted, he actually has shown a strong offensive touch in the minor leagues, scoring 22 goals and 52 points in the 2018-19 season. But MacEwen isn’t being brought into Philadelphia to play in the top six or the powerplay. Instead, if he gets into the lineup at all he’ll likely be a fourth-line player. The question now is how he fits in, given Brown’s recent addition. Both have experience at center and could be in direct competition for ice time while the team continues to deal with the absence of Kevin Hayes. Hayes was included on the team’s opening night roster but has been moved to long-term injured reserve as he recovers from core muscle surgery.
Both claims, Brown and MacEwen, would need to pass through waivers in order to be assigned to the minor leagues. Should the Flyers place them on waivers, their previous teams would have a chance to nab them and send them directly to the AHL, should they be the only team to submit a claim.
Mikko Lehtonen Suspended; One Of Four Players On Waivers
Oct 13: MacEwen was claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers, but the other three have cleared.
Oct 12: The Columbus Blue Jackets have suspended Mikko Lehtonen for failing to report to the AHL after he was assigned to the Cleveland Monsters this week. The team has also placed him on unconditional waivers and will terminate his contract. Lehtonen isn’t alone though, as the Chicago Blackhawks have also placed Matej Chalupa on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Zack MacEwen of the Vancouver Canucks and C.J. Suess of the Winnipeg Jets are also on regular waivers.
Lehtonen, 27, was expected to make a big impact at the NHL level after putting up strong numbers in the KHL, even winning that league’s Defenseman of the Year award in 2020. Instead, he struggled to crack the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup on a regular basis and then was sent to Columbus, where he signed a new one-year, $900K deal this offseason but still failed to make the team out of camp. Instead of going to the AHL, he’ll likely head back overseas where he can once again star as a top-four puck-mover. His NHL career could very well end with just 26 games and six points.
Chalupa meanwhile is just 23, but apparently isn’t going to spend another year in the minors trying to establish himself as a call-up option for Chicago. He played 27 games for the Rockford IceHogs last season and scored seven points, but he too is likely headed back overseas. Both contracts will come entirely off the books for the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks.
MacEwen, 25, will lose his spot to Alex Chiasson, who the Canucks signed today to a one-year deal. The depth forward has actually played in 55 games for the Canucks over the last three seasons, but isn’t much of an offensive contributor at the NHL level and is unlikely to be claimed.
The same can be said about Suess, who has just one NHL game under his belt and is likely headed to the Manitoba Moose. Suess has been dealing with an undisclosed injury throughout training camp and won’t even be the first call-up option for the Jets this season.
New York Islanders Sign, Waive Michael Dal Colle
Oct 12: Dal Colle has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Oct 11: After hundreds of players have found themselves on waivers the last few weeks the wire was silent today save for one name. Michael Dal Colle has been placed on waivers by the New York Islanders, meaning he has officially signed a contract with the team. Dal Colle was an unrestricted free agent after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Islanders earlier this offseason, but spent camp with the team and will now likely report to the minor leagues should he clear. CapFriendly reports that Dal Colle receives a one-year, one-way contract worth the league minimum salary of $750K.
Though he’ll never shed the label of a fifth-overall pick, Dal Colle has worked to grind his way up to being a reliable depth option for the Islanders. He played in 26 games for the team last season, recording just four points but posting strong possession numbers in a limited role. This will be his first time on waivers, meaning perhaps a team will make a claim, but the Islanders likely are confident that he can clear and serve in an injury call-up role this time around.
The 6’3″ forward isn’t going to be an impact player, but for an Islanders team that has its sights set on the Stanley Cup, depth like Dal Colle is important to add whenever possible.
Barre-Boulet, Brooks, Brown Claimed Off Waivers
Three players were claimed off waivers today, just before opening night rosters are submitted. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Seattle Kraken claimed Alex Barre-Boulet from the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens claimed Adam Brooks from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers claimed Patrick Brown from the Vegas Golden Knights. The Washington Capitals also re-claimed Axel Jonsson-Fjallby from the Buffalo Sabres and assuming they were the only team to put in a claim, can now send him directly to the minor leagues. The other 39 players placed on waivers yesterday have cleared.
Barre-Boulet seemed the likeliest player to be claimed among yesterday’s group, as the 24-year-old has not only shown extremely well at the minor league level, but also is signed at league minimum for the next three seasons. The former Lightning prospect signed a three-year deal in July that pays him $750K at the NHL level this year and next, and $775K in 2023-24 when the minimum increases. That alone makes him valuable and he’ll now get a chance to show exactly what he can do in Seattle, rather than be blocked by countless talented teammates in Tampa Bay.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Barre-Boulet was a superstar in the QMJHL but lacks the size of a traditional NHL player. That certainly hasn’t held him back in the AHL, as he has posted 136 points in 144 games for the Syracuse Crunch since turning pro. That includes eight goals in just ten games last season, which helped elevate him to the NHL level where he played in 15 games for the Lightning. Though he is by no means a lock to produce for the Kraken, it was an easy choice to add his talent to the organization when it came available.
Brooks too seemed like an inevitable loss for the Maple Leafs when they decided to place him on waivers instead of Michael Amadio yesterday. Toronto will lose their depth forward to the rival Canadiens and could see him on the other side of the ice quickly. Montreal will travel to Toronto on Wednesday for their season opener, though it’s not clear if Brooks will step directly into the lineup. The 25-year-old has always seemed to play well when given the chance–that just hasn’t been very often. He has played just 18 regular season games for the Maple Leafs thus far, registering eight points.
There seems to be something of a trend in Philadelphia, where Brown will be the latest Boston College alumni to join the roster. He played college hockey with both Kevin Hayes and Cam Atkinson, winning the national championship in 2012 with the former. He adds plenty of pro experience but not a lot at the NHL level, given he’s only suited up for 33 regular season games. Incredibly, that total has almost been matched by his postseason experience, where he has played in 22 games the last three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and Golden Knights.
39 Players Clear Waivers
Oct 11: Barre-Boulet, Brooks, Brown, and Jonsson-Fjallby were all claimed, but the other 39 players cleared and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Oct 10: On the final day to waive players before opening-night rosters are due, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports these 43 players have been placed on waivers:
F Sam Carrick (ANA)
D Jacob Larsson (ANA)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (BUF)
D Eric Gelinas (CAR)
D Maxime Lajoie (CAR)
F Josh Leivo (CAR)
F Stefan Noesen (CAR)
F C.J. Smith (CAR)
D Gabriel Carlsson (CBJ)
D Mikko Lehtonen (CBJ)
F Kevin Stenlund (CBJ)
G Collin Delia (CHI)
G Malcolm Subban (CHI)
D Jacob MacDonald (COL)
D Alexander Petrovic (DAL)
F Riley Barber (DET)
F Taro Hirose (DET)
D William Lagesson (EDM)
F Kyle Turris (EDM)
D Lucas Carlsson (FLA)
G Christopher Gibson (FLA)
D Austin Strand (LAK)
F Austin Wagner (LAK)
F Frederik Gauthier (NJD)
G Connor Ingram (NSH)
F Michael McCarron (NSH)
F Andrew Agozzino (OTT)
D Nick Seeler (PHI)
F Alex Barre-Boulet (TBL)
D Fredrik Claesson (TBL)
D Andrej Sustr (TBL)
F Adam Brooks (TOR)
F Justin Bailey (VAN)
D Madison Bowey (VAN)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe (VAN)
D Travis Hamonic (VAN)
F Sven Baertschi (VGK)
F Patrick Brown (VGK)
F Gage Quinney (VGK)
G Zachary Fucale (WSH)
F Garrett Pilon (WSH)
D Nelson Nogier (WPG)
F Dominic Toninato (WPG)
14 Players Clear Waivers
Sunday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that all 14 names from yesterday have cleared waivers.
Saturday: As expected, it’s another busy day on the waiver wire with opening rosters being submitted to the NHL on Monday. Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star and TSN reports (Twitter links) that the following 14 players are on waivers today:
D John Moore (BOS)
F Chris Wagner (BOS)
F Byron Froese (CGY)
F Justin Kirkland (CGY)
G Calvin Pickard (DET)
D Thomas Hickey (NYI)
F Richard Panik (NYI)
F Anthony Angello (PIT)
F Dylan Gambrell (SJ)
F Logan Brown (STL)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (STL)
D Alex Biega (TOR)
F Kurtis Gabriel (TOR)
D Michal Kempny (WSH)
As expected, today’s list is a little more interesting as teams get closer to making their final cuts with more notable players. Several veterans are on the wire today, headlined by Kempny and Moore on the back end. Both players are coming off injury-plagued seasons (Achilles for Kempny, hip for Moore) and could benefit from some regular action in the minors to get back into playing shape. If they clear, Washington and Boston would only receive $1.125MM in cap relief; Kempny carries a $2.5MM AAV for this season while Moore is at $2.75MM for the next two seasons.
Up front, Panik and Wagner are a pair of veterans that have considerable NHL experience. Panik split last season between the Capitals and Red Wings, picking up 13 points in 48 games. Detroit is retaining half of his $2.75MM AAV, meaning that if he was claimed, the team that picks him up would only be carrying him at $1.375MM. Wagner is in the second season of a three-year deal with a $1.35MM AAV and while his production tumbled last season to just five points in 41 games with the Bruins, he has been one of the more physical players in the league in recent years. Again, if they clear, those teams would only get $1.125MM in cap space.
Brown’s stint with his hometown team didn’t go particularly well evidently with him being on waivers so quickly. As part of the trade from Ottawa, the Senators will send a fourth-round pick to the Blues if the 2016 first-round pick doesn’t play in 30 games with St. Louis. All of a sudden, that pick looks a lot likelier to transfer.
Among the other forwards, Angello and Gambrell are somewhat interesting as well. Angello played in 19 games on the fourth line with the Penguins last season, picking up four points along with 51 hits and actually carries a cap hit that’s $25K below the league minimum which could be appealing to cap-strapped teams. As for Gambrell, he has played in 99 games with the Sharks over the last two seasons and logged over 16 minutes a game for them last season. He was a highly-speculated candidate to be selected by Seattle in expansion although they went with Alexander True instead. Gambrell makes $1.1MM this season and is controllable through arbitration through 2024.
New York Islanders Shopping Depth Players
A roster crunch has been a long time coming for the New York Islanders. It began today with veterans Thomas Hickey and Richard Panik hitting waivers, but it isn’t over. Even if Hickey and Panik clear waivers and are reassigned to the AHL, the Islanders still have 25 players on the roster and that does not include unsigned RFA forward Kieffer Bellows or tryout defenseman Erik Gustafsson. With the deadline to have 23-man rosters set for the start of the season arriving on Monday evening, time is running out for New York to make some difficult calls.
Unsurprisingly, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that GM Lou Lamoriello is “looking for landing spots” for the Islanders’ “extra guys.” The team already took a risk by exposing experienced blue liner Hickey, more attractive to opposing teams in the final year of his contract, and serviceable forward Panik, yet those were the easier of their decisions. In order to trim their roster to 23, including Bellows, another forward like Leo Komarov or Ross Johnston would also have to miss the final cut. Otherwise, the team may need to look at moving Bellows instead. If Gustafsson is making the team, that is one more roster spot that would need to open up, potentially making Sebastian Aho available.
Lamoriello knows that none of these players are likely to clear waivers. The problem could be that other teams know this as well. The Islanders could be hard pressed to find a fair deal when their potential trade partners know that the alternative could be to wait the team out and acquire the players for free. Time is running out; New York is on the clock.
12 Players Clear Waivers
Saturday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that all of the below players clear waivers, paving the way for them to be sent to the minors.
Friday: The march to the regular season continues, this time with another dozen names hitting the waiver wire. Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star provides the full list:
Sonny Milano (ANA)
Brandon Davidson (BUF)
Dennis Gilbert (COL)
Jayson Megna (COL)
Andreas Borgman (DAL)
Dan Renouf (DET)
Luke Witkowski (DET)
Chase De Leo (NJD)
Michael Chaput (PIT)
Juuso Riikola (PIT)
Nicolas Meloche (SJS)
Sheldon Dries (VAN)
There are several names on this list who once carried quite a bit of hype and potential, but the most interesting among them may be Milano and Riikola. The former is set to carry a cap hit of $1.7MM for this season, while the latter has a cap hit of $1.15MM. At one point, they were expected to be key parts of their respective NHL teams but now appear to be on their way to becoming well-compensated minor leaguers.
Milano in particular is notable because the Ducks don’t need any additional cap space. The team appears to have simply decided that there are other, better options up front for the start of the year. One thing to remember when it comes to waivers is that sometimes, a player clearing actually increases his trade value. That would allow an acquiring team to assign the player directly to the minor leagues, burying up to $1.125MM in cap hits.