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Michal Kempny Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury

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The Washington Capitals will be without one of their defensemen for some time, as Michal Kempny has been ruled out “indefinitely” with a lower-body injury according to head coach Todd Rierden (via team reporter Mike Vogel). Kempny injured his leg on Wednesday and needed help to leave the ice.

Since arriving in Washington at the trade deadline in 2018, Kempny has thrived. The 28-year old defenseman immediately found a role with the Capitals and averaged nearly 18 minutes a night en route to a Stanley Cup championship. He signed a four-year, $10MM extension with the team in June, and returned to play an even bigger role this season. Logging more than 19 minutes a night, the smooth-skating defenseman has 25 points in 71 games and ranks only behind John Carlson in blocked shots.

Unfortunately, that role will now have to be filled by someone else as Kempny deals with his leg injury. Christian Djoos is the obvious choice as he is with the team, though the team has been hesitant to use him much this season. After playing in 63 games last season, Djoos has suited up just 37 times in 2018-19 and is averaging just over 13 minutes in those appearances. The 24-year old will be needed to give more than that if the Capitals expect to go far in the playoffs again this year, at least until Kempny returns.

Washington Capitals Sign Joe Snively

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March 20: Snively has signed an amateur tryout with the Hershey Bears and will get some AHL experience before the end of the year.

March 18: The Washington Capitals have signed one of the top remaining college free agents, inking Yale University standout Joe Snively to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin in the 2019-20 season, meaning Snively will not be able to help the Capitals down the stretch.

Snively, 23, apparently drew interest from more than 20 teams—though Snively himself told reporters that he was only negotiating with about five—after finishing his NCAA career, given his long history of offensive production. The 5’9″ forward recorded 139 points in 129 career games for Yale, never scoring fewer than 28 in a single season. Snively was a nominee for the Hobey Baker award this season after recording 36 points, but that was just another year for the elusive left-handed shot.

He could join the Hershey Bears on an amateur tryout for the rest of this season, but will almost certainly spend time in the AHL in 2019-20 unless he blows away the Capitals coaching staff at training camp. The team does need cheap contracts like this one moving forward, given they already have more than $70MM committed to just 14 players next season.

It’s important to note that the Capitals actually couldn’t have signed Snively to a deal starting this season because they are already at the 50-contract limit. The fact that they convinced him to join their organization even without burning a year right away is impressive, and will certainly help them keep costs down in the future.

No Rush For Extension Talks Between Capitals And Jakub Vrana

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While the Capitals have had preliminary discussions regarding a contract extension for winger Jakub Vrana, there isn’t any rush to get a deal done, notes Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post.  The pending RFA is in the midst of a career season with 21 goals and 22 assists through 71 games, numbers that have him in line for a big raise on his current $863K cap hit on his entry-level contract.  GM Brian MacLellan has indicated in the past that he’s open to signing Vrana to a long-term extension but with a little over $70MM committed to just 14 players for next season, they may have to go with a shorter-term bridge deal to preserve some salary cap flexibility.

Strength Of Schedule And The Eastern Conference Wild Card Race

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The Tampa Bay Lightning had a chance to clinch a playoff spot last night on the first Thursday in March. While it didn’t go their way, the Bolts are undoubtedly going to be the top seed in the Eastern Conference and are well on their way to a President’s Trophy with a 15-point lead on the next-best team in the league. That next team up is the Boston Bruins, who are second only to Tampa in both the NHL and within their own Atlantic Division. Riding an 18-game point streak, the Bruins’ playoff position is also in little doubt. The Toronto Maple Leafs, currently holding a top-five record in the league, are on pace to finish third in their own division and without home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Boston and Toronto seem destined to meet in that opening round, with the winner likely getting Tampa Bay as their reward for moving on.

As frustrating as the current playoff format may be for the Leafs – as well as the Bruins and Lightning – at least the three teams know where they stand in the postseason structure with a month to go in the regular season. The same can’t be said for the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders. Just eight points separate the New York Islanders, the current Metropolitan Division leaders, from the Columbus Blue Jackets, presently in ninth in the East and on the outside of the playoff picture, in the standings. Between the two are three more Metropolitan teams, as well as the Atlantic’s Montreal Canadiens. With all six of these competitors struggling to pull away from the rest of the group, it could be that each team’s schedule down the stretch determines where they end up by the end of the regular season. Three divisional spots and two wild card spots are up for grabs; who has the luck of the schedule on their side?

According to the strength of schedule numbers released by the NHL this morning, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ opposing points percentage of .555 is the most favorable of the group. That’s not to say the Pens face an easy slate, though. Pittsburgh faces eight current playoff teams in their final 15 games, not including tomorrow night’s tilt against Columbus, but end the year with a nice stretch that includes a home-and-home against the lowly Red Wings and a final match-up against the Rangers. The experienced Penguins team is a safe bet to stay in the playoff picture, especially if they can get healthy on the back end.

The Montreal Canadiens have a similarly easy schedule, a .575 opposing points percentage, but with a dramatically different ending. Fighting for just one of two wild card spots, the Habs will face eight current playoff teams themselves, again not including a game against the Blue Jackets, but only three of those contests are within their next nine games. Montreal may get a nice boost over the next couple of weeks, but face a daunting final stretch; Columbus, Winnipeg, Tampa, Washington, and Toronto await them in their final five games. How they fare against those Cup contenders could determine whether they make or miss the postseason.

With just seven current playoff teams on the schedule from here on out, not including two run-ins with Columbus, the New York Islanders are in good shape with a .567 opposing points percentage. The team also avoids any road trips of longer than two games for the rest of the season. While a regular season finale against the Capitals could prove critical, the Islanders look as if they should be able to hold on to their playoff spot. The health of Robin Lehner could be a game-changer, though.

Things have not gone as expected since Jarmo Kekalainen and the Columbus Blue Jackets went all out at the trade deadline. The team sits outside of the playoff picture currently, two points back of the final wild card spot, and there is no guarantee that things will get better. The Jackets have a .581 opposing points percentage, including ten games against current playoff teams, and play just six of their final 15 games at home. Perhaps the one saving grace will be trips to Buffalo, the Rangers, and Ottawa in three of their last four games, but Columbus has their work cut out for them.

The Carolina Hurricanes have a similarly tough schedule, but benefit from having a game or two in hand on their playoff berth competition. In their final 16 games, the ’Canes will face opposition with a .586 points percentage, ten of which are playoff teams. They also have three sets of back-to-back games remaining. However, with the cushion of extra games and dates with the Devils and Flyers to round out the year, the red-hot Hurricanes are on pace to erase their league-worst nine-year playoff drought.

Finally, there are the defending champs. The Washington Capitals not only have the most difficult remaining schedule in the East’s wild card race, but in the entire NHL. At a .599 opposing points percentage, the Caps are about to go through the ringer in their final 15 games. Ten playoff teams are on the docket for Washington, including three games against the powerhouse Lightning and five playoff teams among their final six competitors. Fortunately, the team does play more than half of their remaining match-ups at home, but there’s little else to find comfort in. If any team in this race is at risk of a dramatic fall from their current playoff position, it is the Capitals, especially if the extra work of last year’s Stanley Cup run starts to catch up to them down the stretch.

Negotiation Notes: Kravtsov, Killins, Signing Deadline

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The New York Rangers are closing in on a contract with one of their top prospects. According to Sportsnet’s Mike Johnston, who relays a report from KHL insider Aivis Kalnins, Russian forward Vitali Kravtsov is expected to sign an entry-level contract with the Rangers sooner rather than later. It’s unclear if Kravtsov, whose current club Traktor Chelyabinsk has been knocked out of the KHL playoffs, intends to play immediately this season or if the contract would begin next season. Either way, Rangers fans will be excited to have the talented teenager pushing for a roster spot. Kravtsov, the ninth overall pick in last year’s NHL Draft, stands 6’4″ and plays a physical game, but also has great speed and high-end skill. A total package on the wing, Kravtsov recorded 21 points in 50 games this season, rare production from a teenager in the KHL, as younger players typically receive little ice time. His size and skill set should translate well to the North American game and Kravtsov should find his way to New York without spending much time in the minors. If Kalnin’s report is accurate and Kravtsov signs in the coming days, he may even make his NHL debut this season.

 

Brett Connolly Hopes To Stay With Washington Capitals

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It’s been a winding road during Brett Connolly’s NHL career, but he’s finally arrived somewhere he hopes to stay. The Washington Capitals forward spoke with Chris Kuc of The Athletic (subscription required) and indicated that he hopes to re-sign with the team and avoid becoming an unrestricted free agent. Connolly will turn 27 in early May and is the final season of a two-year deal he signed with Washington in 2017.

Arriving in Washington has been great for Connolly’s career, and this season has been his best so far. With 16 goals and 35 points in 66 games he has already set new career-highs and is seeing more ice time than ever before. That comes after a Stanley Cup run with the team in just his second trip to the playoffs, one that saw him record nine points in 24 postseason contests.

Originally selected sixth overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Connolly played just 134 games for that organization before ending up with the Boston Bruins. After failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Bruins he landed in Washington as a player many saw as a bust given his high draft pedigree. Connolly had just 59 points through his first 210 NHL games and hadn’t suited up for a single playoff game. With the Capitals that has all changed.

Unfortunately though, success comes at a price in the NHL. The Capitals are pushed right up against the salary cap ceiling this season and will have to make tough decisions this summer on how to move forward with this core. Players like Andre Burakovsky, Jakub Vrana and Christian Djoos are all restricted free agents that need new contracts, while the only money really coming off the books is a few million owed to Brooks Orpik and Carl Hagelin. If Connolly is looking for a raise after his career season there may just not be enough room to fit everyone in.

Still, there are definitely ways to keep Connolly in the picture and at his relatively young age the Capitals will likely explore every opportunity. Those discussions will be up to GM Brian MacLellan to start, as Connolly and agent Gerry Johannson have decided to wait for the Capitals to approach them—something that does not appear to have happened yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Capitals Sign Parker Milner

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As several other teams did earlier today, the Capitals have inked one of their minor league goalies to an NHL contract as Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Parker Milner to a one-year, two-way deal.  Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The 28-year-old has spent the season between Washington’s two minor league affiliates, predominantly with South Carolina of the ECHL where he has a 3.12 GAA and a .907 SV% in 25 appearances.  He also has suited up in three contests with AHL Hershey.

Milner had a strong NCAA career with Boston College but he hasn’t had much success in the pros since then.  This is his sixth full professional season but he has yet to see the NHL level while only playing 29 AHL contests; the majority of those six years have been spent in the ECHL.  However, Washington only had four goalies on NHL contracts so this gives them a little bit more flexibility if injuries strike down the stretch.

Washington Capitals Acquire, Extend Nick Jensen

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The Washington Capitals have found their defenseman, acquiring Nick Jensen and a 2019 fifth-round pick (BUF) from the Detroit Red Wings. In exchange, the Red Wings will receive Madison Bowey and a 2020 second-round draft pick (WSH). A few hours later the Capitals announced a four-year extension for Jensen worth $10MM. The deal will keep him from reaching free agency at the end of the year, and in Washington through the 2022-23 season. The full salary breakdown is as follows:

  • 2019-20: $2.5MM salary + $500K signing bonus
  • 2020-21: $2.0MM salary
  • 2021-22: $2.5MM salary + $500K signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $2.0MM salary

Jensen, 28, is in the midst of an excellent season after being given more responsibility in Detroit, but will now move to a much deeper defense corps in Washington. The team already had two right-handed horses in John Carlson and Matt Niskanen that log huge minutes every night, but there’s not reason to think that Jensen won’t enter the lineup immediately and be an upgrade for the team. Christian Djoos played just over eight minutes against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night and is the likely candidate to come out, though the Capitals now have plenty of options to mix and match through the end of the season.

That flexibility didn’t come at a low cost though, as the Capitals are giving up a relatively high draft pick and a 23-year old defenseman in Bowey who looked like he would be an NHL regular as recently as last season. Through 84 games in his short career Bowey has recorded 18 points despite averaging fewer than 14 minutes a night, and is an effective puck-moving option that could see an increased role in Detroit. The young defenseman’s contract runs through 2019-20 with just a $1MM average annual value.

While it’s not a market-shattering return, it is another solid package secured by Detroit GM Ken Holland as part of his rebuild. Jensen was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and was obviously looking for a substantial raise on his current $813K cap hit. The Red Wings did explore a contract extension, but this return will allow them to replace Jensen while adding a nice draft pick to their prospect cupboard.

This may be the last move that the Capitals do given that they already acquired Carl Hagelin yesterday, but it surely won’t be the last time the Red Wings are involved in a trade this season. The team still has several expiring assets that could bring back something of value, most notably Gustav Nyquist. With Matt Duchene coming off the board today the forward market is finally starting to move along, and the Red Wings will likely be watching closely.

Washington meanwhile would need to move out more money to do anything else, given how close they are to the salary cap ceiling. It was clear that GM Brian MacLellan wanted another defenseman, something he has done every year—Michal Kempny, Kevin Shattenkirk, Tim Gleason and Mike Weber all come to mind—but has managed to keep hold of his first-round pick once again.

Darren Dreger of TSN was first to break the deal on Twitter.

Minor Transactions: 02/21/19

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The NHL has a full slate of action on tap tonight, with 11 matches taking place including a rematch of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. The Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks face off in an important game for both clubs as they try to secure playoff berths in their respective conferences. As the league prepares for tonight’s play, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled J.T. Brown from the minor leagues, though Ryan Donato is expected to enter the lineup. Brown has just four points in 35 games for the Wild this season and was sent down to the AHL earlier this month.
  • The Washington Capitals have officially sent Devante Smith-Pelly to the minor leagues after he cleared waivers, meaning he will play his first AHL game since the 2013-14 season. Even with the recent addition of Carl Hagelin, the Capitals could very well bring up Smith-Pelly at some point down the stretch for his playoff experience.
  • Jonny Brodzinski has been activated from injured reserve, and could help replace Hagelin in the Los Angeles Kings lineup. Brodzinski hasn’t played a game for the Kings this season but recorded one goal in a three-game conditioning stint with the Ontario Reign.
  • Landon Bow has been returned to the AHL by the Dallas Stars, which should signal a return to action for Ben Bishop. Bishop hasn’t played a game since February 4th, but will have to play a big role for the Stars down the stretch if they’re to make the playoffs.

Washington Capitals Acquire Carl Hagelin

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The Washington Capitals were bound to make a move of some sort after waiving Devante Smith-Pelly yesterday, and it comes in the form of Carl Hagelin. The Capitals have acquired Hagelin from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick and a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick. The Kings will be retaining 50% of what remains on Hagelin’s contract, which had already been involved in a retained salary transaction earlier in the year and expires at the end of this season. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the sixth-round pick will be sent to Los Angeles if the Capitals win two playoff rounds and Hagelin plays in 50% of any two rounds combined.

Hagelin, 30, should be very familiar to Capitals fans already from his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins, though he is not quite the same player that scored 16 playoff points en route to a 2016 Stanley Cup victory. In fact, Hagelin has just eight points through 38 games this season split between the Penguins and Kings. Still, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan obviously saw a way for his team to improve, and released a statement explaining why he made the move:

We are pleased to welcome Carl to our organization. We felt this trade enables us to add depth up front and provides us with a veteran player with a tremendous amount of speed to help us on the penalty kill.

If there is one thing Hagelin is still known for, it is that speed. One of the fastest players in the NHL, he will jump into the Capitals bottom-six and replace a player in Smith-Pelly who has slowed considerably this season. There’s a good chance the former Penguins forward will also become a trusted penalty killer, a role that he has excelled at over the years.

For the Kings, this was always the plan after acquiring Hagelin from the Penguins in exchange for Tanner Pearson earlier this year. As an expiring contract he was never expected to stay the whole season in Los Angeles, where the team is committed to a short rebuild after getting off to such a slow start. The Kings now have ten picks in the upcoming draft including five in the first three rounds. The team could acquire even more by selling off other names like Ilya Kovalchuk, Tyler Toffoli or Alec Martinez, but it is unclear if they will really want to move on from those more important players.

Washington meanwhile is happy to give up a third-round selection to add some Stanley Cup experience to the team for another playoff run. While other teams were giving away their first-round picks last year to try and load up at the deadline, the Capitals decided to hold onto theirs and actually selected three times in the first two rounds. Once again they still have their first and second for the upcoming draft, ensuring that more young talent will continue to flow into their system.

Even with the retained salary on Hagelin’s deal, the Capitals are right up against the cap and have almost no room to do anything else at the deadline. They could however move out some other names that have been rumored, including Dmitrij Jaskin who was expected to be placed on waivers yesterday. If not, this is the group they’ll have to ride until the playoffs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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