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Central Notes: Predators, Avalanche, Jets

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Yesterday, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) wrote about the Central Division and how each team is handling the pre-trade deadline stretch. First, he spoke with David Poile who admitted that he’d be most interested in adding up front. The Predators have long been known for their strength on defense, and with Alexei Emelin now added to a group that still includes P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm, their blue line is stronger than ever.

It’s not like Poile isn’t used to adding up front. Earlier this season he landed Kyle Turris in a three-way deal, and last season the Predators added Cody McLeod, Vernon Fiddler and P.A. Parenteau as depth options as they headed towards a postseason run. While none of those players are game-changing entities, they could be similar to any move the team makes this year, avoiding the big splash and hoping their core group can take them all the way.

  • In Colorado, things are much different than a year ago. After dealing away Matt Duchene earlier this season, suddenly the Avalanche find themselves in a competitive position in the Central Division, just six points out of third place. LeBrun has been told by a source that if they’re in a playoff spot come the deadline, Colorado might just go out and acquire a top-nine forward to help this young group reach its potential. That’s a far cry from being a historically-bad team in 2016-17 and trying to sell just about any piece that wasn’t bolted down.
  • Winnipeg may be the most interesting team to watch, now that they’ve lost Jacob Trouba for six to eight weeks and are still without Mark Scheifele. The Jets are a legitimate contender this season, and LeBrun reports that there is “no question [GM Kevin Cheveldayoff] is ready to deal some futures in the right deal.” That could be a whopping deal, seeing as the Jets are still loaded with prospects and picks ready to be flipped for impact talent. Sitting in first place is a new feeling for head coach Paul Maurice and his team, and it’s surely not one they’re going to want to give up anytime soon.

Final Standings Projections At The Mid-Way Point

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It’s impossible to tell exactly how the remainder of the 2017-18 season will shake out, but with the NHL set to resume it’s unofficial second half of the season tomorrow, there’s no better time to look at the current state of the league. The final standings could look much like they do now or they could differ greatly, depending on whether or not the status quo shifts over the next few months. The trade deadline, rookie wall, and the health rigors of an 82-game season can all change the course of the campaign for many teams, but as of now, this is what the final standings and 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs will look like:

Atlantic Division

  1. Tampa Bay Lightning – 119 points
  2. Boston Bruins – 115 points
  3. Toronto Maple Leafs – 98 points
  4. Detroit Red Wings – 79 points
  5. Montreal Canadiens – 77 points
  6. Florida Panthers – 77 points
  7. Ottawa Senators – 68 points
  8. Buffalo Sabres – 62 points

Metropolitan Division

  1. Washington Capitals – 105 points
  2. New Jersey Devils – 96 points
  3. Columbus Blue Jackets – 95 points
  4. Philadelphia Flyers – 94 points
  5. Pittsburgh Penguins – 92 points
  6. New York Islanders – 90 points
  7. New York Rangers – 90 points
  8. Carolina Hurricanes – 87 points

Eastern Conference First Round Playoff Match-ups:

#1A Tampa Bay vs. #2W Pittsburgh
#1M Washington vs. #1W Philadelphia
#2A Boston vs. #3A Toronto
#2M New Jersey vs. #3M Columbus

Central Division

  1. Nashville Predators – 113 points
  2. Winnipeg Jets – 108 points
  3. St. Louis Blues – 101 points
  4. Dallas Stars – 98 points
  5. Colorado Avalanche – 97 points
  6. Minnesota Wild – 95 points
  7. Chicago Blackhawks – 89 points

Pacific Division

  1. Vegas Golden Knights – 116 points
  2. San Jose Sharks – 101 points
  3. Calgary Flames – 97 points
  4. Los Angeles Kings – 95 points
  5. Anaheim Ducks – 93 points
  6. Edmonton Oilers – 79 points
  7. Vancouver Canucks – 74 points
  8. Arizona Coyotes – 54 points

Western Conference First Round Playoff Match-ups:

#1P Vegas vs. #2W Colorado
#1C Nashville vs. #1W Dallas
#2C Winnipeg vs. #3C St. Louis
#2P San Jose vs. #3P Calgary

The biggest takeaway from this current outlook? It won’t take 100 points to be a playoff team this year, but the vast number of mediocre teams opens the door for some last-minute playoff drama. The Islanders, Rangers, Wild, and Kings all project to be just one win outside of a playoff berth. These races could come down to the wire. It should be a fun second half.

Which Teams Would Have Flexibility In Another Expansion Draft?

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Midway-through the 2017-18 NHL season, it is nearly impossible to predict what rosters could look like following the 2019-20 season, more than two years away. Trades, free agency, and much more shape teams often in ways that no one sees coming. With that said, it seems like another Expansion Draft is coming to add the league’s 32nd team, the Seattle __________, and the timeline most are suggesting is a June 2020 draft date. Like it or not, the general managers of the other 31 NHL need to be keeping that in the back of their mind with each move they make over the next two seasons.

However, it could be that some have already made decisions that could impact their roster protection plans more than two years from now. The structure of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft will the remain the same, allowing for teams to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or eight skaters regardless of position and one goalie from being selected. The one caveat that threw more than a few teams for a loop last June was that all players with No-Movement Clauses (NMC) in their contracts had to be protected, unless the players voluntarily chose to wave them i.e. Marc-Andre Fleury. So, with that one aspect of the expansion process in mind, it is possible to look ahead at certain long-term contracts to see, assuming those players don’t waive them ahead of time, who could be locked in for protection in 2020 or which teams will have more flexibility without any such players:

Total Flexibility

Arizona Coyotes (0) – The only NMC players on the Coyotes are defensemen Alex Goligoski and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Hjalmarsson will be a free agent in the summer of the projected Expansion Draft and Goligoski’s clause will have shifted to a Modified No-Trade Clause. Arizona will likely have complete flexibility.

Buffalo Sabres (0) – Kyle Okposo’s NMC expires after this season and Jason Pominville’s contract expires after next season. Buffalo won’t have any restrictions on their protection scheme as of now.

Calgary Flames (0) – There is no one on the roster with a NMC and no one that will predictably get one by the end of the 2019-20 season. Kudos to GM Brad Treliving.

Los Angeles Kings (0) – Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar in their only NMC player right now and even his clause will have shifted to No-Trade by 2020. L.A. is free and clear.

Nashville Predators (0) – GM David Poile does not seem to be a fan of NMC’s in his recent long-term deals and in the new NHL expansion era, that’s a good thing.

New Jersey Devils (0) – see Calgary Flames

New York Islanders (0) – The Andrew Ladd and Johnny Boychuk contracts already look bad for the Isles. They would be much worse if their NMC’s didn’t expire soon. With John Tavares and Josh Bailey both candidates for NMC’s should they re-sign in New York and a defense that needs a re-haul, the Islanders could lose some flexibility, but they should be fine.

Toronto Maple Leafs (0) – The Leafs have no NMC players under contract beyond 2019-20 right now. That could easily change with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander in need of extensions, but Toronto should still be in a good spot. After all, those are players that would protected regardless.

Vancouver Canucks (0) – Loui Eriksson’s NMC shifts to a No-Trade Clause following this season and will be an afterthought by 2020. It’s fortunate, as Eriksson’s tenure in Vancouver has not gone according to plan.

Vegas Golden Knights (0) – The Golden Knights didn’t sign or trade for any players with NMC’s and only drafted two – Marc-Andre Fleury and David Clarkson – who already had them and they both expire before the Knights would be set to become the NHL’s second-newest team. With that said, the current Knights’ roster will see a lot of turnover in the next two years and they may struggle to avoid NMC’s completely.

Washington Capitals (0) – GM Brian MacLellan has avoided NMC’s in any of his recent mega-deals. If he can do it again this summer in his attempt to re-sign (or replace) John Carlson, then the Caps will be in good shape for another round of expansion drafting.

Winnipeg Jets (0) – The NMC in Bryan Little’s contract will both kick in and expire between now and June 2020. The Jets should be left with a fully flexible lineup.

Some Flexibility

Boston Bruins (2) – There’s little concern that Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron will still be playing at a high level in two years. Their NMC’s should be a non-factor for Boston. If David Krejci and, especially, David Backes still had their NMC’s too at that time, there would be a real logjam up front. However, both will have shifted to Modified No-Trade Clauses by then, potentially saving the Bruins from making tough decisions about their many talented young forwards.

Carolina Hurricanes (1) – As important a job as he’s had in Carolina, Jordan Staal will never be the star forward that finally puts them over the top. If his NMC causes a problem in 2020, he could easily be traded to a contender to play a complementary role. The Hurricanes need to retain as many promising young forward assets as they can in hopes of one day finding that true superstar.

Colorado Avalanche (1) – There are mixed opinions on Erik Johnson, but he has a leadership role for the Avalanche and will be key in grooming a strong crop of up-and-coming defensive prospects. The Avs won’t lose sleep about having to protect him in expansion, especially if he’s still one of their top-pairing guys in two years.

Columbus Blue Jackets (1) – The Blue Jackets were one of the biggest losers in the most recent Expansion Draft. They might be smart to sell off Nick Foligno if there’s any risk that history repeats itself.

Dallas Stars (3) – Call it optimism about his play in his first season in Dallas, but the NMC for Alexander Radulov doesn’t seem like it will be a major issue even after a couple more years. Of course, Jamie Benn’s NMC will also be a non-factor. Ben Bishop on the other hand may not be the goalie the Stars would prefer to keep in two years. As of now, there’s no immediate competition though.

Detroit Red Wings (1) – Detroit only has one NMC player who will still be under contract in 2020-21 (and another season after that), but it’s Frans Nielsen, who has been a major disappointment for the team since coming over from the New York Islanders. He could throw a wrench in their plans if he continues his downward trend over the next two seasons.

Minnesota Wild (2) – The Ryan Suter and Zach Parise mega-deals will still be making an impact in 2020, but with most of the core locked up throughout that season and no other NMC contract likely on their way, Minnesota should be okay in the Expansion Draft.

Montreal Canadiens (2) – Even if the Canadiens continue to struggle through two more seasons, there will be few Habs fans that blame superstar goalie Carey Price. His NMC won’t be an issue because the team would never dream of leaving him exposed. Jeff Petry on the other hand could be a problem. Luckily (?), it doesn’t look like Montreal will have many defenders worth protecting even in the next couple of seasons.

Ottawa Senators (2) – Some things never change. The NMC’s for Bobby Ryan and Dion Phaneuf were problems for the Senators in this past Expansion Draft and they’ll likely be problems again next time around. If Phaneuf is traded between now and then, that alleviates some concern for Ottawa. Good luck moving the Ryan contract though.

Philadelphia Flyers (1) – Only Claude Giroux has and predictably will have an NMC come June 2020. That’s a pretty safe situation for Philly.

San Jose Sharks (1) – Marc-Edouard Vlasic plays a confident, stay-at-home defensive game that often ages nicely. He looks to be the only NMC in San Jose in 2020, which shouldn’t cause a stir.

St. Louis Blues (1) – Patrik Berglund will be on the wrong side of 30 and still under a NMC when the potential 2020 draft rolls around, but with the rest of their core signed long-term without NMC’s, the Blues should be pretty safe.

Tampa Bay Lightning (2) – Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman may be the two safest NMC contracts in the NHL. Fortunately, Ryan Callahan’s otherwise-problematic NMC expires just prior to projected 2020 Expansion Draft.

Little Flexibility

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler will all be 35+ and still be NMC-protected in 2020. That’s a large chunk of your protected forwards to dedicate to players in the twilight of their careers. Some up-and-coming young talent could leave Anaheim again in this next Expansion Draft a la Shea Theodore.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) – The downside to signing all of your core players to long contracts with NMC’s could hit the Blackhawks hard in the next Expansion Draft. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will be well past 30 and Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith will be in their mid-to-late 30’s during the 2020-21 season, but all four will need to be protected ahead of that season, which could force other promising younger players out of Chicago’s protection scheme. At least they’ll narrowly avoid having an issue in net with Corey Crawford’s contract expiring prior.

Edmonton Oilers (2) – Milan Lucic and Kris Russell. Each two years older than they are now. Those aren’t exactly players that a team wants to be forced to keep. It’s foreseeable that one or both could have a negative impact on the team’s protection plan.

Florida Panthers (3) – The Panthers probably won’t mind having three players locked up come Expansion 2.0. The team knew what they were doing when they signed Keith Yandle long-term. Even in his mid-30’s, Yandle will be a reliable player and a leader for the young Florida defensive core. Sure, they considered asking him to waive his NMC this past June, but they never actually did. Yandle won’t be a major issue in two years unless his play falls off considerably. There should be no concern whatsoever over Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, whose NMC’s kick in later on in their contracts. The same might not be true about Evgeni Dadonov, whose been somewhat underwhelming so far in Florida, but luckily his contract runs out just prior the probable draft date.

New York Rangers (4) – Although they will have near total control over their forwards, outside of Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers could be in a tough position with their protection schemes in net and on the blue line in 2020. Then-38-year-old Henrik Lundqvist will require protection, as will underachieving defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Marc Staal. New York is apparently readying themselves for somewhat of a rebuild, which could mean some of those players are traded beforehand. Otherwise New York could face quite the dilemma.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) – It seems unlikely, even years from now and in their mid-30’s, that the NMC’s for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Phil Kessel would cause trouble for the Penguins. Injury-prone defenseman Kris Letang could be different though. Being forced to protect him after another two seasons of hard minutes could be difficult to swallow. Pittsburgh also has some work to do filling out the forward corps between now and 2020. GM Jim Rutherford would be well-served to avoid acquiring or handing out any further NMC’s.

Jacob Trouba Could Miss Six To Eight Weeks

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Lost in all the excitement of the NHL All-Star weekend was a report from Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, detailing an injury to the Jets’ Jacob Trouba. Wiebe writes that Trouba will be out with an ankle injury for six to eight weeks, a huge blow to the already hurting Jets.

Now in his fifth season in the NHL, Trouba has blossomed into a dynamic two-way defender for the Jets, capable of playing in all situations against any competition. The 23-year old trails only Dustin Byfuglien in average ice time, and Tyler Myers in points among Jets’ defenders. Losing him for nearly two months will put a huge stress on Winnipeg’s blue line, and could lead to a potential trade to add some depth.

While Tucker Poolman will likely be asked to fill a bigger role, the team could go out and add a piece to fill Trouba’s role. If that’s true, they have the prospect talent to land some of the league’s biggest fishes.

The Jets are headed for a playoff spot for the first time since 2014-15 and only the third time in franchise history that goes back to Atlanta in 1999-00. Even with injuries to Mark Scheifele and now Trouba, the team sits in first place in the Central Division and looks as capable as anyone to come out of the Western Conference playoffs.

Trade Candidates: Jason Demers

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With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

With another dismal season in the desert, the Arizona Coyotes will once again attempt to unload their veteran players with the hopes of picking up some draft picks and opening roster spots so the team can promote some of their young talent in the minors. While the team may want to hold onto some of their offseason trade acquisitions a bit longer like Derek Stepan or Niklas Hjalmarsson, there are others such as defenseman Jason Demers, who the team will likely shop in hopes of finding a taker.

Contract

One reason Arizona was able to get Demers for such a cheap price (for Jamie McGinn) was that the Coyotes were willing to eat his contract. The 29-year-old defenseman still has three years remaining on the five-year, $22.5MM ($4.45MM AAV) deal he signed in 2016 with the Florida Panthers. However, the Panthers will retain $563K for each of the next four years, which brings his salary down to just under $4MM per year.

2017-18

While the Coyotes had high hopes that with the addition of Demers and Hjalmarsson to go with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski and second-year defenseman Jakob Chychrun, the team’s defense and new goaltender Antti Raanta might stabilize their defense. That hasn’t happened, although Demers has played well with the Coyotes and been a consistent defensive presence all season. While his offensive numbers have been modest at best (three goals this year compared to nine last year), he has played well defensively and is averaging a solid 21:06 of ice time.

Season Stats

50 GP, 3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points, -11 rating, 29 PIM, 21:46 ATOI, 51.1 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Demers is no rental player, the team has to hope a team is willing to take on three more years of his contract for a trade to work. Even if they were willing to retain some of his salary, finding a taker might be challenging. While the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown interest in Demers in previous years and might be looking for a defenseman, the likelihood they would be willing to take on his contract for three more years when their cap situation ready to explode at that time suggests they aren’t a great match. Perhaps a team with ample cap space such as the San Jose Sharks, the Colorado Avalanche or even the Winnipeg Jets might be willing to take on that contract. The New York Islanders also could use some defense, but would likely have to send some salary back to make a deal work.

Likelihood of a Trade

Arizona is likely more than willing, but again, it all comes down to whether any team wants to take on the three years remaining on his salary and how much Arizona might be willing to retain. Demers isn’t that high priced, but the defenseman is hardly that great player that will change a team’s playoff fortunes around. Yet, he is a solid, respectable defenseman who might make a solid pickup to a team’s defensive rotation.

Commissioner Notes: Goalie Interference, International Games, Expansion

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media prior to tonight’s All-Star’s Skills Competition and it didn’t take long for questions to arise about the controversial goaltender interference calls that have created an uproar. As reported earlier, the all-star coaches and league executives met with the league today to discuss the issues with goaltender interference. Bettman was quick to point out that he believes that everyone is overthinking the rule and plans to send a memo to officials suggesting they ease off when looking at video, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.

“Overall, the system works,” Bettman said. “But I think we’ve gotten to the point where everyone is overlooking the review.”

The comments might suggest the league might be backing off on goaltender interference in the near future.

  • Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweets that Bettman announced the 2019 NHL All-Star Game will be in San Jose on Jan. 26-27. It will be the first time its been there since 1997. St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann tweeted the St. Louis Blues are bidding to host the 2020 all-star game.
  • Johnston also tweets that Bettman said that the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers will start the 2018-19 regular season in Sweden. The Winnipeg Jets and the Florida Panthers will play two regular season games against each other in Helsinki, Finland. The Devils tweeted they will also be playing in a preseason game in Switzerland.
  • TSN’s Daren Dreger tweets that Bettman said that the plan is to send two teams to China in September and continues to be a “work in progress.” Johnston adds that it’s expected the Calgary Flames and the Boston Bruins will be the two teams.
  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that Bettman was asked if the next expansion team (Seattle — if it happens, added Bettman) would get the same favorable expansion draft rules and player pool that the Vegas Golden Knights received. Bettman said, “Yes.” Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus tweets that Bettman added that any future expansion team would insist on the same expansion draft rules that Vegas took advantage of. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski tweets that Bettman said the ownership group working for a Seattle expansion bid is still working on their application. A timetable and ticket drive are up to them, but likely should be completed in one or two weeks, suggests LeBrun.
  • LeBrun tweets that he talked to NHLPA’s Don Fehr, who said that a potential World Cup tournament could happen in September of 2020 or February of 2020. However, there still would have to be a lot of work to be done.
  • LeBrun tweets that when asked whether adding a 32nd team through expansion would suggest the NHL should look into expanding the number of playoff teams, Bettman said ’No.’ He likes it at 16 teams.
  • Wyshysnki tweets that Bettman wasn’t positive about a possible expansion team coming from Quebec: “We’re not currently considering an application. At the current time, we’re not focused on a team in Quebec City. That doesn’t mean we’ll never be focused [on it].”
  • Wyshysnki tweets that on the topic of the Arizona Coyotes, the commissioner added that ownership is working through possibilities to build a new arena and the strength of the club comes down to the owners’ willingness to continue that pursuit. “I wouldn’t focus on Arizona moving right now. Or anytime soon. Or ever,” said Bettman.
  • Lazerus tweets that Bettman also wasn’t as positive about NHL players joining the Olympics in 2020. “I don’t have an answer to that question.” He said the clubs and owners find Olympic participation “disruptive.”

All-Star Skills Competition Assignments Released

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With the All-Star game one day away, many NHL fans often get more excited for the 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which will be tonight. The NHL released the list of who will be participating in each of the six competitions with the winner of each receiving $25K.

Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater – Each skater is timed for one full lap around the rink.
Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Rickard Rakell (Anaheim Ducks)
Noah Hanifin (Carolina Hurricanes)
Josh Bailey (New York Islanders)
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)

Dunkin Donuts NHL Passing Challenge – Requires three skills over one round, including Target Passing (making four passes to a target that light up randomly), Give-and-Go (must complete four successful passes through a course in the neutral zone) and Mini Nets (must complete four passes over barricades and into mini-nets).
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers)
Brayden Schenn (St. Louis Blues)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Arizona Coyotes)
Eric Staal (Minnesota Wild)
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis Blues)
Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)

GEICO NHL Save Streak – Goalies attempt to win by making the most consecutive saves against an opposing division on a minimum of nine shots.
Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) vs. Central Division
Connor Hellebuyck (Vancouver Canucks) vs. Pacific Division
Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators) vs. Metropolitan Division
Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas Golden Knights) vs. Atlantic Division
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) vs. Central Division

Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay – A timed event that involves three skills, including Stickhandling (where a skater must control a puck through a series of eight pucks in a straight line), Cone Control (where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight cones in a zig-zag formation) and Gates (where a skater must shoot or choose to guide the puck through a lighted rung of a gate).
Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames)
Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers)
Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators)
John Tavares (New York Islanders)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars)
Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)

PPG NHL Hardest Shot – Over two rounds, each player will attempt two shots measured in miles per hour with the highest speed recorded.
John Klingberg (Dallas Stars)
Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
P.K. Subban (Nashville Predators)
Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Honda NHL Shooting Accuracy – A timed event in which a skater is positioned 25 feet behind the goal line and must shoot at five LED targets in the goal. A target will light up and the players has three seconds to hit it.
Brian Boyle (New Jersey Devils)
Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg Jets)
James Neal (Vegas Golden Knights)
Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks)
Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings)
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Prospects Begin To Feature In Trade Speculation

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The NHL’s trade deadline is just a month away, and any game-changing deals are yet to come. Though there were two big trades already this season—featuring Matt Duchene, Kyle Turris, Sami Vatanen and Adam Henrique—the market has been relatively quiet for nearly two months. Minor league deals, and the swap of Anthony Duclair not withstanding, fans are ready to land the big fish and take a run at the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Jordan KyrouFor some time now names like Max Pacioretty, Mike Hoffman, Patrick Maroon and Evander Kane have graced the Trade Bait board on TSN, but with today’s update Frank Seravalli gives us a few interesting additions. One, Ryan McDonagh, is very much like those previously mentioned, a very good player heading towards the free agent market (in the summer of 2019 in this case) that could be moved when his value is still near its highest point.

But there are a couple of other new entries, including St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou. While McDonagh and most of the other players are in or past their prime, Kyrou hasn’t even begun his NHL career. Selected 35th-overall in 2016, the smooth skating forward has blossomed into one of the very top prospects in the entire league. In fact, Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently ranked him 19th among those already drafted. Five of the players ahead of him have already made their NHL debuts, including the likes of Kasperi Kapanen and Dylan Strome.

Seravalli speculates that Kyrou could be in a package to land Kane, one that according to Buffalo might need to include a first-round pick, conditional pick and an additional roster player. Kyrou’s potential shouldn’t be downgraded by the fact he fell out of the first round in his draft year, as he’s shown over and over how dynamic his offense and skating ability can be. At the recent World Juniors, he led Team Canada with ten points in seven games and was a threat every time he touched the puck. Even with the absence to attend the tournament, he still leads the OHL in points with 73 in just 35 games and has a real shot at winning the league’s Most Outstanding Player.

If a prospect like Kyrou is moved, it could be a trade deadline to remember for the ages. While there is no guarantee he or any other top name ever turns out to be an impact player in the NHL, the rental-for-prospect deals are often the ones looked back on years later with frustration. The Blues—and other teams like the Winnipeg Jets, from whom Seravalli mentions young players Nic Petan and Jack Roslovic as potential pieces—are looking for an impact player this season. They might just have to give up a future one in return.

Minor Transactions: 01/24/18

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We’ve already seen a signing today that brought Nathan Gerbe back into the North American fold, but there will be several other minor moves around the league. Right here is where we’ll keep track of all of them.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman from the minor leagues, placing Shawn Matthias on injured reserve. The move could be due to Dmitry Kulikov’s injury, suffered after being hit by Tomas Hertl last night. Poolman has played 13 games this season for the Jets, recording a single point but showing that he could potentially be an answer on defense in the coming years. The 24-year old turned pro out of the University of North Dakota last March, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
  • Oscar Dansk has been loaned back to the Chicago Wolves, now that he is healthy enough to return to action. Dansk was moved off injured reserve this week and will continue his development in the AHL. The 23-year old played in four games with the Vegas Golden Knights this season, allowing just five goals and recording a .946 save percentage.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have indeed sent David Booth to the minor leagues now that he’s cleared waivers for the third time. The team recalled Dominic Turgeon, who had only just been sent down this week, to take his place.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Tyler Motte back to the minor leagues, another good sign for Cam Atkinson who is close to returning. Atkinson had his foot broken by a Seth Jones shot just a month ago, but has been skating with the team recently.
  • With James Reimer dealing with a lower-body injury, the Florida Panthers have recalled goaltender Samuel Montembeault from the AHL. That puts the Panthers with a duo of Montembeault and Harri Sateri, who have a combined three NHL appearances (all Sateri). It’s not clear how serious Reimer’s injury is, but we’ll surely find out soon.
  • According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the San Jose Sharks have brought Marcus Sorensen back up from the minor leagues after getting the news that Joe Thornton would be out at least a couple of weeks. Sorensen has played 15 games for the Sharks this season, scoring three goals.
  • The Penguins Penguins have sent goaltender Tristan Jarry to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  This will allow him to play in up to two games in the minors during the NHL All-Star break.  Jarry has lost playing time to Casey DeSmith in recent games so this will serve as an opportunity to keep him in playing shape before deciding whether or not to bring him back afterwards.

Minor Transactions: 01/22/18

at CDT | by 4 Comments

When the Vegas Golden Knights woke up this Monday morning, they found themselves all alone in first place in the entire NHL. The expansion club has 66 points on the season and show no signs of slowing down. While the playoffs were a likely afterthought in the summer months, the team now has its sights set on the Presidents’ Trophy and the top seed in the postseason. As always, any minor moves made by the Golden Knights or any club will be collected here throughout the day.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Chris DiDomenico and Erik Burgdoerfer from the minor leagues as they deal with injuries and prepare for their game tonight against Minnesota. The Senators will head to St. Louis tomorrow for the second half of a back-to-back romp through the Central Division.
  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled Mirco Mueller from his AHL conditioning stint, but haven’t actually activated him from long-term injured reserve. Mueller played two games for the Binghamton Devils and was held scoreless. The Devils don’t necessarily have to activate him right away, but with their defensive corps not playing up to the standard set at the beginning of the year he could lend a helpful hand as soon as he’s healthy enough to contribute.
  • After playing in his third career NHL game last night, Roland McKeown has been sent back to the AHL. The Carolina Hurricanes prospect has some impressive potential, but hasn’t been able to crack the NHL squad full-time just yet. After turning 22 on Saturday, he’ll try to show they can’t keep him in the minor leagues for much longer.
  • Brendan Lemieux is back up with the Winnipeg Jets, recalled today from the Manitoba Moose. Lemieux has dominated the AHL this season scoring 25 points in 27 games and even scored his first NHL goal earlier in the year. He’s another interesting piece for the Jets forward group that continues to show off its depth and versatility.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Travis Sanheim back to the minor leagues to keep him playing, recalling Mark Alt in his place. Sanheim is a big part of the Flyers future on defense, but had been sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch recently. Now he’ll get the chance to log big minutes once again for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and wait for his next opportunity in the NHL.
  • The Dallas Stars have brought Jason Dickinson back up, giving him another chance in the NHL. The 29th-overall pick from 2013 has seven games with the Stars this year, but hasn’t registered a single point. In the minors though, Dickinson has 16 goals and 21 points on the year as he continues to develop as a two-way center.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Rinat Valiev from the AHL while placing Morgan Rielly on injured reserve. Valiev is likely only up as insurance for the club as Rielly nurses his injury over the All-Star break. If Valiev does get into an NHL game, it would be his first since the 2015-16 season, when he suited up ten times for the last place Maple Leafs.
  • Daniel Sprong has been officially assigned to the AHL, as the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare for Bryan Rust’s imminent return. Sprong has played in just eight games for Pittsburgh this season despite a solid rookie season in the minor leagues where he has 28 points in 29 games. Fans hoping for a full-time role for Sprong will have to wait a little longer, as he continues to learn the defensive side of the game and develop further in the minors.

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