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East Notes: Jokinen, Elias, Cammalleri

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Today in things you didn’t realize: Olli Jokinen hasn’t officially retired. After last playing in the NHL in 2014-15 for the St. Louis Blues—after stints in Nashville and Toronto earlier that season—the former Florida Panthers captain will officially retire prior to the Panthers game on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. A third-overall pick by the Los Angeles Kings back in 1997, Jokinen suited up for the Kings, Islanders, Panthers, Coyotes, Flames, Rangers, Jets, Predators, Maple Leafs and Blues during his 18 year NHL career.

Now 38, Jokinen scored 750 points in 1231 games and was one of the most consistent producers in the game during his prime. Involved in a handful of huge trades over the year, he and Roberto Luongo were the package sent from New York to Florida after the Islanders drafted Rick DiPietro first overall in 2000. The two would help shape the next decade of Panthers hockey, while DiPietro would suffer multiple injuries and become a cautionary “what if” story.

  • Staying with the old guard, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that Patrik Elias has been skating on and off this season and will talk to Devils GM Ray Shero next week about the possibility of playing at some point this season. Elias is currently unsigned by the Devils, but would return to the only team he’s ever known in the NHL should he want to hit the ice this season. The 40-year old has 1025 points in 1240 games over his long and successful career.
  • Maybe the Devils could use him right now, as Andrew Gross of The Record reports that Mike Cammalleri will be out at least a week with an upper-body injury. The forward will be re-evaluated next week at some point to see when he’ll be able to return. In a down season for the 34-year old Cammalleri, he has just 10 goals in 55 games and is starting to show his age on the ice. With two more years on his contract at $5MM per season, he certainly isn’t performing up to his current deal.

Trade Deadline Summary: Winners & Losers Of The Central Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and while it wasn’t the most exciting deadline day in recent memory, there were quite a few notable moves. Here are the winners and losers of the “wild” Central Division:

Winners

Chicago Blackhawks:

Of course the Blackhawks are winners on deadline day. Did you expect any less? Although they didn’t make any major moves, Chicago brought in two players via trade that can help them immediately. Oduya, a former Blackhawk, is still familiar with the system and has played with many of the current players. Oduya should be able to step in right away, play major minutes, and form a shutdown pair with Niklas Hjalmarsson (when he’s healthy). Just like the good ’ol days. Meanwhile, like nearly any forward, Jurco has a skill set that will fit in well with Chicago’s star forwards and for just the cost of a third-rounder, could represent a long-term fit with the Blackhawks.

Dallas Stars:

The Stars are a tough team to place at the 2017 deadline. They are in the midst of an unforeseen epic collapse of a season and have done well to trade their impending free agents. If Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky, and Adam Cracknell weren’t all hurt, Dallas would be a deadline loser for not moving them. As it stands, they did hold on to Jiri Hudler, but traded their three other healthy upcoming UFAs. Eaves earned them great value in return and Korpikoski, a late off-season addition, nets a promising young defenseman in Heatherington. Even McNeill and a fourth-rounder for Oduya is a pretty good deal. So for those three moves anyway, GM Jim Nill did well. With that said, the Benn trade was ill-timed and doesn’t make your team better. Benn still had term on his contract and was the team’s best defensive defenseman and, of course, captain Jamie Benn’s older brother. Dallas will likely regret that move. The Stars are teetering on the edge of winner and loser, but they’ve been through enough this season, so we’ll call them winners.

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Bruins Acquire Drew Stafford From Winnipeg

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After watching all of their Atlantic Division rivals add pieces this week, Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney was able to stay true to his goal of not overpaying this deadline, as he did last year, but still added some quality depth by bringing in Winnipeg Jets winger Drew Stafford for a conditional 2017 sixth-round pick. The return becomes a 2017 fifth-round pick if the Bruins make the playoffs and a fourth-round pick if the Bruins win at least one playoff round and Stafford plays in 50% of postseason games.

Stafford is having the worst season of his NHL career, yes. However, that is also due in part to only playing in 40 games due to injury. Stafford is just one year removed from a 38-point season and scored 40 points or more four times earlier in his career. The Bruins are certainly familiar with his body of work with the rival Buffalo Sabres and were able to bring the scoring winger in at a very low cost. Boston has been rolling lately with a 7-1 record under new head coach Bruce Cassidy, but rookie winger Peter Cehlarik and streaky Jimmy Hayes have also been playing in top-nine roles nearly every night. If Sweeney had gone through the deadline without adding any additional depth to banged-up Matt Beleskey, he would have been risking the Bruins’ good momentum falling apart if either Cehlarik’s or Hayes’ play fell off. Stafford adds some excellent insurance for Boston down the stretch, as they look to return to the postseason for the first time in three years.

Winnipeg Jets Receiving Interest On Drew Stafford

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As the Winnipeg Jets fall a little further out of playoff contention, they’ve begun to get calls on some of their players. One of those has been Drew Stafford according to Craig Custance of ESPN, who he sees the team moving before the deadline. We profiled Stafford’s case for trade just a week ago.

Another rental option for teams looking for some scoring depth on the wing, Stafford has been hampered this year by injury and has seen fourth line duty at times. The former 30-goal man has just 12 points in 39 games and is playing his lowest ice time total—13:16 a night—since his rookie season with Buffalo. The Jets have 62 points and trail Calgary by just four points in the playoff race, but have played more games than anyone else in the conference and look about ready to get knocked out of contention.

[Related: Winnipeg Jets Deadline Primer]

It’s not to say they can’t make the playoffs, but with Stafford due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year it would be best to get some value out of him now. Part of the Evander Kane–Tyler Myers swap of two years ago, he has scored 34 goals in a Winnipeg uniform and could entice at least a handful of teams to send a pick north. A solid playoff run on a contender could bump his value back into the positive as he heads on the open market, one that he seemed ready to cash in on before the season began.

Evening Snapshots: Radulov, Fleury, Oilers

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If not for a certain one-for-one swap in late June, Alexander Radulov would have been the most fascinating move of the summer for the Montreal Canadiens.

Radulov spent the better part of eight seasons in the KHL, with two controversial stints in Nashville, before signing a one-year, $5.75MM contract with the Canadiens. The term suggested this was very much a “show-me” contract, and show them he has. Radulov has been one of the Canadiens best players, with 42 points in 59 games thus far. Now, the Canadiens will have to lock up their Russian star long-term.

They won’t be the only team with interest in the big winger. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reported that Radulov is a “strong position” to negotiate with the Canadiens (link in French). Radulov and T.J. Oshie are the only big names under the age of 35 set to hit unrestricted free agency. The KHL is also an outside option for Radulov, but staying in the NHL with Montreal appears to be his first choice.

[Related: PHR’s Midseason UFA Power Rankings]

This advantage give Radulov “every reason” to wait until July 1st, according Lavoie. Even though he’s expressed interest in staying in Montreal, this summer is likely his last chance to hit a home run in free agency. His former coach and friend Barry Trotz suggested he would be “shocked” if Radulov didn’t end up signing long-term in Montreal. Last Saturday, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported that Radulov wants to sign long-term, perhaps even looking for a six-year pact. That would take him to age 37, which might make the Canadiens uncomfortable. Power forwards tend to drop off a cliff sometime in their mid-thirties, so GM Marc Bergevin would be taking a risk to sign Radulov for that kind of term.

Kypreos suggested the Canadiens could offer Radulov a five or six year contract worth somewhere around $4.5 or $5MM per season, but would need to go to the $7MM neighbourhood to keep the term to three years. The Canadiens have some money coming off their cap this summer, but have Radulov, franchise goaltender Carey Price, and captain Max Pacioretty due for new contracts in each of the next three summers. With those big money signings on the horizon, it’s no wonder that Bergevin is considered “all-in” on this playoff run.

  • Despite needing to address his goaltending situation before this June’s expansion draft, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford would prefer to keep both Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury for the remainder of this campaign, according to Adam Gretz of NBC Sports. Murray has been significantly better this season, and with Fleury’s no-move clause (NMC), the Penguins need to make a move to avoid losing their young starter. If Rutherford doesn’t trade Fleury before next Wednesday, then the wily GM will have to convince him to waive his NMC in the spring for either the Golden Knights or a trading partner. Two teams to watch are the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. Bob McKenzie of TSN reported on Thursday that the Flames are looking to improve their current goaltending duo of Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson; while there hasn’t been any reports of interest on the part of Winnipeg, they’re currently two points out of a wildcard spot while only one of their three goaltenders have a SV% above 0.900 (Connor Hellebuyck). Should the Jets get stable netminding, then they could be a darkhorse candidate in the Western Conference.
  • Speaking of goaltenders, an interesting tidbit came out of Edmonton today regarding their 2015 acquisition of Cam Talbot. The Oilers acquired Talbot at the 2015 NHL Draft, trading three picks (2nd, 3rd, and 7th) for the then-unproven goalie and a seventh round pick. While discussing the Oilers’ interest in trading for Kevin Shattenkirk, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported that Talbot “told the Oilers point-blank ’don’t trade for me because I’m not going to re-sign here.'” Just six months later, Talbot signed a three-year extension to stay with the rising Oilers. Talbot has been the Oilers’ MVP (non-Connor McDavid category) with 30 wins and a 0.921 SV% in 54 games so far this season. Seravalli’s anecdote is notable as Talbot and Shattenkirk share an agent, and it shows GM Peter Chiarelli has previously been able to pitch Edmonton to players who were originally not interested in staying long-term.

Minor Transactions: 02/22/17

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It’s not just trades that are completed in the days prior to the deadline, but a lot of roster movement to get team’s ready for the big day. We’ll have all the day’s minor transactions right here, so keep checking back.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have sent Jared Coreau to the minors on a conditioning stint, likely meaning Jimmy Howard is ready to rejoin the team from his latest setback. Coreau has gotten into 13 games for the Red Wings this season, recording an .893 save percentage and 3.27 goals against average. The 25-year old will return to the minors where he has played exceptionally well, with three straight seasons of a save percentage .922 or above.
  • After falling the the Maple Leafs in overtime last night, the Winnipeg Jets have sent Julian Melchiori and Brandon Tanev to the AHL. The Jets start their bye-week today, and with it the usual roster movement so that young players can continue their development. Expect both to be back with the NHL squad in a few days.
  • The New York Islanders have moved Shane Prince to injured reserve, retroactive to February 12th and called up Bracken Kearns on an emergency basis. Kearns is an AHL veteran who has 40 points this season. The 35-year old will likely take a spot of Cal Clutterbuck who exited last night’s game.
  • According to Arthur Staple of Newsday the Islanders have also signed Connor Jones to a two-way deal for the rest of this year. He was on an AHL deal, but this will allow him to be called up if they need him down the stretch.  The deal will pay him the league minimum $575K in the NHL and $75K at the minor league level, per CapFriendly.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have brought up winger Nic Kerdiles from the AHL. He’s spent time with the Ducks before, but has never gotten into an NHL game. Drafted in the second round in 2012, he hasn’t developed into quite the player the Ducks had hoped for and has struggled with a concussion this season. At 23, we’ll see if he makes his debut before the Ducks hit their bye week on Sunday.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have sent Marek Langhamer back to the AHL after just a few days with the NHL club. Louis Domingue is travelling with the club and looks ready to get back into some games for the Coyotes. Langhamer came on in relief of Mike Smith on Monday after the all-star goaltender took a hit to the head and had to leave to go through the concussion protocol.
  • After scoring two goals this morning (yes, morning) against the Toronto Marlies, Cory Conacher is on his way to the NHL. The diminutive forward has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning as insurance for Jonathan Drouin, who was absent from today’s practice. Though it was called a “maintenance day” for Drouin, you can never be too careful. Conacher is an established minor league scorer, and actually has 60 points in the NHL but has never found much consistency at the higher level.

Jacob Trouba Suspended Two Games For Illegal Check

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The Department of Player Safety has come down on Jacob Trouba today, suspending him two games for his illegal check to the head of Mark Stone last night.

Trouba hit Stone in the head at the end of the game against the Ottawa Senators, and was given just a two-minute minor for the check. Immediately, those watching the game knew that it would get a look from the DPS and possibly a suspension. Winnipeg fans will be upset with the decision as just a few days earlier Evgeni Malkin was not given any supplementary discipline for his high check on Blake Wheeler that had him clearly leaving his feet. Bob McKenzie of TSN wrote about the difference between the two hits today, mostly stating that because Malkin delivered a full-body check, instead of just catching the head, he wasn’t given a suspension.

In the middle of a playoff race, losing Trouba—who is arguably their second most important defenseman—is a tough blow to the Winnipeg hopes. He’ll miss games against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, and Minnesota Wild a week later after their mandated bye-week. Just one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot, every game counts as the Jets try to overcome their sluggish start.

Trouba is the 12th player suspended since the start of the regular season, and the third in the recent days following Gustav Nyquist and Antoine Vermette. Trouba’s two-game ban is the first of his career, but he will be under increased scrutiny going forward.

Ottawa Senators Recall Casey Bailey, Max McCormick From AHL

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After losing several forwards to injury last night against the Winnipeg Jets, the Ottawa Senators have recalled two players from Binghamton to help fill the gaps. Casey Bailey and Max McCormick will both come up and likely see playing time right away, as the Senators will face New Jersey tomorrow night. Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone and Tommy Wingels all left the game last night after suffering injuries, and though there hasn’t been an official update on their status, the call-ups likely mean that at least two of them will miss some time. This comes on the heels of the news that Bobby Ryan will miss several weeks with a fractured wrist.

Bailey came over from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season in the Dion Phaneuf trade, and has played just five games with the big club this season. For the baby-Sens though, he’s been an effective scoring threat if not the dominant power forward some had hoped he could become when the Leafs signed him out of college in 2015. He has 14 goals in 44 games in the AHL this season, though he hasn’t scored for Ottawa.

McCormick is much of the same, scoring at a solid pace in the AHL but held pointless in a five game stint for Ottawa. Another NCAA import, McCormick is smaller than Bailey but a much more physical presence on the ice. Willing to drop his gloves if the need arises, his hard forecheck is the signature of his game.

Neither of these players are capable replacements for Stone or Hoffman, who lead the team in goals with 22 and 19 respectively. If the Senators are without either or both for a considerable amount of time, perhaps they’ll look even harder at players available on the trade market as we get close to the deadline. With the Montreal Canadiens within striking distance, the Senators could easily take over first place in the Atlantic Division by the end of the season and guarantee themselves home ice advantage throughout the first few rounds. On the other hand, the Bruins, Maple Leafs and now Panthers are all nipping at their heels for the second spot, and time without their top offensive threats would put them at risk of even securing a playoff spot. Welcome to the Eastern Conference, where everyone is still in it.

Jacob Trouba To Have Disciplinary Hearing

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After a hit last night that knocked Ottawa Senators Mark Stone out of the game last night, Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba will have a hearing this afternoon with the NHL Department of Player Safety to determine if there will be any further disciplinary action.

Trouba hit Stone’s head on the check, which happened midway through the third period. Stone suffered a concussion at the beginning of the season, making this at least the second just this season should he fail the protocol today. Trouba does seem to extend his arm to hit the head.

The Jets can’t afford to lose Trouba for the next several games at least, as they have pulled themselves into the playoff race once again. Since Trouba’s lockout following a long contract negotiation this summer, he’s become perhaps the second most important defenseman on the Jets. Logging close to 25 minutes a night, Tyler Myers injury opened the door for Trouba to step into the starring role he had looked for.

Bob McKenzie on TSN1260 said that it would be “games for sure” for Trouba today. He doesn’t think Trouba picked out Stone’s head on purpose, but since there was almost no body-on-body contact, the book will be thrown at the Jets defenseman.

Trade Candidate: Drew Stafford

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Winnipeg’s Drew Stafford is often an overlooked piece of the Evander Kane blockbuster back in 2015.  He had a good first full season with the Jets but has underachieved this year which makes him a player that they may be looking to move in the coming days.

Contract

Final year of a two year, $8.7MM deal ($4.35MM cap hit and salary) – Will be a UFA in July.

2016-17

This hasn’t been a good walk year to say the least for the 31 year old.  He has missed 21 games due to a pair of injuries this season and now that he’s healthy again, he has found himself on the Jets’ fourth line in recent games.

On top of those problems, his production has dried up.  After a 21 goal season in 2015-16, he has just four tallies on the year which, for a player who was expected to be a top six forward, isn’t getting the job done.  Stafford’s game isn’t ideally suited to a checking role either which is why he has been dropped even further and looks like a prime change-of-scenery candidate.

Season Stats

39 GP, 4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points, -3 rating, 12 PIMS, 66 shots, 13:16 ATOI, 46.2 CF%

Potential Suitors

Stafford isn’t going to fit into a top six role on a contending team but is the type of big winger that several teams may like on an offensive-minded third line.  As teams look to deepen their rosters at this time of the year, there should be some fits around the league.

Jan 3, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Winnipeg Jets right wing Drew Stafford (12) passes the puck in the second period of the game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. Ducks won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsIn the West, the Kings line up as a potential fit.  Head coach Darryl Sutter likes size on the wing and while they’re a deep team on paper, several of their wings have failed to live up to expectations so an addition in that area is likely to happen.  While Stafford is also underachieving, he may prove to be a better fit in a third line role for them.  Nashville may also be one to watch for.  They have a good crop of wingers on the roster currently but their better prospects aren’t fully ready for prime time action if injuries strike which makes someone like Stafford an intriguing insurance policy.

Out East, Senators GM Pierre Dorion has talked about the importance of forward depth all season.  While they’ve already added Tommy Wingels, Curtis Lazar’s name has been popping up in trade speculation as of late and Stafford could serve as a replacement if the youngster moves.  The Bruins have played their way back into the playoff picture and have plenty of cap space to work with.  They have some underachieving wingers as well and may be looking to give a look to someone outside of the organization.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering Winnipeg’s depth up front, it’s reasonable to think that they will likely want to move him regardless of what route they decide to go on deadline day.  That said, Stafford’s cap hit isn’t something that many teams will want to absorb in full, especially considering how much he has struggled this season.  If GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is willing to retain to get a deal done, there’s a very good chance he’ll move as some teams will look at his track record and deem him worthy of a shot at a discounted price.  If they’re not willing to hold any money back in the deal though, the odds of a move will drop considerably.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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