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Mark Letestu Loaned To AHL On Conditioning Assignment

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After months of hard work and recovery, Mark Letestu will soon play again in a professional hockey game. The Winnipeg Jets forward has been sent to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose on a conditioning assignment after being diagnosed with myocarditis back in October. At that time the Jets announced that Letestu would only be allowed to do light activity for six months—it has been less than five.

Letestu, 35, played just seven games for the Jets before the diagnosis shut down his season.

Through 567 NHL games, Letestu has scored 210 points and gone to the playoffs on five different occasions. That kind of depth would certainly be welcomed by the Jets as they try to claw their way into the postseason, but it’s hard to know exactly what the veteran forward could provide at this point.

Letestu is on a one-year deal worth $700K at the NHL level and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.

Central Notes: Pietrangelo, Lowry, Radulov, Boqvist

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The St. Louis Blues got some good news last week when they learned from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman when he announced that the 2020-21 salary cap is expected to rise between $84MM and $88.2MM. With the current salary cap set at $81.5MM this season, that would give the Blues franchise a significant amount of cap space that it could use to re-sign defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who is currently slated to become a unrestricted free agent this summer.

In his latest mailbag, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that while those numbers sound promising, the NHL was projected to have a salary cap set at $83MM for the 2019-20 season and it ended up being $81.5MM, which suggests that all teams shouldn’t expect a significant increase. However, as far as Pietrangelo is concerned, the scribe believes that St. Louis has no intention of paying out any more than $9.5MM AAV, and the team would prefer a number closer to $8.5MM regardless of the increase in salary cap. The team believes that if other teams are willing to go to $10MM per season, the Blues will not match that.

Rutherford adds that if that’s the case and Pietrangelo opts to sign elsewhere, the team is unlikely to make any significant additions as there aren’t many significant free-agent defenseman this summer. That means the Blues would then hand the reins to Colton Parayko as the defensive leader next season.

  • The Athletic’s Ken Wiebe reports that Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry is likely to return to the lineup Monday for their game against Arizona. Lowry has been out since Jan. 19 with an upper-body injury and should be able to give the Jets a much-needed boost. The 26-year-old has four goals and 10 points in 47 games with 132 hits.
  • The Dallas Stars were without Alexander Radulov Saturday due to illness, while forward Justin Dowling was able to re-enter the lineup since late January. Dowling immediately moved onto the top line next to Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. However, with the team desperate to put up some offense after being held to one goal in the past three games, The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) writes that if Radulov has to miss extended time, the Stars should consider in recalling forward Jason Robertson. The 20-year-old prospect has 25 goals in his rookie campaign with the Texas Stars and has appeared in three NHL games already.
  • NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis reports that after missing Friday’s game with a wrist injury on Saturday, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Adam Boqvist is expected to enter the Blackhawks lineup today against the St. Louis Blues. He fills a gap with rookie Lucas Carlsson out with a concussion.

Mark Letestu Cleared By Team Doctors, Could Return This Season

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  • Back in October, Jets center Mark Letestu was slated to miss six months after being diagnosed with myocarditis which effectively ended his season. Or so it seemed.  Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun reports that the veteran has resumed skating and head coach Paul Maurice indicated that it’s a possibility that Letestu returns this season.  Having been out for so long though, the 35-year-old will need a while to get back up to speed in terms of his conditioning but the fact that he has received the green light from team doctors is certainly good news.

Minor Transactions: 03/01/20

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March 1st means one thing. The start of the Gagarin Cup in the KHL, the start of playoffs and playoff runs, which also will include the college playoffs. In the NHL, the Atlantic Division had a dominant day Saturday as the Tampa Bay Lightning broke a four-game losing streak, while the Toronto Maple Leafs picked up a key win over the Vancouver Canucks. However, those wins didn’t aid either team in the division as the Boston Bruins continued their dominance with a 4-0 shutout of the New York Islanders. Should be an interesting month coming up in that Atlantic Division. Teams will continue to make roster moves as we get closer to the playoffs, so keep an eye on these roster moves throughout the day.

  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned prospect Joshua Norris to the Belleville Senators. The 20-year-old got his feet wet with significant minutes in three games for Ottawa, but failed to register a point in that span. However, with a full schedule this week in Belleville and the fact that they are the top seed in the North Division, it’s likely the Senators will want to develop their young forward as a leader of an AHL playoff team.
  • CapFriendly reports that the New Jersey Devils have assigned two players to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The team has sent forward Jesper Boqvist and also assigned defenseman Joshua Jacobs. Boqvist was recalled Saturday, but was not used and has been sent back already, while Jacobs was recalled Thursday, but still hasn’t made his season debut.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced they also have sent two players to the AHL. The team has assigned defenseman Nelson Nogier and forward C.J. Suess to the Manitoba Moose. Nogier was recalled on Thursday, but still hasn’t made his season debut, while Suess was recalled Friday, but did not play either. Suess has appeared in one game for the Jets this season.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they he recalled forward Justin Bailey on an emergency basis from the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 24-year-old has been dominant in the AHL with 27 goals and 45 points in 49 games, but has appeared in just two games with the Canucks this season with no points. Bailey was recalled with the status of Jay Beagle considered questionable after blocking a shot Saturday.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they have recalled forward Justin Dowling from his conditioning loan with the Texas Stars of the AHL. Dowling has missed 15 straight games with an undisclosed injury, but fared well with the Texas squad, picking up three assists in three games. The 29-year-old has three goals and six points in 27 games with Dallas.
  • With Ryan Miller battling illness, the Anaheim Ducks announced the recall of goaltender Anthony Stolarz from AHL San Diego as well as blueliner Jani Hakanpaa.  Stolarz ranks sixth in the AHL in save percentage this season with a .922 mark and will backup John Gibson in Miller’s absence.  Meanwhile, Hakanpaa has yet to see any NHL action with Anaheim and has a goal and 12 assists in 47 minor league contests this season.

Minor Transactions: 02/28/20

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Five more games on tap tonight in the NHL, including one absolute must-watch in Philadelphia. The New York Rangers will come to town on a five-game winning streak that has jumped them right back into the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Despite still being in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers are just five points behind the Flyers for third, and could leapfrog both the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets depending on what happens tonight. The Flyers meanwhile are on a four-game winning streak of their own and are in reach of the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place. As the Metro prepares for one of the most important nights of the year, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • Last night the Vegas Golden Knights recalled Gage Quinney from the minor leagues once again, after he made his NHL debut earlier this month. The 24-year old became the first Las Vegas-born player to suit up for the Golden Knights.
  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled Matt Bartkowski from the AHL under emergency conditions, giving them an extra body for their match against the Blue Jackets this evening. Bartkowski has yet to play an NHL game this season but does have 255 contests under his belt over a long career.
  • C.J. Suess has been brought back to the NHL by the Winnipeg Jets, recalled today from the Manitoba Moose. The 25-year old made his NHL debut earlier this season and has 26 points in 53 games for the AHL club.
  • Mikey Anderson has been recalled for the first time in his short career, after playing all season at the AHL level. The 20-year old defenseman will get to play his brother Joey Anderson of the New Jersey Devils in his first NHL game, should he get into the lineup tomorrow.

Minor Transactions: 02/27/20

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How about ten NHL games with plenty of playoff implications for your Thursday night? That’s what is on offer this evening around the league as several postseason hopefuls do battle. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers kick things off with their seasons on the line, while the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators battle to stay in the Western Conference race. As the league prepares, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Joshua Norris, the young forward who has dominated the minor leagues in his first taste of professional hockey. One of the key parts in the Erik Karlsson deal, Norris now has 30 goals and 58 points in 52 AHL games.
  • With Sami Niku dealing with an injury, the Winnipeg Jets have recalled Nelson Nogier from the Manitoba Moose. The 23-year old Nogier has 11 NHL games under his belt, and just one since the 2016-17 season.
  • Jonathan Drouin will not play tonight for the Montreal Canadiens, so the team has recalled Charles Hudon under emergency conditions. Teams have limited recalls after the trade deadline, but emergency ones do not count towards that total.
  • The Predators have sent Connor Ingram back to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, signaling that Pekka Rinne has recovered from his recent illness. Ingram had been up under emergency conditions.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Lawrence Pilut from the minor leagues, as they continue their current road trip. After facing the Colorado Avalanche last night, Buffalo will journey to Vegas, Arizona and Winnipeg before heading home.
  • Joshua Jacobs has earned his first call-up of the season from the New Jersey Devils, after clearing waivers in late September. The 24-year old has just a single NHL game under his belt to this point, despite being the 41st overall pick in 2014.
  • Once again the San Jose Sharks have involved Lean Bergmann in a transaction, this time bringing him back up from the minor leagues. The 21-year old forward has played eight games with the Sharks this season, registering one points.
  • After needing Calvin Thurkauf to fill in for a long list of injured forwards, the Columbus Blue Jackets have sent him back to the AHL. The 22-year old played in three games, but didn’t tally his first NHL point.

Five Players Placed On Pre-Deadline Waivers

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Monday: The Anaheim Ducks have claimed Andrew Agozzino off waivers, while the Detroit Red Wings have claimed Dmytro Timashov. The other three have cleared.

Sunday: It will be a loaded waiver wire today, as the list features five different names. Two of those players were on AHL contracts until today, as the New Jersey Devils announced that they have signed defenseman Julian Melchiori to an NHL deal for the rest of the season, while the Ottawa Senators have done the same for defenseman Hubert Labrie. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrew Agozzino, Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Dmytro Timashov, and recently-acquired L.A. Kings forward Tim Schaller round out the list. Goaltender Kevin Poulin has cleared waivers after signing with the Kings yesterday.

Melchiori, 28, has 30 NHL games to his credit over three years with the Winnipeg Jets, but has not played at the top level since 2016-17. Nevertheless, he has been a productive member of the AHL’s Binghamton Devils this season and provides New Jersey with another NHL option, given that Sami Vatanen and potentially others could be traded away by tomorrow’s deadline.

Similarly, the 28-year-old Labrie has proven to be a dependable defender and a locker room leader for the AHL’s Belleville Senators this season and has earned the chance to appear with Ottawa down the stretch if needed. Labrie is a career minor-leaguer, but the Senators are without many options given injuries at both levels, the recent departures of Dylan DeMelo and Cody Goloubef, and the potential that names like Ron Hainsey and Mark Borowiecki could still be moved.

The Penguins and Leafs are both in the market for additional help at the deadline and need roster flexibility where they can get it. Although Agozzino is actively in the Pittsburgh starting lineup, the 29-year-old veteran is expendable if it means opening up roster space for the Penguins, who are always active at the trade deadline. Timashov, 23, has played a very limited role in 39 games this season for Toronto and this move signals that the team feels he is worth losing if it avoids other more difficult roster decisions.

Schaller, a salary cap offset in the recent Tyler Toffoli trade, was never expected to play a regular role in Los Angeles. The Kings are well out of the playoff race and focused on working their younger players into the lineup, and the 29-year-old impending free agent is not part of that movement. Schaller has previously shown to be a good bottom-six depth option, and while a claim is unlikely, he could be flipped tomorrow after gaining the extra flexibility of clearing waivers.

Trade Deadline Primer: Winnipeg Jets

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With the trade deadline now just hours away, we wrap up our look at the teams in the Central Division.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  We finish with a look at the Winnipeg Jets.

It has been an interesting year in Winnipeg.  They lost several key defenders over the offseason and then lost Dustin Byfuglien to one of the more bizarre situations we’ve seen in recent years as he reported, then left the team to ponder his playing future, and then underwent surgery.  Despite that and several injuries up front, the Jets are right in the thick of the playoff race and have already added to their roster recently.  They may not be done just yet.

Record

32-27-5, fourth in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$17.395MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 5th, WPG 6th
2021: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 3rd*, WPG 5th, WPG 6th

* – If Winnipeg makes the playoffs this season or re-signs Cody Eakin before July 5, 2020, this pick will transfer to Vegas and the Jets will have their 2021 fourth-round pick returned.

Trade Chips

As strange as it seems, the Jets are hoping to find a taker for Byfuglien and have been shopping him in recent weeks over proceeding with the expected contract termination.  A team that wants to have a shot at using him in the playoffs would need to acquire him as if he’s not on their roster by the deadline, he would be ineligible to play in the postseason.  But with a $7.6MM AAV for next season, the odds of that happening have to be low.

Winnipeg’s top picks and prospects are likely off the table but someone that they might be open to moving is Jansen Harkins.  The winger has played in 23 games this season with the Jets but has had a limited role.  He will be a restricted free agent this summer and waiver-eligible next season.  There may be rebuilding teams out there that view him as worthy of a bigger role and this would be the time to try to get him while Winnipeg would bring in someone that can help them more in the short term.  Winger Kristian Vesalainen isn’t lighting it up with AHL Manitoba either and while the asking price would be higher on him, it’s not impossible that he moves either but it’s likely they’d want someone with term coming back.

Injured forward Mathieu Perreault has been in trade speculation for the last couple of years in large part due to his contract which runs through next season with a $4.125MM AAV.  While they don’t have to free up any cap room now, moving his deal off the books would really help free things up for next summer.

On the farm, Seth Griffith could be one to watch for.  He has a track record of offensive success in the minors and with their farm team in Manitoba out of playoff contention, he’s someone that could move to a team that’s looking to load up for a Calder Cup run.  Defenseman Cameron Schilling could be in a similar situation depending on whether or not they add any defensive depth.  Goalie Eric Comrie has bounced around this year but with teams looking for goalie depth, he could be a cheap pickup for someone as well.

Five Players To Watch For: D Dustin Byfuglien, F Seth Griffith, F Jansen Harkins, F Mathieu Perreault, F Kristian Vesalainen

Team Needs

1) Impact Defender: GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has done a good job patching up the back end with Dylan DeMelo joining in-season acquisitions Luca Sbisa and Carl Dahlstrom.  However, none of them are more than depth options and a top-four defender would go a long way towards bolstering Winnipeg’s defense core.

2) Secondary Scoring: The Jets already have five players with 21 or more goals this season but it falls off quickly after that.  Bryan Little, one of their top-six forwards, is already out for the rest of the year so there is a vacancy to be filled.  They’re in the middle of the pack in both goals against and allowed so if they can’t improve their back end, adding some more firepower to round out their attack would be a good way to go.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: McDavid, Kuemper, Holland, Lehner, Samberg, Simmonds

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The Edmonton Oilers are getting back a familiar face in Connor McDavid as the team announced the star forward returns tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. That might be perfect timing with Edmonton barely holding onto third place by just one point, although they are also just one point away from second place. McDavid has missed six games with a quadriceps injury.

In fact, it looks like McDavid will be teamed with Sam Gagner and Alex Chiasson for Sunday’s game and is expected to join the power play. McDavid has 31 goals and 81 points through 55 games this year and should be able to add some extra offense for the Oilers for the team’s stretch run. The Oilers have gone 3-2-1 without their star player.

  • It looks like the Arizona Coyotes will get a significant boost to their team as well. The Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL from his conditioning stint. The netminder has been out with a lower-body injury since Dec. 19. He was close to a comeback several weeks ago, but suffered a setback. Kuemper played Saturday for Tucson, stopping 26 of 28 shots, and looks ready to join the Coyotes’ lineup. Kuemper was one of the top goaltenders in the league before his injury, posting a 15-8-2 record with a 2.17 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
  • NHL.com’s Tim Campbell writes that Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland isn’t interested in moving the team’s 2020 first-round pick just to add a piece to the team at the trade deadline. Edmonton is currently one point out of second place in the Pacific Division, but the GM is resistant to moving such a pick, considering the team is still building. “I’m hoping that we can compete for a playoff spot and more on an every-year basis,” said Holland. “You can’t be in the trading game every deadline, well maybe with secondary pieces, but you can’t trade first-round picks [every year].”
  • The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reports that while the Chicago Blackhawks have discussed trading goaltender Robin Lehner to the Carolina Hurricanes after the team lost both their goaltenders Saturday night. However, the scribe adds that at this moment, Carolina considers Chicago’s asking price for the goaltender far too high. However, both teams will continue to talk up to the trade deadline on Monday.
  • In an interview with the Winnipeg Sun’s Scott Billeck, University of Minnesota-Duluth defenseman and Winnipeg Jets’ 2017 second-rounder Dylan Samberg, said that he is focused on winning a third-straight NCAA championship. However, he also said, after that, he has every intention of joining the Winnipeg Jets after his season is complete. The Jets were hoping the 6-foot-4, 215-pound blueliner would sign with the team last summer where he would have likely played a significant role with Winnipeg this year. However, Sampson would like to help his school be the first to win three straight national titles. “They took a chance on me, they wanted me for a reason and I respect that,” said Samberg. “I respect the organization, they have a lot of great people, and it’s not that far from home, which is nice. I want to eventually get to the Jets.”
  • TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver Canucks are no longer in the running for New Jersey Devils forward Wayne Simmonds. There was a time that Vancouver was quite interesting in adding the veteran leader to their roster, but the team is evidently looking in a different direction.

Winnipeg Jets Acquire Cody Eakin

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The Winnipeg Jets are bringing one of their hometown kids back to Manitoba. Cody Eakin has been acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a conditional 2021 fourth-round pick. Eakin is on the final season of a four-year $15.4MM contract and set to become an unrestricted free agent in July. The pick can become a 2021 third-round selection if the Jets make the playoffs or Eakin re-signs. Vegas will not retain any salary in the transaction.

Apparently, the Jets have decided not to follow in their yearly tradition of spending a first-round pick on a rental second-line center at the deadline. After acquiring Paul Stastny in 2018 and Kevin Hayes in 2019, Eakin comes this season to try and give them a little more depth at the position for a playoff push, even if he won’t be expected to serve in the same top-six role.

The 28-year old has shown he can perform offensively in the past, even as recently as the 2018-19 season when he scored 22 goals and 41 points for the Golden Knights. But that Eakin has been nowhere to be seen this year as his four goals and ten points match Adam Lowry’s disappointing totals for the season. Interestingly, Eakin and Lowry were teammates for a while with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL and will get a chance to reunite in the Jets’ bottom-six down the stretch.

For the Golden Knights getting rid of Eakin’s contract was likely reward enough, making the conditional pick icing on the cake. The team wasn’t getting any production from the former Dallas Stars forward and needed room if they are going to activate Alex Tuch before the end of the year or make another acquisition. Nicolas Roy can slide into the lineup on a regular basis for the time being, while they grab another piece of draft capital to use in other discussions.

The Jets have assigned Andrei Chibisov to the minor leagues to make room on the roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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