Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jets Rumors

Snapshots: Tanev, Dahlstrom, Draft Rankings

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks are within striking distance of first place in the Pacific Division as we head into the last part of the season, meaning the team likely won’t be considered sellers this year. With that in mind, Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic (subscription required) spoke to several agents that represent the team’s pending unrestricted free agents. Chris Tanev’s agent Wade Arnott told Dhaliwal that the veteran defenseman’s “priority is to re-sign in Vancouver.”

Tanev is in the final season of a five-year, $22.25MM contract signed in 2015, but is finally having a relatively healthy campaign. After averaging just 54 games played in each of the first four years, Tanev has already suited up 47 times in 2019-20 and is averaging nearly 20 minutes a night for the Canucks. The defensive defenseman is also on track to set a career-high in points, and leads the club in short-handed ice time. That’s a big piece of the team to let walk if the Canucks decide not to re-sign the 30-year old, though it is obvious he wants to stay.

  • In Winnipeg, two more Jets’ defensemen have been placed on injured reserve. Carl Dahlstrom and Tucker Poolman find themselves with the designation today, with the former facing a six-week absence due to a broken bone in his hand. Poolman isn’t expected to be out as long, but suffering defensemen seems to be a trend in Winnipeg this year. The team will get Dmitry Kulikov back on the top pairing beside Josh Morrissey, but are still putting together a patchwork blue line.
  • Craig Button of TSN has released his latest rankings for the 2020 entry draft, and it is no longer Quinton Byfield trying to chase down Alexis Lafreniere at the top. Tim Stuetzle, the top-ranked international skater by NHL Central Scouting, has climbed to the second spot on Button’s list, while Austrian-born Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s is now in fifth. Rossi would tie Thomas Vanek as the highest  drafted Austrian ever in the NHL if he were to go in that spot this June.

Logan Shaw Clears Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Friday: Shaw has cleared waivers and was assigned to the minor leagues.

Thursday: The Winnipeg Jets have activated defenseman Dmitry Kulikov from injured reserve today, but to make room had to clear a roster spot. They’ve done so by placing Logan Shaw on waivers, with the purpose of sending him to the minor leagues.

Shaw, 27, has played 25 games for the Jets this season, recording two goals and three points. He averages just over seven minutes a game and hasn’t played since 2019, so this comes as little surprise. That small role and relatively ineffective play will also likely save him from claim, even if he does cost just the minimum $700K at the NHL level.

The Jets have worked with a revolving door of defenders this year, but still sit with a 24-16-4 record after last night’s win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kulikov actually returns as the team’s most expensive defenseman, with a $4.33MM cap hit this season. That doesn’t mean he’s the most important, but after averaging nearly 20 minutes a night through his first 25 games, he will give them an added boost for the stretch run. Kulikov hasn’t played since the end of November, but had four points in those 25 early contests.

Snapshots: Chara, Caggiula, Gustafsson

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was a surprise absence from the lineup on Thursday night, with the team providing little indication before puck drop that he would not be available. However, the reasoning is tied to the only cause of missed action for Chara dating back to the 2019 postseason. Chara suffered a fractured jaw in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Final and missed the remainder of the game, though he admirably returned for Games Five through Seven. Chara underwent surgery this summer, but was healthy by training camp and the 42-year-old has not dealt with any other injuries so far this year. Chara only missed his first game of the season back in December due to a clean-up procedure on his jaw. Now, it seems the jaw has stuck again, after Chara took a couple of good shots from the Nashville Predators’ Yakov Trenin in a fight on Tuesday night. There has been no time frame provided for Chara’s return to action, as this could simply just be soreness related to the surgically-repaired jaw, which would lend itself to the late announcement that he would not play. The Bruins will be happy to have their veteran leader back whenever he is ready, as the iconic defenseman continues to play big minutes for Boston.

  • Drake Caggiula has returned to the lineup for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday after having missed nearly two months with a concussion. Caggiula, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers last season, is hoping he can return to the same level of production he flashed after initially arriving in Chicago, recording 12 points in 26 games. Caggiula had just four points through 15 games to begin this season, but the opportunity is there for the two-way forward to take on a bigger role for the offense-challenged Blackhawks.
  • Winnipeg Jets rookie David Gustafsson played his first 22 games of the season in the NHL and then played well at the World Junior Championship. His reward? A demotion to the AHL. The Manitoba Moose report that Gustafsson has been reassigned to the team, where he will make his AHL debut after reporting directly to the Jets after coming over from Sweden this year. Gustafsson had just one lone point with the Jets before being loaned to the WJC, but if his production in the SHL and on the international stage are any indication, he could be a scoring force for the Moose and earn his way back to Winnipeg shortly.

Snapshots: Three Stars, QMJHL Trades, Jets

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, with Nathan MacKinnon taking home top spot. The Colorado Avalanche superstar had eight points in three games and has now almost caught Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in the NHL scoring race. MacKinnon has 25 goals and 64 points on the season, a pace that would see him easily eclipse his personal best of 99 points set last season.

In second place is another exceptional center in Mark Scheifele, who posted eight points of his own in three games. The Winnipeg Jets forward now has 20 goals and 48 points this season, while averaging close to 22 minutes a game. The third star went to Zach Werenski, who incredibly scored five of the eight goals that the Columbus Blue Jackets totaled last week. The 22-year old defenseman now has double digit goal totals in each of his first four seasons, and 13 this year in just 35 games.

  • With the World Juniors over, several CHL players that took part in the tournament will likely see their rights traded as teams load up for Memorial Cup runs. Nowhere is that more obvious than the QMJHL, where both Raphael Lavoie and Dawson Mercer were dealt today. The pair of Canadian gold medalists are on the move to Chicoutimi where they’ll join a Sangueneens team that is 27-7-4 on the season.
  • Andrew Copp has been officially activated from injured reserve by the Winnipeg Jets, with Nathan Beaulieu taking his place. Copp hasn’t played since the middle of December, but is an important depth forward for the Jets. In 34 games this season the 25-year old has 14 points, seeing more playing time and better linemates than ever before in his career.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Kreider, Nutivaara, Copp

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The World Junior Championships got a gold medal game to remember as Canada pulled off a big comeback victory Saturday to win the gold as Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Akil Thomas scored the go-ahead goal to give Canada a 4-3 win over Russia on Sunday.

Canada was down 3-1 to Russia in the third, but got key goals from Washington Capitals’ prospect Connor McMichael and Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton to come back and tie the game. It’s the third time in six years that Canada has won the World Championships, but the first time since 2008 that they have won the title on Europe ice. Russia finished with the silver, while Sweden topped Finland for the bronze medal earlier today.

Projected top pick in the 2020 draft, Alexis Lafreniere was named the MVP of the tournament, by the IIHF, as well as the top forward. Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin was awarded the top defenseman award, while St. Louis prospect Joel Hofer won the top goaltender award.

  • One reason the Montreal Canadiens went through with signing forward Ilya Kovalchuk last week was that they realized they had little chance of acquiring New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks notes that Kreider, who has a modified no-trade clause in which he has submitted an 11-team no-trade list, has all the Canadien teams on his list, meaning he has no interest in playing there. Kreider remains the top trade candidate at the trade deadline.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets got some much needed depth back on their blueline as the team announced they have activated Markus Nutivaara off of injured reserve. The 25-year-old has been out since Nov. 5 when he suffered an upper-body injury and has now missed 27 games. The blueliner has two goals in 10 games this season, but should add a helping hand as the team has several defensemen on IR, including Ryan Murray, Dean Kukan and Andrew Peeke.
  • The Winnipeg Jets may have forward Andrew Copp back in the lineup as The Athletic’s Ken Weibe reports that the 25-year-old was a full participant in practice. Head coach Paul Maurice said that if he comes to the rink feeling as good as he left Sunday, that Copp should find himself back in the lineup. The forward has missed the past eight games with an upper-body injury.

 

Central Notes: Blackhawks, Caggiula, Niku

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With recent season-ending injuries to Calvin de Haan and Brent Seabrook, the Chicago Blackhawks and head coach Jeremy Colliton have seen the team’s defense struggle even more. The team is relatively happy with their top four of Duncan Keith, Erik Gustafsson, Connor Murphy and Adam Boqvist, but the team is having issues with their third pairing in which the trio of Olli Maatta, Dennis Gilbert and Slater Koekkoek have struggled.

Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that a league source reports the Blackhawks have been looking for help on defense since early in the season, but have not been able to acquire a blueliner due to team’s demands for prospects that Chicago is unwilling to part with. That leaves the Blackhawks in a tough place. The team does have some cap room and take back a bigger contract, but with little cap space expected next season, the team is unlikely to be able to pick up anything more than a rental player.

  • NHL.com’s Chris Kuc reports that Chicago Blackhawks winger Drake Caggiula said he hopes to return sometime next week, but it won’t be on Sunday against Detroit. Caggiula has been out since mid-November with a concussion and could add more depth to the team’s forward lines on his return. The 25-year-old Caggiula has appeared in just 15 games so far this season with three goals and four points.
  • Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun reports that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Sami Niku could be ’freed’ soon. The 23-year-old was expected to play a much bigger role this year with a heavily depleted blueline. However, injuries and a car accident back during training camp, have prevented Niku from making much of an impact this season. He’s appeared in just one NHL game so far this year and has only played 18 with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. With a recent fan lobbying to #FreeSami, head coach Paul Maurice said that chance could be coming soon. “We’re going to see him sooner rather than later, unless we get on some kind of run,” said Maurice. “We still haven’t made our lineup … but we’re going to want to get him up to speed and get him in pretty quick.”

Nathan Beaulieu Out At Least A Month

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

2:00pm: Niku has indeed been recalled by the team.

1:10pm: It’s been a tough season for Nathan Beaulieu of the Winnipeg Jets, and it’s about to get even worse. The defenseman will be out at least a month with a lower-body injury suffered on New Year’s Even thanks to a shot block (or five).

Beaulieu has already missed half the season due to injury, only debuting at the beginning of November. His return was an important one for the Jets though, who have been devastated on the blueline over the last six months. It got so bad at the beginning of the season that Ville Heinola, their draft pick that is currently overseas playing at the World Juniors, was logging big minutes on the top pairing. Beaulieu’s new absence will test that defense corps once again.

The team does have Sami Niku and Logan Stanley waiting in the minor leagues, but their depth will still be tested over the next month.

Minor Transactions: 01/02/20

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After the Winter Classic brought several lasting memories, including Corey Perry’s long walk to the dressing room and a penalty shot by Denis Gurianov, the NHL is back to their regularly scheduled programming. Today brings 12 games and lots of intrigue, including a top matchup between the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. As team’s prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves:

  • The Winnipeg Jets have sent Joona Luoto back to the AHL to continue his development. The 22-year old has played in 16 games at the NHL level but doesn’t have a point yet.
  • After starting the year on season-opening injured reserve, Anton Blidh is ready to get into some action. He’ll go to the Providence Bruins on a LTI conditioning loan, which sounds bad but is actually a positive step.
  • Jeremy Lauzon has also been sent to Providence by the Boston Bruins, after making his season debut earlier this week. Lauzon, 22, has ten points in 35 games for the P-Bruins.

NHL All-Star Selections Announced

at CDT | by 18 Comments

Although it took some time, with each individual team rolling out their own selections, the final rosters for All-Star Weekend have come into focus. Below are each of the four divisional team, set to face off in the Skills Competition on Friday, January 24th and the All-Star Game on Saturday, January 25th:

Atlantic Division

G Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
F Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
F Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (C)

Metropolitan Division

G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
D John Carlson, Washington Capitals
D Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
D Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
F Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
F Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

Central Division

G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (C)
F Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
F Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division

G Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
G Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
F Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (C)
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames

Additionally, each divisional squad will have one more addition as decided by the Last Men In fan vote. Voting opens on January 1st and closes on the 10th. Here are the candidates:

Atlantic Division – Patrice Bergeron, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Larkin Aleksander Barkov, Max Domi, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner

Metropolitan Division – Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, Nico Hischier, Brock Nelson, Mika Zibanejad, Claude Giroux, Kris Letang, T.J. Oshie

Central Division – Jonathan Toews, Cale Makar, Jamie Benn, Ryan Suter, Matt Duchene, David Perron Patrik Laine

Pacific Division – Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Drew Doughty, Tomas Hertl, Quinn Hughes, Max Pacioretty

Four Players Clear Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Sunday: All four players have cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Comrie was quickly sent to the AHL.

Saturday: Today is the first day that players can be placed on waivers following the roster freeze and it’s a busy day on the wire.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter links) that Markus Granlund (Edmonton), Brandon Manning (Edmonton), Andy Andreoff (Philadelphia), and Eric Comrie (Winnipeg) have all been put on waivers.

Granlund is in his first year with Edmonton after joining them in the summer when he was non-tendered by Vancouver.  The hope was that he could provide some secondary scoring along with some positional flexibility and while he has given them the latter, he hasn’t produced much as he has just three goals and one assist in 31 games this season while averaging a career-low 11 minutes per night of ice time.  Nonetheless, with a $1.3MM deal that expires at the end of the season, there could be some interest from a team looking for some depth.

As for Manning, this marks his second time on waivers already this season.  He went unclaimed at the beginning of the season but was never sent down as instead, the Oilers kept him up in a reserve role.  He has only played in nine games this year but since he has been up for more than 30 days since clearing waivers, he needed to be put back on the wire to be sent down.  He carries a $2.25MM cap hit which is likely too high for anyone to want to add.  Assuming he does clear, Edmonton would get $1.075MM in cap relief and the same would apply if Granlund clears which would give them a bit of cap relief.

Andreoff is also on waivers for the second time this season.  He cleared early in training camp and was sent to AHL Lehigh Valley where he picked up eight points in 14 games, earning himself a recall in early November.  He was shuffled back and forth a couple of times to free up some cap room but now that he has played in ten NHL games (where he collected an assist), he has to go back on waivers to be sent down.  He’s in the first year of a two-year, one-way deal that pays him $750K per year.

Comrie is no stranger to the waiver wire himself.  He was placed on waivers by the Jets at the end of training camp and was claimed by Arizona to serve as injury depth.  He didn’t see any action with them aside from a four-game AHL conditioning stint before he was dealt to Detroit who needed a short-term backup option.  He got into three games with them before being waived again and picked up by the Jets.  If he makes it through this time, he’ll be able to be sent to Manitoba of the AHL.  Comrie is in the first season of a two-year contract that carries a $700K AAV.  This season is a two-way pact before converting to a one-way deal for 2020-21.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top