Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for February 2018

Olympic Men’s Hockey Tournament Schedule Released

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the group stage of ice hockey has now been completed, Olympic Men’s Hockey in Pyeongchang will continue with the elimination portion. The top teams from each division each got a bye in the first round of the playoffs as well as a the top second-place team, which includes Sweden, Canada, the Czech Republic and the Olympic Athletes of Russia.

Canada, who had the best record among second-place teams, will play the winner of Finland and Korea on Wednesday. Canada hasn’t lost a game in regulation yet, but did lose in a shootout to the Czech Republic.

The U.S. Men’s Hockey team will face off against Slovakia on Tuesday in a qualification round game. The winner will face the Czech Republic on Wednesday. The U.S. finished the group stage with a 1-1-0-1 record, but the win was a 2-1 victory over Slovakia Thursday. The two teams will meet again.

Sweden will play the winner of Switzerland and Germany, while the Olympic Athletes of Russia will play the winner of Norway and Slovenia. The semifinals will be Friday, while the bronze medal game will be Saturday and the gold medal game will be Sunday.

An official schedule with times can be found here.

Minor Transactions: 2/18/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With a full slate of games last night, the Vegas Golden Knights continued their winning ways. With their victory over the Montreal Canadiens, the first-year expansion team has become the NHL points leader once again as the team now has 82 points so far this season. With a seven-game matchup today, many NHL teams will be making moves today. Check back in as those moves are made throughout the day.

  • The New York Rangers announced they have assigned goaltender Brandon Halverson to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. He was recalled Saturday to serve as backup to starter Henrik Lundqvist against the Ottawa Senators. However, due to Lundqvist’s struggles against Ottawa, Halverson did manage to make his NHL debut last night, allowing one goal and saving five shots in 12:33 of action. Halverson was a second-round pick in 2014. With backup Ondrej Pavelec out with a strained MCL, the team had called up Alexander Georgiev from Hartford, but he was out Saturday with the flu. Halverson’s assignment would suggest that Georgiev should be ready for the team’s next game on Thursday.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz tweets that the San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Daniel O’Regan from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL for today’s game. The scribe suggests that Tomas Hertl might not be ready to play yet after leaving Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury when he crashed into the boards. He already missed one game. O’Regan has been up and down for much of the season. He has played 17 games for the Sharks this year and has four assists. O’Regan has seven goals and 18 assists in 30 games with the Barracuda.
  • The Dallas Stars announced that they have sent forward Jason Dickinson to Texas of the AHL.  He has played in 13 games with Dallas this season, averaging 9:19 per night while being held off the scoresheet.  He has been more productive at the minor league level though, recording 22 points in 33 contests.

Trade Candidates: Thomas Hickey

at CDT | by 1 Comment

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.

Thomas Hickey’s name is not one that has been heard often this year: not in regards to trades, not in regards to his impending free agency, not in regards to his performance, not at all, really. Yet, the question is not why, but why not? Hickey is arguably enjoying his best NHL season and is a main reason why injuries didn’t tear the New York Islanders apart. Hickey has come a long way from being a fourth overall pick with chronic injury issues given away on waivers; it’s time to give him his due credit. Hickey is a dark horse candidate to be traded by the deadline if another team realizes his value and the Islanders decide they are better off trading him than keeping him.

Contract

Hickey is in the final season of a three-year, $6.6MM contract signed in 2015. The deal carries a $2.2MM cap hit – which will be count for under $600K by the deadline – and has no trade protection.

2017-18

It’s no secret that allowing goals – a league-high 214 (and it’s not close) – is what separates the New York Islanders from many other similarly skilled contenders. Yet, things could be much worse. Calvin de Haan suffered a season-ending injury in December and Johnny Boychuk has missed more than 20 games due to injury; those injuries could have broken the Isles. Add in Nick Leddy’s struggles in his own zone and the declining play of Dennis Seidenberg and, without Hickey, this could very well be a team far outside of the player picture. Instead, New York currently holds the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and are very much in the mix to keep it. Hickey has been a solid two-way presence for the Islanders all season. Beginning the campaign as a frequent healthy scratch to now the third-leading defenseman in total ice time, behind Leddy and Adam Pelech, Hickey’s role has transformed as his performance has improved. Hickey now leads the team in plus/minus by a significant margin, is third among defensemen in scoring, and has claimed a spot on the team’s top penalty kill unit. Hickey also has the second-most defensive zone starts, again behind only Pelech, as he has been relied on for sound defensive play in his own end and his great ability to see the ice and make an outlet pass. On the personal side, Hickey is on pace for 21 points this season, which would be his third-most in the NHL and the best points-per-game rate of his career. Hickey has quietly been very impressive this season, even if the score sheet or the eye test doesn’t seem to point to a star player and, beyond that, has been incredibly valuable to the Islanders.

Season Stats

47 GP, 3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points, +15 rating, 63 shots, 18:07 ATOI, 46.2 CF%

Potential Suitors

Hickey has stepped up and played great for the Islanders in 2017-18. With that well-established, New York is also a team with many injuries on the blue line. Hickey cannot play a bigger role down the stretch for any other team than he has for the Isles. Like more talked-about names such as Nick Holden or Ben Hutton, Hickey will be a depth addition for a contender if he’s traded; a luxury No. 6, 7, or 8 defender. So who needs depth on the left side? The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, both vying for the President’s Trophy, are both eager to add another body to their respective blue lines, but may be unwilling to pay the price for a top name. Hickey would seem to fit nice on either top contender. The Metropolitan rival New Jersey Devils could also greatly benefit from another body on the blue line, but the Isles may be hesitant to trade him to a team also in contention for an Eastern wild card spot.

The best chance for the Isles to both trade Hickey and also not hurt their own Stanley Cup odds would be to look west, where the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets would both like to add another defenseman on the left side, especially one who plays a confident game in his own zone. Either destination would be a good fit for Hickey, where he could work his way into a starting role.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Unlike the aforementioned Holden and Hutton, Hickey is not on a team that is a bona fide seller. The Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot and, more importantly, to show impending free agent John Tavares that they have a bright future. Hickey has played such a key role for New York, that no one will blame them that if they use him as their own “rental” in order to maintain some semblance of a team that can prevent the opposition from scoring.

However, there are two scenarios in which Hickey becomes far more likely to move. The first is if, over the next nine days, the Islanders’ playoff hopes take a major hit. New York plays its next three games against likely playoff teams, including the Devils, and anything less than two points in that stretch could see their playoff hopes slip away. The second scenario is that, as has been rumored, the Isles acquire one of the top defensemen on the trade market. While that would be a sign that they are all in for this season, even if their acquisition has term on his contract, it could also mean that they hedge their bet by trading away Hickey for the best offer.

If the deafening silence surrounding Hickey means anything, the Islanders are not keen on moving him. Yet, things can always change around the deadline. A loss of playoff odds, a big trade, or even just an overwhelming offer could cause GM Garth Snow to rethink his plan. Give it a 50/50 chance that Hickey is dealt.

Goalie Interference Frustrations Boiling Over

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The NHL’s issues with inconsistency in goalie interference calls are getting out of hand. Complaints from players, coaches, and executives have been flooding in since last season. Discussions were promised over this past off-season, but seemingly nothing came of it, as the problem has only grown larger in 2017-18. Last month, coaches and league executives met to discuss the rule and Commissioner Gary Bettman promised to work with officials to back off the call. Weeks later, there has been no ascertainable change. In fact, there were several incidents of inconsistent calls on one night earlier this month, stirring up frustrations. Bettman said in January that “Overall, the system works,”, but most around the league would probably disagree at this time.

So when will things change? The NHL’s goalie interference call has become somewhat of a joke like the NFL’s “what is a catch?” problem, but in a game where every goal, scored or called back, carries so much weight, this issue is no laughing matter. Perhaps one of their own players lashing out at the rule will cause the league to take action. That’s what happened tonight following the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes after the ’Yotes scored the game-winning goal while bumping into the goalie, but won a goalie interference challenge when their own keeper, Antti Raanta was interfered with on the erased game-tying goal. The opposing goalie, Cam Talbot, stood at the other end of the ice seething. The Edmonton Sun’s Rob Tychkowski caught up with Talbot after the game and got an honest reaction:

“There’s no consistency and I’m f*****g sick of it. It’s f*****g ridiculous. You can quote me, they can fine me, I don’t give a f**k anymore.”

Talbot also spoke on more of a case-by-case basis about the rule, illustrating its inconsistency (video). For Talbot, generally a mild-mannered and polite person, as well as the NHL wins leader in 2016-17, to speak out publicly and be so clearly emotional about the topic, one would think the league would take notice. A respected goaltender unable to contain his frustrations should indicate to the league that this is a major problem. It may not be possible for a clear goalie interference rule to be firmly decided on and implemented by officials this season, but Bettman and the NHL’s leadership need to step up and put some effort into fixing this problem, starting by publicly addressing Talbot’s comments and again reiterating that changes will be made. If they don’t, goalie interference inconsistency will only continue to be a mark on the 2017-18 season.

Columbus Assigns Ryan Murray To AHL For Conditioning Stint

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets will soon get a boost to their blue line, but they’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. The team announced today that they have activated Ryan Murray from the injured reserve, but have assigned him to the AHL for a conditioning stint. Murray will play at least a game or two for the Cleveland Monsters before returning to the Columbus lineup.

Murray, 24, suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury back in November and has missed the team’s past 34 games. Murray’s early NHL career has been marred by injury, as he missed 22 games last season and all but 12 games in 2014-15 due to various maladies. Even when healthy, Murray has lacked the offensive impact he showed in juniors an in his 24-point rookie season. In the 24 games he has suited up for in 2017-18, Murray has only five points. The 2012 second-overall pick came with, understandably, high expectations that he has yet to reach due to his lack of play time.

Yet, there is still much potential for the smooth-skating defenseman to realize. Although he has been passed up by the likes of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones in Columbus, the Blue Jackets remain committed to Murray and he will surely fill an important role once for the team once he returns. Especially if the Jackets are entertaining ideas of trading away Jack Johnson before the NHL Trade Deadline while still trying to make the playoffs, Murray will be looked upon for solid play and big minutes. The conditioning stint in the AHL will be Murray’s first ever AHL action, after jumping right to the NHL from the WHL, and will hopefully both give him confidence and get him back in game shape and ready to help Columbus down the stretch – they need him.

Minor Transactions: 2/17/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As is always the case, Saturday is shaping up to be a busy day around the league with 22 teams in action.  Accordingly, there should be several roster moves made which we’ll keep tabs on here.

  • The Flames announced that they have recalled winger Morgan Klimchuk from AHL Stockton. The 2013 first-round pick has not yet seen any NHL action in his career (the only first-rounder from that draft in that situation) but sits tied for second on the Heat in goals this season with 13 in 44 games.  To make room for Klimchuk on the roster, Calgary has transferred winger Marek Hrivik to injured reserve.
  • The Hurricanes have returned forward Patrick Brown to Charlotte of the AHL, per a team release. He had been recalled on Tuesday but did not get into either of Carolina’s games since then.  The 25-year-old has 20 points (6-14-20) in 44 contests with the Checkers this season. Lucas Wallmark will now get another shot at the next level, as the Hurricanes have recalled the rookie forward. Wallmark looked good in a short stint in Raleigh earlier this season and has continued his strong play in the AHL. With the ’Canes pushing for a playoff spot, Wallmark’s addition could be a nice boost for the team.
  • Edmonton announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Laurent Brossoit from Bakersfield (AHL) on an emergency basis.  The move was necessary after Al Montoya left practice early on Friday after taking a shot up high.  To make room for him on the roster, the Oilers sent defenseman Keegan Lowe back to Bakersfield.
  • The Canucks have sent Reid Boucher back down to the Utica Comets, the team announced. Boucher has played in only eight NHL games this season, recording just two points. His days as a promising prospect appear to be over.
  • New Jersey has recalled Blake Pietila from the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, beat writer Andrew Gross reports. Pietila will join the team tonight in Tampa as they face the Lightning. Whether or not he makes his 2017-18 debut remains to be seen though.
  • The Avalanche have sent A.J. Greer back to the San Antonio Rampage, as the 2015 second-rounder continues to struggle to find a role at the NHL level. Greer has just four points in 22 big-league games.

Vasili Koshechkin And The Reserve List Leftovers

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Earlier today (or 9:00 PM South Korea time), the Olympic Athletes from Russia blanked the United States 4-0 in their final round of group play at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang. While Ilya Kovalchuk and his two goals drew much of the media attention, it was hard to ignore the solid play of goaltender Vasili Koshechkin. So who is Vasili Koshechkin? How could the best non-NHL goalie in Russia be a complete unknown? How was a 34-year-old with a sub-2.40 GAA in nine of his ten KHL seasons never given a chance in the NHL?

It’s a common question at international events such as the Olympics: how can many national team standouts have no NHL experience whatsoever? The most common explanation is simply that they were not good enough. Even the best players from some non-traditional hockey countries were never NHL-caliber, while others developed too late to be noticed before their NHL Draft eligibility ended. However, for a great many others, they were in fact drafted, but never came overseas to play on the grandest stage. Kosheckin falls into the latter category. The OAR starter was in fact an eighth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2002. With a massive frame at a young age, the Bolts took a late flier on the raw prospect, only to watch him blossom into a star… in the KHL.

As much as North American fans believe that the NHL is hockey’s promised land, Europeans choosing to turn down a shot overseas altogether was actually fairly frequent. From 2000 to 2010, more than 30 European players – an entire round’s worth of prospects – were made bona fide contract offers from the teams that drafted them, but never signed an entry-level contract in the league, nor did they ever cross the Atlantic later in their careers. Those players then stay on a team’s “reserve list”, the same list used to retain the rights of young, recently-drafted players, whether they’re playing in juniors, college, or overseas. However, while many players have limits on how long their NHL rights remain exclusive, those playing in leagues like the KHL or NLA, who don’t have transfer agreements with the NHL, remain on their drafted teams’ reserve lists indefinitely until they retire from professional hockey. This is why, technically, Koshechkin would still be required to sign with the Lightning 16 years after being drafted.

Many of these players, unsurprisingly, are Russian. In addition to Koshechkin, fellow OAR teammate Sergei Mozyakin is also a well-known “never was”. A ninth-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2002, Mozyakin is considered to be one of the best players to never play in the NHL. A point-per-game (or better) player in 12 of the last 13 KHL seasons, Mozyakin is an offensive force to be reckoned with, even still at 36. Yet, Mozyakin never felt the need to leave Russia and remains on Columbus’ reserve list. A fellow Russian whose presence was at least felt in the NHL is Ruslan Zainullin. The 34th overall pick in 2000 by the Lightning, Zainullin’s rights were involved in several high-profile transactions, including being traded from Tampa to Phoenix as part of a package for Nikolai Khabibulin, then traded to Atlanta as part of a package for Darcy Hordichuk and picks, and finally – and most surprisingly – traded to Calgary straight-up for Marc Savard. Although clearly valued by NHL teams, Zainullin instead opted for a long (and somewhat underwhelming) career in Russia. In total, of the 30 players remaining on NHL reserve lists who never came over (over age 25), 24 were from Russia, the latest being defenseman Maxim Chudinov, drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2010. Other countries represented include two players each from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Switzerland.

Fortunately for NHL teams, the players themselves, and fans of hockey, this is a trend that seems to be dropping off dramatically. Prospects deemed worthy of drafting and signing are now almost always testing the waters of North American hockey, whether they go on to have a long NHL career or instead return home to Europe in short order. However, for a while that wasn’t the case, so when those players who sound unfamiliar pop up on the international stage, don’t consider them too bad for the NHL or instead a player who slipped through the cracks because sometimes, by their own decision, it’s neither.

Jonathan Bernier Out, Avs Recall Andrew Hammond

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Surprise call-ups are often not the good kind of surprise for the team and its fans. Such is the case with the Colorado Avalanche, who earlier announced that they had recalled goaltender Andrew Hammond from the Belleville Senators of the AHL. With, presumably, two healthy goalies, there would be no need for Hammond. Thus, the move was a cause for concern among Avs supporters.

Now, it seems that their worries were warranted. AJ Haefele of BSN Denver reports that Hammond’s recall comes as Jonathan Bernier has suffered a head injury and has entered the league’s concussion protocol. Bernier got the start for Colorado last night against the Winnipeg Jets, but was forced from the game after the second period after a collision with Nic Petan. Signed to a one-year deal to be Colorado’s backup in 2017-18, Bernier has instead forced a time share with Semyon Varlamov and has actually narrowly outplayed the Avs’ “starter”. Bernier’s loss, for however long he is out, will be felt by the Avalanche, as they look to stay relevant in the tight Western Conference playoff race.

Fortunately, the timing could not be better for Colorado to use Hammond, if they even need to. The Avs play their next six games against just three teams: the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames. The Canucks and Oilers are two of the worst teams in the Western Conference and both struggle to score goals, while the Flames – admittedly a fringe playoff squad like the Avs – also have their offensive struggles.

Snapshots: Mrazek, Rangers Injuries, Hutton, Vegas

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Flyers turned down a trade proposal from the Red Wings that saw Detroit request a third-round pick in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  This comes on the heels of Philadelphia losing Brian Elliott for more than a month which has them going with a current tandem of Michal Neuvirth and Alex Lyon between the pipes.  As a result, many have expected Philly to add another netminder at some point before the February 26th trade deadline but it appears GM Ron Hextall isn’t prepared to do so just yet or has more of a depth goalie in mind.

More news and notes from around the league:

  • It’s a case of good news and bad news on the injury front for the Rangers. Larry Brooks of the New York Post notes that winger Pavel Buchnevich will return to New York’s lineup tonight against the Senators after missing the past seven games with a concussion.  However, center Kevin Hayes is unlikely to play due to a lower-body issue that has been lingering since the All-Star Break.
  • The Canucks continue to receive trade interest in defenseman Ben Hutton, Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports (Twitter link). The blueliner has been a frequent healthy scratch of late and has another year left on his contract after this one at a $2.8MM cap hit which is a bit pricey for someone who is on the outside looking in at playing time.  In a separate tweet, Dhaliwal adds that Vancouver has inquired about the asking price for Coyotes center Max Domi and winger Tobias Rieder but notes that the price is quite high.
  • Vegas has been keeping tabs on the Sabres lately, notes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. David Conte, special advisor for hockey operations for the Golden Knights, has attended multiple Buffalo games over the past week while also watching their AHL affiliate in Rochester.  While they are probably not a likely suitor for winger Evander Kane, they could be interested in adding some of Buffalo’s depth players in an effort to shore up their roster before the deadline.

Deadline Primer: Winnipeg Jets

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Winnipeg Jets.

A lot has gone wrong in Winnipeg this season, especially on the injury front.  Their key offseason addition between the pipes has had multiple concussions, the back end has been banged up, and they’ve had enough injuries up front to the point where Blake Wheeler had to go from right wing to play down the middle.  However, in spite of all of that, the Jets have flourished.  They are one of the top scoring teams in the league and are getting solid goaltending which makes them a team to watch for down the stretch and into the postseason.

Record

34-15-9, first in Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$26.2MM full-season cap hit, 0/3 retained salary transactions, 43/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 3rd, WPG 4th, BOS 5th, WPG 5th, WPG 6th, WPG 7th
2019: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 4th, WPG 5th, WPG 6th, WPG 7th

Trade Chips

While many have been critical of GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s reticence to be active on the trade market with an eye on stockpiling quality prospects instead, it’s hard to argue with the current results and it’s that prospect pool that should come in handy in the days to come.  Winnipeg has several players that are on the cusp of making an NHL impact and quite a few sellers around the league will be coveting those types of prospects over picks which should have the Jets in good shape.

In terms of the active roster, veteran Shawn Matthias was made available back in December but he has been out for more than a month now with an upper-body issue.  Winger Brandon Tanev is also on the outside looking in when everyone is healthy but he too is injured at the moment.  Forward Marko Dano has spent much of the season as a healthy scratch and is someone that could benefit from a change of scenery.

Five Players To Watch For: C/W Marko Dano, LW Brendan Lemieux, RW J.C. Lipon, LW Nic Petan, LW/RW Brandon Tanev

Team Needs

1) Middle-Six Forward: With Mark Scheifele back, they don’t necessarily need to look for a center but if they want to hedge against having to use Wheeler there again, they could look there.  Failing that, a winger that can play on the second or third line would help lengthen their attack and give them some depth in case more injuries strike.  Considering Winnipeg is one of the younger teams in the league and the fact they haven’t had a lot of playoff experience lately, it would make some sense for them to look at someone with some postseason experience.  They’ve been linked to Patrick Maroon out of Edmonton and he would fit this role nicely.

Jan 9, 2018; Buffalo, NY, USA; Winnipeg Jets goaltender Steve Mason (35) against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports2) Goalie Depth: A month ago, it looked like Michael Hutchinson was a trade candidate for teams looking for goaltending depth.  Fast forward to today and he’s on IR with a concussion as is Steve Mason who is dealing with his second of the year already.  Although Mason has started skating, there still is no timetable for his return.  Currently, prospect Eric Comrie is the backup goaltender which isn’t an ideal situation for a young goalie to be in; they’d rather have him getting the bulk of the starts at the AHL level.  Finding a veteran who can serve as the backup and start a game or two if need be would allow them to send Comrie back down.  Fortunately for the Jets, there are several netminders like this available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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

scroll to top