Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for February 2020

Trade Candidate: Jean-Gabriel Pageau

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

Quite a few players that will be on the move are having quiet years with the acquiring team hoping that a change of scenery would get them going.  That is not the case when it comes to Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau.  He’s in the middle of a career season and if he doesn’t agree to an extension with Ottawa in the coming weeks, he’ll become one of the more sought after forwards around the league.

Contract

Pageau is in the final season of a three-year, $9.3MM deal.  The contract is a little back-loaded as his $3.4MM salary is a little higher than his $3.1MM cap hit.  Pageau does not have any form of trade protection in his deal and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

2019-20

After scoring just four goals in an injury-plagued 2018-19 campaign, expectations were about as low as they could be for the 27-year-old.  However, with Colin White struggling early on, Pageau was pressed into a big role and instead of merely holding his own, he thrived.  He has already established new a career high in goals with 20 and his point-per-game average is the best of his career at 0.63.  He also has been above average at the faceoff dot for the fifth year in a row and his offensive output hasn’t slowed down his defensive ability.  Coming into the season, Pageau looked like he could be a depth defensive forward for a contending team but now, he could be counted on to provide a lot more than that.

Season Stats

52 GP, 20 goals, 13 assists, 33 points, +11 rating, 20 PIMS, 117 shots, 19:19 TOI, 47.4 CF%, 52.7% faceoffs

Potential Suitors

It is a fairly weak market in terms of impact centers to the point where Pageau is arguably the best one available.  Accordingly, any team looking for help down the middle is going to have at least some level of interest.

In the East, the Islanders have been looking for upgrades down the middle dating back to the summer.  Pageau would give them another penalty killing option while providing a secondary scoring upgrade as well which is an area of need.  The Blue Jackets banged up down the middle with Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Dubinsky out and it’s not like Columbus and Ottawa haven’t made these types of deals before.  If the Bruins strike out in their search for help on the wing, they could turn around and add Pageau which would allow them to move Charlie Coyle to the right wing for the stretch run.  They’d need some assistance to make the money work though.

Out West, the Oilers have been looking for center help all season long and with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins spending a lot of time on the wing, there’s an opening for Pageau on their third line.  Colorado has a well-balanced group of secondary scoring but could certainly add to that and shift J.T. Compher back to the wing.  Dallas has strong depth down the middle already but considering that Pageau would be their leading goal-getter, that alone could get their attention as they look to add some scoring punch.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Compared to some other rentals out there, this one isn’t a guarantee.  The Senators do have legitimate interest in giving Pageau an extension and there have been recent discussions to that end.  If they can reach an agreement, they’ll forego trading him; a trade and return scenario isn’t likely.  If an extension isn’t reached, then it’s all but a certainty that he’ll be on the move and the biggest question will be what the Senators will get in return.  A guaranteed first-round pick could be tricky but a second-rounder that upgrades to a first if the acquiring team wins a couple of playoff rounds could be doable.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Anderson, Barkov, Weegar, Andersen

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has been discussed as a speculative trade candidate in what is likely his final NHL season, the netminder told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that his preference would be to not get traded.  The 38-year-old has been with Ottawa since the 2010-11 campaign and is having a bit of a tough season with a 3.19 GAA and a .901 SV% while losing starts to Marcus Hogberg in recent weeks.  With Anders Nilsson getting closer to returning as well, it could be a crowded crease if Anderson isn’t moved.  The veteran has a $4.75MM cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause which could make any potential move tricky.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • The Panthers will have center Aleksander Barkov back in the lineup on Saturday against Pittsburgh, notes George Richards of The Athletic (Twitter link). He has missed the last three games due to a lower-body injury sustained against Montreal and they haven’t fared well offensively in his absence, scoring just five goals in that stretch which is less than half their season average in goals per game.  Meanwhile, Richards adds (Twitter link) that defenseman MacKenzie Weegar is dealing with complications from the injury that caused him to miss more than a month.  He had just returned on Tuesday but played just 13 minutes and then missed Thursday’s game.  There’s no timetable for his return.
  • Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen has been ruled out through the weekend due to his neck injury, notes TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that it’s difficult to peg a timeline for his return but that he is working through drills.  In the meantime, Michael Hutchinson will serve as the backup to newcomer Jack Campbell but will likely be waived once Andersen is ready to return.

Deadline Primer: Florida Panthers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  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 Florida Panthers

In Joel Quenneville’s first season as head coach of the Florida Panthers, the team is looking to do something for just the sixth time in franchise history: make the playoffs. Yes, in their 25 years of existence the Panthers have made the playoffs just a handful of times, only once even progressing past the first round. That only deep run was more than two decades ago, meaning a good showing in this year’s postseason tournament could be historic. With that in mind, you can bet that GM Dale Tallon is working the phones making sure his club has the best chance he can give them down the stretch.

Record

29-18-6, third in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer*

*The Panthers also have some intriguing rentals that could be available

Deadline Cap Space

$141K in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: FLA 1st, FLA 2nd, FLA 2nd, COL 3rd, FLA 4th, TOR 5th, BUF 6th, FLA 7th
2021: FLA 1st, FLA 2nd, FLA 3rd, FLA 4th, FLA 5th, FLA 6th, FLA 7th, WPG 7th

Trade Chips

Even though the Panthers are in a strong position in the standings and will likely try to add before the deadline, they also may end up being a place for other contenders to do some shopping. Most notable is Mike Hoffman, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and was asked to submit his 10-team no-trade list in December, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required).

Hoffman is exactly the kind of mercenary winger that could add immediate offense at the deadline and if the Panthers were out of the running there would likely be a bidding war for his services. Whether they will decide to move him is unclear, but given how tight their cap situation is, they would have to move something out if they want to make a substantial change.

Of course, there is also the other pending UFA Evgenii Dadonov, but there has been less chatter about his potential availability over the recent weeks. Brian Boyle and Mark Pysyk are also on expiring deals, though they hold much less value.

The Panthers do have a long list of exciting forward prospects that could be dangled, including Henrik Borgstrom who still hasn’t adjusted to professional hockey as quickly as many expected. The 23rd overall pick in 2016 had 18 points in 50 games for the Panthers last season, but has spent the vast majority of 2019-20 in the minor leagues.

Five Players To Watch For: F Mike Hoffman, F Brian Boyle, D Mark Pysyk, F Henrik Borgstrom, D Mike Matheson

Team Needs

1) Veteran Defense: Tallon was quite clear when speaking with Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com recently, explaining that he wanted a veteran defenseman to pair with Aaron Ekblad. After losing badly to the Vegas Golden Knights last night, Ekblad skated beside Keith Yandle at practice today while Matheson was dropped to the third pairing (via George Richards of The Athletic).

2) Experienced Forward: In the same interview, Tallon also said he will try to find a “steadying influence” up front, though it’s not clear exactly what that term represents. Perhaps it’s someone with a little more playoff experience that can be added to the top-six mix if Hoffman is sent packing. Aleksander Barkov (6), Jonathan Huberdeau (6), Vincent Trocheck (2), Noel Acciari (35), Frank Vatrano (6) and Dadonov (0), the six forwards averaging the most ice time (not counting Hoffman), currently have 55 games of playoff experience between them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ilya Kovalchuk Drawing Trade Interest

at CDT | by 17 Comments

Since Ilya Kovalchuk went to the Montreal Canadiens and started producing at a high level again, rumors have swirled about his fate at the 2020 trade deadline. The veteran forward agreed to a league minimum $700K contract making him an inexpensive option for teams at the deadline, but just two days ago Frank Seravalli of TSN wrote that the Canadiens would only be able to get a mid-round pick for him–and his availability wasn’t even a guarantee.

Today in a column examining all of the Canadiens’ trade candidates, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames all have some interest in the former superstar.

You can bet Kovalchuk understands the possibility of a trade. Earlier this week he told reporters that he didn’t want to talk about a future in Montreal just yet, indicating they needed to focus on the next few weeks to try and claw back into the playoffs. With his help and some stellar goaltending from Carey Price, the team has at least raised the question of postseason contention. Montreal is 8-3 in the 11 games since the long losing streak that started in late December, moving them back within five points of the final Atlantic Division playoff spot (with three more games played than the Florida Panthers).

Still, Kovalchuk remains one of the more interesting names to watch over the next several weeks. His minuscule cap hit will be very interesting for teams pushed up against the ceiling, and Montreal may well try to get a bidding war started over a player that was available to the whole league earlier this season.

Minor Transactions: 02/07/20

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Just four games grace the NHL schedule this evening, but there are sure to be some whoppers. The Buffalo Sabres head into Madison Square Garden to try and find some tiny bit of success in what has been a trying time for everyone involved with the team. The Sabres lost yesterday to the historically-bad Detroit Red Wings and are now 23-23-8 on the year. Meanwhile, the reeling Toronto Maple Leafs will throw Jack Campbell into the net right away against the Anaheim Ducks to try and save their season. As they and the rest of the league get ready, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Andreas Englund from the minor leagues, as Mark Borowiecki prepares for the birth of his first child. Borowiecki won’t be with the team as they travel to Winnipeg for tomorrow’s afternoon tilt against the Jets.
  • Jeremy Lauzon and Karson Kuhlman have been recalled by the Boston Bruins, who welcome in Phil Kessel and the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night. Brandon Carlo will not be playing for the team as he is dealing with a personal matter, but is expected to re-join them in time for Sunday’s game.
  • Antti Suomela has been returned to the AHL after sitting out the last few games for the San Jose Sharks. The 25-year old center has played 12 games this season, recording three assists.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Kiefer Sherwood from the minor leagues, sending Daniel Sprong down in his place. Sprong, 22, has played most of the season in the AHL for the San Diego Gulls, scoring 24 points in 31 games.
  • After losing Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Cameron Gaunce from the minor leagues. The team will need to find a way to keep their blue line in order after the recent losses.
  • Morgan Frost is on his way back to the NHL, recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers after a month in the minors. In total, the young forward has played 30 games in the AHL this season, scoring 20 points. Andy Andreoff has been sent back down.
  • Guillaume Brisebois has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, coming up for just the second time this season. The 22-year old defenseman hasn’t played a game at the NHL level this year, but does have 14 points in 43 games for the Utica Comets.

Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Dean Kukan

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets have decided to reward one of their emerging defensemen with a new contract. Dean Kukan has signed a two-year extension with the club. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports the deal will pay Kukan $1.3MM in 2020-21 and $2.0MM in 2021-22 (for an AAV of $1.65MM). Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a short statement:

Dean is a smart and quick, puck-moving defenseman that has improved steadily since joining our organization in 2015. We are very happy that he will continue to be an important part of our club’s deep and talented group of defensemen.

Kukan was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season and currently carries a $725K cap hit. The 26-year old undrafted defenseman came to the Blue Jackets organization as a free agent in 2015 after several years in the Swedish Hockey league, and has slowly worked his way up the depth chart. This season he has suited up 33 times in the NHL and has five points, though a recent injury has kept him out of the lineup.

The Blue Jackets, intent on proving they were always more than just Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, have exceeded expectations this season with a core led by Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The first three names of that group are signed at very reasonable prices for the next several years, while Dubois is coming off his entry-level deal. With savvy extensions for depth players like Kukan and a development system that is churning out NHL-level talent, Kekalainen’s organization is looking like one of the strongest in the Eastern Conference.

The question now will be how they work their way through a few drafts without much pick capital after spending it at the deadline last season, but acquiring players like Kukan has softened the blow.

Cody Ceci Placed On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 6 Comments

After suffering a high-ankle sprain earlier this week, Cody Ceci has been placed on injured reserve by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team has recalled Timothy Liljegren in his place. Ceci will be re-evaluated in a month’s time.

Toronto is now without Ceci and Morgan Rielly indefinitely, putting even more pressure on their defensive group. With the trade deadline just a few weeks away it also may lead to even more urgency for GM Kyle Dubas, though after making a recent move to solidify the backup goaltending position he was clear the team is looking for a long-term fix on the blueline instead of targeting the rental market.

The real decisions will likely have to wait a week until they know a more accurate timeline for Rielly. If the star defenseman is going to be out for the rest of the season they can use his cap space to land a bigger name. Otherwise, they’ll have to leave enough room for his return off long-term injured reserve before the playoffs.

For Liljegren, this is the biggest opportunity of his young career. The 20-year old was selected 17th overall in 2017 but has played in the minor leagues for all but one game to this point. Arguably one of the better two-way defensemen in the AHL at the moment, he has 29 points in 38 games for the Toronto Marlies while being used in all situations. For a team that has been desperately searching for help on the right side, the right-handed Lilejegren may get a chance to stick around.

Extension Notes: Kreider, Miller, Willman

at CDT | by 8 Comments

New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered the top rental player on the market and has been for some time. Yet, through it all the Rangers have maintained that they would like to re-sign their All-Star winger. It seems GM Jeff Gorton has finally decided that it’s time to talk details if the two sides are going to work out a deal ahead of the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Gorton and Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, will sit down within the next few days to discuss a contract extension. While LeBrun thinks that it could be a tough extension to work out given Kreider’s status as arguably the second-best potential free agent this summer behind only Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In a weak market, Kreider could capitalize more on a bidding war than he likely would be able to re-signing with New York before testing the waters. However, the career Ranger may also see that he is on an up-and-coming team and wish to stay at the right price. Gorton and Keator will discuss what that number might be in the coming days and a decision on Kreider’s future, one way or another, will be made within the coming weeks.

  • He may be 39 and noticeably declining with each season, but the Anaheim Ducks remain interested in bringing back veteran goaltender Ryan Miller for another year. That is, if he wants to play another year. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that Miller has earned the ability to decide how his career will end. Despite his struggles this season, Miller would have value on the trade market if the Ducks were to make him available, but Teaford believes that he will have the final say on a potential move. Miller could decline the opportunity to play for a playoff team down the stretch, as he did last season. He could also accept the trade with the knowledge that he would be welcomed back to Anaheim as a free agent this summer. Miller may also land with a legitimate Cup contender and decide to call it a career after a long playoff run. Or, and the only future the player himself is considering at this time, Miller may just stay in Anaheim and revisit his options in the off-season. While a decision on where Miller will play for the rest of the season must be made within the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline, there is still time to consider his future beyond this season. However, the cushy role of backup to workhorse John Gibson in sunny Southern California is not a bad way for Miler to continue his career into his 40’s.
  • A notable AHL rookie signed an extension on Tuesday. Former Brown and Boston University forward Max Willman signed on for another year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Willman, 24, played five seasons of college hockey, a tenure extended by a senior season at Brown lost to injury. While Willman struggled to get back to full strength with BU last season, he still managed to make enough of an impression on the Philadelphia Flyers to earn a deal with their affiliate. Willman looked like his old self to begin the year, scoring at a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Since being called up to Lehigh, he has three goals and five points in 15 games. The Cape Cod native works hard and plays a smart game and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could one day be signing an NHL contract.

Trade Rumors: Flames, Maple Leafs, Martinez, Simmonds

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Trade deadline season is in full swing and TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment this evening with Darren Dreger and Piere LeBrun was chock full of hints as to what may happen over the next few weeks. The pair began with the most pressing story, which is in regards to the news earlier today that Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano is out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. The situation reportedly could have been worse and Giordano may have needed surgery that would have kept him out long term, so in a way Calgary got lucky. However, with the Flames fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, this major absence is bound to shift their plans at the deadline. The team has been focused on acquiring a right-shot forward, even allegedly dangling impending UFA defenseman T.J. Brodie to get a deal done, but LeBrun notes that Brodie is now much more unlikely to move. Not only are Brodie and fellow free agent-to-be Travis Hamonic likely safe, but LeBrun adds that the team will consider adding on defense as well if Giordano’s availability remains in question. As for what the Flames may use as their primary trade bait now, Dreger reports that Sam Bennett could finally be on the move. The disappointing young forward is not necessarily on the block, but Dreger hears from many around the league who feel Bennett needs a fresh start and Calgary may oblige him if it helps to land them another top-six forward.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs may have unofficially launched the trade deadline frenzy on Wednesday when they acquired goaltender Jack Campbell and forward Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings. Yet, even for a team currently on the outside of the playoff picture, Dreger reports that the Leafs are not done. He notes that the deal with L.A. did not address Toronto’s biggest need, which is a top-four defenseman. He says that the recent injury to Cody Ceci, expected to be out for at least a month, combined with the continued absence of Morgan Rielly will keep the Maple Leafs in the defense market if they want to contend for a postseason berth. Dreger mentions that the Kings’ willingness to retain salary should allow the Leafs to land a top-four defenseman if they can find the right deal, assuming one of Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, or Alex Kerfoot would be heading the other way.
  • The Kings, of course, are also not done. They are having another fire sale this year and a number of valuable pieces may still move. Among them is veteran defenseman Alec Martinez. LeBrun believes that the Maple Leafs were not interested in Martinez, but other teams are. One such suitor is Toronto’s biggest competition for an Atlantic Division playoff bid, the Florida Panthers. According to LeBrun, the Panthers are “absolutely looking” at Martinez, who still has one year remaining on his contract. Another team looking to upgrade their blue line who have an eye on Martinez are the Winnipeg Jets. Whether Florida, Winnipeg, or another contender ends up landing the capable defenseman, the buyer will not be getting any sort of discount. LeBrun relays that the asking price is a second-round pick and either another good pick or a good prospect.
  • In Vancouver, the season is going as well as anyone could have expected and the team is hoping to solidify their lineup before the postseason. While the team seems unlikely to spend immensely, they are hoping to plug some holes. One such gap has been created by the injury to Micheal Ferland. Ferland has been out for almost two months and the team is missing his physical play and goal scoring ability. Ferland signed with the Canucks this summer and was expected to play a major role, but has been unable to stay on the ice. As a result, LeBrun reports that the Canucks are revisiting a player that nearly chose over Ferland this off-season in Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds, who instead signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, again finds himself as a rental candidate and Vancouver remains interested. LeBrun believes that the team will wait to see what the long-term outlook on Ferland is for the remainder of this season, but bad news could trigger a trade to bring in Simmonds.

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

scroll to top