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Archives for January 2021

Patrik Laine Moved To Injured Reserve

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The Winnipeg Jets have made several transactions today, not the least of which was moving Patrik Laine to injured reserve. Laine has played in just one game so far this season and will not play tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators. Nate Thompson joins Laine on injured reserve, while Dylan DeMelo has been activated and David Gustafsson has been brought up from the minors to the taxi squad.

While Laine won’t play, it is good news to see DeMelo activated after missing the first four games. The 27-year-old defenseman will be a welcome addition for the Jets who have shuffled their defense around on a daily basis this season, especially after he fit in so well down the stretch in 2020. DeMelo was acquired at the deadline from the Ottawa Senators and logged more than 21 minutes a night in ten regular season games with the Jets, before seeing big minutes again in the postseason bubble.

Murat Ates of The Athletic isn’t sure whether it will be Logan Stanley or Ville Heinola coming out for DeMelo, but does note that the later is still a slide candidate should he play fewer than seven games this season. Heinola has played just one so far, meaning they could potentially send him to the minors and allow his entry-level contract to extend another year. Stanley, who is already 22, will become a restricted free agent in the summer no matter how many games he plays this season.

After a tumultuous offseason that saw Laine’s agent suggest a trade would be best for his client, the 22-year-old forward can’t seem to get back into the lineup thanks to his somewhat mysterious injury. Head coach Paul Maurice told Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet that Laine had more testing done today and that “nothing new came up on it.” In that one game Laine has played, he registered two goals and one assist.

Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois

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“You’ll know when I bench somebody” was the retort from John Tortorella earlier this week when Pierre-Luc Dubois missed some shifts late in a Columbus Blue Jackets game. Well, he wasn’t lying. Dubois was stapled to the Columbus bench for the second, third, and overtime periods last night, leading to a career-low in ice time of just 3:55. He received just five shifts total and now isn’t sure whether he will be in the lineup for tomorrow’s Blue Jackets game.

You can imagine, when the rest of the league saw what was happening, it may have piqued their interest in the young forward. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who has been all over Dubois’ discontent since the beginning, tweets that the list of teams he believes have expressed interest include the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals and Arizona Coyotes. He explains that the list is not exhaustive but believes that the Blue Jackets would not do a “futures-only” deal for the disgruntled forward and that they want it to be a “hockey deal.”

It’s easy to blame Tortorella, who has had very public clashes with players in the past, but Dubois was certainly not playing up to his capabilities in the early part of the game either. In fact, the young forward told reporters including Jacob Myers of the Columbus Dispatch that he knows he could have been better through the first part of the season. It’s not hard to see how that reduced effort may scare some teams off, though the overall upside of a top-line center like Dubois will be difficult to overlook.

The simple fact is that something has turned rotten between player and organization, leading to a midseason trade seeming like an inevitability at this point. The 22-year-old forward has just one point through his first five games and carries a $5MM cap hit through 2021-22, after which he will still be a restricted free agent.

Jonathan Ang Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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The Florida Panthers have placed Jonathan Ang on unconditional waivers according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The 22-year-old forward is in the final year of his entry-level deal and will likely be ticketed for a mutual contract termination should he clear tomorrow.

Drafted in the fourth round in 2016, Ang had been a young star for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, scoring 21 goals and 49 points in his draft year. It appeared as though there was a lot more offensive upside to the undersized center, but Ang only marginally improved his scoring output the next two seasons. Still, after signing an entry-level contract in 2017, he made his professional debut in the 2018-19 season and scored 25 points in 75 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. Last year, he recorded 21 points in 49 games, a much better pace but still not the level that some had hoped he would reach.

Now, should the contract termination go through, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent allowed to pursue other opportunities around the globe. Perhaps a European stint would allow him to continue his development, or perhaps another minor league team will snatch him up. For now, it appears as though his days with the Panthers organization are over.

Brandon Pirri Clears Waivers

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Jan 22: Pirri has cleared waivers and can now report to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

Jan 21: The Chicago Blackhawks have placed Brandon Pirri on waivers, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The veteran forward had played in just one of the team’s games so far and did not record a point.

Pirri, 29, has traveled all over the NHL through his playing career, starting in Chicago during the 2010-11 season and visiting Florida, Anaheim, New York and Vegas before returning to the Blackhawks this offseason. Always known for his goal-scoring ability, he failed to record a single tally in 16 games with the Golden Knights last season.

Now, with the Blackhawks navigating a tricky salary cap situation he finds himself at risk of selection by the rest of the league. Chicago is currently using three goaltenders on the active roster, but both Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban would need to clear waivers in order to be assigned to the taxi squad. Given how many netminders have been claimed in recent days, it seems prudent to avoid placing either of them there for the time being. Should Pirri clear, he could be moved to the taxi squad instead, clearing a roster spot.

There is a chance of a claim, but it does seem unlikely even though Pirri is only owed $775K this season.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/22/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • With no other real options, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Pierre-Olivier Joseph from their taxi squad under emergency conditions. The young defenseman is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the  New York Rangers. Joseph, 21, was the 23rd overall pick in 2017 and recorded 17 points in 52 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have elevated Nathan Gerbe from the taxi squad, moving Emil Bemstrom down in his place. The 33-year-old Gerbe hasn’t played yet this season but recorded ten points in 30 games last year for the club.
  • After clearing waivers, Brandon Pirri was re-assigned to the Chicago Blackhawks taxi squad. Carl Soderberg and Brandon Hagel have both been moved to the active roster. Soderberg, 35, has yet to play this season and is expected to make his debut tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Brian Pinho from the taxi squad as they try to fill out a roster card without their four Russian stars. Pinho, 25, scored 20 goals and 37 points in 62 games for the Hershey Bears last season and made his NHL debut in the postseason bubble.
  • Givani Smith has been recalled from the Red Wings taxi squad, giving them another forward option as more players find themselves on the COVID list. The Red Wings start a two-game series with the Blackhawks tonight with a chance to climb even further up the Central Division table.  Taro Hirose was also brought up to the taxi squad.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have activated James Neal off injured reserve, meaning someone needed to go to the taxi squad. That someone is Joakim Nygard, who has been moved off the active roster. Olivier Rodrigue, who had been serving as the taxi squad goaltender, has also swapped places with Dylan Wells. Rodrigue will report to the AHL while Wells is now the third-string option for Edmonton.
  • Samuel Morin has been moved back to the taxi squad as the Philadelphia Flyers wait for their next game. Morin, who is making the switch from defense to forward this season, has yet to get into a game.
  • Brogan Rafferty has been moved to the taxi squad by the Vancouver Canucks, as they continue to try and work out their defensive issues. Rafferty had been up on emergency loan while the Canucks dealt with several injuries, but is now back down on the team’s day off.
  • Victor Soderstrom is expected to make his NHL debut tonight after being recalled from the taxi squad by the Arizona Coyotes. The team has moved Jordan Gross down for the time being, allowing their young phenom to get into a game. Soderstrom, 19, was the 11th overall pick in 2019 and quickly became one of the top defensive prospects in the entire league.  Aaron Ness was sent to the minors while Ivan Prosvetov was added to the taxi squad.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have assigned both Lias Andersson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan to the taxi squad while the team prepares for a four-game road trip that takes them to St. Louis tomorrow. The Kings are coming off their first win of the season and looking to continue to hold their own in a tough West Division.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier from the taxi squad while also activating Mikael Granlund to the active roster after he completed his quarantine protocols.  Olivier leads the Preds in hits in the early going this season with eight while Granlund will make his season debut.
  • Anaheim has made a long list of moves, per CapFriendly.  The Ducks have recalled David Backes, Max Jones, and Josh Mahura to the NHL roster while Anthony Stolarz and Isac Lundestrom are now on the taxi squad.  Sonny Milano has been placed on IR while Lukas Dostal has been sent to AHL San Diego.
  • The Boston Bruins have shuffled Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The two have been shuffled multiple times already this season to bank cap room and will likely be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Philadelphia.
  • Colorado has recalled Martin Kaut on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly.  Conor Timmins was sent back to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.  Erik Johnson isn’t expected to play tonight and Kaut’s addition will allow the Avalanche to dress 12 forwards and six defensemen.
  • The Islanders have shuffled Kieffer Bellows back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The winger has played in all four games this season but with them off until Sunday, New York can save nearly $15K in salary by sending him back for two days.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have flipped defensemen again as Andreas Borgman has been recalled with Luke Schenn going to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  While they’re so deep into LTIR where the small cap savings will be irrelevant, doing so extends Schenn’s waiver exemption a little longer.
  • Vegas has recalled Cody Glass from the taxi squad, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  Nicolas Hague has been sent back down to the taxi squad, meaning the Golden Knights will go back to dressing 13 forwards and just five defensemen.

This page will be updated throughout the day as more moves are officially announced. 

2020 Year In Review: August

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2020 was certainly a unique year away from the rink.  However, it was also a year that featured several big trades and free agent signings, coaching changes, and much more.  We continue our look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis.  Next up is August which saw the playoffs begin which featured some fireworks on the ice and on Twitter.

Firings: Following a quick exit in the bubble, the Panthers parted ways with long-time executive Dale Tallon.  He originally joined Florida in 2010 after being let go by Chicago but was suddenly pushed out of the GM chair in 2016 before re-assuming the position two years later.  While the team has made some big-name additions (including head coach Joel Quenneville and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky), they haven’t had any sort of postseason success.  Florida made the playoffs three times since Tallon joined them and didn’t win a series in any of them, continuing a long trend; the Panthers have only ever won a playoff series in just one year, back in 1996 when they made it to the Stanley Cup Final.

Meanwhile, the Capitals also decided to make a change after being ousted quite quickly, firing head coach Todd Reirden.  They were eliminated quite quickly at the hands of the Islanders in the first round, coincidentally coached by Washington’s former bench boss in Barry Trotz.  Reirden spent two years as the bench boss for the Caps and while he had a good regular season record of 89-46-16, it didn’t turn into success in the postseason.

Postseason Departures: While the opt-out deadline had technically passed, Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask left the bubble for the remainder of the postseason to tend to what was later revealed to be a family emergency.  Jaroslav Halak assumed the starting role for the rest of their playoffs, one that lasted until the second round when they were eliminated by Tampa Bay.  Meanwhile, Canadiens head coach Claude Julien had to leave the bubble due to a medical emergency, one that resulted in the stenting of a coronary artery.  While the procedure went well, he returned home to recover with Kirk Muller serving as acting head coach for the rest of their playoff run.

Rangers Lose, Then Win: The bad news for the Rangers is that they didn’t make it past the Qualifying Round.  In fact, they were swept by Carolina and managed just four goals in the three-game series.  But there was a silver lining.  Their elimination made them one of the eight teams eligible to land the top pick as part of the NHL’s draft lottery, one that required a second drawing.  Each squad had identical odds and it was New York that came out victorious, allowing them to select highly-touted winger Alexis Lafreniere with that selection.  As expected, Lafreniere made the opening night roster and has logged nearly 15 minutes per night in their first three games this season but is still awaiting his first NHL point.

Kapanen To Pittsburgh: It’s abnormal that a notable trade is made during the playoffs but this was 2020 where things were anywhere but normal and the Penguins opted to make an early splash, acquiring Kasperi Kapanen from Toronto.  While the trade involved seven different pieces, the key elements of the return for the Maple Leafs was the 15th overall pick (used on Rodion Amirov) and prospect center Filip Hallander.  Kapanen was a first-round pick of the Penguins back in 2014 but was moved as part of the Phil Kessel trade one year later.  After putting up 80 points in total in his two full NHL campaigns, Pittsburgh is hoping he’ll become a key top-six winger while Toronto received a quality return in a move that needed to be made for salary cap purposes.

Hawerchuk Passes Away: Jets legend Dale Hawerchuk passed away at the age 57 after a lengthy battle with cancer.  He spent 16 years in the NHL with the majority of his 1,188 games coming with the Jets. He also had a very successful run with Buffalo, averaging more than a point per game over five seasons with the Sabres.  Overall, his 1,409 points have him 20th in all-time NHL scoring.  Hawerchuk had been enjoying his post-playing career behind the bench and had been the head coach of the OHL’s Barrie Colts for a decade before his passing.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 1/21/21

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With AHL training camps underway for some teams and soon beginning for others, there has been some activity on that front today as well as some overseas news.  Here’s a rundown of some of those moves.

  • The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, affiliate of the Blue Jackets, announced the signing of winger Nick Lappin to a minor-league deal. He spent last season under contract with the Blues but didn’t get into a game with them but has 60 career NHL contests under his belt, all with New Jersey.  The Monsters also announced the additions of defenseman Brandon Fortunado and winger Evan Polei on loans from the Predators and Blues, respectively.
  • Veteran winger Ty Rattie has opted to sign in Finland, joining Assat Pori per a team release. The 27-year-old last saw NHL action in 2018-19 where he played in 50 games with Edmonton but spent last season in the KHL after failing to catch on with another NHL team.
  • After spending the last two seasons in Anaheim’s system on AHL contracts and parts of three more on NHL deals before that, veteran winger Corey Tropp has headed overseas as Straubing of the DEL announced that they’ve signed the 31-year-old to a one-year contract. He last saw NHL action back in 2017 and has 149 career NHL games under his belt over parts of four seasons.
  • The Ducks have signed defenseman Madison Bowey to a minor league PTO agreement, their AHL affiliate in San Diego announced (Twitter link).  He spent the bulk of last season with Detroit, notching 17 points in 54 games while logging nearly 18 minutes a game.  Considering he’s still just 25, it’s a bit surprising that he had to settle for an AHL tryout but at least he has a team for now to try to work his way back to the NHL.

Canucks Place Travis Hamonic On IR

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While Vancouver was able to take the first of a three-game set against Montreal on Wednesday, it came at a cost on their back end with both Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic leaving with injuries.  The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that Hamonic has been placed on injured reserve; Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that it’s an upper-body injury for the veteran.  Blueliner Brogan Rafferty has been recalled from the taxi squad in a corresponding move.

Hamonic signed a PTO deal with Vancouver in training camp and had it converted to a one-year, $1.25MM contract on the eve of the regular season.  He sits fourth on the Canucks in ATOI in the early going, logging 18:11 per night over five games, a number that’s skewed in part by him exiting early on Wednesday.  He has two assists in seven blocked shots so far.

As for Rafferty, he’s one of Vancouver’s more interesting prospects.  The 25-year-old has just two career NHL games under his belt (which came after leaving Quinnipiac in 2019) but he finished third in the AHL in scoring by a defenseman last season, notching seven goals and 38 assists in just 57 games.  He should have an opportunity to jump into the lineup right away and should be an intriguing complement to Quinn Hughes as another offensive threat from the back end.

Penguins Looking To Acquire A Defenseman

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On the heels of Marcus Pettersson and Juuso Riikola joining Mike Matheson on injured reserve, the Penguins are suddenly looking thin on the back end.  Accordingly, TSN’s Darren Dreger notes on the latest Insider Trading segment (video link) that GM Jim Rutherford is now calling around to try to add some help on the back end.

One of the big challenges that Rutherford will face is fitting one under the cap.  The team has roughly $1.9MM in cap room at the moment per CapFriendly but that will drop once they recall at least one blueliner from the taxi squad (either Pierre-Olivier Joseph or Kevin Czuczman) to get to six healthy options on the roster.  At this point in the season, cap space hasn’t been able to bank so they will be limited in what they can go after.  While Dreger notes that they’re looking for the best blueliner available, that cap situation will likely force them to look for a third-pairing option, one that they can afford.

While Pettersson and his $4.025MM AAV could be placed on LTIR, they’d need to get back into cap compliance before they could activate him which means they can’t really use that option aside from having a cheaper depth player up in his roster spot.  It also likely puts their other talks on the back burner for now; last weekend, Pittsburgh was linked to Winnipeg restricted free agent winger Jack Roslovic but they’ll now need to re-prioritize and look for help on the back end first.

We did see one defensive trade earlier this week when Minnesota brought in Ian Cole from Colorado for Greg Pateryn.  If Rutherford has his way, he’ll be adding a blueliner of his own before too long.

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