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Archives for March 2021

Jack Eichel Dealing With Upper-Body Injury

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Saturday: While head coach Ralph Krueger was unable to disclose a timeline, he did tell reporters including John Vogl of The Athletic that Eichel is out “for the foreseeable future” and that he is unable to put a date on how long he will be out.  Krueger also declined to specify if his top center needs surgery or just rest.

Tuesday: The Buffalo Sabres don’t need any more bad news, but they got some anyway. Jack Eichel will miss tonight’s game with an upper-body injury and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that there are “rumblings” that he could be out for longer. Eichel was seen grabbing his neck over the weekend after being pushed into the boards behind the New York Islanders net, though it is not clear if that is the injury he is currently dealing with.

At Sabres practice, Dylan Cozens has moved into the first-line center role between Taylor Hall and Sam Reinhart according to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. While that is certainly exciting for the young forward and his fans, losing Eichel for any significant length of time would all but guarantee that the Sabres season is over. The team is already sitting in last place in the NHL with just six wins in 23 games.

This has been a season to forget for Eichel personally too, even though he does have 18 points in 21 games. Only two of those are goals, one of which was a powerplay marker. That means the $10MM center has exactly one even-strength goal on the year, a huge reason why the team is struggling so much. Even Eichel’s ice time has come down this season, which has had some speculating over whether he was already playing hurt.

It’s injury to insult now the Sabres these days, who can’t seem to find a silver lining in anything that happens. The team takes on the Philadelphia Flyers this evening.

Trade Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche

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Although we’re now just two months into the season, the trade deadline is only a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Colorado Avalanche.

It has been a trying year for Colorado so far, one that saw them head into the season as a perceived Stanley Cup contender.  They’ve been hit hard by injuries as well as a COVID-19 outbreak and the end result has them in fourth in the West Division although they’re still within striking distance of first-place Vegas.  With some big-ticket raises on the horizon and several pending free agents of note, this could be their best shot to truly contend.  Accordingly, expect GM Joe Sakic to be active in terms of trying to add to the roster over the coming weeks.

Record

14-8-2, 4th in West Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$582Kin full-season space ($1.299MM at the trade deadline), $7.4175MM in LTIR room*, 1/3 retention slots used, 43/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

* – The majority of this space comes from Erik Johnson ($6MM).  He was transferred to LTIR this week but if Colorado believes that he will return this season, they won’t be able to use this room at the trade deadline.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: COL 1st, COL 3rd, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
2022: COL 1st, COL 3rd, COL 4th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th

Trade Chips

Last offseason, Tyson Jost wound up accepting his qualifying offer worth just over $874K, a deal that basically took advantage of him having minimal leverage coming off of a tough season without arbitration eligibility.  It felt like a make-or-break year as a result.  Unfortunately for both him and the Avs, this season has leaned towards the latter for the 2016 tenth-overall selection.  Jost has just a goal and two assists in 22 games despite averaging nearly 14 minutes per night.  It’s just not working for him right now.  As a result, this feels like a prime change of scenery situation.  He’s still just 22 which should be appealing to a selling team as adding him would give them a look to see if a new situation can help unlock some potential.  If it doesn’t happen, he’s still a cost-effective player for the rest of the year.

In 2019, Colorado signed Joonas Donskoi to a four-year deal with a $3.9MM AAV, a contract that raised eyebrows given his limited track record.  He isn’t a top-six player and that price tag is high for a third liner.  By no means is Donskoi necessarily playing poorly but staring down new contracts for Gabriel Landeskog (UFA) and Cale Makar (RFA) among others, this is an above-market deal that will hinder them this summer.  Of course, the two years remaining will make it challenging to move but knowing what’s coming, Sakic should be sufficiently motivated to find a way to move him.  J.T. Compher (two years remaining, $3.5MM AAV) could fall in this particular cap-clearing category.

Greg Pateryn has already cleared waivers and been traded this season while spending more time in the AHL than the AHL.  He also has a $2.25MM AAV.  Normally, this wouldn’t be someone to list as a trade chip but the 30-year-old would appear to be a strong candidate to move if Colorado needs to offset some money in an acquisition.  Pateryn is an unrestricted free agent so there wouldn’t be any long-term ramifications for whoever was to take him on.

Others to Watch For: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($1.8MM, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Backup goaltender – Pavel Francouz has yet to play this season due to a lower-body injury and there is no timeframe for his return; he’s the other player joining Johnson on LTIR.  That has forced Philipp Grubauer to take on the bulk of the workload with the relatively untested Hunter Miska serving as the backup.  Grubauer isn’t accustomed to playing this much and as last postseason showed, injuries can happen.  A more proven NHL netminder would go a long way but even if they don’t aim that high, a player to fill the role Michael Hutchinson did last season could also be useful with their current minor league options not yet NHL ready.

2) Defensive depth – The state of Colorado’s back end isn’t the greatest right now but to be fair, they’re missing four players right now.  Not many teams can comfortably withstand that but as a result, the Avalanche have been icing several minor leaguers.  Considering they’re only in fourth in the division, it’s a group that can’t afford to take another hit and could stand to be bolstered.

3) Scoring help – Part of this is due to all of the injuries but the Avs somewhat surprisingly have had trouble scoring this season, sitting 21st in the league heading into play on Friday night.  Mikko Rantanen is their only double-digit goal scorer and only five players have more than five.  A middle-six winger with some offensive ability would help lengthen the lineup and give the top unit some extra support which would go a long way in the postseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Oilers Notes: Larsson, Deadline, Klefbom, Russell

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With the league trending towards more mobile defensemen and Edmonton needing to free up some salary this offseason, Adam Larsson seemed like a candidate to move on.  The pending UFA has a $4.166MM, money that could be re-allocated to fill another area.  However, Postmedia’s David Staples argues that the 28-year-old has played his way into earning another contract with the Oilers.

Of course, the question will be what price point works for both sides.  Despite Larsson’s defensive efficiency, it’s hard to commit that type of money to a stay-at-home player.  Something closer to $3MM would be more palatable from Edmonton’s side and would better reflect the current state of the market although if faced with the prospect of a pay cut, Larsson could justifiably want to see what his other options would be at that time.  Staples posits that this isn’t a situation where re-signing Larsson could significantly alter their expansion planning either with young blueliners Caleb Jones and William Lagesson standing out as probable targets for Seattle.

More from Edmonton:

  • There are teams that will be looking for improved depth at the deadline but GM Ken Holland told reporters, including Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, that it’s not a route they’ll be taking. Instead, he’s setting his sights on an impact acquisition but conceded they’re in a spot where they will need to match money to make it happen.  They have just over $2.7MM in full-season LTIR room, per CapFriendly, but that amount includes Zack Kassian ($3.2MM) who is expected to be back at some point.
  • Also via Spector’s column, defenseman Oscar Klefbom is set to undergo surgery in the next seven to ten days. He’s dealing with recurring shoulder issues and was ruled out for the entire season before the 2020-21 campaign got underway.  This procedure would seemingly put an end to any thoughts of him returning for the playoffs should they get there.
  • Defenseman Kris Russell will not play tonight versus Ottawa and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays 630 CHED’s Reid Wilkins (Twitter link). The veteran has had a more limited role this season, suiting up in just 19 games so far, recording six assists along with nearly two blocks per game while playing 18:03 per contest.

Flyers Believed To Have Some Interest In Alex Goligoski

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With the trade deadline now a month away, teams are starting to set their list of potential targets.  For the Flyers, that list is believed to include Coyotes defenseman Alex Goligoski, reports Pierre LeBrun in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link).

That Philadelphia is looking to add help on the back end should come as no surprise.  Matt Niskanen’s retirement came as a surprise last offseason and the team never really properly replaced that role.  They added Erik Gustafsson but he is more of an offensive-minded blueliner with a much different skill set than what Niskanen brought to the table.

Goligoski isn’t quite the same type of player as Niskanen either but he’d be able to replace some elements, particularly on the penalty kill front.  The 35-year-old is logging 3:25 per night on Arizona’s back end when shorthanded, second-most on the team.  Considering that the Flyers have a success rate of 73.7% (25th in the league), adding someone that could conceivably jump onto their top penalty kill unit would be a nice addition.

However, Goligoski also isn’t someone who provides much in the way of offense like he used to.  He has averaged 35 points over the last seven seasons but this year, he has just two assists in 26 games despite still logging over 22 minutes a night.  He also carries a $5.475MM cap charge, something that the Flyers wouldn’t be able to afford right now without either sending money the other way or Arizona retaining some salary.

Those two factors will likely keep Goligoski’s trade value a little lower, presenting a situation where GM Chuck Fletcher could conceivably keep this on the back burner for the time being and turn back to it if more desirable options don’t pan out.  But at the very least, something like this – a small upgrade on a back end that’s in need of improvement at a reasonable acquisition cost – is something that Philadelphia would be wise do to over the next month.

Snapshots: Rakell, Schedule, BCHL

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The Athletic has updated their Trade Deadline Big Board, adding several Anaheim Ducks players including Rickard Rakell, who is reportedly generating plenty of interest from around the league. The 27-year-old winger would be a good fit for many teams, but Pierre LeBrun pointed out how well he would seem to work as a candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs (participants in our weekly chats may have heard that idea before).

LeBrun included a potential price tag in his speculative deal, indicating that first-round pick Rodion Amirov wouldn’t be enough to net Rakell on his own. Maple Leafs fans might balk immediately at that given how hyped Amirov has been since the fall entry draft, but Rakell isn’t going to come cheap, wherever he ends up. The winger will have a chance to improve his value further when the Ducks take on the San Jose Sharks later tonight.

  • The NHL has announced a few schedule changes, including moving a postponed game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Sharks from February 25 to April 23. Another Vegas game originally penciled in for that date against the Ducks will now be held the following evening, April 24. Schedule changes have come fast and furious this season as the league desperately tries to squeeze in 56 games for all 31 teams.
  • The BCHL has approved a shortened 2020-21 season and will start its schedule in the first week of April. The league, which is one of the top options for Canadian prospects that wish to pursue an NCAA opportunity, will operate in a “pod” model where three to four teams will play each other in five different locations across British Columbia. There have been countless players from the BCHL reach the NHL, but the current alumni group includes names like Josh Manson, Duncan Keith, Jamie Benn, Tyler Bozak, and Alexander Kerfoot. Getting back on the ice will only help the next wave of prospects develop their game and expose them to new hockey opportunities.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/12/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Though the league is still waiting on one report, here is the list for today:

Edmonton – Kyle Turris
Los Angeles – Olli Maatta*
Minnesota – TBA
New Jersey – Will Butcher
San Jose – Marcus Sorensen

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Cal Petersen, Los Angeles Kings; Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights have confirmed that Fleury’s presence on the list yesterday was because of a false positive. He can now rejoin the team, though it is unclear if he will be in the net for the team tonight against the Blues.

Petersen also comes off, though he will be replaced on the Kings list by Maatta, who is now out tonight. The defenseman has been quickly placed to the non-roster list.

*denotes new addition

Poll: Who Is The Top Rental This Season?

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The trade deadline is coming quickly, with just a month left before teams are locked for their postseason run. Clubs like the Nashville Predators, Buffalo Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings seem to already have for sale signs up outside the front office, with speculation pouring out all over the hockey world. Like every year, there is a group of players on expiring contracts that will be front and center in the next few weeks, as contenders can acquire them without committing to anything past this season.

Last season Taylor Hall was one of those rentals. The 2018 Hart Trophy winner was on a struggling New Jersey Devils team and seemed destined to hit the free agent market regardless of where he ended up. The Arizona Coyotes, with their eyes set on the postseason, decided to strike well before the deadline and shipped out a big package for Hall in mid-December. The hope was that with the added time they would be able to convince him to stay, but stay he did not. Instead, Hall is now on the rental shelf again after signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres.

But this year if he is sold, it won’t be for nearly as much as the Coyotes paid. Not only has Hall struggled to provide any offense for the Sabres this season—he has just two goals, one at even-strength—but he also carries a higher cap hit ($8MM to last year’s $6MM) and has a full no-movement clause, meaning he has to be involved in whatever trade is presented. All of that will limit Buffalo’s market, meaning Hall may not be the easy choice as this year’s top rental.

In fact, the Sabres might even have a more attractive option further down the lineup. Eric Staal comes with a championship pedigree and, perhaps more importantly, a cap hit of just $3.25MM. He can play center or the wing and has provided nearly as much offense as Hall (in fact, Staal has three goals this season). Already, one of his former teams has discussed a reunion.

But the names found in Buffalo aren’t the only rentals that will be drawing interest.

In Detroit, Bobby Ryan has scored six goals and 13 points in 27 games and comes with just a $1MM cap hit. One of the most well-liked teammates in the league, Ryan went to Detroit to try and rebuild his career after some trying years in Ottawa. He could likely be had for nothing more than a mid-round pick if the fit is right. Another Staal, this time Marc, is also a potential rental in Detroit, though his $5.7MM cap hit would have to be sorted out for any real contender. The veteran defenseman could provide some depth on the back end for one playoff run, without a commitment that extends down the line.

Mikael Granlund is the name that many come back to, though he’s not alone in Nashville. Erik Haula is another rental that could be easily flipped, given his versatility and relatively low cap hit. The Devils have more rentals again this year, with names like Sami Vatanen and Kyle Palmieri both leading the way. The latter is a candidate to be retained in New Jersey, but if he were to be put on the market, likely more than a handful of teams would show interest.

So who is the best rental? We’ve included some of the top names on the teams already out of the playoff race, but be sure to give your thoughts in the comments if you think it will be someone else!

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Mikko Lehtonen

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The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t have much playing time for top KHL free agent signing Mikko Lehtonen, so he’ll get a chance elsewhere. The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired Lehtonen in exchange for goaltender Veini Vehvilainen.

The Maple Leafs had been looking for more goaltending depth all season after losing Aaron Dell on waivers and experiencing injuries to both Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell. Vehvilainen will represent that depth, but certainly is no lock to provide quality NHL production. The 24-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Blue Jackets in 2018 and posted a .901 save percentage in 33 appearances with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL last season. This year, he has just two games on North American ice and has allowed four goals on 24 shots.

Still, for Toronto, getting a goaltender that is waiver-exempt was key, given how they potentially could lose Michael Hutchinson if they try to sneak him through again. If Vehvilainen can find the level of play that earned him Goaltender of the Year honors in Finland, it would be quite the addition to Toronto’s crease.

Lehtonen is the more high-profile name in the deal though, despite only having nine games of NHL experience. The 27-year-old was the best defenseman in the KHL during the 2019-20 season, scoring 17 goals and 49 points in 60 games. That led to a race between many teams for his services as a free agent, a race that Toronto won when he signed a one-year entry-level deal in May.

Unfortunately, thanks to some other free agent additions in Toronto, including T.J. Brodie and Zach Bogosian, Lehtonen’s playing time has been sporadic. In nine games with the Maple Leafs, he does have three points, but he has averaged fewer than 12 minutes in those appearances. He’ll likely get a much bigger role in Columbus where he can help their powerplay and hopefully drive some offense.

Importantly, Lehtonen’s entry-level deal did include a European Assignment Clause, one that could have been activated when the Maple Leafs sent him to the minor leagues yesterday. If it covered this far into the season, the Finnish defenseman could have potentially forced an assignment back overseas instead of playing with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. If that’s the case, the Maple Leafs at least turned him into a goaltending asset, even though Vehvilainen is something of a question mark himself.

Lehtonen will now need to obtain a work visa and clear COVID protocols before he can join the Blue Jackets, but they are already familiar with him. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Columbus was one of the teams that pursued the free agent defenseman last year. A strong skater who can walk the offensive blue line and routinely get pucks on net through traffic, he could become an option to run the second powerplay. There’s no guarantee of that, but even in his short stint with the Maple Leafs, it looked like Lehtonen had enough to play at the NHL level if deployed in the right manner.

AHL Players Currently Unavailable To Buffalo Sabres

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Yesterday, the AHL announced that due to COVID-19 protocols affecting the Rochester Americans, their game today against the Cleveland Monsters would be rescheduled for a month from now. Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports that the Americans have one confirmed case of COVID-19 and there is fear that there could be more. John Vogl of The Athletic meanwhile reports that while the team is in the protocol, the AHL players are currently unavailable to the Buffalo Sabres, Rochester’s NHL affiliate.

That puts a lot of pressure on the group at the NHL level, especially when dealing with injuries. Jack Eichel has left the Sabres for a second opinion on his neck injury and now Dylan Cozens is being evaluated for the injury he sustained last night. Riley Sheahan was back between Taylor Hall and Sam Reinhart on the Buffalo top line. Rasmus Ristolainen was also absent, though that is believed to be a maintenance day after he logged more than 23 minutes in each of the Sabres last two games.

Situations like this are part of the reason why a taxi squad was created this season, but it’s not like the Sabres are overflowing with NHL options. Their taxi squad already included only three skaters and one of them–C.J. Smith–was rotating in at practice. Buffalo lost again last night and will play tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Penguins. If they don’t win, it would be a 10-game losing skid.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/12/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

West Division

North Division

  • Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced several transactions before their game against the Jets. Interestingly, Nicholas Robertson’s recall was not included. Robertson has joined the Maple Leafs taxi squad once again, perhaps a sign he could get back in the NHL lineup soon. After getting hurt just a few minutes into his first NHL game this season, Robertson has since returned and recorded nine points in 10 AHL games.  Joseph Woll was also re-assigned to the minors while Kenny Agostino was dropped to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled Dominik Simon from the taxi squad while sending Derek Ryan and Zac Rinaldo to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The exact opposite moves were made in advance of Thursday’s game against Montreal and could all be reversed tomorrow for the rematch as well.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have assigned Nick Suzuki to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The move is simply for cap-saving purposes and the 21-year-old will be recalled on Saturday.  Paul Byron, who had been shuffling back and forth in recent weeks, is now waiver-eligible again and will need to clear before going back to the taxi squad.
  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Clark Bishop from the taxi squad.  Bishop, who was acquired back in January just before the season started, will make his Ottawa debut tonight.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have sent Logan Stanley to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He played just over 11 minutes against Toronto on Thursday and will likely be recalled for Saturday’s contest, also against the Maple Leafs.

Central Division

  • The Dallas Stars have recalled Jerad Rosburg from the AHL, sending Taylor Fedun down in his place. Rosburg joins the Stars taxi squad for the first time (in fact, it is the first recall of his career) after signing out of Michigan State last spring. The 24-year-old defenseman has one point in ten games as a rookie for the Texas Stars this season.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have sent Evgeny Svechnikov back to the AHL after scoring four points in four games this season in the NHL. The 24-year-old first-rounder has barely received a sniff at the highest level, appearing in just 24 games for the Red Wings since they picked him 19th overall in 2015.  Mathias Brome was also sent back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Nashville Predators have moved Michael McCarron, Alexandre Carrier, and Ben Harpur back to the taxi squad, now that it is an off day. The Predators were pummeled again by the Hurricanes last night, giving up three goals in the first 12 minutes of the game.
  • With the Carolina Hurricanes not in action tonight, they’ve assigned Alex Nedeljkovic, Jake Bean, and Morgan Geekie back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The three have frequently been shuffled back and forth over the past several weeks.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning assigned Ross Colton to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly while Alex Barre-Boulet returned to the minors.  Colton has a goal in three games so far this season while Barre-Boulet is pointless in his first two career NHL contests.

East Division

  • The Boston Bruins sent both Greg McKegg and Anton Blidh to the AHL today in order to get them into a game for the Providence Bruins. The P-Bruins take on Hartford this afternoon and since McKegg has played just a single game at any level this season, he’ll be in the lineup to stay fresh.  Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen, and Daniel Vladar were all assigned to the taxi squad while Callum Booth joined McKegg and Blidh in getting sent to Providence, per CapFriendly.
  • Once again, the Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Josh Currie to the AHL. The 28-year-old forward has been bouncing up and down all season, getting to just five total games between the two levels.  Colton Sceviour and Anthony Angello were also sent to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Andy Andreoff back to the taxi squad while assigning Wade Allison to the AHL.  Andreoff has played in four games with Philadelphia this season while Allison was just activated off season-opening injured reserve.
  • The New York Islanders have moved Austin Czarnik to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The winger has played in just two NHL games so far this season.
  • The New York Rangers continued their trend of daily roster movement.  Per CapFriendly, Kaapo Kaako, K’Andre Miller, and Keith Kinkaid were sent to the taxi squad with Austin Rueschhoff being sent to the AHL to accommodate those three assignments.

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