Archives for February 2022

Trade Candidate: Phil Kessel

February 25, 2022 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 7 Comments

With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we continue our look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and March 21st.

Over the summer, the Coyotes moved out several veterans and really dove into their long-term rebuilding project. However, one veteran that wasn’t moved out at that time was winger Phil Kessel. With playoff-bound teams looking to add some scoring depth between now and the trade deadline, it stands to reason that there’s a good chance that Kessel will be on the move in the coming weeks.

Contract

Kessel is in the final season of his deal that carries a $8MM cap hit. $5MM of his money owing for this season was paid out in a signing bonus while his base salary is only $1MM. Toronto is retaining 15% of that amount so Arizona’s cap hit is $6.8MM. The contract also contains an eight-team no-trade clause.

2021-22

It has been a tough year for many Coyotes as Arizona sits in the basement of the Western Conference. It wouldn’t necessarily be fair to lump Kessel in with that majority, however. His goal total is down but his assist numbers are the best they’ve been in the desert. As a result, he sits second on the team in scoring behind Clayton Keller.

Despite several of their top players moving, it hasn’t really resulted in an increase in ice time for the 34-year-old which is in contrast to their other higher-scoring forwards. Keller is averaging more than three minutes a game more, so is Lawson Crouse, and Travis Boyd (who wasn’t with Arizona last year) is logging over four minutes a night higher as he has gotten the type of opportunity that eluded him in the past. Kessel, meanwhile, is averaging 13 seconds per game more than last year.

Unsurprisingly, his utilization is the same as usual – lots of power play time and the rest at five on five. Wherever he winds up going, that should stay intact as he’s never going to be the type of player that kills penalties and plays in key defensive situations but in offensive areas, he can still contribute.

Season Stats

51 GP, 6 goals, 27 assists, 33 points, -11 rating, 18 PIMS, 109 shots, 17:18 TOI, 48.0 CF%

Potential Suitors

Most contenders don’t have the ability to take on $6.8MM in a trade but Arizona has one retention slot left (Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Darcy Kuemper are the two they’ve used) and with his salary being as low as it is, it’s likely that the Coyotes will be open to using that last slot to retain half of the cap hit to help facilitate a move. Worth noting, Toronto’s retention means that Kessel isn’t eligible for the double-retention move we’ve seen some teams make the last couple of seasons but there should still be some interest.

In the East, the Rangers have the cap space to go after Kessel. While shoring up their bottom six is a priority, adding Kessel would allow them to push someone else down into that lower group which would still serve as an upgrade and he’d be an interesting shooter with Artemi Panarin on the opposite wing. The Panthers seem to be thinking big but Kessel would work as a fallback option, bolstering what is an already very strong offensive squad. If the Bruins strike out on some of their targets, a reunion with Kessel would make sense in terms of shoring up their production on the wing but would both sides be open to that?

There are more fits out West. Like the Rangers, the Predators have ample cap space and someone like Kessel would bolster what has been a middle-of-the-pack attack. The Wild are basically stuck looking at rentals with their buyout penalties looming large for next season and while they’re already one of the highest-scoring teams in the league, they could double down on their strengths and deepen their attack. The Pacific Division also has some reasonable options. If Anaheim looks to add, they have ample cap space and could certainly use some extra offensive depth. The Sharks are currently out but if they can win a few games to get back into the race, they’d be a good fit as well. The Kings currently have the space right now with their LTIR situation and would benefit from more firepower but their ability to add largely hinges on Alexander Edler’s situation.

Likelihood Of A Trade

There probably isn’t going to be a significant market for Kessel with the contract and as he is someone that’s going to be more of a secondary option than a primary target, it may take a while for it to materialize. But assuming the acquisition cost winds up in the mid-round pick range, the veteran should be on the move at some point before the deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacific Notes: Gaudreau, Archibald, Golden Knights

February 25, 2022 at 7:54 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Earlier this week, Flames assistant GM Craig Conroy expressed confidence that the team would be able to re-sign pending UFA winger Johnny Gaudreau in an interview on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), going as far as saying “Oh, that’s a done deal. We’re going to get that done”. However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes that there haven’t been any substantive conversations of late between the two sides, suggesting a new contract isn’t as close as Conroy’s comments might infer. Gaudreau is on pace for a career year offensively with 20 goals and 44 assists in 50 games which has him well-positioned to land a sizable raise on his current $6.75MM AAV as he will be one of the top players to hit the UFA market if he remains unsigned into mid-July.

Trade Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres

February 25, 2022 at 6:48 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than 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 Buffalo Sabres.

The trade deadline has been known as a selling time for the Sabres as they’ve missed the playoffs for ten straight years and are now embarking on a new rebuild as their postseason drought will be extended once again. While there is hope that some of their younger players will help them out of this playoff drought (they have performed better under Don Granato this season), Buffalo will be in an all too familiar position over the next few weeks.

Record

16-28-8, 7th in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$41.49MM today, $66.38MM in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: BUF 1st, FLA 1st*, VGK 1st^, BUF 2nd, BUF 3rd, BUF 4th, NJ 5th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th
2023: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, PHI 2nd, VGK 2nd^, BUF 4th, BUF 5th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th

*-If Florida’s pick is in the top ten, the Panthers will instead transfer their 2023 first-rounder (unprotected).

^-If Vegas’ 2022 first-round pick is in the top ten, the Golden Knights will instead transfer their 2023 first-rounder (unprotected). If that happens, the 2023 second-round pick will become a 2024 second-rounder while Buffalo would keep their 2023 third-rounder and instead transfer their 2024 third-round pick.

Trade Chips

Cody Eakin has moved at the trade deadline before and checks off two boxes that contending teams often look to fill on the fourth line. The center can win faceoffs (56.5% success rate this season, a career high) and kill penalties. At $2.25MM, the pending unrestricted free agent is overpaid for that role but if Buffalo is willing to pay that down by up to the maximum of 50%, there should be some teams interested in his services.

Robert Hagg isn’t going to light up the scoresheet but he hits, blocks shots, and can hold his own on the third pairing as he’s logging a little over 17 minutes a game. That’s not a particularly exciting profile on the surface but as teams look to add some grit and depth, the 27-year-old pending UFA should intrigue some playoff-bound teams. At $1.6MM, his deal shouldn’t need to be paid down. Colin Miller is another pending UFA blueliner that could attract some interest although an upper-body injury will keep him out for a few more weeks which won’t help his value. His price tag is higher at $3.875MM and will need some retention but he’s a right-shot defender which is an area that several teams will be looking to fill.

Victor Olofsson remains a restricted free agent to keep an eye on. The 26-year-old has gone cold in recent weeks but is a capable shooter, especially on the power play. For teams interested in adding some firepower on that front, he can help and unlike the others listed so far, he has another year of team control. But at $3.25MM, the qualifying offer could scare some teams off, especially with his eligibility for arbitration where his 20-goal season in 2019-20 could help him earn a raise. He’s not a guarantee to move but he could be someone to watch for.

For teams looking for less expensive forward depth, rental winger Vinnie Hinostroza may be of interest. He should be able to return from his lower-body injury in the next little while and with 17 points in 36 games, he’d be an offensive upgrade in the bottom six for some playoff-bound squads. He won’t be a primary target but as a depth addition closer to the deadline, there could be some interest, especially with him having an affordable $1.05MM AAV.

Johnny Boychuk’s playing career is already over but he’s an LTIR-eligible contract. Buffalo hasn’t put him on there – it’s not as if they need the cap space – but a team that could fit him under their cap and then place him on LTIR to expand their pool could come calling. Such a move is rare but there is precedent for it happening.

Others To Watch For: G Craig Anderson ($750K, UFA), F Anders Bjork ($1.6MM through 2022-23), D Will Butcher ($2.823MM, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Bang For Their Buck – The Sabres have more cap space than anyone, putting them in a position to be willing to accept bad contracts or be a third-party facilitator with retention to add some draft picks. If ownership is willing to give them the okay to do so from a budgetary perspective, it’s something GM Kevyn Adams should be looking to utilize.

2) Future Goaltending – It’s easy to say they need picks and prospects (they’ll get more of the former than the latter with their rentals) but let’s look beyond that for a moment. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is getting close to being ready for the NHL but he’s going to need a quality veteran to work with and the collection of goalies they have making the league minimum (or slightly more) isn’t going to cut it. This doesn’t have to be a need they fill now but if they’re willing to take on a contract now, getting a goalie wouldn’t be a bad idea. The same idea could be applied to bringing in a veteran defender or even a forward as Buffalo could basically use longer-term upgrades everywhere.

Mike Matheson Out Week-To-Week; Pierre-Olivier Joseph Recalled

February 25, 2022 at 5:25 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 1 Comment

5:25pm: The Penguins have recalled Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the minor leagues, likely due to Matheson’s absence. After impressing as a rookie in 2020-21, Joseph has played in just four games at the NHL level this season, spending nearly the entire year in the minor leagues. He’s been outstanding there, racking up 28 points in 40 games, and could now get an extended look in Matheson’s place.

12:55pm: Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has announced, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, that defenseman Mike Matheson is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

Matheson, 27, has had a bit of a career revival since arriving in Pittsburgh in a trade for Patric Hornqvist. In his 94 games with the Penguins Matheson has provided decent offense, with 12 goals and 37 points, and has also given the club’s defense some size and physicality. Matheson is on a significant contract, $4.875MM through 2025-2026, so while his cap hit may bring him some added attention he has settled into a nice role anchoring the Penguins’ third pairing.

With Matheson’s injury, the Penguins may choose to rely on Mark Friedman to take Matheson’s place on the team’s third pairing. Friedman is now an option due to him being recently called up from an AHL conditioning stint. Since being claimed off waivers from Philadelphia last season Friedman has seven points in 17 games for the Penguins. Other than Matheson, the Penguins could seek to call up another defenseman from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins or look for added external help on the trade market.

Before this injury, the Penguins’ defense corps had been largely healthy this season. Ruhwedel, Marcus Pettersson, Brian Dumoulin, John Marino, Matheson, and Kris Letang have all played in at least 48 games, and that degree of health up and down their defensive roster is something few other teams can boast of having. That being said, the Penguins have had a tough recent stretch of games, where they have lost three straight games and given up 14 goals in the process. Those results mean Matheson’s injury is particularly bad timing, and it will be interesting to see what GM Ron Hextall and the Penguins’ front office does to respond to Matheson’s extended absence.

Arizona Coyotes Extend Dysin Mayo

February 25, 2022 at 4:44 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have signed Dysin Mayo to a three-year contract extension, that will keep him signed through the 2024-25 season. Mayo was scheduled to become an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer. Instead, he’ll sign a multi-year extension just halfway through his rookie year. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry a cap hit of $950K, paying Mayo $850K in 2022-23, and $1MM in each of the other two years. Bill Armstrong, general manager of the Coyotes, had this to say:

We are very pleased to sign Dysin to a new three-year contract. Dysin has worked extremely hard on and off the ice and has established himself as a reliable NHL defenseman. We look forward to having him on our blue line for years to come.

Mayo, 25, is a brilliant example of perseverance. After being selected 133rd overall in 2014, he played two more years at the WHL level then entered the minor leagues as something of an afterthought. In his first season with the Coyotes organization he spent half the year with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush, but quickly showed he could dominate at that level. That didn’t mean the NHL was calling though, as it would be four more full seasons in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners before finally making it to the Coyotes roster this year.

In 42 games with Arizona, he’s proven he belongs. Mayo is averaging almost 21 minutes a night for the rebuilding club, more than anyone but Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere. He is the anchor of the team’s penalty-killing unit, seeing more than three minutes a night shorthanded, and leads all Coyotes in blocked shots with 83. While he may not be suited for that kind of deployment on a contending team, Mayo has held his own at the NHL level and earned this extension. He’ll no longer need to worry about riding the bus in the AHL and should be a regular in the Coyotes lineup for the foreseeable future.

Clay Stevenson Drawing NHL Interest

February 25, 2022 at 4:03 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

At the collegiate level, there are times when a player bursts onto the scene without a ton of prior hype. Sometimes it can even lead to the attention of NHL scouts or even an NHL entry-level contract. It appears that’s the case with Clay Stevenson, a goaltender from Dartmouth College who may end up earning a deal in the coming weeks.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that NHL teams are already making pitches to the undrafted free agent, whose final regular season game is this weekend. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV goes a step further, reporting that the Vancouver Canucks have an interest in the Chilliwack, British Columbia native.

Perhaps burst onto the scene is a bit hyperbolic in Stevenson’s case, given how well he played in the BCHL before leaving for college. For the Coquitlam Express in 2019-20, the big goaltender posted a 30-2-2 record with a .936 save percentage, taking home the BCHL Top Goaltender award but missing a chance to win the Fred Page Cup after the league was shut down because of COVID-19 concerns. It was COVID issues that stole what would have been Stevenson’s regular freshman season in 2020-21 as well when Dartmouth and the other Ivy League hockey programs decided not to play.

The NCAA ruled that he would not lose a season of eligibility though, so this year is technically an impressive freshman campaign for the 22-year-old, even on a team without much success. His record is just 5-10-2 on the year, but Stevenson has produced a .925 save percentage as the primary starter. He’s even posted a pair of shutouts, two of the program’s six total wins. One of those came just a few days ago against Princeton, likely piquing the interest of scouts even further as the Dartmouth season comes to an end.

On March 1, teams will be eligible to sign entry-level contracts that begin in the 2022-23 season. It will be interesting to see whether or not Stevenson goes that route and then inks an amateur tryout to join a minor league club for the stretch run, as he’ll be limited to a two-year entry-level contract either way because of his age. A bargaining chip some teams may use to try and secure his services is having an ELC start for 2021-22, allowing him to enter the professional ranks right away and reach restricted free agency a little earlier.

Latest On Filip Forsberg

February 25, 2022 at 2:45 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 14 Comments

Heading into the season, many believed that Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg, a pending UFA, would be one of the most coveted players on the in-season trade market. The 27-year-old winger was coming off a season where he battled injuries but still managed to post 12 goals and 32 points in 39 games, leading the Predators to a hard-fought six-game series loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. It was believed by many observers that Nashville’s downward trajectory as a team since their 2017-2018 President’s Trophy win, combined with Forsberg’s age and bouts with inconsistency would keep him from getting a long-term deal in Nashville.

But the play of the Predators so far this season has corrected those preseason observers. John Hynes’ squad is 30-18-4 and has a firm grip on the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. With his team in the playoff hunt and Forsberg surging to 26 goals and 44 points in 39 games Predators GM David Poile now has to navigate a difficult situation with his star winger.

It was reported earlier by Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest that Poile had begun “actively shopping” Forsberg in advance of the trade deadline, and that is certainly one approach he could take with the player. He could also choose to re-sign Forsberg, and in Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts blog he sheds light on that possibility. Friedman writes that he believes there exists a “will” for both sides to reach an agreement on a contract, and that such a contract’s cap hit would likely need to fall between the cap hits of Forsberg’s Predators teammates Matt Duchene and Roman Josi. ($8MM and $9.059MM, respectively.)

While he states his belief that the Predators’ priority is to re-sign Forsberg, Friedman also notes that Poile’s “preference” is to not keep Forsberg beyond the March 21st trade deadline without a long-term contract. Friedman states that it “won’t happen” if progress on a long-term deal isn’t made, which should intrigue onlooking rival teams. Given Forsberg’s form this season and the chronic scarcity of wingers who can drive play at the NHL level, Predators fans should expect a significant return in exchange for Forsberg should the contract negotiations deteriorate to a point where a trade becomes necessary. They should definitely expect a bit more than Martin Erat and Michael Latta, that’s for sure.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sean Avery Released By Orlando Solar Bears

February 25, 2022 at 2:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 30 Comments

Feb 25: Without actually appearing in a single game, Avery has now been released from his ECHL contract by the Solar Bears.

Feb 23: Sean Avery is a professional hockey player once again. The previously retired forward has signed an ECHL contract with the Orlando Solar Bears. He will begin on the team’s reserve list, as he returns to pro hockey after a decade away from the game.

Avery, 41, last played during the 2011-12 season, when he suited up 15 times for the New York Rangers and seven times for the Connecticut Whale of the AHL. Over parts of ten years in the NHL, the undrafted forward played in 580 regular season games, racking up 90 goals, 247 points, and 1,533 penalty minutes.

Perhaps known best for leading the league to create the “Avery Rule” which hands out a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if a player “positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play.” Avery’s on-ice antics made him one of the most talked-about players in the game during the peak of his career, though he was also an effective offensive player at times.

In 2006-07, a year split between the Rangers and Los Angeles Kings, Avery recorded 18 goals and 48 points, to go along with his 174 penalty minutes. Fifteen of those points came on the powerplay, while he also contributed on the penalty kill.

It is not yet clear when he will make his Solar Bears debut.

Dallas Stars Claim Marian Studenic; Waive Tanner Kero

February 25, 2022 at 1:21 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Feb 25: Kero has cleared waivers, and can now be assigned to the AHL’s Texas Stars per Chris Johnston of TSN. It is the second time this season that Kero has cleared waivers. Kero has two assists in three total games with the AHL’s Stars so far this season.

Feb 24: The Dallas Stars have made a forward swap, claiming Marian Studenic from the New Jersey Devils and placing Tanner Kero on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

The swap is one depth forward without a ton of offensive upside for another, as Studenic and Kero have combined for one goal and four points in 40 games this season. The difference for the Stars is the six-year age difference in Studenic’s favor, along with the fact that Kero will likely clear waivers and remain with the organization.

Now 29, Kero is in the first season of a two-year contract he signed last spring that comes with a huge minor league guarantee, and given his lack of success in the NHL, it seems likely that he’ll be reporting to the Texas Stars in the next few days.

For Studenic, he joins a team much closer to the playoffs and avoids returning to the minor leagues, where he has spent the majority of the last few seasons. If he can find a way into the Dallas lineup, he’ll also set himself up for a much better negotiation this offseason, when he’s an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.

In addition to those two moves, the Stars have recalled Riley Tufte from the AHL and placed Andrej Sekera on long-term injured reserve due to a non-COVID-related viral infection, retroactive to January 28.

Montreal Canadiens Issue Several Injury Updates

February 25, 2022 at 10:55 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Montreal Canadiens are on fire. The team has won four in a row under new head coach Martin St. Louis, with Cole Caufield looking reborn. The team is still dead last in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve now passed the Arizona Coyotes and are at least showing some fight for the future. With that in mind, the team has issued several updates on their injured players, starting with Carey Price.

Price is “doing better” in his off-ice rehab, but he’s still not ready to return to the ice just yet. The 34-year-old goaltender has been out all year for various reasons and may end up missing the entire year. The Canadiens aren’t rushing anything in their franchise goaltender’s rehabilitation, knowing that there’s not really any benefit in getting him back into games this season.

Corey Schueneman has been cleared from the COVID protocol and returned to practice today. He was joined by several other teammates that have been dealing with injuries. Joel Armia was at practice, is listed as day-to-day, but won’t play on Saturday night. Mathieu Perreault was a full participant in practice and is also listed as day-to-day. Josh Anderson meanwhile has been cleared to play tomorrow against Ottawa.

The two big ones are Joel Edmundson and Jake Allen, who have been out for quite some time–or in the former’s case, the entire season. Edmundson was on the ice for the first time with teammates, and will travel with the group to Ottawa. He won’t play, but it’s great to see Edmundson back on the ice at all after the nightmare season he has gone through. Allen was also on the ice and is “progressing” though there is no clear timeline on his return. Nor for Paul Byron, who is dealing with an upper-body injury and has no timeline for a return.

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