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Archives for March 2022

Ryan Ellis Out For Rest Of Season

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The Philadelphia Flyers received less than 100 minutes of ice time from Ryan Ellis this season. The veteran defenseman has been ruled out for the rest of the season, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher told reporters including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic. Though he still wouldn’t reveal details on the injury, Fletcher noted that they are still making a decision on whether Ellis needs surgery.

While this should come as no surprise, given how the year has gone for Philadelphia, Ellis’ first season with the team is now completely lost. The 31-year-old appeared in just four games, the last coming on November 13. He actually recorded points in each of those appearances, exactly the kind of frustrating teaser that Flyers fans don’t want to think about after a season that has been marred by injury after injury, and is ending with the captain and face of their franchise traded to an Eastern Conference rival.

Acquired for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers in the offseason–two players who have also disappointed–Ellis was supposed to be the right-handed answer in Philadelphia, finally replacing the two-way play that they had lacked on that side since Matt Niskanen’s unexpected retirement. He had, after all, played that role to perfection for many seasons in Nashville, offering 40-point upside while contributing in all situations.

Unfortunately, the Flyers are now looking at a player on the wrong side of 30, signed for five more seasons, that carries a $6.25MM cap hit and has missed essentially an entire year due to injury. It’s not at all clear what level of play Ellis will be able to provide next season, especially should they decide on surgery.

Still, the Flyers aren’t really looking at a rebuild, despite moving on from Claude Giroux and some other expiring pieces. The team re-signed Rasmus Ristolainen to a long-term deal and have talked about how Fletcher will be given a “blank check” to fix the team. Should Ellis return to his previous form, it will be a huge boost to the lineup, though at this point even a recovery timeline is not certain.

Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets Complete Minor Trade

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The Los Angeles Kings have acquired Nelson Nogier from the Winnipeg Jets, sending Markus Phillips back the other way. Both players are currently playing in the minor leagues and will likely report to their new respective AHL affiliates. Additionally, the Kings have recalled Quinton Byfield, Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi, and Jordan Spence, after they were sent down on paper to become eligible for the AHL playoffs.

The swap brings a slightly older defenseman to the Ontario Reign in Nogier, but also one with considerably more experience. The 25-year-old has played 11 games in the NHL and is in his sixth full season of professional hockey, after being drafted 101st overall in 2014. Through 25 games with the Manitoba Moose this season he has six points, which is actually not all that far off his AHL career-high of 13. On an expiring contract, he’ll be a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, making this essentially a deadline rental for the Reign, who are second in the Pacific Division and looking for a Calder Cup.

In Phillips, the Moose are getting a 23-year-old who is in just his second full season of pro hockey, after a long career in the OHL. Selected 118th overall in 2017, the left-shot defenseman has five points in 38 games this season and will be a restricted free agent in the summer, without arbitration rights. While he could potentially go unqualified, he’ll at least get a chance down the stretch to show the Jets organization he’s worth another contract, even if it is of the two-way variety.

Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Acquire Riley Nash

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have brought back forward Riley Nash from the Arizona Coyotes via trade in exchange for future considerations, the team announced today. Tampa Bay lost Nash on waivers to the Coyotes earlier in the season.

Nash, after clearing waivers today, will report to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.

He’s bounced around this season, in large part, because his defensive game has slipped slightly from the elite pedestal where it once stood. While Nash hasn’t been a factor offensively for a few seasons now, he was still one of the game’s higher-end fourth-line centers because of his skill defensively.

Now, after the departures of Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, Nash is likely Tampa Bay’s 13th forward for their playoff run. He has 34 games of playoff experience.

This season, Nash has just four assists in 49 games.

Michael McNiven Traded To Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators have added a little more goaltending depth, acquiring Michael McNiven from the Calgary Flames in exchange for future considerations. This is the second time McNiven has been dealt for future considerations just this season, after arriving in Calgary a little over two weeks ago from the Montreal Canadiens.

McNiven, 24, made his NHL debut this season for the Canadiens, unfortunately allowing three goals on just seven shots to give him a career .571 save percentage at the highest level. While he’s just 24, there’s no guarantee he gets a chance to change that, at least not yet. The move to Ottawa doesn’t mean he’s going to be heading to the NHL level, as he’ll likely report to the minor leagues again.

In all, the young netminder never did actually enter a game for the Flames organization, meaning this may be a forgotten stopover in an odd season. While he’ll be a restricted free agent again this summer, McNiven remains (as he has in the past) a prime candidate to go unqualified. In 82 career AHL games, he has posted a 31-35-13 record with an .891 save percentage.

While future considerations often don’t mean very much, in this case, it appears to have been an AHL player heading back the other way. Tyrell Goulbourne has been traded from the Belleville Senators to the Stockton Heat. Players on AHL contracts can’t be included in the same trade as NHL players, meaning this had to be done as two separate transactions.

New York Islanders Extend Zach Parise, Cal Clutterbuck

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Despite being well out of the playoff picture, a pair of New York Islanders veterans are staying put. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports that forwards Zach Parise and Cal Clutterbuck have signed extensions in New York. Per the Islanders, Clutterbuck’s extension is for two years, while Parise’s is just for one. The deals will go into effect for the 2022-23 season.

Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Clutterbuck’s deal carries a cap hit of $1.75MM.

Parise, who signed a one-year league-minimum deal to join the team after getting bought out by the Minnesota Wild, has provided great value for that $750,000 cap hit. Despite seeing limited ice time, he has eight goals and 24 points in 60 games, a decent offensive clip and good consistency. The 37-year-old has improved his defensive game from his last years in Minnesota as well.

Clutterbuck is extremely likely to take a pay cut from his previous deal, which paid him $3.5MM a year. He remains a very good defensive winger but is really beginning to struggle offensively and on special teams. He has 15 points in 59 games this season, averaging 14:02 per game.

If you think this news is puzzling, you’re not alone. Rumors swirled for weeks about both of these players getting dealt prior to the Trade Deadline, especially Clutterbuck. But general manager Lou Lamoriello has a history of retaining his veterans whenever possible in an effort to keep consistent voices in the locker room, and it appears that pattern hasn’t changed. It could be that the organization views this year as an outlier, a somewhat reasonable assumption considering their 13-game road trip to start the year and their rash of injuries.

But it’s a gamble nonetheless by the Islanders, as they continue to limit internal opportunities for young players within their organization.

Dallas Stars Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov

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The Dallas Stars acquired forward Vladislav Namestnikov from the Detroit Red Wings today in exchange for a fourth-round pick, per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

In terms of underrated additions, Namestnikov joining the Stars might rank among the best of the day. The veteran forward appears to be a perfect fit for the Dallas roster, adding some good defensive impact along with a bit of offensive production. In 60 games this season he’s scored 13 goals and 25 points, a total that would actually put him seventh among forwards for the Stars, right about where he’ll likely fit into the lineup. More effective than say, Alexander Radulov, who has been a frustratingly inconsistent part of the Dallas roster all season, Namestnikov also has the ability to play both center and wing, meaning he could end up moving around quite a bit.

The fact that he cost just a fourth-round pick makes it a low-risk move for the Stars, who are focused on making the playoffs. The team decided not to move some of their own high profile players–including John Klingberg–bringing in Nametnikov and depth goaltender Scott Wedgewood in separate deals instead. While that may not move the needle very much, it also doesn’t sacrifice a huge number of future assets in a year where even qualifying for the postseason is no sure thing.

On Detroit’s end, getting a draft pick out of Namestnikov is likely exactly the outcome that was discussed when they signed him to a two-year, $4MM deal in October 2020. Now 29, there was always little chance that the veteran forward would be around when the Red Wings were really competitive, and this move just adds another pick to the pile.

Ryan Carpenter Traded To Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames have made another addition to their forward group, acquiring Ryan Carpenter from the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks will receive a 2024 fifth-round pick in return.

If you could create the perfect Darryl Sutter-style bottom-six forward, Carpenter might be it. The 31-year-old forward is physical, can play all three forward positions, and routinely takes on incredibly difficult defensive deployment. There isn’t a single regular on Chicago who has started a higher percentage of his shifts in the defensive zone, or a forward that has logged more short-handed ice time. Sam Lafferty has started to take over some of that role since being acquired in January but Carpenter remained a key cog in the Blackhawks’ penalty-killing system and will likely take on a similar role in Calgary.

After also acquiring Calle Jarnkrok and Tyler Toffoli earlier in the year, the Flames have considerably deepened their forward group in preparation for a long playoff run. For the price of a fifth-round pick, they’ve acquired someone that can play a specific role–and play it well–while not adding any issues to their future cap situation. Carpenter is on the final year of a three-year, $3MM deal and carries a cap hit of just $1MM. He’ll be a UFA this summer, though with just three goals and 11 points this year, likely will have trouble securing a similar multi-year contract.

For Chicago, adding anything of value for Carpenter was the goal today as they start a full rebuild. A fifth may not be much, but it’s another draft pick to add to the pile–a pile that is growing quickly under new general manager Kyle Davidson.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff broke the deal on Twitter.

Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Max Domi In Three-Team Trade

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The Carolina Hurricanes were able to make a last-second addition, acquiring Max Domi from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a complicated three-team trade just ahead of today’s deadline. The Florida Panthers are playing salary broker, retaining some of Domi’s remaining contract in order for him to fit into the Hurricanes cap situation. The deal will look like this:

To Columbus: Aidan Hreschuk
To Florida: Egor Korshkov, 2022 sixth-round pick (TOR)
To Carolina: Max Domi (50% retained CBJ, 25% retained FLA), Tyler Inamoto

None of Hreschuk, Korshkov, or Inamoto are currently signed to NHL contracts.

It’s a bit of an odd trade for the Blue Jackets, but they will end up with arguably the best prospect of the bunch out of the deal in Hreschuk. Selected 94th overall in 2021, the 19-year-old defenseman currently plays at Boston College where he registered eight points in 37 games as a freshman. He was actually ranked even higher than that by several lists going into the draft, but ended up slipping almost all the way out of the third round, likely because of concerns over his size. The 5’11” defenseman is a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program and isn’t someone to overlook though, as he is very physical and engaged when playing in his own end.

Florida meanwhile will get a chance to bring a former top prospect back to North America, as Korshkov is a restricted free agent playing in the KHL. Originally selected 31st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016, he eventually returned to Russia to play in 2020-21. This season for Yaroslavl he has scored 11 goals and 22 points, and would need a new contract if he’s going to play for Florida. A big, rangy forward, Korshkov isn’t overly physical but can use a powerful shot and surprisingly strong mobility to contribute in a depth role, if convinced to return.

Inamoto, 22, went back to play his fifth year at Wisconsin this season, where the fifth-round pick recorded just two points in 26 games. While he’s an interesting one to follow in a Carolina system known for its unique scouting group, Domi is obviously the prize here.

The 27-year-old pending UFA has nine goals and 32 points this season for the Blue Jackets, his second in Columbus since a trade from the Montreal Canadiens. Now joining his fourth NHL organization, the 12th overall pick from 2013 has 99 goals and 307 points in 482 career games. There’s no doubt that Domi can contribute on the offensive end, add some toughness and grit, too often in his previous stops he has had an inconsistent game that bordered on irresponsible defensively. It has made him a frustrating player for coaches and fans alike, given his obvious talents, but could potentially be a nice under-the-radar pickup for the Hurricanes as they push for the Stanley Cup.

If he can fit into their structure, Domi will provide another bit of firepower among a forward group that’s already one of the deepest in the league. The gamble didn’t cost them a ton, especially given how many other interesting prospects remain in the Carolina system.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi Signs Long-Term Extension

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Now that he could officially ink an eight-year deal, Jesperi Kotkaniemi is locked in with the Carolina Hurricanes. The team has announced an eight-year extension which will carry an average annual value of $4.82MM. PuckPedia reports the full breakdown:

  • 2022-23: $4.0MM
  • 2023-24: $4.5MM
  • 2024-25: $4.82MM
  • 2025-26: $4.82MM
  • 2026-27: $4.82MM
  • 2027-28: $5.2MM
  • 2028-29: $5.2MM
  • 2029-30: $5.2MM

The deal does not contain any signing bonuses and includes a ten-team no-trade clause once he is eligible for it in 2025.

Kotkaniemi, 21, will always be a hot-button issue for Carolina and Montreal Canadiens fans, after he was signed to an offer sheet last summer that came with plenty of gamesmanship between the two franchises. The young forward certainly hasn’t lived up to the $6.1MM cap hit he carried this season but will now lock in at a much more reasonable number for the next chunk of his career.

Still, this is a huge commitment from the Hurricanes and one that includes a ton of risk. The young forward has not taken a substantial step forward since entering the career as a teenager in 2018-19 and has just 11 goals and 23 points this season in limited minutes with the Hurricanes. Sure, he would likely see more offensive production if given more than the 12 minutes he averages for Carolina, but this isn’t the kind of player that usually earns an eight-year deal. Given the fact that the Hurricanes also had to forfeit first- and third-round picks as offer sheet compensation, they’ve sunk a huge amount of resources into this player already, without much to show for it.

There’s certainly a chance that he outproduces this contract, especially given the fact that Vincent Trocheck and Nino Niederreiter could both leave in unrestricted free agency, opening plenty of playing time at center and wing, but also no guarantee that he can play regular minutes in the top-six next season, at least not on a team as strong as Carolina. If not, the team is backing themselves into a corner with a contract of this length, one that would be hard to move if Kotkaniemi’s development falls flat.

In for a penny, in for a pound, though, as the Hurricanes commit to the young Finn and look to use him as a building block moving forward. He’s now signed longer than any player in the organization.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Rickard Rakell

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Rickard Rakell (at 35% retention) from the Anaheim Ducks, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. In return, Anaheim receives forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon, along with goalie prospect Calle Clang and a 2022 second-round pick.

Rakell is a 28-year-old winger who’s a decent offensive play-driver. He’s having a very nice rebound season analytically after his 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, where he really struggled to put the puck in the net.

He has 16 goals and 12 assists this year for 28 points in 51 games, and his 11.8 shooting percentage is much closer to his career average of 11.3%. In his past two seasons, where he scored just 15 and 9 goals, he shot a combined 7.3%. His new cap hit in Pittsburgh with retention is now just $2.463MM, and he’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

While this is a good add for Pittsburgh, Anaheim and general manager Pat Verbeek got a good return for Rakell, adding to what’s been a great deadline season for them. If they can re-sign Aston-Reese, he’d be a fantastic addition to the organization. The 27-year-old undrafted free agent carved out a great start to his NHL career in Pittsburgh, developing into an elite defensive winger. He’s got 62 points so far through 213 NHL games.

Simon is on a league-minimum deal and is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He has just nine points in 55 games with the season, and this could potentially be the end of his career in North America.

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