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Trade Rumors: Bertuzzi, Monahan, Middleton

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It’s T-minus six days until the 2022 Trade Deadline, and some names are already off the board with more likely to come prior to Deadline Day. One of those names who’s making a late entry to the fray is Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. He reports that Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman is letting other teams know he’s “open for business,” with the sense around the league being Yzerman will entertain offers for any Red Wing not named Moritz Seider or Lucas Raymond. Bertuzzi is a desirable trade asset – he’s clicking at nearly a point-per-game clip this season and is locked into a $4.5MM cap hit this year and next. However, he and Josh Archibald retain their status as the only unvaccinated players in the NHL, and he’s already missed nine games this season due to border restrictions. It remains to be seen whether teams will be willing to acquire him with the risk that he may not be available for half of a playoff series or more.

Some more trade notes as things heat up:

  • As the Calgary Flames attempt to load up even further after acquiring Tyler Toffoli earlier this year, Seravalli speculates that Sean Monahan is a trade candidate to get shipped out of town prior to the deadline. Monahan’s continuously slipped down the depth chart this season and carries the lowest +/- rating on the team by far (-15). He has a paltry eight goals in 59 games and now sees time as the team’s fourth-line center, falling behind younger players like Dillon Dube. With Calgary needing to pay up big-time soon for pending free agents Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, freeing Monahan’s $6.375MM off the books would likely be beneficial, with replacement players available within the organization.
  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Toronto Maple Leafs are showing interest in San Jose Sharks defenseman Jacob Middleton for some added organizational depth. Middleton’s seen a career-high 41 games played in the NHL this year, scoring nine points, averaging 19:01 per game, and holding his own defensively. With Jake Muzzin still out with injury, he’d provide competition for players like Justin Holl, Travis Dermott, and Timothy Liljegren, and he would give Toronto a ninth NHL-caliber defenseman for a playoff run.

 

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Alex Vlasic To Entry-Level Deal

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Adding to today’s growing list of NCAA players signing their entry-level contracts, Alex Vlasic has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Per the team, the deal will carry an $824,167 cap hit. Vlasic was drafted by the Blackhawks 43rd overall in the 2019 draft, only just before another of today’s signings, Drew Helleson. 

Vlasic, 20, is perhaps best known for being among the biggest players in his draft class. Standing at six-foot-six, Vlasic’s size has made him an intriguing prospect as he’s developed in the NCAA. There’s not a lot of offense to his game, as he has only 20 points in his 82-game career at Boston University, but his aforementioned size, which is highly coveted and difficult for teams to find, has made it so that lack of offense hasn’t tarnished much of his shine as a top prospect. Just by being as big as he is, Vlasic offers high defensive upside thanks to his reach and potential to be a menace along the boards. He’s the cousin of Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and while that has little bearing on his actual play on the ice it should excite fans who know the connection and remember Vlasic in his prime when he was among the NHL’s most fearsome defensive defenders. Even if Vlasic’s offensive game never comes along, he should be able to carve out an NHL career as a defensive specialist.

Speaking of his potential ability to carve out an NHL career, his doing so could be closer than many would think. Vlasic is heading straight to Chicago to be with the Blackhawks team, according to Bartlett Hockey, Vlasic’s representation. While it is not confirmed if Vlasic will make his NHL debut this soon after signing, the Blackhawks getting him into Chicago and with the team this quickly should signal their excitement over his upside and their confidence that he is ready for the rigors of NHL hockey. Given the uncertainty NHL fanbases often wrestle with when it comes to NCAA prospects and their signability, seeing Vlasic fast-tracked to the NHL like this should relieve and excite a Blackhawks fanbase that looks headed into uncharted waters under new GM Kyle Davidson.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Drew Helleson To Entry-Level Deal

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After acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche yesterday as part of the Josh Manson trade, the Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have signed defender Drew Helleson to a three-year entry-level contract. Helleson was drafted 47th overall in the 2019 draft by the Avalanche, and he was packaged alongside a 2023 2nd round pick in exchange for Manson, a quality top-four defenseman. His inclusion in such a high-profile trade combined with the team signing him this quickly after acquiring him indicates that Helleson is likely viewed quite highly by the Ducks’ front office.

Helleson’s deal carries a $925,000 average annual value, per CapFriendly. He is paid $832,500 in base salary every season, with a $92,500 signing bonus. His AHL salary is $70,000.

Helleson, who is set to turn 21 later this month, has blossomed this season at Boston College. While he may have been previously characterized as a somewhat one-dimensional, “all-defense” prospect in his draft season, applying that notion to Helleson’s game today would be a mistake. In his second season as an Eagle, Helleson improved his offense significantly, going from six points in 28 games to 15 in 22. This season, Helleson’s offense jumped again, and he posted 25 points in 32 games. While some scouts might still be bearish on the odds of that offense translating to the NHL level, it is clear that Helleson’s game has an added offensive dimension to it that was not apparent when he was drafted.

For the Ducks, signing Helleson may add an immediate boost to their defense as they reel from the departure of Manson, a staple on their blue line since he established himself as an NHL regular in the 2015-16 season. While Helleson may start his professional career with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, an NHL debut should not be too far away. Helleson was selected by Team USA to play in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where he had one assist in three games, indicating that his game is polished enough to compete with some of the world’s best talent outside of the NHL. For a Ducks blueline that already features high-end young talent such as Jamie Drysdale and may yet lose more established NHL-ers as the deadline nears, (such as Hampus Lindholm) signing Helleson to his entry-level deal is a move that could bear fruit sooner rather than later.

Boston Bruins Sign Marc McLaughlin

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The Boston Bruins have signed Boston College Eagles captain Marc McLaughlin to a two-year entry-level contract. The contract carries an $883,750 per year cap hit. McLaughlin, 22, is an undrafted player who has grown from being a light-scoring bottom-sixer at Boston College to among their best players. He is from North Billerica, Massachusetts, and now he gets to continue his hockey career in his home state as a Bruin.

On the ice, McLaughlin is a six-foot, 210-pound center. As previously mentioned, McLaughlin has grown in role for Boston College. He had 20 points over 73 games in his first two seasons as an Eagle, playing in a lesser offensive role than he was perhaps used to. At the USHL level, he captained the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders as a point-per-game player before arriving at Boston College. In his third year in the NCAA McLaughlin settled into a larger role and posted 24 points in 24 games, while also becoming the team’s captain. This season he had 21 goals and 32 points in 33 games and also appeared in two games at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, representing Team USA.

For the Bruins, McLaughlin is an interesting prospect and a signing that should be celebrated by their fans. He’s grown into an impact player at Boston College, a program that faces stiff competition as a member of the Hockey East conference. McLaughlin has a leadership element to his game, as evidenced by the “C” he’s had sewn to his sweater for the Eagles and the RoughRiders. And in a fact that should excite the ever-rivalrous Bruins faithful,  Boston’s offer won out over “20-plus” competing offers from other NHL clubs, according to Mark Divver of New England Hockey Journal. As an undrafted player whose only cost to the team is taking up one of their maximum of fifty contract slots, (alongside his minimal cap hit) he’s essentially found money for an organization that routinely extracts top talent from college free agency.

Minnesota Wild Acquire Tyson Jost

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The Colorado Avalanche are getting their trades done ahead of Monday’s deadline, this time dealing Tyson Jost to the Minnesota Wild. The Avalanche will receive Nico Sturm in return, opening up another chunk of cap space for any future moves.

Jost, who turned 24 just yesterday, never did quite fulfill his potential in Colorado. In parts of six seasons and more than 300 games, the 2016 tenth-overall pick set career-highs of just 12 goals and 26 points while hardly ever finding himself in the top-six. A part-time center, he has just six goals and 14 points in 59 games this season and his possession metrics have cratered.

It will be interesting to see where he fits into the Minnesota lineup, but the Wild aren’t just buying a rental here. Jost is signed through 2022-23 at a $2MM cap hit and will still be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent at the end of his current deal. At the very worst he’ll be another bottom-six option for head coach Dean Evason to try and fit into the right spot, but perhaps he can bring even more to the table when he’s not stuck behind some of the other more offensively talented forwards in Colorado.

In Sturm, the Wild aren’t giving up a ton, especially given he was signed as an undrafted college free agent a few years ago. The 26-year-old has nine goals and 17 points in 53 games this season and can provide some size to the Colorado lineup while only costing $750K against the cap. That’s the clear win here for the Avalanche, who have cleared a good bit of room that they can then use on someone else. Sturm had been scratched the last few games in Minnesota and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so this is no long-term play by the Avalanche. Still, the team did release a statement on their newest player:

Nico is a big, strong forward who also brings a heavy defensive presence. He is a defensive-minded center who can chip in offensively, is good on draws and can contribute on the penalty kill. We would like to thank Tyson for everything he has brought to our team over the last five seasons, not just on the ice, but in the generous and impactful work he has done throughout the community.

With an extra $1.25MM shaved off their books, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic is now primed to make an even bigger splash than the Josh Manson acquisition from yesterday. Rumors continue to swirl around Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who is slated to play in his 1,000th game on Thursday, though there are other high-priced targets that the Avalanche could now target. No matter who it is, it’s obvious that Sakic is willing to push his chips into the middle this season and go for the Stanley Cup with one of the most talented rosters in the NHL.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Kallgren, Poehling, Smith

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will have Erik Kallgren in net tonight when they take on the Dallas Stars, giving the 25-year-old goaltender his first start as they desperately look for an answer between the pipes. With Jack Campbell hurt and Petr Mrazek playing his way out of town, Kallgren–a seventh-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2015 who signed with Toronto after playing the last two seasons overseas–has a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level.

With so much uncertainty around the Maple Leafs’ goaltending situation, the team might have been looking across the rink at the Stars net for an answer had some complicating factors not occurred in the last few days. Braden Holtby, who was considered by many to be a top trade deadline candidate, is dealing with a minor injury while third-string netminder Anton Khudobin is now out for the year. As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets, it is “safe to say” that Holtby will remain with the Stars through the deadline as Dallas chases down a playoff berth.

  • Ryan Poehling will be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, the Montreal Canadiens announced today. Poehling took a hard shot from Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Justin Braun over the weekend and exited the game. Though he still hasn’t contributed a ton of offense, Poehling looked like he was finally finding his stride in the NHL as a big-bodied center, a progression that will now be halted as he deals with this injury. The 23-year-old first-round pick has five goals and 12 points in 45 games this season.
  • Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brendan Smith has been medically cleared according to team reporter Walt Ruff, though he is still dealing with some pretty scary effects. Smith suffered a fractured skull and is still dealing with partial hearing loss in one ear after taking a puck in the head last month. Smith and fellow injured defenseman Tony DeAngelo both skated today for the Hurricanes.

Montreal Canadiens To Scratch Ben Chiarot As Deadline Approaches

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The Montreal Canadiens, perhaps influenced by the recent injury to Jakob Chychrun, have decided to protect their prized trade deadline asset and will scratch Ben Chiarot for tonight’s match according to several reports including Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

It should come as no surprise that Chiarot will be traded, as his name has been in the rumor mill basically from the moment the season began. The 30-year-old defenseman is in the final season of a three-year, $10.5MM contract signed in 2019 and carries a cap hit of just $3.5MM. That number, especially if the Canadiens retain a portion of it, is one that many of the league’s top contenders could fit into their salary structure at this point in the season.

While he usually doesn’t bring much offensive upside, Chiarot has actually showcased extremely well for the Canadiens of late, racking up six points in his last five games (and nine in his last nine) including a two-goal effort against the Calgary Flames earlier this month. He’s now averaging more than 23 minutes a night on the season a number that has only gone up in recent games when he’s been averaging close to 25. Beyond all he’s done in the regular season, there’s one thing that is still driving the market for the Canadiens’ big defenseman–his play in last year’s postseason.

There is a perception that Chiarot, alongside Shea Weber and often playing with Philip Danault, was a huge part of the team’s Cinderella-like run to the Stanley Cup Finals. The length, physicality, and toughness of Chiarot are considered a perfect mix for the playoffs, though there are also a few misconceptions about his play last year. In the 285 minutes he played beside Weber at five-on-five, Chiarot’s results were great, allowing just nine goals against despite some tough matchups. But his numbers away from the Canadiens’ captain absolutely plummeted, to the point where Montreal was actually outscored 23-16 with Chiarot on the ice overall at even strength.

That should at least raise a bit of concern for contenders looking to pay a hefty price to add the defenseman, especially since this season, again without Weber, the Canadiens have been outscored 59-40 at even strength with Chiarot on the ice. A big part of that is the overall strength of the team and the tough defensive deployment he faces nightly but he’s also not a lock to improve a team’s play, at least not at the first-round pick cost that has been discussed.

Yesterday, a player in a similar situation–Josh Manson of the Anaheim Ducks–was dealt for a second-round pick and a top prospect. If Chiarot’s bringing back something like that for the Canadiens, it would make sense why he’s being pulled from the lineup. The risk of injury is too great, especially given the recent scare they had when he suffered a minor issue.

Montreal has three games left before the trade deadline, but Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes that trade talks have picked up in recent days. If he is finished in a Canadiens sweater, Chiarot will leave with 17 goals and 46 points in 164 regular season games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Anton Khudobin Undergoes Surgery

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March 15: The team has now officially announced the surgery, which was a right hip arthroscopy and labral repair. It took place yesterday and Khudobin was given a six-month recovery timeline.

March 14: Veteran goaltender Anton Khudobin last played in a competitive game on January 29, when he suited up for the Texas Stars. He was brought up to the NHL a few days later under emergency conditions but hasn’t played since being returned to the minor leagues the next night. Saad Yousuf of The Athletic wrote today that an update on Khudobin was expected in the next few days, but his colleague Pierre LeBrun may have beaten the team to it. LeBrun tweets that Khudobin is undergoing hip surgery today, with an official update coming tomorrow.

If it is a surgery that ends Khudobin’s season, the Dallas Stars have suddenly gone from an organization overflowing in NHL-caliber netminders to one that could have a lack of depth at the position. Braden Holtby is now dealing with a lower-body injury, forcing the team to recall 22-year-old undrafted free agent signing Adam Scheel to backup starter Jake Oettinger. Scheel has never played in the NHL and has split this season between the AHL and ECHL.

With Khudobin out of the picture, LeBrun suggests that Holtby–even when healthy–might end up off the trade market as the Stars continue to fight for the playoffs. The team is just one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card spot, but have played four fewer games than them to this point. Moving Holtby would leave the team in a very vulnerable position, putting the entire postseason hopes on Oettinger (albeit capable) shoulders.

For Khudobin specifically, one has to wonder whether hip surgery will spell the end of his playing career. The 35-year-old netminder has one season left on the three-year contract extension he signed in 2020 and carries a $3.3MM cap hit, but had been pushed mostly to the minor leagues this season. In nine appearances with Dallas he has posted an .879 save percentage and now likely faces a long rehab. The Stars already went through a situation like this with Ben Bishop this season, with the veteran trying to work his way back only to end up calling it a career following one appearance in the minor leagues. Hopefully, Khudobin doesn’t suffer the same fate, but it’s hard to see a way that he makes another considerable impact for the Stars moving forward.

AHL Shuffle: 03/15/22

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After the NHL had just one game on the schedule last night, it’s back to a full slate of games on Tuesday with 22 teams in action. That includes a battle between two up-and-comers in the Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers, both of which could be Stanley Cup contenders in the next few years. The Ducks, after some early season success, have fallen back to the pack and now look like sellers at the deadline, while the Rangers remain in the mix thanks to some outstanding goaltending and timely goal scoring. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • With Ryan Poehling out indefinitely, the young forward has been moved to injured reserve. In his place, the Montreal Canadiens have recalled Jesse Ylonen from the AHL. Ylonen, 22, has two points in eight career NHL games since being drafted 35th overall in 2018.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Washington Capitals, without the services of Lars Eller as he deals with a positive COVID test result, have recalled Mike Vecchione from the AHL. The 29-year-old Vecchione was once a highly sought-after college free agent but hasn’t played in the NHL since 2017 when he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. This season he has taken his minor league game to a new level, scoring 36 points in 43 games for the Hershey Bears.

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • The Calgary Flames have sent Connor Mackey back to the AHL, while recalling Adam Ruzicka. The swap of a defenseman for a forward suggests that Oliver Kylington could be ready to return after missing the last two games due to injury. Ruzicka, 22, has five goals and nine points in 23 games this season for the Flames.
  • As expected, the Los Angeles Kings have made several recalls, bringing Martin Frk, Austin Strand and Christian Wolanin back from the AHL. Frk, a minor league superstar, actually has two goals in three games with the Kings this season.
  • With Jason Dickinson being placed on injured reseve, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled Nic Petan from the AHL. Petan, 26, is having another outstanding season in the minors, with 44 points in 37 games for the Abbotsford Canucks.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Latest On Marc-Andre Fleury

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The trade deadline frenzy got off to a nice start yesterday when the Colorado Avalanche sent two pieces to the Anaheim Ducks for Josh Manson. In Chicago, the Blackhawks are set to join the ranks of sellers as new general manager Kyle Davidson starts in on the rebuild that he recently promised. Front and center among any discussion of the Blackhawks’ deadline plans is Marc-Andre Fleury, who sits as arguably the best goaltender (potentially) available in the next few days.

Greg Wyshynski of ESPN gave his thoughts on Fleury today, explaining that though he still would bet that the goaltender doesn’t move before Monday’s deadline, it’s now close to a 50-50 shot. It’s unclear what kind of market there even is for Fleury at this point but Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers of The Athletic write that Chicago’s price tag is actually a first-round pick, perhaps even with an additional prospect attached. That’s a pretty hefty fee for a netminder who was acquired for essentially nothing in the offseason and would certainly be considered a coup for the new management group.

Obviously, that price change is due to the fact that an acquiring team no longer has to carry Fleury’s full $7MM cap hit this season, especially if the Blackhawks were willing to retain a portion. As we saw yesterday with the Manson trade, the fact that the deadline is so late in the season, combined with a 50 percent salary retention, can make a player cost very little against a contender’s cap.

The question for many will be, what does Fleury actually bring to the table? The 37-year-old goaltender is the reigning Vezina winner, but has been extremely inconsistent this season behind a struggling Chicago defense. In 43 games, he has a .908 save percentage and has allowed almost a full goal more per game than his career-defining 2020-21 campaign.

Likely a Hall of Fame goaltender when he finally hangs up his pads, there’s no one that questions the experience and character that Fleury brings to the table. Not only does he rank high on the regular season goaltending lists, but he’s also played 162 games in the postseason, winning three Stanley Cups. Perhaps one more shot at a championship would be interesting for him–and it does sound like it’s up to him where he’ll go or whether he’ll move at all–but the Blackhawks aren’t going to just give him away without getting something of real value.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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