Archives for March 2022

Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Kyle Clifford, Carl Dahlstrom

March 9, 2022 at 12:37 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs have decided they want to keep around some veteran depth, even if it is at the minor league level. The team has signed Kyle Clifford to a two-year extension that will carry an average annual value of $762.5K, and Carl Dahlstrom to a one-year, two-way extension that carries an NHL salary of $750K.

The cap hit for Clifford represents the league minimum in both years (it increases from $750K to $775K in 2023-24) and means he’ll be staying in the Maple Leafs organization through his 33rd birthday. The veteran bottom-six forward has 738 regular season games to his name, but only 12 this season after failing to get into much action with the St. Louis Blues and then spending considerable time with the AHL’s Marlies after arriving in Toronto.

There’s almost no offense in the Stanley Cup champion, but the Maple Leafs have shown they value his leadership and grit enough to trade for him twice in the last few years. It’s no surprise that Clifford was actually Toronto GM Kyle Dubas’ first client during his short period as a player agent. This new deal certainly shouldn’t guarantee a huge amount of playing time, but will reward Clifford handsomely even if he’s playing in the minor leagues.

For Dahlstrom, the season has been spent almost exclusively in the minors, with just a single appearance for the Maple Leafs to this point. The 6’5″ defenseman has been good for the Marlies, racking up 13 points in 36 games, but shouldn’t be expected to take an NHL job anytime soon. Signing him to a short-term extension maintains some organizational depth, while giving the 27-year-old stability he hasn’t had the last few years as he bounced around the league.

Latest On Andrew Copp

March 9, 2022 at 12:10 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

One name that probably isn’t talked about enough when it comes to trade deadline candidates is Winnipeg Jets forward Andrew Copp who, like many other players that are discussed around this time of year, is a pending unrestricted free agent. The expectation was that the Jets would be contending for the Stanley Cup and likely taking a run at extending the 27-year-old forward, but with the team now sixth in the Central Division and looking up at three teams between them and a wild card position, they’ll have to consider selling at this month’s deadline.

Copp, meanwhile, is having another strong season with 13 goals and 32 points in 51 games. He’s been used all over the lineup, including at center again for a substantial stretch of the year. That versatility–which doesn’t end at his positional alignment; Copp can also contribute both on the powerplay and penalty kill–would make him a good fit for nearly any contender looking to bolster their top-nine. The fact that his cap hit is just $3.64MM makes him an even more attractive trade target, given how little of that will actually be left by the deadline.

In today’s 32 Thoughts column by Elliotte Friedman for Sportsnet, he touches on Copp’s future. Friedman writes that the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are “believed to be among” the interested teams, though those two have been linked to almost every forward available over the last few weeks.

If the team does end up trading Copp, it will be very interesting to see if what kind of return they target. The team has several players locked up long-term, with Pierre-Luc Dubois the only real key restricted free agent on the books. Adding a package of draft picks for Copp likely doesn’t help them next season if they still believe themselves to be a contending team, unless of course they turn and flip those assets at some point down the road.

Through eight years in the NHL, Copp has only ever played for the Jets. This year he is averaging way more ice time than he ever has before, actually still sitting above 20 minutes for the year. That’s not the role he’ll be playing on any new team, though, and with that in mind, the 51-point full-season pace he’s on may not be realistic. He hasn’t even come close to that total in the past, though some of that is due to shortened seasons and injuries. What a team would be trading for is a quality two-way player that can support those around him, not necessarily one that can carry the offensive load himself. That was never more noticeable than last year’s playoffs, where Copp was held without a goal in eight games, despite seeing almost 22 minutes a night. In fact, through 34 career postseason matches, Copp has scored just three times.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Chicago Blackhawks Hire Norm Maciver

March 9, 2022 at 11:12 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Chicago Blackhawks have brought back Norm Maciver, hiring him as the team’s new associate general manager. He will oversee the entire scouting department and report directly to general manager Kyle Davidson. Davidson had this to say on the hire:

Bringing in Norm is the first of many hires we plan to make as we restructure our hockey operations. I think it is important in this new hockey operations department to balance really strong knowledge in hockey with new and innovative thinking. Norm brings that institutional knowledge and is one of the best talent evaluators in the business-pushing the boundaries on new methods and techniques that we need here at the Blackhawks. Norm has been a big help to me throughout my career personally, but he also isn’t afraid to share his opinion and that is something that I respect most about him. He’s a great first step in building this out.

Maciver was previously with the team for a decade, before leaving in 2019 and then spending the last year with the Seattle Kraken as director of player personnel. He served in various roles for the Blackhawks, including assistant GM for eight seasons prior to his departure.

While it was obvious that Davidson would reshape the front office now that his interim tag was removed, some will see this as sort of a step backward toward the previous management group. At the time he left the Blackhawks however, Scott Powers of The Athletic wrote that Maciver had been “cut out of the inner circle by [Stan] Bowman and Al MacIssac” as they argued over whether or not to start a rebuild or continue to try and surround Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane with enough talent for another Stanley Cup run. With Davidson promising that the team is now undergoing that rebuild, it does make sense that he would bring back the executive that pushed for it in the first place.

The Blackhawks have a lot of work to do in order to turn around their franchise, including its reputation off the ice. Importantly, though he was with the team at the time of the Brad Aldrich sexual assault situation, Maciver was not in the infamous meeting of top executives where the initial report was discussed, nor did his name appear even a single time in the 107-page Jenner & Block report from October.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Cam York

March 9, 2022 at 10:28 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers, last in the Metropolitan Division and winners of just three games in their last ten, have recalled top prospect Cam York from the minor leagues. York last played in the NHL more than a month ago, going back to the AHL on February 2. He’s played 13 games since then for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, recording three points.

The interesting part about a York recall, other than the obvious excitement that comes with a top prospect, is the situation that Philadelphia finds themselves in when it comes to the trade deadline. Five of the seven other defensemen on the Philadelphia roster are pending unrestricted free agents. Rasmus Ristolainen, Justin Braun, Keith Yandle, Kevin Connauton, and Nick Seeler are all on expiring contracts, suggesting they could be moved at some point if not in the team’s future plans.

Philadelphia has six games left before the March 21 trade deadline, meaning decisions on those players will have to come soon. York’s return to the NHL squad could simply be a chance for him to get another opportunity, or it could be the team preparing for life after some incoming moves. Either way, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to recall him if he’s not going to play–the Phantoms have a three-in-three this weekend that he could have taken part in–so expect York to enter the lineup in one way or another.

Nashville Predators Sign Navrin Mutter

March 9, 2022 at 10:07 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The Nashville Predators have dipped their toes into the undrafted free agent market, signing Navrin Mutter to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal starts in 2022-23 season and Mutter will continue to play with the Kitchener Rangers for the rest of this season.

Mutter, 20, has split this season between the Rangers and the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he previously served as an alternate captain. The 6’4″ forward has little offensive upside–he has 17 points in 44 games this season–but brings an impressive physical game, sometimes even going over the line. Mutter’s 88 penalty minutes this season is second in the entire OHL, after finishing second in 2019-20 with 107.

That brand of physical hockey has obviously interested the Predators, who have now signed the undrafted forward to an NHL deal. He’ll likely join the Milwaukee Admirals on an amateur tryout when the OHL season ends, but that actually won’t be his first taste of professional hockey. During the 2020-21 season when the OHL was shut down due to COVID restrictions, Mutter played three games with the Stockton Heat, recording two penalty minutes in the process.

AHL Shuffle: 03/09/22

March 9, 2022 at 9:05 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Just two games in the NHL this evening, though that does include a matchup between Connor McDavid and Alex Ovechkin. The Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals will do battle in a game of two teams headed in opposite directions. The Oilers have lost three in a row and are running the risk of falling out of the Pacific Division playoff race, while the Capitals stormed back yesterday to take their third in a row. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

The Montreal Canadiens have sent down defenseman Corey Schueneman to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Schueneman, 26, is an undrafted player who impressed in brief NHL action under coach Martin St. Louis and is now headed back to Laval where he has 10 points in 27 games.

Metropolitan Division

The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Kasper Bjorkqvist back to the AHL, without him actually getting into a game during this recall. The 24-year-old forward has played in six games this season, all of them coming back in January, and has a single goal.
The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled goaltender Alex Lyon from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Lyon was sent down on Monday and returns to the Hurricanes roster sporting a .908 save percentage in his 2 NHL appearances this season.

Central Division

Nathan Beaulieu has been moved to long-term injured reserve, with the Winnipeg Jets recalling Ville Heinola in his place. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s getting into the lineup though, as Heinola figures to be the seventh defenseman on the upcoming road trip (at least to start).

Pacific Division

The Los Angeles Kings have moved Mikey Anderson to injured reserve, recalling Jordan Spence to take his place on the roster. Spence, 21, has been lighting up the minor leagues in his first year of professional hockey, scoring 42 points in 46 games for the Ontario Reign. The fourth-round pick has a very interesting background, including being born in Australia and learning to play hockey in Japan before eventually returning to Canada at 13, the country he competes for internationally.
The Anaheim Ducks have sent Brendan Guhle to the AHL, as Josh Manson continues to get closer to returning and after the team claimed Andrej Sustr off waivers. Guhle, 24, hasn’t even played in an NHL game this season, despite being up with the team on several occasions.
The Edmonton Oilers have activated Zack Kassian off of long-term injured reserve and then added Kyle Turris to the list in a corresponding move, according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. Kassian has 14 points in 35 games this year and returns to an Oilers lineup that he has featured in for seven seasons. Turris, 32, was previously mentioned as a trade candidate and has only 4 points in 23 games for the Oilers this season.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Deadline Notes: Ducks Defensemen, Hagel, Giordano

March 8, 2022 at 9:01 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 15 Comments

Earlier today on TSN’s Insider Trading segment, Anaheim Ducks’ defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson were hot topics. The Athletic writer and Insider for TSN, Pierre LeBrun, reported that Manson was nearing his return from injury and is being watched closely by teams around the league. LeBrun also noted that there have not been any contract talks yet between the Ducks and Manson, as the Ducks have been focusing on negotiations with Lindholm.

Speaking of those negotiations with Lindholm, word continues to be that Anaheim is unwilling to give out big-time term. The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes the Ducks’ unwillingness to give out term to any of their pending UFAs, and mentions this might be in-line with the trends of Ducks’ GM Pat Verbeek’s previous boss, Detroit Red Wings’ GM Steve Yzerman. Not beginning extension talks just yet with Manson may not be a concern for the Ducks, who currently have many cards to play at the deadline. In fact, Anaheim does leave itself in a preferable position, having both Lindholm and Manson as potential extension candidates and trade chips. This could allow Anaheim to try to negotiate an extension to their liking on one or both, but if that contract does not materialize, there will almost certainly be a strong market for both defensemen.

Also during the Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger provided an update on Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Brandon Hagel. Dreger mentions that while Chicago would like to keep Hagel as part of their rebuild, they would not be opposed to moving him. However, the return would have to be at least a first-round draft pick and something else. Hagel has been one of the better producers for the Blackhawks this season, scoring 17 goals along with 14 assists in 51 games entering Tuesday night’s game against the Ducks. While the asking price on Hagel might seem a bit excessive to some, the 23-year-old Hagel is viewed as part of the long-term solution in Chicago, and carries just a $1.5MM cap hit through the 2023-24 season, where he will still be a RFA.
During the second-intermission of the Toronto Maple Leafs game, Dreger again gave his thoughts on several key trade deadline topics, including Seattle Kraken defensemen Mark Giordano. Dreger reported that the Kraken would like to explore the trade market for Giordano, but their asking price on the veteran is at least a first-round pick. While this price may be steep for a 38-year-old with a $6.75MM cap hit, Giordano still produces at a high level, putting up 23 points in 52 games this season for the struggling Kraken. Giordano is also a responsible defenseman who can provide veteran leadership that is always valuable on a team looking to make a long run in the postseason. If Seattle is willing to retain some of Giordano’s cap hit, which would seem likely as they will have $36.66M in cap space on trade deadline day, they may be able to sweeten the pot to acquire that first-round pick at least.

Trade Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames

March 8, 2022 at 8:09 pm CDT | by John Gilroy Leave a Comment

As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Calgary Flames.

With the NHL’s trade deadline a little over two weeks away, many teams are still assessing their teams, deciding if they want to buy, sell, or stay put. The Calgary Flames do not appear to have such an issue. While it comes as little surprise that the Flames are a good team pushing for a playoff spot, just how good the Flames are has raised some eyebrows. Calgary has been, for the most part, a consistently great team this season, and currently sits atop the Pacific division with 75 points, good for second in the entire Western Conference, behind only the Colorado Avalanche.

What Calgary has also done that most teams have not, is make a big splash. That splash came in the form of a February 14th trade for forward Tyler Toffoli. The Flames traded a 2022 first-round pick, a 2023 fifth-round pick, prospect Emil Heinemann, and forward Tyler Pitlick to Montreal to acquire Toffoli, who had been touted as one of the most sought-after players at this year’s trade deadline. Toffoli has surely not disappointed since the trade, putting up seven goals and three assists in 10 games for the Flames so far. Even though Calgary made their big acquisition already, that certainly does not mean they are done, and could still be active players at this year’s trade deadline. However, Calgary will need to work around a very tight cap situation to get anything else done.

Record:

34-14-7

Deadline Status:

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space:

$657,170 today, $870,750 at the deadline, 47/50 contracts used, 0/3 retention slots used

Upcoming Draft Picks:

2022: CGY 2nd, FLA 2nd, CGY 5th, CGY 7th

2023: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 3rd, CGY 4th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th

Trade Chips:

After trading two of their bigger trade chips in order to acquire Toffoli, the Flames do leave themselves some pieces to make an additional move or two. The most logical of these assets would be either their or Florida’s 2022 second-round pick. Calgary can afford to part with one of their 2022 seconds in a deal, but would be unlikely to deal both, leaving them without a draft pick until the fifth-round. If Calgary prefers to make another big splash, they could utilize their 2023 first-round pick, however Calgary would risk not having first-round picks in two consecutive years.

Calgary does have the benefit of a fairly talented prospect pool that they could deal from, and is the likely reason they have been comfortable dealing from their draft pick stock. Perhaps the most intriguing of these prospects is forward Matthew Coronato, who the Flames selected 13th overall out of the United States National Team Development Program in 2021. While most teams dealing with Calgary would love to acquire Coronato, he would presumably be a non-starter for Calgary. If the Flames were to deal from their prospect pool, they may be more comfortable discussing the likes of Ilya Nikolayev or Cole Huckins.

If the Flames were to make another move, they likely have to use an asset just to clear some cap space to add another player, which brings another interesting asset into the conversation: Juuso Valimaki. The 23-year-old defenseman has shown promise in limited time in the NHL, playing 81 games since the start of the 2018-19 season, and just eight this season. What is intriguing about Valimaki is that he can be used both to clear additional cap space and as an asset in a trade. Currently, Valimaki carries a $1.5MM cap hit, but only $425k currently counts against Calgary’s cap, as he is currently in the AHL with the Stockton Heat. Freeing this $425k may not be much, but it could be a starter for the Flames, who could acquire an asset for the still-young defenseman who has shown an ability to play in the NHL.

Team Needs:

1) Forward Depth: To put it plainly, the Flames, as they line-up now, are terrific, and don’t leave much to be desired. One concern, however, is if there is an injury or a tough cold streak, the team doesn’t have too much to look for as far as reinforcements go. The organization does have young talent playing in Stockton at the moment, however for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, players more poised for playoff games would be preferable.

2) Stanley Cup Experience: Building on the first point, the Flames are well-positioned to make a deep run in these playoffs. While many of their players have been to the playoffs before, in an ideal world, adding a player or two who has gone all the way is always useful, even if it is just their presence in the locker room. One player who could satisfy both needs while working within Calgary’s cap constraints is New York Islanders’ forward Zach Parise. The 37-year-old currently carries just a $750K cap hit, but is having a solid season with seven goals and 16 assists in 53 games on Long Island, and has played in 105 career playoff games, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final with the New Jersey Devils in 2012.

Jacob Middleton Drawing Trade Interest

March 8, 2022 at 5:52 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

When discussing the San Jose Sharks and the trade deadline, usually the focus is put on pending unrestricted free agent Tomas Hertl. While the Sharks continue to try and sign Hertl to a long-term deal instead of making him available for trade, it’s easy to forget that there are several other names on the roster that could draw interest as March 21 approaches.

One of those is Jacob Middleton, as Pierre LeBrun explained in the latest edition of Insider Trading for TSN:

An under-the-radar name for the San Jose Sharks that is garnering interest: defenseman Jake Middleton, who has partnered with both Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns at times this year. He’s part of that penalty killing crew that ranks second in the NHL, he’s an RFA at the end of the year, he’s making only $725K. He’s a bit of an oldschool, physical brand that teams heading to the playoffs like to stash on their roster. Among the teams that have kicked tires I’m told, are Tampa Bay, Boston, and St. Louis.

Middleton, 26, is actually making $750K this season of course but carries a cap hit of just $725K. He’s also one of the many players that could become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, should he fail to play in another 20 games before the end of the year. That certainly could complicate trade talks, as the Sharks have just six games before the trade deadline. Any acquiring team would have to know that he can’t be added as a press box depth piece with the expectation that he’ll be around as an RFA; he needs to play in order to retain that status.

Still, it’s easy to see why some teams would be interested in the 6’3″ defenseman. Not only does his cap hit come in lower than the league minimum salary, meaning he’d fit into the financial situation for basically every team in the league–whoever he was replacing on the roster would make at least as much as him, likely more–but he’s also stepped into a fairly substantial role in San Jose as they dealt with so many injuries on defense. Having never played more than 10 NHL games in a season before this year, he’s suited up 39 times and averages nearly 19 minutes a night. Just this week, he logged more than 25 minutes in an overtime loss against the Anaheim Ducks, blocking seven shots in the process.

With the Sharks falling completely out of the race with a poor last couple of weeks, the team will likely try to sell off any expiring pieces. If Middleton doesn’t figure prominently into their future plans–or, alternatively if they’re worried he won’t reach that games played threshold as Karlsson and others prepare to return–a trade would seem like the prudent move.

The Unleashed 2022: Potential Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents

March 8, 2022 at 4:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

Though most players have to wait until after their 27th birthday to become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team in the league without compensation, there are a few other ways to get to the open market. Players that complete seven full seasons in the NHL are eligible for UFA status, as are restricted free agents that do not receive qualifying offers. There is another way, however, offered to those players who don’t get many opportunities in the NHL but have put in several years at the professional level: Group VI unrestricted free agency.

Earlier today, CapFriendly compiled a complete list of players on track to become free agents through this category. To refresh your memory on how a player qualifies for Group VI free agency, they must meet three requirements:

The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
The player has completed three (3) or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19-year-old player), or one (1) or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
The player has played fewer than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender. This games played requirement is subject to pro-rating due to the shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

The entire list of players at risk can be found below, but make sure you check out CapFriendly for more detailed information on how they could avoid the designation this summer.

*Indicates that the player could technically still play in enough games this season to become ineligible for Group VI free agency, though in some cases this will be impossible because of injury.

Anaheim Ducks

(none)

Arizona Coyotes

Hudson Fasching
Blake Speers
Bokondji Imama

Boston Bruins

Jakub Zboril*
Zachary Senyshyn
Cameron Hughes
Callum Booth

Buffalo Sabres

Ryan MacInnis

Calgary Flames

Justin Kirkland
Glenn Gawdin
Luke Philp
Adam Werner*

Carolina Hurricanes

Maxim Letunov
Spencer Smallman
Sam Miletic
Joshua Jacobs