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Archives for January 2024

Minnesota Wild Acquire Will Butcher

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In a minor-league swap, the Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins connected on a trade sending forward Maxim Cajkovic east to Pennsylvania, and defenseman Will Butcher to the State of Hockey. Both teams have officially confirmed the trade.

Brought into the Penguins organization over the summer to serve as defensive depth, Butcher suffered an undisclosed injury during training camp and was not cleared to play until late November. Spending the entirety of his Penguins tenure playing for their AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Butcher would only suit up in 14 games, scoring seven points total.

Coming into the league as a college free agent back in the 2017-18 season, Butcher got off to a solid pace with the New Jersey Devils, scoring five goals and 44 points in 81 games. The next season, although watching his offensive production dipped considerably, Butcher put together a solid 30-point performance over 78 games. Scoring 74 points in his first two seasons in New Jersey, the Devils opted to extend Butcher by way of a three-year, $11.2MM contract.

Unfortunately, injuries would take their toll on Butcher, limiting him to only 79 games over the next two seasons in New Jersey, before finally being dished to the Buffalo Sabres in 2021. Wholly unable to get his offensive production back on track, Butcher spent last season a part of the Dallas Stars organization, putting together a respectable 43-point performance over 66 games with their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars.

Cajkovic was originally acquired by the Wild from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the same deal that brought veteran winger Pat Maroon up north. Spending last year as an effective offensive presence for the Lightning’s ECHL affiliate, Cajkovic has continued to increase his production in the same capacity for the Iowa Heartlanders this season. Being plausible that Cajkovic may join on with the Penguins’ ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers, it would not all be surprising to see him end up in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, due to the offensive troubles the team has experienced this season.

San Jose Sharks Recall Shakir Mukhamadullin

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The San Jose Sharks have recalled top defensive prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin to the top league, marking the first call-up of the 22-year-old’s career. Mukhamadullin currently ranks fourth in scoring among U22-defenseman in the AHL, with 26 points in 39 games. It’s Mukhamadullin’s first full season in North American pros, though he played in 12 minor league games and scored 10 points at the end of last season.

Mukhamadullin moved over to the AHL at the end of Ufa’s KHL season last year. He recorded 25 points in 67 games with the club last season, a mark that led the team’s defensemen in scoring. Mukhamadullin grew up through Ufa’s system and totaled 167 games and 43 points with the club across four seasons.

Mukhamadullin was a focal piece of the trade that sent Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils, with the former first-round selection joined by two first-round picks, as well as forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Andreas Johnsson, as well as fellow Russian defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk, who has already played in 35 games with the Sharks this season.

Mukhamadullin is one of three remaining players from the 2020 NHL Draft’s first round to not yet play his NHL debut, alongside Dallas’ Mavrik Bourque and fellow Sharks teammate Ozzy Wiesblatt. Wiesblatt has appeared in 25 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda this year, netting two goals, seven points, and 25 penalty minutes in what is his second full AHL season.

New Jersey Devils Move Jack Hughes To IR, Dougie Hamilton To LTIR

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The New Jersey Devils have moved star forward Jack Hughes to injured reserve, retroactive to his last game on January 5th, and moved star defenseman Dougie Hamilton to long-term injured reserve, per team reporter James Nichols. Hughes will be eligible to return as soon as he’s healthy, which isn’t expected to come until after the All-Star break, but Hamilton will now be set to miss at least 24 days of action. The top defender is recovering from a pectoral injury that required surgery earlier in the season.

The Devils have missed both Hughes and Hamilton for prolonged periods this season. Hamilton appeared in the team’s first 20 games before being knocked out of the lineup. He scored admirably in those games, netting 16 points – a mark that still ranks second among Devils defensemen in scoring.

Hughes has managed a bit more ice time, appearing in 32 games and ranking second on the team with 45 points. The 22-year-old centerman is scoring at a 115-point pace across 82 games, which would mark the most points any Devils player has ever recorded. It’s a record Hughes already set last season, with his 99 points in 78 games beating out the 96 points Patrik Elias scored in 2000-01. While injuries have clouded his red-hot season, Hughes is working hard to solidify himself as New Jersey’s next franchise centerman and is already outplaying the eight-year, $64MM contract extension he was signed to midway through the 2021-22 season.

New Jersey Devils Claim Nick DeSimone Off Waivers From Calgary

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The New Jersey Devils have claimed defenseman Nick DeSimone off of waivers from the Calgary Flames. The 29-year-old has appeared in 23 games with the Flames this season, netting five points and a -4. He’s also appeared in 10 AHL games, recording eight assists and a +7.

DeSimone is in his eighth professional season since making his AHL debut at the end of the 2016-17 season – signing a two-year contract as an undrafted free agent with the San Jose Sharks. DeSimone served as a locked-in lineup piece for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda for five seasons, before moving to the New York Rangers organization in the three-team trade that sent Mattias Janmark and Brett Howden to Vegas. DeSimone signed with the Calgary Flames soon after this move, continuing to serve as a minor league option for a variety of AHL clubs.

The Flames finally rewarded DeSimone’s long tenure in the minors with four NHL games last season. The defender went without a point, adding two penalty minutes and a -4. He’s gotten a chance at a much bigger NHL role this season, finally playing a majority of the year in the top league. He will look to continue carving out an NHL role on a Devils team that’s currently missing top defenseman Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler, as well as depth option Brendan Smith. The Devils also granted defenseman Callan Foote a leave of absence on Wednesday, effectively sliding DeSimone into the role of seventh defenseman.

Arizona Coyotes Claim Adam Ružička Off Waivers From Calgary

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The Arizona Coyotes have claimed Calgary Flames forward Adam Ružička off of waivers. Ružička has appeared in 39 of Calgary’s 47 games this season, netting three goals and nine points. He’s also recorded six penalty minutes and a -8.

Ružička has slowly established his place in the NHL over the last four seasons, making his debut with the Flames in 2020-21. He’s since totaled 114 career NHL games and 40 career points, adding 26 penalty minutes. He is one of seven players from the 2017 NHL Draft’s fourth round to play in at least 100 NHL games, alongside players like Ottawa’s Drake Batherson and Buffalo’s Jacob Bryson. Ružička has also appeared in 98 AHL games across three seasons, totaling 68 points.

Ružička provides much-needed center depth to a Coyotes team that currently has Barrett Hayton and Travis Boyd on injured reserve. The team has turned towards Dylan Guenther in light of their injuries, with the 20-year-old winger managing six points in nine games this season. Guenther also leads the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate in scoring with 28 points in 29 games – despite the team playing in nine more games since the winger’s call-up.

Now without Ružička, the Flames will need to turn towards one of Cole Schwindt, Adam Klapka, or Walker Duehr to takeover the open bottom-line role. Schwindt and Klapka have only played in one and two games respectively, while Duehr has seen 19 appearances and scored four points. Calgary also has Matthew Coronato currently in the NHL lineup. The former first-round pick is 13 games into his rookie NHL season, boasting just two points, four penalty minutes, and a -9.

Calgary Flames Recall Walker Duehr

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The Calgary Flames have recalled forward Walker Duehr from the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL a week after the team had assigned him there. Duehr was placed on waivers on January 17th and was assigned to the AHL the next day, after he had cleared.

The 26-year-old had an assist in two games during his quick assignment to the AHL and is being called back up after the Flames placed both Adam Ruzicka and Nick DeSimone on waivers yesterday.

This season was supposed to be Duehr’s first year as a full-time NHLer after he was signed to a two-year, one-way contract extension in the offseason with an AAV of $825K. Duehr started the season in Calgary, dressing in the Flames first 12 games, but his struggles with consistency kept him out of the lineup for most of December and January as the Sioux Falls, South Dakota native played just five times in two months. Throughout 19 NHL games this season, Duehr has just a single goal and three helpers and has averaged less than eight minutes of ice time per game.

Duehr’s call-up is likely an insurance policy in case Ruzicka or DeSimone are claimed, or if the Flames were to lose a player to illness or injury during the day. Calgary is in action tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets as they try to climb back into the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

Senators Notes: Trade Targets, Martin, Tarasenko

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Ottawa Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios spoke with the media this morning to discuss a multitude of issues and concerns surrounding the franchise. In the mid-season update, Staios told the media that he has had a lot of discussions with other teams about potential trades and is looking to add players with leadership experience as well as complete 200-foot players.

The news isn’t that surprising given that the Senators don’t possess many players who have been part of a winning culture in the NHL. Outside of a couple of players, most of the Senators currently lineup have never played an NHL playoff game.

Staios’ desire to add complete players is also not surprising given that Ottawa has struggled to play a structured game over the past few seasons. While the offensive skill on the Senators is obvious, they don’t have a lot of defensively skilled forwards or defensemen and it’s been a glaring hole throughout their lineup for a few years now.

Staios mentioned that he would like to be active before the deadline but given most teams cap situation it is unlikely that the Senators will make many moves before the summer.

In other Ottawa notes:

  • Staios added that the Senators’ plan behind the bench is to have interim head coach Jacques Martin finish out the season. Martin hasn’t had a great start to his second run in Ottawa but did receive praise from Staios who said that Martin has laid a foundation for this group. Martin who has long been a good defensive coach, was seemingly brought into Ottawa to help the team find a defensive identity going forward. While the team didn’t see immediate improvement, they have shown signs of it lately with points in five of their last six games.
  • Staios also addressed the status of pending unrestricted free agent forward Vladimir Tarasenko. Staios said that he has not talked to the 32-year-old about a move, but he has been impressed with the former Stanley Cup winner. Tarasenko was signed last summer to a one-year $5MM contract and has been as advertised with 12 goals and 19 assists in 41 games. While he is no longer a perennial 30-goal scorer, he is still providing offense at five-on-five and is on pace for 24 goals.

Miro Heiskanen Set To Return Tonight

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Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is set to return to the lineup tonight after missing the last three weeks with a lower-body injury. Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas News reported that Stars head coach Pete DeBoer confirmed to the media this morning that Heiskanen would be returning as he took reps in his normal spot on the powerplay and in the line rushes.

Heiskanen was sidelined earlier in January after he was hurt in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. He collided with his own goalie and had to leave the game. Heiskanen ended up missing 10 games while he was out of the lineup and despite missing him and star goaltender Jake Oettinger for a stretch, the Stars went 6-3-1 in those 10 games.

Dallas replaced Heiskanen’s minutes by committee rather than having one player try and fill his role. It worked well as Esa Lindell, Ryan Suter, Jani Hakanpää, and Nils Lundkvist all averaged 17 minutes of ice time per game while the team was playing at even strength. Thomas Harley also took a lot of extra time as well, his average ice time at even strength increased by over two minutes per game.

With Heiskanen back in the lineup the Stars will be looking to close the gap in the Central Division as they currently occupy the third spot sitting three points back of the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche. Heiskanen should give Dallas a boost, even if he hasn’t matched his offensive pace from last season. The 24-year-old was having a terrific season prior to his injury with four goals and 23 assists in 37 games.

Devils Recall Justin Dowling, Daniil Misyul

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The Devils recalled center Justin Dowling and defenseman Daniil Misyul from AHL Utica on Thursday, per a team announcement. They take the roster spots of center Michael McLeod and defenseman Cal Foote, who took indefinite leaves of absence from the team yesterday.

Dowling, 33, is in the 13th season of his professional career, which he’s spent mostly in the minors. An undrafted free agent signing by the Stars in 2014, he remained in the organization for seven years before joining the Canucks as a free agent in 2021. After completing a two-year deal in Vancouver, Dowling inked another two-year, two-way deal with New Jersey to serve as a veteran farmhand in Utica.

The Devils placed him on waivers to begin the season, and he passed through unclaimed. They’ve recalled him once – a one-day emergency summons on Oct. 29 – but he did not play. He has eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 30 games with Utica, a slight dip from his near-point-per-game pace with AHL Abbotsford over the past two seasons but solid nonetheless. He’s tied for fifth on the team in scoring and has a -6 rating.

Dowling’s offensive upside in the NHL is limited, boasting six goals and 12 assists through 98 appearances dating back to 2016. He’s adept in the faceoff circle, though, winning 175 of his 350 draws (a 50% success rate) and has been able to shoulder fourth-line minutes without getting caved in possession-wise. He’ll likely be a healthy scratch on most occasions barring two or more injuries to the Devils’ forward core, and will factor in limited minutes when he does play. 22-year-old Dawson Mercer has momentarily shifted to centering a second line between Ondřej Palát and Tyler Toffoli to help New Jersey cope with McLeod’s absence and an injury to star pivot Jack Hughes.

This is the first NHL recall for Misyul, 23, a third-round pick of the team in 2019. He’s in his first season under contract with the Devils, signing an entry-level deal in May 2023 after spending four post-draft seasons suiting up for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL. A strong skater with a decent long-term NHL outlook as a bottom-pairing utility player, he’s posted three goals and eight assists, along with 33 PIMs, in 30 games with Utica. While the 6-foot-3 Belarusian won’t factor in much on the scoresheet in his first major-league chance, the Devils hope he can occupy a third-pairing role without much fanfare as they continue to deal with injuries to Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler and Brendan Smith on the back end.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $83,603,531 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F William Cuylle (two years, $828.3K)
D Braden Schneider (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Cuylle: $82.5K
Schneider: $400K
Total: $482.5K

Cuylle has done a nice job in a full-time bottom six role in his first taste of NHL duty.  His offensive numbers aren’t going to stand out by any stretch but it’s a nice way to ease him in.  This will certainly limit his earnings upside on his next contract, however; a bridge deal in the $1.5MM to $2MM range might be his best-case scenario.  Bonus-wise, his are based on games played so right now, he’s trending to reach that full amount.

Schneider has been a regular on New York’s back end dating back to last season but his role has been rather limited so far as basically a permanent third-pairing piece.  That should have his next contract around the $1.5MM mark as well.  For him, his bonuses are ‘A’ ones and the only ones he might have a shot at are blocked shots (needs to finish in the top two for defensemen) and plus/minus (top three among Ranger blueliners).  At the moment, he doesn’t qualify to reach either of them.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Nick Bonino ($800K, UFA)
F Jonny Brodzinski ($762.5K, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($825K, UFA)
F Kaapo Kakko ($2.1MM, RFA)
D Ryan Lindgren ($3MM, RFA)
F Tyler Pitlick ($787.5K, UFA)
G Jonathan Quick ($825K, UFA)
F Blake Wheeler ($800K, UFA)

Potential Bonuses
Quick: $100K
Wheeler: $300K
Total: $400K

After getting 40 points last season, it looked like Kakko was heading in the right direction but he has struggled this year.  Still, it’s unlikely New York will give up on the 2019 second-overall pick.  However, they might want to go much higher than his $2.4MM qualifying offer.  Wheeler took a well below-market contract to go to the Rangers and while his numbers are down compared to his time in Winnipeg, he’s also playing lower in the lineup.  He’s worth more on the open market if he wants to max his money out next summer or he could stick with this route on a potential contender.  His bonuses are based on games played and have already been achieved.

Bonino made sense as a low-cost depth option with what should have been some offensive upside although he hasn’t been able to display that this season.  This close to the league minimum, he could land a similar deal on the open market next summer but could also be a PTO candidate.  Pitlick has been on near-minimum deals over the last couple of seasons and as a depth player this season, that’s unlikely to change.  He could get a contract at a similar price point in the summer or might have to go the PTO route as he did the year before.  Brodzinski, meanwhile, has been a dominant AHL scorer but hasn’t produced much in the NHL.  While he’s also likely going to stay around the league minimum, he should be able to at least land a one-way contract for next season.

Lindgren is one of New York’s more interesting expiring deals this summer.  He’s a very effective defensive defenseman but simply doesn’t put up many points to help drive his price tag up.  His qualifying offer is $3.6MM and he should get more than that but his ceiling might be closer to the $4.5MM range even with arbitration rights.  Notably, he’s a year away from UFA eligibility.  Gustafsson, meanwhile, is the exact opposite.  He is a productive offensive defender but struggles considerably in his own end.  Settling for this contract after a 42-point campaign suggests that teams aren’t willing to pay a premium for the points knowing his defensive struggles and the need to shelter him at five-on-five.  A small raise past the $1MM mark wouldn’t be shocking but it’s hard to project a big increase.

Expectations weren’t high for Quick after a rough 2022-23 campaign but he has been a difference-maker for the Rangers this season.  However, he just turned 38 so it’s unlikely there will be teams looking at him as a starter or a strong-side platoon option.  If he wants to go for the money, he could do better than this on the open market but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him stay or take a similar deal to this one with a contender for next season.  The details of his bonuses aren’t known.

Signed Through 2024-25

D Zachary Jones ($812.5K, RFA)
F Alexis Lafreniere ($2.325MM, RFA)
D K’Andre Miller ($3.82MM, RFA)
G Igor Shesterkin ($5.667MM, UFA)
F Jimmy Vesey ($800K, UFA)

With Lafreniere scuffling through his first few NHL seasons, it came as no surprise that he followed Kakko in signing a bridge deal.  He’s fared a bit better in his first year under Peter Laviolette although he hasn’t yet become that consistent top threat that they hoped he’d be when they picked him first overall in 2020.  If he keeps at his current pace and then takes another small step forward next year, he’ll certainly do enough to beat his $2.65MM qualifying offer.  But will New York be convinced that he’s worthy of that long-term big-money contract in the $7MM range if that happens?  Or might they try one more bridge deal (likely a one-year pact) worth closer to half that?  It’s still early but there is a wide range of outcomes when it comes to his next deal.

Vesey opted to avoid going through free agency, instead choosing to sign this contract in-season last year.  It gives him some stability while he has outperformed the deal so far as a capable depth scorer.  Having bounced around in his career will hurt him a bit if he gets to free agency next time as teams will wonder if he’s turned a late corner or if he’s just a fit for how the Rangers play.  Still, a small raise at a minimum should be doable.

Miller had no choice but to take a bridge deal over the summer as well given New York’s limited cap space.  He continues to be a valuable two-way piece on their back end despite not seeing much power play time.  Miller will be owed a $4.646MM qualifying offer in 2025 but his next contract could check in closer to double his current one if a long-term agreement is worked out.  Jones, on the other hand, has had a very limited role so far.  He’ll need to lock down a full-time spot if he wants to reach the seven-figure mark on his next deal.

Shesterkin has been one of the top goalies since coming over for the 2019-20 campaign although his first half of this season has been more pedestrian.  Still, the 28-year-old is regarded as one of the top netminders league-wide and he’ll be well-positioned to capitalize on that reputation on this next contract.  He’ll likely look to Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (seven years, $8.5MM on his recent extension) as a starting point for discussions.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Artemi Panarin ($11.643MM, UFA)
D Jacob Trouba ($8MM, UFA)

No one will ever call Panarin’s contract – the richest for a winger in NHL history – a bargain but at the same time, it’s fair to say that he has lived up to it so far, producing at a 105-point per 82-game rate to put him among the top-scoring forwards in the league.  There’s little reason to think a big collapse is on the horizon but that concern should come into play on his next deal, one that’s likely to be more of a medium-term agreement at a small discount on his current rate given the age risk.

Trouba hasn’t been able to get back to the offensive highs he reached in his final season with Winnipeg but for the tough minutes he logs, the captain is still providing some value on this deal.  Having said that, if he wants to land any sort of sizable raise, he’ll need to rediscover at least some of that scoring touch.  Otherwise, his next deal should check in close to this one.

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