Earlier today, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Utah Hockey Club is engaged in extension negotiations with netminder Karel Vejmelka. Although no deal is imminent, Dreger adds that Vejmelka could become an interesting trade piece at the deadline should he and Utah not agree on a palatable salary for both sides.
It’s a good season for Vejmelka to find comparable situations. Kevin Lankinen, Logan Thompson, and Mackenzie Blackwood have signed extensions with their respective teams this year giving Vejmelka plenty of ammunition to work with. He’s arguably had the best season of his career this year with a 13-15-4 record in 31 starts with a .909 save percentage and a 2.57 goals-against average.
Unfortunately, unless there’s a major injury between now and the deadline, there isn’t much desire for goaltending in the trade market. Most if not all contending teams have a formidable situation between the pipes, with the Philadelphia Flyers likely being the only hypothetical option as a rental. Even then, the Flyers don’t seem to have much appetite for buying regardless of their position in the standings. Unless a non-playoff team is looking for a goaltender and Vejmelka is open to separate extension negotiations, all signs indicate he’ll remain with Utah beyond the trade deadline.
Other Central notes:
- Exiting the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the Minnesota Wild were expecting the return of star forward Kirill Kaprizov shortly after. However, it appears the Wild are still a ways away from the return of their highest-scoring forward. In an interview on KFAN 100.3, general manager Bill Guerin said, “I think he’s going to be out longer than we originally expected. How much, I cannot answer.” Kaprizov had surgery in late January to repair a lower-body injury and was given a four-week minimum recovery timeline.
- Neither forward Valeri Nichushkin nor defenseman Josh Manson are expected to join the Colorado Avalanche on their upcoming road trip. In an interview with Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette, head coach Jared Bednar said, “He’s not coming on the (road) trip. Him and (Josh Manson) will both be here getting some work done.” The news is expected for Manson as he’s been dealing with a lower-body injury for much of the regular season. However, the news can’t be seen as anything other than disappointing for Nichushkin who hasn’t suited up since New Year’s Eve despite practicing multiple times.
Nichushkin is toxic!
How would you know? Sure the dude has had some major letdowns and personal issues in recent years, but by all accounts he’s been welcomed back with open arms. Not exactly what I’d call toxic.
And how is that relevant to the content in this article? The man is injured, how does that translate to toxicity?
Wilf Kesler only has a few words in his arsenal and that is one of them. Let him run – he may be lacking a strong vocabulary and hockey knowledge but he attempts to make up for it in posting volume and misery, with the results generally amusing.
The unpredictable Nichushkin has played a grand total of 21 games, Since coming back from suspension, He has disappointed the Avs and there fanbase yet again.
I disagree. The suspensions were incredibly disappointing. But he’s not suspended, he’s hurt. Just like landeskog. Just like Manson. Just like ivan ivan.
Was anyone disappointed in lehky when he was hurt? No.
Was anyone disappointed in mackinnon when he missed time with a shattered nose? No again.
Nichushkin will be back and will be a humongous boost to the team. As long as he keeps his nose clean, management, the players, and the fans will be just fine.