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Snapshots: Capitals, Marchand, Ferguson

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Anything you can do, I can do better. After a report emerged earlier today that the Pittsburgh Penguins have shown interest in Jakob Chychrun, rival Washington Capitals have also now been linked to the Arizona Coyotes defenseman. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Capitals are hoping to “rebuild on the fly” and, after yesterday’s trade of Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway, now have the assets to pull it off if it gets that far.

The Penguins and Capitals are in similar situations, trying to contend as many times as possible while their franchise icons are still on the ice. Neither one is guaranteed to make the playoffs this season, meaning it will be quite the task to retool quickly enough to challenge for the Stanley Cup. In the meantime, the Capitals have recalled Aliaksei Protas from the minor leagues to fill the last vacated roster spot.

  • Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand has been issued a fine for the dangerous trip of Seattle Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand. Marchand owes $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for the incident in last night’s game. The Bruins are lucky, as every time Marchand is the focus of the Department of Player Safety, it could end in a suspension given his long history of supplementary discipline.
  • With the Belleville Senators dealing with several injuries to their goaltenders, they’ve acquired some extra depth. Dylan Ferguson is on his way over from the Toronto Marlies in exchange for future considerations in a minor league deal. The 24-year-old netminder, perhaps best known for his emergency appearance for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, when he was still playing in the WHL, has appeared just five times for the Marlies this year, posting an .888 save percentage.

Chris Driedger Clears Waivers

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February 24: Driedger has cleared waivers, per NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston.

February 23: The Seattle Kraken have placed goaltender Chris Driedger on waivers, which could indicate he’s ready to return from the offseason surgery that has kept him out of game action all season. With two NHL goaltenders already in place, the Kraken will likely send Driedger to the minor leagues if he clears.

One of the original Kraken, selected in the 2021 expansion draft, Driedger, at that point, was coming off a breakout season with the Florida Panthers. After registering a .927 save percentage in 23 games with the Panthers, there was talk about Driedger all across the league as a potential available starter. The Kraken selected him and gave him a three-year, $10.5MM contract, only to sign Philipp Grubauer to a much bigger deal a few days later.

That made Driedger the backup by default, and things didn’t go well in his first year with Seattle. With an .899 save percentage in 27 appearances, he (along with Grubauer) was a big part of the team’s collapse in their first year.

After the season ended, Driedger went to play with Canada at the World Championships, where he suffered a serious knee injury. Surgery and a long rehab have followed, without any game action.

One interesting wrinkle in today’s waiver placement is that Driedger could have been loaned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on a long-term injury conditioning stint, without worrying about waivers for the time being. By doing it this way, the team can not only keep him in the minor leagues for as long as they want, but also potentially entice another team to take him—and his $3.5MM cap hit—off their hands.

Driedger is signed through next season but it is hard to predict where his career will go from here. The Kraken still have Grubauer under contract long-term and probably don’t want to be rolling out that tandem again next season. It makes almost no sense for anyone to claim him, but if he does pass through, perhaps a team would be interested as a goaltender they can keep in the minor leagues.

Anaheim Ducks Activate Troy Terry

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The Anaheim Ducks have swapped some forwards, activating Troy Terry from injured reserve and moving Adam Henrique to take his place. Justin Kirkland, who cleared waivers earlier today, has also been loaned to the AHL.

Terry, 25, played just three shifts in his first game back after the All-Star break before going down to injury, meaning he hasn’t finished a full NHL game yet in February. The talented forward can now return to continue another strong season, with 42 points in 51 games.

More concerning for the Ducks is the status of Henrique, who has been ruled out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He was one of Anaheim’s trade chips heading into the deadline, as even with another year on his contract, his experience and versatility was drawing interest from several clubs.

Now, with some uncertainty around his health, it’s hard for contenders to jump into a Henrique if he costs a prime asset. The 33-year-old carries a cap hit of $5.825MM through 2023-24, and isn’t producing at quite the same rate as last season. Still, with 19 goals in 57 games, a decade of experience at center, and strong two-way tendencies, perhaps someone will welcome the risk at an injury-reduced price.

Injured on Tuesday, he technically could be activated to play in the Ducks’ final game before the deadline if he is healthy enough to get back on the ice.

Snapshots: Farabee, Kapanen, Barbashev

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Speculation is running rampant with the trade deadline so close, but some interesting tidbits have also started to leak out. Agents and teams alike will reveal things to impact negotiations one way or another. One of those might have to do with Joel Farabee, whose camp has “voiced their displeasure” to the Philadelphia Flyers over how this season has played out, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Farabee was one of the latest to feel the wrath of John Tortorella, playing just 3:52 against the Calgary Flames on Monday. The 22-year-old is in the first season of a six-year, $30MM contract extension signed back in September 2021 and has just nine goals and 26 points coming off major offseason surgery.

  • Seravalli also reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins recently informed the rest of the league that Kasperi Kapanen is available for trade, as the club approaches a salary cap crunch. Jan Rutta is almost ready to return from long-term injured reserve, meaning a move must be made in Pittsburgh. Kapanen has been made a healthy scratch at times this season and has scored just seven goals in 42 games.
  • According to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest, one player that won’t be scratched to protect his value is Ivan Barbashev. The St. Louis Blues have already made several moves to collect assets, and Barbashev remains one of the last big chips they have to dangle at the deadline. Now 27, Barbashev has ten goals and 28 points in 57 games this season, a disappointing sequel to his breakout campaign a year ago. Still, he is an interesting piece at the deadline, given his physicality and versatility given he can play all three forward positions.

Montreal Canadiens Claim Chris Tierney

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The Montreal Canadiens have added a little veteran presence off the waiver wire, claiming Chris Tierney from the Florida Panthers. Joey Anderson and Justin Kirkland, who were on waivers with him, both cleared.

Tierney, 28, has played nearly 600 games in his NHL career, even if those have rarely been as a leading man. The depth forward has three points in 13 games with Florida this season, after scoring six goals and 18 points in 2021-22 with the Ottawa Senators.

Florida was able to slip him through waivers at the beginning of the year, but now that teams like Montreal are dealing with so many injuries, he wasn’t making it back to the minor leagues this time.

The Canadiens updated several players today, indicating that Joel Armia is out day-to-day and Chris Wideman will be out week-to-week. The most intriguing update had to do with Kirby Dach, who won’t travel with the team due to what the team is calling “illness-like symptoms related to a lower-body injury.”

Dach hasn’t played in a week now, and there is no clear timeline for his return. Montreal’s claim of Tierney makes sense in that context, given how few healthy bodies the Canadiens have. Signed to a one-year, two-way contract, he’ll be a UFA in the summer.

Anaheim Ducks Acquire Josiah Slavin

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The Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks have completed a minor trade, swapping Josiah Slavin and Hunter Drew today. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Blackhawks wanted to give Slavin an NHL opportunity with another organization, something he wouldn’t receive in Chicago.

Despite that, Slavin will report to the San Diego Gulls at first, meaning his NHL dreams will have to wait for the time being. The 24-year-old forward has just 15 NHL appearances, all with Chicago last season, and is still looking for his first goal at te highest level.

Even in AHL Rockford his production had dried up, with just three goals and 11 points in 51 games this year, following his 32-point effort in 2021-22. The seventh-round pick (and younger brother of Carolina Hurricanes star defenseman Jaccob Slavin) is on the second season of a two-year entry-level contract he signed out of college and will be a restricted free agent this summer.

On the other hand, Drew has just two appearances in the NHL, coming last season with the Ducks. The sixth-round pick transitioned from defense to forward last season and managed to score 17 goals and 38 points in 64 games for the San Diego Gulls, while racking up 134 penalty minutes as one of the toughest players in the league. Things haven’t gone so well this year, with just five goals and 11 points, but those penalty totals are still high as Drew brings physicality every night.

He too is on an expiring contract, and will be a restricted free agent this summer. The deal comes down to swapping some minor league depth, and perhaps giving two players a better path to NHL playing time.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Brad Hunt, Jonas Johansson

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The Colorado Avalanche, heading out of town to play the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow, have recalled a couple of extra bodies. Brad Hunt and Jonas Johansson will join the group, giving them options at defense and in net.

Johansson’s recall is the most significant, given Pavel Francouz is out for a few weeks. The minor league netminder has found something in the Colorado organization, performing better there than any of his other professional stops. Johansson has a .915 in 23 games with the Colorado Eagles, and stopped all seven shots he faced in a relief appearance with the Avalanche earlier this year.

While Aleksandar Georgiev will certainly be carrying the load, the team is headed into a back-to-back situation with a game against the Calgary Flames on Saturday, and have another back-to-back next weekend just after the trade deadline. Johansson may actually get some play unless he’s swapped for Justus Annunen at some point.

Hunt, meanwhile, just continues to show he’s too good for the minor leagues, with 21 points in 24 games for the Eagles. The veteran defenseman has filled the role of extra defensemen well for several organizations, and has 29 appearances for the Avalanche this year. He’ll likely keep bouncing back and forth whenever needed.

Ryan Johansen Undergoes Surgery

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The Nashville Predators won’t have Ryan Johansen back this season, as the team officially released his post-surgery timeline. The veteran forward will be out for 12 weeks following a procedure on his right leg. The team has recalled Kiefer Sherwood to take his roster spot.

Johansen’s leg was cut by the skate blade of Quinn Hughes when the Predators faced the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The injury is an unfortunate end to another disappointing season for the 30-year-old forward.

Last year, it seemed Johansen (and much of the Predators’ forward group) had found his way back to form, scoring 26 goals and 63 points in 79 games. That was his best goal-scoring total since the 2014-15 season, when he was still with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alas, it didn’t last, as Johansen’s numbers plummeted back to earth this year, with just 12 goals and 28 points in 55 games.

Playing fewer than 16 minutes a night for the first time since his rookie season, Johansen’s $8MM cap hit looks one of the worst in the league. The deal extends through 2024-25, and his future is now also clouded by major injury.

For the Predators, removing Johansen from the lineup shouldn’t really change their deadline plans. Yes, they could now add a ton of salary, with a significant amount of current space, and added LTIR flexibility on top of that. But the team still doesn’t look ready to compete for the Stanley Cup as currently constructed.

David Poile has gone on record to say they won’t be buyers, and Johansen’s injury should only confirm that further. Whether they decide to sell core pieces or just nibble around the outside of the roster remains to be seen.

Jesper Froden Recalled From AHL

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled Jesper Froden from the Coachella Valley Firebirds, potentially giving him a chance to make his season debut against his old team. This is Froden’s first call-up since joining the Kraken last summer on a one-year, two-way deal.

The 28-year-old undrafted forward has been outstanding for the Firebirds, scoring 25 goals and 47 points in 44 games. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given how well he played for the Providence Bruins in his first year of North American professional hockey in 2021-22. That success didn’t carry over to his short stint with Boston, though, as Froden scored just a single goal in seven games.

If you want an example of hard work and determination, consider that Froden played six full seasons in the Swedish second tier before even getting a chance to play in the SHL. He would be named the SHL Rookie of the Year in 2020 after his long-awaited debut, and join the Swedish World Championship squad in 2021, scoring four points in five games. A contract with the Bruins followed, and now his chance to make an impact with Seattle.

While he is not a prospect, there must be a little excitement for the Kraken if Froden gets into the lineup. He has scored at every level so far; perhaps he can continue that trend in the NHL with a team willing to offer a fresh start to struggling offensive talents.

Dylan Larkin Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine

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The Detroit Red Wings will escape Washington with two points and their captain’s availability intact. Dylan Larkin has avoided a suspension and was instead given a $5,000 fine—the maximum allowable under the CBA—for his cross-check on T.J. Oshie last night.

Larkin was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for the play, which happened partway through the first period. Missing more than two periods likely impacted the decision, though the Red Wings were still able to fight off the Capitals for a 3-1 win, thanks to two unassisted goals from Pius Suter.

Whether intentional or not, Larkin delivered a forceful blow directly to the face of Oshie as he tried to slow him down coming out of the zone. He is rather fortunate to escape without at least a one-game ban, especially given the important match tomorrow against the New York Rangers.

Detroit is in a race for one of the wildcard positions in the Eastern Conference and sit just two games behind the Florida Panthers with four games in hand. If they can continue their recent hot streak—the Red Wings are winners of seven of their last ten—they have a chance of making the playoffs this season. Larkin, with 56 points in 55 games, is a big part of that.

The incident ended a pretty significant streak, too. Larkin had scored seven goals and 13 points over a seven-game point streak going into the game against Washington but had it snapped when he played just 2:54 before exiting.

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