Nick Shore Traded To Calgary Flames
Nick Shore has been traded to the Calgary Flames according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, after spending just a few weeks with the Ottawa Senators. Shore was part of the Dion Phaneuf–Marian Gaborik trade earlier this month, coming over from the Los Angeles Kings, but will now head west again in exchange for a 2019 seventh-round pick.
Shore, the younger brother of former Flame Drew Shore, has 16 points on the year split between two teams and is on pace for a career-high in scoring once he joins his third. The 25-year-old is also an impending restricted free agent, so Calgary does retain some control over the young forward.
Although to a lesser extent, the deal closely resembles a trade last year that saw Ottawa send 21-year-old Curtis Lazar to the Flames for a second-round pick. Lazar has been largely ineffective in Calgary, so the Flames hope for a better result from Shore.
Flames Claim Chris Stewart Off Waivers From Wild
Stewart has put up a respectable nine goals in 47 games with Minnesota this season but has also been a frequent healthy scratch as his game-to-game consistency has been a concern, something that has been the case throughout his career. However, he should still serve as a fourth line option for the Flames and with a $1.15MM cap hit, is certainly an affordable option to add. Meanwhile, the Wild now free up a bit more cap space to work with which is important if they look to bring youngsters Luke Kunin and Jordan Greenway into the fold down the stretch. Stewart will be an unrestricted free agent in July.
Multiple Players Placed On Waivers
With today being the last day to place players on waivers, many teams have placed players on waivers in hopes of adding some roster flexibility for the remainder of the season. According to Bob McKenzie, many players have been placed on waivers, including defensemen Christopher Breen and Paul Postma of the Boston Bruins, forward Jussi Jokinen of the Columbus Blue Jackets, defenseman Cody Goloubef of the Calgary Flames, forward Lance Bouma of the Chicago Blackhawks, forward Chris Stewart of the Minnesota Wild, forwards Alexandre Burrows and Jim O’Brien and defenseman Johnny Oduya of the Ottawa Senators, defenseman Mark Alt and goaltender John Muse of the Philadelphia Flyers and forward Chris Thorburn of the St. Louis Blues.
McKenzie adds that New York Rangers forward cleared waivers today.
Of teams that are still in the playoff race, the New York Islanders will likely get the first shot on many of these players if the team is looking to add more depth after trading for defenseman Brandon Davidson Saturday.
While several of these players are AHL players who aren’t seeing time, there are several veteran players who are affected by the moves. Two of the most obvious are Burrows and Oduya. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that the team failed to find anyone interested in trading for either players, so the hope is a team might be willing to claim them without having to give anything up.
Burrows is one of those the team would like to close the book on. Acquired at the trade deadline a year ago for prized prospect Jonathan Dahlen, the team then made it worse by signing him to a two-year extension, worth $2.5MM per season. While he scored 15 goals between Vancouver and Ottawa last year, Burrows has struggled, having tallied just three goals in 51 games. Oduya was signed in the offseason and the veteran could be a solid candidate to be claimed by a team that needs some defensive depth.
Another player who is likely to be claimed is Stewart, who the Minnesota Wild placed on waivers as the team wants to make room for adding 2016 first-rounder Luke Kunin or if the team signs Boston University star Jordan Greenway. The veteran is an excellent locker room presence, has quite a bit of experience and can score as he has nine goals in 47 games this year. Jokinen who has already been on waivers this year returns to it and could be claimed if a team wants some depth to their forward line. Chicago’s Bouma is another who could be claimed as he has fallen out of the Blackhawks lineup, but provides forward depth that could be useful for a team making a playoff run. He’s played in 53 games this year, totaling three goals, six assists and +1 plus/minus ratio.
Other players like Alt and Postma are likely just heading to the AHL to join their playoff rosters. Alt has played just eight games in Philadelphia, spending most of his season in Lehigh Valley. Postma has been with the Bruins all year and might be heading to the Providence Bruins to help the team with their playoff push. He has appeared in just 12 games all season for Boston.
Both Breen, O’Brien, Muse and Goloubef each signed two-way contracts in the last 24 hours and had to be passed through waivers in order to assign them to their respective NHL teams. O’Brien signed a two-way contract today, while Goloubef signed yesterday. FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike reports that Muse signed a two-way deal today.
Flames Notes: Smith, Goloubef, Mangiapane, Glass, Fox
The Calgary Flames announced they have placed veteran goaltender Mike Smith on injured reserve today although general manager Brad Treliving says he remains day-to-day. The goaltender has missed six games with a groin injury.
“I’d love to give you clarity of which day that is. We don’t know yet,” said Treliving, according to Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson.
The team has been using the combination of David Rittich and Jon Gillies and may look to pick up another goaltender as the compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
- Treliving also said that Stockton Heat defenseman Cody Goloubef will have his AHL contract upgraded to a two-way NHL deal, according to Sportsnet’s 960. The 28-year-old has 129 games of NHL experience and was recently on loan to the Canadian Olympic team. The defenseman just picked up two assists to help lead his team to a 6-4 victory over the Czech Republic to capture the bronze medal earlier. In 34 games for Stockton this year, he has seven goals and 10 assists.
- The team also made several moves today, including recalling forwards Tanner Glass and Andrew Mangiapane, while assigning forward Ryan Lomberg to Stockton. The 34-year-old Glass has played seven games for Calgary this year. The veteran should provide some experience on the team’s fourth line. The 21-year-old Mangiapane has played nine games for Calgary, but has failed to score a point. Picked in the sixth round of the 2015 draft, Mangiapane has excelled at a young age in the AHL, having scored 39 goals in two years. The 23-year-old Lomberg had just one assist in seven games for Calgary, but has five goals and 84 penalty minutes with Stockton.
- Treliving also mentioned, according to FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike, the team has 46 contracts (out of a possible 50) and are looking at possible college free agents to add as well as the possibility of trying to sign Harvard University defenseman Adam Fox, who the team drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft. Fox had a 40-point season as a freshman and currently has 21 points this season with The Crimson.
Trade Deadline Notes: Flames, Plekanec, Neal
“Will GM Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames ‘pull a Hextall’?”, wonders the Calgary Sun’s Eric Francis with mere days left before the NHL Trade Deadline. Francis is referring to Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who recently acted quickly to acquire goaltender Petr Mrazek from the Detroit Red Wings when his top two goalies went down with long-term injuries. Treliving and the Flames are now in a similar position, with their one experienced keeper, Mike Smith, out with a groin injury and a return not imminent. Calgary is currently working with two rookie goalies, David Rittich and Jon Gillies, as they try to keep up in the Western Conference playoff race. If Treliving, like Hextall, feels that he owes his team a true starting-caliber goalie, he could hit the rental market for some help down the stretch. Options could include Buffalo’s Robin Lehner, an impending RFA and likely the top available target, Arizona’s Antti Raanta, if the Coyotes are willing to move him, a reunion with Chad Johnson, or even a lesser option albeit with more experience such as Michael Hutchinson or Andrew Hammond. However, as Francis points out after his conversation with Treliving, if the team continues to put forward lackluster performances in front of their young goalie tandem, perhaps paying the steep price to bring in an upgrade won’t be worth it. The situation is one worth monitoring as the deadline fast approaches.
- One player expected to move before the deadline is career Canadien Tomas Plekanec. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that calls have been flooding in to Montreal GM Marc Bergevin, especially following the Derick Brassard news, inquiring into the cost of trading for the veteran center. Plekanec, 35, has seen his offense fall off dramatically over the past two seasons, but still plays a reliable two-way game and can still be an experienced asset for many teams. With the Canadiens far outside the playoff picture and Plekanec on an expiring contract, possibly headed for retirement, a deal will almost certainly be struck with an interested team. It seems the days are numbered on a relationship that began in 2003-04.
- The Vegas Golden Knights placed James Neal on injured reserve today, per beat writer Steve Carp. While Neal is simply suffering from an illness right now, an undisclosed illness has also kept teammate Shea Theodore out of the lineup for more than a week. With forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and William Carrier also on IR and an unclear picture of when Neal will return to action, one has to wonder if the Knights will take a longer look at the forward market before the deadline passes them by.
Flames Recall Morgan Klimchuk, Place Marek Hrivik On IR
- The Flames announced that they have recalled winger Morgan Klimchuk from AHL Stockton. The 2013 first-round pick has not yet seen any NHL action in his career (the only first-rounder from that draft in that situation) but sits tied for second on the Heat in goals this season with 13 in 44 games. To make room for Klimchuk on the roster, Calgary has transferred winger Marek Hrivik to injured reserve.
Flames Re-Sign Mikael Backlund To Six-Year Extension
One of the biggest names expected to be on the 2018 free agent market has instead decided to stay put. The Calgary Flames announced this evening that they have re-signed center Mikael Backlund to a six-year, $32.1MM extension. The deal carries a $5.35MM cap hit, while TSN’s Darren Dreger adds that the first two years of the extension carry a $2MM signing bonus, while the final four are purely salary and the deal contains a No-Movement Clause in the first three years and a Modified No-Trade Clause for the last three years.
This appears to be a very favorable deal for the Flames. Backlund, 28, has spent his entire career in Calgary after being drafted out of Sweden in the first round of the 2007 NHL Draft. Backlund has since flown under the radar, quietly becoming one of the top two-way forwards in the NHL through his 519 games for the Flames. He is also capable on offense, with 104 goals and 158 assists for 262 career points thus far, including a career-high 53 last season. He has kept up his high-level play at both ends of the ice in 2017-18, on pace for 48 points and considered a candidate for the Selke Trophy with some truly impressive possession metrics.
Backlund has proven himself to be a perfect fit as a middle-six center for the Flames and will now hold down that role into the foreseeable future. While Brian Burke, Brad Treliving, and company are surely excited about the extension, the news will leave many other teams discouraged. Backlund was ranked seventh in PHR’s Midseason Free Agent Power Rankings – and had the potential to move up – while ranking second behind only John Tavares among centers. With Tavares also expected more likely to resign than go elsewhere, teams with needs down the middle could soon see their top two targets off the board. Backlund was also set to cash in on his prime position in free agency this summer, so his reasonable extension is even further proof that he was happy to stay in Calgary long-term.
Penguins, Flames Complete Minor League Trade
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames have completed a minor league trade, with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Colin Smith heading to Stockton in exchange for Joseph Cramarossa. Both players are on AHL contracts this season, though do come with some NHL experience.
Smith, 24, was selected in the seventh round by the Colorado Avalanche, and despite some huge totals in junior hockey has had trouble progressing through the minor league ranks. Though at times he’s shown an offensive capability in the AHL, he was given just a single NHL game in Colorado before bouncing around the last few seasons. The undersized forward has 18 points in 35 games for WBS this year.
Cramarossa, 25, comes with quite a bit more NHL experience. He suited up for 49 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season, before being claimed off waivers by the Canucks and getting into another 10 games. A third-round pick in 2011, he’s known for his high-energy game and ability to engage physically.
Snapshots: Leivo, Danault, Smith
Not so long ago it was reported that Josh Leivo had requested a trade away from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 24-year old forward has barely played over the last few seasons, spending more time in the press box than the bench. It was natural for him to want a fresh start somewhere, and a chance to prove he is a full-time NHL player.
This morning, speaking with reporters including Jonas Siegal of The Athletic, Maple Leafs’ GM Lou Lamoriello expressed that he never did receive a trade request from Leivo despite the widespread reports. When asked about the trade request earlier this month, Leivo’s agent wouldn’t confirm it but did say that the forward “simply needs to play regularly.”
- Phillip Danault is back travelling with the Montreal Canadiens, and says the only symptom he suffered after taking a Zdeno Chara shot to the head was vertigo. Danault hasn’t played in nearly a month, but was actually having a nice season for the Canadiens with 23 points in 43 games. He could rejoin the lineup on Wednesday evening.
- Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports that Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith‘s injury may not be as bad as it looked, though no clarification past that is given. Smith had to be helped off the ice by the training staff and two teammates, just at the end of their game against the New York Islanders. Smith has been a huge part of the Flames season so far, and a long-term injury could be devastating to their playoff hopes.
Rangers’ Ondrej Pavelec Out 2-3 Weeks
The New York Rangers will be without their backup goaltender Ondrej Pavelec, who sprained his MCL and will be out for two to three weeks, according to Justin Tasch of the Daily News. The injury happened during Friday’s game against the Calgary Flames when the 30-year-old goaltender was forced to leave during the first period of the game.
The injury is just another one of many for the Rangers, who have been decimated by them. The team already is without winger Chris Kreider (rib resection), defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (meniscus surgery), Pavel Buchnevich (concussion), Marc Staal (cervical strain). Defenseman Ryan McDonagh is also out with an upper-body injury. Winger Jimmy Vesey has also missed some time, but is expected to play today.
Pavelec has struggled at times with the Rangers as he has a 3.01 GAA in 16 appearances and a .910 save percentage. He did, however, have a dominant streak between Oct. 26 and Jan. 7 in which he had a 2.27 GAA and a .937 save percentage. The recalled Alexander Georgiev from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL Saturday. The 22-year-old has been hot recently there with an 8-0-1 record and a 1.76 GAA in his last nine starts.