A pair of NHL-drafted prospects have entered the NCAA’s transfer portal as Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports (Twitter link) that Blackhawks defenseman Slava Demin and Michigan State forward Josh Nodler are looking for new schools for next season. It’s actually the second year in a row that Demin, a 2018 fourth-round pick, has been in the portal as the senior transferred from Denver to UMass for this season but had just three points in 22 games. Meanwhile, Nodler, a 2019 fifth-rounder, had 15 points in 36 games with Michigan State and will now look for a new place to play in the hopes of having a bigger role for his senior year to help his chances of getting an NHL contract from the Flames or someone else.
Flames Rumors
Sean Monahan To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery
Calgary’s center depth has taken a hit as the team announced (Twitter link) that Sean Monahan is set to undergo hip surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson clarifies (via Twitter) that the injury is the opposite hip to the one that was surgically repaired last summer.
This is certainly a tough way to end what has definitely been a tough season for the 27-year-old. While several Flames forwards have had strong years offensively, Monahan went in the opposite direction, notching just eight goals and 15 assists in 65 games with his goal and point totals being the lowest of his nine-year NHL career. Calgary made Monahan a healthy scratch last month after bringing in Calle Jarnkrok to serve as their center on the third line and playing time had been hard to come by since then.
Calgary will place Monahan on LTIR and with a $6.375MM AAV, they will have ample cap space to bring up recalls if they want although they will use up the little bit of banked cap space they have in doing so. In the meantime, Ryan Carpenter, who was acquired from Chicago back at the trade deadline, seems likely to be used in a more regular capacity in Monahan’s absence.
Meanwhile, the Flames also announced that defenseman Oliver Kylington is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Connor Mackey has been recalled from AHL Stockton to take his place. Mackey played in six games with Calgary last season, recording three points while he has 36 points in 53 games in the minors this season.
Coronato Likely Staying At Harvard
- With Harvard University’s season coming to an end after a 4-3 loss to Minnesota State on Thursday, attention turned to Harvard forward and Calgary Flames prospect Matthew Coronato, to see if he may turn professional and sign with Calgary. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Flames are going to talk to the forward, but the belief is that he will ultimately return to Harvard for another season. Friedman mentions the concern Flames fans may have with talented Harvard prospects after their experience with Adam Fox, but cautions that Coronato shouldn’t be an issue for Calgary. Coronato, the 13th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, had 18 goals and 18 assists in 34 games this season for Harvard.
Matthew Coronato Expected To Remain At Harvard
- Although Flames prospect Matthew Coronato had a strong freshman year with Harvard, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson mentions that the 19-year-old is expected to return for his sophomore campaign. The winger is eligible to play in the AHL if Calgary wanted while he would also still have eligibility for major junior but after leading the Crimson in scoring this season with 36 points in 34 games, staying at the college level certainly isn’t a bad idea for the 13th pick in 2021.
Sean Monahan Potentially A Healthy Scratch
Sean Monahan appears to be headed for the press box. The Calgary Flames center was skating as an extra at yesterday’s practice according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet and might end up a healthy scratch for tonight’s matchup against the Arizona Coyotes. Monahan, 27, had played in all 63 games this season but has seen his ice time continually drop, to the point where he was used for fewer than ten minutes earlier this week.
Under contract through the 2022-23 season and carrying a cap hit of $6.375MM, Monahan has basically seen his role with the Flames completely disappear. Whether an offseason trade (or buyout) takes him out of Calgary still remains to be seen, but unless something drastic changes down the stretch, it appears as though he is on the outside looking in following the additions of Tyler Toffoli, Calle Jarnkrok, and Ryan Carpenter.
Minor Transactions: 03/22/22
After the rush and excitement of trade deadline day blows over, it’s always good to be reminded that hockey transactions do go on. Sure, there will be nothing close to matching the excitement of the deadline until later this summer with the NHL Draft and opening of free agency, but in the meantime there will still be signings involving undrafted college and junior players, prospects receiving entry-level deals, and perhaps some early European additions, not to mention the potential for some minor trades among non-playoff teams getting their offseason started early. There also continue to be roster operations ongoing outside the NHL, with the AHL and European leagues dealing with different rules and timelines. For those “minor” moves, make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action:
- It’s hard to keep all of the NHL trades straight on deadline day, nevertheless noticing an AHL swap. It seems that future considerations had a busy day across both leagues, as that was the return for the Belleville Senators in a deal that saw veteran forward Tyrell Goulbourne head to the Stockton Heat. The team announced that they had acquired the 28-year-old forward, as they look to bolster their lineup for the Calder Cup playoffs. Goulbourne, a former member of the Philadelphia Flyers, has never possessed much offensive ability and is scoreless through nine AHL games this season, but continues to provide value with his defensive ability. Though not confirmed by any of the teams involved at either level, Goulbourne is believed to be future considerations himself, as the return of the NHL deal that saw goaltender Michael McNiven head to Ottawa.
- Arizona State standout Colin Theisen isn’t going very far for his first pro experience. The AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners have signed the Sun Devils captain, his now-alma mater announced. A fifth year transfer from Notre Dame, Theisen enjoyed a breakout season to end his collegiate career, recording 19 goals and 42 points in 35 games with ASU. This was far superior than anything he did with the Fighting Irish; in fact, his goals and points totals were better than his two best marks at Notre Dame combined. Though hardly a young prospect at 24, Theisen did enough this year to earn a look in the pros and the nearby Roadrunners were happy to give him a shot. Perhaps the Coyotes will be next if he can prove his game translates to the next level.
- Though far less common in Europe, the end of the playing season marks the beginning of buyout season and one Swiss club is making big cuts. The National League’s SC Bern has bought out a pair of former NHL forwards in Cory Conacher and Kaspars Daugavins as they begin a “remodel”. Conacher and Daugavins were both under contract through 2022-23 and seemingly seemed safe to stick around. Both were among the top six scorers for Bern, as was Vincent Praplan, a player who had already been bought out (with three year remaining on his deal). Though each is on the wrong side of 30, Bern is undoubtedly a worse team without Conacher and Daugavins who will attract interest from a multitude of other European clubs.
Michael McNiven Traded To Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators have added a little more goaltending depth, acquiring Michael McNiven from the Calgary Flames in exchange for future considerations. This is the second time McNiven has been dealt for future considerations just this season, after arriving in Calgary a little over two weeks ago from the Montreal Canadiens.
McNiven, 24, made his NHL debut this season for the Canadiens, unfortunately allowing three goals on just seven shots to give him a career .571 save percentage at the highest level. While he’s just 24, there’s no guarantee he gets a chance to change that, at least not yet. The move to Ottawa doesn’t mean he’s going to be heading to the NHL level, as he’ll likely report to the minor leagues again.
In all, the young netminder never did actually enter a game for the Flames organization, meaning this may be a forgotten stopover in an odd season. While he’ll be a restricted free agent again this summer, McNiven remains (as he has in the past) a prime candidate to go unqualified. In 82 career AHL games, he has posted a 31-35-13 record with an .891 save percentage.
While future considerations often don’t mean very much, in this case, it appears to have been an AHL player heading back the other way. Tyrell Goulbourne has been traded from the Belleville Senators to the Stockton Heat. Players on AHL contracts can’t be included in the same trade as NHL players, meaning this had to be done as two separate transactions.
Ryan Carpenter Traded To Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames have made another addition to their forward group, acquiring Ryan Carpenter from the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks will receive a 2024 fifth-round pick in return.
If you could create the perfect Darryl Sutter-style bottom-six forward, Carpenter might be it. The 31-year-old forward is physical, can play all three forward positions, and routinely takes on incredibly difficult defensive deployment. There isn’t a single regular on Chicago who has started a higher percentage of his shifts in the defensive zone, or a forward that has logged more short-handed ice time. Sam Lafferty has started to take over some of that role since being acquired in January but Carpenter remained a key cog in the Blackhawks’ penalty-killing system and will likely take on a similar role in Calgary.
After also acquiring Calle Jarnkrok and Tyler Toffoli earlier in the year, the Flames have considerably deepened their forward group in preparation for a long playoff run. For the price of a fifth-round pick, they’ve acquired someone that can play a specific role–and play it well–while not adding any issues to their future cap situation. Carpenter is on the final year of a three-year, $3MM deal and carries a cap hit of just $1MM. He’ll be a UFA this summer, though with just three goals and 11 points this year, likely will have trouble securing a similar multi-year contract.
For Chicago, adding anything of value for Carpenter was the goal today as they start a full rebuild. A fifth may not be much, but it’s another draft pick to add to the pile–a pile that is growing quickly under new general manager Kyle Davidson.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff broke the deal on Twitter.
Harri Sateri, Brad Richardson, Derrick Pouliot Claimed On Waivers
Trade Deadline day doesn’t mean trades are the only player movement. Three players were claimed on waivers today, with goalie Harri Sateri heading to Toronto from Arizona, forward Brad Richardson going to Vancouver from Calgary, and defenseman Derrick Pouliot going to Seattle from Vegas.
Sateri is a fresh NHL arrival. The Maple Leafs signed him to a contract yesterday, immediately placing him on re-entry waivers. Sateri had a .926 save percentage in 38 games with the KHL’s Novosibirsk Sibir this season, helping them to a 14-16-5 record with him in the net.
Richardson was placed on waivers yesterday as he’s been pushed out of the NHL lineup with the acquisitions of Tyler Toffoli and Calle Jarnkrok in Calgary. He had two goals and four points in 27 Flames games this year, and he’ll get a chance to supplement Vancouver’s bottom-six forward group as Brandon Sutter remains out with long COVID symptoms.
Pouliot signed an NHL contract earlier in the week after Vegas’ blueline was continually struck with injuries. He got into two games, notching one assist before the team attempted to send him back to AHL Henderson. He’ll now get another NHL shot in Seattle as they continue to ship out players at the deadline.
Flames Acquire Calle Jarnkrok
Last month, the Flames made an important addition on the wing with the acquisition of Tyler Toffoli from Montreal. They’ve now added another winger as they have acquired winger Calle Jarnkrok from Seattle. In exchange, the Kraken receive Florida’s second-round pick in 2022, Calgary’s third-rounder in 2023, and a 2024 seventh-round selection.
The 30-year-old was the Kraken’s selection from Nashville in expansion and he has been his usual dependable two-way self this season. He has played in 49 games for Seattle this season, picking up 12 goals and 14 assists while logging just shy of 17 minutes per game. He has seen regular action on both the penalty kill and power play this season, giving him some versatility in terms of where head coach Darryl Sutter will be able to deploy him.
It’s notable that Jarnkrok has played at center in the past although he has predominantly been on the wing the last three seasons. It’s possible that Calgary could opt to deploy him there in which case he’d likely be upgrading their fourth line as it’s unlikely he’d displace Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, or Sean Monahan from their current roles.
Jarnkrok is in the final season of a six-year, $12MM contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in July. The Flames didn’t currently have enough cap space to absorb his $2MM AAV – they have just $769K in space at the moment per CapFriendly – but Seattle hadn’t used any of their three retention slots before this deal. That, coupled with Adam Ruzicka being waiver-exempt and eligible to be sent back to AHL Stockton, gives them enough cap room to make this work.
In the meantime, Seattle gets a very strong return for a rental player in Jarnkrok. With the second-rounder this year, they now have nine selections for the 2022 draft in July while the 2023 third-rounder gives them ten picks for that draft. They’re likely to look to stockpile more over the coming days with veteran blueliner Mark Giordano expected to be among those on the move by then.
TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report Jarnkrok was going to Calgary. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the draft picks going to Seattle.