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Minimal Interest In Jesse Puljujarvi

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Jesse Puljujarvi hasn’t been in the news much lately but with the trade deadline almost upon us, his name has surfaced as a potential trade candidate.  The restricted free agent remains ineligible to play this season but to a rebuilding team that might be interested in acquiring him, that wouldn’t be much of a deterrent.

However, Oilers GM Ken Holland told reporters, including Postmedia’s Jim Matheson, that he hasn’t been shopping the winger nor have teams really been calling about him.  He had indicated last month that he was open to moving Puljujarvi but his preference wasn’t to move him for a rental player.  That could also be limiting the market for him as at this time of year, pending unrestricted free agents comprise the majority of the players that get moved.

The 21-year-old ranks second in scoring in the SM-liiga with Karpat this season with 21 goals and 27 assists in 48 games and sits one point out of the top spot on the scoring leaderboard.  Perhaps even more importantly, he’s averaging 18:41 per night which is well above the 11:57 per night he had with Edmonton last season.  From a development perspective, that’s significant.

Puljujarvi requested a trade out of Edmonton over the summer and signed back in Finland when it was clear that a move wasn’t coming.  The December 1st RFA signing deadline came and went without a trade.  Based on how things are looking now, the trade deadline is likely to come and go without a move as well.  If that happens, the 2016 fourth-overall pick will need to decide if he’d be better off returning to the Oilers next season or continuing to hold firm with his trade request.

Trade Rumors: Barrie, Simmonds, Senators, Canadiens

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After years of mediocrity, the NHL’s Canadian teams have come to play in 2019-20 and are at the forefront of many of the trade deadline’s biggest story lines. However, perhaps the even bigger surprise than the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks being buyers is that the Toronto Maple Leafs could end up as sellers. In a very Canada-centric segment of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Bob McKenzie reports that, following a difficult week, the Leafs have begun to receive calls on pending UFA defenseman Tyson Barrie, the team’s big off-season addition. McKenzie notes that this could have just as much to do with a suddenly barren defense market as it does with other teams doubting Toronto’s playoff chances, but regardless the team has not closed the door on a possible deal. Barrie has been a poor fit with the Maple Leafs but could benefit a number of other teams down the stretch and in the postseason. The team has seen the high prices that sellers have received so far and could be enticed to make a move of their own. However, McKenzie does note that Toronto is not expected to move Barrie without receiving a defenseman with term in exchange or without a second deal in place to flip picks and prospects for that elusive top-four right-shot defender.

  • The Vancouver Canucks already made a big splash with the acquisition of Tyler Toffoli, but they remain interested in the New Jersey Devils’ Wayne Simmonds as well, a target of theirs since last summer. However, Pierre LeBrun reports that the two sides have not been able to work out the salary cap details in a way that would make the addition work for the strapped Canucks. He suspects that this due to the likelihood that Brock Boeser will return from injury prior to the end of the regular season and the team must account for that cap increase. Seemingly at an impasse, talks are dead for the time being. However, Vancouver could circle back closer to the deadline if Simmonds still has not been dealt and the Devils are willing to be more flexible.
  • Yet again, the Ottawa Senators are one of the primary sellers at the deadline. While their offerings this year pale in comparison to last, they could still turn a nice profit with their current pieces. The insiders note that Vladislav Namestnikov is a healthy scratch tonight (and for the foreseeable future), as the Senators have at least four concrete offers on the table for the versatile forward. Toronto, Winnipeg, Colorado, and Columbus are named as the teams known to have interest, but there are likely more in play. Additionally, value veteran Tyler Ennis could be a nice depth piece for a contender and Edmonton is reportedly the front runner for his services. However, the biggest trade chip in Ottawa is center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and the news tonight is that the two sides have actually begun formal extension talks. While the Senators continue to field offers, it is believed that they have set a high asking price and would prefer to re-sign Pageau. LeBrun even wonders if they would risk keeping him past the deadline without a new deal if the camps are close, especially given the departure of homegrown talent at this time last year.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have a suspicious healthy scratch of their own tonight in Artturi Lehkonen, who has remained out of the trade deadline limelight until now. The 24-year-old winger can be streaky, but is on pace for a career high in points this season nonetheless and still has one year left on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent. It remains to be seen if this decision is even related to a possible deal and, if so, whether Lehkonen is for sale by himself or rather part of a bigger deal. Despite the newfound confusion surrounding Lehkonen, the focus in Montreal remains on Ilya Kovalchuk. The veteran scorer is definitely drawing interest, but LeBrun reports that a framework for a one-year, bonus-laden contract extension is also in place if the Habs opt to keep him. Kovalchuk has proven to be a tremendous fit in Montreal and the team may want to hold on to that positive note in an otherwise disappointing season.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Evan Bouchard

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The Edmonton Oilers have recalled top prospect Evan Bouchard from the AHL, as they deal with the injury to Oscar Klefbom. Markus Granlund has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, while Klefbom moves to injured reserve.

In 50 games this season with Bakersfield, Bouchard has recorded seven goals and 33 points, easily leading all defenders and trailing only Josh Currie and Tyler Benson for the team scoring lead. The 20-year old defenseman was selected 10th overall by the Oilers in 2018 and played seven NHL contests with them last season before returning to the London Knights of the OHL.

A two-way horse that regularly logged more than 30 minutes in a single game while in junior, the 6’3″ Bouchard’s real upside is in his offensive ability. Though he doesn’t have the same skating ability or puck skills of some other top rookie defensemen like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, his quick decision making and precision passing (even at great distances) can create countless chances for his teammates. His shot has also always been a weapon, including getting him to a 25-goal season in his draft year.

Klefbom is dealing with an injury that will keep him out a few weeks, meaning Bouchard may get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level. The question is how many games will he get, as his contract is still slide-eligible. That means if Bouchard plays in fewer than ten games with the Oilers down the stretch his entry-level contract would still not kick in until next season, giving Edmonton another cheap year. Of course, many teams look much more closely at the 40-game threshold that would move a player one year closer to unrestricted free agency, something that Bouchard can no longer hit this season.

Injury Notes: Bouwmeester, Klefbom, Aston-Reese

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After suffering a cardiac episode and being revived on the bench earlier this month, St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has released a statement thanking all the medical professionals for their hard work in his recovery:

I would sincerely like to thank all of the trainers from both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, as well as all of the first responders, the Anaheim medical staff and the team at the UCI Medical Center for their quick actions on Feb. 11.

Our family has felt the support of the entire National Hockey League family and the city of St. Louis during this time. We have all been greatly comforted by your genuine concern.

On Sunday evening, I returned to St. Louis and I am on the road to recovery. My wife and daughters are forever grateful for everyone’s support and we will continue to have a positive outlook for our future.

It is great news to hear that Bouwmeester has returned to St. Louis and will continue his recovery at home. The entire hockey community wishes him well as he gets better.

  • In other injury news, the Edmonton Oilers have lost another key player for several weeks. Oscar Klefbom will miss two-to-three weeks with a shoulder injury, weakening the Oilers’ already shaky defensive group. It’s hard to overstate how important Klefbom has been this season, logging more than 25 minutes a night and leading all Oilers’ defensemen in scoring with 33 points in 59 games.
  • Speaking of teams that have been injury-riddled, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost another forward. Zach Aston-Reese has been listed as week-to-week by head coach Mike Sullivan, taking him out of the lineup for the time being. The 25-year old Aston-Reese has been a staple in the Penguins lineup all year, recording 13 points in 57 games while logging significant time on the penalty kill. Though he obviously isn’t as impactful as some of the other Pittsburgh stars who have missed time, his absence will be noticed.

Five Key Stories: 02/10/20 – 02/16/20

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Can you really pick just five? In a news cycle in which superstar Erik Karlsson being ruled out for the season doesn’t even crack the top ten headlines, here are the five most important stories (admittedly with some other notes sprinkled in) of the week that was:

Bouwmeester Suffers Cardiac Incident: The hockey world stood still on Tuesday night, after the game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks was suspended under very scary circumstances. Veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a “cardiac event” while on the bench during the first period of the contest, collapsing onto the ground. Bouwmeester required resuscitation by the teams’ training staffs to re-start his heart before he was rushed to the hospital. While awaiting word on his condition, there was an outpouring of support from teams and players in all corners of the hockey world for the well-respected veteran. Fortunately, the team issued a statement that Bouwmeester was in stable condition, followed by a report on Friday that he had undergone successful heart surgery. While questions remain about Bouwmeester’s availability to the reigning Stanley Cup champs this season, as well as the future of the impending free agent’s career, the focus will be on rest and rehabilitation for a while still to come.

Minnesota Fires Boudreau: In 13 seasons as an NHL head coach, Bruce Boudreau has only missed the playoffs twice and those seasons occurred seven years apart. However, one of those seasons was 2018-19 and things were not looking good for a return to the postseason in Minnesota this year. New GM Bill Guerin opted to cut ties with his veteran coach on Friday before he could miss consecutive postseasons for the first time in his career. Assistant Dean Evason was named the interim replacement, while Boudreau will begin looking for a new home – a process that historically has not taken him very long.

Elsewhere in the division, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice received the opposite treatment, despite similar struggles this season. Already one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NHL, Maurice received a three-year contract extension from the Jets.

Penguins Acquire Zucker: Firing Boudreau was not the only major shake-up in Minnesota this week. Long-time Wild star Jason Zucker was finally traded on Monday after more than a year of speculation, even through front office changes. In the end, he winds up with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the same team that nearly acquired him this summer for Phil Kessel. Former Pittsburgh executive Bill Guerin made good on his major trade as Minnesota GM, landing a 2020 first-round pick, top prospect defenseman Calen Addison, and a capable forward and potential extension candidate in Alex Galchenyuk. Meanwhile, the Penguins add the forward they have been seeking – especially in light of Jake Guentzel’s season-ending injury – in Zucker, a veteran with the speed and skill to keep up with Sidney Crosby and three more years remaining on his contract at a reasonable rate. Zucker scored two goals in just his second game with the Penguins on Friday.

Devils Deal Two Key Players: The trades kept rolling on Sunday with the New Jersey Devils as the center of attention. Another new GM, Tom Fitzgerald, is making good on his promise to maximize the return on tradable assets from the rebuilding club. In two separate deals, the Devils added a first-round pick and second-round pick in 2020, promising forward prospect Nolan Foote, and minor leaguer David Quenneville. Of course, it came at a cost, as long-time captain Andy Greene was dealt to the rival New York Islanders and fan-favorite forward Blake Coleman was moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, with such strong returns and pieces like Sami Vatanen, Wayne Simmonds, and more expected to go as well, this is the beginning of potentially franchise-altering deadline for New Jersey.

Oilers Extend Nurse: The Edmonton Oilers needed some good news this week, with superstar Connor McDavid out two-to-three weeks with an injury and fellow forward Zack Kassian suspended for seven games. They got it with news of a contract extension for young defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse, 25, signed a two-year, $11.2MM deal prior to restricted free agency and a potential arbitration battle this summer. The new AAV for Nurse represents a sizeable salary bump, but for good reason, as he has established himself as a dependable top-pair defender and a point-producer. While the relationship between Nurse and the Oilers was once a concern, it now seems to be in good order, with expectations already that the two sides will negotiate a more long-term extension after next season.

Zack Kassian Suspended Seven Games

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The Department of Player Safety have handed out a punishment, and quite a hefty one at that. Zack Kassian of the Edmonton Oilers has been suspended seven games for kicking Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak last night. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that while we acknowledge Kassian’s argument that he was trying to disentangle himself from the pile of players, that in no way justifies this action. NHL players regularly become entangled with opponents and teammates, and regularly remove themselves from the pile safely and legally, without putting themselves or their opponents at risk of serious injury…

…It is also important to acknowledge the Oilers’ argument that the kick was not forceful. We have always been clear that force is an important consideration for both on-ice officials and our department in assessing penalties or discipline, with more substantial penalties being handed out for more forceful or violent infractions. However we must emphasize that using a skate blade to make intentional or reckless contact with an opponent, regardless of the purpose, is entirely different from a hit that involves a player’s body or stick as there is minimal force required to dangerously cut or injure an opponent.

This is the fourth suspension handed out by the DoPS for Kassian in his NHL career, including one just a month ago when he attacked Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames. That means that Kassian is a repeat offender under the CBA, and will forfeit more than $166K in salary for this seven-game suspension.

It also means there will be absolutely no tolerance for this sort of thing or any other incidents that require supplementary discipline in the future for the Oilers’ winger. After just signing an extension with Edmonton, he’ll have to try and stay out of the DoPS sightline for a while.

Zack Kassian Offered In-Person Hearing For Kicking Incident

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Oilers winger Zack Kassian has been offered an in-person hearing as a result of his kicking incident against Tampa Bay on Thursday night, the Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link).  This means that he could potentially be suspended for six or more games.

The incident occurred late in the first period with Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak.  The two fell to the ice after Edmonton winger collided with the both of them.  After all three were tangled up on the ice for a few seconds, Kassian kicked Cernak as the latter was trying to get up.  No penalty was called on the play.  The video of the incident can be found here.

Speaking with reporters postgame including Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Kassian tried to downplay the incident:

It felt like we were there a lifetime. We were down there for a while. He was holding my leg, it was reactionary. I was just trying to get him off me, kick him off me. I was just trying to get my foot loose.

If I kicked him hard, I think he would have flew back or the ref would have called a penalty.

What will certainly work against Kassian here is that he received a two-game suspension just one month ago for instigating a fight against an unwilling combatant in Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk.  To be in the crosshairs of the league once again that quickly won’t help his cause.  Kassian has the right to decline to take up the offer for an in-person hearing and he has exercised that right.  Instead, his hearing will be conducted by phone this afternoon but even with that happening, the league still can suspend him for more than the five games that a phone hearing allows.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report that Kassian would be offered an in-person hearing.

League Notes: KHL, AHL, Escrow

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The KHL has a new president according to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express, and it is a name familiar to NHL fans—especially those who root for the Pittsburgh Penguins (or perhaps the New Jersey Devils). Alexei Morozov will take over from Dmitry Chernyshenko, who stepped down earlier this year to take a job in Russian government.

Morozov, 42, played parts of seven seasons with the Penguins between 1997-2004, and was famously named as the one shooter that Devils’ goaltender Martin Brodeur didn’t want to face on a breakaway. Morozov would return to Russia during the 2004 lockout and have an outstanding career that included two Gagarin Cup championships, two World Championship gold medals and a RSL championship.

  • The AHL is also close to naming new leadership, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that a board of governors vote is scheduled for tomorrow. Friedman tweets that Scott Howson, who currently serves as Edmonton Oilers vice president of player development, is likely to replace outgoing league president David Andrews. Howson has served in NHL front offices for more than two decades, including a period as GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
  • Gavin Hockey Wealth Specialists tweeted today that last week players were informed that 2017-18 hockey related revenue accounting has been finalized, with an escrow refund of 3.15%. As Frank Seravalli of TSN points out, given the original escrow collected was 11.5%, players were paid 91.65% of their published salaries.

Edmonton Oilers Extend Joakim Nygard

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If Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland is anything, he’s loyal to his players and a man of his word. The veteran executive has shown that yet again today by extending forward Joakim Nygard. The move comes just weeks after a report emerged that Holland and company were happy with the play of their depth forwards and hoping to sign the impending UFA’s in that group. Zack Kassian was re-signed days after that announcement and now Nygard, one of the other players specifically named, can also be checked off the re-signing list. Nygard’s new deal is for the 2020-21 season and carries an $875K cap hit, per PuckPedia.

Nygard, 27, is in his first NHL season after signing with the Oilers this past spring out of Sweden. The left winger had previously been a standout performer for many years for Farjestad BK of the SHL but decided to make the jump to the top level. So far, he has recorded nine points in 33 games, but has battled injuries along the way and is currently sidelined with a broken hand. At his best, Nygard has shown flashes of offensive pop and has even spent some time on Edmonton’s little-used second power play unit. None of Nygard’s numbers this season really jump off the page, but clearly there was mutual interest in an extended relationship between player and team and at worst he is an affordable depth option, especially after taking a slight salary hit off of his $925K number this year.

With Nygard’s new deal complete, Holland can continue down the list. The other forwards named in the prior report include Josh Archibald and Riley Sheahan, who have both been valuable role players for the Oilers this season. At this rate, don’t be surprised to see both ink extensions by the end of the regular season.

Connor McDavid Out 2-3 Weeks

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The Edmonton Oilers have lost their captain for at least a few weeks. Oilers GM Ken Holland announced today that Connor McDavid will be out two to three weeks with a quad injury. McDavid is returning to Toronto to work with his rehab team in the meantime. Holland was clear to point out that this injury has nothing to do with the major knee injury that McDavid suffered last year. No surgery will be required.

Losing one of the most exciting players in the world is bad for the NHL, but for Edmonton it could be disastrous. The Oilers currently sit in second place in the Pacific Division, but that doesn’t really show the real precariousness of the situation. The Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames are both tied with Edmonton with 64 points, while the Arizona Coyotes sit just behind them with 63. The Winnipeg Jets also sit at 63 and are battling for the wild card, meaning the Oilers could fall right out of a playoff spot if they have a bad stretch.

The Oilers have an especially busy scheduling coming up as they catch up to the teams around them in games played as well. With eight games over the next two weeks and 12 over the next three, McDavid could miss a good chunk of the most important part of the season.

That puts the onus on Leon Draisaitl to prove his Hart Trophy candidacy and lead the Oilers through this stretch with his quick strike offensive ability. Already leading the league in scoring with 85 points in 55 games, the 24-year old forward will have even more attention put upon him every night.

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