- Joey Keane’s first NHL stint was a short one as the Rangers announced last night (Twitter link) that they had returned him to AHL Hartford. He didn’t suit up against Columbus as the team opted to dress Brendan Smith instead.
Rangers Rumors
Rangers Recall Joey Keane From Hartford
- Joey Keane’s strong start to his first professional season has earned him an NHL chance as the Rangers announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Hartford. The defenseman earned an All-Star nod and has been quite promising offensively with 28 points in 48 games with the Wolf Pack this season. This will be Keane’s first opportunity in the NHL.
Trade Rumors: Hall, Wild, Rangers, Hurricanes
After spending the first few months of the season obsessing over him, few want to see Taylor Hall’s name back in the rumor mill. Fortunately, that doesn’t appear to be likely. Even though the Arizona Coyotes have failed to improve since acquiring the star forward from the New Jersey Devils in December and are far from a lock for the playoffs this season, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun confirmed on tonight’s segment of “Insider Trading” that the Coyotes have no intention of flipping Hall before the deadline. Although holding on to the high-profile impending free agent is a risk, the team remains intent on re-signing Hall, with the full backing of new owner Alex Meruello. In fact, LeBrun reports that Meruello, GM John Chayka, and Hall’s agent, Darren Ferris, all recently met and are on the same page that Hall will not be dealt this season and that extension talks will begin once the Coyotes’ season has come to an end, whenever that is. LeBrun believes that Arizona’s ability and willingness to offer Hall and eight-year term on his next contract could tip the scales toward the former Hart Trophy winner staying in the desert.
- TSN colleague Darren Dreger reports that even after trading away long-time forward Jason Zucker to the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday, new Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin may not be done dealing. Dreger states that the team is still listening to offers for young defenseman Matt Dumba, who has popped up in rumors over the last few weeks, as well as fellow rearguard Jonas Brodin. With that said, a trade of either skilled defender seems more likely to occur in the off-season, as Dreger believes the asking price for both would be a top-line center or a second-line center plus a pick or prospect. No contender will be in position to make a deal of that magnitude ahead of the trade deadline, but suitors could circle back this summer, perhaps even before free agency opens and the Wild have to make a decision on captain Mikko Koivu.
- Another deal that could take place this summer is a resolution in the crowded net of the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev was the name suggested by many as being available for trade, but TSN’s Bob McKenzie does not see a deal happening this season. He reports that the Rangers continue to listen on Georgiev but are not actively shopping him and head coach David Quinn is content to carry three goalies and ride the hot hand. However, the best keeper of late has been Igor Shesterkin, not future Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist. McKenzie wonders if Lundqvist will be content in New York moving forward if he is playing more of a backup role to Shesterkin or if he could ask for a trade this summer or perhaps even at the deadline.
- The insiders wrapped up with LeBrun relaying word from sources around the league that the Carolina Hurricanes are openly offering a first-round pick in exchange for a top-four defenseman with term. The Hurricanes are owners of two top picks, their own and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ from the Patrick Marleau trade, and GM Don Waddell clearly feels that he could part with one of the two if it means landing long-term help. Even after trading Justin Faulk before the season, the Hurricanes are still considered one of the deeper blue line units in the NHL. Yet, they have been on the hunt for a Faulk replacement much of the year and that search was amplified by the injury to Dougie Hamilton. In that vein, LeBrun adds that the team has had talks on rentals Sami Vatanen of the Devils and Brenden Dillon of the Sharks as a short-term fix with Hamilton out, but owner Tom Dundon has encouraged Waddell to avoid rentals and target term if he is going to trade a first-rounder.
Trade Rumors: Canucks, Tatar, Petry, Maple Leafs, Pageau
With little cap space anyway, many were not expecting the Vancouver Canucks to be particularly active at the trade deadline. However, that viewpoint may have changed after forward Brock Boeser suffered an upper-body injury Saturday against the Calgary. While the extent of the injury is unknown, head coach Travis Green said after the game that Boeser would be out “for a bit.”
NHL.com’s Tracey Myers writes that the Canucks may be looking for a forward at the trade deadline, especially with the team hanging on to first place in the Pacific Division by just one point with four teams breathing down their necks. The team is expecting to get back forward Micheal Ferland soon, but Ferland isn’t likely to provide the offense the team gets from Boeser, who has 16 goals and 45 points, third on the team in scoring.
- Plenty of rumors have come up regarding two players with the Montreal Canadiens, including defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Tomas Tatar. Both Petry and Tatar would be valuable trade chips for the Canadiens as they both have one year remaining after this one with reasonable contracts ($5.5MM for Petry; $4.8MM for Tatar). Both are having impressive seasons as well, making them even more intriguing. However, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that he has been told that neither player is being shopped and the team will wait until they are closer to the deadline to see whether they are any closer in the standings to competing for a playoff spot before deciding on whether they would move any of their unrestricted free agents, which could include Ilya Kovalchuk, Nate Thompson or Marco Scandella.
- Now that the backup goaltender position has been taken care of, the Toronto Maple Leafs are thought to need to add to their defense before the deadline. However, Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada reports that the Maple Leafs intend to wait until closer to the deadline before they consider making another move. The team currently has Cody Ceci on long-term injured reserve and the team wants to wait to see his status in a couple weeks before making a final decision. “Toronto is going to wait,” Friedman said. “Morgan Rielly has a doctor’s appointment next week, they still want to see what his future is, also the health of Cody Ceci, which they’ll know more about probably in a couple of weeks.”
- On the same Hockey Night in Canada last night, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that while the New York Rangers have started negotiating with soon-to-be unrestricted free-agent Chris Kreider to see if a reasonable deal can be worked out, the Ottawa Senators have not started to negotiate with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, suggesting that he is a strong candidate to be dealt at the trade deadline with several suitors likely lining up to acquire him.
Micheal Haley To Undergo Surgery, Out Indefinitely
- Rangers winger Micheal Haley is out indefinitely and is set to undergo surgery for a bilateral core muscle injury, the team announced (Twitter link). The veteran physical forward has played in 22 games with New York this season, recording a goal along with 50 penalty minutes while averaging a career-low 5:32 per night. Haley is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Rangers Have No Desire To Trade Alexandar Georgiev
Carrying three goaltenders is rarely ideal but over the past month, the Rangers have been making it work and it seems as if it will carry on for a while. Although Alexandar Georgiev has been in trade speculation for a while now, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the process has reached the point where they have no desire to move him.
Part of that may be that one of their more ideal trade partners in Toronto turned around and made another move for a goalie this past week which takes them out of the equation. But at the same time, Georgiev is still quite young (he turns 24 on Monday) and with a career .913 save percentage (at a time where New York has largely been rebuilding), he’s certainly good enough to be part of their future plans alongside Igor Shesterkin who clearly isn’t going anywhere either.
Georgiev is a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights this summer and even with his limited playing time as of late, he’ll still be in line for a considerable raise on his current cap hit which checks in at just under $800K. With Kevin Shattenkirk’s buyout cap charge increasing by $4.6MM for next season and players like Ryan Strome and Anthony DeAngelo also in line for raises, New York could be facing somewhat of a cap crunch for next season.
That takes us to veteran Henrik Lundqvist. He still has one year remaining on his deal after this one but as Brooks notes, a buyout could be a distinct possibility and would open up an extra $3MM in cap room for next summer. Accordingly, if the team was to communicate that this is the direction that they’re leaning, would he be open to a trade if a suitor could be found between now and the February 24th trade deadline? The 37-year-old has long stated his desire to only play for the Rangers and is believed to have turned down at least one opportunity to go elsewhere in the past. But if the writing is on the wall with the tandem of Shesterkin and Georgiev being the plan for both the long and short term, he may have to reconsider that if he wants to keep playing.
In the meantime, it certainly seems as if Georgiev, who many felt was going to be the odd man out, may be sticking around after all which would take one of the more intriguing trade chips off the market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extension Notes: Kreider, Miller, Willman
New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered the top rental player on the market and has been for some time. Yet, through it all the Rangers have maintained that they would like to re-sign their All-Star winger. It seems GM Jeff Gorton has finally decided that it’s time to talk details if the two sides are going to work out a deal ahead of the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Gorton and Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, will sit down within the next few days to discuss a contract extension. While LeBrun thinks that it could be a tough extension to work out given Kreider’s status as arguably the second-best potential free agent this summer behind only Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In a weak market, Kreider could capitalize more on a bidding war than he likely would be able to re-signing with New York before testing the waters. However, the career Ranger may also see that he is on an up-and-coming team and wish to stay at the right price. Gorton and Keator will discuss what that number might be in the coming days and a decision on Kreider’s future, one way or another, will be made within the coming weeks.
- He may be 39 and noticeably declining with each season, but the Anaheim Ducks remain interested in bringing back veteran goaltender Ryan Miller for another year. That is, if he wants to play another year. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that Miller has earned the ability to decide how his career will end. Despite his struggles this season, Miller would have value on the trade market if the Ducks were to make him available, but Teaford believes that he will have the final say on a potential move. Miller could decline the opportunity to play for a playoff team down the stretch, as he did last season. He could also accept the trade with the knowledge that he would be welcomed back to Anaheim as a free agent this summer. Miller may also land with a legitimate Cup contender and decide to call it a career after a long playoff run. Or, and the only future the player himself is considering at this time, Miller may just stay in Anaheim and revisit his options in the off-season. While a decision on where Miller will play for the rest of the season must be made within the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline, there is still time to consider his future beyond this season. However, the cushy role of backup to workhorse John Gibson in sunny Southern California is not a bad way for Miler to continue his career into his 40’s.
- A notable AHL rookie signed an extension on Tuesday. Former Brown and Boston University forward Max Willman signed on for another year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Willman, 24, played five seasons of college hockey, a tenure extended by a senior season at Brown lost to injury. While Willman struggled to get back to full strength with BU last season, he still managed to make enough of an impression on the Philadelphia Flyers to earn a deal with their affiliate. Willman looked like his old self to begin the year, scoring at a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Since being called up to Lehigh, he has three goals and five points in 15 games. The Cape Cod native works hard and plays a smart game and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could one day be signing an NHL contract.
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Jack Campbell, Kyle Clifford
The Toronto Maple Leafs will not wait any longer for an upgrade in net. After falling to the New York Rangers tonight, the team has acquired Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings. In return, the Kings will receive depth forward Trevor Moore, a third-round pick in 2020 (CBJ) and a conditional third-round pick in 2021. That pick will become a second if the team re-signs Clifford or the Maple Leafs make the playoffs and Campbell wins six regular season games. The Kings will also retain 50% of Clifford’s remaining salary.
Toronto had been struggling all season to find a reliable backup goaltender and with Frederik Andersen’s recent injury, were forced to play Michael Hutchinson again this evening. After four goals against—including one laughable mishap where Hutchinson fell down and lost his stick—Maple Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas had apparently seen enough. It comes as little surprise that Campbell would be a target of Dubas, who once traded for the goaltender while still running the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Campbell, 28, comes to Toronto after quite the journey. The 11th overall pick in 2010, the big goaltender had shown plenty of promise as part of the U.S. National Team Development Program. Unfortunately that success didn’t really carry over to the CHL or AHL ranks, and he struggled to even make it up the Dallas Stars’ depth chart. By 2015-16 he was splitting time between the AHL and ECHL, looking like a failed draft pick.
In came the Kings and goaltending coach Bill Ranford, who turned Campbell from a failed prospect to a part-time starter last season. Now through 58 career NHL games, he carries a .916 save percentage and a lot of hope for Maple Leafs’ fans.
Not to be forgotten in the deal is Clifford, who will cost just what remains of $800K for Toronto down the stretch. That essentially makes him the same price as Moore, though he comes with some very obvious stylistic differences. Clifford is an extremely physical forward who is willing to stand up for his teammates and punish defenders as they go back for the puck. A lack of physicality has been a critique of the Maple Leafs for some time, though we’ll have to wait and see if he can bring that on a regular basis.
For the Kings, Moore represents another potential forward piece for their rebuild. The 24-year old was signed out of the University of Denver in 2016 and produced very well at the minor league level, but was limited to mostly fourth line duties in Toronto. He has 13 points through 52 career games, but brings a ton of speed to a lineup that has been looking for it. Not only will Moore likely get a bigger opportunity in Los Angeles, but the Thousand Oaks, California native will be a lot closer to home.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Samuelsson, Kreider
The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and unsurprisingly Leon Draisaitl lands on top. The Edmonton Oilers superstar now leads the entire league in scoring and has actually been on fire since being separated from Connor McDavid. Draisaitl has 22 points in the 11 games away from McDavid, finally finding some wing help in the form of Kailer Yamamoto.
Second star Steven Stamkos won’t turn many heads after appearing in these spots many times before, but the same can’t be said about J.T. Miller who takes home the third star. Miller has found a new level of production with the Vancouver Canucks and is already just a few goals and points short of his career-highs.
- Ulf Samuelsson had been serving as a pro scout for the Seattle expansion franchise, but will leave the organization to take a job as head coach of Leksands IF in the SHL. That’s the team Samuelsson played for before joining the NHL back in 1984 for a long, productive career.
- Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) examined several potential trade scenarios for the deadline, giving his take on what it would take to acquire some of the top rentals. Chris Kreider is the first name he writes on, reporting that eight teams have told the New York Rangers that “they’ve got Kreider at the top of their wish list.” LeBrun’s speculative trade will turn a lot of heads, as he suggests a package similar to the one that New York received for Kevin Hayes last year.
Minor Transactions: 02/02/20
The biggest game of the day obviously belongs to the world of football, with Super Bowl LIV taking place down in Miami. However, the NHL is also providing a pretty big game of their own, with the league-leading Washington Capitals hosting the rival Pittsburgh Penguins in the first meeting of the two teams this year. The Penguins trail the Capitals by just six points with a game in hand for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division and possibly the NHL. The clubs will square off again in three weeks and for a final time two weeks after that in three crucial games for each. Interestingly, each team’s All-Star goalie will sit today, as Ilya Samsonov starts for the Capitals and Matt Murray goes for the Penguins. Pittsburgh is opting to go with experience, choosing Murray over standout rookie Tristan Jarry, while Washington will go with the hot hand, as Samsonov is 11-0-0 with a 1.73 GAA and .936 save percentage while serving as backup to inconsistent starter Braden Holtby. Penguins-Capitals is one of three games on the docket today, all of which begin this afternoon and should be over well before kickoff. Assuming NHL front offices aren’t totally consumed by the Super Bowl themselves, expect the 22 teams not in action to use the off day to tweak their rosters ahead of a new week of games. Keep up with all the action right here:
- After being recalled for last night’s game, Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud has been sent back down to the AHL. He won’t be alone, as the team announced that both Whitecloud and forward Nicolas Roy has been reassigned to the Chicago Wolves. Don’t be surprised if either is back up with the Knights shortly, sent down only as a means of cap savings.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Kyle Capobianco to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Capobianco was recalled Saturday to fill in against the Blackhawks last night, recording two shots and four hits in 14:44 of ice time.
- The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Phillip Di Giuseppe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. The 26-year-old wing has received the call on several occasions this year, but has not gotten into a game. He has 14 goals and 26 points in 44 games this year with Hartford. He could have been added as extra insurance in case Chris Kreider has to miss some time after leaving the game on Saturday.