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Anders Nilsson

Vancouver Trades Anders Nilsson, Darren Archibald To Ottawa

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The Vancouver Canucks have moved one of their NHL goaltenders, trading Anders Nilsson and Darren Archibald to the Ottawa Senators. Coming back to the Canucks will be long-time minor league goaltender Mike McKenna, recently waived forward Tom Pyatt and a 2019 sixth-round pick. The two teams are set to face each other tonight in Ottawa.

The Canucks have long sought a way to provide an opportunity at the NHL level for top prospect Thatcher Demko, and moving Nilsson out of town will now do just that. The 28-year old Nilsson will join the sixth NHL organization of his career, and very well could find himself somewhere else when his current contract expires at the end of this season. Carrying a $2.5MM cap hit this season, his performance didn’t justify an extension with the Canucks given Demko’s presence.

In Ottawa, Nilsson will try to provide some NHL-caliber netminding to an organization that hasn’t gotten much of it lately. With Craig Anderson still out dealing with a concussion the team had turned to McKenna and Marcus Hogberg in net, a tandem that had a total of 24 NHL appearances prior to this season. The two have gone 1-6-1 with the Senators this year. Those performances, along with the disappearance of anything resembling NHL contributions from Mike Condon, actually make Nilsson a savvy move for the Senators who are hoping to capture some lightning in a bottle down the stretch. The team is obviously in a rebuild, but could potentially bring back Nilsson as another stop-gap option while Filip Gustavsson continues to develop.

Archibald too could be of use to the Senators, given his history of offensive production at the AHL level. Even if he doesn’t contribute to the Ottawa roster this year, he’ll be a solid addition for a Belleville AHL team that is still trying to compete for a playoff spot in the North Division. Archibald is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and will go directly to the AHL for the Senators organization.

Pyatt, whose $1.1MM cap hit cannot actually be entirely buried in the minor leagues, will also report directly to the AHL after clearing waivers today. He can now be moved up and down for the Canucks for the next little while, giving them some added flexibility and experience up front. Still, he won’t provide value for very long as he is scheduled to be a UFA at the end of the year.

McKenna’s role in this trade is to give the Utica Comets a starter should Demko be recalled, given the long-term injury to Richard Bachman. The Comets are not nearly as impressive as a year ago, but could still make the AHL playoffs and need an experienced netminder like McKenna—Utica would be his 15th AHL city—to get there. The veteran goaltender would need waivers to go to the AHL, something that you will likely see if the team decides to give Demko an NHL shot.

Western Notes: Bennett, Pacioretty, Wilson, Vesalainen, Demko

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The Calgary Flames’ Sam Bennett doesn’t have to worry about anything as Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that forward will not receive any supplementary discipline from the Department of Player Safety for his hit on Radim Simek Monday night.

With the Flames up 8-5 and with 25 seconds remaining in the game, Simek was passing a puck when he took a hit from Bennett. Simek stayed down on the ice for some time before leaving the game. There was no medical update after the game.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights got some good news as winger Max Pacioretty was on the ice for the pre-game skate, according to SinBin.Vegas. The veteran is not expected to return to the lineup today, but it’s an improvement as Pacioretty hasn’t been on the ice since he was injured on Dec. 17. Head coach Gerard Gallant said Pacioretty remains day-to-day, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Pacioretty has missed six games due to his lower-body injury, but the team hasn’t missed beat with Brandon Pirri taking his place in the lineup. The 30-year-old has 10 goals and 19 points in 30 games this season.
  • Adrian Dater of BSN writes that the Colorado Avalanche expect to get back winger Colin Wilson sooner than expected. The winger suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 22, but could be ready to play by next week. Wilson was playing well in a middle-six role and has eight goals and 13 goals this season.
  • Winnipeg Jets prospect Kristian Vesalainen was named KHL Rookie of the Month for December, according to Pekka Jalonen of Iltalehti. The 2017 first-round pick started the season with the Jets and played five games, but after eight games in the AHL, opted to exercise a provision in his contract that allowed him to return to the Europe. He has four goals and 10 points in 13 games for Jokerit.
  • Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre writes that after watching the impressive play of New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, who shutout the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 Monday, the Canucks should consider bringing up their own goalie prospect in Thatcher Demko. The 23-year-old is from the same draft as Blackwood and this might be the right time to give him an extended look, especially with the uninspiring play of Anders Nilsson as the team’s backup. Demko did miss the first two months of the season to injury, but he has posted a 2.63 GAA and a .909 save percentage and has little left to prove in Utica. The Canucks could consider moving Nilsson to a team in need of goalie depth before the trade deadline.

Detroit Seeking First-Round Pick In Package For Jimmy Howard

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While the latest “31 Thoughts” of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned several major names as speculative trade targets, the insider buried the lede with his knowledge of the price of a more concrete trade block name. Friedman writes that Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard is in fact available, as expected. However, he also notes that GM Ken Holland and company have “made it clear (they) want at least a first-round pick” in return.

Howard, 34, has had his fair share of struggles over the year, with one strong season for every one off season over his ten years as a regular in Detroit. However, the impending free agent picked a good season to be on an upswing. Howard has a .923 save percentage thus far, a top ten rate in the NHL, as well as a 2.67 GAA in 22 games. The veteran has thoroughly outplayed free agent pickup Jonathan Bernier, who has struggled greatly in 13 appearances and has settled into a backup role.

Yet, Bernier signed a three-year deal in Detroit this off-season while Howard’s contract is set to expire and is time with the Red Wings is ending. The team has little hope of contending for a playoff spot this season, making Howard an identifiable trade option to teams around the league. Detroit seems ready to oblige the demand of the market, but they won’t give Howard up for nothing. A first-round pick “at least” could be seen as a lofty expectation for a goaltender at the trade deadline, as few teams generally in the playoff race need a starter and are hesitant to overpay for a backup. However, unless Sergei Bobrovsky or another yet unknown big name hits the trade market, Howard is the top available name and by a wide margin. Friedman tabs 37-year-old Craig Anderson as another option, but doesn’t endorse the Ottawa Senators veteran as an ideal pickup and casts doubt on the availability of young Montreal Canadiens keeper Charlie Lindgren. The likes of Michal Neuvirth and Anders Nilsson are also likely to be available, but may wind up on waivers for free as well. Depending on how their respective team’s seasons go from here on out, Cam Talbot and Brian Elliott could potentially hit the market as well, but not until the deadline at the earliest. Howard is and will likely remain the top name on the rumor mill and if the Red Wings want to hold out for a package including a first-rounder, odds are they will eventually receive just that.

Prospect Notes: Demko, Makar, Laaksonen

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After the Vancouver Canucks used a second-round draft pick on Thatcher Demko in 2014, following a breakout freshman campaign at Boston College, and he proceeded to improve over his next two seasons with the Eagles, many expected that it wouldn’t take long for him to take over as the starter for Vancouver. Now in his third pro season, Demko has suited up for only one game with the Canucks and continues to sit behind the likes of Jacob Markstrom and Anders Nilsson, who have been far from spectacular in that time. With the Vancouver duo currently combining for a save percentage below .900 and a goals against average over 3.00, this season would seem to be a prime opportunity for Demko to finally break through as an option at the NHL level. However, a concussion in training camp derailed the beginning of the season for the young keeper and he has only recently returned to the net for the AHL’s Utica Comets. The Athletic’s Jason Brough recently caught up with Demko to get an update on how his return from the “scary” injury has gone so far. Demko stated that he really wanted to take his time and ensure he was 100% before returning from the concussion, but feels good now. Demko continued that he has been working closely with the Canucks’ new goalie coach, Ian Clark, and is anxious to get his chance in Vancouver this season. Six games into his season in the AHL, Demko’s numbers aren’t as stellar as they were last season, but as he grows healthier and more comfortable in net, he’s likely to return to that high-level performance. Assuming he does, Demko should have far more than one NHL start on his resume by the end of this season.

  • Colorado Avalanche top prospect and college hockey superstar Cale Makar was invited to play for Team Canada at the Olympics last year, but declined the opportunity. History has repeated itself this year, as The Athletic’s Julie Robenhymer reports that Makar was offered a spot on Canada’s entry into the Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland later this month, but has again passed up the international experience. Robenhymer writes that Makar has opted to work on getting back to full health before the second half of the NCAA season begins in January. With UMass ranked as the top team in the country, they need their top defenseman ready to go as they chase a national championship this season. While the Avs may have liked to have seen Makar in a different context at the Spengler Cup, they won’t hesitate to sign him as soon as his college season is over regardless.
  • One defenseman who may not be so eager to make the jump to the NHL is Buffalo Sabres prospect Oskari Laaksonen. Laaksonen, 19, was a third-round selection by the Sabres in 2017 and is a well-regarded young puck-mover. However, Laaksonen is comfortable staying in his native Finland for the time being, as Ilves has announced a two-year extension with their young stalwart. While the press release included a quote from Laaksonen that he is happy to stay with the team until something happens in the NHL, Buffalo certainly wouldn’t mind if he wanted to log some time in the AHL beforehand and it would help Laaksonen reach to top level much sooner. With Rasmus Dahlin, Lawrence Pilut, and Rasmus Ristolainen all relatively young and seemingly locked in to long-term starting roles, Laaksonen likely sees a lack of opportunity right now in Buffalo. However, he does seem willing to make the move once the blue line opens up somewhat with the Sabres.

Vancouver Canucks Place Anders Nilsson On Injured Reserve

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The Vancouver Canucks may have themselves a goaltending issue after the team placed goaltender Anders Nilsson on injured reserve Sunday,  according to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet. While there was no apparent injury during a game, Dhaliwal reports that Nilsson is dealing with a hand injury and had no idea how long he will be out.

It’s a big blow to a young team that has been playing beyond expectations this season as they hold a 6-6-0 record so far this year. Nilsson has been the standout goaltender in net as he has fared better than Jacob Markstrom as the 28-year-old seems to be bouncing back from a rough first year in Vancouver after signing a two-year deal during the summer of 2017. Nilsson has a 2.67 GAA and a .912 save percentage in six games this year, solid numbers for a team that many had picked to be among the bottom teams in the league this year.

While Vancouver has a top-flight prospect goaltender in Thatcher Demko sitting in Utica of the AHL, Demko has been doing just that as he has yet to make his debut this season as he is still suffering from concussion symptoms that he suffered in a Sept. 22 preseason game when he collided with Calgary’s Mikael Backlund. Dhaliwal reported Thursday that Demko has seen a specialist and is doing better, but remains at least a week away before taking the next step in his recovery.

Instead the team recalled Richard Bachman from Utica, who will serve as backup. Unfortunately, the 31-year-old veteran has struggled in Utica so far this year. In five games, he’s posted a 4.23 GAA and a .865 save percentage, suggesting the team may be in trouble if Nilsson is out for any extended time.

 

Is Vancouver Looking To Make A Big Splash?

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It is no secret that the Vancouver Canucks do not operate like a typical rebuilding team. Make no mistake, the team has accrued plenty of talented young building blocks over the past few years: Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, Jonathan Dahlen, Adam Gaudette, Quinn Hughes, Olli Juolevi, Thatcher Demko, Michael DiPietro and the list goes on. However, the team has also gone about business as usual, signing free agents and at times even overpaying to add veterans to the roster. Over the past two off-seasons, Vancouver has taken roster spots away from younger players in order to sign the likes of Erik Gudbranson, Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto, Anders Nilsson, Thomas Vanek, Darren Archibald, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, Tim Schaller and more. The moves have put the team no closer to being a contender. The Canucks have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since their 2011 Stanley Cup Final appearance and have failed to reach the postseason altogether in each of the past three years. It seems unlikely that the trend will change any time soon, either.

The Province’s Ed Willes is worried that things might get even worse. Willes claims that recently departed team president Trevor Linden ” lost his job because he favored a patient, methodical approach to the team’s rebuild”. With Linden gone, the team has been even more aggressive than usual this summer in targeting older players. Vancouver made an offer to John Tavares that was rejected and more recently has been linked to Erik Karlsson. While he isn’t convinced the team has the means to acquire Karlsson, the fear is that some player will come along on the trade market that they can afford and will deplete their promising prospect ranks to acquire. Willes firmly believes that Benning and the Canucks are in the hunt for a cornerstone player, no matter the cost.

Just as it has in recent years, even adding an elite veteran player is unlikely to get the Canucks to where they want to be. As it is currently composed, the team lacks the supporting cast to be a true contender. The greatest strength of the organization is the youth waiting in the wings, with at least two goaltenders, four defensemen, and eight forwards under the age of 25 that are all almost universally expected to be NHL regulars for a long time to come. Yet, the cost of adding a marquee player would be a package of those exact players or upcoming (early) draft picks. The patient approach that Linden fought for could transform the Canucks into one of the league’s top teams in five years time. An impatient acquisition could cost them what progress they have made and, in Willes’ opinion, cost them fans as well. So perhaps the question is not “is Vancouver looking to make a big splash?”, but “should Vancouver be looking to make a big splash?” and the answer seems to be a convincing no.

Snapshots: Heiskanen, Bachman, Belov

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It has been quite a year for Miro Heiskanen, the third overall pick last year by the Dallas Stars. The young defenseman put up 23 points in 30 games in the Finnish Liiga, played well at the World Juniors and the Olympics, and most recently has starred in the World Championships. As reported by the Associated Press, the only logical next step is the NHL. “I want to play there as soon as possible, that’s my goal”, Heiskanen said about joining the league’s best in the NHL next season. Heiskanen knows that he could still get stronger and smarter, but his skill is very clearly pro-ready. Heiskanen is likely to step in and immediately play a key two-way role on the Dallas blue line. Expect the announcement sooner rather than later that arguably the best defensive prospect in hockey will be a full-time Star next season.

  • Former Stars goalie Richard Bachman has struggled to ever be more in the NHL than he was as Dallas’ primary backup in 2011-12. He has spent almost all of the past five years toiling in the AHL for the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Heading into free agency, it seems Bachman has decided to move on from the NHL. Swedish news site Hockey Sverige reports that Bachman is expected to sign with Timra of the SHL. Instead of sitting behind Swedes – Jacob Markstrom and Anders Nilsson – in the NHL, the 30-year-old Bachman is expected to be given the starter’s job initially with Timra as he begins a new chapter in his career.
  • Former NHL defenseman Anton Belov won’t be making the jump across the Atlantic this summer. The Russian rearguard has re-signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, the team he has played with since leaving the Edmonton Oilers in 2013-14, for three more years per a team release. This extension likely rules out a future return to the NHL for the 31-year-old, though he will remain a visible name on the international stage as a top defender for a perennial KHL contender and as a frequent member of Russian national teams.

Snapshots: Johnson, Dubinsky, Blackhawks, Pettersson, Mittelstadt

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Two long-time veterans seem to be on the outside looking in this offseason as the Columbus Blue Jackets as both defenseman Jack Johnson and center Brandon Dubinsky struggled last season and saw little to no playing time in the playoff. Johnson didn’t play in any of the Blue Jackets playoff games against Washington, even though they lost four in a row. Dubinsky ranked 10th among forwards in average ice time and only played 4:09 in the final playoff game.

While the team is highly unlikely to bring back Johnson as he is an unrestricted free agent and Columbus is overloaded in solid blueliners, Dubinsky is another situation, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required). The 32-year-old still has three years remaining on the six-year deal he signed in 2014 at $5.85MM AAV. He is the third-highest paid player on the team behind goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and winger Artemi Panerin. Portzline writes that with his drop in production this year (16 points compared to 41 in 2016-17), the veteran has no trade value and a buyout at this stage isn’t worth it. That means the team is stuck with him and only a renewed effort by Dubinsky could regain him his old role.

  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes the Chicago Blackhawks, who will pick eighth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, the highest they’ve drafted since they chose Patrick Kane with the first overall pick in 2007, might be looking for the most NHL ready player when they pick. “You never know,” head coach Joel Quenneville said after the season ended. “You can’t discount that. They say that there’s a lot of good players in this year’s draft. Getting a player at the number is going to be a good opportunity for our scouts, there’s some excitement in that area.”
  • Previously rumored, but Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson and backup goaltender Anders Nilsson have each made the preliminary roster for Sweden for the World Championships this summer in Denmark. Pettersson, the team’s first-round pick in 2017, who had the best season ever for a 18-year-old rookie in the SHL, is expected to compete for a roster spot with the Canucks in training camp.
  • There were a few surprises Saturday when the U.S. released their preliminary roster for the World Championships this summer when Buffalo Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt wasn’t on the roster. The Buffalo News’ John Vogl reports that Mittelstadt didn’t make the roster due to the fact that he’s battling a groin injury, although general manager Jason Botterill said it wasn’t serious. “It’s a groin, but it shouldn’t be anything more than a couple weeks,” Botterill said. “But obviously with the tournament starting next week, it just didn’t make any sense for him to go over there.”

Ten NHL Players Announced For Swedish World Championship Roster

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After Canada announced their first 18 players yesterday, Sweden has now given us 10 NHL names that will suit up for them at the upcoming World Championships in Denmark. Like usual, their group will include several professional players from the SHL—though top prospect Rasmus Dahlin has already said he won’t be attending.

The confirmed NHL players are below:

Goaltenders:

Anders Nilsson, Vancouver Canucks

Defensemen:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
John Klingberg, Dallas Stars
Erik Gustafsson, Chicago Blackhawks
Adam Larsson, Edmonton Oilers

Forwards:

Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers
Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames
Jacob de La Rose, Montreal Canadiens
Johan Larsson, Buffalo Sabres
Magnus Paajarvi, Ottawa Senators

West Notes: Blackhawks, Domi, Nilsson, Vanek

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After years of being active buyers at the trade deadline, it looks like the Blackhawks won’t be doing so this season.  They currently sit in last place in the Central Division and are eight points out of a playoff spot.  Despite that, Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times cautions that Chicago isn’t likely to be overly active on the seller front either.

In terms of their pending free agents, there aren’t prominent ones that would draw considerable interest though blueliners like Jan Rutta and Michal Kempny could be of interest to teams looking for depth.  One defender that they would likely want to move is Brent Seabrook who has struggled this season and still has six years left on his contract at $6.875MM.  However, even if the Blackhawks could find a trade match, Lazerus reports that there is no way Seabrook would consider waiving his no-move clause to facilitate a deal.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports spoke with Coyotes GM John Chayka regarding a report from last week that center Max Domi is available. Chayka clarified that they are not shopping the 22-year-old but that he would “listen on anything”.  Domi is in the midst of his worst season with just three goals in 54 games but it’s hard to imagine that Arizona would be willing to sell low on him at this point.
  • Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province notes that the Canucks have been looking to move goaltender Anders Nilsson. However, he has had quite the rough season, posting a 3.50 GAA and a .903 SV% in 17 appearances this season and has another year left on his deal with a $2.5MM cap hit.  Even though there were four other teams that had interest in him during the summer, it’s hard to imagine those teams will still want him now with the season he is having.
  • Botchford also adds that the Predators might be a team to watch for when it comes to winger Thomas Vanek. He reports that Nashville showed interest in him during the summer and that Vanek’s decision may very well have come between them and the Canucks.  It’s widely expected that Vancouver will be moving the 34-year-old and he would fit in nicely in a bottom-six role with the Predators if they can reach an agreement on a move.

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