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Kyle Baun Signs In Northern Ireland

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Former NHLers, including a few 2018 free agents, continue to pop up in leagues around the globe and another has now signed in an nontraditional landing spot. Kyle Baun has signed with the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the team announced today. The EIHL is the pro league of the United Kingdom, with the Giants as the token Northern Ireland team.

Baun, 26, was a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer after bouncing around between several teams that past couple of seasons. The former Colgate University star signed with the Chicago Blackhawks out of college in 2015 and even suited up for five games with the team early on in his pro career. While Baun was later relegated to full-time AHL play for the next season and a half, he nevertheless signed a two-year extension with Chicago in 2016. However, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens before the start of that second year, 2017-18, in a one-for-one swap for Andreas Martinsen. The Canadiens then flipped Baun to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline alongside Tomas Plekanec. Despite the apparent demand for his services as a depth player, Baun has not seen any NHL action since his early days with Chicago. Now, it appears he couldn’t even find a two-way contract in North America.

By signing in the EIHL, Baun stands a good chance of becoming one of the league’s top players. A big right winger with a scoring touch, Baun was a good all-around player in the college and minor league ranks and should be able to elevate his game even further against lesser talent in the UK. He also joins a team that has focused in on North American talent this off-season; Belfast also announced that they had signed AHLer Francis Beauvillier today and just last week added veteran forward and long-time Carolina Hurricane Patrick Dwyer.

The Giants also have the honor of being the last pro team that TheoFleury suited up for, back in 2005-06. The EIHL has hosted some former NHLers from time-to-time since it was founded in 2003, but Baun and company are a sign of greater interest in playing in the United Kingdom. The selection of Liam Kirk, the first homegrown British player to be picked in the NHL Draft, has definitely piqued some interest in the league and Baun could now become a poster boy for the movement.

Chicago Blackhawks Agree To Terms With Andreas Martinsen

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The Chicago Blackhawks have decided to bring back Andreas Martinsen for another year, signing the hulking forward to a one-year extension. No word yet on if the deal is a two-way contract, or what cap hit it carries. Martinsen was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Acquired just before the season began from the Montreal Canadiens, Martinsen ended up playing just nine games for the Blackhawks. Most of his year was spent in the minor leagues with the Rockford IceHogs, where he registered 28 points in 64 games and continued to be the physical presence he’s known for in North America. The Norwegian forward once recorded 41 points in 50 games in the German DEL, but has been a fourth-liner for during his NHL career. With just 19 points in 128 games, he shouldn’t be expected to be much of a contributor to the Hawks offense next season, even if he gets the chance to play in the NHL.

The Blackhawks have several other veteran UFAs in the minors, but are facing an offseason without the huge contract negotiations they’ve faced in the past. With just a few restricted free agents, the team can instead focus a lot of their attention on finding a way to get back to the playoffs in 2018-19. The team should have a little cap wiggle room for the first time in a while, and could be players both on draft day—as they hold two first-round picks—and free agency.

Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks

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Free agency is now a little more than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Chicago’s free agent situation.

Top Restricted Free Agent: F Vinnie Hinostroza — For the second year in a row, Hinostroza got some quality time with the Blackhawks, totallying 99 games in those two seasons. However this year, the 24-year-old forward really showed that he can contribute at a high level. In 50 games this year, Hinostroza found himself working between the second and third lines, totaling seven goals and 25 points, while logging more than 13 minutes of ice time per game. As Chicago becomes more and more reliant on youth to fill in the gap for some of their aging veterans, the team needs Hinostroza to take that next step as a bonafide top-six center.

Having made just $925K this past year, he still is likely to have quite a low salary for a few more years, which is exactly the kind of value the ’Hawks need to rebound and compete for a playoff spot next year.

Other RFA’s: D Adam Clendening, F Anthony Duclair, F John Hayden, F Tomas Jurco.

Top Unrestricted Free Agent: D Cody Franson — Perhaps a better word is ’none.’ There are no key unrestricted free agents unless you look real deep on their roster. You would have to look at players who the team moved to Rockford near the trade deadline when the team decided to give their young players as much playing time as possible. Franson was one of those players, who possesses the offensive talents, but lacks the defense to compete at an NHL level and has bounced around the league looking for a permanent home. Don’t count on Chicago being that place as a recent report suggests he’s not expecting to return next season. He tallied just a goal and six assists in 23 games, but was put on waivers in January.

Other UFA’s: F Lance Bouma, F Christopher Didomenico, G Jeff Glass, F Andreas Martinsen, D Michal Rozsival, D Viktor Svedberg, F Jordin Tootoo.

Projected Cap Space: The salary cap has not been Chicago’s friend over the past few years with big contracts the team handed out to Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, among others. However, the team has done a good job of moving some contracts and have $6.1MM of cap space available to them, and that’s not including the assumption the cap could go up $5MM next season. The team might have the ability to bring in a free agent or two to help aid the veterans in making a playoff comeback this year. While it’s not likely to include a high-priced free agent, their available cap space should be an asset for the coming season.

Minor Transactions: 4/8/18

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With the Eastern Conference still undecided until today’s final regular season game, the Western Conference has no questions as the Colorado Avalanche finished off the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 victory Saturday as they clinched the final playoff spot. The Nashville Predators got the top spot and will face the Avalanche. In other first-round matchups, the Vegas Golden Knights will face the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks will face the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild will face the Winnipeg Jets. 

Minor Transactions: 03/20/18

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Another day, another win for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have now won their last eight games. That’s sent them flying back into the playoff race, and made the Metropolitan Division even tighter. Just seven points separate first and fifth in the division, meaning the last few weeks could change everything in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Jim O’Brien and Patrick Sieloff from the minor leagues, sparking some controversy among their fans. Sieloff is best remembered for injuring Clarke MacArthur in training camp, giving him another concussion and almost ending his career. In that incident Bobby Ryan came to MacArthur’s defense and fought Sieloff, and once again this past September there were reports of Sieloff getting into it with Mark Stone at practice. Though the 23-year old defenseman has played two years now in the Senators organization, this would be his first opportunity in the NHL.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Andreas Martinsen, and it looks like he’ll make his debut tonight against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche. Martinsen was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens earlier this season in exchange for Kyle Baun (who has since been flipped to Toronto) and has spent the entire year with the Rockford IceHogs. In 119 career NHL games, Martinsen has just 18 points.
  • Curtis McKenzie is on his way to Dallas, as the Stars have recalled the 27-year old forward. McKenzie has played in just four games for Dallas this season, instead spending his year in the AHL where he once again is a top scorer. With 45 points in 45 games, McKenzie trails only Travis Morin in scoring for the Texas Stars.
  • Andy Welinski made his NHL debut this season for the Anaheim Ducks, and is on his way back to the team after being recalled. Though this likely means that Josh Manson is out after suffering an upper-body injury, Welinski has done more than enough to deserve the call-up. The 24-year old defenseman has 34 points in 51 games in the minor leagues, and continues to show why the Ducks selected him 83rd-overall in 2011.
  • The Boston Bruins have assigned Anton Blidh back to the AHL, while recalling Jordan Szwarz and Paul Postma under emergency conditions. The Bruins are dealing with several injuries throughout their lineup, and are trying to find fits while they wait for players like Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy to return.

Montreal Canadiens Trade Andreas Martinsen To Chicago Blackhawks

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The Montreal Canadiens weren’t done wheeling and dealing just yet, as the team announced that they have traded Andreas Martinsen to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Kyle Baun. Like Nicolas Deslauriers, who was acquired earlier in the day by the Canadiens, Baun will report directly to Laval in the AHL.

The Canadiens had assigned Martinsen to Laval already this training camp, but with the addition of Deslauriers—who plays a similar game—apparently he was no longer needed. The Canadiens had traded for Martinsen at last season’s deadline when they decided to get bigger, but he was held scoreless for them down the stretch and into the playoffs. A big body without much offensive touch, Martinsen will provide some NHL experience for the Blackhawks at the AHL level.

Martinsen is on a one-way deal, but won’t impact the Blackhawks’ cap situation unless he’s recalled to the NHL. Since he cleared waivers this week, he can report straight to Rockford and help the IceHogs. The undrafted forward has played in 119 NHL games since coming over from the DEL in 2015, but has registered just 18 points. The skill he showed in his breakout season for Dusseldorf has never materialized in the North American ranks.

Baun also went undrafted, but has just five games of NHL experience under his belt. It’s unlikely he’ll see the Canadiens other than as an injury fill in, but will help the new AHL Rocket to have success in their first season since moving closer to Montreal.

Waivers & Recalls: 10/02/17

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The waiver wire is very busy today as teams pare down their rosters. The season begins this week, and teams will try to sneak through some veterans and prospects to keep them in the organization. Here is the entire list of waivers for today:

Malcolm Subban (BOS)
Phillip Di Giuseppe (CAR)
John Ramage (CBJ)
Luke Gazdic (CGY)
Garnet Hathaway (CGY)
Jean-Francois Berube (CHI)
Tomas Jurco (CHI)
Jordin Tootoo (CHI)
Gabriel Bourque (COL)
Curtis McKenzie (DAL)
Patrik Nemeth (DAL)
David Booth (DET)
Ryan Sproul (DET)
Ryan Murphy (MIN)
Byron Froese (MTL)
Andreas Martinsen (MTL)
Brian Gibbons (NJD)
Brian Strait (NJD)
Steve Bernier (NYI)
Stephen Gionta (NYI)
Matt Read (PHI)
Brandon Bollig (SJ)
Troy Grosenick (SJ)
Brandon Mashinter (SJ)
Jordan Binnington (STL)
Cory Conacher (TB)
Colin Greening (TOR)
Vincent LoVerde (TOR)
Chris Mueller (TOR)
Kerby Rychel (TOR)
Ben Smith (TOR)
Garret Sparks (TOR)
Andrey Pedan (VAN)
Teemu Pulkkinen (VGK)
Anthony Peluso (WSH)
J.C. Lipon (WPG)

Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/17

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Training camp is over for all the clubs around the NHL, and the season begins on Wednesday. By tomorrow evening, all teams must submit their cap-compliant 23-man roster, meaning there will be several cuts today. We’ll keep track of them all right here, as teams try to slip players through waivers or send them back to junior and European clubs.

Anaheim Ducks

F Giovanni Fiore – San Diego (AHL)
F Kalle Kossila – San Diego (AHL)
F Scott Sabourin – San Diego (AHL)
D Jacob Larsson – San Diego (AHL)

Boston Bruins

F Jordan Szwarz – Providence (AHL)
F Tommy Cross – Providence (AHL)
F Jakub Zboril – Providence (AHL)
F Peter Cehlarik – Providence (AHL)
F Danton Heinen – Providence (AHL)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson – Providence (AHL)
F Teddy Purcell – Released from PTO
G Malcolm Subban – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Calgary Flames

D Rasmus Andersson – Stockton (AHL)
G Jon Gillies – Stockton (AHL)
F Luke Gazdic – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Garnet Hathaway – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Carolina Hurricanes

F Lucas Wallmark – Charlotte (AHL)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Chicago Blachawks

F Vinnie Hinostroza – Rockford (AHL)
F Jordin Tootoo – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Tomas Jurco – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Jean-Francois Berube – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Colorado Avalanche

F Gabriel Bourque – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Dallas Stars

F Remi Elie – Texas (AHL)
F Roope Hintz – Texas (AHL)
F Jason Dickinson – Texas (AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Patrik Nemeth – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Detroit Red Wings

D Libor Sulak – Lahti (Finland)
F Matt Lorito – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Ben Street – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Brian Lashoff – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F David Booth – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Ryan Sproul – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Los Angeles Kings

F Brooks Laich – Released from PTO

Minnesota Wild

F Luke Kunin – Iowa (AHL)
D Ryan Murphy – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Montreal Canadiens

G Charlie Lindgren – Laval (AHL)
F Andreas Martinsen – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Byron Froese – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New Jersey Devils

F Brian Gibbons – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Brian Strait – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New York Islanders

F Devon Toews – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Stephen Gionta – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Steve Bernier – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Philadelphia Flyers

F Matt Read – Waivers for purpose of assignment

San Jose Sharks

F Brandon Bollig – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Brandon Mashinter – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Troy Grosenick – Waivers for purpose of assignment

St. Louis Blues

F Sammy Blais – San Antonio (AHL)
D Jake Walman – Chicago (AHL)
G Jordan Binnington – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Cory Conacher – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Carl Grundstrom – Frolunda (SHL)
F Miro Aaltonen – Toronto (AHL)
F Frederik Gauthier – Toronto (AHL)
F Andreas Johnsson – Toronto (AHL)
F Kasperi Kapanen – Toronto (AHL)
F Tobias Lindberg – Toronto (AHL)
F Trevor Moore – Toronto (AHL)
F Nikita Soshnikov – Toronto (AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov – Toronto (AHL)
F Mason Marchment – Toronto (AHL)
D Travis Dermott – Toronto (AHL)
D Justin Holl – Toronto (AHL)
D Andrew Nielsen – Toronto (AHL)
D Michael Paliotta – Toronto (AHL)
D Rinat Valiev – Toronto (AHL)
G Kasimir Kaskisuo – Toronto (AHL)
F Colin Greening – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Chris Mueller – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Kerby Rychel – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Ben Smith – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
D Vincent LoVerde – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
G Garret Sparks – Waivers for purpose of assignment.

Vancouver Canucks

D Andrey Pedan – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Vegas Golden Knights

F Teemu Pulkkinen – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Washington Capitals

F Anthony Peluso – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Winnipeg Jets

F Jack Roslovic – Manitoba (AHL)
F Brendan Lemieux – Manitoba (AHL)
F Michael Spacek – Manitoba (AHL)
F J.C. Lipon – Waivers for purpose of assignment.

Montreal Canadiens Re-Sign Andreas Martinsen

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As contract extensions start to pour in over the next few weeks, the Montreal Canadiens have jumped into the fray. Today, the team announced a one-year contract extension for Andreas Martinsen, one of the trade deadline acquisitions this season. The one-way deal is worth $675K, a slight raise over his $640K salary last season.

The Norwegian winger came over from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Sven Andrighetto as the Canadiens tried to get bigger and tougher at the deadline. Suiting up for just nine games down the stretch and two in the playoffs, Martinsen was held scoreless for the Canadiens but did record 36 hits without drawing a single penalty.The 6’4″ forward will likely hold a place on Montreal’s fourth line next season.

As he came over from Europe in just 2015-16, Martinsen will be ineligible for the upcoming expansion draft. He’ll provide a solid physical presence for relatively low cost, and actually has some offensive upside. Though he hasn’t shown much in the NHL, he did score 41 points in 50 games in his last season in the DEL and could likely hit 10 goals if given a bit more upside. His shooting percentage so far in the NHL is extremely low, and while it will likely never reach very lofty heights should improve a bit in the future.

Montreal has four remaining unrestricted free agents to decide on up front, with Alexander Radulov, Brian Flynn, Bobby Farnham and Dwight King all hitting the open market July 1st. While Radulov has had conversations with Montreal on a long-term deal, it is unclear where the two sides stand regarding the other three players. King, who was also acquired at the deadline, is coming off a three-year contract that saw him earn just under $2MM per season.

Pierre LeBrun was first to report the financial details of the deal. 

The Future In Detroit: Frans Nielsen & Steve Ott

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When Ansar Khan of MLive caught up with Frans Nielsen for his latest article, the Red Wings center had a very clear message for the direction of the team: they need Steve Ott. No, not necessarily Ott himself, but more players like him that can open up room for their more skilled forwards by making defenders pay while retrieving a puck.

Every time we’d get the puck down in their end, he’d finish checks on their D. At some point, they’re going to be tired of that and they’re going to back off and that’s going to give our skill guys a little more room. They’re going to give up that four or five feet at the blue line and you can come in and hit guys coming in late.

This is a prevailing theory around the league, that less-skilled players create room for their more talented linemates, opening up space for them to create scoring chances. It’s a tactic that has been used to great success in Toronto, where former Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has strapped Zach Hyman to Auston Matthews’ hip for the entire season, despite his disappointing point totals. Detroit’s new bench boss, Jeff Blashill, is a Babcock pupil of sorts and may want to employ the same strategy.

Ignoring for a moment that the Red Wings in fact had the real Ott for much of the season, only to decide that at 25-26-10 they would sell at the deadline, we’ll take a look at possible options for the team this offseason. Assuming that Nielsen is right, and that the team needs some “more mean attitude” and an ability to back up those defenders, here are some of the options they could have for relatively cheap this summer (along with their age at the start of next year and current salary).

Steve Ott, 35, $800K

They could in fact get the real thing back, though Ott will now be 35 and didn’t work out very well for them the first time. The gritty forward is playing just over 12 minutes in the playoffs for Montreal, and has been that in-your-face presence for the club in their series against the New York Rangers. He’ll likely cost around the same amount next year, if he doesn’t decide to hang up his skates.

Chris Kunitz, 38, $3.55MM

Kunitz isn’t exactly the pest Ott is, but he was among the leaders in the NHL in hits once again and would never be called a soft player. He also provides at least a little bit of offensive upside, though he took a step backwards this season with just 29 points. At 38, he wouldn’t cost very much but also could fall off a cliff in effectiveness.

Ryan White, 29, $1MM

White was traded to Minnesota at the deadline along with Martin Hanzal, and though he was an effective grinder down the stretch hasn’t shown up much in the playoffs. White will be an unrestricted free agent again this summer and will cost around the same amount as this season.

Andreas Martinsen, 27, $640K

One of the other Montreal acquisitions at the deadline, Martinsen was playing very little on Colorado even though they were last in the NHL. The move to Montreal gave him a little more icetime, but he’s been relatively ineffective in the postseason. He’ll be lucky to get a one-way deal this summer.

Roman Polak, 31, $2.25MM

Polak just suffered a nasty injury to take him out for the rest of the playoffs, but should return for next season. An unrestricted free agent, he adds some toughness and a mean streak to the back end. While he started out quite poorly for the Maple Leafs, a late season turnaround and strong playoff debut should get him another contract between $1.5-2MM. If the Red Wings decide to upgrade their grit at both ends of the rink, he could be an option.

Brian Boyle, 32, $2MM

Boyle isn’t exactly a grinder as he can contribute offensively at times, but his physical style fits perfectly into a bottom six that wants to be tough to play against. Add in that he’s a dynamo in the faceoff dot, and can kill penalties and he may be exactly what Nielsen wants on the team. His leadership and playoff success might get him a raise this summer, likely between $2.7-3.2MM per season for several years.

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