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Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Brian Boyle From Tampa Bay Lightning

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<a rel=The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded Brian Boyle to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs will send back a 2017 second-round pick and minor league forward Byron Froese. The pick will be the better of the three second-round picks the Maple Leafs currently own—the middle one of which is owed to the Ducks for Frederik Andersen, who then promised it to Dallas for Patrick Eaves. The deal gives the Maple Leafs a much needed fourth line center as they have had underwhelming performances from both Ben Smith and Frederik Gauthier.

When the Lightning called up two players and claimed another today off waivers, rumors flew about the possibility of the team shipping out another player. Steve Yzerman admitted that they brought the bodies up just in case something happened because they still wanted to ice a competitive lineup tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

Boyle, 32, is exactly what Mike Babcock has wanted from his fourth line center, capable of playing on the penalty kill while winning faceoffs and being a big body—Boyle is 6’6″, 240 lbs at a conservative estimate. He also brings the most playoff experience available on the open market, playing in 95 postseason games since 2012 more than every other skater other than Carl Hagelin (h/t Vin Masi of ESPN).

The Maple Leafs, currently in the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference but just five points out of first place in the Atlantic Division are embroiled in a battle for the rest of the season that many of their players have never experienced. Even the old guard like Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk have only played in a single series with the team (though van Riemsdyk played in the playoffs as a youngster for the Philadelphia Flyers).

Boyle is on an expiring contract and will cost the Maple Leafs just $466,667 in cap space according to CapFriendly, assuming that the Lightning don’t retain any salary. Because of the LTIR situation of the team, the Leafs could spend a lot more at the deadline this season and to try and force their way into the East picture. According to John Shannon of Sportsnet, the teams have not (and may not plan to) discussed any possible extension.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was the first to break news that the two were finalizing a deal. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Wild Acquire Martin Hanzal From Coyotes

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The rich just got richer in Minnesota, as the Wild have reached an agreement with the Arizona Coyotes on a trade to bring in talked-about deadline target Martin Hanzal. The Wild are “all-in” this season, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Minnesota will send a first-round pick, second-round pick, and conditional pick that can go as high as another second-rounder to Arizona. The deal has since been confirmed as a 2017 first-rounder, 2018 second-rounder and 2019 conditional pick for Hanzal, Ryan White, and a 2017 fourth-rounder. The condition for the pick is as follows: if Minnesota wins one playoff round this year, it becomes a third-rounder and if they win two, it becomes a second-rounder. TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds that minor leaguer Grayson Downing will also head to Arizona and that the Coyotes will also retain 50% of Hanzal’s salary cap hit in the deal.

Hanzal is a big addition for the Wild, who have been so dominant this season that many did not expect them to make a major move at the deadline. Instead, GM Chuck Fletcher adds Hanzal to a lineup that already has Mikko Koivu and Eric Staal down the middle. One of the top names on the market, Hanzal could have slotted into the first line on a team like the Montreal Canadiens, who were long rumored to be his likely destination, but will likely skate on Minnesota’s third line, showcasing the depth that this team has. Hanzal was leading the Coyotes in goals this season with 16 and is coming off a 41-point campaign in 2015-16. A big pivot who can crash the net and play a hard-nosed game, Hanzal will add a physical element that has sometime been missing for the Wild.

The cost for the career Coyote center is a steep one though. Not many people expected the Wild to be where they are in 2016-17; they have 84 points and have a significant lead in points and games on the Chicago Blackhawks for the top spot in the Central Division and Western Conference. With that in mind, the Wild brass have clearly bought in to the Stanley Cup hype this season. To acquire Hanzal, a mere 26-point scorer this season, they have mortgaged the future with first, second, and to-be-determined selections. Granted, the Wild’s first-rounder this season will likely be somewhere between #26 and #31 and their second-round selection next season could be pretty far down as well, but it is still a steep price to pay, especially considering Minnesota was already without a second-round pick in 2017 due to their acquisition of Chris Stewart. More than anything, the deal has also set the bar for the forward market as we approach the deadline. If you already considered this to be a quiet trade season, the Hanzal deal has set a market price that could silence quite a few more deals between now and Wednesday.

Lightning Trade Ben Bishop To Kings

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Superstar goalie and impending free agent Ben Bishop has been traded by the Tampa Lightning to the Los Angeles Kings. TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to break the news. The return for Tampa is confirmed to be 2016-17 surprise Peter Budaj, 2015 second-round defenseman Erik Cernak, a 2017 seventh-round pick, and another conditional 2017 pick. Details of the conditional pick are complicated, but in essence there is no pick if the Kings miss the playoffs and can go as high as a second-rounder depending on L.A.’s postseason success and Bishop’s play.

If this trade confuses you, you’re not alone, as it is officially the biggest surprise of the 2017 NHL Trade Deadline to date and will be tough to beat. The Kings just got back starter Jonathan Quick last night, after he had missed all but one game this season with injury. This is the same Quick that led the team to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014 and has a career 2.26 goals against average, a Conn Smythe, a Jennings, and an All-Star appearance. In his return, Quick allowed just  one goal on 33 shots against the rival Anaheim Ducks and looked like he was fully healthy and ready to lead the Kings back into a playoff spot. So is Bishop an insurance policy for the stretch run? It’s possible. Bishop is an impending unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and would be, without question, the top goaltender on the open market. As far as deadline deals go, the Kings did not give up that much either. As good as Budaj has been, the 34-year-old was not in L.A.’s long-term plans. Cernak is a solid defensive prospect, playing for the OHL’s Erie Otters, who has a smart, responsible defensive style, but Cernak also lacks much offensive punch and was the King’s third or fourth-best defensive prospect at best.

The truly strange situation is that the Kings are currently fifth in the Pacific Division and sitting outside of a playoff spot and if they are going to get in, need scoring and not better goaltending. Budaj has been stellar and Quick is finally healthy. So why give up anything for Bishop when you may not even make the playoffs. It seems like Los Angeles could possibly have future plans for Bishop then. So does that mean Quick is on the trade block? Bishop’s career numbers are slightly superior to Quick’s, but Quick is the established goalie in Los Angeles and is signed long-term with a decent $5.8MM cap hit until 2022-23. Bishop would more than likely command a greater salary than that on the open market. So what’s the next move for GM Dean Lombardi and the L.A. Kings.

Meanwhile, the Lightning have received a solid backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy for the remainder of the season and possibly beyond, a young defenseman (which they are in need of), and some picks for a player they were willing to let walk in free agency. While many will debate this trade from the Kings side for the next month plus, GM Steve Yzerman can rest easy that he got something for nothing at this deadline in a time where Tampa Bay needs any good news they can get.

Latest On Kevin Shattenkirk

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As we learned yesterday, the St. Louis Blues have had three different deals fall through for Kevin Shattenkirk in the last nine or so months, starting with one that could have taken the star defenseman to Edmonton before they eventually dealt for Adam Larsson. As Bob McKenzie of TSN reported, the latest trade would have had Shattenkirk sign a seven year, $42MM extension upon the completion of the deal, and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks he knows which team it was.

While he can’t be sure, Rutherford writes that it was likely the Tampa Bay Lightning who had the deal completed in principal but needed the extension to pull the trigger. Just six weeks ago Shattenkirk vetoed it, which would have been right around the time the Lightning were 19-19-4 and struggling to get anything going in the Eastern Conference. It’s unclear what they would have given up, but Rutherford does mention that the Blues have shown interest in both Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Drouin in past discussions.

All this while Darren Dreger of TSN very much believes that the Toronto Maple Leafs are still involved in discussions about the right-handed defenseman, recently saying that they’ve had consistent interest in him. As yesterday, they still are balking at the asking price which has been talked about as a first round pick, prospect and perhaps even more. Dreger says that Shattenkirk has played himself into a perfect spot, where he can either stay where he is “comfortable” in St. Louis, or head to a playoff team—which St. Louis is currently—and then hit the open market in a few months.

For any player, signing a long-term extension with a team before you’ve set foot in their organization would be a tough decision. In free agency you can take your time and have several meetings, be shown the facilities and talk about the state of the club going forward. During the season none of that can take place, and agreeing to go live and work in a city that you may not know very well would be a life-changing decision. Shattenkirk looks more and more like a rental piece that you’ll have a few months to try and convince to stay, rather than get an extension done prior.

Many teams in the league should be happy with that, as even rentals of his caliber don’t come around very often. The bidding will be high, but likely will include some conditional picks hinging on the team’s ability to re-sign him. What we know though is that he obviously doesn’t want to rush into an extension, if he’s already turned down three.

Shattenkirk “More And More Likely” To Be Dealt As A Rental

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We’ve now seen four trades made in the past week as the trade market picks up before next Wednesday’s trade deadline. On the latest edition of Insider Trading, TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger, and Pierre LeBrun dropped some tidbits about potential trade activity.

The main topic of discussion was the consensus best player available in St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. McKenzie believes that the likelihood of Shattenkirk being dealt as a rental is becoming “more and more likely” as the days pass. Beginning with the Edmonton Oilers last June, three teams have had trades fall through because Shattenkirk wasn’t willing to sign long-term. The most recent team to have a deal in place was offering a seven-year, $42MM contract, according to McKenzie.

That’s a hefty price to pay for Shattenkirk, taking into account the acquisition cost. Blues GM Doug Armstrong is not wavering on his asking price of a first round pick, a top prospect, plus “something else.” While some teams may balk at that cost, Dreger reports that teams will continue to kick tires until the deadline. Dreger believes the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning have already been in touch but have concerns about the price.

While Shattenkirk may view himself as a rental, that’s not to say a team couldn’t acquire Shattenkirk with the intention of pitching him on staying beyond this year. As we reported earlier today, TSN’s Frank Seravalli believes that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli should be confident in his ability to pitch his team to Shattenkirk, as they appear poised to be a top-ten team in the NHL for the next decade.

In other notes from the TSN insiders, the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Chicago Blackhawks are all interested in bolstering their forward cores before the trade deadline. Minnesota and Chicago are likely pretty happy with their rosters as they sit atop the Western Conference. While neither team will be looking at making a big splash, both would like to add a depth forward. Specifically, the Blackhawks would like a player with a low cap hit who could be acquired with just a draft pick. That’s not likely to be a high draft pick, however, as Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman wants to keep picks for the upcoming draft, which will be held in Chicago. The suddenly hot Panthers aren’t necessarily buyers, despite winning eight of their last 10 games. If they do make a move, LeBrun believe they would be interested in adding a top nine forward in a rental capacity.

Those three teams will likely have interest in Dallas Stars winger Patrick Eaves. With 21 goals in 59 games and a $1MM cap hit, Eaves is drawing plenty of interest from around the NHL. There are as many as 10-12 teams inquiring about the gritty winger according to Dreger.

[Related: PHR’s profile of Patrick Eaves]

Another forward likely on the move is Martin Hanzal; LeBrun reports that most of the teams inquiring about the 6’6 center are from the Western Conference, but Montreal is one of the most interested clubs. Despite missing nine games this season, Hanzal already has 15 goals, which is one off his career-high from 2010-11. The Coyotes would like to move Hanzal by the end of the weekend, according to LeBrun. Of course, that’s depending of the offers available to rookie GM John Chayka.

[Related: PHR’s profile of Martin Hanzal]

The Vancouver Canucks are among the growing group of sellers, but the player drawing the most interest from rival teams is not a rental. Jannik Hansen has one year left at $2.5MM and has lots of teams interested in acquiring him. However, the Canucks aren’t looking for a draft pick in return; GM Jim Benning is asking for a top prospect or young NHLer in return for the long-time Canuck. That’s a steep price for a middle-six player who’s never scored more than 39 points in a season.

Evening Snapshots: Ducks, Miller, Red Wings

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Anaheim Ducks reassigned forward Corey Tropp back down to the AHL San Diego Gulls today. The Gulls leader in both points and assists (37P and 25A) failed to make an impact in his only game with the Ducks, going pointless while playing under ten minutes last night against the Arizona Coyotes. The Ducks did not specify why Tropp was reassigned, but his AHL scoring touch should have him back up with the big club at some point in the future.
  • ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported (video link) that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller has a modified No-Trade Clause that restricts trades to all but five NHL teams. Three of those teams are the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and the Anaheim Ducks. It’s clear that Miller wants to stay out west, but players have been known to waive NTCs for the right situation. Miller was last traded at the deadline by the Buffalo Sabres to the St. Louis Blues in 2014 for a planned playoff run. Those plans were cut short when the Blues fell in the first round to the then-defending Stanley Cup Champions Chicago Blackhawks. Miller is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
  • TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported today (video link) that interest in Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith is heating up. McKenzie said that the Red Wings “are getting lots of calls” on the young defenseman. He noted that the interest doesn’t necessarily parley into a surefire trade. The Red Wings will have to weigh the cost of a possible extension against any trade offer. Smith becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season, and has 2G and 3A in 32 games so far. He’s a likely trade deadline candidate if the Red Wings cannot come to terms with him in the next week.

Brooks Laich Placed On Waivers By Maple Leafs

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After asking yesterday to be sent somewhere that he could pursue a Stanley Cup, the Maple Leafs have placed Brooks Laich on waivers today, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. We wrote just yesterday about how the Leafs had some built in deadline depth in a trio of veterans stashed in the minors. Laich, Milan Michalek and Colin Greening all have extensive NHL experience and could help a team that hits injury trouble down the stretch. McKenzie adds that these are not unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. That means this is likely just a testing of the waters so to speak, to gauge interest prior to the deadline.

Laich has played 764 games in his NHL career, scoring 20+ goals three times during his run with the Washington Capitals. The 33-year old was acquired by the Maple Leafs as a salary dump along with Connor Carrick and a second round pick last season for Daniel Winnik. Though Laich spent the remainder of the 2015-16 season with the big club, he hasn’t played a game with them this season, instead buried in the AHL playing sparingly there too.

For a player who thinks he can still contribute to a team’s pursuit of the Stanley Cup, wasting away the last few years of your career in the minors mostly because of your cap hit must be extremely frustrating. Though Laich seemed happy to take on a leadership role earlier this season, that playoff itch seems to have surfaced once again. For what it’s worth, Laich does have 32 career playoff points in 65 games and one year averaged almost 22 minutes a night for the Capitals in the postseason. If playoff experience is what you’re after, he’s got it.

Jacob Trouba Suspended Two Games For Illegal Check

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The Department of Player Safety has come down on Jacob Trouba today, suspending him two games for his illegal check to the head of Mark Stone last night.

Trouba hit Stone in the head at the end of the game against the Ottawa Senators, and was given just a two-minute minor for the check. Immediately, those watching the game knew that it would get a look from the DPS and possibly a suspension. Winnipeg fans will be upset with the decision as just a few days earlier Evgeni Malkin was not given any supplementary discipline for his high check on Blake Wheeler that had him clearly leaving his feet. Bob McKenzie of TSN wrote about the difference between the two hits today, mostly stating that because Malkin delivered a full-body check, instead of just catching the head, he wasn’t given a suspension.

In the middle of a playoff race, losing Trouba—who is arguably their second most important defenseman—is a tough blow to the Winnipeg hopes. He’ll miss games against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, and Minnesota Wild a week later after their mandated bye-week. Just one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot, every game counts as the Jets try to overcome their sluggish start.

Trouba is the 12th player suspended since the start of the regular season, and the third in the recent days following Gustav Nyquist and Antoine Vermette. Trouba’s two-game ban is the first of his career, but he will be under increased scrutiny going forward.

Arizona Coyotes Trade Michael Stone To Calgary Flames

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The Arizona Coyotes have broken open the trade gates, dealing defenseman Michael Stone to the Calgary Flames. The Flames will send a 2017 third and conditional 2018 fifth-round pick back and that Arizona will retain 50% of his salary for the remainder of the season. The condition will kick in should Calgary be able to re-sign him. Michael Stone

The Flames will only be on the hook for $544K for the rest of the season, a small number for a team that is still trying to make the playoffs this season. This won’t stop them from being active at the deadline, as they still have almost $3MM of further LTIR relief should Ladislav Smid remain out for the rest of the season.

Stone is a 26-year old defenseman who before this season had been a solid contributor at both ends of the rink. Last year he registered 36 points in 75 games but just hasn’t been able to stay healthy throughout his career. A right-handed defender, we ranked him 15th among our Midseason Free Agent rankings, despite a disaster 2016-17.

For just a third-round pick, Stone is an excellent gamble for the Flames who know him quite well. Brad Treliving worked for Arizona before becoming the Calgary GM, and should understand what he can bring to the table when he is healthy. At very worst, they’ll get a few months with him to try and get him under a longer-term contract.

As written previously on PHR, right-handed defensemen are one of the hardest commodities to acquire in the NHL, and if Stone can get back to the form he showed last season (even without the inflated point totals from his powerplay time) he is worth much more than a third-round pick.

This might signal the beginning of the fire-sale in Arizona, who are expected to deal all of their expiring contracts before the March 1st deadline. Martin Hanzal, Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata have all been rumored for the last few weeks, but it is now Stone that has moved first. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets after the deal was completed that Arizona may not even be finished today, as they continue to work on other deals.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to break the news on Twitter that the two sides had agreed to a deal, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet providing the details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jacob Trouba To Have Disciplinary Hearing

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After a hit last night that knocked Ottawa Senators Mark Stone out of the game last night, Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba will have a hearing this afternoon with the NHL Department of Player Safety to determine if there will be any further disciplinary action.

Trouba hit Stone’s head on the check, which happened midway through the third period. Stone suffered a concussion at the beginning of the season, making this at least the second just this season should he fail the protocol today. Trouba does seem to extend his arm to hit the head.

The Jets can’t afford to lose Trouba for the next several games at least, as they have pulled themselves into the playoff race once again. Since Trouba’s lockout following a long contract negotiation this summer, he’s become perhaps the second most important defenseman on the Jets. Logging close to 25 minutes a night, Tyler Myers injury opened the door for Trouba to step into the starring role he had looked for.

Bob McKenzie on TSN1260 said that it would be “games for sure” for Trouba today. He doesn’t think Trouba picked out Stone’s head on purpose, but since there was almost no body-on-body contact, the book will be thrown at the Jets defenseman.

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