Bobby Ryan

Erik Karlsson Not Likely To Get Moved To Vegas

June 10, 2018 at 2:49 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 7 Comments

With their season wrapping up much more quietly than the Washington Capitals, the Vegas Golden Knights will now look to continue their success next season. Due to the failed trade deadline move to acquire Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson many months ago, many people believe that Vegas general manager George McPhee will try to rekindle those trade talks.

The move would make quite a bit of sense since Vegas’ defense struggled against Washington during their Stanley Cup run as the Capitals dominated the neutral zone throughout the finals. And while the Golden Knights have many quality top-four defensemen, what the team is truly lacking is a No. 1 defenseman, which showed against Washington. However, Elliotte Friedman suggests a deal for Karlsson might be unlikely this offseason in his 31 Thoughts segment.

Friedman writes the main reason the original Karlsson trade collapsed was Ottawa’s insistence on Vegas including 2017 first-round pick Cody Glass, the team’s top prospect. The 19-year-old center, who was the sixth-overall pick in last year’s draft, potted 37 goals and 102 points for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Vegas didn’t want to include him, despite the fact that 13th overall pick Nick Suzuki, also a center, tallied 42 goals and 100 points for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack.

The team isn’t ready to deplete it’s prospect pool. They would rather move picks such as when they traded their 2018 first-rounder, a 2019 second rounder and a 2021 third-rounder to get a player like Tomas Tatar. They already know what they have in Glass and Suzuki even if it takes another year for them to step into their lineup. However, despite having six picks in the first three rounds last year (three first-rounders), the team is still building its prospect pool for the future and with just one pick in the first three rounds this year (not in the first round), the team isn’t going to build it up a whole lot this year.

Friedman suggests that a better move for the Golden Knights would be to steal away John Carlson from Washington (McPhee drafted him back in 2008). Considering the amount of cap space Vegas has, that would be the best way to bring in veteran talent.

While many people believe that bringing in Karlsson, who has been unhappy with Ottawa’s ownership, is the better course of action, trading one (or more) of their top prospects and likely taking on the bloated contract of winger Bobby Ryan for another four years at $7.25MM will quickly destroy both their cap flexibility and cut into their small, but solid prospect pool. Vegas will have at least $28MM in cap room, so why not just spend some of it on Carlson and keep their prospects?

Ottawa Senators Could Use Buyouts This Summer

April 12, 2018 at 9:22 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

In his season-ending press conference, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion discussed several topics including the future of head coach Guy Boucher—which will be determined after the draft lottery—the decision to keep their 2018 draft pick, and the option of buyouts to help their cap situation this summer.

On buyouts, Dorion admitted that they had discussed the possibility with several players during their exit interviews. While he wouldn’t reveal exactly who those players were, one has to assume that Bobby Ryan and Marian Gaborik were among them. The pair are under contract for more than $12MM combined for the next three seasons (with Ryan extended even a year past that) but haven’t been able to live up to their previous career success.

With the team needing salary and cap space for not only Erik Karlsson’s potential mega-deal, but extensions for Matt Duchene and Mark Stone, buyouts could be an attractive option.

Ryan, 31, scored just 33 points this season and played just 62 games while dealing with several injuries. His 11 goals was the lowest of his career in a full-length season, and his play doesn’t seem like it will ever return to the 30-goal man of his youth. If a buyout were used however, it would be quite a financial commitment by the Senators.

Since signing bonuses are paid out regardless of a buyout, Ryan would be in line to collect more than $22.6MM of the remaining $30MM on his contract. Paying out that much for someone to not play for your team is something that the richer teams in the league can do, but Ottawa has never been one to hand out money.

West Notes: Vancouver, Brodeur, Vegas

February 27, 2018 at 5:17 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

After originally leaking out last week, news is set to come down tomorrow about the host city for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. That would be Vancouver, if today’s additional report by Sportsnet is to be believed. It will be the third time Vancouver will play host to the league, after first holding the event in 1990.

Jack Hughes, and American-born center who grew up in Toronto, is the early favorite to go first-overall after finding incredible success this season with the US Development Program. Hughes is just 16 at the moment, but scored 159 points in 80 games last season in his final year of midget, and has 128 in 67 games at various development levels this year.

A familiar NHL name will be suiting up for the San Jose Barracuda in the coming days, as Jeremy Brodeur has signed a PTO with the club. Brodeur has been playing for the Allen Americans of the ECHL, where he has a .919 save percentage through 35 games. The son of Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, and grandson of Olympic medalist Denis Brodeur, the 21-year old has quite the family history of goaltending to live up to.
The Vegas Golden Knights were probably the closest team to acquiring Erik Karlsson at the trade deadline, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required). The Detroit Red Wings were sitting around waiting to see whether their deal for Tomas Tatar would go through, while the Golden Knights dealt with another “major transaction” until close to the deadline. Vegas was willing to take on Bobby Ryan’s massive contract, which could play in their favor in the summer months if Karlsson’s name is brought up once again.

San Jose Sharks Have Looked Into Erik Karlsson

February 24, 2018 at 10:32 am CDT | by Zach Leach 7 Comments

This is not a match many would have seen coming, but TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the San Jose Sharks are among the teams that have had talks with the Ottawa Senators about all-world defenseman Erik Karlsson. The rumors are growing that Karlsson could be moved ahead of Monday’s trade deadline or, at least, this off-season. Could the Sharks be a dark horse destination?

In a way, it makes sense. Ever since it was revealed that Senators GM Pierre Dorion was seeking a team to take the contract of Bobby Ryan – $7.25MM over four more years – as part of any deal for Eriksson, it narrowed the field considerably of who could possibly even afford to acquire such players, without bringing in a third team. One such team that is a contender and could afford to bring in both Karlsson and Ryan are the Sharks, who will have over $18MM in salary cap space entering the off-season. LeBrun also notes that it is not out of the ordinary for Sharks GM Doug Wilson to inquire into every available player. LeBrun calls San Jose “big-game hunters”, citing their trades for Joe Thornton and Brent Burns over the years and their push to sign Steven Stamkos two years ago. The Sharks have also been mentioned as a possible destination for John Tavares, should he decide not to re-sign with the New York Islanders.

However, one has to wonder if this rumor is more fiction than fact. While the Sharks may have the cap space and the big splash history, the fit doesn’t make much sense. The reason the team has had interest in Stamkos and Tavares is because they need another major piece up front, especially with 38-year-old Thornton unlikely to return. There is no similar concern on the blue line. Burns is fresh off a Norris Trophy last season and right up there with Karlsson as one of the best defenseman in the league. He’s also signed for seven more years to the tune of $56MM. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is one of the league’s top defensive rearguards and begins his own eight-year, $56MM extension next season. Justin Braun and Brenden Dillon are both in their primes and signed for two more years at reasonable rates, while youngsters Dylan DeMelo and Joakim Ryan have taken a step forward this season. Even the system is well-stocked, with promising blue liners like Jeremy Roy, currently in the AHL, and Mario Ferraro of UMass. The Sharks are a top-ten team in goals against and shots against and arguably the best penalty kill unit in the NHL. Defense is the least of their worries, so why then would they sell off multiple high-value assets and take on a terrible contract to acquire, of all things, another defenseman? The answer is they wouldn’t. No one can blame Wilson for checking in, if he did, but more likely this is the Senators exaggerating interest to drive up the price on Karlsson. Don’t expect a top pairing of Norris Trophy winners in San Jose any time soon, unless Vlasic is ever rewarded for his stellar two-way play.

Potential Erik Karlsson Trade Could Need Three Teams

February 23, 2018 at 12:37 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 13 Comments

Over the last few days, Bob McKenzie of TSN has been explaining the Erik Karlsson situation about as well as anyone could. The Ottawa Senators are considering a deal, they’d like to move Bobby Ryan as part of it, but they might not be able to make it happen before Monday’s deadline. Any trade including the superstar defenseman would have a lot of moving parts, and deals of that magnitude rarely happen in just a few days before the deadline. There are huge cap implications to taking on Karlsson and Ryan, and for any of the contenders it might just not be possible. That’s where a third team might join the fray, as Craig Custance of The Athletic notes.

Custance tweets that teams with cap space are getting involved as a sort of catalyst for the deal, perhaps to take Ryan’s contract out of the equation. Travis Yost of TSN has heard the same thing, even adding the idea of a “fourth-party.” For what it’s worth, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic doesn’t think that a deal involving Ryan will be done by the deadline, and still suggests that it would benefit Ottawa by waiting until June to trade their captain.

That Karlsson is even in the headlines this week shows how far the Senators have fallen since coming just a goal shy of making the Stanley Cup Finals less than a year ago. There could be a real fire sale in the Canadian capital over the next few months, with a rebuild of sorts on the horizon centered around some of the young talent in the system.

Speculation Continues To Increase Around Erik Karlsson

February 21, 2018 at 4:11 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

“Erik Karlsson is in play.” That’s how Frank Seravalli starts his latest update to the Trade Bait board on TSN, after Bob McKenzie released a thorough examination of the market for the Ottawa Senators’ captain. Karlsson is still a long-shot to be traded by Monday’s deadline, but McKenzie writes that more than six teams are believed to have made contact (one way or another) with Senators’ GM Pierre Dorion.

The return in any Karlsson trade would be astronomical, and could include getting Bobby Ryan’s contract off the Ottawa books. While McKenzie reports that isn’t absolutely necessary, it’s obviously something the Senators want to do in the coming days or months.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic chimes in on Twitter to add that a Western Conference GM believes the Senators might just be “laying down the framework” for an offseason move of Karlsson. That seems more likely, as a trade of this magnitude would take a considerable amount of work to pull off, something that teams are running out of as we approach the Monday deadline.

Still, the fact that the Senators are considering moving one of the best defensemen in the league will certainly change many team’s outlooks at the deadline. It could freeze the market until a real decision comes out of Ottawa, or could make deadline day one that drastically changes the playoff picture. Karlsson would immediately vault any playoff challenger to contender status, or cement a team like Tampa Bay as an absolute powerhouse.

Nothing that has come out over the last few days is definitive, and McKenzie himself states that a trade is still probably not going to happen. But it definitely makes rumor season a lot more interesting.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Lupul, Hinostroza, Ryan

February 6, 2018 at 12:20 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Joffrey Lupul is technically still under contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, despite not suiting up for a game in two years. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet relays some of Lupul’s feelings from a recent podcast appearance, which indicates that though he might have some regrets on how his career ended, there isn’t a comeback in the works.

Lupul could technically sign a contract with an NHL club in the offseason as a free agent, but there doesn’t seem to be any indication he will. The 34-year old forward is instead concentrating on his life after hockey, even referring to himself as “retired.” Lupul’s career would end with 420 points in 701 games, including a career-high 67-point campaign in 2011-12 with the Maple Leafs.

The Chicago Blackhawks will have a little less roster flexibility after tonight’s game as CapFriendly points out, as Vinnie Hinostroza is set to play in his 80th career game. That means Hinostroza will no longer be waiver-exempt, though he seems to have solidified his place in the lineup anyway. The 23-year old forward has 14 points in 22 games this season for the Blackhawks, and is another example of a smaller player finding success in today’s game. Selected in the sixth round partly due to his size, Hinostroza hasn’t stopped scoring at any level of hockey.
If the Ottawa Senators had any plans to try and move Bobby Ryan and his huge contract they might have to wait until the offseason. The 30-year old forward will be out a minimum of three weeks according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, putting a return before the trade deadline in doubt. Ryan does have 20 points in 39 games this season as he’s battled through several injuries, but isn’t the same goal-scoring threat he once was. Owed another $30MM over the next four seasons, his contract has quickly become a huge hindrance on the Senators’ future plans.

Minor Transactions: 02/06/18

February 6, 2018 at 11:47 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here. Make sure to refresh throughout the day.

According to the AHL transaction page, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled Nicolas Kerdiles from the minor leagues, though it is unclear what the corresponding move is to make room for him. Kerdiles has played in just two games for the Ducks this season, but has 19 points in 23 games for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
The Ottawa Senators have recalled Max McCormick once again, as they deal with injuries to Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone. McCormick is still looking for his first NHL point this season, after being held scoreless in his first three games.
After spending time as a healthy scratch recently, Michael Bournival will return to the Syracuse Crunch to get back into some game action. The Tampa Bay Lightning forward has played in only four NHL games this season, but is a key part of the AHL attack.

Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

February 4, 2018 at 3:50 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up are the Ottawa Senators.

It certainly hasn’t been the year that the Ottawa Senators imagined after a deep playoff run just a year ago. With a combination of veterans and young talent, including two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, it looked like the team was trending in a positive direction. Very little has gone right as the Senators are struggling in a weak Atlantic Division and while they haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, the team has little to no chance. The team’s struggles have suddenly made the team sellers, but what are they willing to move?

Record

17-25-9, 7th in Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$5.8MM – full-season cap hit, 0/3 retained salary transactions, 49/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: OTT 1st (only if it’s a Top-10 pick), OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th, OTT 7th, NYR 7th
2019: OTT 1st (unless Ottawa kept 2018 pick), OTT 2nd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th, OTT 7th

Trade Chips

While there have been constant assurances from Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion that the team will not trade Karlsson, especially before the trade deadline, there remains constant rumors and suggestions that teams might make major offers to pry the team’s captain away as rumors continue to surface that while he loves Ottawa, he doesn’t believe ownership will be able to deliver a winner. The team could get better much faster if they can get a great return on Karlsson.

However, assuming Karlsson stays put, the team has made numerous other players available, the most notable would be winger Mike Hoffman, who the team believes it should also be able to get a good return for. The 28-year-old center still has two more years on his contract after this one and has scored 92 goals over the past four seasons. Throw in the fact that centers are at a premium and the team could benefit greatly from a deal centering around Hoffman.

Five Players To Watch For: W Alexandre Burrows; C Mike Hoffman; D Erik Karlsson; D Johnny Oduya; C Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Team Needs

1) Unloading High-Priced Contracts: If they can find a taker for one of their two most bloated contracts in defenseman Dion Phaneuf or perhaps more importantly forward Bobby Ryan, that could fix a lot of the team’s problems. If the team could free up some cap space, then they can make a competitive offer in a year to extend Karlsson, who is looking to break the bank. However, Phaneuf still has three more years after this one at $7MM per year, while Ryan has four more years at $7.25MM. Neither would be particularly easy to unload without retaining a large chunk of their salaries.

2) Young experienced talent/Picks: While the team has a lot of youth, what the team really needs is to form a nucleus around center Matt Duchene, who they traded for during the season. The team has a lot of young talent, but what they need is young players who have already established themselves somewhat in the league and won’t be a liability early on as they try to transition to the NHL. As for picks, the team traded away their 2018 first-rounder in the Duchene trade, but (fortunately for them) it was top-10 protected which could give the Senators the chance to keep the pick for this year. However, if that’s the case, then the first-rounder will transfer to 2019. Replacing that lost first-rounder should be a key priority for a team that is struggling.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Flyers, Ryan, Davidson, Oshie

February 3, 2018 at 10:56 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With the Metropolitan Division being as tight as it is (five points separate third place from last place), decisions on whether the teams in that bottleneck will buy or sell are still likely a couple of weeks away. Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post suggests that if the Flyers were to be buyers, they will be more likely going after depth players such as a bottom-six forward or a third pairing defender that can kill penalties instead of pursuing the more prominent players available.

That approach would make sense considering how patient Philly GM Ron Hextall has been about building the team slowly but steadily. They certainly have a surplus of young talent to deal from if they want to but since the Flyers aren’t really a single player or two away from becoming top-flight contenders, they’re arguably better off waiting a little longer before making that bigger splash.

Elsewhere around the league:

Bobby Ryan’s hand troubles have surfaced yet again. The Senators winger has been ruled out for the weekend with a hand injury and head coach Guy Boucher told reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that he is doubtful to play next week as well. This is Ryan’s fourth different hand injury already this season and his eighth since 2014-15. When he has been healthy, the veteran has been relatively productive with 20 points (7-13-20) in 39 games so far this season.
Although he has played a sparing role since rejoining the Oilers, defenseman Brandon Davidson is worthy of keeping around beyond this season, argues David Staples of the Edmonton Journal. The 26-year-old is owed a qualifying offer of $1.55MM this offseason and with Edmonton expected to be a cap-spending team with center Connor McDavid’s new $12.5MM per year kicking in, that qualifying offer amount may be too much of a luxury for a role player.
The Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link) that Capitals winger T.J. Oshie has been fined $5K for a cross-check against Penguins defenseman Kris Letang last night. The fine is the maximum allowable in the CBA.

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