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Olympic Notes: Czechia, Johnson, Team USA

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David Krejci may be gone from the NHL but he’s not off the international stage. The former Boston Bruins star was one of 24 players named to the preliminary Czechia roster for the upcoming Olympics. The final group will be named later this month, but Krejci certainly feels like a lock at this point. Among the other names that will be familiar to NHL fans are Tomas Kundratek, Jakub Jerabek, Vladimir Sobotka, Tomas Hyka and Michael Frolik.

One name unfortunately not included is Jaromir Jagr, the 49-year-old who first appeared on the Olympic stage in 1998, winning the gold with a Dominik Hasek-led squad. Jagr has 19 points in 29 games with Kladno, the team he owns at the highest level of Czech hockey. A member of the exclusive Triple Gold Club, Jagr also has two World Championship golds and won the Stanley Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

  • While it was obvious that Owen Power would be part of Team Canada after he starred for his country at last summer’s World Championship, another one of his college teammates appears to be coming with him. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV tweets that Kent Johnson will also represent Canada at the Olympics next month. The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Johnson fifth overall in 2021 and the extremely skilled forward is currently leading the powerhouse University of Michigan program in scoring with 28 points in just 19 games. There will be quite a few Wolverines taking part in the tournament, just months before many of them are set to sign entry-level NHL contracts.
  • ESPN will reveal the full U.S. squad later today on The Point, where several Michigan players will be officially named. The squad should have a large college hockey presence, making it a unique experience for many of these young players. In a year where many were robbed of an opportunity to compete for a World Junior medal, they could bring home an even rarer one from Beijing.

Overseas Notes: Rychel, Enstrom, KHL

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After years of trying to find his place in the NHL, former top prospect turned journeyman Kerby Rychel has decided to take his talents to Sweden. Orebro HK of the SHL announced today that Rychel has signed a one-year contract with the club. Rychel brings with him nearly 300 games worth of AHL experience, as well as 43 NHL games. The 19th overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013, Rychel entered the pro level with high expectations as both the son of respected former player and OHL executive Warren Rychel and as a player who had done serious damage on the score sheet at the junior level. Rychel looked to be on his way to becoming an established NHL player when he suited up for 32 games with Columbus in his second pro season, but a trade to Toronto – in exchange for current Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington – altered his trajectory. Rychel never played a single game for the Maple Leafs, spending close to two full seasons with the AHL’s Marlies. He was then traded to the Montreal Canadiens at the tail end of the 2017-18 season as part of the package for rental Tomas Plekanec. Despite performing well in a brief showing with the Habs, Rychel was traded again last summer to the Calgary Flames for Hunter Shinkaruk. Even as he was enjoying the best per-game production of his AHL career with the Stockton Heat, Rychel earned just two appearances with the Flames and the team did not make him a qualifying offer earlier this summer. Putting a tumultuous NHL career behind him, Rychel will now try his hand at the SHL. Orebro struggled last season, finishing tenth out of 14 teams and will be glad to add an experienced talent like Rychel. Between he, fellow new addition Ryan Stoa, and returning top liner Shane Harper, Orebro should pack some more offensive punch next season.

  • Given the lackluster NHL free agent market this summer, it’s no surprise that few veterans who had previously made the jump to Europe have been able to find a fit back in North America. Count defenseman Tobias Enstrom among that group. The 34-year-old has re-signed with his hometown team, MODO of the Swedish minor league Allsvenkan, the club announced. It is a new one-year deal for the captain, who returned to Sweden last off-season. A career member of the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise, Enstrom found himself without a home for the first time in 11 years last summer as a free agent without a market. He held out hope, waiting for an offer until late August, before opting to head home. In returning to MODO, the team he grew up playing for – albeit in the SHL at that time – Enstrom took on a leadership and also saw a spike in his production. MODO hopes that the strong play continues from their veteran ace, as the team looks to contend for promotion back to the SHL in the upcoming season.
  • The quiet NHL free agent market has had an overwhelmingly positive effect on the European leagues, as few players left their respective clubs while talent continues to come over from North America. While Sweden has had a strong off-season in the import business, the winner thus far in terms of NHL additions is unsurprisingly the KHL, considered to be the best of the European leagues. Among the players who have signed in the KHL this off-season are forwards Sven Andrighetto, Ty Rattie, Nikita Soshnikov, Jori Lehtera, Peter Holland, and Lukas Sedlak, defensemen Andrej Sustr, Igor Ozhiganov, Bogdan Kiselevich, and Jakub Jerabek, and goaltender Harri Sateri. It’s a valuable influx of talent for a league that is seeking better competitive balance.

Jakub Jerabek Returns To KHL

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After two seasons bouncing around North America, Jakub Jerabek has decided to return to the KHL. The defenseman is technically still under contract with the St. Louis Blues, but that didn’t stop the KHL from tweeting out that he has signed a one-year contract with Podolsk Vityaz, his former team. Jerabek had been playing with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, but their season ended without a playoff berth. He was not part of the Blues’ “Black Aces” recall, likely meaning the team has let him leave without issue.

Jerabek, 27, signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2017 after an impressive KHL debut but failed to really catch on in the NHL. After 25 games for the Canadiens and 17 more for their AHL affiliate, he ended up traded to the Washington Capitals at the deadline to provide some defensive depth. Jerabek actually did get into two games with the Capitals during their Stanley Cup playoff run, but mostly sat on the sidelines and watched his team celebrate victory after victory.

In the offseason Jerabek signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Edmonton Oilers but failed to find a place on their blue line and was traded to St. Louis just before the season began. After playing a single game with the Blues, Jerabek was placed on waivers and sent down to San Antonio. He ended up hitting the ice 52 times for the AHL club, recording 15 points and a -22 rating.

Deadline Primer: St. Louis Blues

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Central Division, here is a look at the St. Louis Blues.

Alex Pietrangelo? Vladimir Tarasenko? Colton Parayko? Sorry, but they aren’t going anywhere. The St. Louis Blues have quietly climbed within three points of a playoff spot and the early-season panic is over. Granted, the team is still in the middle of a cluster of teams fighting for just a few postseason berths, but the Blues have games in hand on the whole bunch and have been playing some of their best hockey lately. St. Louis is now a legitimate threat to slip into the playoffs and, once there, could do some damage. In fact, the potential on paper of this team is yet another reason why a fire sale is unlikely. There is no excuse for their first half failures, but many, including their own GM Doug Armstrong, have expressed optimism about what this core can do next season. They may have considered tearing it all down at one point, but that’s no longer a realistic possibility.

With that said, the Blues have fallen short of expectations all year long and no one would be surprised if they do in fact miss the playoffs this year. As such, they need to hedge their bets and continue to take offers as a seller. The team has a handful of impending unrestricted free agents they can trade, as well as others that they may entertain moving. The bulk of the St. Louis lineup isn’t going anywhere and will continue their playoff push, but Armstrong and company are likely to move out some extraneous pieces and play both sides of the market as the trade deadline approaches.

Record

22-22-5, sixth in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$7.2MM of full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: STL 2nd, STL 3rd, STL 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
2020: STL 1st*, STL 2nd, STL 3rd, STL 4th, STL 5th, STL 7th
* – Blues owe their 2019 first-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade, but have option to keep that pick if it is top-ten and send 2020 first-round pick instead

Trade Chips

Brayden Schenn is a name that just won’t go away. Even as the Blues’ play has improved of late, Schenn’s name continues to bounce around the rumor mill. The 27-year-old center broke out for 70 points last season, but is back to his regular 50-point pace, if that, this year and has been an underwhelming presence this season for an underachieving team. Logic would dictate that if the Blues want to keep their core intact for another try next season, they’ll refrain from moving Schenn. However, if the market interest forces his hand, Armstrong will move the talented forward, who has one year remaining on his contract, for the right price.

The same goes for winger Jaden Schwartz. Once the epitome of consistency and clutch in the Blues’ lineup, Schwartz, 27, has been streaky and largely ineffective on offense this season. His 21 points thus far is one of the biggest disappointments of St. Louis’ season. Schwartz has quietly continued to be a solid two-way force for the Blues though, even if it doesn’t show up on the score sheet. Schwartz has shown immense talent previously and his trade value is at an all-time low. Maybe he does just need a change of scenery, but Armstrong is unlikely to sell low on the two-way forward this season.

Not every trade decision will be as difficult as Schenn and Schwartz. For example, veteran forward Patrick Maroon has been an utter failure this year for St. Louis and is all but gone before the deadline. Earlier this month, it was rumored that Maroon was likely to be dealt when his full no-trade clause expired at the end of January. In the nine games since the report, Maroon has one lone goal. Hometown product or not, the Blues are likely to move Maroon – who has proven before to be a deadline commodity – for the best offer. Veteran grinders Jordan Nolan and, to a lesser extent, Chris Thorburn could also have value on the market and their absences would mean little to the Blues.

Defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson have not struggled like Maroon, but are also likely goners as impending UFA’s. Bouwmeester, 35, is a respected veteran around the league but has undoubtedly slowed down over the past couple of seasons. He’s currently fourth among St. Louis defenders in time on ice and has the worst plus/minus of the group. Bouwmeester isn’t going to be extended by the Blues, but he’s also still a serviceable and experienced blue liner who could help a true contender. He’s worth more elsewhere than he is for this fringe St. Louis team. The same goes for depth defender Gunnarsson, who has actually been a quite effective possession defenseman in limited opportunity this year, but has a higher value as an added option to a contender than to a team that may not make the playoffs. Jakub Jerabek and Chris Butler are also impending UFA defensemen who may have some slight value on the market. Don’t be surprised if 25-year-old Jordan Schmaltz has his name thrown around too; the Blues have made no effort to get him NHL minutes and he could use a new opportunity.

One of the major issues of this St. Louis team is underachieving forwards and it’s not just the veterans. Sure, the Blues might like to move Alex Steen or Tyler Bozak, but no-trade clauses alone will limit that possibility. The team would be far more likely to find takers for some of their disappointing young forwards, of which there are many. Robby Fabbri, Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev, Nikita Soshnikov, and Sammy Blais are all getting too old to be called prospects, but have yet to prove themselves as difference-makers in the NHL. Each one is an impending restricted free agent this summer and the Blues likely don’t plan to bring the whole group back. St. Louis could benefit from swapping out a young forward or two of their own for other teams’ disappointing forwards in hopes that a new system can turn their game around.

Five Players To Watch For: F Brayden Schenn, F Patrick Maroon, D Jay Bouwmeester, D Carl Gunnarsson, F Sammy Blais

Team Needs

1) Scoring Depth: Obviously, goaltending is the biggest long-term concern of the Blues, but that isn’t going to be addressed at the deadline this year. Next in line then is scoring. As previously mentioned multiple times, one of the fatal flaws of the Blues this season has been a lack of scoring and disappointing efforts from too many regular forwards. St. Louis is 22nd in goals for this season and, even if the veteran core returns to form this season, the fringe pieces lack some upside in the production department. As the team moves out forwards from the roster, old or young, the Blues could benefit from taking a waiver on other teams’ frustrated young forwards to test this season for whether there is a there is a fit moving forward. The Washington Capitals’ Andre Burakovsky, the Vancouver Canucks’ Nikolay Goldobin, or the Montreal Canadiens’ Charles Hudon could all be intriguing options. Finding another name to add to the blossoming next wave of Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Klim Kostin, and Dominik Bokk should be a priority.

2) Top Prospect Defenseman: In the course of making possible trades of Schenn or Bouwmeester or a young forward, Armstrong would be smart to target a top young defender in the return. The Blues have some nice 25-and-under pieces on the NHL blue line right now, but the AHL unit lacks much upside and the organization does not really have a blue chip defenseman in the pipeline other than collegiate rearguard Scott Perunovich, who will already be 21 next season when he begins his junior year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. St. Louis has many exciting, talented forwards waiting to take over a role in the NHL; the team desperately needs to add a defenseman into that group. If they can’t find one via trade, they should focus on the draft and adding picks to make up for their first- and fourth-rounders this year.

Mike Condon, Ben Street Placed On Waivers

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Thursday: Both Condon and Street have cleared waivers, and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Wednesday: After a tough night in Arizona, Mike Condon has been placed on waivers by the Ottawa Senators according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Joining Condon today is Ben Street of the Anaheim Ducks, while Jakub Jerabek has cleared and has been assigned to the minor leagues by the St. Louis Blues.

Condon has gone through quite a disastrous spell since signing a three-year, $7.2MM contract with the Senators in June of 2017. That summer he was coming off a very successful campaign in which he recorded a .914 save percentage and helped Ottawa get all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Since, he’s recorded just a .898 save percentage and won just five of his 28 starts. His and fellow netminder Craig Anderson’s disappointing 2017-18 season were a huge part of why the Senators fell to the bottom of the standings, and now there’s some question about whether or not he’ll be able to find his game again.

It’s not like Condon is at the beginning of his career, just dealing with a bump in the road. He’ll turn 29 this season, and could very well be on his way out of the league if he can’t turn things around. For now, he’ll likely clear waivers due to his hefty contract and try to work his way back to relevancy in the minor leagues. John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that it will be either veteran goaltender Mike McKenna or prospect Filip Gustavsson that will be called up to replace Condon in Ottawa and back up Anderson.

For Street, it’s a numbers game as the Ducks try to find a way to right the ship in the early part of the season. Patrick Eaves is close to a return, and with Kalle Kossila and Kiefer Sherwood making there return Anaheim needed to send someone back down. Street will likely join Sam Steel in the minor leagues, though was still skating with the team today.

St. Louis Blues Place Jakub Jerabek On Waivers

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The St. Louis Blues have placed Jakub Jerabek on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Jerabek has played just a single game for the Blues, after coming over from the Edmonton Oilers just before the season started.

If claimed, Jerabek could be joining his fourth NHL team since coming over from the KHL, despite only playing 39 games between the regular season and playoffs. The 27-year old defenseman signed with the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 2017 only to be traded at the deadline to the eventual Stanley Cup winning Washington Capitals. A new contract with the Oilers didn’t even last all of training camp before he was cut from the squad and sent south to the Blues, where he still hasn’t been able to make much of an impression.

With the recent return of Carl Gunnarsson and several forwards from their conditioning stints, the Blues need room on the roster and Jerabek is the easiest choice to lose. His $1MM salary may actually protect him from claim, but one has to wonder if he’ll accept another demotion to the minor leagues. The Czech-born defenseman was an excellent professional player for years in his home country, and if he’s not going to get another opportunity at the NHL level this season there seems little chance of him earning a one-way contract next summer.

Minor Transactions: 10/07/18

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After the first handful of games and a handful of injuries, many teams should be active as they make changes and/or additions to their roster. Keep checking to see what teams do.

  • The St. Louis Blues announced they have assigned veteran defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage now that Jakub Jerabek has gotten his visa and is ready to join the team. With Jerabek, the team has nine defenseman on the roster, forcing them to send Butler down. The 31-year-old blueliner played in the Blues’ first two games for the injured Joel Edmundson, faring well and even scored a goal. Once an NHL regular, Butler has spent the past few years in the AHL, being utilized as an emergency recall.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced they have assigned forward Luke Kunin to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. That means that Kunin has been cleared to play since he’s been working to return from a torn ACL he sustained on Mar. 4. The team’s 2016 first-rounder, Kunin bounced back and forth between Iowa and Minnesota last season, playing in 19 games for the big-league club before sustaining the injury. He has been rehabbing since and passed coach Bruce Boudreau’s infamous skating test Saturday and looks ready to continue his return.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Laurent Dauphin from his conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, the team announced. The 23-year-old played one game there, putting up a goal and an assist and will now return to the Coyotes. Dauphin has been recovering from a lower-body injury he sustained at the end of last season and had been limited at training camp. The hope is he can fill in for injured Coyotes’ such as Alex Galchenyuk and Christian Dvorak.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced they have recalled veteran goaltender Peter Budaj to be the team’s backup for Jack Campbell for the near future while starter Jonathan Quick sits out after he suffered a lower-body injury in practice Saturday. The 36-year-old Budaj has only played one game for Ontario in the AHL as he allowed five goals, posting a .833 save percentage.
  • With Joe Thornton landing on the IR, the San Jose Sharks have promoted center Dylan Gambrell, per CapFriendly. The first-year pro out of the University of Denver was a perennial point-per-game player in the college ranks and will be looking to live up to his second-round pick billing in his first opportunity with the Sharks.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have promoted center Vladislav Kamenev from Colorado of the AHL in advance of their upcoming road trip, per the AHL’s Transactions page.  The 22-year-old was added as part of the Matt Duchene trade last season but was sidelined shortly thereafter.  In two games with the Eagles so far this season, Kamenev has one assist.

West Notes: Bennett, Peluso, Jerabek, Roussel

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Flames forward Sam Bennett was on the fourth line to start the season which has already fueled some speculation that he could become a trade candidate fairly quickly.  However, despite his struggles the last couple of years and limited role to start the season, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested in an appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link) that Calgary’s asking price for the 22-year-old would be quite high given his age (22) and draft pedigree as fourth-overall pick in 2014.  Bennett is in the final year of his deal that carries a $1.95MM cap hit which makes him a non-tender candidate in the summer if he doesn’t improve.  Accordingly, it will be interesting to see if GM Brad Treliving will eventually lower the price or decide to move him for a player in a similar situation.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Still with Calgary, the Flames announced that they have recalled winger Anthony Peluso from Stockton of the AHL. The 29-year-old is in his first season with them after spending last season in Washington’s organization.  Peluso is best known for his pugilistic skills and has 213 penalty minutes in 144 NHL games with another 416 in 240 AHL contests.  He’s not expected to play tonight against Vancouver.
  • Despite being acquired on Monday, Blues defenseman Jakub Jerabek is still not on their active roster. It turns out that he is still looking to secure his work visa before he can actually join the team, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson.  St. Louis will have to make a roster move before they can activate him which will probably now be sometime next week.  Vince Dunn is their only waiver-exempt blueliner but it’s unlikely that they will want to take him out of their top-six.
  • Canucks winger Antoine Roussel participated in practice for the first time since sustaining a concussion during offseason training, notes Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. While there is still no firm timetable for his return, he is with the team for their six-game road trip which suggests he may get the green light at some point in that stretch.  As Vancouver is at the maximum-sized roster, they’ll have to free up a spot before they can take him off injured reserve.

Jason Garrison Signs One-Year Deal With Edmonton Oilers

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It doesn’t come as much of a surprise after his play in the preseason and the recent trade of Jakub Jerabek, but Jason Garrison has earned a contract for the 2018-19 season. The Edmonton Oilers will sign Garrison to a one-year, one-way deal worth $650K according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, a nice reward for his hard work on a professional tryout at camp this summer.

Garrison, 33, ended up on the Vegas Golden Knights roster in last season’s expansion draft but couldn’t crack the lineup for much of the season. Suiting up for just eight games, he instead spent the majority of the year in the minor leagues with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL where he recorded 28 points in 58 games. That broke a string of seven seasons which he had played entirely in the NHL, not a bad streak for an undrafted defenseman out of the college ranks.

Once a feared weapon on the powerplay because of his shot, Garrison can’t really be relied upon for a ton of offensive production anymore. In Edmonton he’ll be asked to play a depth role, likely starting the season in the press box should the team’s regular group be deemed healthy enough to play. His presence does also complicate things somewhat for young talents like Evan Bouchard and Ethan Bear, though both are right handed—something that the Oilers have lacked depth in over the last few seasons.

If the team does end up relying on Garisson as a full-time player, you can bet things have turned south in Edmonton. The defense was a huge spot of difficulty for the team in 2017-18, but should rebound somewhat if Adam Larsson and Oscar Klefbom can stay healthy and in the lineup. Though Andrej Sekera’s injury is painful, all this group has to do is defend well enough in their own end and get the puck quickly up to Connor McDavid and friends in order to compete in the Western Conference. Whether they’ll be able to do that is still yet to be determined.

Edmonton Oilers Trade Jakub Jerabek To St. Louis Blues

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The St. Louis Blues have acquired depth defenseman Jakub Jerabek from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional 2020 sixth round draft selection. Jerabek was recently cut from the Oilers roster but was awaiting an assignment, something he’ll now have to get from his new bosses in St. Louis instead. The draft pick will become a fifth round selection if Jerabek plays in at least 50 games for St. Louis this season. The Blues will be missing defenseman Robert Bortuzzo for the regular season opener after he received a suspension last week, but it’s unclear how the rest of the blue line will shake out after Jerabek’s addition.

Jerabek, 27, was only signed by the Oilers in August after failing to find a contract with the Washington Capitals at the end of last year. Traded to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions by the Montreal Canadiens at the deadline, Jerabek played in just two postseason games for Washington and never found a real fit on their blue line. Unlike fellow deadline acquisition Michal Kempny, the Capitals decided to let Jerabek leave in free agency. A new contract didn’t materialize until the Oilers were in trouble following an injury to Andrej Sekera, but after a poor showing he’ll try his luck in St. Louis instead.

The Blues are also dealing with injuries to Carl Gunnarsson and Joel Edmundson at the moment, meaning they might need some short-term help for the start of the season. It does seem unlikely that Jerabek plays the entire season for the Blues, but with a cap hit of just $1MM he could be completely buried in the minor leagues if he cleared waivers at some point.

A late-round pick doesn’t seem like a lot, but for the Oilers it represents basically a free asset. Jerabek wasn’t a good fit, but they won’t even need to retain any of his salary this season meaning their books are clean of what quickly looked like a bad signing. Instead they’ll hope that late round pick can help them down the road, or become trade bait of their own as they look for other ways to improve their blue line going forward.

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