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Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Capitals Make Multiple Roster Moves

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The Washington Capitals recalled winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and goaltender Hunter Shepard from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Friday, per a team release. In two corresponding transactions, center Nic Dowd was activated from IR, while Anthony Mantha was placed on IR.

Aubé-Kubel, 27, could make his season debut tonight when the Capitals face the New Jersey Devils. As a winger, he’s a more direct replacement for Mantha, who will be out for at least one week after taking a puck to the ear in Wednesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

The gritty forward was a surprise omission from the Capitals’ opening-night roster, passing through waivers unclaimed early in October. Washington signed him to a one-year, $1.225MM extension last March after claiming him off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the 2022-23 season.

Aubé-Kubel provided solid depth production after the waiver claim in the nation’s capital, notching four goals and 12 points in 47 contests while averaging 11:39 per game. 2023-24 hasn’t been kind to the 2022 Stanley Cup champion, who has just three points in 11 games with AHL Hershey this season.

Shepard comes up without a clear injury designation to starter Darcy Kuemper or backup Charlie Lindgren, although Lindgren did not participate in an optional skate yesterday, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. The 28-year-old made one appearance for the Capitals earlier this season, stopping 18 of 22 shots for his first NHL win against the Devils on October 25.

He’s also off to a solid start with Hershey, recording a .910 SV% and a 4-1-0 record through five games. Shepard’s .914 SV% and three shutouts in 20 postseason games last year earned him the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs MVP, helping the Bears to a league championship.

Dowd will return tonight from an upper-body injury that’s kept him out since the team’s second game of the season, causing a nine-game absence. The veteran center did not record a point in two games this year but is coming off a career-best 13 goals and 25 points in 2022-23. The 33-year-old from Alabama is in the second season of a three-year contract with a $1.3MM AAV. 21-year-old Hendrix Lapierre seems a likely choice to sit after going pointless in four games this season, averaging just 7:28 per night.

The Capitals confirmed Thursday that Mantha would miss at least the next two games with an upper-body injury, meaning his move to IR is no surprise. Mantha, 29, had registered three goals and one assist through ten games.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/7/23

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While teams have considerably whittled down their rosters compared to where they were just a weekend ago, there are still plenty more cuts to be made in the coming days.  Here are today’s roster trimmings excluding earlier waiver placements.

Buffalo Sabres (via team Twitter)

D Ryan Johnson (to Rochester, AHL)
F Lukas Rousek (to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (via team release)

D Nick DeSimone (to Calgary, AHL)
F Mathias Emilio Pettersen (to Calgary, AHL)
F Martin Pospisil (to Calgary, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

G Yaniv Perets (to Norfolk, ECHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

D Marcus Bjork (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Jake Christiansen (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Joshua Dunne (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Brendan Gaunce (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Carson Meyer (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Billy Sweezey (to Cleveland, AHL)

Dallas Stars (via team Twitter)

D Alexander Petrovic (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (via team Twitter)

F Austin Czarnik (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Timothy Gettinger (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Taro Hirose (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G John Lethemon (to Toledo, ECHL)
D Jared McIsaac (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Wyatt Newpower (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Brogan Rafferty (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Nolan Stevens (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

Nashville Predators (per ESPN’s John Buccigross)

D Marc Del Gaizo (to Milwaukee, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team Twitter)

D Santeri Hatakka (to Utica, AHL)
G Isaac Poulter (to Utica, AHL)

New York Rangers (per team Twitter)

F Jonny Brodzinski (to Hartford, AHL)
D Ben Harpur (to Hartford, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via team Twitter)

F Wade Allison (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team Twitter)

F Ryan Carpenter (to San Jose, AHL)
F Oskar Lindblom (to San Jose, AHL)
F Quentin Musty (to Sudbury, OHL)
F Jacob Peterson (to San Jose, AHL)

Seattle Kraken (per team Twitter)

D Ryker Evans (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Shane Wright (to Coachella Valley, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team Twitter)

F Nicolas Aube-Kubel (to Hershey, AHL)
G Mitchell Gibson (to Hershey, AHL)
F Alex Limoges (to Hershey, AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath (to Hershey, AHL)
F Joe Snively (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
G Hunter Shepard (to Hershey, AHL)

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Washington Capitals Extend Nicolas Aube-Kubel

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The Washington Capitals have made several moves to pull expiring contracts from the roster, but that won’t be the case for Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The bottom-six forward has signed a one-year contract extension with a $1.225MM salary.

Aube-Kubel, 26, was snagged off waivers earlier this season after signing a one-year, $1MM contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer. At that point, he was fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with the Colorado Avalanche but never seemed to fit in Toronto.

That has not been the case in Washington, where he quickly found a new home and has scored eight points in 30 games. Aube-Kubel’s speed, tenacity, and fearless forechecking have endeared him to several coaching staffs over the years, and clearly did enough to secure his spot with the Capitals for next year.

Still, it is surprising to see him get a raise for next season, given the limited offense he provides. Aube-Kubel will be making the highest salary of his career in 2023-24.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel Suspended Three Games

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The NHL’s Department of Player Safety this evening announced a three game suspension for Washington Capitals forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel as a result of an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Callan Foote. As the video accompanying video explains:

“It is important to note that both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied on this play. First, the head is the main point of contact, as Aube-Kubel’s shoulder makes direct contact with Foote’s head, and it is the head the absorbs the majority of the force of the check. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. Aube-Kubel chooses an angel of approach that cuts across the front of Foote’s body, missing his core and picking his head. If Aube-Kubel wants to deliver this hit, he must stay low and choose an angle that leads to a full body check through the shoulder and core rather than one that makes the head the main point of contact.”

The hit in question happened partway through last night’s game between the Capitals and Lightning in Washington. As Foote received a pass and dumped it in near center ice, Aube-Kubel, who was skating parallel to Foote, cut to his right, skating across and in front of Foote, where he delivered the hit. Aube-Kubel was assessed a match penalty.

The three game suspension is interesting, considering Aube-Kubel’s prior discipline history consists of just two fines over 178 career games, this constituting a substantial jump up in punishment. Worth noting though, beyond the nature of the hit, is the fact that Foote was injured on the play.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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Following an incident last night that saw Capitals winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel receive a match penalty (which carries an automatic suspension pending league review), the Department of Player Safety has announced (Twitter link) that Aube-Kubel will have a disciplinary hearing later today.

The incident occurred partway through their game against Tampa Bay when he hit Lightning defenseman Cal Foote in the head, a clip of the hit can be seen here.  Foote left the game and did not return with head coach Jon Cooper telling reporters including Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link) that the blueliner is doubtful to suit up tomorrow against Washington in a rematch from last night.  Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak both left Friday’s game as well after blocking shots so the Lightning’s back end is thinned out all of a sudden.

While Aube-Kubel doesn’t have any prior suspensions, he has been fined twice by the league back in January and October of 2021.  He was claimed off waivers from Toronto last Saturday and has played in three games with his new team so far but he may have to wait a little while before he suits up in his fourth contest with Washington.

Capitals Claim Nicolas Aube-Kubel Off Waivers From Maple Leafs

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With Connor Brown done for the season due to ACL surgery, the Capitals have his $3.6MM cap hit to work with for LTIR space.  They used a chunk of that today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Washington has claimed winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers from Toronto.

It’s the second straight season that the 26-year-old has been plucked off the waiver wire in November as a year ago, Colorado scooped him up from Philadelphia.  He went on to have a strong finish to his season with 11 goals and 11 assists in 67 games with the Avs while suiting up 14 times in their Stanley Cup run, leading to him signing a one-year, $1MM contract with the Maple Leafs on the opening day of free agency last summer.

However, things didn’t go particularly well for Aube-Kubel with Toronto as he was a healthy scratch in five of their first 11 games this season while he was held off the scoresheet in six games while logging just over nine minutes per game and with a need for some roster flexibility, they decided that Aube-Kubel was the one to part with.  Notably, on top of the cap savings and roster spot being opened, this also frees up a contract slot for Toronto who was at the maximum of 50 prior to this claim.

Meanwhile, for Washington, it’s a low-risk move to bring in a bottom-six forward with some NHL experience as Aube-Kubel has 175 career NHL appearances under his belt which will give Peter Laviolette another option as he looks to find the right combination on the fourth line.  With the Caps having a full roster, they’ve assigned Garrett Pilon to AHL Hershey to open up a spot on their 23-man roster.  Pilon has five points in seven games with the Bears so far this season.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel Placed On Waivers

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Just a few months after hoisting (and dropping) the Stanley Cup, Nicolas Aube-Kubel finds himself on waivers. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed the depth forward on waivers, and earlier today he was skating as an extra defenseman in practice. The Maple Leafs recalled Wayne Simmonds earlier today and still needed a spot to activate Timothy Liljegren, who is expected to make his season debut tomorrow night.

Aube-Kubel, 26, was signed to a one-year, $1MM contract this summer by the Maple Leafs and was expected to play a full-time role in the bottom six. After six scoreless games, it appears as though the team is ready to move on.

Should he clear he can be assigned to the AHL but there is at least a good chance that someone decides to take Aube-Kubel after his strong performance last year. In 67 regular season games with the Colorado Avalanche (after a waiver claim), he scored 11 goals and 22 points. He then suited up for 14 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup championship.

He did fail to score a point in those 14 postseason contests, which could have been a bit of foreshadowing for this season. In those six games with Toronto, he generated just two shots on goal but did record 21 hits. His limited minutes included almost no offensive starts, leading to brutal possession numbers.

It’s been a few years since Aube-Kubel played regularly in the AHL but that’s likely where he’s headed should he clear waivers tomorrow. The entire $1MM cap hit would come off the books for the Maple Leafs, giving them a little more flexibility than sending down Simmonds or a younger player like Pontus Holmberg.

Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets tweets that Toronto made Aube-Kubel available for trade this week. Waivers don’t necessarily mean those negotiations have ended. Sometimes a player clearing can actually improve his value, as the acquiring team can then stash him in the minor leagues. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s what happens here.

Free Agent Profile: Phil Kessel

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In his peak throughout the 2010s, Phil Kessel was a consistent 30-goal threat, displaying his electric shooting talent en route to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins (and with the Toronto Maple Leafs before that). While Kessel’s move to Arizona for the last three seasons may have left him forgotten in some circles, he’s coming off his best season in three years.

Despite a career-low 4.6 shooting percentage, Kessel will pitch his relatively high point total, especially given the poor state of affairs in Arizona, to convince teams he’s still a credible threat. And, looking at his strong play-driving numbers from last season, he may have a point. Despite seeing his ice time dip to its lowest point during his three years in Arizona, Kessel still managed to finish within 11 points of the team lead at age 34.

It’s not often that a 34-year-old is on the open market with a strong reason to invest in a rebound season, but that’s the case with Kessel. Even if his defense hasn’t been pretty lately, it was never a selling point to his game. Considering his career average shooting percentage sits over 10 percent, expecting Kessel to have a stronger offensive season in 2022-23, at least in terms of putting pucks in the net, is a safe bet.

His Stanley Cup pedigree should also make him an attractive option for teams looking for affordable depth to help push them over the hump to a Stanley Cup.

Stats

2021-22: 82 GP, 8-44-52, -24 rating, 40 PIMs, 175 shots, 45.3 CF%, 16:41 ATOI
Career: 1204 GP, 399-557-956, -148 rating, 372 PIMs, 3700 shots, 49.3 CF%, 18:02 ATOI

Potential Suitors

Kessel should find a home before a lot of other veterans are forced to settle for PTOs as training camps begin. While he’s not what he used to be, he still had more than 50 points last season. With his low price tag, he should be an attractive option as teams continue to tinker with their rosters during the month of August.

There could be a spot for him in the bottom six of a retooled Calgary Flames forward group. While Jakob Pelletier is a strong candidate to make a jump to the NHL next season after a strong season in Stockton, Kessel could challenge other veterans such as Milan Lucic or Sean Monahan for playing time at a cheaper price and more goal-scoring upside. He could go Cup-chasing with the Colorado Avalanche as well, as they’ve lost some depth forwards such as Andre Burakovsky and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. He could also stand to be a solid secondary scoring option for the Minnesota Wild after they lost Kevin Fiala.

If he wants to head back East, the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Florida Panthers are a trio of teams that could use him in their bottom six.

Projected Contract

Kessel came in 23rd on our Top 50 UFAs list in early July. While he likely won’t command the $2MM AAV we predicted at this point, there’s still a solid chance he could earn seven figures and not have to settle for a league minimum deal. It all likely depends on the cap situation of the team Kessel opts to sign with, as after over $90MM in career earnings, per CapFriendly, money likely won’t be a huge factor in his decision.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Adam Gaudette

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have added some Cup-winning depth at forward. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Leafs have signed Nicolas Aube-Kubel to a one-year contract worth $1MM. They’ve also signed forward Adam Gaudette to a one-year deal worth $750,000.

Aube-Kubel, 26, is fresh off of a Stanley Cup victory with the Colorado Avalanche. Aube-Kubel arrived in Colorado as a waiver claim and proved to be a nice bottom-six find for GM Joe Sakic. Kubel had 11 goals and 22 points in 67 games, healthy offensive production for someone who only got 9:45 average time-on-ice per game. Aube-Kubel didn’t feature on any of the Avalanche’s special teams, although that could say more about the quality of the Avalanche’s roster than it does about Aube-Kubel’s talent level. At a $1MM cost with no term attached, Aube-Kubel is a nice bottom-six addition for a Maple Leaf team that needs to squeeze maximum value out of every cap dollar.

Gaudette is a different add than Aube-Kubel. While the Maple Leafs can be reasonably sure that Aube-Kubel will be a positive contributor at the bottom of their lineup, Gaudette offers no such guarantees. Gaudette’s signing is similar to the Maple Leafs’ acquisition of Alex Galchenyuk last season. Gaudette, like Galchenyuk, is a former top prospect who offers an all-offense, no-defense game.

At his most productive, the 25-year-old Gaudette had 33 points in 59 games for the Canucks, although they often had to shelter him thanks to his defensive deficiencies. Gaudette bounced from Vancouver to Chicago to Ottawa via trade and a waiver claim and now heads to Toronto as GM Kyle Dubas’ latest attempt at reviving a skilled players’ career on a reclamation project signing.

Nazem Kadri Expected To Return For Game 4

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After a disheartening 6-2 loss in Game 3, the Colorado Avalanche could get a huge momentum swing back in their favor tonight in the Stanley Cup Final. The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reports that, as of practice this morning, the team plans for center Nazem Kadri to return to the lineup for Game 4. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater adds separately that Kadri is “definitely” playing tonight.

Per Baugh, Kadri skated with the regulars at practice this morning while right wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel skated with the healthy scratches. Barring any setbacks for Kadri during warmups, Aube-Kubel will likely draw out for Kadri to return.

Kadri hasn’t played since suffering a hand injury just 37 seconds into his first shift of Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. The hit by Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane, which forced Kadri’s hand awkwardly into the endboards, sidelined the Avalanche forward for two and a half weeks. Kane earned a one-game suspension on the play as the Avalanche completed their four-game sweep of the Oilers without either Kane or Kadri on the ice.

Despite the injury and the time missed, Kadri remains tied for fifth in playoff scoring on the Avalanche with six goals, eight assists, and 14 points in 13 games. It’s a repeat of his previous playoff success in an Avalanche uniform, as he tallied 18 points in 15 games during the team’s time in the 2020 playoff bubble.

Not only does Kadri’s return provide a gigantic boost to the Colorado offense on its own, it also causes a positive cascading effect on the team’s depth. J.T. Compher, who’s been an excellent energy forward for the team in recent games, will likely return to a bottom-six role, bolstering their ability to counterstrike against Tampa’s stellar veteran depth.

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