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Patrick Maroon

Bruins To Activate Pat Maroon Off LTIR

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The Bruins were relatively quiet at the trade deadline, only making a pair of smaller moves.  While Andrew Peeke has settled into a depth role, their other addition hasn’t even played yet.  That will change tonight as Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that winger Pat Maroon will play against Pittsburgh, meaning he has been activated off LTIR.

Boston acquired the 35-year-old from Minnesota but at the time, Maroon had already been out for a little over a month after undergoing back surgery.  When he had the procedure, the anticipated recovery time was four to six weeks but in the end, it winds up being closer to nine.  However, he’ll at least get a chance to play in their final three games of the regular season which should be enough to get him playoff-ready.

Maroon played in 49 games with the Wild before the swap, picking up four goals and a dozen assists along with 71 hits and 60 penalty minutes, numbers that are reasonable for a fourth liner.  Boston undoubtedly had interest in his postseason experience as well as Maroon is tied for eighth among active NHL skaters with 150 playoff appearances including a trio of Stanley Cup titles between 2018-19 and 2020-21.

In order for Boston to formally activate Maroon, they need to be cap-compliant to do so.  They were able to accomplish that on Friday when they re-assigned defenseman Mason Lohrei to AHL Providence so no further roster movement will be needed.

Atlantic Notes: Maroon, Olson, Fleury, Senators

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The Bruins are hoping to have trade deadline pickup Pat Maroon make his Boston debut a week from today against the Penguins, head coach Jim Montgomery said (via Conor Ryan of the Boston Globe). Maroon hasn’t played in over two months, last suiting up on Jan. 27. He’s been out since with a back injury, missing over six weeks for the Wild before they dealt him to Boston at the deadline for a sixth-round pick and a minor league player. It was the fifth time the well-traveled Cup winner has been traded in his career, only changing teams in free agency twice. Prior to exiting the lineup, Maroon had four goals and 16 points in 49 games while averaging 12:46 a night, his highest usage since winning the Cup with the Blues in a top-nine role in 2019. The Bruins will look to him to add veteran experience and penalty minutes to a fourth line that’s mainly revolved around rookies and call-ups.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Bruins forward prospect Quinn Olson has signed outside the organization, landing with AHL Ontario for the rest of the season, per Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. Boston will lose their exclusive signing rights to Olson if they can’t agree to an entry-level contract by Aug. 15. 23 next month, Olson just wrapped up a five-year stint at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he served as an alternate captain in his senior and graduate seasons and totaled 27 goals and 96 points across 175 games. Not being offered a tryout by Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence is a strong indication that the 2019 third-round pick will reach unrestricted free agency in August.
  • Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury left today’s loss to the Penguins and didn’t return after a freak neutral-zone collision with referee Steve Kozari, as relayed by Bally Sports’ Gabby Shirley. Kozari was briefly unconscious after the collision and required a stretcher off the ice, although the league confirmed in a statement that he has full use of his extremities and is expected to make a full recovery. Fleury was able to skate off the ice, but the severity of the hit will require further evaluation. The depth blue-liner has five points and a +5 rating in 23 showings this season, his second in a Lightning uniform.
  • The Senators have parted ways with professional scouts Jim Clark and Rob Murphy, GM Steve Staios announced. This could end an illustrious front-office career for the 70-year-old Clark, who’s held roles with the Red Wings, Blue Jackets and Panthers as well since breaking into the league in 1990. He was brought on by the Sens in 2008 after being let go as Columbus’ assistant GM, serving on their scouting staff for six years before being promoted to their Director of Professional Scouting in 2014. Ottawa demoted Clark out of the head scout role ahead of this season, replacing him with Murphy, who’d been a pro scout for the organization since 2018. This was Murphy’s second run with the Sens, also serving in their pro scouting department from 2010 to 2014 before leaving for a Director of Scouting role with the Sabres.

Atlantic Notes: Alfredsson, Maroon, Kane

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While plenty of the focus in Ottawa has been regarding their head coaching search, the future of one of their assistants is also in question.  In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun relayed that the Senators intend to sit down with Daniel Alfredsson after the season to assess what he’d like his role to be moving forward.  The long-time winger started the season as a development coach before moving behind the bench as an assistant when Jacques Martin took over.  With Martin returning to a consulting role in a few weeks, they’ll soon find out if they’ll have another spot to fill on their coaching staff.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Bruins winger Pat Maroon has skated for three straight days now as he works his way back from back surgery. Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters including Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe that at this point, it will be his conditioning that determines when he’s cleared to return.  Boston picked up Maroon from Minnesota at the trade deadline and will be looking to add his physicality to their fourth line in the near future.
  • The Red Wings are expected to get winger Patrick Kane back in the lineup today against Florida, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan. The veteran missed Thursday’s game with the flu.  Kane has done quite well since signing with Detroit in late November after recovering from hip surgery, collecting 17 goals and 23 assists in 41 games while averaging over 18 minutes a night.  Detroit enters play today sitting two points behind Washington for the final Wild Card spot in the East.

Bruins Acquire Pat Maroon, Reassign Marc McLaughlin

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12:31 p.m.: The deal is now official, per the Wild. They’re also receiving minor-league forward Luke Toporowski from the Bruins in the swap. The 2026 sixth-rounder will transfer to Minnesota if Maroon plays in at least one playoff game for the Bruins in 2024, per CapFriendly.

11:32 a.m.: McLaughlin has been assigned to Providence, per PuckPedia. The move clears his $775K cap hit and makes the Bruins cap-compliant ahead of the Maroon trade call.

10:40 a.m.: The Bruins are acquiring veteran winger Pat Maroon from the Wild for a conditional late-round pick, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. The conditional pick is a sixth-rounder in 2026, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Maroon was on injured reserve after undergoing back surgery early last month. He’s just entered his four-to-six-week return timeframe, so while he won’t debut for Boston immediately, he won’t be out of the lineup for too much longer. Russo reported this morning that Maroon and Connor Dewar were both drawing trade interest.

The 35-year-old has settled into a comfortable fourth-line role in the later stages of his career, recording four goals and 16 points in 48 games with the Wild before landing on IR. The bruising power winger led all NHLers in PIMs last season with 150 and made four consecutive Stanley Cup Finals over a four-year run from 2019 to 2022 with the Blues and Lightning. He wrapped up his four-year stint in Tampa last summer as the second year of his $1MM cap-hit deal was traded to Minnesota for a seventh-round pick with 20% retention.

As such, Maroon will carry a slightly reduced cap hit of $800K for the Bruins. Minnesota is not expected to retain salary in this transaction.

With three Stanley Cup rings and nearly 800 games of NHL experience, Maroon provides Boston with a veteran fourth-line presence that they were sorely lacking. Jesper Boqvist, Justin Brazeau, and Jakub Lauko were staffing the Bruins’ bottom forward unit, all averaging less than 11 minutes per game. Maroon can shoulder a bit more ice time – he averaged nearly 13 per game with the Wild – and carries any intangible that a playoff contender could want.

The Bruins must assign one player to the minors to remain cap-compliant after this trade. They had only $57.5K in cap space, so one of Brazeau or Marc McLaughlin, neither of whom requires waivers, will likely be assigned to AHL Providence.

West Notes: Lindholm, Maroon, Dewar, Eberle, Koch

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There had been some speculation that the Canucks could flip Elias Lindholm to secure assets that would be part of a Jake Guentzel trade.  However, with Guentzel now in Carolina, it appears Vancouver won’t be looking to flip Lindholm after all, reports TSN’s Chris Johnston in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link).  The 29-year-old hasn’t lit it up yet with his new team as he has just four goals and three assists in 16 games since coming over from Calgary, not the type of stretch run he was hoping for as he heads to UFA eligibility this summer for the first time.

More from the West:

  • The Wild have received interest in winger Pat Maroon and center Connor Dewar, reports The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription link). Maroon has missed the last month with a back injury that will keep him out for a couple more weeks but as a cheap gritty, experienced bottom-six forward, it’s not a surprise that there is still interest.  The pending unrestricted free agent has 16 points in 49 games so far this season.  Dewar, meanwhile, is heading for restricted free agency this summer with arbitration eligibility.  The 24-year-old has 10 goals in 57 games while averaging a little over 11 minutes a night and is a key part of Minnesota’s penalty kill.  With the rental center market being thin, the Wild could command a decent return if they decide to move Dewar as a result.
  • The Kraken and winger Jordan Eberle were discussing a two-year deal with a cap hit of $4.5MM, relays Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. However, Eberle is believed to be seeking a third year which is the hold-up in discussions.  The 33-year-old has seen his numbers dip this season but still has 14 goals and 23 assists through 58 games.  The expectation is that Eberle will either be signed or traded by the 2 PM CT deadline.  If it’s the latter, Seattle will almost certainly need to retain on his current $5.5MM price tag.
  • The Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned defenseman Patrik Koch to AHL Tucson. The 27-year-old was recalled yesterday but didn’t play.  Koch is in his first season in North America and has a goal and ten assists in 47 games with the Roadrunners so far this season.

East Notes: Kapanen, Hathaway, Maroon, Okposo

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Kasperi Kapanen’s second stint with the Penguins has been bumpy, to put it lightly.  He impressed in 2020-21 with 30 points in 40 games and it looked like he had finally become a consistent top-six winger.  However, his per-game production slipped last year to the point where there were questions about whether or not he’d be tendered last summer by Pittsburgh.  He ultimately was, inking a two-year, $6.4MM contract but has slid down the depth chart to the point where he has recently been a healthy scratch.

Accordingly, Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now argues that the time has come for the Penguins to part ways with the 26-year-old.  Playing a limited role (or not playing at all) isn’t going to help his trade value so he suggests that waiving him is the next best course of action (assuming there isn’t a viable trade out there).  If he clears, he’d get an opportunity to play a bigger role and perhaps rediscover his scoring touch while giving Pittsburgh a bit of cap flexibility ($1.125MM of his AAV would come off).  At this point, with the alternatives being having him struggle or in the press box, it’s an option that GM Ron Hextall might be considering.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Department of Player Safety announced that they’ve fined Capitals winger Garnet Hathaway $4,054 and Lightning winger Patrick Maroon $2,703 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Those amounts, which work out to 50% of their daily pay, are the maximum permitted in the CBA.  The incident occurred during last night’s game during a review of the check to the head from Nicolas Aube-Kubel on Cal Foote; both players received a five-minute major and a ten-minute misconduct on the play.
  • Sabres winger Kyle Okposo will miss tonight’s game against Boston, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. The captain is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.  While the 34-year-old only has one goal in the early going, he’s tied for third on Buffalo with eight assists through 14 games.  Jack Quinn will return to the lineup in Okposo’s place after being a healthy scratch on Thursday night.

NHL Issues Two More Fines

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The NHL has fined two more players for incidents from yesterday’s action, deciding not to hand out suspensions. Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for his cross-check on Florida Panthers forward Mason Marchment. His teammate Pat Maroon has been fined $3,879,31, the maximum allowable for his salary level, for unsportsmanlike conduct at the end of last night’s game.

In McDonagh’s case, the incident occurred partway through the first period when the game was 1-0 for the Lightning. The two players had been battling all shift, but as Marchment approached McDonagh near the benches, the Tampa Bay defenseman raised his stick and delivered a cross-check to the head. McDonagh was given a two-minute penalty for roughing on the play and Marchment did not suffer a major injury.

For Maroon, there were just under 15 seconds left in the game and the score was out of reach, but the Tampa Bay forward engaged with Florida forward Noel Acciari. Maroon took just 12 faceoffs this season, but lined up as a center for the center ice draw and pushed forward with his stick extended. The event resulted in a scrum between several players, penalties to both teams, and a misconduct for Maroon.

Tampa Bay Signs Pat Maroon To One-Year Deal

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have added a key depth piece to their roster as they announced they have signed forward Pat Maroon to a one-year, $900K deal. Maroon, who helped the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup Championship last season was a big part of the team’s playoff run as he scored a pair of critical game-winning goals last season, including the double overtime goal in Game 7 against the Dallas Stars in the Conference Finals.

“We’re very pleased to add Pat to our organization today,” Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois said. “He brings size and physicality to our group as well as significant playoff experience. We expect Pat’s to be a great addition to the roster.”

The 31-year-old signed a one-year deal with St. Louis last offseason as he was willing to take less so he could be closer to his family, signing a one-year, $1.75MM deal. While it looked early on that the deal might not be working out after Maroon struggled, he turned it around once the team brought in interim coach Craig Berube and proved to be a valuable piece for the team. He scored 10 goals, 28 points and 64 penalty minutes in 74 games last season with St. Louis, and added three goals and seven points in 26 playoff games. However, with a lineup full of long-term deals and top prospects such as Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Sammy Blais emerging, there seemed to be little room for the team to keep Maroon despite his heroics. The St. Louis native has played 449 career games with 88 goals and 206 points.

For the Lightning, the team may have gotten a steal in the 6-foot-3 power forward. Tampa Bay is loaded with some high-end forwards, but could use some more depth at the bottom of the lineup and Maroon should fit the bill. Maroon also provides some insurance if restricted free-agent Brayden Point holds out. Regardless, with the loaded lineup in Tampa Bay, Maroon would have a good chance to win two consecutive Stanley Cups. Assuming the team buries goaltender Mike Condon, the team should have $8.1MM in cap room remaining.

Maroon also has a history with Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper as Maroon played for him between 2005-07 in the NAHL junior league, playing for the Texarkana and St. Louis Bandits.

 

Snapshots: Maroon, Connor, Condon

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While Pat Maroon has indicated that he would like to remain in St. Louis, Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch believes that both sides would be better off if the winger didn’t re-sign with the Blues.  The 31-year-old had an up-and-down season in 2018-19 but did provide a level of physicality that not many others in their bottom six group could.  However, they have plenty of winger depth in the mix already so it’s not as if there’s a glaring vacancy for the St. Louis native to fill.  At this point, Maroon is seeking a multi-year deal which is something that the Blues clearly won’t be giving him.  But if a one-year pact is all he can get, there are other teams that can offer a more prominent opportunity than he’d get by staying with his hometown team.  We’ll see in the coming weeks how important playing close to home will be for the veteran.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • There were talks regarding a potential offer sheet for Jets winger Kyle Connor during the RFA interview period and Sportsnet’s Sean Reynolds reports that those talks have continued. The 22-year-old had a strong 2018-19 campaign, recording 34 goals and 32 assists, career bests in both categories while logging over 19 minutes a night.  That has put him in line for a massive raise from his $925K entry-level salary.  Winnipeg has roughly $17.5MM in cap room (per CapFriendly) to re-sign Connor, fellow RFA winger Patrik Laine, and a few other depth players to round out their roster.
  • While Mike Condon is coming off a particularly rough season in Ottawa, Jonathan Willis of The Athletic suggests (subscription required) that the netminder could be an interesting trade chip. He’s clearly not in the plans of the Senators for next season but possesses a contract that could be of interest to some cap-strapped teams.  He carries a $2.4MM cap hit but a $3MM salary; it’s possible that a team against the Upper Limit could move a back-diving contract (higher cap hit, lower salary) for him, allowing them to save some cap space while the Sens would gain an asset and potentially save a bit of actual money.  Condon battled hip issues last season but is expected to be ready for training camp.

Pat Maroon Looking For More Than One-Year Deal

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It seemed a good bet that Pat Maroon would re-sign with the St. Louis Blues for the 2018-19 season, after taking less money to be closer to his son last year. It worked out for everyone involved as the Blues would end up winning the Stanley Cup with Maroon in the lineup, but their interest hasn’t been clear in re-signing the veteran power forward. Now, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic provides an update on Maroon’s free agency, indicating that he has several one-year offers from around the league but is waiting for the right fit and at least a “couple years.” Rutherford tweets that the Blues have limited interest.

Maroon, 31, finished the season with 28 points in 74 games for the Blues but was a key part of their Stanley Cup run. Scoring two game-winning goals against the Dallas Stars including the series-clinching effort in double overtime of game seven, the team may have never gotten past the second round without him. Still, his offensive production does seem to be on the decline after tallying just ten goals in the regular season, and at his size teams may be wary of his game completely falling off a cliff.

The 6’3″ 225-lbs forward is something of a throwback to a past era of NHL hockey, slower than many of his teammates but still talented and big enough to get to the right spots at the right times. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet quoted an NHL executive that explained Maroon is “a dinosaur, but there’s no one left who knows how to play against a dinosaur.”

In 449 career regular season games, Maroon has recorded 206 points. He scored 27 goals in 2016-17 with the Edmonton Oilers, and set a career-high in points with 43 the following year. If a team can get that kind of production out of the “Big Rig,” he would likely be worth whatever contract he has to settle for; whether that can realistically happen at this point is the question.

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