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Travis Hamonic

Travis Hamonic Reports To Vancouver

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Oct 29: CapFriendly reports that Hamonic’s $3MM cap hit is now officially back on the books, though at the buried rate. Just $1.875MM counts toward the cap ceiling while he is in the minor leagues with Abbotsford. To make the money work, the team has also moved Tyler Motte to long-term injured reserve.

Oct 26: The Vancouver Canucks unveiled some good news ahead of their home opener on Tuesday, announcing that veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic had reported to the team. Hamonic had previously taken a leave of absence after failing to report to training camp. The team held out hope that he would report at some point this season and that has now come to fruition before the end of the first month of the season.

Hamonic and the Canucks have both been tight-lipped about the reason for his absence. It has been attributed only to “personal matters” without any further detail. GM Jim Benning also vaguely noted that the issue was “bigger than what you guys think it is” and the team was assisting Hamonic with getting help. This obviously raises questions, which won’t soon go away even after his return, but for now anything is just speculation.

Having cleared waivers previously, Hamonic will initially report to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks in the coming days. However, once the 31-year-old is up to speed he will surely join Vancouver. Hamonic recorded ten points in 38 games in his first season with the Canucks in 2020-21 and can still be a major piece of the puzzle even if he’s on the back end of this career. The Canucks have depth on the blue line, but Hamonic will still have a place on the team when ready.

Canucks’ Travis Hamonic Takes Leave Of Absence

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2:20pm: The Canucks have issued a statement, though it doesn’t clear much up:

General Manager Jim Benning announced today that defenseman Travis Hamonic has been placed on a temporary leave of absence. The mutually agreed upon leave of absence will give Travis time as he works through his personal matters. The team asks that media respect Travis’ privacy and the club will not be making any further comments on the matter at this time. 

CapFriendly clarifies, explaining that in the case of a leave of absence, his cap hit is entirely removed. With regards to the cap, this functions the same as suspended without pay. Satiar Shah of Sportsnet tweets that the Canucks’ preference is still to have Hamonic join the club this season, whenever he is able.

11:45pm: The Vancouver Canucks placed Travis Hamonic on waivers before the start of the season, after the veteran defenseman failed to appear at training camp because of a personal issue. The team did not expand on what exactly was keeping him away from the team, but decided to assign Hamonic to the minor leagues instead of suspending him. He hasn’t actually joined the Abbotsford Canucks yet, and today CapFriendly reports that Hamonic has now been suspended by the team.

When Vancouver moved him to the minors, it buried $1.125MM from his $3.0MM cap hit, giving them some extra room. He would have still received his salary, however, despite not playing any games to this point. Now he will be suspended without pay and his entire cap hit will come off the books.

The last time Canucks GM Jim Benning spoke directly about the situation, he told reporters that the personal issue was “bigger than what you guys think it is” and that they were helping Hamonic get the help he needed. There has been wild speculation, but it is not confirmed what is keeping him away from the ice. Hamonic was one of the few players to opt-out of the 2020 bubble playoffs but played 38 games for the Canucks last season.

Vancouver is already operating in long-term injured reserve space early this season, with Micheal Ferland, Brandon Sutter, and Brady Keeper all given the designation last week. Even so, they were very tight to the ceiling and wouldn’t have been able to deal with many short-term injuries very easily. Reducing Hamonic’s cap hit to zero allows them to make other recalls if necessary, as CapFriendly now has their unused LTIR relief pool at $1.95MM.

Travis Hamonic Re-Signing In Vancouver

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The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the Vancouver Canucks will be bringing back defenseman Travis Hamonic. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says it’s a two-year deal worth $3MM per season.

This always seemed like the most likely outcome for Hamonic, who has previously expressed a desire to play in western Canada and who fit in very nicely in Vancouver this past season. With the defense around him changing dramatically, Hamonic will be one of the few veteran holdovers on the Canucks blue line and with multi-year security should step further into a leadership role for the club.

More so, the 30-year-old showed this year that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Always a dependable two-way defender with the New York Islanders, Hamonic’s offense fizzled out during his time in Calgary. However, he recorded ten points in just 38 games with Vancouver this season, an 82-game pace of 22 points which would have been higher than any season he spent with the Flames. Hamonic was also solid defensively, contributing to the penalty kill and finishing second on the team in blocked shots while cutting down on his turnovers. The Canucks did not ask Hamonic to play major minutes this past season and that could continue, but he will still be able to make an impact for the team in key situations.

North Notes: Hamonic, Maple Leafs, Gustavsson

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Going back to his time with the Islanders, Canucks defenseman Travis Hamonic has wanted to play in Western Canada.  At the trade deadline this year, it’s believed that he vetoed a trade as he wanted to stay close to home.  However, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link), the 30-year-old is willing to consider all options around the league this time around as he heads for unrestricted free agency again next month.  Hamonic isn’t going to put up many points (he last surpassed the 20-point plateau in 2015-16) but he has a reputation as a sound stay-at-home defender that can play top-four minutes.  His location limitations hurt his market last fall which resulted in a one-year, $1.25MM pact but with him being open to more teams now, he may be able to beat that this time around.

More from the North Division:

  • With Toronto facing significant cap challenges with their four high-paid forwards, it would stand to reason that they shouldn’t be going after a high-priced free agent. However, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox posits that the Maple Leafs should at least consider taking a run at Carolina blueliner Dougie Hamilton, who has permission to speak to other teams about a contract.  Such a move would require at least one significant contract coming off the books – perhaps Morgan Rielly – but Fox notes that they kicked the tires on Alex Pietrangelo last fall which suggests that GM Kyle Dubas may be willing to ponder a big swing again.
  • The Senators appear to be leaning towards protecting Filip Gustavsson over Joey Daccord for their protected goaltender from Seattle in expansion, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. While the 23-year-old doesn’t have great AHL numbers (a 3.20 GAA with a .894 SV% in 75 games), the pending restricted free agent certainly impressed in a late-season run with Ottawa with a 2.16 GAA and a .933 SV% in nine appearances.  Daccord, meanwhile, has better career numbers in the minors but hasn’t had much NHL success and posted a 3.27 GAA and a .897 SV% in eight games this season.  He has one year left on his deal at the league-minimum $750K.

North Notes: Weber, Oilers, Tkachuk, Hamonic

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The Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber $5,000, the maximum fine allowable in the CBA,  for cross-checking Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds Saturday during Game 2 of the playoffs.

The veteran forward was not assessed a penalty against Simmonds on the play, but did receive a two-minute minor for cross-checking on Toronto’s Pierre Engvall during the third period and later received a 10-minute misconduct. Montreal received seven minor penalties during their 5-1 loss to Toronto.

  • The Edmonton Oilers look to be making several lineup changes after falling 2-0 to the Winnipeg Jets in their first-round matchup, according to Oilers insider Bob Stauffer. With the hope of being faster on the ice, the team is scratching James Neal, Dominik Kahun and Alex Chiasson, while bringing Tyler Ennis, Gaetan Haas and Devin Shore. The team has also split up defensemen Tyson Barrie and Darnell Nurse, while demoting forward Kailer Yamamoto to the third line.
  • Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, who is eligible to sign an extension with the team, tells Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg that he hasn’t spoken to Flames’ management about a new contract. The 23-year-old has one more year remaining at a $7MM AAV, but also will have a qualifying offer of $9MM when he becomes a restricted free agent. That’s a lot of money for a player that hasn’t taken that next step the team was hoping for. Tkachuk scored 34 goals and 77 points during the 2018-19 season and looked to be developing into a star player. However, those numbers have dropped to 23 goals and 61 points in 69 2019-20 and then 16 goals and 43 points in 56 games this season. There’s even been talk of Calgary making major changes this year, which could, in theory, include Tkachuk as well.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have high hopes they can re-sign defenseman Travis Hamonic to a new contract for the upcoming season. Hamonic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, played 38 games for Vancouver, mostly pairing with Quinn Hughes and fared well, despite dealing with injuries and rust. However, The Province’s Ben Kuzma reports that general manager Jim Benning said that there is interest in bringing back Hamonic, assuming the two sides can reach a reasonable deal. The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal worth $1.25MM in hopes of staying in Western Canada, suggesting a deal is legitimately possible.

Trade Rumors: Pearson, Hamonic, Andersen, Canadiens

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The Tanner Pearson saga in Vancouver has been full of twists and turns and the ride isn’t over just yet. Early this month, reports emerged that the Canucks preferred to re-sign rather than trade the impending free agent Pearson. The two-way forward excelled in Vancouver last season and GM Jim Benning and company seemed more interested in keeping him around rather than shipping him off, even as arguably their most valuable rental chip. However, at the time contract talks had not yet occurred and this led to the assumption that the Canucks would have to move Pearson if terms of an extension could not be reached before the trade deadline. Two weeks later, it seemed the decision had been taken from the Canucks. Pearson suffered a lower-body injury and was given a four-week timeline for his recovery, meaning he would be injured through the deadline and much more difficult to trade, if not impossible in a quiet, cap-strapped market. The only silver lining was that perhaps the two sides would be more amenable to an extension with Pearson missing considerable time in his already-shortened contract year. Now, everything has changed yet again. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that Pearson is already preparing to resume skating and is expected to return to action ahead of the deadline. After receiving a second opinion on his injury, Pearson’s timeline was moved up and could return to his status as a viable deadline acquisition. As for the possibility of an extension instead? Johnston states that the two sides still  have not had any contract talks and he believes that the Canucks will have no choice but to trade a soon-to-be healthy Pearson before the deadline if no contract terms are in place. Time is running out to keep the extension option open, as the deadline is now just two weeks away.

  • One player who definitely won’t be leaving Vancouver: Travis Hamonic. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Carolina Hurricanes have been seeking a veteran, stay-at-home right-handed defenseman and inquired about Hamonic. They were told that he is not available. The Canucks signed Hamonic just before the season started to a one-year, short-money deal, but the key piece of the contract for the respected vet was a full No-Movement Clause. Hamonic wants to stay at home in western Canada and is not expected to waive his NMC. Perhaps an offer from the Edmonton Oilers is the only chance that Hamonic is on the move before the deadline.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs’ situation in net is certainly murky right now, but Friedman did his best to provide some clarity. He reports that starter Frederik Andersen is not currently participating in any on-ice work. Instead, he is undergoing “different evaluations” on his nagging lower-body injury and is sidelined indefinitely. Yet, Friedman also notes that Toronto is not actively searching the trade market for another goaltender either. Jack Campbell has played well since returning from his own injury, Michael Hutchinson has been stellar when forced into action this season as well, and the team just recently added some more net depth via trade in Veini Vehvilainen. The Leafs seem content to roll with this trio for now in anticipation of Andersen eventually returning to action. With limited cap room, the team can ill-afford to add another netminder that they may not need. Unless Andersen lands on Long-Term Injured Reserve, expect the Maple Leafs to stand pat in net.
  • After adding Eric Staal, even at a surprisingly affordable cost, the Montreal Canadiens may be done dealing. GM Marc Bergevin told the media that he is not looking to open up cap space for any further moves, limiting Montreal’s ability to make another addition. With Staal on the roster, the Habs’ deadline cap space is currently projected to be around $2.25MM. However, that number is inflated due to Paul Byron’s current taxi squad status. As Byron spends game days on the NHL roster and only off days on the taxi squad, his $3.4MM cap hit will chip away at that space, likely leaving the Candiens with closer to $1.75MM at best by the deadline. Bergevin noted that “anything is possible” but unless faced with a hockey trade that he cannot pass up, Montreal is limited to adding only a minor salary to the roster without reversing course on the decision not to seek options to create more cap space.

 

Canucks Notes: Pearson, Virtanen, Hamonic

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The Vancouver Canucks have yet to extend a contract offer to pending unrestricted free agent Tanner Pearson according to Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, though his colleague Thomas Drance expects things to get “more serious” this week between the two sides. Pearson, 28, carries a $3.75MM cap hit this season in the last year of a four-year, $15MM deal he signed with the Los Angeles Kings in 2017. That contract came after Pearson set a career-high in goals with 24, a total he would have exceeded last season with the Canucks had the season not been cut short.

Unfortunately, that outstanding 21-goal, 45-point player that the Canucks had last season hasn’t emerged this time around. Pearson has just five goals and 10 points in 31 games so far, likely costing himself money on his next contract by the day. Still, there’s no doubting how trusted he is by the Vancouver coaching staff, especially after playing at least 19:30 in three of his last four games (including a whopping 22:33 against the Montreal Canadiens last week).

  • Jake Virtanen has been shopped around by the Canucks on several occasions, but Irfaan Gaffar of The Fourth Period tweets that the enigmatic forward now may not be moved by the trade deadline unless there is an offer GM Jim Benning “can’t refuse.” Virtanen, 24, has just three goals and hasn’t recorded a single assist in 26 games this season. Trading him now would certainly be selling at the lowest point, but the Canucks are going to need to move out salary somehow over the coming months. Virtanen’s $2.55MM cap hit through 2021-22 now looks like a massive overpay, despite the 18 goals and 36 points he put up last season.
  • Travis Hamonic is a player who wants to stay with the Canucks if possible, but knows that he is a little further down the pecking line when it comes to extensions. The veteran defenseman told Ben Kuzma of The Province that he saw Vancouver as a potential long-term fit for his family when he decided to sign a one-year, $1.25MM deal and would love to stick around past this season if possible. The Manitoba native will hit unrestricted free agency again this summer and has been clear in the past that he wants to continue playing in Western Canada. Hamonic holds a full no-trade clause this season.

Trade Rumors: Pearson, Flames, Capitals, Bruins

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As the Vancouver Canucks’ season descends further and further into an inescapable disappointment, TSN’s Darren Dreger states on “Insider Trading” this evening that no impending free agent in Vancouver is off limits to suitors. However, that doesn’t mean that all current impending free agents will remain as such through the trade deadline in just over five weeks. Dreger notes that the Canucks would prefer to re-sign forward Tanner Pearson, who is coming off a career year in 2019-20. Negotiations on a new contract have not yet begun, but GM Jim Benning would like to start talks as soon as possible in order to have a clear picture ahead of the deadline. If there is no meeting of the minds on a potential extension and seemingly little chance of progress ahead of the deadline, the Canucks will have to trade Pearson. The two-way winger is their most valuable rental trade chip, as depth options Brandon Sutter, Sven Baertschi, and Jordie Benn have lofty cap hits relative to their value and veteran defensemen Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic have No-Movement Clauses that they may not be eager to waive. If the Canucks can’t re-sign Pearson before the deadline, or at least get a handshake agreement in place, trading him to a contender is their best chance of leaving the deadline with a nice haul of picks or prospects without having to move a term player.

  • The rival Calgary Flames are currently buyers and their biggest need is a winger, but Pearson doesn’t meet their most important criteria. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Calgary GM Brad Treliving is on the hunt for a right winger and, more specifically, a natural right-handed shooting right winger. The Flames’ best right-shot forward is Elias Lindholm and, while he has played on the wing many times before, the team prefers his fit at center. Unfortunately, that leaves the club with a lack of top-six caliber righties to put on the wing. Josh Leivo, Brett Ritchie, and the recently-waived Dominik Simon (a lefty) have not been the answer. The team also prefers to keep top-nine lefties like Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube on the left side if possible and certainly do not want both on their off side. As a result, Calgary is seeking a trade partner. Seravalli does not address whether the Flames are only seeking rentals or if, seeing as the righty problem isn’t going away, they are looking at all options. The team already faces some difficult Expansion Draft decisions in regards to its deep forward corps, so a term acquisition could prove problematic. Among rentals, New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev or Detroit’s Bobby Ryan stand out as the few top available options at a shallow position on the market.
  • Seravalli notes that another team with a very specific need could be the Washington Capitals. While Washington has received a stellar performance in net from rookie Vitek Vanecek, pressed into the starting role temporarily while Ilya Samsonov was sidelined, both Samsonov and Vanecek lack a crucial component to playoff success: experience. Seravalli wonders if the Capitals trust the young tandem enough to ride them into the playoffs, with veteran Craig Anderson as the third-string, or if the team needs to make a trade. Bob McKenzie echoed this same concern on NBC Sports on Wednesday. Experienced rental options include Devan Dubnyk, Antti Raanta, Jonathan Bernier, and possibly Pekka Rinne. But the question becomes whether or not any of these older goalies are an upgrade to Vanecek based only on experience, as only Rinne has outplayed him this season.
  • While it should come as no surprise to anyone who has reviewed their salary cap status, Bob McKenzie appeared on NBC Sports’ broadcast on Wednesday night and essentially stated that the Boston Bruins have the cap flexibility to do whatever they want at the trade deadline. He added that the team is in this situation “by design” and that GM Don Sweeney is open to any and all possibilities. The Bruins have dealt with injuries on defense and at forward and have experience concerns on the back end and scoring issues up front, so fans were happy to hear McKenzie say they could add a prominent defenseman or forward, “or both”. Currently pressed by injuries, the Bruins have just under $3.5MM in cap space which still prorates to nearly $8.7MM at the deadline, per CapFriendly. However, the Bruins banked cap space earlier this season when they had fewer injuries and could still get healthier before the trade deadline. With no one on the injured reserve eating up cap space at the deadline, CapFriendly estimates that Boston could have upwards of $12.7MM in prorated cap space. For context, that could be enough to add top-priced rental Taylor Hall and a defenseman like Ryan Murray while staying under the cap. The Bruins will be a team to watch over the next five weeks.

Canucks Place Travis Hamonic On IR

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While Vancouver was able to take the first of a three-game set against Montreal on Wednesday, it came at a cost on their back end with both Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic leaving with injuries.  The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that Hamonic has been placed on injured reserve; Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that it’s an upper-body injury for the veteran.  Blueliner Brogan Rafferty has been recalled from the taxi squad in a corresponding move.

Hamonic signed a PTO deal with Vancouver in training camp and had it converted to a one-year, $1.25MM contract on the eve of the regular season.  He sits fourth on the Canucks in ATOI in the early going, logging 18:11 per night over five games, a number that’s skewed in part by him exiting early on Wednesday.  He has two assists in seven blocked shots so far.

As for Rafferty, he’s one of Vancouver’s more interesting prospects.  The 25-year-old has just two career NHL games under his belt (which came after leaving Quinnipiac in 2019) but he finished third in the AHL in scoring by a defenseman last season, notching seven goals and 38 assists in just 57 games.  He should have an opportunity to jump into the lineup right away and should be an intriguing complement to Quinn Hughes as another offensive threat from the back end.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Travis Hamonic

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As expected, defenseman Travis Hamonic’s tryout with the Vancouver Canucks has proven successful. The team has announced a one-year, $1.25MM contract with Hamonic. TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal adds that Hamonic’s contract contains a No-Movement Clause.

Hamonic, 30, is not the player he once was, but he can still be an effective contributor and a great value for the Canucks so long as he can stay healthy. Hamonic has been a workhorse ever since entering the league, but in 2019-20, his tenth NHL season, he started to show signs of deterioration. The veteran missed 20 games due to various injuries and his play was effected even when he was healthy. He also has not seen game action since in close to a year after hitting the injured reserve in February and then opting out of the postseason.

Fortunately, Vancouver does not need to hand Hamonic major workload, at least not right away. With a deep stable of defensemen including rookie standout Quinn Hughes, new addition Nate Schmidt, and veterans Tyler Myers and Alexander Edler, Hamonic has time to settle in. Myers, a fellow right-handed shot, and Schmidt, who prefers to play on his off-hand side, may even slot in above Hamonic to begin the year, allowing the veteran to get up to speed with bottom pair minutes.

Don’t confuse the late timing of his signing as hesitation on the Canucks’ part, either. Hamonic’s signing, as well as the value of his contract, are strategic moves designed to take full advantage of forward Micheal Ferland’s LTIR placement and give the team maximum cap flexibility entering the new year. Hamonic has been linked to the Canucks for some time and this was always the result. Vancouver fans should be excited about the further strengthening of their defense corps.

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