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Minor Transactions: 1/27/2017

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As is customary over the NHL’s All-Star weekend, many teams have begun the day with sending waivers-exempt players down to the minors for some salary cap savings over the next few days. No team has been as enthusiastic to move some bodies as the New Jersey Devils, who announced that nearly half of their defensive corps will take a short trip to Albany to visit the AHL Devils. Joining the recently demoted Yohann Auvitu this weekend will be Steve Santini, Seth Helgeson, and Karl Stollery. Although the trio has only played in a combined 26 games in 2016-17, Santini and Stollery have formed the bottom pair for the Devils of late with Auvitu, Andy Greene, and John Moore sidelined with injuries. Helgeson has generally been the seventh defenseman this season, spending most games in the press box, but getting to see the ice in five contests. The 29-year-old journeyman Stollery has played in just eight games, but is already having the best season of his NHL career, recording his first big-league points and playing about 16 minutes per night.The rookie Santini has shown promise so far in the first half, skating in 13 games and scoring two goals and three assists while playing a sound defensive game as well. Expect Santini and at least one of Stollery and Helgeson to be back up in New Jersey after a brief break.

Elsewhere in minor moves:

  • Another Metropolitan team has moved a majority of one position down to the AHL, but it should come as welcome news to the fans. The Carolina Hurricanes announced that, after a long hiatus dealing with concussion symptoms, goalie Eddie Lack has been activated from the injured reserve and has been assigned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers for a rehab stint. With Cam Ward having played in 41 of 48 games for the ’Canes, including 22 of the last 24, he, the organization, and the fans will be happy to have Lack back in the fold as soon as possible. Joining him in the minors will be his recent replacement, veteran Michael Leighton, whose demotion could be more of the permanent variety this time around. However, Leighton, who is the AHL’s all-time leading goalie in games played, will at least get to participate in the AHL All-Star Game upon his return.
  • The Washington Capitals have reassigned forward Chandler Stephenson to the Hershey Bears of the AHL for the time being. Unlike his last call-up to the Caps, Stephenson got to see some game action during this last trip. Though the young center was held scoreless and is still looking for his first NHL point through 11 games, Stephenson played confidently in the past two contests and has earned another promotion in the near future.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have again returned forward Markus Hannikainen to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. The big Finnish winger, playing in just his second season in North America, scored his first NHL goal in the Jackets’ 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes last Saturday, his only game action on this trip to Columbus.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced that defenseman Casey Nelson has been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Nelson has done his best to help Buffalo out with their rash of blue line injuries this season, but has struggled to make much of a difference in nine scoreless games.
  • After his recent NHL debut and first career goal, the Arizona Coyotes’ Christian Fischer gets to continue his highlight-reel week by heading to the AHL All-Star Game. The Coyotes announced his demotion, but more than anything the move allows the AHL to honor the league’s top rookie in the first half of the season before he likely heads back to the NHL for the second half.
  • In addition to placing Michael Bournival and Gabriel Dumont on waivers, the Tampa Bay Lightning have demoted forward Erik Condra to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, which has become common this season. The bottom-six groupings are set to change drastically following the All-Star break.
  • The Ottawa Senators have activated Andrew Hammond from the injured reserve, and in a corresponding move and have sent down Chris Driedger to the Binghampton Senators of the AHL. However, this only partially helps the Sens’ logjam in net. Mike Condon has taken over as the starter with Hammond out and Craig Anderson on leave since early December, but with both soon back in the fold, Ottawa will still be carrying three goalies. Expect another move sooner rather than later.
  • The San Jose Sharks are using All-Star weekend to get a whole group of guys some play time. The team announced that Barclay Goodrow, Kevin Labanc, Timo Meier, and Tim Heed have all be reassigned to the AHL Barracuda and will join the team in Michigan tonight for a game against the Grand Rapids Griffins.
  • After just recalling Ivan Barbashev to replace the injured Kyle Brodziak, the St. Louis Blues have returns the AHL All-Star to the Chicago Wolves for this weekend. Expect he, or fellow All-Star Kenny Agostino, or possibly both, to be right back with the Blue after the break.
  • The Boston Bruins have recalled goalie Anton Khudobin from the Providence Bruins and reassigned rookie keeper Zane McIntyre to the AHL. While McIntyre’s demotion was expected, as he has been the best goalie in the AHL this year and a highlight of the AHL All-Star Game, the subsequent recall of Khudobin could signal that the Bruins are ready to return to the veteran as their backup to begin the second half of the season.
  • The Winnipeg Jets returned Brian Strait to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, one day after recalling the six-year veteran defenseman from the minors, the team announced via Twitter. Strait was a healthy scratch last night as the Jets took a 5-3 decision from Chicago. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound blue liner has yet to see action in the NHL this season but has appeared in 182 regular season contests over parts of six seasons with the Pittsburgh and New York Islanders organizations.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to flip-flop backup goalies, sending Joonas Korpisalo to Cleveland of the AHL and recalling Anton Forsberg from the same affiliate. The team announced the corresponding transactions via Twitter. Forsberg has made just one appearance this season for Columbus, allowing four goals on 27 shots in a 5-3 loss to Carolina. Korpisalo has won two of his three starts and has appeared in four games overall.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Carter Rowney back to the AHL after just a day with the big club. The forward came up last night with Evgeni Malkin out, but didn’t make it into the game against the Boston Bruins. Rowney will need to wait for his next shot with the big club.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have signed some depth between the pipes, inking ECHL netminder Ryan Faragher to a one-year deal. The 26-year old Faragher has been in their system since 2014, but wasn’t under a pro-deal until now. He’ll earn $575K if he should ever make it to the NHL (which he most likely will not, unless something drastic happens in Anaheim) and $50K in the AHL.

Trade Candidates: Martin Hanzal

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Arizona Coyotes’ Martin Hanzal represents the epitome of the trade deadline rental. Arizona is a non-playoff team with pending free agents, and a smart GM looking to maximize the team’s value through any means necessary. The only variable in this situation is how much Arizona will receive in exchange for the Czech centerman.

Contract

Hanzal is on the final year of his contract worth $3.1MM a year. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the season’s end.

2016-17

Hanzal has not produced as expected during his contract year. After starting the NHL season with a goal and assist, Hanzal went pointless for the next five games. His streaky plan contributes to his underwhelming stat line this year, and those stats may deflate his value come the trade deadline. Hanzal’s saving grace is that he excels in the faceoff dot, averaging above 50% for the fourth straight season. Hanzal also played for the Czech Republic in the World Cup of Hockey, recording 1G and 1A in three round-robin games.

Season Stats

39 games: 10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points. 48.1 CF%, -15, 18:25 ATOI, 55.1% FOW.

Potential Suitors

Any team looking for a depth forward for an extended playoff run. Hanzal’s cap hit is low enough that most competitive teams can afford to add him without too much worry. The Montreal Canadiens are rumored to be interested in Hanzal, but according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Arizona is asking for prospect Michael McCarron, a 1st round draft pick and a conditional draft pick. The steep asking price may limit the number of suitors, but Arizona’s ask is not entirely unreasonable.

A skilled center is a hot commodity at the trade deadline, and players similar to Hanzal have extracted similar returns. Andrew Ladd returned a prospect (Marko Dano) and a first and third round draft pick. Eric Staal returned a prospect (Aleksi Saarela) and two second round draft picks. Both had similar production and similar ages to Hanzal at the deadline last year.

The Columbus Blue Jackets could be dark-horse suitors. The team may want to capitalize on their surprising success, and it has numerous prospects available for trade. Columbus could dangle one of it’s goalie prospects—something Arizona may need after Louis Domingue’s disappointing season so far.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Very likely. Hanzal is the prototypical trade deadline rental. A pending free agent with a decent contract on a non-playoff team. The question is not if, but when. Expect the Coyotes to hold out until the last minute to guarantee they maximize the return.

 

Rumor Roundup: Hanzel, Jurco, Parity

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News and notes from the NHL’s rumor mill:

  • According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Arizona Coyotes offered the Montreal Canadiens pending UFA Martin Hanzal in exchange for Michael McCarron, a 1st round draft pick, and a conditional draft pick. That is a steep price to pay for a player with only 10G and 8A in 39 games. Hanzal hasn’t done anything lately to help the Coyotes, either—he’s scored in only two games this month. Unfortunately for teams looking at Hanzal, the Coyotes’ asking price is in line with previous deals for Hanzal-like players. Andrew Ladd returned a prospect (Marko Dano) and a first and third round draft pick, while Eric Staal returned a prospect (Aleksi Saarela) and two second round draft picks. Both had similar production and similar ages to Hanzal at the deadline last year. That first round pick could turn into a second round pick if Hanzel continues to underproduce, but the Coyotes are not out the realm of reasonability right now.
  • According to the Detroit Free Press’s Helene St. James today, Tomas Jurco had asked the Detroit Red Wings for a trade this season. Jurco has sat as a healthy scratch for all but 11 games this season, and has failed to register a point in those games. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has also heard that Jurco wants out, and one can see why. Sometimes a player has no room in a given organization, and no player wants to sit idly by at any point in his career. Teams are usually good about accommodating these requests—like when the Maple Leafs traded Peter Holland to the Arizona Coyotes for a conditional seventh round draft pick—but nothing is guaranteed. The problem for most teams is that the player usually has untapped potential and they want to hold on to that player as long as they can.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger said on TSN 1040 Vancouver today that the trade market is paralyzed by parity. Because so many teams are within a few points of a playoff spot, those teams are wary of trading away assets. Part of that parity stems from the so-called loser point, where many games end up becoming three point games (2 for a win, 1 for the OT/SO loss). The parity may be an illusion however. Three years ago Elliotte Friedman, then with the CBC, wrote that of the 32 teams 4 points or more back of a playoff spot, only 3 teams managed to make the playoffs.

Trade Candidate: Michael Stone

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Things weren’t supposed to go this way for Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone.  After signing just a one year contract in the summer, he was hoping for a big season to take him into his first crack at unrestricted free agency.  That has yet to happen while the Coyotes are nowhere near a playoff spot which makes him a prime candidate to be traded.

Contract

One year, $4MM – Will be a UFA in July

2016-17

Stone missed the first three games of the season while recovering from a torn ACL sustained back in late March.  While he was able to reassume a top four role upon returning to the lineup, he hasn’t been able to maintain the offensive progress he had displayed in recent years.  It could be suggested that part of that is attributable to the arrival of Alex Goligoski but even so, the decline in Stone’s offensive game is quite notable.

Feb 23, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone (26) shoots against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsA couple of areas that haven’t been affected this season are his willingness to play physical and block shots as he’s averaging over two of each per game while he’s still logging over 20 minutes per game.  Those are all elements that contenders would love to add to their back end so despite his struggles, he should still have several teams interested in him.

Season Stats

35 GP, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points, -9 rating, 8 PIMS, 45 shots, 20:19 ATOI

Potential Suitors

A top four defender that plays the right side is something that pretty much any team with eyes on seriously contending would want to add.  The Lightning showed interest in him earlier in the year but GM John Chayka’s asking price was too high at the time.  The Rangers could be a team to watch for as well – they have a void on their back end and have the money to absorb his cap hit in full.  Considering the number of contending teams that are tight to the cap, that’s certainly an important factor.

In the West, the Blackhawks would undoubtedly love to add another top four blueliner to take some of the pressure off their top pairing but they don’t have the cap space to make it work with Arizona retaining or Chicago sending a contract back.  While Edmonton’s defense is much improved this year, they could still stand to add a top four option and like the Rangers, they have the cap space to fit him in easily as well.

One darkhorse team to watch for if they continue their hot streak is the Maple Leafs.  While trading for a rental player would go against standard practice for a team that’s still building, Stone would give Toronto a stabilizing presence on a thin blueline, something that they will need if they want to make a serious run at a playoff spot.  They have the prospect capital and some extra second round picks to work with as well.  The Leafs make sense as a landing spot for Stone in free agency so if he’s on their radar, it’s conceivable that they could look to add him now to not only help a postseason push but also for the chance to see how he would fit in before potentially making him a long-term offer in the offseason.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering that the team already has Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Goligoski, and Connor Murphy signed for at least two more years plus a pair of promising youngsters in Jakob Chychrun and Anthony DeAngelo, it’s unlikely that the Coyotes will pursue a long-term contract extension with Stone.  Unless Chayka’s asking price remains too high through the March 1st trade deadline, he’s pretty much a lock to be dealt.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Stafford, Bruins, Coyotes

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Winnipeg Jets forward Drew Stafford suffered a lower body injury in the second period of a mid-afternoon game against the St. Louis Blues. He did not return for the third period. Stafford is struggling this season, posting only 4G and 8A in 33 games so far. The veteran forward is playing just under 14 minutes a night which is three minutes less than he’s averaged over the past five years. Stafford becomes a free agent this summer, but he’ll have to turn things around if he wants to earn more than his current $4.35MM a year.
  • The Boston Bruins sent down forward Anton Blidh to the Providence Bruins today. The move follows Blidh’s healthy scratch last night. The Swedish forward has 1G and 1A in 19 games for the Bruins, and 6G and 4A in 21 games for Providence. This is Blidh’s second full season in North America, but its unclear whether he offers enough to stick with Boston for longer than a few games. Blidh may need more time in the NHL to acclimate to the North American game
  • Arizona Coyotes prospect Christian Fischer makes his NHL debut tonight, reports AZCentral’s Sarah McLellan. Fischer, Arizona’s 2nd round pick in 2015, is lighting up the AHL this season. He has 16G and 16A in 31 games for the Tucson Roadrunners, and his call-up was all but certain. Expect the Coyotes to be patient with Fischer. The team is out of playoff contention and will use this opportunity to see what they have in their prospects.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Bruins, Ellis

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The Arizona Coyotes swapped forwards with their AHL affiliate on Friday morning, according to GM John Chayka.

Laurent Dauphin is making his way to the Tucson Roadrunners while Christian Fischer will take his place on the NHL roster. Fischer has 16 goals and 32 points in 31 games in the AHL, which puts him first in goals and second in points on the Roadrunners. The 32nd-overall pick in the 2015 draft has been named to the AHL All-Star Classic. Meanwhile Dauphin has three points in 24 games with the big club.

The Coyotes have lost four games in a row, and are currently in 29th with a 13-26-6 record.

  • The floundering Boston Bruins will publicly address their coaching situation tomorrow, according to Bruins reporter Jimmy Murphy. Murphy quotes “numerous sources” as saying the team will speak regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game versus the Chicago Blackhawks. The Bruins have 52 points, which has them third in the Atlantic Division as of today, but they have played five more games than the teams above and below them. They have four wins in their past 10 games. Murphy tweets that the team’s management has “created a PR mess” by not publicly addressing the situation. This is Claude Julien’s 10th season as head coach of the Bruins.
  • Adam Vingan of the Tennessean tweeted an interesting fact, via Elias Sports. When Ryan Ellis scored twice against Calgary on Thursday night, he lost out on a Predators’ team record. Ellis had the most goals (35 before last night) in his Predators career without having a multi-goal game. That record now belongs to former Predator Dan Hamhuis, who had 32 goals during his six seasons with Nashville.

Radim Vrbata’s Bonuses May Limit Trade Partners

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Arizona Coyotes forward Radim Vrbata will garner attention come trade deadline time because he is an impending free agent. As TSN’s Bob McKenzie points out, however, Vrbata’s performance-laden contract poses problems for potential trade partners because his bonuses could significantly increase his salary and cap hit.

Vrbata signed a $1MM contract this off-season, but could earn an additional $2.25MM in bonuses. Those bonuses could wreak havoc on a contending team’s cap space next year if a team decides to shift those cap charges to next season as allowed under the cap. Spotrac.com lists Vrbata’s bonuses as:

  • 10 GP: $250,000
  • 30 GP: $250,000
  • 20 Goals/40 PTS: $500,000
  • Playoffs: $250,000
  • Per Playoff Round: $250,000

Vrbata has already hit his 10 and 30 GP bonuses, and is 10 goals or 11 points away from his other stat-based bonus. The two playoff bonuses listed seem innocuous and unattainable if Vrbata remains with the Coyotes, but if traded those bonuses become very valuable. Vrbata would receive $500K just by making the playoffs, and an additional $250K for each successive round. If Vrbata makes the Stanley Cup Finals he earns $1.25MM in additional bonuses on top of his performance-based bonuses.

Any team vying for Vrbata will be a playoff-bound team, so Vrbata’s potential bonuses become instantly attainable. This may eliminate teams like the Chicago Blackhawks because of the potential cap overages next season. The contract structure will not kibosh trades, but it may lower Arizona’s return as teams are trading for a potentially $3.25MM rental instead of a $1MM rental.

 

Anthony Duclair Sent Down to AHL

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The Arizona Coyotes sent prospect forward Anthony Duclair down to the Tucson Roadrunners, reports AZ Central’s Sarah McLellan. Duclair’s demotion opens up a roster spot for Ryan White, who returns tonight after missing 11 games with a lower body injury.

Duclair has struggled this season, scoring 3G and 6A in 41 games. His production pales in comparison to last season’s campaign where he scored 20G and 24A in 81 games. Duclair played just 10 minutes last night in a 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets but managed to earn a -3 rating during those ten minutes. The Coyotes gave Duclair numerous opportunities to turn things around, but it appears that the team has given up on Duclair regaining his scoring touch without any intervention.

GM John Chayka stated that he hopes Duclair finds his skills in the AHL and leaves the door open for Duclair’s return. Duclair was linked to trade talks earlier this season, but it is unclear what the Coyotes plan on doing with the young forward after sending him down. It could be that Duclair gains more playing time in the AHL and thus the demotion may double as a showcase for interested teams.

Replacing Anthony Duclair is Ryan White who returns from injured reserve. White has 2G and 3A in 30 games this season. Unless White finds another gear, however, the Coyotes shouldn’t expect a flurry of offense with these moves.

Snapshots: Kreider, Hanzal, Carlson, Corrado

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The New York Rangers and Dallas Stars have met twice this season, and NHL Player Safety has had to get involved both times.

Back in December, Stars center Cody Eakin earned a four-game suspension for running over Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (Streamable link of incident). The two teams met again last night, and Eakin was involved in another incident, though this time it was on the receiving end. Early in the second period, Chris Kreider picked a fight with Eakin, likely out of retribution for Eakin’s run-in with Lundqvist. During the fight, Kreider grabbed Eakin’s helmet and hit Eakin in the head with it (GIF via @myregularface).

Kreider has been fined $5K for the incident, which is the maximum allowable fine under the CBA. Under NHL rules, Kreider should have been ejected for attempting to “deliberately [injure] an opponent by throwing a stick or any other object or piece of equipment at an opposing player.”

Instead, he only received the usual five-minute major for fighting. The swing happened quickly, so perhaps the referees missed it or didn’t deem it to be a deliberate action.

  • The struggling Arizona Coyotes will be without one of their top players when they visit the Winnipeg Jets. Martin Hanzal has left the team temporarily to “attend to a family matter,” according to Dave Vest of the Arizona Coyotes. Hanzal has 15 points in 37 games for the second-to-last-place Coyotes. He’s expected to be dealt sometime before the NHL trade deadline on March 1.
  • Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson is doubtful for Thursday night’s game in St. Louis, according to coach Barry Trotz (via Isabelle Khurshudyan). Carlson missed Monday night’s epic 8-7 loss in Pittsburgh with a lower-body injury. Carlson has 25 points in 43 games this year. Trotz said the team may call up a defenseman before next game; Khurshudyan believes Aaron Ness is the likely call-up. Ness has 16 points in 31 games with the Hershey Bears.
  • While Morgan Rielly being out day-to-day is bad news for Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s good news for Frankie Corrado. Corrado has appeared in just one game at the NHL level this season, and will get a short window to make a good impression on Mike Babcock. Corrado told TSN’s Kristen Shilton that he’s “a hockey player, so it’s nice to play hockey.”

Quotable: Shane Doan On The Possibility Of Being Traded

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The report over the weekend that suggested that long-time Coyotes captain Shane Doan could be willing to accept a trade caught many by surprise.  Speaking with reporters, including Tim Campbell of NHL.com, he clarified the situation:

“People have texted and talked to me about it. I never said I wouldn’t go anywhere. I’ve always wanted to stay here. If there was ever an opportunity, the Coyotes have always been incredible to me and respectful to me in every way.

“I’d talk about it with my family and make a decision on that if it was to come up but it would have to be so perfect and so right that it’s pretty hard for it to all line up perfectly. It would have to be exactly perfect and that just doesn’t happen too often in our sport.”

Doan has been with the organization for 21 years, dating back to their original incarnation as the old Winnipeg Jets.  He’s one of just nine players in league history to spend that long with the same organization, a legacy that’s quite important to him, notes Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic.

Shane Doan

The 40 year old has struggled this season, posting just four goals and eight assists in 43 games, his worst point-per-game production since 1996-97.  The team is also expected to miss the playoffs as they 29th in the league and 16 points out of the last Wild Card spot so if he wants to play in the postseason this year, it will have to be somewhere else.

Doan was also quick to note, however, that the trade talk didn’t start with him:

“It wasn’t me saying it. I’ve been frustrated with the year, with us not winning and stuff, that’s always tough. I haven’t said it to them, to management, or said anything to them, but I’ve also never said I wouldn’t [agree to be traded].

“If it comes to that point, we’ll sit down and talk about it. It’s happened in the past, it’s just that no one’s ever heard about it. We’ve had the discussion and said yes or no and for the most part it’s been no.”

Although his days of being a top six forward are over, it’s likely that several contending teams would be interested in adding him for the stretch run.  However, with a cap hit of just over $3.875MM (not including games played bonuses of over $960K), it would take some creativity to get the finances to work in a deal.  Doan’s contract also carries deferred signing bonus money over the next five years (CapFriendly has the detailed breakdown) which also has to be considered as well.

Doan was also asked about whether or not this would be his final season and noted that he isn’t ready to make that decision yet:

“I’ll decide at the end of the year. As long as I’m enjoying playing the game, I want to play. It’s the best sport in the world.”

With the trade deadline still six weeks away, there’s plenty of time for Doan to make a decision about his playing future.  If he decides to take a run at a Stanley Cup this season, he will be one of the more interesting players to change teams this season.  His case will be one to keep a close eye on in the weeks ahead.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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