Penguins Claim Matthew Phillips Off Waivers From Capitals
The Penguins claimed forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Capitals on Friday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
Washington placed Phillips, 25, on waivers yesterday after making him a healthy scratch in 15 of their last 16 games. The undersized winger had one goal and four assists in 27 appearances with the Caps after signing a one-year, one-way deal worth $775K last summer upon reaching Group VI free agency.
A member of the Flames organization for more than half a decade after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, Phillips developed into one of the best players at the AHL level over the past two seasons. He posted back-to-back seasons above a point per game with their affiliates in Stockton and Calgary in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and produced at a top-six pace for a pair of campaigns prior.
His 5-foot-7, 140-lb frame was always going to make life difficult for him in the NHL, however. He got off to a strong start this season, posting three points in his first four games, but he hasn’t recorded a point in over two months and has a poor 43.1% Corsi share at even strength.
Pittsburgh takes a chance on him with four regular forwards out of the lineup due to injuries – Noel Acciari, Jake Guentzel, Jansen Harkins, and Matthew Nieto. Despite his struggles this season, Phillips is a higher-ceiling scoring option than most of the minor-league call-ups they have occupying bottom-six roles in their absence, and he carries little to no financial impact on their deadline plans with a league-minimum cap hit.
The Penguins will maintain control of Phillips’ signing rights this offseason, as he’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights when his contract expires.
Washington Capitals Place Matthew Phillips On Waivers
The Washington Capitals have placed forward Matthew Phillips on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The 25-year-old winger is set to become a restricted free agent this summer and currently carries a $775K cap hit.
Phillips made headlines this fall when he made the Capitals roster out of training camp. This season has marked his official rookie year, after playing in three games spread across the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons with the Calgary Flames. But Phillips has yet to find his scoring at the top level, netting just one goal and five points this season – the only scoring of his NHL career. He’s been much more productive in the AHL, where he scored 36 goals and 76 points last season. That mark ranked Phillips fifth in the league in scoring. He accomplished a similar feat two seasons ago as well, ranking ninth in the AHL with 68 points in 75 games.
This season marks Phillips’ first outside of the Calgary Flames organization. The team originally drafted the winger in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft – taking him in the same round that featured players like Jesper Bratt and Brandon Hagel. Phillips made his professional debut during the 2016-17 season but didn’t play out his full AHL rookie season until 2018-19. He scored 38 points in 65 games that season.
Phillips will now be exposed to the entire league for the second time in his career. He was previously waived by the Flames ahead of the 2021-22 season, passing through and getting assigned to the AHL.
Trevor van Riemsdyk Remains Out Sunday
Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has been fined $5K for spearing Capitals winger Max Pacioretty late in the first period of Saturday’s game, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Sunday. The fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and comes after Grzelcyk was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct on the play, sidelining him for the last two periods of the game.
- Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk will remain sidelined due to illness Sunday against the Canucks, head coach Spencer Carbery said (via Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network). The 32-year-old also missed yesterday’s win over Boston and has only appeared in four out of Washington’s last nine games due to illness and a handful of healthy scratches. Now in the first year of a hefty three-year, $9MM extension that makes him a UFA in 2026, van Riemsdyk has eight assists and a -11 rating in 40 games and has seen his possession metrics nosedive from last season’s strong two-way performance. His average ice time (18:30) is also down from last season’s 19:04, and although he should have a more regular role in the lineup if the Capitals move out Joel Edmundson by the deadline as rumored, this year hasn’t been a strong indication that van Riemsdyk will provide much value for his $3MM cap hit as he enters his mid-30s.
Could Pacioretty Waive Trade Protection To Go To A Contender?
- When Max Pacioretty signed with the Capitals in free agency, he landed a full no-move clause as part of the contract, seemingly hoping to stick with them for the full season. However, Pierre LeBrun notes in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that his sense is that the 35-year-old might waive that trade protection for the right fit and a chance to go for a Stanley Cup. Pacioretty has a base $2MM cap charge, plus another $2MM in games played bonuses. Half of those bonuses have been met already while another $500K will be earned when he plays his next game which should come on Saturday versus Boston.
Capitals Looking To Move Joel Edmundson
The Capitals have been carrying eight blueliners for a while now since they added Ethan Bear in late December and it appears they’re intent on clearing that logjam. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in his latest 32 Thoughts column that they’re looking to move blueliner Joel Edmundson prior to next month’s trade deadline.
The 30-year-old is in his first season with Washington after being acquired from Montreal just minutes before free agency opened up back in July. However, injuries have limited Edmundson to 32 games so far and when he has been in the lineup, his playing time has been considerably lower than usual. He’s averaging 16:08 per night, down nearly three and a half minutes from a year ago. While he has never been a big point producer, Edmundson has just three points so far while also recording 41 blocked shots.
Edmundson is in the final season of a four-year, $14MM contract he signed with the Canadiens back in 2020. However, Washington is only responsible for half of his $3.5MM AAV with Montreal retaining the other half as part of the trade which saw the Caps part with a third-round pick and a seventh-rounder for his services.
Edmundson has 75 career playoff appearances under his belt including a pair of runs to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019 with St. Louis and 2021 with Montreal. Between that and a relatively low cap charge, there should be some teams that have interest in a player who could aid their third pairing or at least add some depth for a potential playoff push. Whether GM Brian MacLellan can get a return that matches or beats the one he gave up in the summer remains to be seen but they should be able to get something for his services and clear up the backlog on their back end.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Evgeny Kuznetsov Enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program
Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Monday, the league announced.
Kuznetsov was absent from practice this morning for what the team labeled “personal reasons.” 31-year-old AHL veteran Michael Sgarbossa was recalled from AHL Hershey to replace Kuznetsov on the active roster.
The Russian center will now be out indefinitely while he receives care from the program, and he will not be cleared to return until PAP administrators clear him for on-ice competition. The 31-year-old is in his 11th season with the Capitals after the franchise selected him 26th overall in the 2010 draft.
This is Kuznetsov’s second time entering the program, which was previously known as the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program. He did so voluntarily in 2019 after a positive drug test for cocaine while playing for Russia at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
Kuznetsov’s 0.40 points per game this season are the lowest of his career, including his limited rookie showing in the 2013-14 campaign. Through 43 games, he has six goals, 11 assists, 17 points, and a 43.2% Corsi share at even strength while averaging 18:47 per game.
He’s only two years removed from a 24-goal, 78-point season, both of which were the second-best numbers of his career. He has one season after this remaining on an eight-year, $62.4MM deal signed in July 2017 that carries a $7.8MM cap hit. The contract carries a modified no-trade clause which awards Kuznetsov a 10-team no-trade list.
With Kuznetsov out for the foreseeable future, Sgarbossa is expected to make his season debut for the Capitals on Tuesday against the Canadiens in a third-line role between Anthony Mantha and Max Pacioretty. Sgarbossa likely won’t be a longer-term fixture in Washington’s top-nine, however, and Kuznetsov’s absence could influence the Capitals to give 21-year-old Hendrix Lapierre another shot after playing 25 games earlier this season. Lapierre, the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft, is currently on assignment to Hershey, where he has 11 points in 16 games this season.
Capitals Recall Michael Sgarbossa
The Capitals have recalled center Michael Sgarbossa from AHL Hershey, the team announced Monday.
Sgarbossa, 31, joins the Capitals’ roster to provide veteran injury insurance during a packed schedule this week. Washington has four games in six days to kick off their post-All-Star break schedule, starting at home against the Canadiens on Tuesday.
He’s yet to suit up for the Capitals this season, but he’s been recalled for one-day stints on the roster twice to serve as a healthy scratch. The Campbellville, Ontario, native cleared waivers after being cut from training camp on Oct. 6 and has played exclusively for Hershey.
Now in his sixth season in the Capitals organization, Sgarbossa continues to be one of the most consistently productive players at the AHL level. He’s going through a down season in the goal-scoring department, only lighting the lamp seven times in 44 games, but his 36 assists lead the league, and his 43 points are fourth league-wide.
Sgarbossa is in the first season of a two-year, two-way, $1.55MM extension he signed in May of 2023. The contract has a cap hit of $775K and pays him $525K at the minor-league level, making it one of the most lucrative two-way deals in the league.
An undrafted free agent signing by the Sharks in 2010, Sgarbossa has since played 65 NHL games while appearing in parts of seven seasons with the Avalanche, Ducks, Panthers, and Capitals. He last suited up for an NHL game in January of 2022, capping off a 10-game stint in Washington in which he scored twice and added two assists.
The Capitals had 23 contracts on the roster before this transaction, so a corresponding move is coming later on Monday. Evgeny Kuznetsov is absent from today’s practice due to personal reasons, per the team (via Sammi Silber of The Hockey News), so he’s likely headed for the non-roster list to free up a spot.
Evening Notes: Fantilli, Capitals, Zadorov
Star Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli suffered a cut on the back of his leg in the team’s Sunday night loss to the Seattle Kraken. He was seen leaving the game on crutches and the team announced today that he will miss their Tuesday night game against the St. Louis Blues. Fantilli has been a bright spot in a dark Blue Jackets season, tied for second on the team in scoring with 27 points through 49 games. The 19-year-old is one of only four Blue Jackets to play in all 49 of the team’s games this season.
Columbus drafted Fantilli with the third-overall pick in last year’s draft and now becomes the last of the top-three picks to face an injury this season. Chicago Blackhawks sensation Connor Bedard is currently grappling with a jaw injury that’s limited him to 39 games, while Leo Carlsson faced a knee injury that’s held him to just 30 games this season. The trio of top picks is joined by Zach Benson – who has played in 38 games – as the only players to jump directly into the NHL. Despite playing in more games than anyone else in the class, Fantilli doesn’t lead the group in scoring – as Bedard has managed 15 goals and 33 points despite his injury.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Washington Capitals have signed a six-year extension with their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. The new deal carries the partnership through the 2029-30 season. Hershey has been Washington’s affiliate since 2005, when they were coached by NHL-coaching veteran Bruce Boudreau. Hershey won the Calder Cup Championship in their first year under the Capitals, and have since become a legacy team in the minor leagues, winning three other championships. This includes last season when they toppled the Coachella Valley Firebirds in a seven-game series. With six more years ahead of them, Hershey will look to continue to add to their trophy cabinet.
- Player agent Dan Milstein has shared that his client Nikita Zadorov is not expecting to be traded by the Vancouver Canucks before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Speculation arose after Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed Vancouver’s desire to clear up cap space, listing Andrei Kuzmenko and Zadorov as options for moving out cap. Zadorov joined the Canucks on November 30th, with Vancouver sending a 2024 fifth-round pick and 2026 third-round pick to the Calgary Flames. The 28-year-old defender has since played in 24 games with the Canucks, scoring four points and recording 39 penalty minutes. He carries a $3.75MM cap hit through the end of the season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Max Pacioretty Exits Saturday With Lower-Body Injury
- Washington Capitals winger Max Pacioretty experienced a lower-body injury in the team’s Saturday afternoon overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. Few details have been provided about Pacioretty’s injury, other than that it is not linked to the Achilles tendon injury that held the winger out of the first 35 games of the season, per team reporter Tom Gulitti. He’s since appeared in 11 games, netting one goal and seven points.
Washington Capitals Activate Rasmus Sandin, Reassign Hendrix Lapierre
Getting a valuable reinforcement back on the blue line, the Washington Capitals announced they have activated defenseman Rasmus Sandin from the injured reserve, and have reassigned forward Hendrix Lapierre to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.
After the Capitals acquired Sandin from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, he quickly became one of the better defensemen on the roster, scoring three goals and 15 points in 19 games. Now being overshadowed by John Carlson as the team’s number-one defenseman, Sandin has been a tad less productive, only scoring 11 assists in 36 games played. Nevertheless, even though Sandin’s offensive production has slipped, he’s been much better defensively this year in Washington, as evidenced by his 90.5% on-ice save percentage in all situations, a 4.1% increase from last season.
Staying relatively healthy throughout his short stint with the Capitals, Sandin suffered an upper-body injury in the team’s January 3rd game against the New Jersey Devils, keeping him out of the lineup until tonight. Needing to get back into the swing of things after nearly a month away from gameplay, Sandin will likely slot into the third-defensive pairing next to Trevor van Riemsdyk.
To make room for Sandin’s return, the team decided to demote Lapierre, who has continued to struggle in his early days with Washington. Being the 22nd overall selection of the 2020 NHL Draft, Lapierre has yet to make any real noise in the NHL, having only scored two goals and seven points in 25 games for the Capitals this season. In somewhat of a silver lining, Lapierre has been much more productive playing for the Bears, scoring 17 goals and 38 points over 71 games with one of the AHL’s most successful franchises.