Vancouver Canucks Acquire Elias Lindholm From The Calgary Flames

Vancouver Canucks Acquire Elias Lindholm From The Calgary Flames

The Vancouver Canucks traded winger Andrei Kuzmenko, prospect defensemen Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, their 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder to the Calgary Flames for center Elias Lindholm.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks were rumored for weeks to be interested in landing Lindholm. It’s a clear sign that they’re all-in for the Stanley Cup by adding the 29-year-old two-way center.

Calgary Flames trade center Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks (NHL Images).

Lindholm is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 unless he and the Canucks agree to a contract extension. That could depend on how well he fits in and whether they have sufficient cap space to sign him with Elias Pettersson due for a major raise this summer as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

For now, however, this move should significantly improve the Canucks second line and bolster their chances for a Cup run this spring. Lindholm tallied 82 points in 2022-23 but his production dropped after the Flames lost Johnny Gaudreau to free agency and traded away Matthew Tkachuk. He should regain his scoring touch with the Canucks’ potent offense.

Kuzmenko carries a $5.5 million average annual value through next season. He also has a 12-team no-trade clause but reportedly agreed to be shipped to the Flames. The 27-year-old winger tallied 39 goals and 74 points in 2022-23 but struggled to replicate those numbers this season. His one-dimensional play frustrated the Canucks’ coaching staff as they tried to improve his all-around game. Perhaps a shift to the Flames will help him return to form.

The deal also brings in two blueline prospects as well as an additional first and fourth-round picks to the Flames as it appears they’re about to engage in a roster retool. This could also signal that defensemen Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin could be next to go. Like Lindholm, they’re both pending UFAs who’ve been the subject of frequent trade speculation this season.

This is the second trade between these two clubs this season. On Nov. 30, the Flames traded defenseman Nikita Zadorov to the Canucks for two draft picks. This deal should silence recent speculation suggesting Zadorov could be moved in a cost-cutting trade.










Maple Leafs Sign William Nylander To Eight-Year Extension

Maple Leafs Sign William Nylander To Eight-Year Extension

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made it official, signing William Nylander to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension. The average annual value is $11.5 million. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the deal also contains a full no-movement clause throughout the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates $69 million of the $92 million will be paid out in signing bonuses.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

No surprise there. Friedman and his colleague Nick Kypreos first reported last week that the Leafs and Nylander were closing in on this deal, which was expected to be done by today.

Nylander has earned this contract. He was underpaid on his current deal ($6.92 million annually) while his performance steadily improved. He reached 80 points in 2021-22 followed by a career-high of 40 goals and 87 points last season.

With 54 points in 37 games, Nylander is on pace for over 115 points this season. As of today, he leads the Leafs in points and is sixth among the league leaders. The 27-year-old winger has established himself as an elite scoring forward and should be paid as such.

Nylander’s critics believe his performance will tail off now that he’s inked his big-money contract. That’s a possibility I consider unlikely based on his play over the past three seasons. He’s in his playing prime now and will remain among the Leafs’ best players going forward.

The Leafs had a projected $32.5 million in cap space for next season with 11 active players under contract before Nylander’s signing. This deal will leave them with around $21 million to invest in filling out the remainder of their roster.

With the salary cap rising to around $87.5 million for next season, the Leafs felt comfortable in signing Nylander to such an expensive extension. They can afford it but it could complicate efforts to re-sign or replace pending UFAs like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano, as well as restricted free agents like Timothy Liljegren.

With Nylander under contract, the focus shifts toward Mitch Marner. He has a year remaining on his contract with an AAV of $10.9 million and is eligible for UFA status in July 2025.










Oilers Fire Head Coach Jay Woodcroft

Oilers Fire Head Coach Jay Woodcroft

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers have fired head coach Jay Woodcroft and defense coach Dave Manson.

Woodcroft is being replaced by Kris Knoblauch and will be joined by assistant coach Paul Coffey.

Former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft (NHL.com).

Knoblauch joins the Oilers from the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack, the farm team of the New York Rangers. He also coached Oilers captain Connor McDavid when the two were with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hired by the Oilers in February 2022, Woodcroft coached them to the Western Conference Final that year. He guided them to a 109-point campaign in 2022-23, marking the fifth-best regular-season performance in franchise history.

Despite being upset by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, the Oilers began this season considered a Stanley Cup contender. Instead, they’ve lurched to a 3-9-1 start that threatens to derail their season.

One would’ve thought the Oilers would’ve replaced Woodcroft with Knoblauch on Thursday following their loss to the bottom-feeding San Jose Sharks. Instead, it comes after they snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win last night over the Seattle Kraken.

Knoblauch’s connection to McDavid is fueling speculation that the Oilers captain had a hand in deciding Woodcroft’s replacement. It’ll be interesting to see how he addresses their porous goaltending, shaky defense and a popgun offense, especially if McDavid remains hampered by an upper-body injury that sidelined him for two games last month.

For those keeping score, Knoblauch becomes the Oilers’ eighth head coach since 2013. As per Hockey-Reference.com, the others were Ralph Krueger (2013), Dallas Eakins (2014 to 2015), Todd Nelson (2015), Todd McLellan (2016 to 2019), Ken Hitchcock (2019), Dave Tippett (2020 to 2022) and Woodcroft.










Senators Fire General Manager Pierre Dorion

Senators Fire General Manager Pierre Dorion

The Ottawa Senators have fired general manager Pierre Dorion after the club was penalized over its role in the 2021 trade of Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights and the subsequent invalidated trade between the Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks.

The Senators must forfeit a first-round draft pick in one of the 2024, 2025 or 2026 drafts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: When the Golden Knights acquired Dadonov from the Senators, they were under the impression that his 10-team no-trade list was no longer active. That turned out not to be the case, which led to the league overruling their attempt to trade him to the Ducks at the 2022 trade deadline.

Former Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion (NHL.com).

Initially, the Senators were reportedly cleared of wrongdoing regarding the Dadonov situation. Something else must have come to light since then to prompt the league to take this action, though they’ve offered up no detailed explanation as to why they’re doing so nearly 18 months after the fact.

Since becoming general manager of the Senators in 2016, Dorion has been attempting to rebuild the Senators roster. He laid the foundation of the current roster by drafting Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto and Ridly Grieg. He also acquired Josh Norris and Jakob Chychrun and signed Claude Giroux and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Dorion also made a series of questionable moves. In recent years, he gave up three draft picks (including the No. 7 pick overall in the 2022 draft) to the Chicago Blackhawks for Alex DeBrincat when the winger only had a year left on his contract, then traded him to the Detroit Red Wings when he couldn’t get him signed to an extension.

He also sent goaltender Filip Gustavsson to the Minnesota Wild for an aging and banged-up Cam Talbot in 2022. Gustavsson is now the heir apparent to Marc-Andre Fleury in Minnesota while Talbot now plies his trade with the Los Angeles Kings.

Dorion also prioritized other free agents over Pinto this summer, leaving the Senators with insufficient cap space to sign the 22-year-old restricted free agent. That led to a contract stalemate resulting in Pinto missing the start of the season before he received a 41-game suspension for violating the league’s wagering rules.

Following the sale of the Senators to new owner Michael Andlauer this summer, the club announced Steve Staios had been hired as their new president of hockey operations. That move prompted some observers to suggest he would be a replacement for Dorion if the Senators failed to improve this season. Staios will now take over the GM duties on an interim basis.

It will be interesting to see if Staios remains as general manager or if a permanent replacement is hired. Either way, this move signals a change in direction for the Senators.










Where Are They Now: 2018 Washington Capitals

Where Are They Now: 2018 Washington Capitals

It’s been only five years since the Washington Capitals won their first Stanley Cup. With the dog days of summer now upon us, it’s a good opportunity to look back on the noteworthy players on their 2018 playoff roster and see where they are today.

Alex Ovechkin: Now 37, the Washington Capitals captain remains his club’s most powerful scoring threat. Since winning the Cup, he’s had two seasons with 50 or more goals and two with 40 or more. With 822 career regular-season goals, he’s closing in on Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

Nicklas Backstrom: A nagging hip injury limited the Capitals center to just 86 games over the last two seasons. Following a hip resurfacing procedure, the 35-year-old Backstrom hopes to stage a bounce-back performance in 2023-24.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: The leading scorer of the 2018 postseason (32 points) has struggled with consistency. He’s had two 70-plus point seasons along with two disappointing campaigns of 52 and 55 points. The 31-year-old center is currently the subject of trade speculation.

John Carlson: One of the NHL’s elite puck-moving defensemen, the 33-year-old Carlson netted over 70 points in three of the last five seasons. He was limited to just 40 games in 2022-23 after suffering a serious head injury but has since recovered and will return to action with the Capitals.

2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals (NHL.com).

T.J. Oshie: When healthy, Oshie remains a dangerous offensive presence. However, age and injuries appear to be catching up with the 36-year-old Capitals winger. He was limited to 44 games in 2021-22 and 58 games last season.

Tom Wilson: Knee surgery limited the 29-year-old Wilson to just 33 games last season. The big Capitals power forward is a year removed from a career-best 52-point performance and will attempt to regain that form in 2023-234.

Braden Holtby: After backstopping the Capitals to the Cup in 2018, Holtby’s performance steadily declined. The veteran goaltender played for the Vancouver Canucks in 2020-21 and with the Dallas Stars in 2021-22. A lower-body injury kept the 33-year-old out of action last season. It could lead to his retirement though he hasn’t made it official yet.

Dmitry Orlov: The 31-year-old defenseman spent almost 12 seasons with the Capitals but was traded to the Boston Bruins on Feb. 23. On July 1, he inked a two-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Matt Niskanen: Traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in June 2019, Niskanen played a key role in helping his new club reach the 2020 playoffs. The veteran defenseman retired in October 2020 at age 33.

Brooks Orpik: After playing one more season with the Capitals, the rugged defenseman announced his retirement in June 2019. Orpik, 42, has spent the past four seasons as a player development coach for the Capitals working with their defense prospects with their AHL affiliate in Hershey.

Lars Eller: After nearly seven seasons with the Capitals, Eller was traded on March 1 to the Colorado Avalanche. On July 1, the 34-year-old center signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Chandler Stephenson: Shipped to the Vegas Golden Knights in Dec. 2019, Stephenson has blossomed into an invaluable top-six forward. Now 29, he tallied 64 points in 2021-22 and 65 points last season helping the Golden Knights win the 2023 Stanley Cup.

Andre Burakovsky: Traded to the Colorado Avalanche in June 2019, Burakovsky enjoyed three seasons with 44 or more points in the Mile High City, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2022. Signed to a four-year contract last summer with the Seattle Kraken, the 28-year-old winger had 39 points in 49 games before suffering a season-ending injury.

Jakub Vrana: Dealt to the Detroit Red Wings in April 2021, Vrana struggled on and off the ice, entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last season. Traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 3, the 27-year-old winger had 10 goals and 14 points in 20 games with his new club.

Philipp Grubauer: Following the Capitals Cup win, Grubauer was shipped to the Colorado Avalanche. He spent three seasons with the Avs, establishing himself as a starting goalie. Signed by the Seattle Kraken in 2021, the 31-year-old shares the netminding duties with Martin Jones.

Brett Connolly: Signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers in 2019, Connolly was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in April 2021 and was bought out last July. The 31-year-old winger spent last season with Lugano in Switzerland’s National League.

Devante Smith-Pelly: After spending 2018-19 bouncing between the Capitals and their AHL affiliate, Smith-Pelly played for KHL club Kunlun Red Star in 2019-20 and two seasons in the AHL with the Ontario Reign and Laval Rocket. After 11 pro seasons, the 31-year-old winger announced his retirement last December.

Jay Beagle: Signed a four-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks in 2018 and was traded in April 2021 to the Arizona Coyotes. The 37-year-old center did not play last season. He’s listed as retired by Cap Friendly.

Michal Kempny: Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in Feb. 2018, Kempny skated in all 24 Capitals playoff games. After three more seasons in Washington, the 32-year-old defenseman was signed as a free agent by the Seattle Kraken for 2022-23. However, his contract was terminated and he signed a two-year deal with Czech league club Sparta Praha.

Alex Chiasson: Signed with the Edmonton Oilers as a free agent, he spent three seasons with them followed by a one-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks and spending 2022-23 with the Detroit Red Wings. The 32-year-old winger is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Christian Djoos: Appeared in 16 playoff games for the 2018 Capitals. Spent the next two seasons split between the Capitals and their AHL affiliate in Hershey before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks in 2020. He spent 2020-21 with the Detroit Red Wings. For the past two seasons, the 28-year-old defenseman skated with Zug EV of Switzerland’s National League.










NHL Random Takes – July 9, 2023

NHL Random Takes – July 9, 2023

The Montreal Canadiens created a stir among their fans with their selection of Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher as the fifth-overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft. If social media was anything to go by, most of them preferred much-touted – and little-scouted – Russian winger Matvei Michkov, who was chosen seventh overall by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Disagreeing with a team’s first-round draft choice is fair play. No fan worth their salt should blindly accept every decision made by their favorite team at the draft table.

The initial critique was about the Canadiens choosing a defenseman in a draft filled with promising young scorers. Many correctly pointed out that the Habs haven’t had a scoring superstar since Guy Lafleur in the 1970s or a 50-goal scorer since Stephane Richer in 1990. “We’re starving for a scorer!” was the refrain.

Montreal Canadiens prospect defenseman David Reinbacher (NHL.com).

Nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, some of the numpties among the Canadiens faithful decided to take out their outrage on the 18-year-old Reinbacher via Twitter and Instagram with some vile comments. The type of gutter talk that pathetic fools spew from behind the safety of anonymity and distance on social media because they lack the courage to say it to the person’s face.

Some Twitter trolls masquerading as “insiders” tweeted that Reinbacher received “thousands” of direct threats (nowhere close), that he didn’t want to suit up for the Canadiens (which he did just two days following the draft ahead of their prospect development camp) and was so upset that he didn’t want to sign a contract with the Habs (which he did following the development camp).

It’s a reminder that, contrary to popular belief, Twitter is not the real world. Several Canadiens fans preferred Michkov but most seem fine with the player dubbed the top defenseman in the 2023 draft.

*****

Late in the 2012-13 season, goaltender Roberto Luongo bemoaned that his expensive contract was to blame for hurting his chances of the Vancouver Canucks trading him before the 2013 trade deadline.

I wonder if Erik Karlsson feels the same way a decade later. The 33-year-old Norris Trophy-winning defenseman would prefer a trade to a contender and the San Jose Sharks are trying to accommodate him. So far, however, no deal has emerged, mostly because of Karlsson’s $11.5 million AAV through 2026-27 and his full no-movement clause.

There’s reportedly legitimate interest in Karlsson from several playoff contenders but they cannot afford to take on his full contract. Those clubs would prefer if the Sharks retained half of his annual cap hit but they’re reportedly only willing to pick up between 20 and 30 percent.

Thanks to a flattened salary cap for 2023-24, there aren’t many teams that can comfortably afford to take on the entirety of Karlsson’s remaining cap hit, let alone pay what’s expected to be an expensive asking price by the Sharks.

Unless San Jose general manager Mike Grier is willing to retain more of Karlsson’s cap hit, or somehow swing a three-team trade where everybody takes on a third of it, Karlsson will be suiting up next season with Los Tiburones.

*****

Twenty-two players filed last week for salary arbitration. Among the notables were Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry, Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Ilya Samsonov and Winnipeg Jets forward Gabe Vilardi.

The period for their hearings is between July 20 and Aug. 4. However, don’t be surprised if all of them end up re-signing with their clubs before their soon-to-be-appointed dates with the arbiter.

It’s a rare occurrence when players and teams end up making their case before an arbitrator. In the past, the two sides would in most instances reach an agreement within the 48-hour period before the arbiter’s decision was rendered. That option, however, was removed in the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the NHL and NHL Players Association extending the collective bargaining agreement to 2026.

Most players file as a means of setting a deadline for hammering out agreements on new contracts rather than have them drag on throughout the offseason or into training camp. That’s also usually the motivation for teams that take players to arbitration.

That number has already dropped by two with the Seattle Kraken re-signing defensemen Will Borgen and Cale Fleury. The others will likely follow suit in due course.