NHL Rumor Mill – January 9, 2023

by | Jan 9, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 9, 2023

Could the Bruins make a pitch for Bo Horvat? Will the Wild pursue Brock Boeser? Which teams could become third-party brokers in this season’s trade market? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST CANUCKS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: In his latest mailbag segment, Fluto Shinzawa was asked if the Boston Bruins could pull off acquiring Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks.

Shinzawa believes it would be a difficult transaction to make. The Bruins would have to meet the Canucks’ asking price, starting with a first-round pick and a high prospect. Next, the Canucks would have to retain half of Horvat’s $5.5 million cap hit or send a salary back to Vancouver. Third, Horvat would have to sign a contract extension with the Bruins.

Nevertheless, Shinzawa believes the short- and long-term benefits of acquiring Horvat would make a deal worth exploring. He felt it would keep the Bruins’ winning window open when Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci eventually retire.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger have reported that the Canucks want a “hockey trade” rather than a return heavy with future assets. They want one or two young NHL players who can help them now and in the future along with a high draft pick and/or a high-end prospect.

I don’t think the Bruins have the depth to suitably meet the Canucks’ asking price. Given their lofty perch atop the overall standings, they’re not under any pressure to make that type of move before the March 3 trade deadline. With David Pastrnak due for a hefty pay raise this summer, I don’t see Horvat being part of their long-term future.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

The Bruins could make a move or two before March 3. Barring serious injury to one or two core players, I anticipate it’ll be an affordable depth move rather than pursuing a big-ticket player like Horvat.

VANCOUVER HOCKEY INSIDER: Rob Simpson reports the Minnesota Wild are among the clubs that have spoken to Brock Boeser’s agent about a trade. The Canucks gave his agent permission to speak with other clubs last month.

Boeser, 25, grew up 15 minutes outside Minneapolis and a half-hour from the Wild’s arena in St. Paul. Simpson cites a source “very close to the deliberations” saying the pressure of playing for his hometown team wouldn’t be a problem for the winger.

Simpson believes Boeser would be a good fit with the Wild given their lack of scoring punch at right wing beyond first-liner Mats Zuccarello. He believes he’d be a lethal addition alongside left-winger Matt Boldy.

Boeser carries an annual cap hit of $6.65 million for the next two seasons. The Wild currently has around $6 million in cap space. The Canucks aren’t interested in retaining salary but could reduce their expected asking price. They could try to get hold of a Wild defense prospect like Brock Faber or Carson Lambos or 22-year-old blueliner Calen Addison.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild have come up as a trade partner for Boeser in the past. They also have a need for reliable scoring depth at center.

Cap Friendly indicates they currently have $6.5 million in cap space and a projected $14.8 million in trade deadline cap room. If general manager Bill Guerin is interested in Boeser, he could wait until closer to March 3 to take on his prorated cap hit for the remainder of this season.

WHICH NHL CLUBS COULD BECOME THIRD-PARTY BROKERS IN THIS SEASON’S TRADE MARKET?

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli recently listed several clubs with cap space that could become “third-party money brokers” in this season’s trade market. He’s referring to a small group of teams that could weaponize their cap space to harvest assets and help other clubs facilitate trades.

Seravalli pointed out we’ve seen this trend in recent years among cap-strapped playoff contenders pulling off three-team trades to acquire a rental player. The selling team retains half of a player’s remaining cap hit and sends him to a team with cap room. That team retains half of the cap hit that they received from the selling club and flips the player and his remaining cap hit to the buying club for an asset like a draft pick. They also receive an asset or two from the selling club.

This season, 19 of the NHL’s 32 clubs are operating within $2 million of the $82.5 million cap. Seravalli suggests the Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings could become third-party trade brokers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres’ recent improvement suggests they might become buyers rather than sellers at this year’s trade deadline. They’re an exciting young team that’s been charging up the Eastern Conference standings of late. GM Kevyn Adams could consider using some of his plentiful cap space to bolster his roster and help his team nail down its first postseason berth in 12 years.










Does Anyone Really Care About The NHL All-Star Game?

by | Jan 9, 2023

Does Anyone Really Care About The NHL All-Star Game?

Last week, the NHL announced its 32 players (one from each club) as its initial selections for the 2023 All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida, on Feb. 4. The fans will get to vote on three other players from each division to round the All-Star rosters.

Following the announcement, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella was asked what he thought about Flyers forward Travis Konecny not being named to the Metropolitan Division lineup.

“I don’t even worry about that s**t,” replied Tortorella. “The whole team, the whole weekend, I don’t even watch it. I think it’s turned into a …well, I’ll just leave it at that. I really don’t care.”

It wouldn’t be shocking if most NHL coaches and players share Tortorella’s opinion about the All-Star Game. I can’t speak for other pundits, bloggers or hockey fans but I stopped caring about it a long time ago.

The last NHL All-Star Game that drew my interest was in 2016. That was the year when the fans, irrepressible scamps that you are, voted for long-time enforcer John Scott to be part of the Pacific Division roster.

John Scott at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game (NHL.com).

NHL HQ attempted to prevent Scott, then a member of the Arizona Coyotes, from participating in its All-Star Game. After declining to bow out when asked to do so by the league and the Coyotes, he was demoted to the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate and then traded to the Montreal Canadiens, who immediately sent him to their AHL club.

That prompted a considerable outcry from fans and pundits about a conspiracy to keep Scott out of the All-Star Game, garnering headlines and becoming an embarrassment for the NHL. The league eventually relented and it became one of the feel-good sports stories of the year.

Supported by his All-Star teammates and opponents, Scott stole the show. He scored two goals in the tournament and captained the Pacific Division to the All-Star championship. He was also named tournament MVP as a write-in candidate and received a standing ovation from the fans.

Since then, the league has taken steps to ensure the fans don’t stuff the ballot box with other write-in candidates it considers unworthy of participating in its All-Star showcase.

The fact that Scott’s story made the 2016 NHL All-Star Game the most memorable and entertaining in years spoke volumes about the irrelevance of this annual event.

It’s been decades since the NHL All-Star Game mattered. Players have stopped taking it seriously, preferring not to risk injury in a meaningless contest. Most of them seem to look forward to the All-Star break as a welcome midseason break in a long, grueling 82-game schedule.

Those not selected for the game take the opportunity to head to sunny climes with family and friends for a little vacation. In the not-too-distant past, some of those chosen to participate tried to back out until the league began threatening multi-game suspensions for those who failed to show up for reasons other than injury or family emergencies.

Over the past three decades, the NHL has tried different formats to make the game more entertaining while providing players more incentive to take them seriously. The amount of money awarded to the winning team was significantly increased. Skills competitions the day prior to the game have become a staple of the All-Star weekend.

While some of these changes have sparked varying degrees of curiosity from fans, it really hasn’t improved the quality of play once the puck drops on the All-Star game itself. It remains glorified pond hockey with bloated scores and little defensive effort.

When the players don’t care, why should the fans?

Whatever city hosts the NHL All-Star Game seems to get some benefit from it as local fans turn out to see all the league’s best players in one place at the same time. None of this, however, generates much of a television audience in Canada and the United States compared to the all-star contests of professional baseball or basketball.

The NHL won’t scrap this event, of course. If it’s to be taken seriously as a major North American sports league it needs an all-star game to showcase its best talent. At least, that’s the story it seems to tell itself.

Most hockey fans probably wouldn’t miss the All-Star Game if it one day disappeared forever from the NHL calendar. Few lamented its absence whenever it was canceled by lockouts, pandemics, or the Olympics. It’s unlikely there would be many tears shed if this year’s event didn’t take place except for those who paid to go see it.

When it comes to NHL All-Star competitions, hockey fans seem to prefer international tournaments such as the Winter Olympics or the World Cup of Hockey. Those games are more meaningful because there’s a lot more on the line.

Until those events come around again, we’re stuck with a meaningless spectacle played by disinterested All-Stars that only strikes a chord with fans whenever there are shenanigans with the selection process.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 9, 2023

by | Jan 9, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 9, 2023

Hat-trick performances by the Bruins’ David Pastrnak and the Jets’ Kyle Connor, Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson return to the Capitals, the Blackhawks’ Lukas Reichel nets his first three NHL points and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied a hat trick and collected an assist to crush the Anaheim Ducks 7-1. David Krejci collected three points and Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots as the league-leading Bruins (32-4-4, 68 points) extended their points streak to 14 games (11-0-3). Trevor Zegras replied for the Ducks as they dropped to 12-25-4.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

Spurred by Kyle Connor’s hat trick and a four-assist performance by Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Winnipeg Jets rolled to a 7-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Nikolaj Ehlers enjoyed a three-point performance for the Jets (26-13-1) as they remain one point behind the Pacific Division-leading Dallas Stars with 53 points. J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists for the Canucks as they fell to 17-19-3.

Speaking of the Stars (24-11-6), they dropped the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-1. Jason Robertson scored two goals while Jake Oettinger made 27 saves for the win. Carter Verhaeghe replied for the 18-19-4 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Stars as center Roope Hintz left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury. He is expected to be evaluated on Monday.

Washington Capitals forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson made their season debuts in a 1-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Darcy Kuemper kicked out 38 shots for the shutout while Erik Gustafsson tallied the only goal for the Capitals (23-14-6) as they sit one point behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 52 points. Elvis Merzlikins made 18 saves for the 12-25-2 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals are 13-2-2 in their last 17 games. Backstrom and Wilson were held scoreless in this contest.

The Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Philadelphia Flyers 6-2 to snap the latter’s four-game win streak. John Tavares and Calle Jarnkrok each had a goal and two assists, Auston Matthews scored his 20th goal of the season and Matt Murray made 34 saves for the Leafs (25-9-7), who hold second place in the Atlantic Division with 57 points. Travis Konecny netted his 21st of the season for the 15-18-7 Flyers.

St. Louis Blues goalie Thomas Greiss made 35 saves to shut out the Minnesota Wild 3-0. Brayden Schenn tallied two goals as the Blues improved to 20-18-3 (43 points) to sit two points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Wild (22-14-3) played without winger Jordan Greenway due to a non-COVID illness (flu). They are in third place in the Central Division with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo missed this game to an undisclosed injury suffered on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got two goals from Jake Guentzel and two assists from Sidney Crosby en route to a 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. The Penguins (20-13-6) hold the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 46 points and hold two games in hand over the New York Islanders, who also have 46 points. Barrett Hayton scored for the Coyotes (13-21-6) as they’ve now lost five games in a row.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win snapped a six-game winless skid (0-4-2) for the Penguins.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Lukas Reichel scored his first NHL goal and collected two assists (the latter on Max Domi’s game-winner) in a 4-3 overtime upset of the Calgary Flames. Alex Stalock stopped 44 shots for the 10-25-4 Blackhawks. Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom was pulled after giving up three goals on 11 shots as his club’s record dropped to 19-14-8. With 46 points, they hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On Saturday, the Flames placed forward Brett Ritchie on injured reserve. He last played on Dec. 29.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 8, 2023

by | Jan 8, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 8, 2023

Could the Kraken and Avalanche have an interest in Bo Horvat? What’s the latest on Jakob Chychrun, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman listed Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat, Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Chicago Blackhawks forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews as possible trade targets over the next few weeks.

Friedman believes the Canucks will go back to Horvat and see if they can make a deal on a contract extension. However, he thinks it’s “extremely unlikely” to happen because they aren’t willing to spend more on Horvat than they did on J.T. Miller (seven years, $56 million).

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat (NHL Images).

Friedman wonders if the Seattle Kraken would be interested. Marek said a lot of people have mentioned the Colorado Avalanche as a destination for Horvat.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Interesting suggestion linking Horvat to the Kraken. Friedman mentioned they’re an improved club but I wonder if he also thinks that the Canucks captain might not want to stray too far from Vancouver?

The Kraken can afford to take on Horvat’s prorated $5.5 million cap hit for this season. They have depth in draft picks and prospects to offer up as trade bait plus they have sufficient cap space for next season (over $20 million) to re-sign him.

However, I’m not sold on Kraken general manager Ron Francis deviating from his current roster-building plans. This is a competitive club in just its second season with an emerging franchise player in Matty Beniers, a promising youngster in their system in Shane Wright and a solid core of experienced veterans.

Let’s not also forget reports claiming the Canucks seek young NHL talent that can provide them with immediate, long-term help rather than a return of futures. If that’s the case, the Kraken lack sufficient depth with those types of players unless they’re willing to part with Beniers and I don’t see them doing that.

As for the Avalanche, The Athletic’s Peter Baugh and The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando pointed out their lack of trade chips necessary to make a competitive bid for Horvat or other big-ticket stars such as St. Louis’ Ryan O’Reilly and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. Even if they were to acquire one of them, they lack sufficient cap space next season to re-sign any of them.

Marek reports the Arizona Coyotes are in no hurry to move Chychrun. They’re looking for “three big pieces” for the 24-year-old blueliner: a young prospect, a first-round pick plus another first-rounder or an equivalent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That equivalent would be a former first-round pick, either a high-end prospect or a young NHL player.

Friedman reports Kane and Toews have not yet met with Blackhawks management to determine what they’re doing. Kane was injured last week and missed a game but it’s hoped he’ll play against the Calgary Flames. There are “rumblings” that it may be a nagging injury that needs to be “cleaned up” at some point but the hope is that he’ll be able to play through it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Kane, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa was asked what it would cost the Boston Bruins to acquire the long-time Chicago winger.

Shinzawa believes the Bruins would have to part with their first-round pick, a high-level prospect and at least one more young player. The Blackhawks would also have to retain half of Kane’s remaining cap hit plus take some salary back in the deal.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bruins make a move at the trade deadline to bolster their roster for the playoffs. However, they’re not under any pressure to do so at the moment given their lofty position atop the overall standings.

If the Bruins maintain that perch by the March 3 trade deadline, any moves they make by then will be to tweak their lineup with affordable depth instead of taking on someone like Kane.

Friedman talked about the Edmonton Oilers’ need for a left-side defenseman. The club is looking around the league to see who could be available. They want to give young blueliner Philip Broberg a chance to play for a while before making any permanent decisions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Mark Spector and Adam Vingan recently examined whether Jakob Chychrun would be the right fit for the Oilers. They believe their biggest need is a left-shot shut-down defenseman and don’t consider Chychrun as someone who will address that need. They also reminded us that they recently reported the Oilers will not pursue Chychrun and are standing by their story.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2023

by | Jan 8, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2023

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin matches a franchise record with five points, the Leafs’ Mitch Marner reaches the 500-point plateau, Jack Hughes sparks a Devils comeback over the Rangers, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin matched a franchise record for most points in a game by a defenseman with five points (two goals, three assists) as his club rallied to defeat the Minnesota Wild 6-5. Dahlin collected an assist on Victor Olofsson’s overtime winner as the Sabres (20-15-2) moved to within four points of the New York Islanders (46 points) for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman each had a goal and an assist for the Wild (22-13-3) as they sit third in the Central Division with 47 points.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Sabres paid tribute to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin as he recovers from cardiac arrest in hospital following a hit on the field during a game last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.

This is the point in the schedule when in recent years the Sabres would usually be in the midst of a free-fall in the standings. It’s a different story this season as they’ve won eight of their last 10 games and have moved into the Eastern Conference playoff chase.

Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will be on temporary leave starting Sunday through Tuesday as he journeys to Montreal for personal reasons.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist to reach 500 career points in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. John Tavares scored two goals for the Leafs (24-9-7), who sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. Jake Walman replied for the Red Wings (16-15-7), who sit seven points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings’ promising season is being undone by its recent slump. They’ve won only three of their last 10 and are slipping out of the playoff race.

The New Jersey Devils got two goals and an assist from Jack Hughes to overcome a 3-1 deficit and beat the New York Rangers 4-3 on an overtime goal by Damon Severson. The Devils (25-12-3) hold a two-point lead over the Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 53 points. Igor Shesterkin made 39 saves for the 22-12-7 Rangers.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied twice to double up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. The Bruins (31-4-4, 66 points) extended their win streak to three games and hold a nine-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first overall in the league standings. With a record of 12-21-8, the Sharks (32 points) finished with their worst record for the first half of a season in 27 years.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rookie winger Kirill Marchenko collected his first career NHL hat trick for the Jackets (12-24-2) while Kent Johnson tallied the game-winning goal in the shootout. Max Pacioretty scored his first two goals of the season for the 25-8-7 Hurricanes.

An overtime goal by Cale Makar lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Hunt scored for the Avalanche (20-15-3) as they overcame a two-goal deficit on goals by Oilers winger Zach Hyman. The Oilers (21-17-3) hold the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 45 points while the Avs are two points behind them.

The Seattle Kraken rolled to an 8-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jordan Eberle and Andre Burakovsky each had a goal and two assists as the Kraken improved to 22-14-4 to sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 48 points. Senators forward Tim Stutzle had a hat trick and collected an assist for the Senators (18-18-3).

Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala’s hat trick powered his club over the Vegas Golden Knights 5-1. Gabriel Vilardi collected three assists for the Kings (23-14-6), who hold a four-point lead over the Kraken for second place in the Pacific Division. Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson was pulled following the second period after giving up three goals on 19 shots. His club still sits atop the Pacific with a record of 27-13-2 and 56 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights activated forward Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Alec Martinez off injured reserve for this contest. They also moved blueliner Shea Theodore (lower body) on IR.

The Montreal Canadiens snapped a seven-game slide by nipping the St. Louis Blues 5-4. Joel Armia tallied two goals and Josh Anderson got the winner to break a 4-4 tie. The Canadiens now sit at 16-21-3 on the season while the Blues (19-18-3) sit four points behind the Oilers for the final Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues defenseman Nick Leddy missed this game with an upper-body injury. As yet, there is no timetable for his return.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom and winger Tom Wilson are scheduled to make their season debuts on Sunday against the Blue Jackets. Both players had been sidelined since the offseason as Backstrom underwent resurfacing surgery on his left hip while Wilson had surgery on his left knee.

CBS SPORTS: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ryan Poehling is likely unavailable for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of the Coyotes, they’ve sent Michael Carcone back to their AHL affiliate in Tucson as Dylan Guenther returns to their lineup from his stint with Team Canada in the 2023 World Junior Championship.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 7, 2023

by | Jan 7, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 7, 2023

A look at five teams that could affect this season’s trade market, the latest on Sharks winger Timo Meier and an update on Jakub Vrana in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

FIVE POTENTIAL SELLERS THAT COULD AFFECT THE 2023 NHL TRADE MARKET

SPORTSNET: Rory Boylen recently listed the Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks as the five potential sellers that could affect this season’s trade market. Those clubs all carry notable talent that has frequently surfaced in trade speculation.

The Canucks’ potential trade bait includes Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller and Andrei Kuzmenko. Kevin Hayes, James van Riemsdyk, Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny are the notable Flyers who could be on the moves.

Jakob Chychrun tops the list of Coyotes’ trade candidates, which includes Shayne Gostisbehere and Karel Vejmelka. Blues such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly and Jordan Binnington could be available. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are the notables for the Blackhawks.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the players on this list are eligible to become unrestricted free agents this summer. They are the most likely to be shopped if their current clubs can’t or won’t re-sign them.

I think Horvat, van Riemsdyk, Chychrun, Gostisbehere, Tarasenko and Kane are the most likely to be playing with other clubs by the March 3 trade deadline.

Boeser, Hayes, and Binnington all carry expensive annual salary-cap salaries on long-term contracts that could prove too difficult to move during this season with so many teams lacking salary-cap space. It wouldn’t be surprising if they remain in the trade market heading into the offseason.

I expect pending UFAs such as Toews, O’Reilly and Kuzmenko to re-sign with their current clubs. The others are on long-term deals (Provorov, Konecny, Vejmelka) and remain important key players to their current clubs. They could still have roles to play with those teams beyond this season.

Miller is a unique exception. He has a seven-year, $56 million contract starting in 2023-24 with no-trade protection. However, he’s in the final season of his current contract with a $5.25 million cap hit and lacks a no-trade clause. A playoff contender looking for immediate and long-term help could consider him a worthwhile trade candidate before March 3.

LATEST ON MEIER

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Corey Masisak was asked if he felt Timo Meier would still be with the San Jose Sharks beyond this season. The 26-year-old winger is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this season. His current average annual value is $6 million but he’s earning $10 million in actual salary, which is what it will cost the Sharks to qualify his rights.

Masisak is skeptical about Meier’s future in San Jose, citing uncertainty over his contract situation, the club’s ongoing struggles, and whether he fits into general manager Mike Grier’s long-term roster plans. Given Meier’s RFA status, the Sharks can wait until the offseason to move him if unable to reach an agreement on a new contract by then.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Grier could move Meier by the trade deadline for the right offer. However, I think other general managers don’t want to deal with the headache of his qualifying offer and arbitration rights. They could prefer waiting to see how the Sharks handle this situation in the offseason.

UPDATE ON VRANA

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli said a number of people around the NHL were surprised that no one claimed Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana off waivers earlier this week. He noted there was one club that discussed internally the possibility of trading for him.

Seravalli wondered if there was a deal available where Detroit retain a portion of Vrana’s salary equivalent to whatever it would cost the Wings to buy out the remainder of his contract this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wasn’t surprised that Vrana cleared waivers. His $5.25 million annual cap hit through 2023-24 is too expensive for most clubs to absorb this season.

Seravalli’s suggestion of a trade where the Wings retain a portion of his salary seems the most sensible option. However, that might not take place until the offseason as any interested club might want to see how well he performs in Grand Rapids. They could also want to see him get in some NHL games before the trade deadline.