The Philadelphia Flyers announced a new multi-year contract extension with forward Michael Raffl on Saturday.
The contract is reportedly three years in length and worth $2.35 million annually, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.
There was some reported interest in Raffl ahead of Monday's trade deadline, as the 27-year-old was due to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, but his present and future remain in Philadelphia.
Raffl has 38 goals, 29 assists, and a 53.9 CF% in 196 career NHL games. His previous contract was $1.1M annually over two years.
— NHLnumbers (@NHLnumbers) February 28, 2016
Raffl has eight goals and nine assists in 61 games this season. He averages 14:17 of ice time, and will see a raise from his current $1.2-million salary. Now in his third season, the Austrian went off for 21 goals in 2014-15.
A versatile winger, Raffl has 106 hits on the season, and is an integral member of the Flyers' penalty-killing unit, seeing an average of 2:41 in shorthanded ice time per game.
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The Washington Capitals don't plan on emulating the 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline.
When John Carlson was placed on long-term injured reserve Sunday, it fueled speculation that he could be shut down for the remainder of the regular season, which would provide Washington with a significant amount of additional cap space ahead of Monday's deadline.
Head coach Barry Trotz squashed the notion, confirming the Capitals don't intend on doing what the Blackhawks did last season when they shut down Patrick Kane until the playoffs in order to acquire Antoine Vermette under the salary cap.
Trotz said Carlson will get "at least a dozen" games before playoffs. "Maybe more."
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) February 28, 2016
With the expectation that Carlson will be back well before the postseason, his cap hit would return, making it clear the Capitals don't plan on adding any significant contracts - which would force them to clear nearly $4 million in cap space once Carlson returns to the lineup - via trade.
Essentially, Trotz implied the Caps wouldn't do what Chicago did with Patrick Kane last year and shut Carlson down until playoffs.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) February 28, 2016
Earlier in the week, Trotz said "nothing crazy" is expected out of the Capitals, and it appears as though they're staying the course with just over 24 hours left before Monday's deadline.
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Loui Eriksson remains arguably the best goal-scorer available on the trade market ahead of Monday's deadline, and his future isn't any clearer as the clock ticks toward 3 p.m. ET on the 29th.
TSN's Darren Dreger reports that extension talks between Eriksson and the Boston Bruins are in "slo-mo," but that discussion will continue Sunday. Making things more interesting: the Bruins are in action in the evening, hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning at 6:30 p.m.
#NHLBruins Lines:
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 28, 2016
Marchand—Bergeron—Connolly
Eriksson—Krejci—Pastrnak
Beleskey—Spooner—Hayes
Rinaldo—Kemppainen—Ferraro
If Eriksson's not in the lineup, the Bruins "have to trade him," Dreger wrote, adding that there exists a "strong market for (the) scoring winger."
"We'll just see what happens," Eriksson said Sunday morning, according to CSNEE's Joe Haggerty. "I'm just focused on games."
Meanwhile, an additional report from Fox Sports Midwest's Andy Strickland has Eriksson coming down from his reported contract ask:
Told Louie Eriksson has come down slightly on his contract demands. Was looking for similar deal Ladd rejected in #Wpg #Bruins # NHL
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) February 28, 2016
In other words, stay tuned.
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Justin Schultz, meet Sergei Gonchar.
The Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Schultz on Saturday, acquiring the 25-year-old defenseman for a 2016 third-round draft pick. And it'll be up to Gonchar, the former NHLer who's now Pittsburgh's defensive development coach, to fix Schultz.
Penguins confident Justin Schultz can restore his confidence and game. Sergei Gonchar will work closely with Schultz to help him do that.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 28, 2016
Schultz is in his fourth season in the league, but it's been all downhill since his rookie year, when he had 27 points in the lockout-shortened 48-game 2013 season. He had 33 points in 2013-14, 31 last season, and has seen his production dip dramatically this season, recording only three goals and seven assists in 45 games.
While Schultz's career began with plenty of hype, playing for the Edmonton Oilers hasn't seemed easy nor fun for him. There was a lot of pressure, and he struggled to live up to it. Under new head coach Todd McLellan, Schultz saw his ice time drop to a career-low 20:08 per game.
The move should help Schultz, as he'll be out of the spotlight in Pittsburgh and simply one of the guys on a far more talented team. Gonchar, an offensive defenseman in his day, should be able to impart some wisdom, and so will Kris Letang, who's one of the best right-handed offensive defensemen in the game.
After three-and-a-half seasons in Edmonton, Schultz has nowhere to go but up. And for his sake, hopefully the playoffs.
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It never gets old. Well, unless you're American.
Six years ago Sunday, Sidney Crosby scored arguably the most significant goal of his remarkable movie-like career. He went five-hole on Ryan Miller in overtime of the gold-medal game at the 2010 Olympics, giving Canada a 3-2 win over the U.S. and victory on home soil in Vancouver.
Chills. Still. (Unless you're American.)
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The rivalry between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings saw its latest chapter written Saturday, when the teams met outdoors at Coors Field in Denver, home of baseball's Colorado Rockies.
Detroit won 5-3, thanks to outdoorsman Brad Richards, who scored the game-winning goal in his record fifth outdoor game. The buzz, however, surrounded the temperature - it was the warmest NHL game played outside - and the fake snow pumped in to add to the ambiance.
Here are seven lasting images from the game:
A hockey hug outdoors is the ultimate hockey hug.
"Snow."
Under the lights.
Game-winner.
Roots.
Salute.
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