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Coyotes Sign Alex Goligoski To 5-Year Contract

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The Arizona Coyotes officially announced the signing of defenseman Alex Goligoski this morning. The 30-year-old defenseman was acquired from the Dallas Stars last week for Arizona’s 2016 fifth round draft pick. Though the Coyotes are not disclosing financials, Yahoo reported that the deal was worth $5.5MM per year. Bob McKenzie tweeted that the deal was for approximately $5.475MM. CapFriendly mirrored McKenzie’s figure.

General manager John Chayka praised Goligoski as a smart puck moving defenseman who will make his teammates better. Arizona Central’s Sarah McLellan tweets that Chayka is trying to make Arizona a destination for hockey and that acquiring Goligoski’s rights was a “calculated risk.”  Stephen Whyno tweets that this is the first of many moves the Coyotes expect to make.

Craig Morgan reported that Goligoski knew immediately that he wanted to sign with the ’Yotes. McLellan tweeted how the Coyotes “checked all the boxes” for the veteran defenseman. Before his signing,  he was one of the top free agent defensemen targets this offseason.

With Dallas, Goligoski had 37 points (5-32) and added 7 points (4-3) in 14 playoff games. He logged nearly 24 minutes per night on the ice. The same will be expected from him in Arizona as he joins a blue line that features young star Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

This is the first of many moves expected by the Coyotes. In addition to having the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft, Arizona is one of the three teams rumored to absorb Pavel Datsyuk’s contract from the Detroit Red Wings.

 

 

Blues Ink Scottie Upshall To One-Year Deal

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Per a team release, the St. Louis Blues announced that forward Scottie Upshall was re-signed to a one-year deal. Frank Seravalli reports that the deal is for $900,000.

Upshall was a training camp invitee for the Blues last season and made the most of that invite. After an injury plagued campaign with the Florida Panthers, Upshall rebounded in St. Louis, posting 14 points (6-8), and adding a wrinkle to a stingy Blues penalty kill. For $900,000, Upshall is a bargain signing for a team that has a number of names still looking to be signed.

Those names include Steve Ott, captain David Backes, Troy Brouwer and Kyle Brodziak.

Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames were a team expected to make strides with young talent bursting at the seams. It was a team coming off optimism from a strong playoff showing. Instead, the Flames muddled through the season, missed the playoffs and fired head coach Bob Hartley. The Flames are constantly mentioned as a hunting for a goalie, and still have some unfinished business as they look to lock up some young players critical to the organization’s future.

Cap Space: $23,232,933 (Via CapFriendly). 

Key RFA: Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Both are under 23 years of age. Both finished one and two respectively in goals and points during the regular season. And both are restricted free agents. Monahan is expected to cash in, with some reports indicating he could get as high as $7MM annually, while seeking out a long term deal. For a player considered a captain in waiting, at 21, it would behoove both sides to get a reasonable long term deal finished. Meanwhile, Gaudreau’s stock continues to rise. In March, it was reported that he was working on the biggest contract in Flames history. In another, it was written that he and Monahan both wanted to be in Calgary for years to come.   Any long term success of a franchise has included a dynamic one-two punch in terms of scoring forwards. Malkin and Crosby. Toews and Kane. Gaudreau and Monahan should be the next in line.

Other RFAs: G Joni Ortio, F Joe Colborne, F Josh Jooris, F Drew Shore.

Key UFA: G Karri Ramo. The goaltender, who was looked at to lead the Flames to another playoff appearance, struggled and then tore his ACL in February, casting doubt on his return to the Flames. Such a significant injury will hurt his stock in free agency, but a cheap deal in Calgary shouldn’t be thrown out. But with the Flames being constantly named as a team looking for goaltending, Ramo may be looking for a job elsewhere.

Other UFAs: D Jakub Nakladal

Outlook: If the Flames can add a premier, battle tested goalie, they can be a team that causes havoc in the Western Conference. They still have plenty of cap room to work with, even after signing cornerstones Gaudreau and Monahan to expensive deals that will keep them in Calgary for years to come.

 

Snapshots: Sgarbossa Re-Signs In Anaheim, Panthers Fire Trainer

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  • According to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, the Anaheim Ducks have re-signed center Michael Sgarbossa to a 1-year extension worth $0.6MM at the NHL level. Sgarbossa was pointless in one game with the Ducks last season, but scored 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points in 62 games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
  • The Miami Herald’s George Richards reports the Panthers have fired head athletic trainer Dave Zenobi. Zenobi had been with the team for 10 years and was part of the medical staff that saved Richard Zednik’s life after his neck was cut by Olli Jokinen’s skate in 2008.

Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes

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The 2015-16 Arizona Coyotes were better than many expected them to be, finishing fourth in the Pacific Division. That said, they did have a losing record and feasted on lowly division rivals Edmonton and Calgary, going a combined 8-1-1 against the two Alberta teams. The team is built around superstar defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, with Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Christian Dvorak, and Dylan Strome representing a deep prospect pool up front. Wily veteran and captain Shane Doan scored 28 goals at age 39. Ekman-Larsson lead the team with 21 goals and 55 points (7th among defensemen).

The Coyotes have already made a few waves this summer, hiring a 27-year old rookie GM John Chayka. Chayka has already made his first trade, acquiring the rights to pending UFA defenceman, Alex Goligoski. There have also been rumors that the Coyotes have made a big trade offer to the Maple Leafs so they can draft Scottsdale, AZ native Auston Matthews first overall.  Chayka has since denied the rumor, which had the Coyotes’ two first round picks (7th and 20th) going to Toronto with one of Domi or Dvorak for the first selection, calling it “ridiculous speculation”.

Cap space: $38.5MM, 13 players under contract.

Key RFAs: D Connor Murphy, W Tobias Rieder, D Michael Stone – Murphy and Stone have developed nicely into capable NHL defensemen, and will be qualified. Rieder scored 37 points in his sophomore season, and should be a solid middle-6 option up front for the Coyotes.

Other RFAs: D Jarred Tinordi, LW Sergei Plotnikov, D Klas Dahlbeck, D Kevin Connauton, and G Louis Domingue.

Key UFAs: Doan and Goligoski – the team’s captain and longest serving member (he was a member of the original Winnipeg Jets) is expected to re-sign with the team for one season at a time. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported the recently acquired Goligoski and his wife are visiting Arizona this week to check out the city and meet with team officials.

Other UFAs: W Alex Tanguay, C Boyd Gordon, C Kyle Chipchura, F Viktor Tikhonov, D Nicklas Grossmann, and G Anders Lindback.

Outlook: The Coyotes have just $34.4MM committed to next year’s roster, which is $40MM less than the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, have. According to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, the Coyotes don’t plan on re-signing any pending UFAs other than Doan and Goligoski, so new GM Chayka will have plenty of money to spend rounding out their roster.

As well, big C Martin Hanzal is entering a contract year and will need to be extended or traded. Fox reported Chayka as being open to all options regarding the Czech centre.

Look for them to draft one of the high-end defence prospects at 7th overall, or attempt to move up and snag Scottsdale-native Matthew Tkachuk.

Free Agent Focus: Colorado Avalanche

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The 2015-16 season was a very disappointing step backwards for the Colorado Avalanche, who finished up 39-39-4 and missed the playoffs by 5 points. For a team that just two years prior had won the Central division with 112 points, it’s a steep two year decline. With a trio of elite forwards in Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon, the team should never be that far removed from another excellent season. With rumors swirling around their defense corps, it should be an interesting offseason.

Key RFAs: D Tyson Barrie and MacKinnon – One of the most discussed players already this summer, Barrie has been rumored to be on the block after another excellent offensive season which saw him put up 49 points from the back end.

Barrie was a third round pick out of Kelowna in 2009 and has quietly become one of the better point producers in the league from the blueline. With 140, he ranks 11th in the NHL over the last three years in points from defensemen, ahead of players like Drew Doughty, Ryan Suter and Alex Pietrangelo. Those rankings are going to make him awfully expensive as he comes off a two-year $5.2MM deal that he signed when he was just 22.

If they do re-sign him long-term, Colorado will be committing a lot of money to two defensemen as they already have Erik Johnson signed at $6MM/year until 2022-23.

With MacKinnon, Colorado basically is going to pay whatever it takes. The former first overall pick has put up exceptional numbers from the moment he stepped into the NHL as an 18 year old, netting 153 points (59-94) in 218 games, all before his 21st birthday.

If the Avalanche can’t get him signed to a long-term deal that buys out a few free agent seasons, look for him to sign a deal similar to the one Duchene signed coming out of his entry-level contract.  After putting up three seasons that look eerily similar to MacKinnon’s (150 points in 219 games), he inked a two-year $7MM deal before the 2012-13 season.

Colorado might play it the same way, as Duchene eventually re-signed for five more seasons at $6MM/year buying out a couple years of free agency along the way. Having MacKinnon and Duchene for under $15MM together in a few years would be an ideal situation for the Avs as they continue to play at an all-star level.

Other RFAs: C Mikhail Grigorenko, G Calvin Pickard, C Andreas Martinsen

Key UFA: W Mikkel Boedker – GM Joe Sakic is on record as saying the trade deadline acquisition will be allowed to test free agency come July 1, but the 26-year-old Dane has not ruled out a return to the Mile High City. Despite Boedker never having reached the 20-goal plateau, it’s expected his ask will be around the $5-6MM mark.

Other UFAs: C/L Shawn Matthias, D Zach Redmond, RW Jack Skille, D Andrew Bodnarchuk

Outlook: The Avalanche will look to improve their defence core this summer. However, Sakic will need to think twice about any defensive help, as the team must protect Johnson and 35-year-old Francois Beauchemin in the expansion draft. Tyson Barrie will also need to be protected, meaning as it is hulking prospect Nikita Zadorov will likely be exposed. Also interesting will be the Avalanche’s goalie situation, with both Semyon Varlamov and goalie-of-the-future Pickard needing to be protected.

Despite Barrie’s success and Sakic’s insistence otherwise, it’s widely believed that Barrie will be on the move soon. With many buyers and fewer sellers, the market for defensemen will certainly be interesting to watch.

NHL Salary Cap Set At $73MM

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The NHL and NHLPA announced the salary cap for 2016-17 will be set at $73MM. That represents a $1.6MM growth from last season’s $71.4MM ceiling.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the raise is thanks to the NHLPA enacting the 5% growth factor. Without the players using escrow money to boost the cap, the ceiling would have fallen to $69.5MM according to James Mirtle of The Globe & Mail.

The cap floor is set at $54MM.

Coaching Notes: French, Skahan, Lamb

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Now that the NHL coaching carousel has ended, lower level leagues are filling their coaching vacancies. Here are the latest coaching developments:

  • The Calgary Hitmen have given head coach Mark French a multi-year extension after another successful season. French, the former Calder Cup winning coach of the AHL’s Hershey Bears, is considered an excellent bench boss that would have a few job offers if he decided to head back to the AHL at some point. Blueliner Jake Bean is set to become the latest Hitmen to go in the first round of the NHL draft.
  • After spending years with Anaheim and last season with Buffalo, long-time NHL strength and conditioning coach Sean Skahan will be brought on with the Minnesota Wild, Michael Russo reports. He’ll replace the outgoing Kirk Olson, who is yet to sign on with another team.
  • Mark Lamb is the new coach of the Tucson Roadrunners, Arizona Coyote’s AHL affiliate. Lamb was the GM and coach of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, and previously worked under Dave Tippet’s Dallas Stars as an assistant coach. The Roadrunners also hired Mark Hardy as an assistant coach. Hardy previously served as an assistant coach for both the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings.

Free Agent Focus: Buffalo Sabres

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The 2015-2016 Buffalo Sabres finished with a 35-36-11 record, good for 81 points and 7th in the Atlantic. After finishing dead last the season before, the Sabres improved their record by 27 points. They will no doubt be looking to continue their upward climb and shift their rebuild into the next gear.

Cap Space: $21,871,309 (according to CapFriendly)

Key UFAs: G Chad Johnson and F Jimmy Vesey. After offseason acquisition Robin Lehner went down with an ankle injury in the Sabres’ opening game, Johnson stepped in and held down the fort admirably. He finished with a .920 SV% and a 2.36 GAA in 45 games. Given that Lehner is still an unproven commodity, the Sabres still need a capable backup in case things go sour. The Sabres have made big splashes in the past two off-seasons, so it is not be out of the question for the Sabres to go after a high-profile goalie and relegate Lehner to a backup role. That would leave Johnson as the odd man out, especially with young prospect Linus Ullmark waiting in the wings.

The Sabres traded for Jimmy Vesey’s negotiating rights on Monday June 20th, which we reported here. Vesey won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top hockey player, and was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2012. Nashville traded the young prospect after they failed to sign him late in the season. Despite the trade however, Vesey’s camp maintains that he still plans to explore unrestricted free agency.

Other UFAs: F David Legwand, D Carlo Colaiacovo.

Key RFAs: F Marcus Foligno, F Zemgus Girgensons, and D Rasmus Ristolainen. Foligno is fresh off an ELC and looking for a reasonable raise as he enters his RFA years. The young forward finished last year with 10G and 23P in 75 games. Girgensons is also coming off an ELC and 7G and 18P in 71 games. While the Sabres would like to bring him back, the Latvian centerman is rumored to be considering signing in the KHL. Finally, Finnish defenseman Ristolainen finished fourth in team scoring with 9G and 41P in 82 games. He lead the team in playing time with over 25 minutes—three minutes more than any other player. Re-signing the former first-rounder is Buffalo’s main RFA priority.

Other RFAs: D Casey Nelson, D Jake McCabe, G Jason Kasdorf.

Ryan Callahan Out Five Months

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Tampa Bay right winger Ryan Callahan underwent hip surgery today and is expected to miss the next five months, the team announced.  That means that it’s unlikely that he will be ready in time to start next season.  Callahan will also miss the upcoming World Cup of Hockey for Team USA.

Last year, Callahan played in 73 games with the Lightning, recording 10 goals and 18 assists.  His 28 points marked the lowest full-season output of his career.  This injury was ailing him for the second half of last season, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.  Callahan also suited up in 16 of Tampa’s 17 playoff contests, collecting two goals and two assists.  He has spent parts of three years with the Bolts, picking up 40 goals and 43 assists in 170 games.

Callahan has four years left on his deal with Tampa Bay with a cap hit of $5.8MM.  He is presently the Lightning’s highest paid forward though that would certainly change if they are able to come to terms with pending UFA Steven Stamkos.

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