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Archives for July 2016

Brad Richards Retires

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According the NHLPA website, veteran pivot Brad Richards has retired from the NHL following a distinguished 15-year career.

Richards, who spent the 2015-16 season with the Detroit Red Wings, ends his career with 932 points in 1,126 regular season games. He’s also been part of two Stanley Cup championship squads, winning a Conn Smythe award as playoff MVP in 2003-04 while a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Drafted originally in the third-round (64th overall) of the 1998 entry draft (the same draft that saw Vincent Lecavalier go #1 overall to Tampa), Richards formed a deadly tandem down the middle with Lecavalier, and helped to elevate the team into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. He would spend the first six-plus campaigns of his career with the Lightning before being shipped to Dallas at the 2008 trade deadline. With Lecavalier in the midst of an 11-year, $85MM deal and Richards under contract at $7.8MM annually, the Lightning decided they could no longer afford both centers and executed the trade with Dallas.

Richards spent parts of four seasons with Dallas, averaging better than a point-per-game and helping the Stars to a berth in the 2007-08 Western Conference Finals, where the club lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit in six games. Unfortunately that would be the highlight for Richards during his tenure with the team as the Stars failed to again make the postseason.

Richards would leave the Lone Star State following the 2010-11 season and as one of the marquee free agents that summer, would go on to sign a lucrative, nine-year contract worth $60MM with the New York Rangers. As was typical with big money free agent contracts of the day, Richards’ deal was heavily back-loaded in an effort to drive down the AAV and subsequently the salary cap hit. Richards was to collect $57MM of the money in the first six seasons, with each of the final three years coming with salaries of just $1M each.

While perhaps not quite living up to that price tag with the Rangers, Richards did help the club make it to the Eastern Conference Finals his first year with the team. He was also part of the squad that lost to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2013-14 Stanley Cup Finals.

After three years with the club and in desperate need of cap space as they continued their pursuit of a championship, the Rangers exercised a compliance buyout on Richards following the 2014-15 season. Under terms of the new CBA, the Blueshirts would have faced stiff cap recapture penalties had they not gone that route and Richards retired prior to the end of his contract.

Richards would move on as a free agent, signing with Chicago and winning another Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks. But the writing may have already been on the wall as Richards tallied just 37 points that season, the lowest full-season total of his career to that point.

Following his one year in Chicago, Richards signed with Detroit where his offensive production continued to wane. In 68 contests with the Red Wings, Richards scored just 10 goals and 28 points.

The announcement comes just weeks after former Lightning teammate Vincent Lecavalier also stepped away from the game.  It’s also quite possible Dan Boyle joins in to make it a trio of former Lightning players walking away from the NHL this summer. One year ago, Martin St. Louis, who played with Richards, Boyle and Lecavalier in Tampa and again with Richards and Boyle as members of the Rangers, announced his retirement.

Richards was a free agent, profiled recently on Pro Hockey Rumors here, but after apparently not finding the right fit, has elected to hang up his skates and move on to the next phase of his life. Those of us here at Pro Hockey Rumors would like to congratulate Richards on his wonderful career and wish him the best in his future.

Minor NHL Transactions: 7/20/2016

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Here is where we will keep track of the day’s minor moves:

  • The Florida Panthers, via their team website, have announced the re-signing of forward Logan Shaw to a one-year, two-way contract. The six-foot-three, 202-pound Shaw saw action in 53 games with the Panthers in 2015-16, netting 5 goals and 7 points. He also appeared in 19 contests with the Portland Pirates (AHL) where he tallied 11 goals and 14 points. With the Panthers among the more active teams this summer, adding talent via both free agency and the trade market, it would seem the roster is pretty set meaning Shaw is likely to serve as a depth piece in 2016-17, much as he did this past season.
  • Veteran center T.J. Hensick is set to join the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, according to the L.A Kings Insider website. Hensick last appeared in the NHL back during the 2010-11 campaign while a member of the St. Louis Blues. He split the past campaign with Utica and Charlotte of the AHL, scoring 40 points in 65 games. Hensick played with Kings prospect Adrian Kempe for MODO in the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14, suggesting his familiarity with one of the club’s top prospects played a role in this signing.
  • Arizona has hired former NHL goalie Doug Soetaert to be the General Manager of their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Most recently, Soetaert was a professional scout in the Arizona organization covering the western region. Prior to that, Soetaert plied his trade in Europe, scouting all professional leagues on the continent as well as the AHL. Soetaert also has extensive experience in the North American junior leagues, serving as Vice President and General Manager of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League from 2002 – 2012. During his playing days, Soetaert appeared in 284 games as a member of the New York Rangers (two stints), Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.

NHL Dismisses Arbitrator James Oldham

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Liz Mullen from the Sports Business Journal tweets today that the NHL has dismissed Neutral Discipline Arbitrator James Oldham.

Oldham, who also does work with Major League Baseball and the NFL, and teaches as Georgetown Law School, was responsible for the reduction in Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman’s suspension from 20 games to 10.  While there could be any number of reasons for the dismissal, the NHL was dealt a serious blow when Wideman, who had served most of his suspension by the time the ruling came in, was granted relative leniency for hitting an on-ice official, and there will certainly be speculation regarding the league’s motives.

Potential Undrafted And Non-NHL Free Agents In 2017

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Every year there’s a crop of players across European leagues, the NCAA, and Canadian major junior who, having gone undrafted multiple times, are eligible to sign with any team. This year, for example, the Panthers signed Moose Jaw Warriors left wing Dryden Hunt, and the Maple Leafs signed CSKA Moscow defenseman Nikita Zaitsev. In the past, undrafted free agents to garner attention included Artemi Panarin, Tyler Bozak, Ben Bishop, Jonas Gustavsson, Jiri Sekac, and Danny DeKeyser. While they garnered less attention at the time, Dan Boyle, Martin St. Louis, and Tim Thomas all had successful NHL careers after signing out of college or Europe, though Thomas was drafted and merely unwanted for a decade before he hit the NHL.

So, what players would be eligible to sign contracts next year, and could intrigue teams? Many will be heavily based on a strong season in 2016-17, but here are a few to start keeping your eye on. Spelling of names may be off due to varied sources in translating from different alphabets.

Vadim Shipachev (Center, St. Petersburg SKA, KHL) – This may be cheating a little, since he’s already garnered so much attention, and has been heavily linked to the Montreal Canadiens. Still, he has one year left on his KHL deal, and may, similarly to Zaitsev this past season, play out his contract and sign in Montreal next year. He’ll be thirty next year, but he’s coming off consecutive seasons of over a point per game, and has topped that mark three of the last five seasons.

Jan Kovar (Forward, Magnitogorsk Metallburg, KHL) – Kovar play on a line with two elite KHL scorers in Sergei Mozyakin and Denis Zarapov, both off this list mostly due to their age, both having turned 35 in March. Still, Kovar has finished third, first, and second on Magnitigorsk in scoring since joining them, and being much younger, at 26, it’s worth taking a chance that he’s the one driving the bus. He has 188 points in 172 KHL games, and was very successful earlier in his career, playing in the Czech Republic.

Igor Averin (Left Wing, Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, KHL) – Averin, 26, has steadily improved as a goal scorer his entire career, with a variety of different linemates, finishing in the top ten in KHL goals this year with 21 in 49 games. His problem, should he seek a contract in the NHL, is that he’s 5’10”, and doesn’t project to be an elite scorer. Many teams prefer size and defense among their depth players, rather than having additional skill players.

Daniil Apalikov (Forward, Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, KHL) – Another steadily improving player, albeit younger at 24, Apalikov had a breakout year for Lokomotiv, scoring 43 points in 59 games, including 16 goals. That’s not world beating at first glance, but KHL players put up more similar points per game ratios when joining the NHL than many think, and he played for a lower scoring team. He’s put up similar numbers to former teammate Sergei Plotnikov, who became a useful player for the Penguins and Coyotes this year, after signing in Pittsburgh in 2015,  though almost entirely in a defensive sense.

Nicholas Schilkey (Forward, Ohio State University, NCAA) – Schilkey is going into his senior year for the Buckeyes, and put up an impressive 41 points in 36 games last year. It was his first big season in college, meaning he’s going to have to prove himself this year, but his numbers this year were better than a comparatively aged Tyler Bozak put up in college in 2008.

Justin Kloos (Center, University of Minnesota, NCAA) – Kloos put up a strong 2016 season, at 22, he scored 43 points in 37 games, albeit with two teammates, Sabres’ prospect Hudson Faschinghttp://www.hockey-reference.com/players/f/faschhu01.html and the also undrafted Leon Birstedt, tied for third in Big Ten goals with 20.. Still, Kloos put up 16 goals himself, and led the team in points. He’s another smaller player, but given the history of undrafted free agents, like Martin St. Louis, it’s worth taking a chance on a smaller player who you can develop in the AHL for a year.

Snapshots: Arbitration Filings, Devils, Rangers, Girgensons

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Tim Wharsnby of CBC tweets that Mikhail Grigorenko will be asking for $1.65MM in arbitration, while the Avalanche will be offering $950K. Given Grigorenko just turned 22, and is coming off a 27 point season with little ice time, his ask is probably on the lower end of what players with similar values make.

Sticking with arbitration, former NHL defenseman turned TSN analyst Aaron Ward tweets that Rangers’ forward Chris Kreider is asking for $4.75MM in arbitration, while the Rangers have offered $3.2MM. This looks close enough that it might just settle in between. Kreider, 25, is coming off back to back 20 goal seasons, and is generally seen to be a part of the Rangers’ long term core.

Here are some more links from around the league:

  • NHL.com’s Mike Morreale writes today about New Jersey Devils prospects Pavel Zacha and Steven Santini, and their odds of becoming NHL regulars next year. Zacha, a 19 year old center taken 6th overall in the 2015 entry draft, played most of last year with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. Santini, 21, played defense for Boston College last year, and was taken in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2013 draft. Both played one game for the Devils this year, together against the Maple Leafs. Zacha had two assists, and Santini was a +2 on the night.
  • Robert Nasso at Today’s Slapshot writes that the Rangers may be turning a corner, praising the smaller adjustments they’ve made, and the their trade of Derick Brassard for Mika Zibanejad. He also speculates on the rumors surrounding Rangers forward Rick Nash, and their potential interest in Kevin Shattenkirk. While not mentioned in the article, it’s fair to wonder if Nash, who has extensive experience with Blues’ head coach Ken Hitchock, playing for him in Columbus and with Hockey Canada, would be of interest in return for Shattenkirk. It was reported in June that the Blues asked for another left wing, Taylor Hall, then of the Oilers, now of the Devils, in exchange for Shattenkirk at the entry draft.
  • The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington reports that while Zemgus Girgensons would like a two or three year deal, the Sabres may be hesitant to commit to him, given his offensive decline this year. Girgensons, 22, has always been seen as having potential, having been taken 14th in the 2012 entry draft, but put up just seven goals and 11 assists last year, in 71 games. The Sabres are also fairly loaded down the middle, and as Harrington writes, that could push Girgensons to the fourth line.
  • The NHL tweeted today that Devils forward Kyle Palmieri has been added to the American team for the World Cup of Hockey, replacing the injured Lightning forward Ryan Callahan. Palmieri, 25, is coming off a breakout year for the Devils, in which he scored 30 goals, and added 27 assists, playing in all 82 games.

Free Agent Profile: Dan Boyle

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Free agent defenseman Dan Boyle, who spent last year with the New York Rangers, is still searching for a contract. Boyle, 40, was ranked #42 on our list of the top 50 NHL unrestricted free agents this year. It seems unlikely he’ll return to the New York Rangers next year, despite the cap space they’ve cleared, given that they already have eight defensemen under contract, and four of them are right hand shots.

Still, Boyle has been a useful contributor his entire career, and remains so, despite going undrafted. Last year he put up 10 goal, and added 14 assists. His possession numbers were strong relative to a brutal possession team. Boyle won an Olympic gold medal playing for Canada in 2o10, and a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He’s on the smaller side, especially for defensemen, at 5’11”, but he’s always moved the puck well.

Potential Suitors

The Edmonton Oilers have been searching for help on the right side of their defense all summer, with just Mark Fayne and Adam Larsson there currently. The Toronto Maple Leafs bid for his services when he was last a free agent in 2014, and also look to need depth on defense, but the return of Roman Polak on the right side probably rules then out. His hometown Ottawa Senators could use right-side depth after Erik Karlsson, but it’s worth noting that they’ll likely give Cody Ceci every opportunity to fill the second pairing role. None of these teams seem especially appealing to Boyle, given their recent struggles. At his age, he’s likely to want to play for a serious contender.

That said, the Dallas Stars, winners of the Central division title, only have John Klingberg among right handed defensemen with significant NHL experience, though Stephen Johns, with 14 games played in the NHL, is under contract. The Philadelphia Flyers, who’ve been carrying many puck moving defensemen of late, may have a use for him. They have seven defensemen under contract, with Brandon Manning still to sign, but none outside of Radko Gudas play right handed, and several don’t appear to be locks for playing time.

Projected Contract

Boyle should be looking at a one-year contract at around $2MM, given that he’s still productive, but comes with a certain amount of risk as a 40 year-old defenseman. Still, he’s got enough rare qualities, his ability to carry the puck, his ability from the right hand side, that teams looking to balance their defense should seriously consider picking him up a a stop-gap option.

Capitals Sign Marcus Johansson To Three-Year Deal

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Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweets that the Washington Capitals have re-signed left winger Marcus Johansson to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $4.583MM.

Johansson, who will turn 26 in October, scored 17 goals last year, adding 29 assists, totaling 46 points last year. Johansson set career highs with 20 goals and 47 points in 2015. His highest asssist total was 36 in 2014. He will be eligible for unrestricted free agency when his contract ends in 2019.

The Capitals still have a bit of wiggle room, according to General Fanager, and with both goalies, thirteen forwards, and six defensemen signed, should have no trouble re-signing restricted free agent defenseman Dmitry Orlov after this move. The Capitals also have a significant amount of money coming off the books at the end of this season.

CapFriendly tweets that Johansson will get a modified no-trade clause in the second and third years of the deal, allowing him to block trades to five different teams.

Upcoming Salary Arbitration Hearings

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With the signings of Jaden Schwartz, Alex Killorn, and Dylan McIlrath, this week’s NHL arbitration calendar was slashed in half. Still scheduled, however, are Marcus Johansson (who’s case we profiled here), Chris Kreider, and Mikhail Grigorenko. Johansson’s hearing is on Wednesday July 20th, and both Kreider and Grigorenko have hearings on Friday July 22nd.

Players and teams have up until 48 hours before the hearing date to submit their argument briefs, and that is usually when we hear each sides’ salary demand. Kreider made $2.475MM on his last RFA contract, and will be looking for a significant raise after two straight twenty goal seasons. Kreider is a central cog to the Rangers offense, and while he is currently penciled in as the number 2 LW, the possibility of Rick Nash losing a step becomes more real with each passing season. The Rangers have over $11MM in cap space after their offseason moves, so they should be able to afford whatever the arbitrator decides.

[see New York Rangers depth chart at Roster Resource]

Grigorenko’s case is less straightforward. The Russian forward potted 6G and 21A with Colorado last year, but has not lived up to his hype after being drafted 12th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012. Grigorenko’s previous contract paid him only $625K last season, and he does deserve a raise. How much of a raise, however, is left for the arbitrator to decide. Grigorenko’s representation will have to find a way to parlay potential into dollars while the Avalanche will point to Grigorenko’s current and past production.

[see Colorado’s depth chart at Roster Resource]

Snapshots: Rieder, Prust, LaBarbera

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News and notes from around the NHL:

  • Tobias Rieder and the Arizona Coyotes are still far apart on a deal, reports Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. The German winger scored 14G and 23A in 82 games for the Coyotes, and his 37 points is a 16 point improvement over his rookie year. Rieder was an integral part of the Coyotes team last year, playing over seventeen minutes a game. He is also one of three Coyotes RFAs yet to be signed—Michael Stone and Connor Murphy are still unsigned, with Stone electing salary arbitration. It is possible that Arizona is waiting to see what happens with Stone’s arbitration that is scheduled for August, 4, 2016. The defenseman put up similar numbers to Rieder last season.
  • Free agent forward Brandon Prust tells TVA Sports (link in French) that he is willing to take a job anywhere. The former Vancouver Canuck tallied only 1G and 6A in 35 games last year before being sent down to the AHL Utica Comets. He says he was hampered by an ankle injury, and is looking for a chance to prove that he still belongs. Prust will most sign a training camp invite to get a shot at the NHL next season.
  • Former NHL goaltender Jason LaBarbera hangs up the skates for a goaltending coach position with the WHL Calgary Hitmen. Originally drafted by the New York Rangers, LaBarbera also played for Los Angeles, Vancouver, Phoenix, Edmonton, and Anaheim. The Philadelphia Flyers signed LaBarbera to a one-year deal last year but relegated him to the minors. The 36 year old finished the AHL season with a 7-14 record with a 3.02 GAA and an .899 SV%.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Pedan, Grenier

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According to a team release, the Vancouver Canucks have re-signed restricted free agents Andrey Pedan and Alexandre Grenier to one-year, two-way contracts. Neither player was eligible for arbitration this summer. Grenier will receive $575K ($125K in AHL) plus a $25K signing bonus, per Renaud Lavoie. Pedan will receive $700K ($100K in AHL).

Pedan, 23, made his NHL debut this season, suiting up 13 times for Vancouver.  His physical style has never lent itself to much offensive production, and it proved true in the NHL as the blueliner was held pointless in his first taste of the big leagues.

A former third-round pick by the Islanders in 2011, Pedan will be battling for a bottom-pairing spot on the Canucks this season, using his size to effectively remove attackers from the puck in his own end.

For Grenier, 2015-16 also represented his first shot in the NHL as he was called up on two different occasions during the season. He got into six total games, and didn’t contribute a point in just over eleven minutes a night.

Grenier was another third-round pick in 2011, this time by the Canucks themselves.  He faired well in the minors and tallied 130 points in 208 career AHL games. Last season, he led the Utica Comets in points with 48, and contributed 16 goals. Still probably a year away from getting a real shot with the Canucks, he’ll look to lead the Comets to another successful season.

With the contracts, the Canucks have signed all of their restricted free agents, and will now turn to any tweaks they might have for the roster going forward. With under $3MM left in cap-space, they can’t take on much more as of this moment.

(Current Canucks’ Depth Chart via Roster Resource)

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