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Retained Salary in 2016-17: Metropolitan Division

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As a new season fast approaches, it’s always nice to look back and reminisce on years and players gone by. Unfortunately for most NHL teams, those feelings of nostalgia are usually cut short by the realization that some of those past players are still on the team’s payroll. Retained salary is a fact of life in the National Hockey League, as buyouts have become commonplace and retaining a portion of an outgoing player’s cap hit is often a deal-breaker in many trades. Retained salary can last long past the playing days of a former player (see Rick DiPietro) or can simply be for just one year. One way or another nearly every NHL team has at least one guy who’s still being paid without having to perform. Below is a list of all the retained salary in the Metropolitan Division in 2016-17:

Carolina Hurricanes

  • Alexander Semin ($2.33MM cap hit from 2016-17 to 2020-21): The Hurricanes first signed Semin in the summer of 2012 to a one-year, $7MM “show me” deal. While they were paying Semin a good amount of money, they were not prepared to commit long-term to a player know to be one-dimensional and streaky. However, Semin responded with a point-per-game campaign in 44 contests. The Hurricanes bought in, renewing Semin’s $7MM price tag with a five-year, $35MM extension. Semin put up another 40+ point season in 2013-14 season, but then, inexplicably, the wheels fell off. In 57 games in 2014-15, Semin only managed to score 19 points while contributing little else for Carolina. The Canes had no choice but to get rid of him, and the only route was through a buyout. With $21MM over three years left on his contract, they were saddled with a six-year, $14MM settlement, and still have five years left to go.
  • James Wisniewski ($3.5MM cap hit in 2016-17, $1MM in 2017-18): Carolina did not have much better luck with Wisniewski. After trading Anton Khudobin to the Anaheim Ducks last summer to get the puck-moving defenseman, the Hurricanes got to watch him skate for just 47 seconds in the regular season opener before he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the year. Wisniewski had one year remaining on a six-year, $33MM deal he signed in Columbus in 2011, but faced with the prospect of a $5.5MM cap hit for a defenseman coming off a serious knee injury, Carolina decided instead to cut and run. While the buyout hit of $3.5MM in 2016-17 is tough, it’s already better to pay Wisniewski that for not playing this season since they already payed him $5.5MM for less than a minute last season. Recent events imply that the Hurricanes may have been correct to distance themselves from Wisniewski, as the once top-pair defenseman had enough trouble locking down a guaranteed contract that he committed to a professional tryout deal with Tampa Bay last week.

Columbus Blue Jackets

  • Fedor Tyutin ($1.2MM cap hit in 2016-17, $1.96 in 2017-18, $1.46MM in 2018-19 and 2019-20): Dissapointed in the sharp decline of long-time defenseman Tyutin, the Blue Jackets made the tough call to cut ties with the 33-year-old this off-season rather than continue paying him $4.5MM over the next two seasons. Tyutin failed to make much of a difference for Columbus last season, and though paying him into retirement is not favorable, the Jackets could not afford another three-point season frought with defensive lapses at that price. Things have turned out alright for Tyutin though; he signed a one-year, $2MM pact with the Colorado Avalanche and is set to continue his NHL career.
  • Jared Boll ($567K cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): Like Tyutin, the rebuilding Blue Jackets did not see a future with Boll and bought out the final year of his contract this summer. A grinder without much offensive upside who struggled with injuries in 2015-16, Boll didn’t fit with the young and fast core being built in Columbus, and at $1.7MM was simply an inconvenience. Unlike Tyutin, who had been a solid presence on the Blue Jackets’ blue line for a long time, Boll’s presence will likely not be missed and the sub-$1MM buyout hit won’t make much of a difference for Columbus. Boll has moved on anyways, signing a two-year $1.8MM deal with the Anaheim Ducks.

New Jersey Devils

  • Ilya Kovalchuk ($250K cap hit from 2016-17 to 2024-25): In one of the more outrageous contracts in NHL history, Kovalchuk hit the open market for the first time in 2010 and the Devils signed him to a 15-year, $100MM contract. The league initially rejected the offer for too obviously circumventing the salary cap, but even after it was fixed, it was still ridiculous. The contract, which would have had the Russian star playing in New Jersey until he was 42, held only a $6.67MM cap hit. However, Kovalchuk was to be paid over $11MM in salary in years three through eight. After that, the salaries began to plummet. In fact, over the course of the 15-year deal, the salary ranged in value from a mere $1MM to a whopping $11.8MM (ironically in 2016-17). Thus, the Devils knew that the contract carried a very big threat of recapture penalties if Kovalchuk retired early. As we all know, Kovalchuk retired very early, heading home to Russia following the 2012-13 season. In a weird twist, the Devils were actually saved by Kovalchuk retiring very early, before the front-loaded salaries started to pile up. Had he retired nine or ten years into the deal instead of just three, New Jersey could have been facing over $4MM in recapture penalties each year, instead of just $250K. While having a chunk of cap space taken off each year for 12 years is a harsh reminder of a rogue superstar, Kovalchuk’s departure may have been a blessing in disguise for New Jersey.
  • Anton Volchenkov (no cap hit): Following the negotiation of the past NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, in both 2013 and 2014 all teams were able to use a “compliance buyout” on contracts signed prior to the 2012-13 season. The compliance buyouts would still be used to make payments to players, but it would not count against the salary cap. The Devils used such a buyout on Volchenkov in 2013, who was no longer worth anywhere near the value of the six-year, $25.5MM deal he had signed with the team in 2010. Rather than keep him and his $4.25MM cap hit for the three years remaining or buy him out and face six years worth of buyout hits, the Devils took the opportunity for a “do-over” and used their compliance buyout. The teams still pays Volchenkov over $1.4MM every year, but it has no effect on the rest of the team. Volchenkov played one season in Nashville after departing the Devils, but had similar results and has been out of the NHL since.

New York Islanders

  • Rick DiPietro (no cap hit): In the most obvious compliance buyout of all-time, the Islanders were able to rid themselves of Rick DiPietro’s infamous 15-year contract. Signed in 2006 after the 24-year-old goalie had shown signs of potential stardom, it was the longest NHL contract to date and carried a combined cap hit of 67.5MM. While 4.5MM per year for the entire career of a star goalie sounds pretty good, DiPietro had one more good year in him and then started to decline drastically and struggle year in and year out with injuries. In the five years leading up to his buyout, he played in 50 games total and had a save percentage under .900. Armed with the unique chance to avoid eight more years of the same without having to pay the price in cap space, the Isles jumped at the chance for a compliance buyout. Though they still pay the steep price of $1.5MM to DiPietro every year, and must do so until 2029, it has no effect on the current team and can be more or less forgotten.

New York Rangers

  • Brad Richards (no cap hit): Not to the same extent of their cross-town rivals and their “franchise goalie”, but the Rangers were also very happy to get a chance at a compliance buyout when it came to Richards. While Richards would go on to have a couple of successful seasons with the Blackhawks and Red Wings after leaving New York, his production was not really worthy of what the Rangers would have paid him. In 2011, Richards was the “must-have” free agent of the summer, coming off back-to-back seasons of over a point-per-game with the Dallas Stars. The Rangers won the bidding, giving him a nine-year $60MM contract. The deal, like many long-term deals at that time, was very front loaded. It paid Richards $12MM in each of the first two seasons and only $1MM in each of the last three. The cap hit of $6.67MM was manageable for the Rangers at first, as Richards put up good numbers, but he was also showing decline and the threat of a big cap hit for an aging player and monstrous recapture penalties led to decision to use a compliance buyout on Richards. In retrospect, it was very smart, as Richards announced his retirement earlier this summer after two more years of declining production. New York paid Richards over $3MM each of the past two years in accordance with the buyout settlement and are set to pay a little more than $5MM in 2016-17 before settling in to a payment of just north of $1MM each year until 2025-16. Luckily for them, none of it touches the salary cap for a team that is constantly in a cap crunch.

Philadelphia Flyers

  • Ilya Bryzgalov (no cap hit): The Flyers make a trio of Metro teams that used their compliance buyouts wisely, as Philadelphia was able to escape from a nine-year, $51MM contract they gave to the eccentric Russian goalie Bryzgalov. After back-to-back stellar seasons for the Phoenix Coyotes, the Flyers jumped on Bryzgalov in free agency in 2011, giving him a monster contract. However, as it so often goes in Philadelphia, the goalie didn’t work out and after just two years, the Flyers were ready to dump his $4.65MM cap hit. Though a 14-year buyout plan with annual payments of $1.64MM is not fun, the Flyers were able to move forward with new goalies and no negative impact on the salary cap.
  • R.J. Umberger ($1.6MM in 2016-17 and 2017-18): A recent buyout victim, Umberger simply stopped producing. After starting his career off strongly in Philadelphia, Umberger was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he became a star. The Jackets rewarded him with a five-year, $23MM deal in 2012, but then watched his number gradually decrease each year. With three years left on his contract, he was traded back to the Flyers, but the homecoming did not lead to many points. After two brutal seasons, Philadelphia decided to let Umberger and his $4.6MM cap hit go before the final year of his contract. They’ll pay for it over the next two seasons with significant cap hits, but it’s worth it considering their tight cap space entering 2016-17. Meanwhile, Umberger’s career appears likely to be over.

Pittsburgh Penguins

  • Rob Scuderi ($1.125MM in 2016-17): In one of the funnier circumstances of the 2015-16 season, the Penguins held on to one third of Scuderi’s contract when they traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for fellow underperforming defenseman Trevor Daley. Then, the Blackhawks held on to another third of Scuderi’s contract when they traded him to the Los Angeles Kings for yet another underperforming defenseman, Christian Ehrhoff. Now going into 2016-17, the final year of four-year $13.5MM deal he signed when he returned to Pittsburgh, the Penguins, Hawks, and Kings will all pay $1.125MM of his contract. Maybe Scuderi will return to form this season and at least avoid being traded more than once.

Washington Capitals

  • NONE. Right? The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners will not pay anyone this season who isn’t on the ice for them. Cap efficiency, that’s the key to NHL success.

Retained Salary in 2016-17: Pacific Division

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As a new season fast approaches, it’s always nice to look back and reminisce on years and players gone by. Unfortunately for most NHL teams, those feelings of nostalgia are usually cut short by the realization that some of those past players are still on the team’s payroll. Retained salary is a fact of life in the National Hockey League, as buyouts have become commonplace and retaining a portion of an outgoing player’s cap hit is often a deal-breaker in many trades. Retained salary can last long past the playing days of a former player (see Mike Richards) or can simply be for just one year. One way or another nearly every NHL team has at least one guy who’s still being paid without having to perform. Below is a list of all the retained salary in the Pacific Division in 2016-17:

Anaheim Ducks

  • Patrick Maroon ($500K cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): Maroon was surprisingly dealt out of Anaheim last season to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defensive prospect Martin Gernat and a fourth-round pick in the NHL Draft this past June (Jack Kopacka). The Ducks held on to 25% of Maroon’s three-year, $6MM contract that he had signed with the team prior to last season.
  • Mark Fistric ($217K cap hit in 2016-17, $450K in 2017-18 and 2018-19): Fistric was bought out by Anaheim following an injury-plagued 2014-15 campaign, the first year of a new extension. He had two years and over $2.5MM left on his contract at the time. Fistric has not signed with another NHL team since leaving the Ducks.

Arizona Coyotes

  • Mike Ribeiro ($1.94MM cap hit from 2016-17 to 2019-20): Ribeiro will be cashing in on NHL contracts for many years to come, as a buyout in Phoenix has not stopped him from continuing to play and getting good money to do so. The (then) Phoenix Coyotes signed Ribeiro to a four-year, $22MM contract in the summer of 2013, but after a 47-point season in 2013-14, the team decided to cut ties with him. The decision cost the Coyotes a capable player and has and will continue to cost them in dollars. Ribeiro’s buyout was for six years and nearly $12MM dollars, and Arizona is still facing down four more years. Meanwhile, Ribeiro signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Nashville Predators in 2014-15 and put up 62 points. He was rewarded last summer with a two year, $7MM deal, which means between his active contract and his bought out contract, Ribeiro will actually make close to $5.5MM in 2016-17, what he would have made in Arizona.
  • Antoine Vermette ($1.25MM cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): A more recent development, Vermette was bought out by the Coyotes during their second buyout window last week. Vermette had only one season left with a cap hit of $3.75MM, after returning to the desert on a two-year deal after Arizona traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks before their 2015 Stanley Cup run. Vermette’s numbers did not tail off last season; in fact he has been very consistent over the course of his entire 11-year career. The buyout was viewed by many as Arizona simply deciding to pay to open up depth next season for their young players and prospects. Vermette remains unsigned as of now.

Calgary Flames

  • Mason Raymond ($1.05MM cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): After a one-year, $1MM trial run with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013-14 ended in 45 points, the Flames decided to take a chance on Raymond, giving him a three-year, $9.45MM deal. After under-performing in year one, Raymond was only able to play in 29 games last season, contributing a mere five points. Calgary was swift to buy out the remaining year of his contract, which would have paid him $3.15MM in 2016-17. The $1.05MM cap hit for the Flames this year and next year is bearable for a team with cap space and a plethora of young talent, and Raymond has found a new home with division rival Anaheim and will make $675K on top of his buyout payment. It was a retained salary move that worked out for both sides.

Edmonton Oilers

  • Lauri Korpikoski ($500K cap hit in 2016-17, $1MM in 2017-18): Another buyout victim this summer, Korpikoski simply did not perform to the level expected of him by the Oilers after they traded Boyd Gordon to the Coyotes to get him. Stemming from a strong career to that point in Arizona, the Coyotes gave the two-way specialist a four-year, $10MM extension in the summer of 2013. However, after back-to-back years of steep decline in his scoring numbers, Arizona felt comfortable shipping Korpikoski off to the division rival Oilers. New GM Peter Chiarelli hoped that, at the very least, Korpikoski would bring some defensive stability to a young and offensive-minded forward core. When that didn’t happen, Edmonton decided he didn’t need to stick around for the final year of his contract at a cost of $2.5MM.

Los Angeles Kings

  • Mike Richards ($1.32MM cap hit from 2016-17 to 2019-20 AND $10.5MM cap hit over time until 2030-31): One of the most interesting cases of retained salary, Richards counts against the Kings’ cap for two reasons, neither of which is a buyout or a trade. Richards signed a (now illegal) 12-year, $69MM contract with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2007 season, and prior to the last NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The league recognized that deals like Richards’, which were excessively long and included wide margins of salary over the course of the contract, were meant to circumvent the salary cap. By front-loading a contract with high salary seasons, and then adding years at the end of low salary, a team could effectively keep a player’s cap hit low without exposing themselves to much risk should the player retire or need to be bought out later on in his post-prime career. Richards’ cap hit on this contract was only $5.75MM, but there were six seasons where his actual salary was greater, including a 2012-13 salary of $8.4MM. So, when Richards got in legal trouble in 2015, the Kings (who acquired Richards from the Flyers in a blockbuster deal in June 2011) saw an opportunity to terminate Richards’ contract, which had become a major burden to the team for a player that was performing so poorly that he had been demoted to the AHL. Because Richards’ contract was cut  short and had been constructed in an illegal way, the Kings faced “recapture penalties”, which offset the benefits of previous cap benefits from long, front-loaded contracts. Thus, the Kings face a cap hit of $1.32MM every year until what would have been the natural end of Richards’ contract in 2020. On top of that, the termination of the contract was fought by the NHL Players Association, and the grievance led to a settlement between the Kings and Richards which pays him $10.5MM of the $22MM that was left on his contract. The payments were to be made over the course of 16 years, with a maximum payment of $900K per year and minimum of $400K. All of these payments additionally count against the Kings’ cap. In the world of retained salary, Mike Richards is quite the story, and Los Angeles will be telling it for another decade and a half.

San Jose Sharks

  • Adam Burish ($617K cap hit in 2016-17): Never much more than an energy line player, the Sharks gave Burish a four-year, $7.4MM contract when free agency opened on July 1st, 2012. Burish was coming off of a career-high 19 points to go with a strong two-way presence and elite toughness. However, he would only score six points in the next three seasons combined for San Jose, as injury struggles and mostly poor play derailed his career. The Sharks bought out the final year of his contract to avoid a $1.85MM cap hit for an AHL-caliber player and will finish paying off the buyout this season.

Vancouver Canucks

  • Roberto Luongo ($800K cap hit from 2016-17 to 2020-21): Like Richards, Luongo too signed a massive deal before the league banned them. In 2010, the Canucks gave their ace goalie a 12-year, $64MM extension, despite the fact he was 31-years-old at the time. The deal paid Luongo $10MM in salary during the first year, followed by seven years of $6.7MM salaries, and then a steep drop off to $3.4MM, $1.6MM, and two final years at $1MM. Perhaps afraid of facing the full blow of potential recapture penalties (the rule for which is often nicknamed the “Luongo Rule”) for a contract that blatantly circumvents the salary cap with its 5.3MM cap hit, the Canucks traded the remaining eight years of Luongo’s contract to the Florida Panters before the Trade Deadline in 2014 in effort to share some of the risk should Luongo retire before the age of 43. However, to make the risky aquistion worth it, the Panthers had Vancouver hold on to $6.4MM of the contract, for an annual cap hit of $800K.
  • Chris Higgins ($833K cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): Higgins is another recent buyout, getting cut by the Canucks this off-season with one year remaining on a four-year, $10MM extension he signed in 2013. Higgins played in only 33 games last season, recording just four points. He remains unsigned.

Snapshots: Cullen, Roloson, Buffalo’s Blueline

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Free agent center Matt Cullen is still a couple of weeks away from deciding where he plays next season, tweets Bill West of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.   West reports that the Penguins as well as three other teams remain in the mix for the 39 year old.  While the other three teams weren’t identified, Minnesota has been linked to Cullen at times this offseason; he spent three years with the Wild from 2010-11 to 2012-13.

Cullen had somewhat of a resurgent season in 2015-16, picking up 16 goals and 16 assists while playing in all 82 games.  His goal total was his best since 2009-10 while he also won an impressive 55.7% of his faceoffs.  Cullen also played a regular role for the Penguins in their playoff run, collecting six points in 24 postseason contests while averaging just shy of 14 minutes per game in ice time.  Those are solid numbers for a bottom six forward so it’s not surprising that there are multiple suitors for his services despite the fact he will turn 40 in November.

More news and notes from around the league:

  • Former NHL netminder Dwayne Roloson has resigned as Anaheim’s goalie consultant, reports NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley. It’s believed that Roloson was looking to step into more of a part-time role.  Woodley notes that AHL goalie coach Sudarshan Maharaj is likely to be promoted to Roloson’s vacated position.  Eric Stephens of the OC Register adds that Roloson could stay with Anaheim in a limited capacity.  Roloson had a 14 year NHL career playing in 606 games and retired in 2012 at the age of 42.
  • The Sabres had to recall a defenseman due to injury just once last season but Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald suggests Buffalo shouldn’t be counting on that type of health again next year and instead should be looking to shore up their depth at that position. A glance at their depth chart shows that they have a quality top six but they are lacking in depth options with much in the way of notable NHL experience.  Fortunately for the Sabres, there are usually a plethora of these types of players available via the waiver wire in training camp if they don’t add anyone else in free agency.

Coyotes Notes: Hanzal, Rieder, Strome

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While former Arizona GM Don Maloney was originally looking to sign center Martin Hanzal to an extension this summer before he wound up being let go, his replacement in John Chayka doesn’t seem to be as enthusiastic about the idea, writes Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports.  Morgan reports that Chayka held talks with Hanzal’s representatives shortly after he took over but those talks were pushed to the backburner.

Chayka’s comments certainly suggest they’re in no rush to get a new deal done with the 29 year old:

“If there was something that made sense, we would probably take a closer look at that because Marty’s been a good player for us.  But maybe it’s not a bad thing to get into the season and see how things play out.”

Hanzal has spent his entire nine year career with the Coyotes.  Last season, he had a career year offensively, picking up 13 goals and 28 assists in just 64 games, setting career highs in both assists and points.  He also won an impressive 56% of his faceoffs, putting him in a tie for 15th league wide amongst players who took at least 300 draws last season.

Hanzal is entering the final season of a five year deal that carries a cap hit of $3.1MM and a salary of $3.5MM.  He will be an unrestricted free agent after 2016-17 and should be in line for a sizable raise if he can repeat his efforts from last season.

More news and notes surrounding the Coyotes:

  • Also from Morgan, there is no update to the Tobias Rieder contract situation. The two sides are believed to be several hundred thousand dollars apart per season.  Rieder’s agent Darren Ferris suggested earlier this summer that Rieder would be open to signing in the KHL if a deal can’t be reached.
  • Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com sat down with Chayka with the focus being on their youngsters, particularly Christian Dvorak and Dylan Strome, both of whom are expected to contend for a roster spot in training camp. Some have suggested that with Strome’s case in particular, he has achieved all he can at the junior level (he is too young to play in the AHL) and that sending him back could be detrimental to his development.  Chayka is at least mindful of that concept, noting “I do think there is, obviously, a fine line between overbaking your prospects. I think there’s some detriments that can occur if you do that as well. But at the same time, there’s no rush for these players.”  The Coyotes are expected to have a few spots open for younger players next season.

Minor Transactions: 8/12/16

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Here is where we’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions:

  • Calgary UFA Drew Shore has signed a one year deal with HC Kloten, the Swiss NLA team announced (link in German). Shore has spent parts of each of the last four seasons in the NHL between the Flames and Panthers, picking up nine goals and 15 assists in 80 games.  Last year, the 25 year old suited up in just two NHL contests but tallied 10 goals and 18 helpers in 59 AHL games with Calgary’s affiliate in Stockton.
  • Long-time NHL enforcer Cam Janssen announced his retirement, his now-former British League team in Nottingham announced. He will be returning stateside to work with a radio station in St. Louis, covering the Blues.  Janssen played in 336 NHL games between New Jersey and St. Louis, collecting six goals, eight assists, and 774 penalty minutes.  Last year, he picked up ten points and 120 PIMS in 62 EIHL contests.
  • The Allen Americans announced the signing of San Jose UFA forward Christopher Crane. Crane spent most of last year with Allen, picking up 21 goals and 17 assists in 41 games but did so while under an NHL contract to the Sharks.  He didn’t receive a qualifying offer by the deadline back in late June.

Atlantic Notes: Kulikov, Kampfer, Ceci, Zetterberg

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Former Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov said he was ‘surprised’ that he was dealt to Buffalo at the draft, writes George Richards of the Miami Herald.  Kulikov knew there was a chance he could be moved but hadn’t heard that the Sabres were one of the teams that was interested in him.  Kulikov told Richards that he was excited for the move and also noted that there were times in the past he wanted to be traded:

“I’m excited to change the scenery a little bit, go on to a new team. It felt right for some reason. After being here so many years … There were times I wanted Florida to trade me, then we drafted some good players and the team started to turn around and it was fun, so, at that point, I wanted to stay. But when the trade came, it felt like a good opportunity for me to step up my game.”

Kulikov is entering the final year of a three year, $13MM contract he signed back in the 2014 offseason and will undoubtedly be pushing to improve upon a one goal, 16 assist effort from last year.  He’s likely to start next season in a top four role with the Sabres.

Other tidbits from the Atlantic Division:

  • Also from Richards’ column, Panthers blueliner Steven Kampfer is fully recovered from offseason knee surgery. Kampfer noted he had been playing through pain since December and is now pain free.  Kampfer will likely be in a heated battle for a roster spot at training camp as Florida has nine defensemen that could conceivably make a push for a space on the opening night roster.
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that talks continue between the Senators and RFA defender Cody Ceci and that they are looking at two and six year deals (Twitter links). Ceci had a career high 10 goals and 26 points in 75 games with Ottawa while averaging 19:18 per game.
  • NHL.com reports that Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg has been named captain of Sweden’s entry into next month’s World Cup of Hockey. It will be Zetterberg’s 13th appearance internationally for his home country.  As their depth chart currently stands, he will likely be in a battle for a middle six spot in Sweden’s lineup.

Sakic: No Hard Feelings With Roy

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Mike Chambers of the Denver Post has the latest on the shocking news of Patrick Roy’s resignation. While there were inklings that a rift had formed between Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy, Chambers writes that Sakic indicates that the two former teammates are still friends, and golfing buddies. There are no “ill feelings” between the two.

Chambers quoted Sakic as saying that Roy was thinking about resigning for a few weeks, and that Roy is comfortable with the decision he made. Sakic added that Roy, “didn’t have a lot of fun last year and that Roy, “came to this decision on his own.”

The plot thickens only in that Roy’s comments, despite Sakic’s insistence that he was consulted on every move, spoke of a coach who had little say and wanted more control. Roy, as indicated in his statement, wanted more say on player-personnel decisions. Sakic, for his part, was surprised by the comment. From Chambers:

“It definitely caught me off guard,” Sakic said of Roy’s resignation phone call Thursday morning. “We had a good conversation today  I was surprised, but I also thanked Patrick for his three years and letting me know now.”

Nick Cotsonika, however, tweets some confusing information on the part of Sakic, who said while they were on the same page, he was still shocked that Roy resigned.

Despite the mixed messages, Pierre LeBrun tweeted earlier that Roy still had the greatest respect for Sakic. Further, LeBrun tweeted that Roy wanted to make sure people weren’t reading too much into the statement. There were no “back stories.”

Earlier, PHR listed a number of options for the next head coach.

Roster Crunch: Metropolitan Division

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We’ve taken a look at three out of the four divisions now, and the decisions they’ll have to make come training camp. The Pacific’s depth on defense, the changes coming up front in the Central, and the mass of young talent set to break through in the Atlantic. Now, we’ll take a look at the what many considered the best division in hockey last year, with four 100-point teams and both the President’s Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champions.

Washington Capitals – There is probably no team with fewer uncertainties going into the season than the Washington Capitals. After running away with the regular season points lead, the Capitals couldn’t even make it to the Stanley Cup final, but they’ll head into next season with largely the same group. They brought in Lars Eller, whose possession numbers should help the third line, and allowed Jason Chimera and Mike Richards to walk (though the latter remains unsigned). Basically the only battle in camp will be for a fourth line or 13th forward spot; can Brett Connolly do enough to make the squad over Stanislav Galiev? Exciting stuff.

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David Conte Possibly Headed To Las Vegas

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After adding a Director of Hockey Legal Affairs earlier today in Andrew Lugerner, the Las Vegas expansion team is now pursuing a much more veteran hockey voice. Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News is hearing that GM George McPhee is set to hire David Conte, a long-time scouting director.

Conte worked for 31 years in the New Jersey Devils organization, mostly under Lou Lamoriello (now the Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM), but was let go last year when Ray Shero took over. While Kennedy doesn’t say what role he would be filling for the the club, bringing in an uber-experienced hockey mind like Conte can never be a bad thing.

Conte, 67, has a solid draft record.  With picks like Bill Guerin (#5), Martin Brodeur (#20), Scott Niedermayer (#3), Brian Rolston (#11), Brendan Morrison (#39), Steve Sullivan (#233), Patrik Elias (#51), Scott Gomez (#27), Brian Gionta (#82) and many more elite NHLers being at least somewhat influenced by him, he’s proved that he can spot talent in a draft in the first few picks and in later rounds.  According to an NHL.com article from the time of his dismissal, he was also very influential in signing undrafted free agents John Madden and Brian Rafalski.

His detractors however, say that the game may have passed him by, as shown by his most recent draft record. Players from the Devils’ 2012, 2013, 2014 drafts have played in a total of two NHL games thus far, and only Damon Severson has played a full season from the 2011 group.

Whether the Vegas team is competitive right away is yet to be seen, and will rely heavily on who is available at next year’s expansion draft.  But with the team McPhee is building, they’ll at least have the potential for long-term success. Whether it comes, will be one of the biggest stories to watch over the next decade.

Potential Avalanche Coaching Options

at CDT | by 1 Comment

While the news of Patrick Roy’s resignation as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche is shocking, it also means there’s more news to come. The Avalanche have about a month until training camp, and will want a new coach in place beforehand. The timing of Roy’s resignation leaves very little time for GM Joe Sakic to do a thorough search. That said, there are a few available candidates that immediately spring to mind.

  • Bob Hartley – Hartley coached the Avalanche from 1998 to 2002, winning four division titles, appearing in four Western Conference Finals, and winning the 2001 Stanley Cup. Players on that team included current Avalanche GM Joe Sakic, executive Adam Foote, and assistant coach Nolan Pratt. He also coached new Avalanche forward Joe Colborne during his time in Calgary, and briefly coached Jarome Iginla there as well. There have already been several suggestions from media members that Hartley would or should be a contender for the job.
  • Marc Crawford – This is a less likely possibility. Crawford is another former Avalanche coach, winning a Stanley Cup with Joe Sakic in 1996. He’s also very recently employed. This off-season, Crawford returned from a four year stint in Switzerland to work on Guy Boucher’s staff with the Ottawa Senators. Still, if anyone is going to quit a job so soon, it would probably be for a promotion, to work with familiar faces. After resigning from the Avalanche in 1998, Crawford had stints with the Canucks, Kings, and Stars.
  • Sheldon Keefe – The Toronto Marlies head coach and former Lightning forward is just 35 years old, but already a popular pick to fill future openings. In his first season in the AHL, Keefe led the Marlies to 54 wins in 76 games, and a trip to the Eastern Conference Final. This after three straight playoff appearances as head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the OHL. He’s very young to coach, but the Avalanche are a young team. What experience he does have is mostly with player development.
  • Dallas Eakins – Most of the paragraph on Keefe could have been said of Eakins before he joined the Edmonton Oilers in 2013. Once regarded as a great coaching prospect, Eakins won just 36 of 113 games before the Oilers fired him. He is presently coach of the San Diego Gulls in the AHL, farm team of the Anaheim Ducks. It went poorly in Edmonton, to be sure, but it never got any better after he left. It’s hard to get a second chance in the NHL, but Eakins has done well enough outside of it to be worth another look.
  • Ron Wilson – Wilson has worked with players who take advantage of their speed and skill for his entire coaching career, and a young Avalanche team fits that mold. While he’s been criticized for his handling of young players before, he’s also never really had ones this good. He’s prone to hostility towards the media, and is quick to bench a veteran when the player is underachieving, or when Wilson is just mad. Still, it’s hard to write off a guy who’s won over 600 games.

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