Salary Cap Report: Atlantic Division
As the hockey world takes its collective breath before the World Cup, training camps, and the regular season begins, most teams have checked off their boxes and marked their ledgers. There are some teams not finished, as trades or financial meandering will be necessary due to cap crunches. Others have plenty of room.
We’ll start with the Atlantic Division, which houses the team with the greatest amount of red ink in terms of cap space–the Detroit Red Wings. Some interesting notes:
- The Canadiens inherited the Weber contract from Nashville via the Subban trade.
- The Panthers highest cap hit, Keith Yandle, was signed in June after being acquired from the New York Rangers.
- The Red Wings will place the contracts of Johan Franzen and Joe Vitale on the LTIR while the Maple Leafs do the same with Nathan Horton‘s.
- Steven Stamkos avoided a free agent bonanza when he re-upped with the Lightning prior to July 1.
The specifics are below:
- Boston Bruins
Cap Space Remaining: $6,731,666
Greatest Cap Hit: David Krejci: $7.25MM - Buffalo Sabres
Cap Space Remaining: $8,150,476
Greatest Cap Hit: Ryan O’Reilly: $7.5MM - Detroit Red Wings
Cap Space Remaining: -$4,238,712
Greatest Cap Hit: Henrik Zetterberg: $6.083MM - Florida Panthers
Cap Space Remaining: $4,329,167
Greatest Cap Hit: Keith Yandle: $6.35MM - Montreal Canadiens
Cap Space Remaining: $855,357
Greatest Cap Hit: Shea Weber: $7.86MM - Ottawa Senators
Cap Space Remaining: $8,780,833
Greatest Cap Hit: Bobby Ryan: $7.25MM - Tampa Bay Lightning
Cap Hit Remaining: $6,591,666
Greatest Cap Hit: Steven Stamkos: $8.5MM
- Toronto Maple Leafs
Cap Hit Remaining: $435,000
Greatest Cap Hit: Nathan Horton: $5.3MM
Red Wings Notes: Mantha, Saarijarvi, Little Caesars Arena
The 2016-17 training camp is a chance for Anthony Mantha to be this season’s Dylan Larkin writes Helene St. James. The 2013 first round pick has a chance to make the Red Wings roster out of camp, but it will mean greater attentiveness to his defensive game, and also showing the plentiful goal scoring that got him drafted. Mantha was on the fast track to the NHL when a broken leg during the 2014 prospect tournament slowed him, and from there, the highly touted prospect was ripped by some in upper management, and after a bounce back season in 2015-16, looks to once again be back on track to make the team.
But it won’t be easy. The Red Wings are well known for their reluctance to bring on young prospects and there is also a logjam at forward which has been well documented. St. James reports that his maturity will certainly help his case, as his cup of coffee with the team last year showed he wasn’t intimidated by being in the NHL. Still, the 22-year-old winger has his work cut out for him once September comes.
Other Red Wings news:
- Defenseman Vili Saarijarvi is another player on the Red Wings radar, and he hasn’t disappointed since being drafted by the club in 2015. St. James writes that the third round pick will spend more time seasoning in the OHL because of his shorter stature, and some more defensive polishing. The offensive minded d-man has a booming slapshot and speed–something if developed properly–could anchor the Red Wings blue line for years.
- A construction milestone was completed on the new Red Wings arena reports the Associated Press. The final piece of structural steel for the roof was placed. The report also states that “Olympia Development of Michigan says the piece of steel, in keeping with tradition, bears the signatures of the project’s ironworkers.” Little Caesars Arena will open for the 2017-18 season.
Snapshots: Latest On Las Vegas, Islanders, Roussel
Las Vegas may be held up on a nickname since it’s already taken by another hockey organization. Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the London Knights of the OHL prevent the opportunity of having a “Knights” nickname in Canada, though it would work in the United States. Owner Bill Foley is also looking at hiring a team president but expects that decision to be made in October or November. Carp writes that it also appears the team is close to finalizing a deal for its proposed practice facilities, which include two rinks and the team headquarters. Foley expects groundbreaking to take place on October 1st.
In other NHL news:
- NBC Sports Cam Tucker wonders if general manager Garth Snow and head coach John Capuano have the full confidence of the Islanders fanbase. The Islanders are coming off a second round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it was another season that saw New York advance further than the previous. Tucker writes the Islanders posted back to back 100 point seasons, and notes that even though Capuano has been on the hot seat at times, ownership recently backed both Snow and Capuano, lauding the leadership as a reason they advanced past Florida in the first round. Though they lost Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo, and Matt Martin, Tucker adds that they signed Andrew Ladd to a long term deal and should still be competitive next season.
- Mark Stepenski caught up with with Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel who thinks the Stars are only going to build on last year’s successes. The addition of defenseman Dan Hamhuis is one that Roussel particularly liked, saying that “…he’s a guy that does it all and I am excited to have a guy like him on our team.” The Stars will be looking to young players for depth this season, and Roussel thinks they’ll do the job Stepenski writes.
Vancouver Signs Olli Juolevi To Entry Level Deal
The Vancouver Canucks announced the signing of defenseman Olli Juolevi to a three-year entry level contact. The 2016 fifth overall pick put up monster numbers in 2015-16, registering 42 points (9-33). He was third in rookie defenseman scoring in the Ontario Hockey League, and was a crucial part in the Knights’ Memorial Cup championship. Juolevi also won gold in the 2016 World Juniors and led all defenseman in points with 9 (0-9).
Juolevi was already expected to play again for the London Knights next season but this move obviously hastens his chance to get to the big club. General manager Jim Benning sounded slightly different about Juolevi’s than he did earlier, saying that the Canucks, “look forward to seeing him continue his development and compete at the NHL level during training camp in September.”
Mitch Marner Has “Good Chance” At Cracking NHL Roster
While speaking to TSN’s Brent Wallace, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock revealed his thoughts about top-prospect Mitch Marner, and his chances at breaking camp with the NHL team:
Well I sure think he has a good chance. Mitch has been working with our guys and really training hard. He’s eating right and doing everything he can to get stronger. To say Mitch has got to put on a bunch of weight is ridiculous. All you have to do is get stronger – you are who you are, be the best Mitch you can possibly be. He’s got a lot of summer here left, and he’ll keep working at it, but he’ll have a real good chance to make the Leafs.
Babcock is referring to the overwhelming opinion that has been floated around since his draft, that Marner is too small to play in the NHL. Standing at 5’11”, 164lbs he’s always been a light player, and while he’s been working diligently to put on weight, he’ll never be a bruising forward. Opponents of the “he’s too small” camp use examples like Patrick Kane (5’11” 177lbs) and Johnny Gaudreau (5’9″ 157lbs) as reasons why Marner will succeed at the next level, given his elite offensive ability and hockey IQ.
While Marner played center in junior with the London Knights of the OHL, and was drafted as such, these smaller players often find the most success on the wings in the NHL and his role at the current National Junior Evaluation Camp may give credence to the idea that Marner is destined to move. He suited up today on the wing of Dylan Strome, top prospect of the Arizona Coyotes, for their game against Sweden (which they lost 4-1). The Maple Leafs have multiple options down the middle for next season, with Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak and Peter Holland returning, while number-one choice Auston Matthews has been added to the fold. William Nylander, another top prospect who showed off his offensive ability in a short NHL stint last season, is also a center by trade, though some think he’s also destined for the wing long-term.
Babcock also talked about the huge number of young players in Leafs camp this season. When asked if it was too many, he said he’d thought about that himself:
I’ve spent a lot of time on that. Obviously I have our lineup built out with three teams for camp, two teams for exhibition, and then you get down to one. They have to solve it themselves, it’s not up to me, they decide who’s on the team. When I go through it, we have some good men, we’ve acquired good men, we have good people in our leadership group so I think we can handle some kids. Obviously we had a lot of them last year, and having a few more this year – especially high-end ones – won’t hurt us.
The Maple Leafs have built quite a prospect pool to draw from going forward, with players like Nikita Soshnikov, Zach Hyman, and Kasperi Kapanen all making their NHL debuts last season. This year will be more of the same, as Marner and Matthews try to break in.
Central Notes: Rome, Jets, Toews
According to Sarah Mervosh of the Dallas News, former NHL defenseman Aaron Rome is suing the NHL and his insurance company after suffering a career ending injury in 2014. Rome was bought out at the end of that year after multiple surgeries were needed to try and correct the hip issue.
Rome alleges that “the insurance adjuster assigned to handle his claim was not licensed in Texas and withheld documents he needed to appeal the claim.” Rome never played again in the NHL, and has since retired due to injury. His suit claims that the defendants (the NHL and HCC Life Insurance Co.) “mistreated an athlete who gave his heart and effort to professional hockey only to be betrayed by those who were supposed to help, protect, and provide benefits he undoubtedly deserves.”
- The Jets and NHL announced the rosters for their legends game at the Heritage Classic on October 22nd of this year and presented the throwback jerseys the team will wear, sparking an intense debate about whether or not this franchise should be allowed to use them. This organization, of course, is not the same one that played in Winnipeg from 1972-96; that club was re-located to Phoenix (now Arizona) to become the Coyotes. The Jets were returned when the Atlanta Thrashers, an expansion team, was re-located prior to the 2011-12 season. All of the players on the legendary team played for the first franchise.
- According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane may hit the ice next to each other this season. The duo, that is normally split up on two different lines in Chicago, might be forced back together if head coach Joel Quennville makes good on his idea to move Marian Hossa down in the lineup and into more of a checking role alongside Marcus Kruger. Kane, Artem Anisimov and rookie Artemi Panarin formed one of the most explosive lines in the NHL last season, while Toews had a revolving door of wingers skating beside him.
NHL Announces Heritage Classic Schedule, Legends Roster
Outdoor games are becoming more and more prevelant in today’s NHL, and the league announced today the schedule for the first of such games in the 2016-17 season. The Heritage Classic will be held in Winnipeg this season, and will see the Jets face off against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers – who were part of the very first Heritage Classic – on October 23rd, just a few weeks into the season.
Two legends teams will play on the Saturday (Oct 22), with Kevin Lowe and Dale Hawerchuk (both of whom will play in the game) announcing the rosters today. The spectacular Oilers legends squad will feature:
Dave Semenko
Wayne Gretzky (Captain)*
Mark Messier*
Glenn Anderson*
Paul Coffey*
Snapshots: Zibanejad, Shattenkirk, Grundstrom
Mika Zibanejad, the recent addition for the New York Rangers, spoke in person with media today for the first time since the deal, and seemed positively thrilled for the upcoming season (via Andrew Gross of USA Today). Zibanejad, 23, is coming off two straight 20-goal seasons, impressive already for a player of his age but is expecting more this year:
I want to take the next step. I want that to be a big jump. I’ve been trying to take it step by step all the time but I think, I’m waiting and I think people are waiting, for that breakout year and that’s what I’m hoping for and that’s what I’m working towards. I feel I’m ready for that.
When the Rangers dealt established centerman Derick Brassard for Zibanejad, they traded consistency for upside, and experience for youth. Now they’ll try to build on his solid start and turn him into the top-end talent they believe he can be. Right from the horse’s mouth, speaking about his ability to break out in the future: “I guess they wouldn’t have made that trade if they didn’t think so.”
- While we discussed yesterday a long-standing trade rumor involving Kevin Shattenkirk, it’s definitely no longer a guarantee that he will be dealt before the season starts, as Craig Custance of ESPN reports. GM Doug Armstrong is quoted as saying “He’s a Blue and we’re excited to have him, and expect him to have a good year.” While this doesn’t rule out a deal, Armstrong said the rumor “grew a life of its own”
- Team Sweden lost their last game against the United States in this year’s National Junior Evaluation Camp (NJEC) happing in Plymouth, Michigan over the next few days, and now have lost one of their top scorers for at least the next couple of days. Carl Grundstrom, a recent draftee of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has been scratched from today’s game against Canada according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com. The Swedish winger was taken 57th overall, and has three points (2G-1A) so far at the tournament.
Roster Crunch: Pacific Division
While the NHL season is still more than two months away, it seems as though most teams have finished their free agent shopping and are now focused internally on roster decisions they’ll have to make. We’ll take a look at some of the options teams will have this fall, starting with the Pacific Division.
Anaheim Ducks – 2015-16 division winners Anaheim were discussed at length last weekend, with seemingly way too many bodies than roster spots on their blueline. With between seven and ten players who deserve to be in the NHL next season (depending on how you feel about youngsters Shea Theodore and Andy Welinski), the team is still expected to make a move to shore up their forward group.
Los Angeles Kings – Like the Ducks, the Kings have quite a few options on their back-end after signing Tom Gilbert to a one-year contract. With four spots locked up between Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez and Brayden McNabb, the last two will be some combination of Gilbert, veteran Rob Scuderi and Matt Greene. That’s to say nothing of NCAA transplant Paul LaDue who will figure into the Kings’ plans before long.
San Jose Sharks – It’s said that depth down the middle is a key to success in the NHL, and the Sharks have that in spades. It looks like they’ll go into next season with at least six forwards who are capable of playing center. Often last season the top line was made up of three of them, with Joe Thornton between Tomas Hertl and Joe Pavelski. If the team wants to move the young Hertl back to his natural position (as they did at points last season), they’ll have to find ice-time for him behind Thornton and Logan Couture.
Arizona Coyotes – The crunch has already started to affect Arizona, as the team bought out veteran Antoine Vermette recently to open up a spot for one of their young forwards. With Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak both leaving junior after huge seasons, they’ll look to make the jump to the NHL this season. The Coyotes may ice one of the youngest lines in the league this year, if Strome ends up between Max Domi and Anthony Duclair like many have speculated. Another spot could open up if RFA Tobias Rieder ends up overseas next season, as has been rumored lately.
Calgary Flames – Will top pick Matthew Tkachuk break camp with the Flames, and where will he play? Many eyes will be focused on the second-generation NHLer this fall, as he tries to force his way onto the Flames roster. Otherwise, the Flames have some decisions to make on the blueline if Ladislav Smid declares himself healthy enough to start the season and Dennis Wideman remains on the roster. Jyrki Jokipakka hopes he did enough last season to deserve a spot, but if both veterans are around when October 12th roles around, he may find himself on the outside looking in.
Vancouver Canucks – The Canucks are one of the hardest teams to figure out in the league, as they seem caught somewhere between rebuilding and trying to contend. Outside of their top-four, it’ll be a battle for the defensemen in camp to lock up a spot. Luca Sbisa has a contract that will probably guarantee him a spot, but his diminished play and injury history makes him a poor choice for the Canucks. If they decide to contend, icing him every night ahead of younger, more effective defensemen seems unwise.
Edmonton Oilers – It’s been long said that the Oilers don’t have any defensemen, and while it may still be figuratively true based on the overall skill, the team actually has too many bodies for their back end under contract. After trading for Adam Larsson, the team has eight defenders worthy of NHL time, including Jordan Oesterle who many believe proved his ability last season. One of them though, former captain Andrew Ference, may be on his own way out as he has stated more than once he’s heading to retirement if the Oilers’ buy him out. They haven’t been able to yet because of Ference’s lingering injury, but the two sides should come to an agreement before camp.
Snapshots: Shinkaruk, Yamamoto
Just prior to the trade deadline in February, the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks executed an interesting, challenge-type trade. The Flames dealt C Markus Granlund, a player they originally selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 draft, to the Canucks for their 2013 1st round pick, Hunter Shinkaruk.
Granlund had failed to earn a regular role with the Flames and at the time of the deal didn’t seem to be considered much of a prospect anymore. As a more recent draft selection, Shinkaruk still had the look of a solid prospect, even if there may be more risk associated with his development.
Nevertheless, Shinkaruk now gets to suit up in his hometown playing for the team he grew up rooting for and is intent on earning a regular role on the wing in Calgary, according to this piece from the team’s website. Given the talented young pivots the Flames have – Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett specifically – Shinkaruk should have an excellent opportunity to not only make the club but to produce as well.
Now, more from around the NHL, focusing particularly on prospects.
- The Anaheim Ducks have signed their 2015 3rd round pick, RW Deven Sideroff to an ELC. According to General Fanager, Sideroff’s contract will max out at an AAV of $925,000 should he earn his performance bonuses. Sideroff was chosen 84th overall out of Kamploops in the WHL and finished his junior career with 39 goals and 109 points in 141 games. He also appeared in one contest with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, and will likely spend much of the upcoming season there.
- Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News has an interesting piece on 2017 draft prospect Kailer Yamamoto, who some scouts “cautiously” compare to Johnny Gaudreau. Yamamoto, grew up in the Spokane, Washington area and was taught to skate by the mother of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Johnson. Yamamoto is close with Johnson and considers the Lighting sniper to be a “role model”. While it’s premature and probably unfair to compare Yamamoto to any established NHL player, much less one of Gaudreau’s caliber, it does seem quite possible we’ll hear his name called early on during the 2017 draft.