Maple Leafs Reportedly Closing In On Jhonas Enroth
The Toronto Maple Leafs are close to signing goaltender Jhonas Enroth, according to a report from Sweden’s Expressen, an English translation of which can be found at The Leafs Nation. The report describes the talks as “advanced” and that the contract is “all but signed.”
Enroth, 28, began his career with the Buffalo Sabres last season, before being dealt mid-season to the Dallas Stars. He signed with the Los Angeles Kings as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2015. While in Los Angeles, he put up a .922 save percentage in 16 games. Enroth’s career save percentage sits at .911, and .922 while playing at even strength.
The NHL Can’t Have A Kevin Durant, Not Just Because Of The Cap
After NBA superstar Kevin Durant joined the record-breaking 73 win Golden State Warriors in free agency this year, a major question around all sports was whether it come happen outside of the NBA. It’s rare to see the best players join an already loaded team, but this is the second time this decade it’s happened in the NHL. So, you may ask, is it possible in hockey?
The NHL salary cap is more restrictive, and teams leave themselves with less room to work. NBA contract are a maximum of four or five years, so you don’t see declining former stars on the seventh or eighth years of their contracts weighing down their team’s cap situation. You’re also far less likely, in the NBA, to see depth players signed to longer term deals for significant money. Because there are certain mild exemptions to the NBA salary cap, like the ability to go over the cap if you pay a player the minimum allowable salary for a veteran, a team can, in theory, start an off-season with very few players on the roster, load up, and fill out the team with any of the many useful free agents willing to play for a chance to win a championship.
That’s not the only problem with the idea, but it relates to the next one. If NHL free agency was more similar to baseball, and players often signed purely for the highest bidder, free agency would be more active in general. Had Steven Stamkos decided he cared most about money, he could have joined the Toronto Maple Leafs or Buffalo Sabres. Because the monetary difference is smaller, and the best teams in hockey vary less year to year than in baseball, hockey players look for situations where they can win. This is similar to how NBA free agency works, but because of a more restrictive cap, it’s not like a player like Stamkos can look around find another legitimate contender willing to pay him more money. While it’ reported the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks were involved, it would have been hard to offer any more money than the Lightning, and with many of the Sharks best players getting older, it makes more sense for Stamkos to stay where he is. Other regulars in contention, the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, and Pittsburgh Penguins, plainly lacked the money to do so.
There’s also the difficulty of making it to free agency to begin with. A player can hit free agency at 25 if he starts in the NHL at 18, 26 for 19 year old debutants, and 27 for all others. Teams carry extraordinary leverage beyond that, and push for longer deals. If you have a player who ends the league at 19, and he plays out his rookie deal, and the team is impressed enough to push for an eight year deal, the player has little leverage to fight for a shorter deal, especially before arbitration, and risks any number of career and production threatening injuries trying to get a deal that makes them a free agent before they turn 30. In a physical sport like hockey, as much as the team wants to avoid a scenario where their star players hit free agency in their mid-twenties, players aren’t going to rush to turn down long term job security for a chance at cashing in, or playing with their friends, in their home towns, or for a contender any time soon.
The final point to remember is that if the NHL had a super-team, nobody would notice. In the NBA game, the starters play a higher percentage of the minutes, and the knowledge that Steph Curry, Kevin Durrant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are all on the floor at once is a constant. The Red Wings and Blackhawks both added Marian Hossa to loaded teams, and the Penguins last summer acquired Phil Kessel. But there are just so many minutes that end up geting played by bottom of the roster players, even a team as loaded as Pittsburgh is going to end up having times where the skaters on the ice are five guys you’ve never heard of.
If you’re a team looking to get a big name free agent who can impact your team in a serious way, there’s probably one way, and thats building a contender with low payroll contenders. It helps if, like the Blackhawks a few years ago, you manage to become that contender while your stars are on rookie deals. They managed to bring in Hossa, Brian Campbell, and Cristobal Huet. If you commit your money and term to the very best players, your depth is fairly easy to replace year in and year out, and it provides that flexibility. But until that happens, there’s not a great reason for the biggest names to test the market, or even think about some kind of super-team.
Snapshots: KHL, Burrows, Oilers, Blues, Moore
Former Blue Jackets’ forward Alexandre Picard and former Hurricanes’ defenseman Brett Bellemore, have signed today to play for Red Star Kalunin, the new KHL expansion team in China, according to KHL reporter Alvis Kalnins. Picard, 30, was taken eighth overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2004 entry draft, and last played in the NHL in 2010. Bellemore, 28, has played 121 NHL games, all with the Hurricanes, the last of which came in 2015.
Here are some more links from throughout the day.
- Canucks forward Alex Burrows is hopeful for a bounce back season in 2017, writes Dhiren Mahiben of The Hockey News. Burrows had just nine goals, 22 points last year, in what has to be considered one of the worst states of his career. As a 35 year old on the last year of his contract, he may be staring at the end of his NHL career, but Burrows tells Mahiben that he has been assured by management that there remains a spot for him in the lineup.
- Also from The Hockey News, Mike Brophy went over some of his scattered off-season thoughts. Among other subjects, Brophy speculates that Connor McDavid may be soon in line for the Oilers’ captaincy, and questions how long teams will continue to take chances on Buffalo Sabres’ forward Evander Kane. There were reports of the Sabres shopping Kane earlier this summer. Kane was recently charged with harassment after allegedly attacking two women in a bar.
- Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy writes today on the St. Louis Blues, and how they intend to move forward with their young core after losing veteran Brian Elliott, David Backes, and Troy Brouwer. As Wyshnyski discussed, the Blues will rely more heavily this year on their under-25 core, including Robby Fabbri, Colton Parayko, Jaden Schwartz, and Vladimir Tarasenko, as well as 26-year old defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
- Luke Fox of Sportsnet writes today about the future of former New York Rangers’ center Dominic Moore. Fox writes that the Rangers appear to have moved on, but that Moore, 35, has multiple offers on the table as he considers his future. Moore’s production has declined in recent years, but data suggests he’s been playing some of the tougher minutes in the NHL as of late.
Week In Review: 7/18/16 – 7/24/16
With the excitement of free agency mostly over, NHL teams are now taking care of housekeeping items like avoiding arbitration hearings with their remaining RFAs. Here’s a look back at the week that was.
Trades
July 18 – New York Rangers acquire C Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 2nd round pick from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for C Derick Brassard and a 2018 7th round pick.
Notable Signings
Marcus Johansson (Capitals) – avoided arbitration with a three-year, $13.75MM contract.
Mikhail Grigorenko (Avalanche) – the RFA forward signed a one-year contract worth $1.3MM before his arbitration hearing.
Chris Kreider (Rangers) – agreed to a four-year, $18.5MM contract, avoiding arbitration.
Kevin Hayes (Rangers) – avoided arbitration by signing a two-year contract worth $5.2MM.
Connor Carrick (Maple Leafs) – unlike many of the weeks signings, Carrick was not eligible for arbitration. He signed a two-year, $1.5MM contract.
Luke Schenn (Coyotes) – signed a two-year, $2.5MM contract in Arizona after splitting last season between the Flyers and Kings. Schenn was ranked 30th on our Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents List.
Waivers
Jordan Schroeder (Wild) – cleared waivers, then settled on a new one-year, $650K contract prior to his arbitration hearing.
Peter Holland (Maple Leafs) – Holland is not expected to be back with the Maple Leafs next season after clearing waivers ahead of his upcoming arbitration hearing.
Notable Prospect Signings
Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs) – three-year entry-level deal
Jack Roslovic (Jets) – three-year entry-level deal
Retirements
Brad Richards (Red Wings) – The veteran center announced his retirement on July 20. Richards scored 932 points in 1126 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Richards won two Stanley Cups: 2004 with the Lightning and 2015 with the Blackhawks. Richards was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2004.
Sunday Snapshots: KHL, Corrado, Schenn
The KHL’s Chinese expansion team, Kunlun Red Star, has signed three former NHLers prior to their first exhibition game, according to KHL insider Aivis Kalnins.
Sean Collins, a 27-year-old center from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, spent last season with the Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate in Hershey and appeared in two NHL games with the Capitals; winger Alexandre Picard, a former 8th overall pick by Columbus in 2004, played 67 games with the Blue Jackets over parts of five seasons before spending the last four seasons in Switzerland; former Hurricanes defenseman Brett Bellemore also signed with Red Star after spending last season with Providence of the AHL.
Kunlun played its first exhibition game on Sunday morning versus Traktor Chelyabinsk in Finland.
More snapshots from around the hockey world:
- The Maple Leafs and their RFA defenseman Frankie Corrado have filed briefs ahead of their upcoming arbitration case. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the team’s offers are worth $625K/ $125K on a two-way contract or $575K for a one-way contract. Corrado’s asking price is $900K.
- Newly-signed Coyotes defenseman Luke Schenn told the team’s website that he’s looking forward to being able to grow as a player in a market without as much added pressure as he’s previously experienced. Schenn has played most of his career in major hockey markets Toronto, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
Las Vegas And The 2017 Entry Draft
With the 2016 NHL Draft well behind us and Central Scouting releasing its first 2017 Draft rankings, the focus now turns to next year’s group of prospects, including the presumptive top pick Nolan Patrick. The other big story line for next off-season will of course be the addition of the Las Vegas expansion team as the 31st member of the NHL, as well as the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. However, Las Vegas will also play a big role in next summer’s entry draft.
Fear not, fans of bottom-dwellers: Patrick will not just be handed to the Las Vegas TBD’s just because they are new to the league. Instead, Las Vegas will be given the same draft lottery odds as a team that finishes third to last in the league. This gives them an edge over the 2000 Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL’s most recent expansion teams who chose third and fourth respectively in their inaugural drafts, as Las Vegas will at least have a possibility of picking first overall. However, Las Vegas also stands the risk of falling as far as #6 overall if the lottery balls don’t bounce their way. There is nothing to be determined beyond the first round though; Las Vegas will pick third in each subsequent round.
The other draft factor that has the chance to be interesting is Las Vegas’ ability to trade picks. While the Expansion Draft will allow the team to hand-pick thirty players, and then additionally explore the free agency market, the team may wish to pursue players that have term on their contract and that would be unlikely to go unprotected. The only assets that Las Vegas will have to pursue such players before the Expansion Draft are their 2017 Entry Draft picks, which again will include a top-six pick and the third pick in the second and third rounds, all valuable selections. While GM George McPhee will already be facing the tall task of building a farm system from scratch and may not be willing to part with his draft assets, the potential for Las Vegas to add a franchise player at the 2017 Draft is also something to think about.
Patrick and his peers are surely excited enough at the possibility of being drafted into the NHL, but one of them will also have the title of the first ever draft pick of the Las Vegas franchise, making the 2017 NHL Entry Draft all the more interesting.
To Retire Or Not To Retire (Part Two)
That is the question, and after already asking it about four veterans last weekend, this week saw one prediction come true as Brad Richards called it a career. There are even more well-known veterans whose successful careers currently have an indefinite future. The NHL is getting younger and faster, and even the best veterans are being pushed out of the league earlier than ever. Meanwhile though, players like Jaromir Jagr, Shane Doan, and Zdeno Chara are still making a big difference for their teams well past their “prime” years. No one wants to retire while they still believe that they have gas in the tank and can help a team throughout the 82-game season, whether that be a contender in need of depth or a rebuild in need of leadership. The question is not totally on the player either; is there even a market for their services? The following players have had long, storied careers in the NHL, but as the summer continues to dwindle, they must decide whether they’re willing to keep playing, regardless of the team or contract, or if they’re ready to hang up the skates.
Alex Tanguay: 36 years old, 35 pts in 2015-16
Tanguay should still be playing in the NHL. There’s no question about it. At 36, he has shown few signs of slowing down. We had him ranked as #33 among our Top 50 Free Agents and recently profiled him as one of the most impactful free agents remaining on the market. So, if Tanguay isn’t on a roster in 2016-17, it will be completely due to the market. Twenty-three days into free agency now, it’s been all quiet on the forward front for Tanguay and several other high-profile players, and it seems to have less to do with the quality of the players and more to do with the demand for their services. However, Tanguay may have an edge over the others because of the strong veteran presence he can bring, a trait desired by both contenders and rebuilders. A veteran of over one thousand NHL games with close to 500 career points, Tanguay had 55 points with Colorado in 2014-15 and put up 35 more in 70 games between the Avs and the young Arizona Coyotes last year. Tanguay’s ability to contribute at that level has shown that the 35-year-old “point of no return” has not hit him as hard as it hits others, and should keep him in consideration this off-season. The locker room leader and two-way contributor has what it takes to continue his playing career, so as long as a team can find a spot for him, Tanguay should jump at the chance. Verdict: Keep Playing
Dennis Seidenberg: 35 years old, 12 pts in 2015-16
The former Bruins defensive stalwart, who turned 35 this week, has struggled the past couple seasons. Seidenberg is not far removed from being one of the most reliable defenseman in the game, and was a big part of Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup championship as one half of a dominant pair with fellow veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara. While it once seemed like Seidenberg was more than capable of playing at that level well into his late 30’s, injuries have derailed his career. After being limited to just 34 games in 2013-14, he returned in 2014-15, but looked like a very different player, and then skated in only 61 games last year for a disappointing Bruins defensive unit. Despite having a $4MM cap hit and a no-trade clause going into 2016-17, Seidenberg was surprised when the Bruins bought him out in June to open up cap space and more opportunity for their younger defenseman. The German star is very attached to the city of Boston, and there were rumblings that he would not approve a trade and would retire if the Bruins bought him out. To this point there has been nothing solid to confirm that he has plans to retire, but if he would like to stay in Boston at all costs, it seems like it won’t be as an NHL player. Teams could find a bargain if they can sign Seidenberg for a cheap deal and get him back to his 2012 form, but in all likelihood, that player is gone. It might be time for the Seidenberg to hang ’em up and move on to a new stage of his career. Verdict: Retire
Matt Cullen: 39 years old, 32 pts in 2015-16
Cullen was the best bargain in the NHL last year, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title at a price tag of just $800K. His 32 points over the course of a full 82-game schedule, followed by six more points over 24 playoff contests displayed a durability and dependability that is not often seen at his age. Cullen is set to turn 40 this next season, but the only question that remains is whether he will still be playing next season. While the simple choice for Cullen would be to go out on top as a Stanley Cup champ coming off of a strong season in his twilight years, the option to return to Pittsburgh remains open. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford expressed a desire to bring back both Cullen and defenseman Justin Schultz this off-season, and while many people pointed to the team’s depth and lack of cap space as reasons why that was unlikely (us included, who predicted that the 38th ranked Cullen would just retire in our Top 5o Free Agents), Schultz has already been re-signed. Cullen could be next, if Rutherford can squeeze him in. If the desire to continue playing is there for the 19-year veteran who has scored 35 points or more in eight of his last ten seasons, then there isn’t a better fit than a return to the Penguins. Verdict: Keep Playing
Marek Zidlicky: 39 years old, 16 pts in 2015-16
Zidlicky certainly knows the feeling of having to wait late into the off-season to find a taker for his services. He didn’t sign on with the Islanders last season until September 18th. He also knows that to keep your career alive at his age, you have to bounce around. Zidlicky played on a one-year deal last season with the Islanders, and split 2014-15 between the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings. So waiting to find the right team for another one-year deal is not something Zidlicky would struggle with. However, even though puck-moving defenseman seem to always be in demand, it seems like Zidlicky’s chances might have run out. At 38 years old, he managed to play in only 53 games, putting up the lowest point and ice time totals of his career. That alone would make it hard enough to find a team, but in a market where a 26-year-old with those same numbers (Luke Schenn) has to wait this far into free agency to sign, and younger possession defenseman like James Wisniewski, Kyle Quincey, and Matt Carle remain unsigned, Zidlicky is likely not a top consideration, even for the most D-needy teams. Verdict: Retire
Central Scouting Releases Initial 2017 Draft Rankings
Central Scouting today released its annual pre-season ranking of North American and European players eligible for the upcoming NHL entry draft. To nobody’s surprise, Brandon Wheat Kings center Nolan Patrick topped the list of North Americans. Patrick, born in September of 1998, put up 102 points in 71 games in the WHL this year, and added 30 more in just 21 playoff games.
The top ranked European-based prospect was Kristian Vesalainen, who turned 17 last month, and last year had two points in 19 games playing for Frolunda in Sweden. Other top prospects include Victoriaville’s Maxime Comtois, Kelowna’s Callan Foote, and Mississauga’s Nicolas Hague.
The list defines “North American” as a player who plays in a North American league, meaning that an American player playing in Europe, like Auston Matthews last year, would be ranked among the European skaters. Similarly, Swede Alex Nylander, who played last year for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads, was ranked among the North American skaters.
Unresolved Off-Season Stories
Most of the focus of the off-season is on the top unrestricted free agents. Most of them are off the board by now, but there are still plenty of pressing plotlines left to be explored. Whether it’s extension talks, possible trades, or area of needs for a particular team, there’s still plenty left to do. Here are some of the biggest issues that are yet to be resolved.
- Kevin Shattenkirk: The Blues’ defenseman has been subject to trade rumors all summer, and for much of his career, with various sources linking him to the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. Several sources reported that the Oilers could have had him in exchange for Taylor Hall, and balked because he remained unsigned, had no intention of re-signing, and prefers to play on the east coast. Shattenkirk grew up in Westchester, and given their tendency to sign big name free agents, one may wonder if “east coast” mostly means the New York Rangers. This late into the summer, the Blues may have decided to hold onto him, given how close they were to last year’s finals.
- Rangers’ Cap: The Rangers managed to clear some space trading Derick Brassard to the Ottawa Senators for fellow center Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers have a lot of work to do, after falling off from a hot start, being unceremoniously dumped out of the first round of the playoffs by the eventual champion Pittburgh Penguins, and once again relying heavily on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who turned 34 in March. The Rangers also had several expensive players disappoint last year, including Marc Staal (signed until 2021), Dan Girardi (2020), and Rick Nash (2018). If they are to make a move for Shattenkirk, or make many improvements at all, they’ll have to clear cap space. Their second buyout window may tempt them into cutting their losses with Girardi, and there’s been trade speculation surround Nash for a while now.
- Stars’ Goaltending: No playoff team allowed more goals than the Dallas Stars this year, and in the entire league, only the Calgary Flames had a lower team save percentage. Two of the top available goaltenders, former Blue Brian Elliott, now of the Flames, and former Duck Frederik Andersen, now of the Maple Leafs, are off the market. There’s been a lot of talk about Tampa Bay’s Ben Bishop, given his pending free agent status, the Lightning’s cap situation, and the percieved promise of backup Andrei Vasilevskiy, who turns 22 on Monday. Still, a Stanley Cup contender in Tampa Bay may not be keen on moving an established star in Bishop, the runner up for this year’s Vezina trophy, to run with someone unproven. There aren’t a lot of other option out there, though there’s been trade talk surrounding the Penguins’ Marc-Andre Fleury, and they may end up having to wait until mid-season to get a goaltender. Incumbents Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen are under contract at $10.4MM combined per year in the mean time.
- Ducks’ Budget: The Ducks don’t really have a lot of work to do this offseason. They never did, having won their division, and clearly deciding that coaching was the problem, rather than their core of players. Still, they’re a budget team, with just under $65MM in budgetary commitments, though some of that will be eased by the Maple Leafs, having already paid half of the newly acquired Jonathan Bernier‘s salary in his July signing bonus. But they still have to sign restricted free agents Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm, and the betting was on the Ducks moving one of their young defensemen this off-season. The Ducks would probably do just about anything possible to keep Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, or Josh Manson, but they’ve displayed a willingness to move Cam Fowler for the right price. It’s difficult to say what exactly they’ll do now, given that the market clearly isn’t paying the Ducks’ asking price for Fowler, but it’s more likely they’ll lower their price for him than let someone like Lindholm go.
Snapshots: Lightning, Subban, Patrick, Coyotes
The Bleacher Report’s Adrian Dater answered Twitter questions today, and when asked which team won the off-season, he went with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dater’s reasoning is popular, that GM Steve Yzerman managed to convince his biggest name player, Steven Stamkos, to stay at a price lower than many expected, he was able to re-sign Victor Hedman a year before free agency, and extended Alex Killorn as well, while leaving more than enough cap space to re-sign Nikita Kucherov long-term.
With respect to Dater, and he’s far from alone in saying this, it’s not really as thrilling as the names involved would imply. Yzerman carries a sort of reverence through the hockey world, and will be praised profusely with little effort, despite the fact that his accomplishments this off-season are mostly things contending team GMs do with little problem. Dallas Stars’ forward Jamie Benn also signed a long term contract a year out from free agency, and the Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have never really come close to the open market. Stamkos getting as far as speaking to other teams is an anomaly itself. After Yzerman’s messy situation with Stamkos’ mentor Martin St. Louis, his re-upping of a coach who Stamkos reportedly dislikes, and who played him out of position, his offer which was well below what others were willing to pay, and the trade demand by the team’s best young player in Jonathan Drouin, it’s fair to wonder if this was really a wooing by Yzerman, or if he Stamkos signed because he looked around at the other options and couldn’t find a fit. Yzerman has done some great work in Tampa, but Stamkos staying rather than taking more money from his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, or close to home Detroit Red Wings or Buffalo Sabres, is likely the result of the work Yzerman did years ago in making the Lightning a team a player wouldn’t want to leave to begin with. Yzerman’s best move of 2016 may just be not giving into Drouin’s trade demand, understanding the leverage he held, the attractiveness of the Lightning situation, and the fickleness of the typical 21 year old.
More snapshots from around the hockey world:
- NHL.com has some quotes on PK Subban today from around the Predators’ organization. Subban touches on the lack of distraction in Nasvhille, and GM David Poile responds to talk about Subban’s personality saying that while some would prefer a more homogeneous group, the Predators “don’t want that. We can’t win with 20 players that are exactly the same, either skill-wise or personality-wise. I want different types of players, and I want different personalities.”
- James O’Brien at NBC Pro Hockey Talk profiles the Brandon Wheat Kings’ Nolan Patrick today. Patrick, the son of former NHLer Steve Patrick, and newphew of former NHLer James Patrick, is expected to be taken with the first pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft.
- Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports quotes on Twitter Coyotes GM Jonathan Chayka suggesting that today’s signing of former Kings’ defenseman Luke Schenn could open up room for the team to offload an extra defenseman.