NHL Dismisses Arbitrator James Oldham
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Snapshots: Rieder, Prust, LaBarbera
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
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.
Atlantic Notes: Boston, Brassard, Stamkos
Yesterday, Boston completed an under-the-radar coaching move, promoting Kevin Dean to head coach with the Providence Bruins. Dean has been part of the Bruins organization for a long time now, including spending the last five seasons as an assistant in Providence.
With his promotion, current NHL bench boss Claude Julien‘s rear-end is now squarely on the hot seat (if it wasn’t already, after missing the playoffs for two straight seasons), and another disappointing year may cause the loyal Dean to make another jump. The 47-year old’s best skill may be his ability to develop young defensemen, and will have a strong group to work with in the AHL this season.
- Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citzen writes that experience was a big factor in the Senators’ decision to trade for Derick Brassard yesterday. The team had to give up 23-year old Mika Zibanejad to do it, but they feel that the veteran Brassard was worth the loss. With 563 NHL games under his belt, the 28-year old has established himself as a legitimate second-line center in the NHL, capable of playing in both ends of the rink. He and Zibanejad will try to build on 2015-16 with their new clubs, after each scored 50+ points last year.
- Yesterday agent Pat Morris was on TSN 1050 discussing the interview window that Steven Stamkos experienced before ultimately re-signing with Tampa Bay this year, and (via Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot) confirmed that a team could have sponsorship representatives in the meeting with the player to entice him somewhat. When asked if the Canadian Tire CEO was in the Maple Leafs meeting, Morris was a little diplomatic in his answer: “If there were any meetings, and if Canadian Tire was there, Canadian Tire owns Sport Chek, and Steven Stamkos has an existing deal with that company.”
Current Status Of Top-Ten Draft Picks
As we approach a month since the NHL Entry Draft took place, teams have started to lock up their newest talents to lucrative deals and will soon begin the process of determining where they’ll play next season (if they haven’t already). For some, the contract seemed a mere formality and was signed within days of the draft; for others, their continuing negotiations are like torture for the fans that have already put in a pre-order for a dozen jerseys, and promised to name their next child Auston, Clayton, or Tyson.
Here is the current status of each of the top ten picks of the 2016 NHL draft:
(Annual average value (AAV) includes potential performance bonuses.)
- Auston Matthews (TOR) – Unsigned – Matthews continues to negotiate with the Maple Leafs on his entry-level deal, though all signs point to an amiable discussion so far. With GM Lou Lamoriello’s known opposition to incentive-laden contracts, perhaps the Maple Leafs and first-overall pick are working out something a little more creative to reward Matthews.
- Patrik Laine (WPG) – Signed, July 3rd: Three years, $3.575MM AAV – After moving up four spots in the draft lottery, Winnipeg was given the chance to draft a potential franchise-altering player in Laine, and they didn’t take long to lock him up. The Finnish winger is an elite goal scoring talent that should step into the NHL right away and be a threat for the Calder trophy. He came in just $200K under the maximum allowed for players signing their ELC.
- Pierre-Luc Dubois (CBJ) – Signed, June 29th: Three years, $3.425MM AAV – The Blue Jackets also moved up after winning a lottery spot, and were expected by many to pick Jesse Puljujarvi, the other Finnish winger who had long been a top choice by scouts. Instead, the team looked down the middle and took the second ranked center in Dubois. Though he’ll probably head back to the QMJHL for another season, Dubois has an extremely high ceiling capable of being a number one center – Columbus will give him every chance to reach it.
- Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM) – Signed, July 13th: Three years, $3.425MM AAV – Even with the glut of young forwards Edmonton already had, they couldn’t pass up a chance at Puljujarvi after he fell to four. They tried to trade the pick but couldn’t find fair value for it, and so added the young Finn to their group. Perhaps that led them to the decision that Taylor Hall was expendable, as they have another elite talent on the wing (though he and Hall normally play opposite sides) that could jump to the NHL right away.
- Olli Juolevi (VAN) – Unsigned – The first defenseman taken in this year’s draft, Juolevi was a rising talent after his Memorial Cup victory with the London Knights. Capable of playing in any situation, Juolevi is as good of a defensive prospect as you can expect to get with the fifth overall pick. Perhaps not a franchise player, he’ll be a big part of Vancouver’s blueline for years to come – that is, whenever he signs his first contract.
- Matthew Tkachuk (CGY) – Signed, July 7th: Three years, $1.775MM AAV – The Flames’ front office must have been ecstatic when Tkachuk was still available when their turn came, as he’s exactly the type of player that President Brian Burke loves. Tkachuck, son of former NHL great Keith, agreed to a deal that will max-out under $2MM even if he hits all of his bonuses. If he turns into the player many believe him to be, at some point skating alongside new Flames’ right-winger Troy Brouwer would be an imposing sight to be sure.
- Clayton Keller (ARZ) – Unsigned – The Arizona Coyotes followed Columbus’ lead and took a center with their first pick of the round (they would later trade for the 16th overall pick to select D Jakob Chychrun) but haven’t signed the USA standout. As we reported yesterday, Keller is standing by his commitment to head to Boston University next season, though the Windsor Spitfires are doing everything they can to bring him to the OHL. He likely won’t sign with the Coyotes until he’s ready to make the jump from the NCAA.
- Alexander Nylander (BUF) – Signed, July 15th: Three years, $1.775MM AAV – The younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs center William and son of former NHLer Michael, Nylander is expected to play a big part in the re-build for Buffalo over the next few seasons. With the team hitting rock bottom last year, they are on a steady climb upwards and have perhaps turned a corner with the huge signing of Kyle Okposo this summer. Nylander has impressed many at camp with his blend of skating ability and hard shot.
- Mikhail Sergachev (MTL) – Signed, July 1st: Three years, $1.775MM AAV – Sergachev is an interesting case, as he came over in the OHL’s import draft and made an impact in his rookie season, winning the Max Kaminsky trophy as the league’s top blueliner. Many think he’ll head back to Windsor for another season, but there has been rumbling that he could crack the Canadiens roster as soon as this year. The left-handed shooting Russian is a born powerplay quarterback, and may eventually slide in next to Shea Weber on the top unit.
- Tyson Jost (COL) – Unsigned – Colorado reached into the BCHL to select Jost, an elite offensive talent out of Penticton, if a little undersized. He’ll be heading to the NCAA this year as well, as he’s committed to the University of North Dakota for 2016-17. This is the usual route for players out of Penticton, as since the CHL is deemed a professional league by the NCAA, the BCHL is the highest level of hockey in North America allowed before heading to college. Like Keller, don’t expect Jost to sign anytime soon.
For the other twenty picks of the first round, only Jake Bean and Julien Gauthier have signed as of yet. Many of the players selected here won’t sign a contract until their 2016-17 assignment/league has been decided. Keep an eye on PHR and Roster Resource to track when they sign and where they’re headed next season.