Snapshots: Islanders, Dumba, Fischer, Penguins
The Islanders are likely finished with their free agent shopping this offseason, reports Newsday’s Arthur Staple. The team still has to re-sign Ryan Strome, Alan Quine, and Scott Mayfield which should pretty well eat up the remainder of the roughly $4.9MM they have in cap space, as per Cap Friendly.
Still from Staple, he notes that the Islanders currently have a bit of a goalie logjam with Jaroslav Halak, Thomas Greiss, and J-F Berube all on one-way contracts. That situation isn’t likely to be resolved until training camp and further throwing a wrench into that battle is the fact that Halak and Greiss are two of the three netminders for Team Europe at the upcoming World Cup and won’t be with the team most of the preseason. That should allow Berube to see a lot of exhibition action for the Isles.
More news and notes from around the league:
- In a radio interview this morning and transcribed by Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot, Minnesota GM Chuck Fletcher characterized discussions with RFA defenseman Mathew Dumba as fine and that they will “be able to come up with a deal here sometime in the next few weeks”. The 21 year old Dumba had 10 goals and 16 assists in 81 games with the Wild last season.
- Arizona prospect Christian Fischer could pose an interesting dilemma for the Coyotes this coming season, writes Craig Morgan of ArizonaSports.com. Fischer made a strong impression at development camp and if he doesn’t crack Arizona’s roster, the 19 year old has the option of being assigned back to junior or to the AHL as he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL and there are certainly pros and cons to each route.
- Pittsburgh has spent $1.65MM in guaranteed money for seven depth offseason additions, a trend that reflects the rising AHL salaries across the league, writes Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Of course, the trade-off for giving those players a higher minor league salary is the willingness for them to take an NHL salary for $575K, the league minimum which provides teams like the Penguins greater salary cap flexibility with the players towards the end of their rosters.
Atlantic Notes: Vesey, Kane, Red Wings, Stamkos
While he is still expected to test the free agent market on August 15th when his negotiating rights expire, Jimmy Vesey will sit down with representatives from the Sabres on Thursday, writes Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com. Buffalo traded a third round pick in last month’s draft for the rights to talk to him early and to get to make their pitch to him before anyone else can.
Toronto and Boston are also believed to be on Vesey’s shortlist though he’ll undoubtedly have no shortage of suitors once he’s able to talk to all teams in mid-August.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Still with the Sabres, winger Evander Kane will face non-criminal harassment charges stemming from a bar incident on June 24th, reports Lou Michel of the Buffalo News.
- While Detroit GM Ken Holland acknowledges that the team would still like to add some help on defense, it may take a while for that to happen as he told Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News that a decision may not be made until September. The Red Wings appear to currently have a surplus of forwards that could potentially be used to acquire a blueliner but it may take until training camp to sort out which ones could possibly be expendable, depending on the continued development of youngsters such as Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou.
- Tampa Bay C Steven Stamkos doesn’t appear to have any lingering effects from the blood clot that caused him to miss most of the playoffs, telling Lightning beat writer Bryan Burns that he is already into his full offseason workout routine. That’s certainly a positive sign for both him and the team after Stamkos agreed to the richest deal of the offseason at eight years and $68MM.
Minor Transactions: 7/7/16
Here is where we’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions:
- The Penguins announced that they have signed forward Garrett Wilson to a one year, two-way contract. The deal would pay him the league minimum $575K if he plays at the NHL level. Last season, Wilson suited up in 29 regular season games with Florida, being held pointless with 24 PIMS. He also added an assist in six postseason contests.
- Defenseman Christopher Breen has re-signed with the Bruins, but on an AHL-only deal to play in Providence, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal. Breen last played in the NHL with Calgary in 2013-14, picking up a pair of assists in nine games.
Devils Re-Sign Kyle Palmieri To a Five Year Deal
New Jersey has avoided arbitration with Kyle Palmieri as the team announced Thursday that they have re-signed him to a five year, $23.25MM contract.
Last season, Palmieri was the Devils’ top point getter, collecting 30 goals and 27 assists while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career. He also averaged a career high 17:48 of ice time per game. His 57 points nearly doubled his previous career high of 31, set with Anaheim back in 2013-14.
New Jersey acquired Palmieri from the Ducks back at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for a 2nd round pick in 2015 and a 3rd rounder in 2016, a move that looks like a bargain after how he performed last season.
In his career, Palmieri has played in 280 NHL games between Anaheim and New Jersey, scoring 73 goals and 73 assists while averaging 14:01 per night. He projects to remain the top line right winger for the Devils, potentially alongside Adam Henrique and the recently-acquired Taylor Hall.
The breakdown of the deal in terms of salary is as follows:
2016-17: $4.5MM
2017-18: $4.5MM
2018-19: $5MM
2019-20: $5MM
2020-21: $4.25MM
The Devils have a pair of remaining restricted free agents to sign this offseason, forward Reid Boucher and defenseman Reece Scarlett. They have just over $13MM in remaining cap space according to Cap Friendly.
Matt Carkner Announces Retirement
Matt Carkner is walking away from hockey at 35 years old, he announced today. The veteran grinder, who last played an NHL game in 2014, announced his retirement with a Facebook post thanking his friends, family, fans, and past teams. While he may be done as a player, his hockey career is not over. Carkner added that he will has been named an assistant coach by the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the team he spent the past two seasons with.
Carkner was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1999 NHL Draft, taken 58th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. He made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks in 2005, but played the bulk of his NHL career with the Ottawa Senators from 2008 to 2012. Carkner became known for his physical play and aggressive style during this time, with 190 penalty minutes in the ’09-’10 season and then 136 penalty minutes in only 50 games during the ’10-’11 season. Carkner played his final two NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, where he was again a physical presence, but also as a strong locker room leader. The past two seasons, he has provided that same veteran knowledge and guidance to the young players on the Islanders’ affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Although Carkner may not necessarily be remembered for his hockey skill (21 points in 161 career games) at the NHL level, his presence on the ice and in the locker room made him a memorable player, and he will continue to have an impact on the game of hockey, as he begins a promising coaching career.
Under The Cap Floor: Carolina Hurricanes
Despite taking on the expensive contract of Bryan Bickell in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks that also netted the team young forward Teuvo Teravainen, the Carolina Hurricanes remain the only team in the league that is still projected to fall short of the NHL’s $54MM salary cap floor.
Bickell and Teravainen join Lee Stempniak and Viktor Stalberg as new acquisitions looking to make a difference in Raleigh this season. The Hurricanes finished tenth in the Eastern Conference last year and will return much of the team that got them to that point. Other than trade deadline departures Eric Staal, John-Michael Liles, and Kris Versteeg, the only major contributor to leave is Riley Nash, who signed with the Boston Bruins.
While Carolina hopes that their newest members are enough to put them over the top and get them into the playoffs, as of right now they are not enough to get them over the salary cap floor. As it stands right now, the Hurricanes have about 18 players under contract that are on one-way contracts or are a lock to make the 2016-2017 squad, and those players make up less than $50MM dollars in aggregate cap hit. The simple solution may be to just add from within. Last year’s breakout star and current restricted free agent Victor Rask did not file for arbitration by yesterday’s deadline, but the two sides are likely to agree on a multi-million dollar contract that will work towards the cap floor. Smaller cap hits such as that of restricted free agent defenseman Ryan Murphy or top prospects looking to earn a spot on the roster like Haydn Fleury, Sebastian Aho, and Aleksi Saarela will also help the Hurricanes inch toward the $54MM minimum.
However, if that is not enough to get them over the cap floor, the Hurricanes still have plenty of options left on the free agency market. A glaring hole on the roster right now is the lack of right-handed shooting forwards. The newly signed Lee Stempniak joins Elias Lindholm as the only experienced righties on the team as of now. Carolina could bring back a familiar face in Kris Versteeg (ranked 25th in our Top 50 Free Agents) or could look to add another veteran in Radim Vrbata (27), and both would likely cost $2MM+ on a one-year contract. If the Hurricanes are closer to the cap, they could take their chances on a cheap one-year deal for a veteran like Brad Boyes (47), Tyler Kennedy, or David Jones. However, with a young, rebuilding team, Carolina’s resources may be better spent on a younger player in need of a change in scenery, like Sam Gagner (46), Cody Hodgson, Ben Smith, or Stephen Gionta.
Teams never fail to find a way to get to the cap floor, even if it is through unique strategies. The Hurricanes are well aware of their salary cap situation, as evidenced by the Bickell trade, but remain a team to keep an eye on this off-season until the payroll is comfortably over $54MM.
Minor Transactions: 07/06/16
A few minor moves were made today to fill out minor league rosters:
- Blues’ prospect Jake Walman will head back to Providence College this season for his third year at the school, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. After putting up 28 points in 27 games last season, Walman’s year was cut short by a shoulder injury that needed surgery.
- According to General Fanager, T.J Hensick has signed an AHL contract with the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ affiliate. Hensick last played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues in 2010-11, and has 38 points in 112 NHL games.
- Also with the Reign, Paul Bissonnette has signed on after an entertaining social media presence over the last few days. Bissonnette, a veteran of 202 NHL games, let fans in on all his conversations with various clubs and players, even sharing that he’d be tricked by a friend into believing Nashville had offered him a contract.
- Ryan Bourque, son of former NHLer Ray who was in court today, has re-signed with the Hershey Bears after being traded to them midseason last year. Bourque was part of the Calder Cup run that took Hershey all the way to the finals before losing to the Lake Erie Monsters. A former third round pick of the Bruins, Bourque has played one game in the NHL to date. He returns to Hershey to play alongside his brother, Chris. The Bears additionally announced that they had re-signed Dustin Gazley and also that they have inked former Boston College standout goalie Parker Milner.
- The Red Wings have signed goaltender Jared Coreau to a two-year deal, according to a team release. Coreau was one of the 24 players to file for salary arbitration yesterday. The 24-year old spent last season in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Wings Notes: Mrazek, Howard, DeKeyser
When the list of 24 players who filed for arbitration was released by the NHLPA yesterday, the absence of certain names stuck out like a sore thumb. As we touched on, young Detroit netminder Petr Mrazek was among the most prominent names that were left off.
Now, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News reports in his latest column that the Red Wings are likely to take Mrazek to arbitration themselves, filing before today’s deadline of 6pm. Detroit was the only NHL team to take a player to arbitration by today’s deadline. For more on how the arbitration process works, check out the first part of our guide. Here are more notes from Campbell’s column:
- As Mrazek deals with his arbitration uncertainty, the other goalie in the Motor City is unsure of his future with the club as well. Campbell tells us that Ken Holland has said trading Jimmy Howard would be “good for the organization”. Earlier this summer, we reported that Holland has also said Mrazek will definitely be the Wings’ number one goalie this season, meaning that Howard – and his $5.3MM cap hit – may find himself playing somewhere else in 2016-17.
- It sounds much more positive on the Danny DeKeyser front however, as Campbell reports that the star blueliner is close to a deal with the club that will pay him somewhere in the $5MM range. DeKeyser filed for arbitration yesterday, but can still negotiate with the team until his hearing. After three solid seasons in the NHL, DeKeyser is looking to sign a long-term deal with his home town team.
Calgary Flames To Hire Cameron, Jerrard As Assistant Coaches
After Dave Cameron was spotted helping out in Flames development camp over the past few days, the team has confirmed that they will hire him as an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
Cameron was the head coach of the Ottawa Senators for a year and a half after taking over from Paul McLean during the 2014-15 season. He was fired from that position after the Senators took a major step back and missed the playoffs, despite a winning record.
A long-time OHL head coach with the St. Michael’s Majors, Cameron is still revered as an excellent bench boss and will join new head coach Glen Gulutzan on what is shaping up to be a good staff.
The team also announced the hiring of Paul Jerrard as another assistant, and both men will join Gulutzan and the returning Martin Gelinas behind the bench for the Flames this season. Jerrard last coached with the Utica Comets, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, and has experience with the Dallas Stars in the NHL.
Per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet, Cameron will be in charge of the powerplay in Calgary, while Jerrard takes on penalty kill schemes. Ottawa was in the bottom five in powerplay percentage last season, despite having one of the best point men in the league. Perhaps in Calgary Cameron will have better success.
East Notes: Bourque, Vesey, Cullen
After being arrested last month on DUI charges, former Boston Bruin great Ray Bourque will appear in court today try and resolve the charge reports The Denver Post. Bourque, now 55, rear-ended a minivan on June 24th while his blood-alcohol level was 0.249, three times the legal limit. Here is some more news from the Eastern Conference:
- Kristen Shilton of TSN gives us another snippet in the Jimmy Vesey saga, this time from brother Nolan who is participating in Leafs development camp. “Jimmy’s going to make his own decision. August 15th comes around and he’ll make the best decision for himself.” said Nolan Vesey, before admitting he has thought about the idea of playing with his brother. Jim Vesey Sr. is also a part of Leafs camp, as the team hired him on as a scout late last year.
- Despite currently projecting as over next year’s salary cap, Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford told Josh Yohe of DK Pittsburgh Sports (subscription needed) that he still believes he can fit Matt Cullen and Justin Schultz in, should they decide to return. The 39-year old Cullen has yet to make up his mind about a potential retirement, and Schultz was recently not tendered a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. We recently included him on our top five remaining options for the blueline.