Blues Re-Sign Dmitrij Jaskin
The Blues have announced the re-signing of forward Dmitrij Jaskin to a two year contract. According to Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland, the deal is worth $1MM in each of the two years.
Jaskin played in 65 regular season games with St. Louis last season (his first full NHL campaign), collecting 4 goals and 9 assists while averaging 11:52 of ice time per game. He also suited up in 6 postseason contests, picking up a goal and an assist though his average time per game dropped all the way down to 8:08.
The 23 year old Jaskin was a second round selection of the Blues (41st overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. In 139 career NHL games, he has 18 goals and 15 assists.
Flyers Buy Out R.J. Umberger
2:37 PM: The Flyers have officially announced that they have bought out the final year of Umberger’s contract. Because Umberger had a no-movement clause in his contract, he was eligible to elect to bypass the waiver process and immediately be bought out which he did.
11:12 AM: TSN’s Frank Seravalli tweets that the Flyers are likely to buy out the contract of forward R.J. Umberger. The year remaining comes with a cap hit of $4.6MM. CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio tweeted later that general manager Ron Hextall confirmed that the club was in the process of the buyout.
According to CapFriendly, the buyout will keep $1.6MM on the books for the 2016-2017 season and $1.5MM for the 2017-2018 season. The deal saves them $3MM.
The 34-year-old struggled to live up to the expectations of his contract. Signed by the Blue Jackets in 2012, Umberger was shipped to the Flyers with a draft pick for Scott Hartnell in 2014. Umberger never come close to scoring 20 goals as he did earlier in his career. As his production waned, a buyout became more likely.
Avalanche Notes: Barrie, MacKinnon
Despite rumors to the contrary, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie is going nowhere reports Denver Post writer Mike Chambers. Chambers secured an exclusive interview with general manager Joe Sakic who indicated that though negotiations could end in discussions with an arbitrator, Barrie is expected to remain a member of the organization. Barrie made $3.2MM last season and is projected to receive a bump along with a long term deal.
Sakic is also set to negotiate with star forward Nathan MacKinnon, who saw his entry level deal expire. MacKinnon had 52 points (21-31) during the 2015-2016 season. The #1 overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft, Chambers reports that MacKinnon is considered part of the core group that includes Gabe Landeskog, Matt Duchene, Erik Johnson, Semyon Varlamov and Barrie. He should receive a hefty raise as a result, whether it comes through a bridge or long term deal.
While the Avs have been unable to make the playoffs since their promising 2013-2014 campaign, Sakic’s patience shows that Colorado is far from making any wholesale changes. While speculation has run rampant over the future of the Avs, it appears Sakic is fine with what he has and will add where he sees fit.
Snapshots: Kopitar, Bryzgalov, Malkin
According to the Los Angeles Kings team website, Anze Kopitar is set to become their next captain. Yahoo Sports also tweeted that the 28-year-old center was next in line after Dustin Brown.
Despite being the longest tenured captain in Kings’ history, Sports Illustrated’s Allan Muir reported that Brown had fallen out of favor with Kings brass as his production decreased. Muir also speculated that Kopitar would be named the next captain.
The LA Daily News’ Mark Whicker writes that Kopitar’s scoring prowess as well as status within the organization is what secured him as the next captain. Whicker adds that Brown can continue to show the leadership that helped guide the Kings to their first two Stanley Cups in franchise history as the transition is made.
More from the hockey world:
- Former NHL goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has announced his intent to come back to the NHL according to the NHLPA website. Bryzgalov last played for the Anaheim Ducks during the 2014-2015 season. The season’s long break apparently ignited the competitive fire in the 35-year-old goalie. Pro Hockey Talk’s Mike Halford writes that it may be a longshot for a comeback.
- Evgeni Malkin may need elbow surgery writes the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Jenn Menendez. Malkin is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow to examine the extent of the damage. Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford indicated the injury was serious enough, but admitted that the severity of the injury was still unknown. Malkin had 18 points (6-12) in 23 playoff games.
Hurricanes Re-Sign Cam Ward
The Carolina Hurricanes confirmed that they have re-signed goalie Cam Ward to a 2-year deal. According to the press release, Ward will make $3.5MM in the first year (2016-2017 season), and $3.1MM in the second (2017-2018 season). TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted earlier that the Hurricanes were reportedly close to re-signing the veteran goalie. The deal also includes a modified no trade clause, according to CapFriendly. The salary cap hit will be $3.3MM through the 2017-2018 season.
The 32-year-old netminder is coming off of a 6 year/$37.8MM deal. Last season, Ward posted 23 wins and a .909 save percentage.
Blackhawks Notes: Re-Signing Shaw, Panarin
After yesterday’s trade that sent Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a couple of draft picks, more in the media are reporting how the move was made to secure restricted free agent Andrew Shaw. But it also appears to be a move made to keep another important winger in the fold.
CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers reports that not only are the Blackhawks keen on getting a deal done with Shaw by the end of the NHL Draft, but they are also looking ahead at re-signing Artemi Panarin once they can begin in July (per CBA rules). Chicago Tribune writer Chris Hine also tweeted that Shaw’s agent will meet with the Blackhawks at the draft to nail down a contract.
The interesting point in all of this is that while Panarin had an unbelievable season, general manager Stan Bowman is still moving with caution. Bowman had a tough year with trades as moves for Trevor Daley, and Andrew Ladd didn’t pan out the way he anticipated. Ladd, while effective, didn’t bring the goal scoring or production Bowman hoped for when he traded for the winger in February. Daley never meshed with the Blackhawks after a trade that surrendered fan favorite Patrick Sharp and top prospect Stephen Johns. Sharp helped the Stars to a Central Division title while Johns became a contributor near the end of the season and into the playoffs. Daley was dumped to the Penguins for veteran Rob Scuderi in a move widely seen as a way to move salary and give Daley the opportunity to play somewhere else. It worked for Daley–he played a major role in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Stanley Cup run before succumbing to an ankle injury in the Eastern Conference Final. Scuderi, meanwhile, was flipped for Christian Ehrhoff, who rarely played in Chicago.
Bickell’s albatross of a contract will also remain a cautionary tale for anything Bowman chooses to do in the future. Bickell cashed in on his unbelievable performance in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. At the time, Bickell was rumored to get anywhere from $5MM-$6MM on the open market. The deal sealed by Bowman at the time was seen as a tremendous discount.
Regardless, most pundits will give Bowman the benefit of the doubt when it comes to offering Shaw a new contract because the organization has won 3 Stanley Cups under his watch. The Shaw move is seen as a way to acknowledge the wishes of head coach Joel Quenneville who called Shaw “irreplaceable” back in April. Whether Shaw is as irreplaceable as Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane remains to be seen, but Shaw’s presence has been noted during Chicago’s run of success.
Panarin, on the other hand, put up dizzying numbers in his first NHL season. Once negotiations can begin in July, it will be another test on Bowman’s part in giving him a contract he deserves, but keeping the contract reasonable. Rookies scoring 30 goals in a season doesn’t happen often and the Hawks know that. Bowman will show prudence, but few will question him if it’s Panarin, and not Shaw, who benefits more from the departure of Bickell and Teravainen.
Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks
It’s going to be another painful summer in Chicago, but this time, there’s no Stanley Cup to soothe fans. On Tuesday, the Blackhawks traded promising young forward Teuvo Teravainen to Carolina to dump the salary of Bryan Bickell.
It was a mixed-bag of a season in the Windy City. The team’s Championship defence started out with star forward Patrick Kane under investigation for allegedly raping a woman at his New York home. The charges were later dropped. Kane teamed up with rookie Artemi Panarin to score a career-high 106 points and win the Art Ross Trophy. Panarin, in his first NHL season after six years in the KHL, finished in the top 10 scorers in the league. The Blackhawks finished third in the tightly-contested Central Division and lost to rival St. Louis Blues in 7 games.
Projected Cap Space: $8.4MM, 16 players under contract.
Key Restricted Free Agents: Andrew Shaw – the pesky forward scored 34 points this season, the second highest total of his career. He’s coming off a controversial playoffs where he was suspended for using a homophobic slur towards a referee after making an inappropriate hand gesture. Shaw has been a favourite of coach Joel Quenneville, but was doubtful to return before Tuesday’s trade. Chicago Sun-Times writer Mark Lazerus reported that the Blackhawks fully expect to be able to re-sign Shaw. Expect the deal to be for 3 or more years north of $3MM per.
Other RFAs: Dennis Rasmussen
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Andrew Ladd, Dale Weise – the pair of wingers were acquired at the trade deadline as the Blackhawks loaded up for a Cup run. Both players are expected to test the open market as Chicago doesn’t have cap space to sign either at close to their market-value.
Other UFAs: Christian Ehrhoff, Tomas Fleischmann, Michael Leighton, Brandon Mashinter, Michal Rosival.
Outlook: The Blackhawks need at least 5 forwards, a couple defensemen, and a third string goalie. Don’t expect any of those players to have a salary above $1MM.
With $48.78MM invested in their 7-player core of Jonathon Toews, Kane, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Corey Crawford, money is going to be tight to re-sign Shaw, round out their roster, and prepare for Panarin’s new contract next season.
With regards to the expected expansion draft next summer, the Blackhawks do not have much to worry about, as they will be able to protect all their important pieces. Chicago does not have a first round pick in the upcoming draft.
Free Agent Focus: Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers saw drastic improvement in 2015-16, winning the Atlantic Division with a 47-26-9 record. They made the playoffs for just the second time this century, but lost in six games to the New York Islanders. The team was well-rounded, with young forwards Sasha Barkov, Nick Bjugstad, and Jonathan Huberdeau learning under legend Jaromir Jagr up front and franchise defenceman Aaron Ekblad developing nicely on the back-end. Veteran goaltender Roberto Luongo turned in an All-Star performance.
Despite winning their first ever division title on the backs of their young talent, the Panthers fired their head scout in May. Scott Luce had been with the team since 2003. The team also promoted GM Dale Tallon to President of Hockey Operations and replaced him Tom Rowe, the associate GM. The team also made a pair of intriguing trades, sending tough D Erik Gudbranson to Vancouver for picks and getting rid of the contract of Marc Savard.
Projected Cap Space: $20.8MM, 18 players under contract
Key Restricted Free Agent: Vincent Trochek enjoyed a tremendous break-out season with 53 points in 76 games. His 25 goals were tied with Reilly Smith for second most on the Panthers. The two-way centre missed the end of the regular season with a fractured fibula. He returned for game 5 of the post-season, posting a single assist in two losses.
The undersized Trochek will likely be looking for a similar, if not bigger, contract to the one Riley Sheahan signed today.
Other RFAs: Quinton Howden, Greg McKegg
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Defenceman Brian Campbell is no longer the top-pairing offensive dynamo he once was. But he’s still a dependable second or third pairing option to mentor the Panthers young defence core. He’s also in line for a significant pay cut from the $7.142MM annual salary he’s made since 2008.
Other pending UFA Jaromir Jagr has already been extended for another season.
Other Unrestricted Free Agents: Captain Willie Mitchell (retiring), rental wingers Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler, and backup goaltender Al Montoya.
The team will be looking for a taker for underperforming centre Dave Bolland, who scored just 5 points in 25 games last season but is making $5.5MM per season until 2019. Any trade involving Bolland would require a big sweetener, so a buyout is more likely. His health is also a potential roadblock in either case.
As well, the Panthers will be looking to acquire another goaltender. The 37-year-old Luongo has played 129 games in the last two seasons, so a solid young goaltender who can play 30 games would ease the workload and allow Luongo to be fresher for the playoffs.
Last year’s 11th overall pick, young power forward Lawson Crouse is expected to be given a long, hard look in training camp, but the team may also choose to acquire a winger to replace trade deadline rentals Purcell and Hudler.
The Panthers have plenty of cap space and new management looking to make a splash. However, new GM Tom Rowe must be wary of cap space heading into next off-season, with 11 players coming off the books including Ekblad, Smith, Huberdeau, Jagr, Dmitry Kulikov, and Alex Petrovic.
Capology 101: Player Contracts
The NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) restricts player contracts—called Standard Player Contracts or SPCs—in three ways: length, amount, and salary variability. Pro Hockey Rumors will give you a crash course in how the CBA defines legal SPCs, and uses fictional player phenom Francois Yakov to illustrate certain points.
Length
The CBA limits SPCs to a maximum term of seven years. Teams may sign its own players, however, to an eight-year SPC if the player was on its roster as of and since the trade deadline. This added option expires if a player reaches unrestricted free agency
Yakov played for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, and is four days away from becoming a UFA. Teams can offer Yakov contracts up to seven years in length. Toronto, Yakov’s team, can offer a contract up to eight years in length, but only up until July 1st. Once Yakov becomes a free agent Toronto loses the additional year advantage.
Amount
No contract can pay less than the minimum salary defined in the CBA, or more than 20% of the CBA’s upper limit (read: cap ceiling) in effect when the contract is signed.
Salary Variability
The CBA’s variability restrictions are a result of the NHL’s effort to curb front-loaded long-term contracts. The rules limit how much a player’s salary changes from year to year, and different restrictions apply if the SPC is front-loaded.
A contract is considered front-loaded if the majority of a player’s salary is paid in the first half of the SPC. The easiest way to determine that is to:
- Divide the contract term in two, and
- Add up all the salary paid in the first half. If the contract is for an odd amount of years, use half the salary in the middle year.
If the added salary in the first term is greater than the SPC’s cap hit, the SPC is front-loaded.
If a contract is front-loaded, two variability restrictions apply:
- Any change in salary/bonuses from year to year must not be more than 35% of the contract’s first year; and
- Any year’s salary must not be less than 50% of the SPC’s highest year’s salary.
So, if our Yakov makes 5MM his first year, salary change in any year cannot be more than by 1.75MM (35% of 5MM). Moreover, Yakov’s lowest salary year cannot be less than 50% of his highest salary year.
If a contract is not front-loaded, the CBA imposes two other variability restrictions:
- The difference in salary and bonuses from the first year to the second year must not be greater than the salary/bonus amount in the lower of those first two years; and
- In any subsequent year the salary/bonus amount cannot increase by more than the amount of the lower of the first two years, and cannot decrease by more than 50% of the amount of the lower of the first two years.
If our Yakov makes 5MM his first year, the second year cannot be lower than 2.5MM (2.5MM difference) or higher than 10MM (5MM difference. If he makes 5MM his first year, and 4MM his second year, any year-to-year salary increase cannot be by more than 4MM, and any salary decrease cannot be by more than 2MM.
The NHL CBA governs almost every aspect of the relationship between the players and the league. Defining a contract’s term, amount, and variability goes to the heart of the relationship, and was the product of intense bargaining during the lockout.
Canadiens COO Leaves Organization
The Montreal Canadiens Executive VP and COO Kevin Gilmore has left the organization to pursue other opportunities. Kevin was with the organization for five years, and was instrumental in landing lucrative longterm broadcasting contracts with RDS and Sportsnet. The departure was amicable, and the Canadiens say that it was understood from the beginning of Gilmore’s tenure that he would eventually leave.