Andrew Ladd Turned Down $36MM Offer Before Season
Per TSN’s Darren Dreger, via Chris Nichols, the Winnipeg Jets offered Andrew Ladd a six-year deal worth $36MM before the start of the 2015-16 season. Ladd apparently pushed for $6.5MM a season, eventually breaking off talks. Dreger also thinks that the Jets wouldn’t come close to that amount now in either dollars or years. Ladd is an unrestricted free agent as of July 1st.
After being dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks mid-season, the 30-year old Ladd is headed out to free agency as a five-time twenty goal scorer well known for his leadership on and off the ice. The Thrashers/Jets captain from 2010-11, Ladd has two Stanley Cups under his belt, in 2006 with Carolina and 2010 with Chicago. He came back to the Blackhawks to pursue another championship, after it seemed clear he and the Jets weren’t going to come to terms. Winnipeg instead sunk their money into Dustin Byfuglien, betting on the big defenceman to stay elite for a few more seasons.
Ladd will have plenty of suitors this offseason, even if $6.5MM is a little out of reach. His size and scoring ability fits nicely as a complimentary player on the wing, able to play any kind of role in the top three lines.
Blackhawks Re-Sign Richard Panik
UPDATE 4:38 PM CST: Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston gives us details on the contract amount. It’s a one-year deal worth $875,000, which is actually less than he earned last season.
2:00 PM CST: The official team account has confirmed the signing.
1:35 PM CST: According to TSN’s James Mirtle, among other sources, the Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed forward Richard Panik to a one year contract. Panik came to Chicago in a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs in January that saw Jeremy Morin head the other way. After the deal Panik, who had been playing for the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate, was put on the top line with Jonathan Toews for long stretches.
A common linemate of Teuvo Teravainen who was dealt earlier today along with Bryan Bickell, Panik will give the Blackhawks an inexpensive skilled forward capable of playing anywhere on the top three lines. His performance in the playoffs this year was exceptional, and really cemented his place on this Blackhawk team going forward.
While the details of the contract are not yet known, Panik should come in with a relatively low cap-hit, somewhere in the $1MM range. That helps the Blackhawks, who without Panik have $62MM allocated to just 15 players. With Andrew Shaw still to be signed, and Artemi Panarin next season, this is a good follow-up move after losing Teravainen this morning.
Carolina Acquires Teravainen and Bickell From Blackhawks
UPDATE 4:11 PM CST: After the NHL released the draft order, it appears that the 2016 second round pick dealt to Chicago is actually the Rangers pick (#50 overall) that was used to acquire Eric Staal at this year’s trade deadline. Carolina will hold onto the #43 selection.
3:19 PM CST: Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times adds that the Blackhawks now fully expect to re-sign Andrew Shaw, after clearing room with the Bickell trade.
10:48 AM CST: According to the team Twitter account, the Carolina Hurricanes have acquired Teuvo Teravainen and Bryan Bickell from the Chicago Blackhawks. In return the Hawks will recieve a second round pick in 2016 and a third rounder in 2017. The Blackhawks, in cap trouble this year were expected to move or buy-out Bickell who had another $4 million dollars coming to him this season. The Blackhawks immediately regretted giving Bickell his current four-year $16MM dollar deal almost immediately, as the bottom six forward has only recorded 45 points in the first three years.
Teravainen on the other hand is a promising young forward and a tough price to pay to get rid of Bickell’s cap hit. The Finnish winger put up 35 points this season at just 21 and is still on his entry-level contract after being selected in the first round (12th overall) of the 2012 draft. The centre will now join a young group in Carolina and figure into their long-term plans.
The fact that Teravainen didn’t cost a first rounder is a testament to how badly the Hawks needed the cap relief provided by dealing Bickell. With Andrew Shaw‘s status as a restricted free agent this summer, the Blackhawks now at least have some room to try and bring him back. They now have just over $9MM in cap room with 15 forwards under contract.
NHL Releases Full 2016 Entry Draft Order
The NHL released the full draft order on Wednesday evening for the upcoming 2016 Entry Draft, and while they list the full round-by-round picks, we’ll provide a team-by-team breakdown. Here is each team and corresponding overall picks:
Toronto: 1, 30, 31, 57, 62, 72, 92, 101, 122, 152, 179, 182
Winnipeg: 2, 22, 36, 97, 127, 157, 187
Columbus: 3, 34, 65, 155, 185
Edmonton: 4, 32, 63, 84, 91, 123, 149, 153, 183
Vancouver: 5, 64, 140, 154, 184, 194
Calgary: 6, 35, 54, 56, 66, 96, 126, 156, 166, 186
Arizona: 7, 20, 37, 53, 68, 158, 188
Buffalo: 8, 38, 69, 76, 86, 89, 99, 129, 130, 159, 189, 190
Montreal: 9, 39, 45, 70, 100, 124, 160
Colorado: 10, 40, 71, 131, 161, 191
New Jersey: 11, 41, 73, 77, 102, 105, 132, 162, 192
Ottawa: 12, 42, 80, 103, 133, 163, 195
Carolina: 13, 21, 43, 67, 74, 75, 104, 134, 164
Boston: 14, 29, 49, 135, 136, 165
Minnesota: 15, 106, 196, 204
Detroit: 16, 46, 107, 137, 167, 197
Nashville: 17, 47, 78, 108, 138, 168, 198
Philadelphia: 18, 48, 52, 79, 82, 109, 139, 169, 172, 199
NY Islanders: 19, 110, 170, 193, 200
Florida: 23, 33, 94, 114, 174, 175
Anaheim: 24, 85, 93, 115, 205
Dallas: 25, 90, 116, 128, 146, 176
Washington: 26, 117, 145, 147, 177, 207
Tampa Bay: 27, 44, 58, 88, 118, 148, 178, 206, 208
St. Louis: 28, 59, 87, 119, 125, 209, 211
Chicago: 50, 83, 95, 113, 143, 144, 173, 203
Los Angeles: 51, 112, 142, 202
Pittsburgh: 55, 61, 121, 151, 181
NY Rangers: 81, 98, 141, 171, 201
San Jose: 111, 120, 150, 180, 210
Buyout Notes: Cowen, Bruins, Brown
The first window to buyout unwanted contracts begins Wednesday at 4pm CST, and the process has already begun with the Maple Leafs placing defenceman Jared Cowen on waivers early this morning in preparation to buy him out this evening. While Cowen was long-expected to be bought out, there are many others that will see their names bandied about in the coming weeks.
Bryan Bickell, expected to be bought out, was moved to Carolina earlier today along with Teuvo Teravainen for draft picks. Carolina will keep Bickell under contract as they will have trouble hitting the cap floor this season, and need veteran players to fill the bottom two lines. The window is open until June 30th, here are some other tidbits on upcoming buyouts:
- Still on Cowen, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox brings up an interesting point: due to a contract quirk the Maple Leafs will actually get a $650,000 cap credit for the 2016-17 season, while only paying a $750,000 hit in 2017-18. For the Maple Leafs, this credit gives them even more room to take on bad salary this season while they continue to rebuild.
- DJ Bean of WEEI in Boston reports that the Bruins aren’t ruling out using buyouts on multiple players, listing Jimmy Hayes and Dennis Seidenberg as candidates. As of early afternoon on Wednesday, Seidenberg had not been told anything in regards to receiving a buyout.
- The Hockey News noted that if the Los Angeles Kings did decide to use a buyout on Dustin Brown, his cap hit would stay with them until 2027-28, a tough pill to swallow. After losing the captaincy earlier this month, and posting his forth straight year of fewer than 30 points, the former USA Olympian is a tough sell to any team. With six years remaining at $5.875MM, Brown’s self-negotiated contract is one of the biggest anchors in the NHL.
Karl Alzner Undergoes Successful Surgery; Will Be Ready For 2016-17
Early Wednesday morning Washington Capitals’ defenceman Karl Alzner underwent successful sports hernia surgery, according to CaptialsToday.com. The 27-year old Alzner suffered the injury in the Capitals second-round matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is expected to be ready for the start of the season.
This means his current streak of 458 straight regular season games will not come to an end, as some had predicted as the Capitals were jettisoned from the playoffs. Alzner has blossomed into the player Washington hoped to get when they picked him fifth overall in 2007, as a rugged physical defenceman who oozed leadership. The defenceman logged over 21 minutes a night last season helping the Capitals to a President’s Trophy for the leagues top regular season team.
Headed into the last season of a four-year $11.2MM dollar deal, Alzner will be heavily sought after as a steady presence on the back end in 2017. The Capitals would be wise to lock up their iron man sooner than later, as the Burnaby BC native will be among the best options available on the open market.
Free Agent Focus: Anaheim Ducks
After a disappointing first round exit that cost head coach Bruce Boudreau his job, the Anaheim Ducks will be looking to get back to Stanley Cup contention in 2016-17, and take the division crown for the fifth consecutive season. While their ‘big-3’ up front, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler, are locked up long term, the team has quite a few young players looking for raises as they hit restricted free agency. Here’s a look at their upcoming offseason:
Key Restricted Free Agent: D Hampus Lindholm – While you could pick from a handful of names for the Ducks’ key RFA this summer, Lindholm represents the most important out of all of them. After being selected 6th overall by Anaheim in the 2012 draft, Lindholm has continued to improve on his defensive ability, reaching all new heights this season. While his usual excellent +/- numbers dipped slightly due to playing against tougher competition, he logged 22 minutes a night leading one of the youngest and most effective blue lines in the league.
His possession metrics are unbelievable, coming fourth in the league in CF% (a measure of puck possession based on shots for and against) only behind the excellent Los Angeles group. Lindholm improved the possession numbers of every single teammate he played with, providing Lidstrom-like efficiency on the back end. While he may never put up Karlsson or Burns type offensive numbers, his value is certainly felt by his teammates and front office.
Coming off his entry level contract and still only 22, Lindholm could get a long-term extension similar to the one Morgan Rielly received last month from Toronto. The Maple Leaf defender signed a six-year $30MM dollar deal to stay in Toronto, giving away two of his UFA years to lock in the higher value now.
Other RFAs: G Frederik Andersen, D Sami Vatanen, C Rickard Rakell, W Brandon Pirri
Key Unrestricted Free Agent: LW Jamie McGinn – When the Ducks acquired Jamie McGinn from the Sabres in late February of this year, they thought they were getting a nice two-way player who could chip in a few goals for them down the stretch. What they got was 8 goals and 12 points in 21 games, landing him career highs in both categories and putting him back in the valued 20-goal club.
As he hits free agency this year he arrives with the fifth most goals available on the open market, ahead of players expected to get big deals like David Backes and Milan Lucic. While his point totals aren’t as high, his relative youth – McGinn won’t turn 28 until August 5th – and solid goal scoring ability should land him a multi-year deal somewhere. Whether the Ducks can give him that isn’t quite clear.
With Lindholm, Andersen, Vatanen and Rakell all needing deals, the Ducks may just let McGinn walk away if he gets too pricey. After earning $2.95MM over the last two seasons he’ll be looking for a deal close to $4MM for at least three seasons.
Other UFAs: W David Perron, W Chris Stewart, C Shawn Horcoff, C Mike Santorelli, D Korbinian Holzer,
Projected Cap Space: $18.1MM, 15 players under contract.
The Ducks have a fair bit to worry about over the next year, as they are at risk of losing one of their good young defencemen in next year’s expansion draft. With Kevin Bieksa requiring protection due to his NMC, three of Lindholm, Vatanen, Cam Fowler, Josh Manson and Simon Despres will be left exposed as it currently stands. While there is no clear way to get around this without crippling your blueline, the team may choose to deal the more valuable pieces before the draft next season. For now, their focus will be on getting them under contract.
Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars
After a season that saw the Dallas Stars lead the Western Conference with 109 points, and be one of only two teams to record 50 wins, they have a long offseason in front of them if they’re to keep the strong core in tact. On the backs of superstars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, they easily led the NHL in goals, hitting the twine 267 times in 2015-16. Here is a look at their upcoming offseason:
Key Restricted Free Agent: RW Valeri Nichushkin – Unfortunately for the Stars, it’s not the restricted free agents that are going to cause them headaches this summer it’s the eight UFAs they’ll see leave them. They do, however have one very important RFA in Valeri Nichushkin, the Russian powerhouse selected in the first round (10th overall) of the 2013 entry draft.
After putting up 14 goals and 34 points as an 18-year old after being drafted, the winger missed almost all of 2014-15 with a hip injury that needed corrective surgery. This season the now 21-year old was back on a strong development path, putting up 29 points coming off injury. His 6’4″, 205 pound frame is a scout’s dream when it comes with at least average skating ability, and Nichushkin has shown he can keep up in the NHL. While the idea of him hitting the ice alongside Benn and Seguin might still be another year away, he played well when paired with Jason Spezza this season, and will look to continue his development into a top-flight power forward in the league.
Other RFAs: Jamie Oleksiak
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D Alex Goligoski, D Jason Demers, D Kris Russell – Somehow the Stars have three excellent defenders 30 or under hitting free agency this offseason, and are expected to lose at least two of them if not all three. They still have John Klingberg and Johnny Oduya under contract for next season at $4.25MM and $3.75MM respectively, but might not be able to keep up with the bidding war that the trio will command. Other than Keith Yandle in New York, these three represent the best young defense options on the market this summer.
With Jamie Benn set to become a UFA in 2017, the Stars will be trying to keep some room under the cap to extend him long-term. He’ll be looking to jump from his current $5.25MM salary to somewhere around $10MM, and with Patrick Sharp and Ales Hemsky becoming UFAs at the same time, the Stars might not have the room to commit long term to more than one of the d-men.
Other UFAs: Vernon Fiddler, Patrick Eaves, Jordie Benn, Colton Sceviour, Travis Moen
Projected Cap Space: $13.75MM, 16 players under contract.
Overall, the Stars have a little bit of money to play with but have to be very careful where they put it, as the mentioned names are coming up next season. With Jason Spezza earning $7.5MM a season over the next three years, the team will have over $20 million locked into three players if they indeed extend Benn. With the cap looking like it will hold steady for at least a couple of seasons, putting almost a third of your budget in three players is a risky proposition – just ask the Chicago Blackhawks who had to give up Teuvo Teravainen earlier today because of their cap mismanagement.
Anaheim Officially Names Randy Carlyle Head Coach
TUESDAY 11:32 AM CST: Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Carlyle will be keeping assistants Paul MacLean and Trent Yawney on with him in Anaheim.
11:17 AM CST: The Ducks have officially announced the hiring.
Late Monday night, word broke that the Anaheim Ducks are set to name Randy Carlyle as their new head coach. ESPN’s John Buccigross was first with the report while TSN’s Darren Dreger added that the hiring should made official on Tuesday.
The hiring comes as somewhat of a surprise considering the Ducks fired Carlyle as their bench boss in the 2011-12 season. They replaced him with Bruce Boudreau and now, have replaced Boudreau (who since has joined the Minnesota Wild as their new head coach) with Carlyle.
The 60 year old Carlyle last coached in the 2014-15 campaign with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he spent parts of four seasons with the team. While there, he led Toronto to their only playoff berth in the past ten years back in 2012-13 where they lost to Boston in the first round.
Carlyle had previously been with Anaheim from 2005 up until his firing in 2011. His teams posted a winning record in every season but his last one and won nine playoff series including a Stanley Cup victory in 2007. Overall, his record behind the Ducks’ bench is 317-208-71.
Still, the decision has caught many by surprise as several key Anaheim veterans had reportedly grown to be frustrated with Carlyle’s coaching style and some of those players are still there. There are also those that are of the mindset that his system is a bit outdated for the more modern NHL.
However, GM Bob Murray appears to be looking for less of a player-friendly coach after Boudreau and is certainly familiar with Carlyle having been with Anaheim during his first stint as coach.
Re-hirings don’t happen too often in the NHL (Michel Therrien in Montreal and Paul Maurice years ago in Carolina are somewhat recent exceptions) so it will certainly be interesting to see how Carlyle’s second go-around with the Ducks plays out.
Maple Leafs Place Jared Cowen On Waivers; Will Buyout
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed struggling blueliner Jared Cowen on waivers before buying out his contract. The 25-year old defenceman came to the Leafs in the Dion Phaneuf trade with the Senators this past season, and never was in the long-term plans. Cowen never suited up as a Leaf, hitting LTIR immediately after the deal. His $3.1MM cap-hit will be eaten by the Maple Leafs in order to keep their flexibility this offseason.
After being selected 9th overall by the Senators in the 2009 entry draft, Cowen has been an underwhelming performer thus far in his career. Never expected to be an offensive force, the Saskatoon native relied on his size and physical play to be an effective player. With his footspeed declining over recent years, he was too often found out of position and unable to catch up in the NHL game. The Senators sold-low on the former top pick after years of waiting on any potential to show itself.
The Leafs, uninterested in the lumbering defenceman, put him on waivers in February, and told him to go home and wait out the season. Cowen was understandably upset with this, still believing he has more to offer as an NHL regular. He’ll probably get looks around the league because of his first round pedigree and relative youth, with a rebuilding club hoping he can find some of that magic he showed as a lock down defender for the Spokane Chiefs years ago.