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Sharks Not Pursuing Jaromir Jagr

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With the answer to just one little question, San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson eliminated the last hope that Sharks fans had of a major free agent addition this off-season. It’s now mid-September, training camps are opening, and San Jose still has yet to make a notable move. They added aging grinder Brandon Bollig, who played exclusively in the AHL last year, Antoine Bibeau, most recently the fifth-string goalie in Toronto, and just a few days ago AHL veteran Brandon Mashinter. Meanwhile, they watched career Shark and franchise leader in just about every category, Patrick Marleau, leave for the Maple Leafs and failed to take advantage of late-summer, affordable replacement options like Drew Stafford (New Jersey) and Thomas Vanek (Vancouver). The Sharks don’t even have an intriguing PTO player in camp.

The last hope of a big-name free agent who could actually help the team in 2017-18 was none other than the legendary Jaromir Jagr. The highest-ranked member of PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents yet to sign at #13 overall, Jagr’s continued availability had been an ongoing story all summer. The 45-year-old future Hall of Famer may seem washed up by age alone, but played in all 82 games with the Florida Panthers last year, registering 46 points. The year before that, Jagr was nearly a 30-goal scorer, racking up 66 points in 79 games for Florida. Somehow, one of the greatest players in NHL history continues to have gas in the tank. In need of replacement scoring and even some veteran guidance for a plethora of young up-and-coming forwards, Jagr seemed like a good fit for San Jose and has continued to be attached to the team in rumors. That ended today. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz asked Doug Wilson about the possibility of Jagr going to San Jose, to which the GM replied definitively that he did not see the Czech phenom as a fit.

So, the search continues for both sides. Jagr has heard all off-season about teams that “seem like a fit”, but has not had any concrete offers all summer. Last anyone checked in, Jagr was still considering simply playing for HC Kladno of the Czech Liga, a team that he is a part owner of, and then suiting up for the Czech Republic at the 2018 Olympics. After that, perhaps Jagr would draw some interest as a stretch run addition for an NHL team. For now, that seems to be the only option for the aging superstar. As for the Sharks, Wilson nor any of his colleagues have expressed any concern over the team’s lack of off-season additions or potential scoring difficulties. While it is possible that they could still make a trade before the season or early on in the new campaign, the fact that they have no interest in Jagr seemingly means that they are done with free agent additions for the 2017 off-season. The only other notable names left that could be of any interest to San Jose are veterans like Jarome Iginla, Brian Gionta, or Jiri Hudler, all of whom would seem to provide even less upside than Jagr. The Sharks seem content to head into the season with their current group. Maybe a rough start could make them rethink their position on one of the greatest scorers of all time.

Minor Transactions: 9/15/17

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There have been an overwhelming amount of camp announcement in recent days – professional tryouts, amateur tryouts, and the like – but there are still many team and players looking for permanent homes this season. The following are some notable recent signings:

  • Defenseman Victor Bartley is making his North American exit. The long-time Nashville Predators prospect seems to have run out of options and has opted to sign with Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League, according to a local news release (link in Swedish). This will be Bartley’s second go-round in Sweden, having played for Rogle BK in 2010-11 after a disappointing first pro season. It was in Sweden the first time that Bartley gained some NHL attention, signing on with Nashville the following off-season. Bartley played in the Predators system for five seasons, skating in 112 NHL games and recording 23 points, before being traded to the Montreal midway through the 2015-16 campaign. Barley then signed with the Minnesota Wild last summer, but spent the entire year in the AHL with Iowa. Bartley, an Ottawa native, now heads to Sweden with hopes of sparking his career once again. Orebro finished 12th in the SHL last year and offers little in the way of NHL veterans, but between Bartley and exciting, young Latvian Rodrigo Abols, the team hopes to turn it around in 2017-18.
  • The Rochester Americans, AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, have signed Garret Ross to a one-year deal, according to a team announcement. While Ross is likely happy to under contract in 2017-18, the signing represents a further decline in the career of the 25-year-old forward. A fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012, Ross got his pro career off to a hot start in 2013-14 and 2014-15 with 34 and 43 points respectively. Ross also built a reputation as one of the more tough, physical forwards in the AHL. Yet, his production fell off in 2015-16 to just 20 points and Chicago chose not to qualify him, making him an unrestricted free agent. Ross landed another NHL gig, signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Arizona Coyotes, but injuries and poor play limited him to just four points in 27 games. Ross will have to show that he still has potential while playing on a minor league contract this year. There’s room for Ross to play a major role in Rochester, but he just needs to take advantage of the opportunity.
  • Daniel Ciampini will look to take the next step in his career in 2017-18, as he has signed with the AHL’s re-located Belleville Senators, per a team release. While the deal is of a two-way nature and Ciampini could wind up back in the ECHL, he hopes that his production in 2016-17 can earn him a regular AHL spot. The Union College alum was a point-per-game player with the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs last year, spending about half the season with the New Hampshire-based team and the other half with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, affiliate of the L.A. Kings. With 28 points in 28 ECHL games to go along with 5 points in 23 AHL games, it appeared that Ciampini was heading in the right direction if he hopes to return to the dynamic scorer he was in college. Belleville hopes that the trend continues and the AHL numbers improve in the new campaign.
  • The Hershey Bears, AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, have decided to give young Dylan Margonari another shot. The team announced that they have resigned the two-way center to a one-year extension. While under contract with Hersey in 2016-17, Margonari nevertheless played the whole season in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. He has just two AHL games under his belt, back in 2015-16, after he signed on with the Bears out of college. Unlike many players whose production drops off at the pro level, Margonari has never been much of a scorer – not at Minnesota State, not with South Carolina, and likely not with Hershey should he make the team. Instead, the 25-year-old simply brings smart decision making and quiet confidence to his role as a defensive forward. While some teams may overlook that ability, it seems to be a trait that the Bears still value.

Ryan Carter Announces Retirement

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Give Ryan Carter credit. Around this time last year, it seemed as though the veteran forward’s career was already over. Carter had been unable to secure a guaranteed contract for the 2016-17 season, but was working toward a new deal with the Minnesota Wild by way of a PTO. However, when a nagging shoulder injury – a torn labrum to be exact – ended his attempt, Carter decided that he needed to move forward with surgery and, at 33, did not know if he would play again. Yet, Carter underwent his procedure, rehabbed, and by mid-February, he was back skating with the Wild. Carter ended up playing in 18 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild and was one of Minnesota’s “black aces” come playoff time, though he never did get to fully make his NHL return.

It took a lot of effort just to get close to a comeback in 2016-17 and another try just wasn’t in the cards for Carter this year. The Athletic’s Michael Russo was the first to report that the ten year veteran has decided to hang up his skates. The Minnesota native can rest easy in retirement, knowing that he got to play his final two NHL seasons with his hometown team and gave it all he had to return for a third. Along the way, the Minnesota State standout also suited up for the Anaheim Ducks from 2006 to 2011 and the New Jersey Devils from 2011 to 2014, with brief stops with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers in between.

A hard-working, two-way threat, Carter was known more as a defensive specialist best-suited for a bottom-six spot and key penalty killing role than he was a point-producers. Yet, Carter finished his career off strong with a career high 15 points with the Devils in 2012-13 and three more double-digit totals to close out his NHL tenure. Carter will also be remembered for a very strong postseason performance for New Jersey in 2012, nearly matching his regular season production as the team charged to a Stanley Cup final appearance. In total, Carter notched 41 goals and 52 assists in 473 NHL games. While his scoring was far from the pace he exhibited in his college days in Mankato, Carter was still able to provide consistent two-way play, work ethic, and character throughout an NHL career built off of solid bottom-six play.

2017-18 Primer: Pittsburgh Penguins

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With the NHL season now less than a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Last Season: 50-21-11 record (111 points), second in Metropolitan Division (Won Stanley Cup)

Remaining Cap Space: $3.28MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: D Matt Hunwick (free agency, Toronto), F Ryan Reaves (trade, St. Louis), G Antti Niemi (free agency, Dallas)

Key Departures: G Marc-Andre Fleury (expansion, Vegas) F Nick Bonino (free agency, Nashville), D Ron Hainsey (free agency, Toronto), D Trevor Daley (free agency, Detroit), D Mark Streit (free agency, Montreal), F Matt Cullen (free agency, Minnesota), F Chris Kunitz (free agency, Tampa Bay)

[Related: Pittsburgh Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Jake GuentzelPlayer To Watch: F Jake Guentzel – How exactly are you supposed to follow up a two goal NHL debut on a line with your childhood idol? How about tying a rookie record with 21 playoff points en route to a Stanley Cup victory. That’s how Guentzel started and finished his first season in the NHL, and 2017-18 could hold even more breathtaking moments for the 22-year old forward. With 54 points in a combined 65 regular season and playoff games, Guentzel could have easily been in contention for the Calder trophy had he played a full season. Immediately finding chemistry with Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin, before transitioning to the wing of Sidney Crosby, he’ll have much more responsibility this year.

The Penguins have lost some of their long-time forward depth in Bonino, Cullen and Kunitz and will be relying on players like Guentzel to repeat their performance from last year. Whichever line he ends up on—which could even be the middle of the third group, though the team clearly wants him to remain on the wing—he should crack 50 points and could push even higher. His knack to find open ice and release quick shots has resulted in some incredible totals already in his career, and with superstar players surrounding him it doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.

That said he’ll have to do a better job of keeping his head up this year. Twice last season players were suspended after huge hits to Guentzel’s head, with both Rasmus Ristolainen and Brandon Manning being sat down by the Department of Player Safety. Though you can’t blame Guentzel for what were illegal checks, both times he was watching the puck as he crossed his own blueline instead of being aware of the rushing defenders. It’s unfortunate that a player has to worry about these hits, but the simple fact is that they do. Guentzel suffered at least one concussion, and could easily have missed more time had something worse happened.

Key Storyline: No team has won three straight Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders dynasty of the early 1980’s, but Pittsburgh has a real chance to do just that. With nearly their entire core returning, and with a healthy quartet of Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Kris Letang, they will enter the season as one of the early favorites. Last year, it took some late-season additions by GM Jim Rutherford to shore up a painfully deteriorated defense group, and he’s looking to work his magic already with talk about third-line centers in camp today. Should he be able to add an impact player like Matt Duchene, or even just a solid center to add depth down the middle, there are few teams who should be able to compete with them.

The Penguins have smartly left themselves some room under the cap this summer, making low-key veteran additions like Hunwick and Reaves. They’ll have the room to make a splash at the deadline once again, but will have to be careful going forward. Several players including Bryan Rust and Patric Hornqvist will need new contracts next summer, and there isn’t a ton coming in the pipeline to replace them. While free agent additions like Zach Aston-Reese and Adam Johnson will help that prospect depth, the team has selected one player in the first round in the past five years (Kasperi Kapanen) and included him in the deal to get Kessel. It’s a tightrope at the top, but so far Rutherford has walked it beautifully. The Penguins are hoping they can stay up there just a little bit longer.

Restricted Free Agents Still To Sign

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Originally published on August 8th, and updated as of September 15th.

While the offseason has crawled along, name after name has been knocked off the list of restricted free agents as teams try to put together their roster for next season. With Monday’s signing of Barclay Goodrow by the San Jose Sharks, there are only 20 RFAs remaining unsigned for the 2017-18 season.

Heading that list is still Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak, two young superstars looking for a long-term payday before they turn 22. Each of them scored at least 70 points last season and have established themselves in the top tier around the league. Past them there is still a ton of talent. Alexander Wennberg and Bo Horvat make up the next tier of RFAs, coming off 50+ point seasons and key building blocks for their respective teams down the middle. Both just 22-years old they’ll be important contracts for Columbus and Vancouver to deal with before training camp starts.

After that, the list is dotted with several useful players who should have full-time roles this season along with some who are on the edge of the NHL still. Calgary leads the way with three remaining, while many teams have all their free agents locked up. Below is a list of the remaining free agents, along with their point totals from last year.

Andreas Athanasiou (DET) – 64 GP, 18 G, 11 A, 29 P

Josh Anderson (CBJ) – 78 GP, 17 G, 12 A, 29 P

Nikita Zadorov (COL) – 56 GP, 0 G 10 A, 10 P (Signed, two years, $4.3MM)

Marcus Foligno (MIN) – 80 GP, 13 G, 10 A, 23 P (Signed, four years, $11.5MM)

David Pastrnak (BOS) – 75 GP, 34 G, 36 A, 70 P (Signed, six years, $40MM)

Leon Draisaitl (EDM) – 82 GP, 29 G, 48 A, 77 P (Signed, eight years, $68MM)

Alexander Wennberg (CBJ) – 80 GP, 13 G, 46 A, 59 P (Signed, six years, $29.4MM)

Bo Horvat (VAN) – 81 GP, 20 G, 32 A, 52 P (Signed, six years, $33MM)

Connor Brown (TOR) – 82 GP, 20 G, 16 A, 36 P (Signed, three years, $6.3MM)

Damon Severson (NJD) – 80 GP, 3 G, 28 A, 31 P (Signed, six years, $25MM)

Sam Bennett (CGY) – 81 GP, 13 G, 13 A, 26 P (Signed, two years, $3.9MM)

Zemgus Girgensons (BUF) – 75 GP, 7 G, 9 A, 16 P (Signed, two years, $3.2MM)

Anthony Duclair (ARZ) – 58 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 15 P (Signed, one year, $1.2MM)

Brendan Gaunce (VAN) – 57 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 P (Signed, two years $1.5MM)

Brett Kulak (CGY) – 21 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3P (Signed, one year, $650K)

Robbie Russo (DET) – 19 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, two years, $650K)

Petteri Lindbohm (STL) – 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, undisclosed)

Tyler Wotherspoon (CGY) – 4 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, $650K)

Jean-Sebastien Dea (PIT) – 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, $650K)

Tye McGinn (TB) – 0 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P (Signed, one year, undisclosed)

Snapshots: Rozsival, Cleary, Wild

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Michal Rozsival did not pass his physical today in Chicago Blackhawks camp, meaning he will not be allowed to participate in on-ice activities. The 39-year old signed a new contract during last season to help the Blackhawks fulfill their expansion draft requirements, but wasn’t expected to take on a full-time role with the team this year.

Despite that, it looked as though he might have to be a big contributor since Chicago had seen Brian Campbell, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Niklas Hjalmarsson all leave through various methods, and not many players brought in to replace them. Cody Franson and Mark Stuart are both in camp on professional tryouts, and Rozsival’s absence certainly helps their case when working towards an NHL contract.

  • Dan Cleary is back with the Detroit Red Wings this year, as Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that he’ll have the title of Director of Player Development. Cleary was an unofficial coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins last year, as he was actually on a player contract but never suited up for the club. The Griffins won the Calder Cup as league champions, and Cleary will continue his role as a mentor for the young players.
  • Michael Russo of The Athletic had a disappointing series of tweets about Minnesota Wild prospects today, as he reported that Mason Shaw is out four to six months after tearing his ACL, Jack Walker will miss six weeks with an injured shoulder, and Dante Salituro will miss two weeks because of a shoulder injury. While none of the three represent blue chip prospects for the club, early injuries are starting to pile up for the depth players of the Iowa Wild.

Nikita Zadorov Signs With Colorado Avalanche

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed Nikita Zadorov to a two-year contract worth $2.15MM per season. Zadorov was one of three remaining restricted free agents who are currently not in camp with their respective teams. The two sides had been going back and forth between $2MM and $2.5MM, but finally settled closer to the Avalanche’s offer.

Nikita ZadorovThis week Avalanche GM Joe Sakic said that negotiations were close enough that he expected Zadorov to be in camp, and though the big defender has missed the very beginning a deal today allows him to participate in almost the entire thing. That’s good news for a club who have had nothing but turmoil lately, including both Tyson Barrie and Tyson Jost leaving the ice today with injuries (both are minor). Zadorov’s return will be a boon to an Avalanche defense corps that right now looks like it will employ several minor league players.

Zadorov, 22, is coming off a season in which he showed off both sides of his potential. A hitting machine, Zadorov filled up highlight reels with big open ice collisions, but also recorded just 10 points and at times struggled to get the puck out of his own end quickly. His offensive upside, something that he was expected to grow into as he learned to use his 6’5″ frame more effectively, has still been absent on most shifts. The Avalanche are hoping that with more development time he can become a more effective shutdown player, and every day in training camp with the team helps that.

A big part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade, Zadorov’s progression—or lack thereof—is now impacting the way Sakic handles his Matt Duchene trade negotiations. Several reports have come out that say Sakic is only willing to deal his star center for a huge package, partly because of the lackluster performance of Zadorov and J.T. Compher to this point. While neither player has developed into the kind O’Reilly is, both still have plenty of potential to make an impact on the Avalanche going forward.

Signing a two year deal will keep Zadorov a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the contract, allowing both him and the team to reevaluate his play down the road. Though bridge deals have seemingly taken a back seat to long-term extensions this summer, Zadorov’s play doesn’t warrant it at this point. Instead, he’ll still have two years of restricted free agency left after the contract, though will be eligible for arbitration. Should he breakout into the player many thought he would be, a long-term extension next summer isn’t out of the question.

Adrian Dater of BSN Denver was first to report the deal was finished, with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic providing the financial details. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

No Timeline On Ryan Kesler’s Return

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The Anaheim Ducks took to the ice for the start of training camp today, and they were without several of their key players. While Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen work to come back from shoulder surgeries, Ducks’ GM Bob Murray told reporters (including Eric Stephens of the Orange Country Register) that there is no timeline on Ryan Kesler’s return from hip surgery. Murray said he hopes to have his center back by Christmas.

That would be much longer than initially expected, as he was originally only expected to be out 12 weeks. Given the surgery happened on June 8th, that estimate would have put him back on the ice earlier this month, not deep into the season. Initial timelines like that are often misleading, but it’s definitely not good news that Kesler won’t be back on the ice to start the year. The team already had question marks at center behind Ryan Getzlaf and Kesler, and will now likely have to rely on Rickard Rakell in the middle to start the year.

Behind him though, it gets less inspiring. Antoine Vermette will be back, but is a better fit for the fourth line than third, and youngster Sam Steel will almost certainly be heading back to the CHL to captain the Regina Pats this year. Perhaps there is still a move to be made for Anaheim, who have their sights set on the playoffs once again but will have a tough start to the year without some of their star players.

Calgary Offers To Pay One-Third Of Arena Costs

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12:40pm: King and the Flames held a press conference to address the offer. He said that the Flames will reveal their counter-proposal next week, and that they’re not going to hide anything any longer. King revealed that the two sides had not even met since July 31st, and that was when they “surrendered” that a deal would not happen. He reiterated that the Flames ownership group has never wavered in their goal of keeping professional sports in Calgary, and that they would “already be gone” if they were only going for a “money grab.”

11:12am: In the latest battle over who will pay for an NHL arena, the Calgary Flames front office announced this week that they were “no longer pursuing a new facility” and that the negotiations with the city over public funding were going nowhere. The Mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi shot back at the Flames, saying that the city had always been negotiating in good faith but still things were left at something of an impasse.

Now, the Canadian Press is reporting that the city has offered to pay for one-third of the proposed $555MM building costs, though that still doesn’t seem good enough for the Flames. The report states that the team wants public funds to cover “closer to half” of the cost. The public war of words will likely continue, with both Flames President Ken King and Nenshi using the issue politically, heading into the civic elections next month.

It’s tough to see how this doesn’t end up with the Flames somehow getting their new building and remaining in Calgary, though NHL commissioner Gary Bettman didn’t mince words when speaking about how poorly the negotiations had gone:

The city is nowhere close to embracing [the proposal]. So there was no point in continuing. It’ll play out the way it’ll play out. In the short-term, no one should doubt the Flames or their ownership’s commitment to this community, but at some point I envision without a new building there will be consequences that everyone will have to deal with.

This public battle comes after a report that Seattle would be unveiling a plan for a new $600MM arena, though that announcement was put on hold due to new sexual assault allegations laid against Mayor Ed Murray. The announcement hasn’t yet been rescheduled, but the deal shouldn’t be in jeopardy even with the scandal. Seattle would be a potential relocation option for Calgary, though the league is obviously still quite a distance from a decision like that.

Calgary has been in the NHL since 1980, when the Atlanta Flames moved north. In 1983 the Saddledome, where the team still plays, opened its doors and just a few seasons later saw the franchise’s lone Stanley Cup victory. With a team poised to take another run at the playoffs, this arena news can only be a distraction in what should be a promising season.

“Talks Have Stopped” Between Josh Anderson, Columbus Blue Jackets

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Just yesterday we heard that there was a “vast” gap between Josh Anderson and the Columbus Blue Jackets on the young forward’s next contract, and now it seems negotiations have come to a halt altogether. Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch quotes Anderson’s agent Darren Ferris, who says talks have stopped and that they are evaluating their options.

Anderson of course is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract, but up until recently it had seemed like everything was progressing towards a new deal. The Blue Jackets have begun camp without him, and head coach John Tortorella has been clear that he could lose his spot if he misses enough time. Though it’s hard to see Anderson actually being left out of the lineup after scoring 17 goals last year, Tortorella is notoriously loyal to the players who work hard for him and show up on a daily basis. It’s not exactly Anderson’s fault that he’s not in camp, but every day he misses gives a chance to someone else.

In his absence, young players like Sonny Milano, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tyler Motte will all get a chance to establish themselves alongside some of the regulars, and impress Tortorella enough to keep them around. While Anderson provides a different game than any of those three, he’ll have to fight hard to re-establish himself whenever the contract negotiations do end.

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