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Archives for June 2017

Washington Capitals Re-Sign T.J. Oshie For Eight Years

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Washington has locked up a prized free agent for eight years. The team announced an eight-year extension for T.J. Oshie today, paying him $5.75MM per season. As we wrote earlier in regards to the Chicago Blackhawks rumored interest, it seemed far-fetched that there was ever really a chance of that. There had been clear interest from both sides between Oshie and the Capitals since the end of the season, and it came together with a cap hit and term that fills both sides needs. T.J. Oshie

There was some concern that the Capitals might not be able to bring Oshie back when the NHLPA did not use the entire 5% salary cap escalator, but by agreeing to more years the team kept the cap hit low enough to fit into their scheme. Those years will pose a problem down the line—Oshie will turn 31 in late December—but right now keep a key player in town for a reasonable salary. The deal will be paid out like this and also includes a modified no-trade clause :

  • 2017-18: $4.0MM salary, $4.0MM signing bonus, 15 team no-trade list
  • 2018-19: $3.5MM salary, $4.0MM signing bonus, 15 team no-trade list
  • 2019-20: $3.5MM salary, $3.0MM signing bonus, 15 team no-trade list
  • 2020-21: $2.5MM salary, $2.0MM signing bonus, 15 team no-trade list
  • 2021-22: $3.0MM salary, $3.0MM signing bonus, 10 team no-trade list
  • 2022-23: $2.5MM salary, $2.0MM signing bonus, 10 team no-trade list
  • 2023-24: $4.0MM salary, $1.0MM signing bonus, 10 team no-trade list
  • 2024-25: $3.0MM salary, $1.0MM signing bonus, 10 team no-trade list

That structure gives Oshie some lockout insurance should the league have a work stoppage in 2020-21, and also makes the contract tough to buyout down the line. For example if they tried to buy him out in the summer of 2022 when he was 36, they’d only save around $1.4MM off the cap for the 2022-23 season.

Not surprisingly, Oshie turned in the best offensive season of his career (on a goal-scoring and per-game rate at least) while playing with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Oshie rode a ridiculous 23.1% shooting percentage to 33 goals in 68 games and was one of the team’s best players in the playoffs. While that is expected to regress somewhat, Oshie does seem like a perfect fit for Backstrom as a go-to-all-areas winger who can bury from in tight or off the rush. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him set a career-high in points next year, as he missed 24 games due to injury and still came just four points shy of his high-water mark.

The effect a $5.75MM hit has on the Caps salary structure is palatable for now, as they will still have ~$19MM to re-sign their group of important restricted free agents. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Andre Burakovsky, Dmitry Orlov, Brett Connolly and Philipp Grubauer all need contracts, and that should eat that entire nugget if not more. Nate Schmidt, who they lost to Vegas in the expansion draft also would have needed a new contract, which they may not have been able to afford.

The free agent market just got even smaller, as Oshie figured to be one of the top-3 names on the board come July 1st. With Alexander Radulov remaining as the only real elite option at forward, his camp was just handed even more leverage in their talks with the Montreal Canadiens. Radulov is just over six months older than Oshie, and though he obviously doesn’t have as long of a track record in the NHL should still be able to argue he deserves at least five years. Whether he’d settle for the $5.75MM number that Oshie brought down is still unclear, but a $46MM deal handed out on draft day is a big win for the Radulov camp.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Arizona Coyotes Not Expected To Retain Alexander Burmistrov

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In a surprising turn after today’s Arizona dealings, Craig Morgan of AZ Sports reports from a scrum with GM John Chayka to not expect the Coyotes to retain Alexander Burmistrov. The young center is a restricted free agent, so presumably Morgan means that the team will not extend him a qualifying offer. The Coyotes have acquired both Derek Stepan and Nick Cousins to fill out their center position, though Burmistrov did show off his potential down the stretch last season.

After being selected off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets, Burmistrov scored 14 points in 26 games for the Coyotes and seemed to fit in as well as one could expect. He would unfortunately miss almost a month after a hit from the Bruins’ Colin Miller caused him to have to leave the ice on a stretcher. The eighth-overall pick of the 2010 draft has been a disappointment thus far in his NHL career, reaching a high of 28 points in 2011-12.

Though he played center for much of his time in Arizona, Winnipeg had nearly given up on him at that position. With a career faceoff winning percentage of 42.3%, and a still unrefined defensive game Burmistrov is a risky fit in the middle of the ice. That’s not to say he couldn’t improve, but as he turns 26 this fall it seems unlikely. He still possesses an ability to make highlight reel passes, and shows flashes of game-altering skill, but has never been able to do it on a consistent basis even in a single game. With a clear mandate from ownership to compete this season, the Coyotes can no longer waste time trying to develop failed prospects.

Tampa Bay Still Trying To Acquire A Defenseman

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Even though they’ve already acquired one of the best defensive prospects in the game, the Tampa Bay Lightning are looking for more immediate help on the back end. That’s what Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes, saying that he thinks they might land one tonight at the draft. The Lightning of course opened up one spot when they moved Jason Garrison to the Vegas Golden Knights, and aren’t yet guaranteeing an NHL role for Mikhail Sergachev to start the year.

With rumors bouncing around about Travis Hamonic, Marco Scandella and the crop of defenders Vegas selected, there shouldn’t be any lack of options for the Lightning. Both the Islanders and Wild are rumored to be asking for a first-round pick (and in New York’s case two) to start the negotiations, something that they may not want to part with. If the Lightning did move it, they wouldn’t pick until #48, a selection they received for Brian Boyle at the deadline.

With Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman firmly entrenched as two of the top four, and Jake Dotchin expected to fill a role after a surprisingly good rookie debut, the other three spots are more up in the air. Braydon Coburn, Andrej Sustr and Slater Koekkoek would slot into those spots right now, but the former is becoming less effective by the day and the latter two are both still currently restricted free agents (as is Dotchin). As above, Sergachev could find his way into that group at the beginning of the season or the team could go with several other minor league or prospect types, but it’s clear they’d like a real improvement somewhere.

After moving so much salary out in the last few months, the Lightning could legitimately go after an unrestricted free agent as well, something that was completely out of the question before moving Garrison, Jonathan Drouin and Valtteri Filppula. If they don’t find a solution at the draft or in the next few days, expect them to start talking to free agents when the negotiation windows open next week.

Vegas Golden Knights Trying To Move Into Top-3

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If you’ve read or taken part in any of the live chats, you’ll know that I’ve firmly believed for a while that the Vegas Golden Knights would find a way to get into the top couple of picks to get their hands on Nolan Patrick. Darren Dreger of TSN lends credence to that idea, with a recent report that the Golden Knights are still pushing to get into the top three selections. He also mentions the New York Rangers, fresh off acquiring the seventh-overall selection as a possibility to move up again.

Vegas of course has a deep connection with Patrick through Assistant General Manager Kelly McCrimmon, who drafted and developed Patrick with the Brandon Wheat Kings before moving to the NHL’s expansion franchise. Patrick—or even Nico Hischier—would give the Knights an immediate player to market in the city as the first face of the franchise, especially as more and more believe he’s ready to make the jump next year.

With Vadim Shipachyov likely taking first-line center duties in the Golden Knights’ first season, Patrick (or Hischier) could be brought along in a more sheltered role and allowed to develop at his own pace. Don’t underestimate him though, as while he’s not Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews he does have tremendous potential to be an elite two-way center in the league.

For the Rangers, moving up to grab one of the top centers would be a huge move after trading away Derek Stepan earlier today. While Mika Zibanejad looks like he’ll be an excellent center for many years, adding another top prospect down the middle would be exciting for that fan base. They could also go after one of the top defensemen, with Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar both getting top-pick love from around the scouting community. Those two have very different skill sets, but could both anchor play in a top pair in the future.

If either team does move up into the top three slots, it would mean one of New Jersey, Philadelphia or Dallas would be moving down. It’s not clear who is the most likely to do that, though the Stars have been clear about their willingness to move down if the right offer came along. With them also showing interest in the Golden Knights’ Marc Methot, hold on to your hats for the next few hours.

Snapshots: Oshie, Shattenkirk, Scandella, Kruger

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On one of the most exciting days of the year for hockey fans, teams have already made blockbuster deals that include superstars and Stanley Cup champions. They’re not finished just yet, as the Entry Draft is just a few hours away. Already, a report has sprung up surrounding top free agent T.J. Oshie, with Andy Strickland of Fox Sports relaying that the Blackhawks are considering him as a replacement for Artemi Panarin on the Patrick Kane line. While Brandon Saad is expected to rejoin Jonathan Toews, Kane and Artem Anisimov are left without a winger for the time being on the second line.

It seems pretty far-fetched that Chicago would be able to fit Oshie into their salary structure as he’s heading into the offseason as one of the most sought-after scoring threats, but you easily could have said that about the team trading Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson earlier today. Oshie scored 33 goals last season playing with Niklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, and has been in talks with the team since the end of the year. When the salary cap didn’t escalate all the way to $77MM, there entered some doubt the Capitals could fit him in, though it’s unclear where those talks currently stand. Oshie becomes a UFA on July 1st.

  • It’s been previously reported that Kevin Shattenkirk would want to play in the Northeast closer to his hometown, and there had been interest from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline in acquiring him. He ended up going to the Capitals, but with the new cap space that has been opened by the Rangers by moving Derek Stepan, fans have their fingers crossed that he could “come home.” Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet poured a dash of cold water on that, saying that he thought Buffalo made more sense given the Rangers hesitation at handing out term to a similar defender in Keith Yandle last year. Yandle would end up being traded to the Florida Panthers and signed a seven-year, $44.5MM deal that would seem to be a target for Shattenkirk’s camp.
  • Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the Boston Bruins are the newest team in pursuit of Marco Scandella from the Minnesota Wild. Scandella has been called the most likely defenseman to get traded out of Minnesota, and had previously been linked to the Montreal Canadiens. With the Bruins having a solid future on the right side with Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, Scandella could fit nicely into the left-side behind Torey Krug. Scandella’s contract at $4MM for three years isn’t terrible, but Boston would have to be careful not to make things too hard on themselves with a big extension for David Pastrnak due this summer.
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic is hearing that Marcus Kruger is once again likely to be traded by the Hawks. When an expansion draft trade never materialized, some believed that perhaps Kruger was safe from the salary cap ax for the time being. After the big moves today, and rumored interest in Oshie, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kruger and his $3.1MM cap hit sent packing.

Arizona Coyotes Acquire Antti Raanta, Derek Stepan

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The Arizona Coyotes aren’t finished just yet. The team has completed a trade that would bring both Antti Raanta and Derek Stepan to the desert from New York, with a return of defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh-overall pick in this year’s draft. The Rangers now own two selections in the first round, a place they haven’t found themselves in many years.

Arizona has clearly green-lit some big changes in the last few weeks, parting ways with Shane Doan, Mike Smith and Dave Tippett, while now trading away Connor Murphy, Laurent Dauphin, DeAngelo and their top pick. It’s time to compete in the desert, as they’ve brought in a top pairing defenseman, a solid center and starting goaltender just in the last few hours. While there will undoubtedly be some hand-wringing in the price they paid, it is a bold move by GM John Chayka and Owner Andrew Barroway to signal the rebuild has come to an end. Derek Stepan

Stepan, 27, is locked into a long-term deal that will cause a $6.5MM cap hit for the next four years. The interesting part, especially for the Coyotes, is that the salary is substantially lower than that, dropping all the way to $5MM in the last two seasons. For a team cash-strapped team like the Coyotes, every dollar counts. Stepan is a legitimate top-six center, but there is some debate over whether he’s really an answer on the first line. Now in a division with Connor McDavid, Anze Kopitar and Ryan Getzlaf among others, he’ll face the same problem he had in New York; his offensive performance just isn’t as good as the centers around him.

Stepan is a lock for 50+ points every year and is a solid two-way player capable of improving his linemates play, but with an extremely young group behind him down the middle in Arizona, he’ll face some tough matchups on a nightly basis in the Pacific division. Hoping that he’ll take the next step may be a long-shot, though he obviously gives more hope than another new prospect.

On the other hand, Raanta has been highly touted as the next Cam Talbot and is on an extremely team-friendly $1MM deal for next year. He will hit free agency after that, making an extension likely this summer if the Coyotes believe he—and not Louis Domingue—is their next starting goaltender. Raanta has a career .917 save percentage in the NHL and is coming off a .922 this season, making him look more than ready to take the next step. At 28, he has filled in admirably for Henrik Lundqvist in the past and should be a solid replacement for (if not upgrade on) Mike Smith this season.

For the Rangers, owning their own first-round pick was foreign territory enough. The team hasn’t selected in the first round since 2012 when they picked Brady Skjei, and will now pick higher than 10th for the first time since 2004 (Al Montoya). That should provide them with a pretty solid player, and give them an opportunity to start refilling the system with young talent.

DeAngelo will also be a part of that, though the 21-year old has been known to have “attitude” issues before. Any problems off the ice will be dealt with by the Rangers as they try to develop the 2014 19th-overall pick. With incredible offensive ability, DeAngelo has never been able to put it together in his own end and thus has had trouble finding a role in the NHL. In 39 games this season, the defenseman posted 14 points but a -13 rating. Part of that is because of how bad Arizona was, but there has never been much positive to say about his work in the defensive zone.

Darren Dreger of TSN was first to break it. 

Columbus Trades Dante Salituro For Jordan Schroeder

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In a much less interesting deal, the Blue Jackets have also traded Dante Salituro to the Minnesota Wild for Jordan Schroeder. Schroeder had recently been told he would not be qualified by the Wild, which would have made him an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Schroeder, 26, was a first-round pick of the Canucks in 2009 but has never made much of an impact at the NHL level. Splitting his last few years between the Minnesota and Iowa Wild, he’s scored just 40 points in his 144 career NHL games. There is talent there to be sure, but at his age there is little chance he becomes an impact center in for the Blue Jackets. He’s a restricted free agent, and would need to be qualified by 4pm on June 26th or become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Though the Wild were not prepared to issue one because of his arbitration eligibility, it would follow that the Blue Jackets will.

In Salituro, the Wild get back a lottery ticket for a player they were willing to let walk. The 20-year old undrafted forward is very undersized, but has shown some high-level skill throughout his amateur career. In 12 professional games this year, he scored just three points but could make an impact at the AHL level at some point.

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch was first to report the deal.

Artemi Panarin Traded To Columbus Blue Jackets For Brandon Saad

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Just moments after the Niklas Hjalmarsson deal, the Chicago Blackhawks have traded Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte and their 2017 sixth-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg and Columbus’ 2018 fifth-round pick.

In spectacular fashion, the Blackhawks have reunited Saad with his former teammates, something that perhaps pushed along the deal in the first place. Saad won two Stanley Cups with the Hawks before being shipped out of town in one of their cap-saving measures, which interestingly is what brings him back just two years later. Though Panarin and Saad both have a cap hit of $6MM, the “bread man” is signed for only two more years and will be demanding a hefty raise in the summer of 2019. The former Rookie of the Year is a legitimate 70+ point winger in the prime of his career, something that is extremely difficult to find on the open market. Brandon Saad

Saad himself can score 30 goals and is a much more well-rounded player, better defensively and physical. Though he clearly doesn’t have the elite offensive talent of Panarin, he can be a legitimate first-line winger and should slot back in next to Jonathan Toews for the next four seasons. The 24-year old is under contract through 2020-21, meaning they won’t have to worry about re-signing him for an extra couple of years.

Interestingly, the Blackhawks have also found a potential backup goaltender after losing Scott Darling earlier this offseason. Forsberg is clearly ready for an NHL role, but was behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo in Columbus. He comes over as a restricted free agent, and will need a new contract before next season. Motte, the prospect going the other way is an undersized forward who played 33 games for the Hawks this year, struggling to contribute much offensively. Though he had an outstanding season as a junior for the University of Michigan, that same offensive flair hasn’t carried over to his professional play just yet.

Really though this trade comes down to Panarin for Saad, and a move for more cost certainty for the Hawks. They get a former fan favorite back, who is both younger and locked up for a longer term, but deal one of the individually gifted scorers in the entire league. It will be a bittersweet pill to swallow, as fans have gotten used to seeing Panarin and Patrick Kane play games with opposing teams and almost score at will, but perhaps Saad will bring back a more dominant Toews on the top line.

For Columbus, they move out some of the physicality and size to introduce pure skill. While it’s not clear where Panarin will play, adding him to a lineup that already includes Cam Atkinson will be too much to handle for most teams on most nights. They only have him locked up for two more seasons, but with a dominant defensive group, Vezina-winning goaltending and scoring depth on all four lines look like a solid contender for the immediate future.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the deal, with Pierre LeBrun of TSN gave details on the other pieces.

Arizona Coyotes Acquire Niklas Hjalmarsson From Chicago Blackhawks

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The Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks have completed a massive trade just hours before the entry draft. The Blackhawks have sent Niklas Hjalmarsson to the Coyotes in exchange for Connor Murphy and Laurent Dauphin. There is no salary retained in the trade from either side. There had been rumblings about a potential deal that had to do with the #7 pick, but this will have to do for now. Chicago GM Stan Bowman released a statement:

Niklas’ contributions to the three Stanley Cup championship teams are well known but his dependability as a teammate, selfless attitude and the way he represented the Chicago Blackhawks on and off the ice are what made him such a beloved member of the organization. He made his debut in Chicago in 2008 and quietly established himself as one of the toughest competitors in franchise history. We wish he and his family continued success.

Hjalmarsson, 30, has two years remaining on his current contract that pays him $4.1MM per season. The sometimes underappreciated defenseman is left handed, but plays the right side normally and has already been tabbed by John Chayka as the partner for Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Arizona. The two were also partners at the World Cup for team Sweden, and should have solid chemistry together right from the start.

Murphy on the other hand is locked in for five years, and looked like he would be part of the Coyotes long-term plans. His contract pays him $3.85MM per season, but is six years younger and just coming into his own as a defender. He’ll likely never reach the heights of Hjalmarsson, but is a capable replacement for Trevor van Riemsdyk, another right-side defender the Hawks have lost in recent days. The deal allows Chicago to find some cap certainty a few years longer, while also getting younger at least in one position.

Dauphin is a wildcard in the deal, a second-round pick with the upside of a middle-six center. The 22-year old hasn’t found any consistency in the NHL as of yet, but did put up 28 points in 38 AHL contests this year. Whether he ever finds his scoring touch for the Blackhawks, he’ll at least be a cheap depth option for the immediate future, something Chicago always desperately needs. He’s entering the final year of his entry-level contract, and will be incur a cap hit of just $745K with relatively little in the way of possible performance bonuses.

Chicago Blackhawks Could Move Up In First Round

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Three reports now have the Chicago Blackhawks considering a move up in the first round, a move that would certainly delight the crowd in attendance. Scott Powers of The Athletic and Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune both have been told that it’s being discussed, with Kuc’s source even going so far as saying it would be because of the hometown crowd. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times has also heard it, and points out that’s how the team acquired Nick Schmaltz in the 2014 draft.

Using a later round asset to move up in the first round just to appease your crowd seems like a mistake, but it’s not like there isn’t value to be had in the middle of round 1. The Blackhawks currently hold the 26th pick but could get a very interesting pick between 15-20 depending on how the first half of the round shakes out. Defensemen like Timothy Liljegren and Erik Brannstrom could fall to those spots, while the center depth will last the entire first round.

Interestingly, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports some chatter that the deal could potentially be between Chicago and Arizona, moving the Blackhawks all the way up to #7. That would certainly be an exciting move for the fans there, but would cost a lot more than a few late round picks.

It’s sure to be a wild night in Chicago, as the draft board is still wide open and as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet writes there are sure to be trade highlights as well. Vegas is holding several bullets in their chamber (or aces up their sleeve, depending on your level of tolerance for that sort of thing) and could still make a big move to draft higher than #6. The first round starts at 6pm CDT.

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