New York Islanders Acquire Jordan Eberle From Edmonton Oilers
The New York Islanders have acquired Jordan Eberle from the Edmonton Oilers. In return, the Oilers will receive Ryan Strome. The deal is just one-for-one, with no additional salary or assets changing hands. 
Eberle is coming off a terrible playoffs with the Oilers, scoring just two points (and no goals) during their entire run. Falling out of favor with the coaching staff and playing less than 13 minutes in three of the final four games (with the other going to overtime) it was easy to see why his name immediately popped up in trade speculation around the league. The 27-year old is still one of the most consistent offensive wingers in the game, recording 20 goals for the fifth time in his career and registering 51 points this season.
The biggest negative for Eberle, and perhaps a bigger reason why he’ll no longer play in Edmonton, is that he was signed for $6MM through the end of 2019. With the Oilers needing money and cap space for long-term extensions for Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, his contract was the most likely to go. The Islanders, who cleared room with a Vegas deal yesterday, needed to give John Tavares some help on the first line to try and keep him around long-term.
In theory, Eberle seems like the perfect fit. The pair were magic together at the World Juniors nearly ten years ago, and would seem to be natural compliments to each other in New York. Should Doug Weight put Eberle with Tavares and 34-goal man Anders Lee, the Islanders could have one of the most dynamic offensive lines in the league.
While the Oilers get some much needed salary relief, they also add Strome, the fifth-overall pick from 2011 and middle brother in a hockey playing family. Strome played just 69 games last season registering 30 points, but did seem to find some success after the Islanders’ mid-season coaching change. Even though he might not have the goal-scoring ability of Eberle, he is considerably younger and substantially cheaper. His ability to play center, at least part-time, is also interesting and he could easily return to the 50-point season he had as a 21-year old.
Strome, 23, costs just $2.5MM this season and will be a restricted free agent next summer. If he does break out, the Oilers could be in a similar situation without the money to pay him a long-term deal, but would rather take their chances at this point and make sure their big two are locked up.
Darren Dreger of TSN was first to report the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Tampa Bay Lightning Agree To Terms With Peter Budaj
Thursday: Now that the transaction freeze has lifted, the Lightning have made the signing official.
Monday: According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to terms with goaltender Peter Budaj on a two-year extension worth $1.025MM per season. Since the league is technically in a signing moratorium at present, the contract will not likely be announced until Thursday. Budaj was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Amazingly, Budaj had been on a two-way contract as recently as last season when he was summoned from the AHL to try and save the Los Angeles Kings season. When Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff both went down to injuries early in the year, Budaj was brought up and performed quite well in the Los Angeles net. At the deadline, he was dealt to the Lightning for Ben Bishop, who couldn’t help the Kings scrape their way into the playoffs and was eventually dealt to the Dallas Stars this offseason.
Budaj on the other hand will now be the full-time backup for starter Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tampa Bay, and help the young netminder try and get the Lightning back into the playoff hunt. Expected once again to be a Stanley Cup contender, Budaj’s experience is almost entirely limited to the regular season, but after a year in which he put up a .915 mark his low cap hit is still a nice value for the team. The duo will only cost GM Steve Yzerman ~$4.5MM per season combined over the next couple of years, one of the lowest numbers in the league.
35 by the time the 2017-18 season starts, Budaj is no lock to provide the above-average goaltending he put up this year but should still be able to provide ample value for this contract.
Washington Capitals Re-Sign Christian Djoos
The Washington Capitals have re-signed young AHL standout Christian Djoos to a two-year, contract worth a total of $1.3MM. The deal is two-way in 2017-18, but turns into a one-way deal in 2018-19. Djoos was a pending restricted free agent.
Selected in the seventh-round of the 2012 draft, Djoos exploded this season in the AHL to the tune of 58 points in 66 games. That put him third among league defensemen behind only veteran AHLers T.J. Brennan and Matt Taormina. The puck-rushing Djoos has excellent skating ability and was actually touted as a fairly well-rounded if undersized defenseman coming over from Sweden. This offensive explosion puts him right into the discussion for a Capitals roster spot at some point, as the one-way second half of the contract suggests.
At just 22, he still has time to refine his game quite a bit but if it’s possible to carry over any of his offensive success to the NHL he could be a fine replacement for the outgoing Nate Schmidt. Schmidt, another smooth skating left-handed defenseman, was selected by the Golden Knights last night in the expansion draft. While Djoos has a long way to go to reach his heights, it’s not inconceivable that he could have a similar impact on the Capitals down the line.
Trevor Van Riemsdyk Traded To Carolina
The Carolina Hurricanes have made the first big post-expansion deal, acquiring Trevor van Riemsdyk and a 2018 seventh-round pick from the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights will receive Pittsburgh’s 2017 second-round pick in return, originally acquired for Ron Hainsey at the trade deadline.
As noted last night, there was immediately chatter among insiders that the Golden Knights would immediately flip van Riemsdyk to Carolina, though nothing was certain after the fireworks that went on last night in terms of trades. This is one of the more interesting flips, as Carolina already has an excess of defenders on the roster and has been looking to move at least one for scoring help. Bringing van Riemsdyk aboard gives them even more leeway to make an upgrade at forward, with Justin Faulk perhaps being the most likely candidate to be on the move.
van Riemsdyk was selected from the Chicago Blackhawks last night in what was expected to be half of a side deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. We’d heard for weeks that the Blackhawks would send Marcus Kruger to Vegas as well, but with news breaking yesterday that Marian Hossa would not be able to play next season, suddenly things shifted. Chicago was no longer in such dire need of cap relief, though there is no guarantee things will stay that way. Kruger may still be in play at some point, especially if the league decides Hossa can’t stay on LTIR.
For Vegas, this was the plan all along. Pick many more valuable assets than needed—in this case defensemen—and immediately flip them for prospects and picks that will benefit the team more down the road. Though van Riemsdyk is only 25 and could help the Golden Knights immediately, he’s also a restricted free agent next summer and is likely due to get a hefty raise. His current contract—$825K this year—is so appealing to teams around the league that there were likely several suitors once Vegas got their hands on him.
In three seasons since turning pro out of the University of New Hampshire, van Riemsdyk has developed into more than just another NCAA free agent. He registered 16 points in 56 games this season (all at even strength), and was a solid possession contributor. He’s clearly good enough to log more than the average bottom-pairing defenseman, but behind both Faulk and Brett Pesce there won’t be much opportunity for that should they both remain.
Frank Seravalli of TSN was first to break the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Dallas Stars Hire Rick Wilson, Stu Barnes As Assistant Coaches
The Dallas Stars have decided who will join Ken Hitchcock behind the bench next season, hiring assistant coaches Rick Wilson and Stu Barnes. Curt Fraser will be a holdover from the previous staff. Hitchcock, hired after Lindy Ruff was let go at the end of the season will try and turn around what was an extremely disappointing club last year.
Wilson, 66, was around with Hitchcock during his first stint as head coach of the Stars, and is a life-long assistant in the NHL. He was first hired into the league in 1988 by the New York Islanders, and has been behind benches coaching defensemen ever since. His familiarity with Hitchcock and his systems will come in handy as the team looks to revamp the Stars play style.
Barnes on the other hand is still fairly green in terms of NHL coaching experience, only spending two years behind the bench under Marc Crawford during his Dallas stint. Barnes is a co-owner of the Tri-City Americans of the WHL (along with Olaf Kolzig) and has coached US prep academies. Just 46, Barnes is ten years removed from a playing career that took him all over the NHL. Suiting up for 1,136 games and registering 597 points, he made the transition from highly-touted young scoring threat to grizzled checking center quite smoothly.
Florida Panthers Will Be Aggressive On July 1st
The Florida Panthers shocked everyone yesterday when they dealt Reilly Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights and allowed Jon Marchessault to be selected. That’s left a hole in their forward group, one GM Dale Tallon might be shopping in free agency to fill. In a conference call with the media today including George Richards of the Miami Herald, Tallon said that the Panthers would be aggressive on July 1st and has the full support of ownership to spend on free agents.
If this was his plan all along, moving smith was integral. The Panthers now have around $20MM to spend under the cap, and more importantly the actual money to do so. While new deals are needed for both Alex Petrovic and Mark Pysyk (as well as Jaromir Jagr if the team brings him back) they should have enough to be big players on the open market.
The question then becomes if that’s the right way to go. Unrestricted free agency this season looks like one of the weakest groups in recent years, with 37-year olds (Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau) virtually leading the way. There are the trio of UFAs from Washington—T.J. Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner—to consider, but each has their own drawbacks and should command hefty salaries on the open market.
The team could bring back Thomas Vanek, but he won’t replace the 45 goals and 88 points they lost on expansion day by himself. Sam Gagner could be a sneaky good option after a bounce-back year and could help the scoring both at 5-on-5 and on the powerplay. But that question still remains; is there anything worth being “aggressive” on? Fans disappointed with losing Smith and more importantly Marchessault will be frustrated to hear that the money might be put back into older players on July 1st, but perhaps there is something else up Tallon’s sleeve. For now, we’ll have to wait to see if he’s involved in any other trades over the next few days.
Early Notes: Galchenyuk, Arizona, Pronger
Ah the morning after. The Vegas Golden Knights finally selected their expansion roster last night, and with it came a barrage of trades. Teams lined up to offer draft picks for protection slots, but one team conspicuously silent were the Montreal Canadiens. After making two major moves before the draft—acquiring Jonathan Drouin and shipping off Nathan Beaulieu—the team watched as Alexei Emelin was selected to be part of the expansion franchise. That leaves the team with just five NHL defensemen, and that’s including Jakub Jerabek who will try to prove he’s ready right away.
Enter Alex Galchenyuk, who again dominated the headlines this morning. Bob McKenzie of TSN noted as much, saying that he still believes the talented forward would be moved at some point and counts Minnesota as a team with assets that would interest the Canadiens. Interestingly, he also doesn’t think the Wild are very high on Galchenyuk, making it a tough fit for any potential deal. Eric Engels of Sportsnet still believes they’re the most likely destination and that it’s still more likely that he moves somewhere.
- The Arizona Coyotes are an interesting team in the next few days as they begin to turn the corner from rebuild to contention. While the team shouldn’t be expected to compete for the Stanley Cup just yet, they’d like their days of finishing last in the league to be behind them. Darren Dreger of TSN notes that they’re in the market for a goaltender, centers and defensemen, making them a possibility on most names floated recently. McKenzie thinks they might re-open negotiations with the New York Rangers, a team they’d had conversations with last week. For a squad who has said goodbye to two long-time veterans in recent times, young GM John Chayka looks determined to turn over a new page in Coyotes history and build around the young core of forwards he’s acquired.
- Chris Pronger has taken a position as senior adviser to the President of Hockey Operations Dale Tallon in Florida for one year, according to Dan Murphy of Sportsnet. Pronger hasn’t been shy about his goal of becoming an NHL GM one day, even reaching out to former rival Steve Yzerman for advice. Yzerman of course also took a lesser role in Detroit after retiring, in order to learn the trade from Ken Holland and company. In the next few years, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Pronger given the reins of a team.
Vegas Golden Knights Trade Breakdown
The Vegas Golden Knights have already completed ten trades this offseason, wheeling and dealing around the expansion draft with a third of the NHL. While more deals will undoubtedly drop tomorrow and in the next few days, these first ten transactions have set the team up for success. We’ll take a moment to break down why each trade happened, though there may be more dominoes to fall regarding some of them.
Buffalo sends their 2017 sixth-round pick to Vegas
In the first trade of the night, Vegas acquires a late round pick in order to not select G Linus Ullmark from the Sabres. Golden Knights GM George McPhee explained on the Awards broadcast that they were down to two players, Ullmark and William Carrier and the Sabres made their decision for them with a pick. For what it’s worth, our mock draft had the same split decision over the two players with Ullmark eventually ending up as the selection.
Post-Draft Trades Will Be Announced Tomorrow
The Vegas Golden Knights were busy on the trade front tonight, completing ten different deals with teams to steer their expansion draft picks. While all of the trades can be seen here, there are several more that are due to come early Thursday morning. The trade freeze ends tomorrow morning at 7am CDT, making for quite an interesting morning after. 
Vegas GM George McPhee had already told us that his team would need to flip some defensemen after the draft, and it seems as though the deals will come right away. The Golden Knights selected 13 defensemen (and acquired even more in trade), most of whom will never see the ice in T-Mobile Arena.
Bob McKenzie of TSN reported during the event that former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk could be flipped to Carolina tomorrow, and interesting move for a team who already has several young defensemen fighting for ice time. If TvR does make it to Raleigh, it likely would signal another move is coming for a forward down the line for Carolina.
On the note of van Riemsdyk, it had been widely reported that his exposure was tied to a trade that would bring Marcus Kruger to Vegas as a cap-dump for the Chicago Blackhawks. That didn’t happen tonight, and as we wrote earlier could be because of the Marian Hossa long-term injury situation that broke this morning. Kruger still could be moved, but it isn’t directly tied to the van Riemsdyk expansion selection.
McKenzie also tells us that the Dallas Stars are interested in Marc Methot, selected by the Golden Knights from the Ottawa Senators. The Stars have been looking for a left-handed defenseman that is capable of logging big minutes, and with Methot’s successful history alongside Erik Karlsson could be the perfect fit for John Klingberg in Texas. Methot has two years left on his contract and does hold a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block deals to ten teams.
The Minnesota Wild have already made a trade with the Golden Knights that sent Alex Tuch to Vegas to help protect Mathew Dumba and others, but there is more coming in the next few days. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune spoke with Wild GM Chuck Fletcher, who told him the team could “absolutely” trade a defenseman by the weekend. Marco Scandella remains the most likely option, but now that the draft is in the past everyone is likely being discussed.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
NHL Awards Recap
The NHL Awards were held Wednesday night and even though they were quite overshadowed by the simultaneous expansion draft selections, some interesting choices were made for the trophies. Below are the award winners, finalists and final voting totals:
Ted Lindsay Award — Most Outstanding Player (as voted by his peers)
Winner: Connor McDavid
Runners-up: Brent Burns, Sidney Crosby
Selke Award — Best Defensive Forward
Winner: Patrice Bergeron
Runners-up: Ryan Kesler, Mikko Koivu
Voting
Norris Trophy — Best Defenseman
Winner: Brent Burns
Runners-up: Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman
Voting
Calder Trophy — Rookie Of The Year
Winner: Auston Matthews
Runners-up: Patrik Laine, Zach Werenski
Voting
General Manager Of The Year
Winner: David Poile
Runners-up: Peter Chiarelli, Pierre Dorion
Voting
Jack Adams Award — Coach Of The Year
Winner: John Tortorella
Runners-Up: Mike Babcock, Todd McClellan
Voting
Bill Masterton Award — Perseverance, Sportsmanship and Dedication
Winner: Craig Anderson
Runners-up: Andrew Cogliano, Derek Ryan
Lady Byng Trophy — Most Gentlemanly
Winner: Johnny Gaudreau
Runners-up: Vladimir Tarasenko, Mikael Granlund
Voting
Vezina Trophy — Goaltender Of The Year
Winner: Sergei Bobrovsky
Runners-up: Braden Holtby, Carey Price
Voting
Hart Trophy — Most Valuable Player
Winner: Connor McDavid
Runners-up: Sidney Crosby, Sergei Bobrovsky
Voting