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Buffalo Sabres Acquire Marco Scandella, Jason Pominville From Minnesota

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Seconds after publishing the note about Marco Scandella and the Buffalo Sabres, the two consummated the deal. Scandella will be heading to the Sabres along with Jason Pominville and a 2018 fourth-round pick, in exchange for Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno and a 2018 third-round draft pick. There is no salary retained on either side. Scandella has been rumored to be on the block for some time, with the Montreal Canadiens being the first club linked. "<strong

At first glance, this deal offers clear benefits for both sides. For Buffalo, Scandella represents a clear upgrade on their blueline and won’t cost as much as Kevin Shattenkirk on the open market. Scandella has three years left on his current contract at $4MM per season, and is a solid two-way option. At 27, he’s not much of an offensive threat buck can consistently retrieve and move the puck out of his own end. He joins newcomer Nathan Beaulieu to improve the defensive group, and could pair with top defender Rasmus Ristolainen in Buffalo.

Pominville isn’t much of an asset at this point because of his big contract, but he did still record 47 points last year and is returning to a team where he found his greatest success. Before spending time as the captain of the Sabres, Pominville developed from second-round pick to elite winger, scoring a career-high 80 points in 2007-08. He’s not that player anymore, but should still provide some offensive punch to the Sabres’ middle six. Pominville has two years remaining at $5.6MM, making him the most expensive piece in the trade.

Going the other way is Ennis, who is good friends with Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon and was even working out with him when the deal was broken. A few years ago, he likely would have been the biggest part of the deal after five straight successful seasons as a second line center. That play has dropped off a cliff recently though, limited by several injuries to just 74 games over the last two seasons. During that time he’s scored 24 points, but Minnesota will hope he can bounce back and give them some value for his $4.6MM cap hit. That contract will expire after the 2018-19 season, when Ennis is just 29.

"<strongFoligno, the best player in the deal for Minnesota, is an restricted free agent still but should provide some size and strength to the club. His 279 hits last season ranked second among all forwards last year, and he can chip in double digit goals from a bottom-six role. At 25, he’s a useful player for any team and will fit into a tough defensive team in Minnesota.

If Foligno is the best player in the deal for the Wild, the cap space cleared is the best asset. The Wild have to re-sign both Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund to big RFA deals, and open up a few million with this contract (depending on what Foligno earns on his next contract). They also might be opening up some room for free agency tomorrow.

In all, this deal seems like a win-win for both clubs with upside to make it a big win for either. Should Pominville mesh with the young forwards and bring a winning culture, or Scandella find chemistry with Ristolainen on the top pairing they could be a much improved club. Minnesota could easily get a bounce-back campaign from Ennis, or a Foligno offensive breakout.

Bob McKenzie of TSN first reported the deal, while Michael Russo of the Star Tribune helped with details. 

Morning Notes: Del Zotto, Johansen, Doan

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With the free agent period set to open tomorrow morning, there are several interesting options available. One of those is Michael Del Zotto, who has shown flashes of brilliance in an otherwise underwhelming career so far. Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver is reporting that the Canucks are the leading candidate on Del Zotto, after some productive talks during the free agent window.

Though Del Zotto isn’t a game-changing name, he does bring some upside and relative youth from a fairly stagnant market. At just 27 he’s one of the younger defensemen available and has shown the ability to be a 40-point player in the past. Vancouver, looking for assets to perhaps flip at the deadline would do well in taking a chance on the former Flyer. We ranked Del Zotto #24 among our Top 50 Free Agents, expecting him to get a two-year contract.

  • The checkbook might have to come out for Ryan Johansen, as the Nashville Predators center is looking for $8.5MM per season on a long-term contract according to Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News. While the final number may come down substantially, Johansen does have a strong case as a restricted free agent. Though he’s only 24, Johansen already has six seasons under his belt in the NHL and thus would be giving away almost entirely UFA years in any long-term deal. After his fourth-straight 60-point season and checking basically every other box you want from a #1 center (size, defense and faceoffs) he has a lot of leverage in any negotiation. For what it’s worth, only five centers in the entire league have a cap hit of $8.5MM or above: Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar, Evgeni Malkin, Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby.
  • Craig Morgan of AZ Sports tweets that four teams have reached out to agent Terry Bross in regards to Shane Doan, but the long-time Coyotes forward won’t make a decision for a while yet. It’s not even clear if Doan will actually play next season, but all signs point to him wanting to suit up once again. It probably need to be a legitimate role on a contender to coax Doan to come aboard, and it’s unclear where that will be. Doan ranked #35 on our free agent list, but wasn’t even included in the top 50 on two ballots. It’s clear that opinions are mixed on whether he has anything left to contribute around the league.
  • Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has a couple of notes to pass along today, the first being that Thomas Vanek has had a few teams reach out including the Florida Panthers. Vanek has strong ties to the Minnesota community, but Russo doesn’t mention the Wild as a possibility for the 33-year old forward. The other note is concerning Marco Scandella and a continuing interest from the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo has been trying to improve their defense for a while, and Minnesota is still expected to move at least one defender before the start of the season.
  • Dinamo Riga has signed former NHL goaltender Justin Peters, ending for now his struggle in the minor leagues. Peters got into three games for the Coyotes this season, but has spent the majority of his time in the AHL the last few seasons. A second-round pick by Carolina in 2004, he’s played in 83 games in his NHL career, registering a .901 save percentage.

Dmitry Orlov Signs Six-Year Deal With Washington Capitals

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The Washington Capitals continue to lock up their players long-term, this time inking Dmitry Orlov to a six-year contact. The deal will pay him $30.6MM ($5.1MM AAV) over its duration, making the 25-year old Orlov the third highest paid defender on the team. Orlov was a restricted free agent, but now will be part of the team’s plans for the next half dozen years at least. The contract will be broken down as follows: Dmitry Orlov

  • 2017-18: $6.5MM
  • 2018-19: $6.5MM
  • 2019-20: $6.5MM, 5-team no-trade list
  • 2020-21: $4.5MM, 5-team no-trade list
  • 2021-22: $3.3MM, 5-team no-trade list
  • 2022-23: $3.3MM, 5-team no-trade list

A second-round pick in 2009, Orlov has developed into one of the premiere young two-way defenders in the league. His 33 points last season ranked him within the top 50 among defensemen, and both possession metrics and traditional scouting has him as a plus player in all ends of the rink. His smooth skating and control of the puck helps the Capitals exit the zone with ease, and with a little more experience on the powerplay he could become a big point producer. He even received a single fifth-place Norris Trophy vote this season as one of the league’s best defensemen.

Orlov’s deal comes in just ahead salary wise of Toronto’s seven-year extension for Nikita Zaitsev, a similarly efficient two-way defender. Zaitsev has much less experience in the NHL, but actually outpaced him in points this season. The Toronto defender will average $4.5MM throughout his contract. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post points out Nick Leddy’s deal with the New York Islanders, a contract that he signed at just 23. In that deal, Leddy will earn $5.5MM per season over seven years (five remain) though he had a longer track record of success than Orlov does.

For the 25-year old, this deal comes as nice security after suiting up in all 82 games the last two seasons. Incidentally, the Capitals have won the President’s Trophy as the best regular season team in both those years, not in small part to Orlov’s contributions. He’ll join partner Matt Niskanen as long-term pieces for the Capitals, who will have a decision to make on John Carlson next summer. The 27-year old Carlson is an unrestricted free agent next year, and could potentially work out an extension with the team starting tomorrow. It’s unclear how much they’d want to commit to Carlson though, as they currently still have Brooks Orpik on the books for two seasons at $5.5MM.

With new contracts due for Andre Burakovsky, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Philipp Grubauer it will be a tight fit for the Capitals this summer. They have just under $12.5MM left on the cap, which is expected to be almost entirely eaten up by extensions for those three. If the team wants to play in free agency, they’d have to find room somewhere else. If you’re thinking an Orpik buyout, think again; he would have had to been placed on waivers in order to get it in before the deadline at 4pm today. They may get another window later in the summer, but that will be long after most of the free agent frenzy has taken place.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jordan Weal Re-Signs With Philadelphia Flyers

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The Philadelphia Flyers have re-signed one of their young forwards, inking Jordan Weal to a two-year, $3.5MM deal. The average salary, $1.75MM, is quite a jump from the $650K two-way deal Weal had been playing on last season. As a Group VI free agent, he likely was able to create a bidding war of sorts to drive his price up.

After visiting several other cities this week, Weal ultimately decided to return to Philadelphia to continue his professional career. Selected 70th-overall by the Los Angeles Kings, Weal was part of the deal that saw Luke Schenn and Vincent Lecavalier head out west. This year, he dominated at the AHL level and showed that he could contribute in a short NHL stint. In 23 games he recorded 12 points.

The fact that Weal has just 12 points in 37 games makes this contract fairly unbelievable, but despite his relative inexperience the Flyers clearly believe he can contribute in the future. As a comparison, Kris Versteeg received just $1.75MM on a one-year deal to stay in Calgary earlier today, and he had 37 points last season (and 350 in his career).

Weal was ranked #30 in our Top 50 Free Agent ranking, projecting just a one-year contract worth $1.2MM. He clearly eclipsed, that, both in term and salary. Clearly we, and likely many of the other teams underestimated how much the Flyers were willing to commit to him. He’ll have to prove it now as this contract will come with the expectation of a full-time NHL role.

Prospect Notes: Liljegren, Hischier, Makar

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The Athletic’s Sunaya Sapurji reports that defenseman Timothy Liljegren, Toronto’s 17th overall pick, will continue to play in the Swedish league and not join the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs, who selected him 12th in the CHL Import Draft. His North American agent, Peter Wallen, said that Liljegren’s camp felt that time with Niagara wouldn’t be the “perfect spot” to develop his talent. Wallen doubles down, saying that his client will “never play for Niagara.” Stating that the Leafs are “100 percent” in Liljegren’s plan to stay in Sweden, Wallen adds:

“He’s not coming to play for Niagara. It’s not even a question. And even if it was a question we would still need Toronto to sign him and then for Rogle to release him for him to play for anyone else but the Maple Leafs.”

Should the 18-year-old defenseman sign with the Leafs, he would be able to play for the AHL affiliate Marlies midseason due to the fact that he played in the Swedish Hockey League and not the junior leagues. Playing junior hockey would have restricted him from seeing time in the AHL or NHL due to an agreement between the NHL and CHL regarding the “jump” to the pros. Sapurji points out that Liljegren expressed his desire to stay in Sweden–regardless of where he was taken–prior to the draft.

June 23, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Timothy Liljegren poses for photos after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

  • First overall pick Nico Hischier was featured in a New York Times article yesterday, chronicling his journey to the NHL. The Times’ Dave Caldwell reports that the Swiss native saw his stock skyrocket after a strong world juniors performance while quietly sneaking up the ranks throughout the season. His strong play continued in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads. Described as being “very grounded,” by New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero, Hischier could very well take the NHL by storm as quietly–and quickly–as he did in juniors and on the world stage.
  • Some had Cale Makar as a possibility to go first overall, but he ended up going fourth to the Colorado Avalanche, which could be considered a steal down the road. Next on the list for the 18-year-old defenseman is time at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he will continue to hone his skills for a shot at the NHL. Makar calls it a “reality check” when speaking with NHL.com’s Rick Sadowski, and adds that it doesn’t matter what happened before in terms of his career. Saying that he wants to “round out” his game, Makar is confident that he is an eventual NHL product and that belief is shared by the Colorado brass. Alan Hepple, the Director of Amateur Scouting for Colorado, goes as far to say that Makar is the “generational player” teams seek in a defenseman.

All photographs courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Calgary Acquires Eddie Lack And Ryan Murphy From Carolina

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Calgary Flames have acquired goaltender Eddie Lack, defenseman Ryan Murphy and a 2019 7th round pick from Carolina in exchange for defenseman Keegan Kanzig and a 2019 6th round pick. McKenzie adds that Carolina will retain 50% of Lack’s salary. The deal secures a backup goaltender for the Flames as they acquired Mike Smith from the Arizona Coyotes earlier this month.

Despite the trade, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that the Flames are still interested in bringing back Michael Stone while also perusing the options available in free agency. The acquisition of Lack solidifies a tandem in net that was lacking after a quick first round exit during the 2017 playoffs. Brian Elliott struggled in their first round tilt with Anaheim,  so acquiring Lack to backup Smith allows for a safeguard should injury or struggles in the net befall either netminder. Lack is coming off a season that saw him post an 8-7-3 record  while also suffering a scary injury in late March.

Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg wonders if Murphy can be a solution on the blueline for the long haul. The 24-year-old saw 27 games with the Hurricanes, a drop from the 2015-16 season in both ice time and production.

Kanzig appeared in 40 games for the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL and posted 5 points (1-4). With the Stockton Heat of the AHL, Kanzig registered two assists in six games.

East Notes: Smith, Daley, Kunitz

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When it came down to it, Brendan Smith felt no one else could beat what the Rangers offered. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen writes that the 28-year-old defenseman felt the Rangers provided the best opportunity after hearing other teams out:

“I think I could be a big part of that team,” Smith said. “I kind of like the niche that the Rangers have. They’re a little bit younger. I noticed that we are ahead of what I expected the Rangers to be with all these young guys.”

Smith was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2018 second round pick and a 2017 third round pick, but it wasn’t as if the Rangers didn’t benefit, either. Smith shifted into a more prominent role with the Blueshirts, whereas in Detroit, he found himself a healthy scratch or in the opinion of some fans, “misused” in terms of deployment. In nearly half as many games, Smith nearly matched his production with Detroit and saw a 90 second jump in average ice time. Smith alluded to the trade being a better fit and the stats show, especially after an impressive performance in the playoffs.

  • The Red Wings, meanwhile, appear to be closing in on signing Trevor Daley to a contract. Surprisingly, Daley seems to have left the Pens out, which is odd since he nabbed two Stanley Cups in as many years with the Penguins. The Score’s Josh Gold-Smith writes that the Bruins and Red Wings were the front runners for Daley’s services while Elliott Friedman tweeted that the Red Wings were more than likely to sign him. Sean Tierney of the Athletic analyzed some of the defensemen Detroit should target and Daley, though on the list, doesn’t measure up statistically with some of the other options out there. Tierney used an advanced metric, Goals Above Replacement, which measures a “single-measure stat that sums up the contributions a player makes during the course of a game.” Measured that way, Daley doesn’t appear to be one of the more attractive options. But should the deal come at an affordable price, it could be something that bolsters the Red Wings blueline, or help the Red Wings out at the trade deadline should they want to acquire more draft picks.
  • Chris Kunitz might find himself on the outs with the Penguins writes Fanrag’s Dave Holcomb. With a glut of forwards and specifically wings, Kunitz might find himself on the outside looking in with so many younger players filling the roster. Holcomb gauges that after the Pens bring back Matt Cullen and Nick Bonino, Kunitz may have a better idea of if he’ll be back.

Keith Kinkaid Signs Two-Year Deal With New Jersey

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The New Jersey Devils are bringing back their backup goaltender. Keith Kinkaid as agreed to a two-year deal that will take him off the market just a few days before hitting free agency. Kinkaid fell just outside our Top 50 Free Agent list, but would have definitely had interest around the league should he have made it to the open market. The deal will pay him an average salary of $1.25MM.

In 26 games for the Devils last season, Kinkaid registered a .916 save percentage and actually looked better in net than incumbent Cory Schneider at times. There’s no doubt that Schneider—who posted just a .908 mark—will return as the full-time starter, but Kinkaid offers an experienced backup for a team who wants to get back to the playoffs sooner than later. At 27-years old, Kinkaid has only ever played for the Devils organization. Signing out of Union College, Kinkaid worked for several years as the starter in Albany before making a mark at the NHL level.

Interestingly, the Devils still have Scott Wedgewood in the system as a restricted free agent, and did issue him a qualifying offer. The young goaltender had shoulder surgery that robbed him of most of 2016-17, but does seem to deserve a chance at the NHL before long. His numbers in the minor leagues have steadily increased, and he’s at risk of becoming a Group VI free agent next summer if he still doesn’t have a good amount of NHL experience. That doesn’t seem likely now with Kinkaid in the fold, meaning they may lose him without ever giving him a fair shake. That said, they already exposed Wedgewood to waives at the beginning of last year and he went unclaimed, so perhaps any risk is overblown.

For now, the Devils have set themselves up with problem to worry about heading into an important free agency. Though they didn’t issue qualifying offers to Beau Bennett or Jacob Josefson, it’s expected they are at least trying to retain them. Damon Severson needs a new contract, and as arguably the Devils best defenseman his cap hit will greatly influence how they go after free agents. The team has tons of space, but still needs to stick to a salary structure and can’t go handing out big term and cap hits for just anyone.

According to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports was first to break the deal.

St. Louis Blues Re-Sign Magnus Paajarvi

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The St. Louis Blues have locked up a young forward for another year, inking Magnus Paajarvi to a one-year deal worth $800K. Paajarvi was a restricted free agent, but will now hit the open market in a year as a UFA.

At 26, Paajarvi has yet to really pay off the 10th-overall selection that was used to select him. Edmonton, the team who drafted him, traded him along with a second-round pick for David Perron in 2013, and since then he’s been a part-time player in St. Louis. Last year, in 32 games with the Blues he scored 13 points and showed flashes of the potential they’d hoped for. In 26 games with the Chicago Wolves on the AHL, he registered 18 points.

Committing just $800K to him is a small risk for the Blues, but does take another little chunk out of what they have left under the cap. As we said yesterday when the team announced Patrik Berglund would miss the first chunk of the season, a Colton Parayko contract looks poised to take up a majority of their remaining cap space. With just over $10MM left, the team will likely have to clear out some room if they want to be players in free agency.

For Paajarvi, this is a chance to really impress and enter next summer as a sought-after free agent. With the pedigree down, if he can find a way to become the fast, power winger with 20+ goal upside, you could imagine a lineup for his services next year. That said, even a full-time role in a bottom-six would look nice right now, as the last time he played in 80 games he scored 34 points as a 19-year old. That’s what the Blues are hoping for, and what would make next summer very interesting.

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