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Archives for July 2017

Flames Re-Sign Micheal Ferland To Two-Year Deal

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7:19 PM: The Flames have officially announced the two-year contract worth a total of $3.5MM.

4:36PM: The Calgary Flames and Micheal Ferland are working on a two-year deal that would pay the restricted free agent $3.5MM total according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. With his arbitration hearing set for July 22nd, the two sides have just over a week to work something out or have to live with an arbitrator’s decision.

A two-year deal would take the 25-year old Ferland to unrestricted free agency, which is why the team can keep the cap hit so low. Though he doesn’t have much of a track record, Ferland found some solid success last season in his limited chances with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, scoring 15 goals and 25 points despite playing less than 12 minutes a night.

That success comes with an added physical presence and a good amount of defensive awareness, making him an interesting option that can play up and down the lineup. With the Flames still having plenty of wing options for the top six, and bringing Kris Versteeg back, Ferland can again slot in as a depth option and play to his strengths away from top competition.

The team still has to make decisions on Sam Bennett and Curtis Lazar, both of whom are ineligible for arbitration this summer. If they want to lock up Bennett long-term, it would eat up a fair bit of their cap space even coming off a down season. The former fourth-overall pick still has plenty of potential, and buying out free agent years wouldn’t come cheap.

That said, Ferland’s deal leaves them with enough room to sign both RFAs and even make another addition if they so chose. After acquiring Travis Hamonic, Mike Smith and Eddie Lack and re-signing Versteeg and Michael Stone the Flames are poised to take a long run at the Stanley Cup this season. Players like Ferland are integral to any contending team, able to move up the lineup if injuries happen and grind out long playoff series with their in-your-face style.

Penguins Don’t Anticipate Trading Phil Kessel

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While the departure of former Pittsburgh assistant coach Rick Tocchet to Arizona as their new bench boss has fueled some speculation that the Penguins could trade Phil Kessel, GM Jim Rutherford poured some cold water on that theory.  Speaking with 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday (transcription via Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review), Rutherford made it clear that they don’t anticipate moving him as things currently stand:

“He’s an important part. I don’t want to sit here and say that a certain player’s not going to get traded at some point in his career. I mean, Phil already did. But that’s not something that I foresee happening right now.”

Tocchet was known to have a strong relationship with Kessel, whose streaky tendencies have irked head coach Mike Sullivan at times.  However, despite that, the 29-year-old remains one of the higher scoring wingers in the NHL so there is plenty of incentive to hold on to him, particularly since the Maple Leafs are already paying 15% of his contract.

It’s at least worth noting that Kessel’s goal production has taken a tumble in recent years even if it hasn’t come at the expense of his point totals.  In 2013-14, he had a career-best 37 goals but has only surpassed the 25 goal mark once since then; his 23 tallies this past season was his lowest in a full campaign since his sophomore year back in 2007-08.  However, he’s also not the focal point of Pittsburgh’s attack like he was in Toronto either.  Put it all together and it’s hard to come up with a compelling case for them to move Kessel at this time.

Still with the Penguins, in that same interview, Rutherford briefly discussed Carolina center Jordan Staal, noting that to his knowledge, he’s not available in a trade.  Pittsburgh is still on the lookout for a third line center and they’re certainly familiar with Staal, who they drafted second overall in 2006.  However, with a $6MM cap hit, he’d be rather pricey for someone who would be earmarked for a bottom six role.

San Jose Sharks Re-Sign Chris Tierney

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7/13: The Sharks have officially announced the contract.

7/11: It may not be the fireworks that some Sharks fans are waiting for, but the team has brought back a dependable player for the 2017-18 campaign. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Chris Tierney, San Jose’s young two-way center, has signed his qualifying offer. The restricted free agent will return to the Sharks on a one-year, one-way contract worth $735K. Tierney will be an RFA again next summer, but has bought himself another year to prove that he is a worthy of a long-term contract, while also keeping the Sharks’ cap flexibility intact so that they can add more talent up front before next season.

Tierney, 23, was San Jose’s second-round selection back in 2012 out of the OHL’s London Knights. After a prolific junior career, he joined the Sharks for the 2014-15 season and immediately carved out a role for himself as a two-way center. A true 200-foot player, Tierney is consistent with his scoring, notching between 20 and 23 points in each of his first three seasons, and is clutch with his offense as well, with several game-winners in his young career and an impressive nine points and +8 rating during the Sharks’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2015-16. Given his moderate ice time, 13 to 14 minutes per night on the fourth line, Tierney’s modest production is more impressive than it may seem. However, where Tierney really excels is in his own end. The team’s checking line center, Tierney has developed great two-way instincts, is an adept shot-blocker, and led all Sharks last year in takeaways per 60 minutes.

Yet, this new contract does bring with it plenty of questions. Why was a valuable, young defensive forward forced to sign his lowly one-year qualifying offer? The only explanation is that one side or the other wanted that deal, otherwise one would think that a longer contract worth closer to Tierney’s true value could have been agreed upon, like many of those signed by restricted free agents in the past week or so. Perhaps the Sharks did not offer Tierney anything more than the qualifying offer, or maybe he is unhappy in San Jose and only wanted to sign on for one year at a time. Either way, this contract (and any possible underlying discontent) could make Tierney trade bait this summer as the Sharks look to improve their offense. Stay tuned.

Minor Moves: Enroth, Balcers, Chaput

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Jhonas Enroth has found a home for the upcoming season, but it won’t be in the NHL. The free agent goaltender has signed on with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL for one season. Enroth split last season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks organization, finding much success in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls.

Enroth is undersized for the new NHL, standing just 5’10” as one of the shortest goaltenders in the league last year. That size has limited him at times, but he’s also shown an incredible set of reflexes and actually holds a .909 career NHL save percentage. In the minors it’s even better than that and he’ll try to prove he can be that successful at the KHL level as well.

  • The San Jose Sharks have signed Rudolfs Balcers to a three-year entry-level deal, calling him a “natural goal-scorer.” The Latvian forward spent last season with the Kamloops Blazers, scoring 40 goals in just 66 games. That number led all WHL rookies, though he was several years older than most with that distinction. The small Balcers will now bring his talents to the AHL where it will be even harder to find the back of the net.
  • Though their hearing wasn’t scheduled for another week, the Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with Michael Chaput according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The two sides decided on a figure of $687,500 which is barely more than the league minimum this season. The 25-year old Chaput played 68 games for Vancouver last season, registering just eight points.

Andrew Ference Retires From NHL

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After barely playing at all the past two seasons, Andrew Ference has officially announced his retirement. Ference turned 38 in March and was without a contract after his most recent deal with the Edmonton Oilers expired at the end of the year. Andrew Ference

In 16 NHL seasons, Ference played a total of 907 regular season games and another 120 playoff contests. Never a pure offensive defensemen, he did put up a solid 263 combined points including a career-high of 31 in 2005-06. He was better known for his willingness to engage physically when he needed two, but mostly played a solid two-way game. His career featured a Stanley Cup victory in 2011 with the Boston Bruins, being named captain in Edmonton for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, and winning the King Clancy award in 2014 for his Leadership and Humanitarian efforts.

Ference, born in Edmonton, was a huge part of the Alberta city’s community after he returned a few years ago. Involvement in charitable programs like the November Project (a widespread fitness initiative), the Hope Mission Shelter and toy drives for the Stollery Children’s Hospital have made him a beloved figure in Edmonton even as his on-ice play diminished.

Last year, he spent the entire season on long-term injured reserve but remained focused on helping the NHL’s renewable energy initiative that he has been a big part of since the start. Though he didn’t contribute on the ice, he’ll have a lasting effect on the game and city.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Chuck Greenberg Signs Letter Of Intent To Buy Carolina Hurricanes

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According to multiple reports including Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg, Chuck Greenberg has signed a letter of intent to purchase the Carolina Hurricanes for $500MM. Greenberg is the former part-owner and CEO of the MLB’s Texas Rangers, and according to Soshnick he would not attempt to move the Hurricanes out of North Carolina.

The rumored $500MM price tag is the same fee that the expansion Vegas Golden Knights paid for their franchise, but more than double what Forbes valued them at in 2016 when they ranked them last among NHL franchises. Though pure value is rarely the selling price, this would be a huge investment on Greenberg’s part and one that will come to a shock to many. The current owner, Peter Karmanos said in January that he was open to selling the entire franchise and that he’d been looking for at least partial buyers for a while. It seems he may have found his man in Greenberg, who comes in with plenty of sports franchise experience.

Greenberg Sports Group currently owns three minor league baseball teams, and Greenberg himself was owned a part of the Texas Rangers along with Nolan Ryan from 2010-2011. He was also an attorney on the acquisition of the Pittsburgh Penguins by Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux, an ownership that was examined in great detail this morning.

The Hurricanes released a statement on the offer:

Since an offer has been made to purchase the team, Mr. Karmanos intends to evaluate that offer and also will continue to evaluate his other options, including retaining his ownership of the team.

It will be interesting to see if the deal goes through, and what immediately happens to the Hurricanes. They’re currently being managed quite well in terms of hockey operations by NHL legend Ron Francis, though they still haven’t been able to find much financial success. Carolina ranked dead last in terms of average attendance last season with less than 12,000 per game, a figure that was nearly half of what the Chicago Blackhawks reported. While there are other ways to keep a sports franchise afloat financially, most of it stems from fan loyalty and excitement, something Carolina has had trouble with over the years.

Tomas Tatar Rejects Five-Year, $25MM Contract Offer

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According to Ansar Khan of MLive, Tomas Tatar and the Detroit Red Wings remain at an impasse in contract negotiations. The restricted free agent has turned down a five-year $25MM contract offer, instead wanting more term and an average salary closer to $6MM. Tatar’s arbitration hearing is on July 20th, an option that may have to be used should the two sides not agree in the next week. A one-year decision would send him to unrestricted free agency next season, something that would likely spark trade rumors immediately as Detroit would want something of value before he left town.

Tatar has a good case after scoring 25 goals and 46 points last season, showing he’s one of the most reliable offensive options on the Red Wings. While some question his all-around game, he is unquestionably a talented player who can drive possession and produce offensively. That kind of player, especially one that is just 26-years old is a much sought-after commodity on the open market and one that would drive a steep price should GM Ken Holland not be able to work out a long-term deal.

As Khan points out in his piece, Tyler Johnson, a player who was also scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on the 20th just agreed to a seven-year $35MM deal. While the two are comparable sizes, ages and have a similar level of experience Johnson has two major things going for him. He has already set a considerably higher peak of 72 points—Tatar’s career high is 56—and plays center full time, a more valued position. He got the term Tatar is after, but had to settle for a $5MM AAV.

Interestingly, Tatar comes with a recent resume of durability playing in 245 of a possible 246 games the last three seasons. If the team is truly interested in competing in the short term, they need Tatar on the wing providing offense, but it seems as though his biggest value may be on the market should he be given just a one year deal. Watching him walk away in a year for nothing would be foolish, but dedicating that kind of money to him when you have other salary cap issues all over the roster may be impossible. The Red Wings only have about $2.3MM in cap space before putting Johan Franzen on LTIR, and still another deal to finish with Andreas Athanasiou.

Andrei Loktionov Signs PTO With Los Angeles Kings

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The Los Angeles Kings have kicked off the professional tryout season, as according to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, the team has signed former NHL forward Andrei Loktionov to a PTO for this fall’s training camp. Loktionov will attend camp in search of a spot on the Kings roster after spending the last three seasons in the KHL.

Selected by the Kings in 2008, Loktionov spent one outstanding season with players like Taylor Hall, Ryan Ellis and Adam Henrique in Windsor of the OHL before making the jump to professional hockey. It wasn’t long before he got a chance in the NHL, but couldn’t seem to deliver quite the same offensive jump. After bouncing around for a few years from Los Angeles to New Jersey to Carolina, Loktionov signed in the KHL where he has turned himself into a two-way force that logs big minutes for Yaroslavl.

Though this doesn’t come with the promise of an NHL contract, it’s an easy chance to give for the Kings who could desperately use his speed down the middle. He could also add another dimension to a penalty kill that was already among the league’s best, though he still isn’t an excellent faceoff man. In Russia last season he won just 48% of his draws.

There will be more PTOs given out over the summer, many to older players looking for one last chance or European free agents. Remember it doesn’t neccessarily mean the player will sign with the team he’s working out with. Last year saw Calgary snatch Kris Versteeg out from under Edmonton’s nose, something that happens fairly often.

Friedman’s Latest: McDavid, Duchene, Kuznetsov

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In his final “30 Thoughts” column for the summer, the venerable Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet left us with some interesting tidbits from around the league. First off, he launches into a long explanation of how Connor McDavid’s eight-year, $100MM contract will affect the rest of the league. It’s clear that the shockwaves of the deal will make future deals with stars like Erik Karlsson, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel even more expensive, but by just how much is still yet to be seen.

Friedman confirms a report that McDavid himself was the one who went after less money after an original verbal agreement put his deal at $13.25MM per season, saying he felt “skittish about the reaction to the original number” before settling on $12.5MM. Though that $750K per season won’t have a huge effect on the Edmonton Oilers salary cap, it’s a substantial amount ($6MM over the course of the contract) to leave on the table. It will be interesting to see if other superstars will be willing to take a similar cut.

  • Matt Duchene is still on the market, but Friedman is clear that it’s now possible he starts the year in Colorado. That would be an unsatisfying ending to a saga that has been burning on the hot stove for months now, with seemingly half the league connected at one point or another to the Avalanche center. While obviously Duchene doesn’t lose all his value the day the season opens, the Avalanche do need to be careful here. Though he has two years left on his deal, a serious injury or another disappointing season could drastically lower his value and leave them trying to find any deal available before losing him in the summer or 2019. Duchene scored just 41 points last season, and Colorado looks like one of the worst teams in the league once again.
  • Evgeny Kuznetsov was locked into a huge contract by the Washington Capitals, and part of it is because of the real threat the KHL posed. Even without the attraction of playing for Russia at the Olympics, Friedman writes that there were rumors of a $10MM per season contract for Kuznetsov a huge number to turn down. Losing Kuznetsov in a year when Kevin Shattenkirk, Karl Alzner, Justin Williams and Nate Schmidt have all found new homes would have been one of the hardest offseasons imaginable for the Capitals.

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