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Archives for July 2017

New Jersey Notes: Kovalchuk, Kerfoot, McLeod

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NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton tweets that Devils Ilya Kovalchuk has told several clubs that he wants a three-year deal worth at least $6.5MM if he will consider returning to the NHL. Many teams have expressed interest and the belief is that the Devils’ Ray Shero wants to move Kovalchuk in hopes of bringing back a young player and a pick. He scored 32 goals last year in the KHL and has previously expressed interest in staying in the New York area, although not likely for the Devils, or to play in Florida. However, that hasn’t stopped most teams from inquiring with New Jersey. The New York Rangers and the Columbus Blue Jackets both have expressed interest in acquiring the 34-year-old wing.

International reporter Slava Malamud tweets that Kovalchuk’s demand is in line with what he is making in the KHL. He made $5.5MM with his team, St. Petersburg SKA last season and, according to Malamud, he is being offered $6.5MM now to stay in Russia.

  • The Record’s Andrew Gross tweets that New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero is still looking to sign Harvard University center Alexander Kerfoot. The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick by New Jersey in the 2012 draft and just wrapped up his final season for the Crimson. He finally had a breakout season this year, putting up 16 goals and 29 assists as a senior. The problem is that since he’s a fourth-year college player, there is a loophole that allows four-year players to become free agents on Aug. 1. Some believe the Vancouver native may choose to sign with his hometown team instead.
  • The Devils have high hopes that not only will 2017 first-overall pick Nico Hischier make the opening night roster for New Jersey, but the team also hopes that 2016 first rounder Michael McLeod might join him. The 12th-overall pick scored 27 goals for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads and Gross tweets that the team hopes he could take over as the team’s third-line center.

Canadiens Frustrated With Markov, Radulov’s Demands

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With the extension of Carey Price and his eight-year, $84MM deal in the books, general Marc Bergevin spoke to the media about his other two key free agents who they are trying to sign. Bergevin said both Alexander Radulov and long-time Canadiens’ defenseman Andrei Markov are asking too much. Especially now that the team must contend with Price’s $10.5 AAV starting next year, he said it is up to them if they want to come back. “If Radulov and Markov wish to return, the door is open for them – but on the Canadiens’ terms,” said Bergevin.

LNH.com’s Arpon Basu reports that Bergevin vented frustration with both players. Markov, the 38-year-old blueliner, has been with the organization from the start of his career and has played 16 seasons for them. He is coming off a productive season in which he scored six goals and 30 assists. However, he is asking for a two-year deal. Radulov, the top remaining unrestricted free agent, is coming off a one-year “prove it” contract, and that’s what he did, scoring 18 goals and 36 assists at age 30. He had previously played overseas for eight seasons with a brief respite in the middle to play nine games for the Nashville Predators.

According to Bergevin, there is a good chance that one or both may not come back this year. “Based on their demands, I can’t say we’ll be able to bring both back,” Bergevin said at the press conference. He added that Markov’s two-year demand is not the issue, implying he is asking for too much. Bergevin added that the Canadiens have already submitted their final offers and there are no other unrestricted free agents they are interested in, which means if they cannot sign either or both, they will look to replace them from within the organization.

It’s likely that Bergevin is threatening to cut off negotiations with the hopes they will come down from their asking price. Right now, it doesn’t look as if both players will come back, especially now that they have new cap issues to worry about.

 

Chicago Trades Marcus Kruger to Las Vegas

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Chicago Blackhawks’ Marcus Kruger has been traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. The trade will be for future considerations.

The long-expected trade was expected several weeks ago when the Blackhawks worked out a side deal with the Golden Knights and allowed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to be exposed in the expansion draft. Vegas took the young defenseman and flipped him to the Carolina Hurricanes with a seventh-round pick in 2018 for a 2017 second-round pick. The Golden Knights used that pick on Jake Leschyshyn. The original agreement had the Golden Knights taking on Kruger’s contract of $3.08MM for the next two seasons. Evidently, Chicago waited until after they paid him his $2MM signing bonus yesterday before completing the transaction.

In Kruger, Vegas gets a 27-year-old center who played in 70 games last year for the Blackhawks, scoring five goals and adding 12 assists. He is a defensive forward, who was always trusted to close out games when the team was leading. He is known as a depth player that makes good teams great. How he will fit into the Golden Knights plans is unknown unless their plan is to attempt to flip him.

 

Montreal Signs Carey Price To 8-Year Extension

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have signed goaltender Carey Price to an eight-year, $84MM extension with a $10.5MM AAV, according to Elliotte Friedman. The deal won’t kick in until the 2018-19 season and will make the 29-year-old goalie the highest paid player in Montreal Canadiens history, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engles. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that $70MM of the $84MM will come though a signing bonus, which are in place in case there is a lockout, according to Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington. It also means that’s more money for Price down the road if they choose to buy him out, according to NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek.

For Price, his $10.5MM AAV will briefly be tied for the highest in the NHL, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. He is currently tied with Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. However, that will only last until Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid signs his expected $13.25MM extension shortly.

Price will be locked up now until the 2025-2026 season with this deal.  Considered by many to be the best goaltender in hockey, the goaltender has a 270-185-55 record. He boasts an goals against career average of 2.40 and has been even better in the past few years, finishing this year with a  2.23 in 62 games with a .923 save percentage. His best season was the 2014-15 year when he won both the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Vezina Trophy after a season in which he finished with a 1.96 GAA and a .933 save percentage in 66 games.

While Price wasn’t set to be a free agent until next year, locking up their franchise goaltender long-term is one less thing to worry about. While the new contract will not come into play for another year, the team will new cap concerns starting a year from now. Montreal currently has $53MM tied up in just 14 players next year.

Marleau Deciding Between San Jose, Toronto

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Patrick Marleau’s name has appeared everywhere as one of the top free agents that remain after the first day of free agency. The 37-year-old wing, who will turn 38 before the season gets underway, has played 19 years in San Jose and hasn’t slowed down one bit. His 27 goals are his best since the 2013-14 season and the veteran has always been consistent and healthy. So, what’s taking so long?

NBC Sports’ Kevin Kurz says that while the Sharks offered him a two-year deal on Friday, Marleau is considering other offers, despite the fact that linemate and friend Joe Thornton has already agreed to a one-year deal with the Sharks. It seems that Marleau has received multiple offers that trump San Jose’s offer and Kurz writes that the Toronto Maple Leafs offer is quite a bit better. While it would have to be a tough decision to leave a place after 19 years, it might make sense. Even with Thornton returning, the Sharks failed to get out of the first round last year, suffering a loss to a young and emerging Edmonton team, and the Sharks seem to be developing into a franchise that may have to reverse course soon and begin a youth movement. Heading to Toronto and an up-and-coming team (along with the better offer) might be a better way to go. Playing with the young core of players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner could be enticing to the veteran. According to Kurz, no one has any idea of what Marleau will decide and there is genuine concern among Sharks’ management that he may leave.

On another note, while Thornton has agreed to a one-year deal that TSN’s Bob McKenzie writes will be a $6.5MM deal, it still hasn’t become official. Kurz said that there is nothing to worry about. He believes that Thornton is waiting for Marleau to make his decision so they can be announced together, like he did in 2014. Thornton agreed to a one year deal, although Kurz says he was offered a two-year deal, like Marleau, on Friday. It’s likely that the one-year deal offered more.

Girardi Signing May Delay Tampa Bay’s Blueline Prospects

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There are many worried Tampa Bay Lightning fans that the recent signing of veteran defender Dan Girardi, to a two-year, $6MM contract, will only get in the way of the team’s blueline youth movement. Once considered a major weakness on their team, the Lightning have rebuilt the defense over the last few years. They have even protected several of those young defensemen like Slater Koekkoek and Jake Dotchin by giving up a top offensive prospect in Nikita Gusev and several draft picks to Vegas to convince them to take veteran defender Jason Garrison off their hands, not only to free up cap space, but also to open up more playing time on the blueline.

The team also has a new core of young defensive prospects in the pipeline as well, including newly acquired Mikhail Sergachev, who they received from Montreal for Jonathan Drouin. They have focused their drafts on defense as well. They drafted the WHL’s Cal Foote with the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft. Before that, they spent a slew of second-rounders on defense, drafting Libor Hajek with their second round pick last year, Matt Spencer in the second round in 2015 as well, and Dominik Masin in the second round in 2014. They even added 2015 second-rounder Erik Cernak when they sent Ben Bishop to Los Angeles in February. The team even inked their sixth-round pick from 2016 yesterday in Oleg Susanov, at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds at age 19.

With all this talent though, the Lightning still invested $3MM per year to Girardi, which means the team isn’t likely to have the veteran mentor the youth. It’s more likely that the team is doing everything it can to bolster its roster for a playoff run and will force players like Koekkoek, Dotchin, and Sergachev to battle it out for a roster spot or be sent back to the AHL. Koekkoek, a former tenth-overall pick in 2012, only managed to get into 29 games last year, playing the majority of the season with the Syracuse Crunch. Dotchin split his time evenly between the two, having played 35 games for each squad.

Sergachev might be ready for Tampa Bay soon as well, but a Girardi deal could benefit the team as well. The former ninth-overall pick in 2016 had conditions linked to his trade with the Canadiens that would allow the Lightning to acquire a 2018 second-round pick if Sergachev doesn’t play more than 40 games for the NHL squad during the regular season and the playoffs. Otherwise, Tampa Bay would get no extra pick. Perhaps that may be an extra incentive to keep him in the minors for a little while longer.

 

Eastern Notes: Rangers Re-tooling Defense, Repo

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The New York Rangers, unsatisfied with the way their 2016-17 season ended, decided to retool their roster this offseason and yesterday’s signing of top-two defender Kevin Shattenkirk and the re-signing of trade deadline addition Brendan Smith should prove to be a key investment to building up their strength on their blueline.

So far, the Rangers have traded away their top center in 27-year-old Derek Stepan and his $6.5MM salary as well as their talented backup goaltender Antti Raanta. In exchange, they have upgraded their defense through free agency, adding Shattenkirk at $6.65MM per year (almost the same salary as Stepan) and re-signing Brendan Smith to a $4.35MM a year deal. Don’t forget the Rangers parted ways with veteran defenseman Dan Girardi in a buyout, but Girardi’s deal was at originally at $5.5MM, so all they have done so far is relocated already spent money. Add Ryan McDonough and veteran Marc Staal and the team has a high-quality defensive top-four. In fact, if you add in veteran Nick Holden, former first-rounder Brady Skjei and new acquisition Anthony Deangelo, a 21-year-old 2014 first-rounder, the team is suddenly overloaded in defensemen.

They have signed backup goaltender Ondrej Pavelek to replace Raanta. The only problem now is the team has holes in the middle as the team only has two centers under contract in Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller and little money remaining to make another major splash. They currently have $8.35MM, according to Cap Friendly, of money to spend, not including the expected retirement of defenseman Kevin Klein or the fact that the Rangers still have two restricted free agents they need to lock up in Jesper Fast and Mika Zibanejad. Perhaps a one-year deal with a remaining veteran center would be a possibility.

  • The Florida Panthers tweeted that they have locked up Finnish forward Sebastian Repo to a three-year entry-level deal worth $925,000 per year. The right-winger was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft and impressed the organization at their recent development camp.

Matt Duchene Rumors Continue to Swirl

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While there was plenty of action yesterday on the first day of free agency, one name that surfaced over and over again was that of the availability of Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene. The trade rumors refuse to die down, yet nothing has happened. According to The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline, there are several teams trying to pry the 26-year-old former third-overall pick in the 2009 draft, including the Blue Jackets.

Quite obviously, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic is looking for a very young defender as key to any package to get Duchene. The scribe cites that the team has asked the Blue Jackets for 20-year-old blueliner Gabriel Carlsson as a primary piece of a potential deal. The former first-round pick in 2015 has shown quite a bit of promise, signing late this season and joining the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for three games and then finished his 2016-17 season in Columbus for the final two games, picking up an assist on the way. Portzline says there has also been quite a bit of talk that the team is also interested in the Blue Jacket’s Ryan Murray, the former second-overall pick in 2012. The defenseman has played four seasons, finishing this year with two goals and nine assists in 60 games. No one knows whether Sakic is interested in one or both as part of the package for Duchene.

Portzline also tweets that the Boston Bruins are also discussing a trade with Colorado over Duchene and that deal would likely center around Bruins defender Brandon Carlo, who just wrapped up his rookie campaign with the Bruins. The 20-year-old former second round pick in 2015 finished the season with six goals, 10 assists and 59 penalty minutes.

Up till now, Sakic has refused to comment on any trade rumors only creating further speculation that a trade may be coming soon. We will see if there is any trade movement today as there is quite a bit of anticipation to see a move made.

Best Of What’s Left – Part 2

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As we close in on the end of an only moderately crazy July 1st, there are quite a few names that remain from our Top-50 Free Agents list. Here are some of the best of what remains in the back half of our Top 50:

Johnny Oduya (#32) – A reunion with Chicago was not overly successful after he was traded to the Blackhawks in February. So far, there is little noise about where the 35-year-old defenseman will go. It’s still possible that Chicago plans to add him to their roster, but after a disappointing campaign, perhaps he will have to wait till someone comes calling. Of course, Stanley Cups and playoff experience are quite valuable, so his name should surface soon.

Jarome Iginla (#33) – Los Angeles has already told Iginla that they don’t want him back, so where does that put the 40-year-old winger who scored 14 goals between the Avalanche and the Kings? It seems the veteran forwards are getting the least attention by NHL teams. Could returning home to Calgary for one final run be in the cards for him?

Daniel Winnik (#36) – Winnik has played for seven teams so far in his career and is looking for a chance to stick with one team. The 32-year-old center has quietly put together one of his best seasons with a career-best 12 goals with the Capitals. However, he hasn’t received much interest on the first day of free agency. Could Washington get him on the cheap?

Shane Doan (#38) – Four teams have shown interest in Doan, according to arizonasports.com’s Craig Morgan. While he doesn’t mention any of the four teams, he adds that Doan will take some time to think about it, so we may not hear much from the 40-year-old forward for another few days. His experiences in Arizona should prove an enormous amount of leadership towards almost any team.

Brian Gionta (#39) – All signs point to Gionta not returning to Buffalo. It looks as if the new brass there might want to move on and hand their captaincy to some younger players. So where does that leave the 38-year-old, yet still productive center? Waiting.

Jiri Hudler (#40) – At 33, Hudler is quite young, but injuries have mounted for the veteran and there has been little call after the first day for the veteran center. However, despite missing more than half the season, the veteran still scored 47 goals in the two years previous. While no one has stepped forward, there should be teams ready to take a chance that he will return to form this year.

P.A. Parenteau (#41) – The 34-year-old has bounced around a lot over the last few years and might have to find a new team once again. While a reunion with Nashville is certainly possible, Parenteau only played 13 games (playoffs included) for Nashville for a total of one assist.

David Desharnais (#42) – Once thought of as a legitimate candidate to be taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, Desharnais is also looking for work and may have to look to other teams for his chance, although their quite a few ahead of him on this list.

Matt Cullen (#43) – You would think that the trend of veteran forwards would continue here, but the rumor is that Cullen is considering retirement and, if not, would likely be brought back by Pittsburgh. Despite 31 points last year for the Stanley Cup champions, Cullen might be done at age 40.

Ales Hemsky (#44) – It’s still early, but there are indications that Hemsky might be given the opportunity to return to Dallas. The veteran dealt with injuries and missed all but 15 games. If proven healthy and the Stars still have openings after all their moves in the last week, Hemsky could come back on a one-year deal.

Viktor Stalberg (#45) – Rumors persist that Ottawa wants to bring the speedy wing back, but it would have to be short-term after playing 18 regular season and 17 playoff games and finishing with just two goals and four assists combined.

 

 

 

The Prettiest And Ugliest Contracts Of July 1

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Although hindsight is usually the only way to be certain as to when a deal flops, it seems reasonable to make an immediate assessment as to what deals will backfire or pay dividends. Today was a far more reserved July 1st than the league has accustomed itself to, but there are still a few contracts that stick out – for better or for worse.

 

Pretty: Patrick Sharp – Chicago Blackhawks – $800,000, 1 year.

This doesn’t seem fair. Chicago has been trapped in cap jail, and suddenly, here arrives a productive asset at nearly no cost. Sharp, coming off an injury-filled season, is coming back to the Windy City at a dirt-cheap rate. If he can even find half of the production he had during his last outing, this is a monumental steal. There’s no risk here, and a ton of upside. He still has the hands and hockey IQ to contribute.

Ugly: Steve Mason – Winnipeg Jets – $4,1 MM per, 2 years

Winnipeg was seemingly the last team standing when the music stopped playing. With a goaltending market that inspired no one, the Jets decided today to place their faith in Steve Mason. Coming off a .908 save percentage year, it’s hard to see him doing much worse. But behind the Winnipeg defense, it’s hard to see him doing much better. The pricetag is what really seals this as poor value relative to play. Luckily, if things don’t pan out, it’s only for two seasons. Connor Hellebuyck better prepare himself just in case. Taken in tandem with the highly questionable Dmitry Kulikov contract, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff maybe should have taken the day off.

Pretty: Radim Vrbata – Florida Panthers – $2.5 MM per, 1 year

Vrbata is absolutely a top-six winger, and he was signed for bottom-six money. He can assist a powerplay, and slot up and down a lineup as needed. Florida desperately needed to re-coup some scoring on the cheap after letting so many of their top point-getters walk or be lost to Vegas. With bonuses added in, this becomes a good prove-it deal for Vrbata as well. Solid value was found here for both parties and for a 20 goal, 55 point player, Florida will happily run away from this one.

Ugly: Trevor Daley – Detroit – $3.18MM per, 3 years

Daley was bereft of ice time in these playoffs, and he was competing with some really underperforming defensemen. It’s not like he had a good regular season either – his Corsi For % fell off a proverbial cliff (53.7 to 46.1), and the eye test certainly agreed. He put up decent points, 5 goals and 14 assists through 56 contests, and he can still skate well enough. But long are the days where he can make a difference on special teams or drive an offense with confidence. His turnover rate and inconsistency are not what Detroit needed to stabilize the back-end, and Daley will be 36 at the conclusion of the deal. The last time Daley cut a lucrative free agent deal, Chicago had to offload him due to poor play.

Pretty: Kevin Shattenkirk – New York Rangers – $6.65MM per, 4 years

The money could end up being a slight overpayment, but at the moment it is solid value. Shattenkirk finished 4th in points among defensemen last season and St. Louis never looked the same after he left. He could instantly and single-handedly transform the Rangers’ defense from the jumbled mess they were last season. He will reliably feed the puck to the forward group, and be the quarterback of the Ranger powerplay. What makes this a beautiful deal, however, is the term. If Shattenkirk has a bad year or doesn’t fit the system, New York is not on the hook for eternity. One of the biggest pitfalls in free agency with the bigger names is offering far too many years on contracts. Time and time again, it burns teams who were looking to attract a big fish. GM Jeff Gorton deserves credit here for not going insane with the length, although he was helped by Shattenkirk’s strong desire to return home.

Ugly: Dan Girardi – Tampa Bay – $3 MM per, 2 years

Nothing about this deal makes sense. Girardi earned his buyout from New York through brutal play and horrible possession numbers. Of all the NHL defensemen who played more than 40 games, only Rasmus Ristolainen of Buffalo and Luke Schenn of Arizona had worse Corsi Against per 60 minutes – Girardi finished with 65.11 (versus a 51.67 CF60). By no metric other than shot blocks was he an effective player. He might be worth a flier in hopes of regaining form, but he’s not worth much more. This agreement is made even worse by the fact that Girardi will be stealing valuable playing time from a solid young defenseman like Slater Koekkoek or Jake Dotchin. Combined with the Chris Kunitz signing, this is a team that didn’t get any younger, or any better.

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