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Buffalo Sabres Sign Robin Lehner

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The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with goaltender Robin Lehner, signing him to a one-year contract worth $4MM. Lehner was due for a hearing on the 27th to determine his salary. The contract will keep Lehner under team control as a restricted free agent for one more year following its expiration. Robin Lehner

Lehner, 26, can be one of the most frustrating goalies in the league at times, and one of the most spectacular at others. While it’s clear that he has the talent to be one of the very top netminders in professional hockey, he does sometimes lose his concentration and can be prone to fiery outbursts. Even still, he recorded a .920 save percentage in his first year as a full-time starter, good for seventh in the league among goaltenders who started half their team’s games.

If it’s hard for Buffalo fans to fully get behind Lehner, its because of the high price they had to pay to get him. Two summers ago they sent a first-round pick to the Ottawa Senators for the goaltender and David Legwand, a selection that turned into blue-chip prospect Colin White. The Sabres expect quite a bit from their young goaltender, and with the struggles of the team it has been hard to justify that price. Lehner has a .921 save percentage since getting to Buffalo, and is clearly doing his part to help the Sabres out of the basement.

One of the more interesting notes about Lehner’s 2016-17 season was his struggles in the shootout. He allowed all eight attempts against him, making him 2/12 since joining the Sabres. Though the shootout is easily the least important part of a goaltender’s game, it is still frustrating for Sabres fans to watch them lose over and over in the skills competition.

Lehner will get a hefty raise to $4MM this season and could be in line for a substantial long-term contract even if he just repeats his performance from a year ago. Though new GM Jason Botterill would like to see what he has before giving out the keys to the net, allowing a talent like Lehner to walk in the summer of 2019 would be foolish.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Reid Boucher Signs One-Year Deal With Canucks

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Winger Reid Boucher, a restricted free-agent, signed a one-year contract with Vancouver tonight, avoiding the arbitration process. Boucher was scheduled to have his hearing on August 1st, but instead was able to hammer out a deal with Canucks management. The contract is worth a reported $687,5000, as Stephen Whyno of AP broke the news. This is definitely a “prove-it” sort of deal, and Boucher will need to carve out his own playing time through consistent effort.

Boucher swapped teams twice in 2016-17, moving from New Jersey to Nashville before settling in British Columbia. Boucher had his possession numbers improve under his tenure with Vancouver, playing 27 games for a relative Corsi For % of -0.6. Contrasted with his performance in New Jersey up to that point, he had seemingly started to find a groove. Boucher did find a bit of offensive production as well, scoring 6 goals and 4 points on the year in only 39 total games. At 23 years old, Boucher still has the potential to progress as a player. He is a bit undersized at a mere 5’10, but has shown flashes of being a cheap goal-scoring contributor. He’ll need to continue to clean up his two-way game in order to truly cement himself on an NHL roster.

With this contract signed, GM Jim Benning will now turn his attention to fellow RFA Bo Horvat and Brendan Gaunce. Gaunce is also a marginal piece, but Horvat will be a core player for many years. Locking him up on a longer deal at a reasonable hit now becomes Benning’s clear number one priority.

Evening Notes: Hurricanes’ Ownership, Oduya, Dumoulin

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For anyone trying to pay attention the Hurricanes’ ownership struggles, another chapter has been added to the ongoing saga. The team, currently owned by a group headed by Peter Karmanos, Jr., has been rumored to be up for sale for some time. The financial situation of the team is difficult, as attendance issues over the past few years have brought monetary losses and concern from other owners around the league. Still, it seems that Carolina is nowhere near the dire situation of the Arizona Coyotes, whose decade-plus-long fiasco has bewildered onlookers and hockey fans for quite some time.

Not long ago, a potential buyer for the Hurricanes, one Chuck Greenberg, supposedly offered $500 MM to acquire the franchise. This was reported by Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg and The Denver Post, and confirmed by others. Afterwards, the Karmanos group responded by saying the reports were essentially misleading, and then were called “fake news” in an article published by Forbes. Technically, it was a non-binding letter of intent and not an official offer, but that shouldn’t discount the strong possibility of an impending team sale.

Today we learned that Greenberg showed up at the team’s practice facility, thanks to some wonderful reporting by The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander. Greenberg stopped by the Raleigh Center Ice location, and essentially conducted a “fact-finding trip”. The whole situation is confusing largely because the franchise’s estimated value has plummeted and the offer is exceptionally fair. Additionally, the Karmanos group has been looking to sell the Canes for years to a team that will keep them local. This was reported yet again this January by NBC’s Adam Gretz, and it’s no secret there is desire from the fanbase for a change in direction. Greenberg seems to be a perfect solution to the situation, as he has local investors involved and stated no plans for relocation. As of now, there seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes, and many moving parts. Still, a change in ownership seems more likely today than it did yesterday.

  • After today’s earlier announcement of the Brian Dumoulin 6-year, $4.1 MM AAV signing, it has been revealed that the Penguins’ shutdown force played with a broken hand. The Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey reported that Dumoulin kept re-breaking the fracture before it could heal, during the course of normal play. He broke it after blocking a slapshot in the fifth game of the first round against Columbus, The dependable stay-at-home defender played incredibly well, often matching up against top opponents and maintaining solid body position boxing out attackers in front of his goaltenders. He even tallied two goals throughout the Stanley Cup run, so the nature of the injury does come as a little surprising. He and the Penguins medical staff considered the possibility of Dumoulin undergoing surgery this off-season to repair the damage, but it no longer seems necessary. Dumoulin believes the injury has healed well enough on its own and that he should be ready for action come season opener.
  • Johnny Oduya shocked many by signing a deal so soon for $1 MM and bonuses, as Ottawa had apparently been courting him since “July 2nd”. As I reported yesterday, interest for the player never really openly surfaced among the insiders of the league. Oduya comes at great value for the Senators, and GM Pierre Dorion expressed his glee at a press conference you can find partially transcribed by Craig Megdalia here. Essentially, Dorion felt the move was absolutely necessary considering the loss of veteran Marc Methot to expansion (before being shipped to Dallas), and although he has confidence in his younger players, he couldn’t miss the opportunity to bring in “a true pro”. By the sound of it, Dorion expects coach Guy Boucher to likely place Oduya in a prominent role, which could push out a younger player such as Thomas Chabot.

Defensive Logjam In Dallas Not Concerning

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The Dallas Stars are in an enviable position, but one that might prompt a trade in the near future. After years of drafting heavily on defense, their prospect pool at the position is incredibly deep. Heading into training camp, at present, they will have at least 9 defensemen fighting for 7 roster spots. Theoretically, the could keep 8 on the roster for a time and keep only one spare forward, but ultimately, someone is going to lose out.

As of today, the team has Marc Methot, John Klingberg, Dan Hamhuis, Esa Lindell as their highest paid defenders. They also have Patrik Nemeth, Greg Pateryn, and Stephen Johns signed to NHL contracts, who are all over the age of 25 and would be waiver eligible if the team attempted to waive them for AHL use. There is also the still promising Jamie Oleksiak, an RFA who still needs to negotiate his contract. Finally, Julius Honka looks ready to take an NHL roster position after spot duty in Dallas last season. There are also more defensemen on the horizon, including the steal of a first-round pick of this season, Miro Heiskanen. Heiskaen is likely to return to his native Finland, but less talented players have forced teams to keep them on board. So, who makes the team? And will anyone be on the move?

Discounting the most expensive four, Nemeth and others should be concerned about being usurped. It seems that Honka has proven everything he can at the AHL level, and with his talent could end up outclassing everyone not named Klingberg or Methot with a good camp showing. Still, he can be moved down without needing to clear waivers. Oleksiak has shown real flashes as a former first-round shutdown player, but Pateryn and Nemeth both ended up playing a similar number of contests last season, and are second-rounders themselves. Despite limited action, their possession numbers were solid (49.9% and 51.3% respectively Corsi For) and there aren’t major faults in either players’ games. Oleksiak still has kinks to work out in his game, but his size (6’7) is probably just too tempting to move him at the tender age of 24. Johns played more games of any of the others, and brings a physicality that will likely endear him to new head coach Ken Hitchcock, despite his other shortcomings.

Ultimately, this is a camp that will be brutally competitive. The Stars won’t want to lose any of these players for nothing. Teams are always looking for youngish defenders on the cheap, and both Pateryn and Oleksiak would fit that bill nicely. Hamhuis would be tempting to move out, but he still eats a ton of minutes and provides veteran leadership to a young group. Lindell isn’t safe either, and moving his salary ($2.2) would be more helpful than unloading the cheap Pateryn or Johns. At the end of the day, it’s a wonderful problem to have, as depth at the position is always integral when players go down to injury. The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika is probably correct in his prediction that the organization will allow the situation to sort itself out on its own. Internal competition can be healthy, and by September many teams will be desperate to fill defensive holes on the cheap. Still, it will be a fascinating situation to watch develop.

Dead Space: Bought-Out, Buried, And Retained Salaries For Every Team

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It’s something that often goes unnoticed, but with the cap showing minimal growth the last few years, teams are starting to feel the crunch more than ever. Buyouts have become more common, especially with players with under three remaining years on their contracts. And it’s not just the big name busts that have seen the ax lately – we’ve seen lesser names at lesser money take the fall for their respective teams, then needing to scramble for work elsewhere in the league. Additionally, salary retention in trades has become a more utilized tactic as of late. Teams with “unmovable” contracts have offered to retain part of a poor contract in order to entice a team into giving them some relief.

All this said, some teams have been better with foresight than others. Some teams have shown a track record of being entirely unable of handing out poor contracts over the past five or so seasons. Considering many teams showed some progress in being more frugal this off-season, it seems a wise time to review the dead space every team has accumulated, either due to poor management decisions or poor luck.

Colorado Avalanche – $4.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Francois Beauchemin buyout; Cody McLeod retained

Arizona Coyotes – $4.61 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Mike Smith retained; Mike Ribeiro, Antoine Vermette buyouts

Columbus Blue Jackets – $4.025 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Fedor Tyutin, Jared Boll, Scott Hartnell buyouts

Carolina Hurricanes – $3.71 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Eddie Lack retained; Alexander Semin, James Wisniewski buyouts

Toronto Maple Leafs – $3.28 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2021-22 – Tim Gleason, Jared Cowen buyouts; Phil Kessel retained

Nashville Predators – $2.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Viktor Stalberg, Eric Nystrom, Barret Jackman buyouts

Boston Bruins – $2.73 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved 2019-20 – Dennis Seidenberg, Jimmy Hayes buyouts

New York Rangers – $2.61 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2022-23 – Dan Girardi buyout

Minnesota Wild – $2.5 MM in 2017-17, issues resolved after current year – Thomas Vanek buyout

Los Angeles Kings – $2.4 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Matt Greene buyout; Mike Richards termination/recapture

Edmonton Oilers – $2.33 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Lauri Korpikoski, Benoit Pouliot buyouts

Anaheim Ducks – $2.21 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Mark Fistric, Simon Despres buyouts; Patrick Maroon retained

Vancouver Canucks – $2.13 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2021-22 – Roberto Luongo, Jannik Hansen retained; Chris Higgins buyout

New Jersey Devils – $2.09 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Mike Cammalleri, Devante Smith-Pelly buyouts; Ilya Kovalchuk recapture

Tampa Bay Lightning – $1.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2019-20 – Matt Carle buyout

Calgary Flames – $1.82 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Mason Raymond, Lance Bouma, Ryan Murphy buyouts

Detroit Red Wings – $1.67 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Stephen Weiss buyout

Dallas Stars – $1.5 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19- Antti Niemi buyout

Philadelphia Flyers – $1.5 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – R.J. Umberger buyout

Winnipeg Jets – $1.46 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Mark Stuart buyout

Florida Panthers – $1.33 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Jussi Jokinen buyout

Las Vegas Golden Knights – $1.1 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Alexei Emelin retained

Ottawa Senators – $350,000 in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Andrew Hammond buried

Buffalo Sabres – Minimal in 2017-18, increased issues ($791,00) resolved after 2022-23 – Cody Hodgson buyout

 

 

Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks,  Montreal Canadiens – No dead cap space

After compiling the list, it became clear that utilizing these options isn’t a complete hindrance to competing in the NHL. In fact, most clubs have between $1 MM and $3 MM in dead space. That said, of the teams that have not needed to utilize the buyout or retention options, there has been a great deal of success. And among the five worst offenders, the Leafs, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Avalanche, and Coyotes, none has moved past the first-round in multiple years. It’s hard to draw massive conclusions without taking the context of each individual situation into account, but there is something to be said for making every dollar of cap space count. Perhaps this is merely a byproduct of past success rather than an indicator of future success, but considering how amenable many managers have become to the option, it bears consideration.

(All totals courtesy of the fantastic CapFriendly.com)

Minor Notes: Didier, Muzito-Bagenda, Tarasov

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It has been a relatively eventful day for a Monday in late July for the NHL. RFA fever and impending arbitration is occupying many general managers’ time. That said, teams have also been busy at work with their AHL rosters and reviewing their prospect situations.

The Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate, announced the signing of Daniel Muzito-Bagenda to a two-way contract. The former Missassauga Steelhead generally plays on his off wing, the right side. He’s never displayed overwhelming offensive capabilities, and did struggle slightly to adjust to the North American game after playing two seasons for MODO’s under-20 squad in Sweden. He played well for the Steelheads in their very abbreviated playoff appearance in the 2015-16, leading that team in points through their 7 games played. Last season he played in 61 games for the Amerks, tallying only 15 points.

Muzito-Bagenda has a lot to prove if he wants to push for a 4th-line call up. Still, for a 6’1 player he has decent promise and should be able to improve his output at least marginally. The only way he’ll see spot duty is if there is a mass of injuries and he leapfrogs many others. Still, at only 21, he has room to grow.

  • The Charlotte Checkers, Carolina’s AHL Affiliate, signed defenseman Josiah Didier to a two-way contract today. Didier split time between the AHL in St. John’s and the ECHL in Brampton last season. It will be interesting to see if he can solidify himself some playing time this year and earn consideration for another contract down the line. He only saw 39 games of action and tallied a meager 8 points in that time. At 24 years old, the former fourth-round pick of Montreal is certainly hoping to finally put it together. His right-handed shot is certainly intriguing, but this will have to be the year to get noiced.
  • The NHL website ran an intriguing piece on Columbus’ 3rd round selection at the 2017 Draft, goaltender Daniil Tarasov. Tarasov showcased some amazing ability at the 2016 World Juniors, but missed the year due to injury. He could prove another sneaky good selection by GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who has truly revitalized that franchise through solid scouting and prospect management. Finally getting recovering to ful health once again, Tarasov will ease himself back into the game by playing for the “junior KHL”, the MHL, for a team called Topar Ulfa. It will be interesting to see whether this gamble pays off, and how quickly Tarasov could push for a KHL position. His athleticism and poise definitely turned heads, but a year off can harm any player’s development.

Snapshots: Okposo, Langhamer, Olympics

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Kyle Okposo’s season ended abruptly last year after a March 27th game, with the Buffalo Sabres’ prized offseason acquisition ending up in a hospital ICU just a few days later. It was a scary time for Buffalo fans and teammates alike, but Okposo is on the road to recovery and played in a game for Da Beauty League last week—his first game action in almost four months.

Now Okposo wants to explain exactly what happened and thank his fans for the outpouring of support that came his way. Okposo pens a letter for NHL.com outlining the negative reaction he had to medicine meant to help him sleep, and a drastic weight loss that followed—he was down under 200 lbs for the first time since he was 17. He says he’s healthy now and will be back playing for the Sabres next season, excited to get started under new GM Jason Botterill and coach Phil Housley.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have signed Marek Langhamer to a one-year two-way contract according to Craig Morgan of AZ Sports. Langhamer made his NHL debut last season in relief of Mike Smith after the Arizona starter had to come out of the game following the league’s new concussion protocol. He made seven of eight saves at the end of the game but is still a long way away from making an NHL impact. The Coyotes, with Antti Raanta set to take over as the lead goaltender and Louis Domingue coming back in a secondary role, will see what they have with that duo before making a decision long-term on where their future in net lies. With Langhamer signed, only Anthony Duclair remains as a restricted free agent for the Coyotes.
  • According to Arpon Basu of NHL.com, Hockey Canada has a press conference scheduled for tomorrow to announce “its plan for the 2017-18 Canada National Men’s Team.” That would presumably be an announcement of how it will select the roster for the upcoming Olympics, which will not feature NHL players for the first time since 1994. In that tournament a Peter Forsberg-led Swedish team took home gold (on one of the most famous shootout dekes of all-time), just before the young star would enter the league. That tournament would also introduce the world to Paul Kariya, who had starred at the University of Maine, but used a season with the Canadian National Team as a springboard for his hall of fame NHL career.

New York Islanders Sign Adam Pelech

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The New York Islanders have signed Adam Pelech to a four-year deal worth a total of $6.4MM. The 22-year old will earn an average salary of $1.6MM, and be expected to take on a bigger role for the Islanders this season. GM Garth Snow released a statement about the signing:

Adam has proven at a very young age that he’s capable of playing an important defensive role on our team. He will be an important piece of our defensive core moving forward and I’m excited to watch him continue to develop at the NHL level.

Pelech took a step forward this year and spent most of the season in the NHL, suiting up for 44 games. Though he registered just ten points and had many point out the obvious flaws in his game, he is still just 22 and a few years removed from putting up some huge totals in the OHL. Not much of that offensive upside has shown itself at the professional level, but he could still improve on that side of the ice once he feels more comfortable at the NHL level.

The Islanders still have Calvin de Haan to sign, but after working out a deal with him (or being given a decision from an arbitrator) they’ll have seven defensemen on NHL contracts even after the trade of Travis Hamonic. Ryan Pulock, another 22-year old on an entry-level contract is also expected to battle for a full-time role in the NHL, giving the team plenty of options on who to put on the ice each night.

At $1.6MM, Pelech actually jumps up to the fourth-highest paid defenseman on the team until de Haan signs. Though there are some solid options there, relying on Pelech to be much more than a bottom-pairing player this year would be a tough position for the young defender. The team will need to get big performances out of Thomas Hickey and Dennis Seidenberg, two players who have shown their limitations when placed in tough matchups.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported the deal, while Arthur Staple of Newsday gives us the financial breakdown. 

Poll: Who Will Be The Most Cost-Effective Free Agent Forward Signed This Year?

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Free agency is often a place where teams around the league overpay for depth additions that have little impact on their team. Even the top free agents available are often given too many years and too much money, especially heading into their declining years. Arguments can be made against several big earners from last year, with Milan Lucic, Kyle Okposo, David Backes and Loui Eriksson all struggling at times throughout the 2016-17 season. Each one is owed $6MM for at least four more seasons, carrying them into their mid-30s. While there were some good things to point out in each of their seasons, the contracts seem like they’ll be dragging their team down in just a few years.

On the other side though, there is the chance to get an incredible amount of production for extremely low prices if you’re willing to take a chance on another team’s castoff. Jon Marchessault signed with Florida for two years and just $1.5MM total, and proceded to put up a 30-goal season for the Panthers. Sam Gagner turned $650K into 50 points for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and a shiny new three-year deal with Vancouver this summer. There are bargains to be had every year, as long as you’re willing to take a chance.

This year, we’ve seen several aging veterans take extremely low-priced contracts after a buyout, and some restricted free agents hit the open market after not receiving a qualifying offer. Last year, Gagner and Marchessault easily paced the UFAs in terms of cost per point, but a 35-year old Radim Vrbata was great value even after factoring in the performance bonuses he earned.

So who will that title go to this year? Mike Cammalleri and Scott Hartnell are both getting just $1MM and can still play, while a player like Kenny Agostino could jump to the NHL and impress. There are also the remaining names like Jaromir Jagr and Thomas Vanek, who still don’t have a contract weeks into free agency. Vote below, and make sure you leave other options in the comments for people to discuss.

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Draft Capital: The Path To Success For Vegas

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Recently we looked at how the Vegas Golden Knights could still hold court at the 2018 trade deadline, a roster filled with pieces on short term deals that could be attractive to teams for the stretch run. The team has burdened itself with so few long-term commitments that it can move salary in and out as it tries to slowly bring it self into contention. Cody Glass

As with any build (re or otherwise) in the NHL, the best players on your team must come through the draft. Bringing a core group through together is the key for any dominant team, with examples like Sidney Crosby–Evgeni Malkin–Kris Letang, Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane–Duncan Keith or Anze Kopitar–Drew Doughty–Jonathan Quick winning several Stanley Cups as young players together. The Golden Knights are hoping their first draft group can replicate that success.

When the Golden Knights secured three first-round picks in this year, selecting Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom (6th, 13th and 15th-overall) they pumped an incredible amount of high-end talent into their system in one day. Those three could easily become the backbone of a competitive team, but it was the other work they’ve done that will really result in some success in the future. On day two of the draft, Vegas selected nine more players including Nicolas Hague who was expected to go in the late first round and Jake Leschyshyn who has NHL pedigree (father Curtis Leschyshyn played over 1,000 games and won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996) and took a huge step forward in the WHL this season.

It’s the sheer amount of lottery tickets they’ve purchased that is sure to pay off for the Golden Knights. Over the next three drafts they have ten selections in the first two rounds, and as noted earlier could gather even more this season. Not only would that allow them to pump their system full of a huge number of prospects, but should also let them move up to get the specific players they want to target. Though 2018 picks are hard to come by, as teams are viewing the first round as one of the deepest in recent memory, it’s harder to project the talent further down the line. Vegas is set up to compete for the very best players available those years, just through sheer draft capital.

So when you look at the Vegas roster, and don’t see a ton of youth and upside (outside of a select few like Shea Theodore) remember that they’ve just started to build a pipeline that should be among the league’s best in just a few years. With a bottom five finish the most likely outcome of this season, they’ll be in the lottery conversation again to select at the top of the draft, and perhaps pull in Andrei Svechnikov, Joe Veleno, Rasmus Dahlin or one of the other elite prospects available next year. That slow build to contention might not take nearly as long as you think.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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