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Nate Schmidt Receives Arbitration Award

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The Golden Knights now know what they will be paying defenseman Nate Schmidt for the next two years.  Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports reports (Twitter link) that Schmidt has been awarded a two year, $4.45MM deal by an arbitrator.  He will receive $2.15MM in 2017-18 and $2.3MM in 2018-19.  He will now be eligible for unrestricted free agency in July of 2019.

The deal comes in quite a bit closer to what Schmidt’s representatives proposed than what Vegas offered.  Back on Tuesday, the team offered a two-year pact worth a total of $1.95MM while Schmidt countered with a one-year, $2.75MM pact.  Because it was Schmidt who filed for arbitration, the team got to choose between signing him for one season or two.

The 26-year-old was selected from Washington in June’s Expansion Draft after a strong late-season and playoff showing.  In 60 regular season games, Schmidt had three goals and 14 assists while averaging 15:27 per night.  He got into the playoff lineup when Karl Alzner went down and never looked back.  Overall, Schmidt played in 11 postseason contests, collecting a goal and three assists while seeing his average ice time increase to 16:39 per game.

[Related: Golden Knights Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

With this award, the Golden Knights now have all of their players selected from expansion under contract.  They still have more than $5.5MM in cap space remaining and considering their willingness to take on bad contracts in exchange for other assets, it will be interesting to see if GM George McPhee will go that route once again.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (via Twitter) was first to report that the award had been made.

Red Wings Sign Michael Rasmussen To Entry-Level Contract

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The Red Wings have locked up their top pick from June’s draft, announcing the signing of center Michael Rasmussen to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Rasmussen has spent the past two seasons with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL.  Last season, he finished second on the team in goals with 32 despite missing the final 22 games of the year due to a wrist injury that also kept him out of the playoffs.  He finished with 55 points in total over 50 regular season contests.

Between that and his size (6’6), Detroit decided to take him ninth overall back at the draft.  He’s not expected to contend for a roster spot with the Red Wings in training camp and will likely be sent back for his third full junior campaign.  He’s currently suited up with Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase and should be in the mix for a spot for their entry at the World Junior Championships in December.

Pittsburgh’s Alternative Third-Line Center Options

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While many teams across the NHL still have holes to fill before the puck drops on the 2017-18 season, no vacancy has received more attention than the third-line center slot for the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, we’ve already written about it once before. However, the scenario has changed over the last few weeks, as the new contracts for RFAs Brian Dumoulin and Conor Sheary have left the Pens with just over $3MM in salary cap space. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette recently spoke with GM Jim Rutherford, who essentially stated that he does not plan to move out significant salary in a deal to acquire a new bottom-six center. What that means is that the Penguins are left with a much smaller margin to work with to acquire Nick Bonino’s replacement.

So who will it be? Who it won’t be is easier to say. The pipe dreams of Colorado’s Matt Duchene or Carolina’s Jordan Staal are now all but over, as are more reasonable targets like Toronto’s Tyler Bozak or Dallas’ Radek Faksa now seem out of reach as well. The Vegas Golden Knights have not shown any indication that they are interested in moving forwards, so strike their group of suitable centers off the list as well. With each passing day, it seems a Matt Cullen return grows less and less likely as well.

What the Penguins are left with are a group of guys who fit their needs well: young, two-way centers on affordable contracts. The most common name bandied about is Detroit Red Wings forward Riley Sheahan. Sheahan struggled mightily in 2016-17 and is relatively expensive compared to some other available names at $2.075MM this season. However, Detroit desperately needs to shed salary and may have reached the end of the line with Sheahan. It could be a good match, with Sheahan very likely bouncing back on a far more talented Penguins team. Pittsburgh’s top target may be Arizona’s Jordan Martinook, who just resigned with the team, but is part of a Coyotes forward corps that is crowded with young talent. Martinook is an underrated two-way player and would fit in nicely with the Pens, but Arizona may not be keen to move him in a deal that Rutherford stated would not included salary players. The Coyotes have had their fill of picks and prospects and might be on the lookout for only veteran contributors at this point. The Penguins could turn to the Los Angeles Kings, who have great depth at center including Nick Shore and Nic Dowd. Both would fit the need nicely in Pittsburgh and come in at under $1MM. The 25-year-old Shore would be especially nice, as the team can retain RFA rights over him beyond 2017-18, but Dowd may be easier to acquire from a Kings squad that is not any closer to returning to the playoffs. One final option, staying out west, could be San Jose Sharks center Chris Tierney. It is rumored that the two sides are on rocky grounds, with Tierney signing just a one-year extension this summer, and could be looking for a trade. Tierney has proven to be a solid defensive force in the San Jose bottom six and could play the same role in Pittsburgh. The Sharks have done nothing this off-season and could see replacing Tierney with a Penguins forward prospect as at least some kind of roster shakeup.

Obviously, the available names are not of the sexy variety. The Penguins have been spoiled with center depth through their Stanley Cup years and fans are surely hoping they can find another Staal or Bonino. However, with little cap space to play with and a reluctance to change the current roster any further, this is what Rutherford is left with. Any of these guys could be a valuable piece on another strong Penguins team, as each plays a solid two-way game, but none are gonna be the big-name acquisition that many expected. Pittsburgh will be back in the Cup race again next year even if they do nothing at all and stick someone from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at third-line center, so maybe the better question is not who will play there, but why does everyone care so much?

Pressure On The Strome Brothers In 2017-18

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If Philadelphia Flyers prospect Matthew Strome somehow makes the roster out of camp this fall, it will come as a pleasant surprise to the team and the fans. Strome fell to the fourth round, 106th overall, in the NHL Draft this past June after many believed he would be a first or second-round prospect. Yet, Strome does possess great size and compete level for his age and has the vision and finishing ability to have an outside shot at a bottom-six winger slot for Philly. However, if Strome is simply returned to the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs for another year, maybe two, no one will be upset. There are no expectations for the youngest Strome at this point in time.

The same cannot be said for his older brothers. New Edmonton Oiler Ryan Strome and Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome face some serious stakes in 2017-18. Both are still young at 24 and 20 respectively, but neither has lived up to expectations thus far. With each facing the daunting task of playing a key offensive role for their teams this season, the time is now to show that they have what it takes.

In many ways, the Oilers’ recent trade of Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders for Ryan Strome was a salary cap dump. Eberle was set to make $6MM this year and next, while Strome will be paid just $2.5MM this season. Eberle is also twice the player that Strome is, both subjectively in the minds of most hockey pundits and objectively given the pairs scoring stats in each of the past two seasons. The fact of the matter is that the Oilers were facing a cap crunch with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in need of super-expensive long-term extensions and with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Milan Lucic, and their top-four defenseman all already signed to big-money deals. Someone had to go and the choice was Eberle. However, Edmonton has now lost the only player that has been a consistent scorer for them through many dark years and a crucial member of the top six. Strome may not hold up in comparison, but it is no secret that he is expected to contribute this season and vastly improve from his numbers with the Islanders. After a 50-point campaign and +23 rating in his first full pro season in 2014-15, many thought Strome was on his way to stardom. Two years later, he’s scored just 58 points over two seasons and is a -17 in that span. Strome hit a wall in New York and looked lost in the Isles’ lineup. Edmonton presents a brand new opportunity for him to show that his 5th overall pick status in 2011 and early NHL returns were no fluke. While Strome is a natural center, the Oilers are sorely lacking a right-shot offensive threat in the top six with Eberle gone. Rather than bury Strome on the third line, it seems very likely that he could instead move from center to right wing, where he spent some time in New York, and skate alongside the likes of McDavid, Draisaitl, or Nugent-Hopkins next season. With that role will come the pressure to produce alongside such high-quality players. Strome must improve on his 30 points from 2016-17 and has to become a better even strength player. If he doesn’t, the Oilers may regret this deal as they struggle to find secondary scoring and Strome’s future may be in doubt this time next year as he faces restricted free agency.

Dylan Strome has always been property of the Arizona Coyotes, but playing with the team this season may feel like new scenario. The former Erie Otters superstar has played in just seven NHL games since being drafted third overall in 2015 and has just one assist to show for it. Once considered the Coyotes #1 center of the future, Strome will enter the mix this year as somewhat of an afterthought. The team went out and acquired Derek Stepan from the New York Rangers, who should be the team’s top center and offensive leader for the time being. There is also Calder speculation surrounding young center Clayton Keller who, despite being drafted a year after and four spots later than Strome, has seemingly passed him up on the organizational depth chart. With promising young players like Max Domi, Anthony Duclair Brendan Perlini, Christian Fischer, Christian Dvorak, Lawson Crouse, and Nick Merkley also in the mix, not to mention solid veterans like Jordan Martinook, Tobias Rieder, and Jamie McGinn,  it may be hard for Strome to find a top-nine role, nevertheless be a featured forward. Yet, the rebuild in Arizona cannot last forever and “promise” will only hold up for so long on a Coyotes team that should be taking the next step soon. If the ’Yotes don’t improve in 2017-18 and Strome’s rookie season is underwhelming, many may point to his lack of development as the reason why the rebuild has shown few results. While it is asking a lot to compare Strome to the two picks ahead of him in 2015 – Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel – the early success of those after him, like Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Pavel Zacha, Travis Konecny, Anthony Beauvillier, Sebastian Aho, and more, is likely already frustrating both Arizona fans and executives. Another season without results could be disastrous for his tenure in the desert. The pressure is officially on.

If Ryan and Dylan Strome live up to their draft hype and ample ability this year, the Strome family could be the talk of the hockey town in 2017-18. However, if neither can take advantage of their opportunities this year, there could be some serious doubt cast upon the career prospects of both. Then again, at least there’s always Matthew to watch for.

Minor Transactions: 8/5/17

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It may be August, but hockey transactions are still ongoing. While the major names on the NHL free agent market appear to still be in a holding pattern, AHL teams have begun to fill out their rosters with minor leagues deals. The result has been a recent influx of minor news, both of AHL signings and those with less luck finding a contract in North America signing overseas. Keep track of these moves today right here:

  • The EBEL has already made their presence felt this summer more so than ever before with the signings of NHL veterans like Matt Fraser, Ben Walter, and Rob Flick, and now the small Austrian-based league is back at it again. Defenseman Mat Clark has signed on with HC Bolzano for the coming season, the team announced yesterday. Clark, a veteran of nine NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks and over 400 AHL games since turning pro in 2010, is a big addition for the Foxes. Like most North American signings in the EBEL, Clark should step in and compete right away for the title of best player on the team. The big blue liner, a second-round draft pick of the Ducks in 2009, is a dominating stay-at-home threat, but has also contributed some modest offense in the AHL as well.
  • If Clark had been able to find a good fit in the AHL for the 2017-18 season, one would think he would have jumped on it. Instead, he decided to take a deal overseas. Dalton Thrower, another defenseman, has chosen a different path. Thrower has signed with Allen Americans of the ECHL for the upcoming campaign. It’s quite the change in direction for Thrower’s career path, as he was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Montreal Canadiens this off-season and goes from an NHL contract to an ECHL contract. A second-round pick of the Habs just five years ago, Thrower has not come close to reaching his lofty expectations, having played almost exclusively in the ECHL since turning pro. However, softening the blow of Thrower losing his NHL connection is a familiar face joining him in Allen. The Americans announced that they have signed both he and his younger brother, Josh Thrower, who aged out of the WHL after last season. The pair are set to dominate the Allen blue line in 2017-18.
  • Nolan Zajac is having the opposite fortunes of Thrower, as he’ll jump up a level ahead of next season. The younger brother of New Jersey Devils’ mainstay Travis Zajac, the 25-year-old defenseman has signed an AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Zajac had signed with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye out of college last off-season, but after 54 points in 61 games and strong performances on loan to three different AHL teams, he has earned a full-time role at the next level. The former University of Denver standout is a strong skater who has left his mark on the score sheet wherever he has played, Zajac will look to continue to climb through the ranks of pro hockey next season. With a big year in Lehigh Valley, the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate, Zajac may just end up with an NHL contract next summer and a possible divisional sibling rivalry down the road.
  • The AHL’s Ontario Reign, the affiliate to the Los Angeles Kings, have re-signed two-way forward Sam Herr to a one-year extension. The former Notre Dame winger made his pro debut in 2016-17 with 14 points in 61 regular season games with the Reign and looked his best during the team’s short playoff run. The 24-year-old may not have NHL chops, but is a smart player and hard worker who will surely be able to help Ontario out in the coming season.

More to come…

Free Agent Profile: Daniel Winnik

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Over the past several years, winger Daniel Winnik has carved out a role as a quality bottom-six checking forward with the ability to score a few goals here and there as well.  Despite his reputation though, he still finds himself unsigned more than a month into free agency.

Apr 21, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Daniel Winnik (26) skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game five of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports2016-17 was actually a career year for the 32-year-old in terms of goal production as he potted a dozen goals while it was the first time he hit the double digit mark since 2010-11 with Colorado.  He also accomplished that while averaging just under 13 minutes per game, the lowest ATOI of his career.  He was a regular in Washington’s postseason lineup although he failed to hit the scoresheet in any of their 13 postseason contests.

While his overall ice time dropped, it didn’t affect his usage when it came to the penalty kill.  Winnik logged 2:31 per game shorthanded, the second highest among forwards for the Capitals (only behind Jay Beagle).  Washington ranked seventh in the league in that department.

What may be working against him a bit here is his contract history.  While the league has continued to trend towards going cheaper with bottom forwards, Winnik has managed to buck that trend in each of his three trips through free agency already, most recently landing a two year, $4.5MM deal from the Caps in the summer of 2015.  At this stage of free agency, he’s likely not going to be able to command that type of money so teams may be waiting to see how low he may go.

Potential Suitors

Generally speaking, there are two types of potential fits depending on what Winnik is looking to accomplish.  If he’s looking to find a soft landing spot on a one-year deal in the hopes of getting a better contract next summer, then looking to a team with less depth on the wing that could give him more playing time.  Florida, New Jersey, and Colorado are teams in that situation and if they’re out of the hunt by the trade deadline, he could be flipped for a draft pick as a rental player.

The other possible fit is trying to find a contending team that would see him as more of a depth penalty kill specialist, similar to the role he had with the Capitals.  Teams that are in that situation are Calgary, San Jose, and even Washington although Winnik would have to take a substantial pay cut to stick with the Caps.

Projected Contract

Back in June, Winnik ranked 34th on our Top 50 Free Agents list with a projected two-year, $3.5MM contract.  With the market drying up both in terms of possible fits and money available to spend, it’s not likely that he will be able to land a contract like that.  A one-year pact worth between $1MM and $1.25MM is where his market is at this point although like most free agents at this stage, going the international route to maintain Olympic eligibility is certainly a possibility as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wild GM On Cap Situation And Future Moves

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After avoiding arbitration with Nino Niederreiter with a five-year deal, it was expected that the team would strike a similar term with Mikael Granlund.  However, that wasn’t the case as he ultimately inked a shorter-term pact, signing for three seasons.  Speaking with KFAN 100.3 in Minneapolis, GM Chuck Fletcher acknowledged that their salary cap situation basically forced them into the shorter deal:

“Those UFA years can get expensive. We’re trying to keep the cap number as low as possible. To buy more of Granlund’s UFA years would have made the cap number higher, obviously. We would have had to buy prime UFA years right now and that may have caused us to move another player.”

With Niederreiter checking in at $5.25MM on his new deal and Granlund at $5.75MM, the Wild now find themselves with just $3.1MM in cap space per CapFriendly and still have Marcus Foligno to sign.  His qualifying offer was his 2016-17 salary of $2.25MM so his new deal will eat up the majority of their remaining space.

Despite that, Fletcher admitted that he would still like to add another veteran forward at some point:

“I think to add a veteran forward can always be a good thing.  It’s always good to have depth and it’s a long season, as we’ve seen through the years. You can’t anticipate having the injuries you’re going to have. So I think adding a veteran player would be a good thing. Whether we look at it now or sometime during the year or at the end of camp – the cap comes into play though, a little bit.”

Adding another veteran would also allow the team to hedge against youngsters like Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek not being ready for full-time NHL duty.  As it stands, there’s a decent chance that at least one of them may be shuffled back and forth to and from the minors in an effort to save a bit of room throughout the season.

[Related: Wild Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

They’re no strangers to waiting to add a veteran depth piece until the season gets underway, however.  Last season, they waited until just before the trade deadline to bring Ryan Carter back on a two-way deal (although he didn’t get into any NHL action after signing).

One veteran who has been speculatively linked to the Wild this summer is Matt Cullen, who spent three years with the team previously and is from the area.  However, Fletcher noted during the interview that he has yet to have any discussions with the 40-year-old free agent so far.  Given that their best fit in terms of the salary cap would be to add a veteran on a two-way deal that could start in the minors (pending waivers), Cullen wouldn’t be an ideal fit for that role anyway.  Depending on how much Foligno signs for, it wouldn’t be surprising to see their search for veteran depth go into training camp depending on who has to settle for a PTO deal.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Buffalo Sabres

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Buffalo Sabres

Current Cap Hit: $66,478,691 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Viktor Antipin (One year remaining, $925K)
F Jack Eichel (One year remaining, $925K)
F Sam Reinhart (One year remaining, $894K)

Jack EichelOne big reason for the Sabres having the type of cap space that they do is due to the fact that Eichel and Reinhart are still on their rookie contracts.  They won’t be cheap for much longer, however.  Eichel is believed to be in talks on a max eight-year extension that should have him in the upper echelon of cap hits when all is said and done.  Reinhart’s case will be more of an interesting one as he has produced like a second liner through his first two NHL seasons.  If he takes the next step as expected, he’ll command a significant raise next summer as well.  As for Antipin, he’s a wildcard as he crosses the pond for the first time at the age of 24.  The team is undoubtedly hoping he’ll be able to lock down a top-four role and if he does, he too is going to command a big pay increase.

Potential Bonuses

Antipin: $850K
Eichel: $2.85MM
Reinhart: $2.65MM

Total: $6.35MM

One Year Remaining, Non Entry-Level

F Nicolas Deslauriers ($775K, UFA)
D Josh Gorges ($3.9MM, UFA)
G Chad Johnson ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Jacob Josefson ($700K, UFA)
F Evander Kane ($5.25MM, UFA)
G Robin Lehner ($4MM, RFA)
F Benoit Pouliot ($1.15MM, UFA)

Up front, the list is highlighted by Kane, a highly talented but sometimes mercurial winger.  He has been a legitimate top line forward at times while at others, he has been content to play a more passive role on a lower trio.  With this being a contract year, it will be interesting to see if he can respond with a more consistent season.  If Buffalo is out of the playoff race by the trade deadline, he could be one of the best rental options available, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension beforehand.  The others are primarily depth/role players although Pouliot is worth keeping an eye on as he looks to rebuild his value after being bought out by the Oilers in June.

On the back end, Gorges has started to break down in recent years, no doubt a by-product of his prolific shot-blocking throughout his career.  He isn’t expected to be more than a depth defender on their new-look blueline and if he is offered an extension, it will surely be at a considerably lower salary.

There aren’t many teams that have both goaltenders on expiring contracts but that’s the case here.  Lehner is on his second ‘prove it’ contract after coming off a career high 59 appearances last season.  If he doesn’t earn the confidence of management in 2017-18, it would seem likely that they will start to take a long look at other potential options.  Johnson was brought back to give the Sabres an above average backup that can hold his own if Lehner gets hurt or struggles and will serve as a bridge to youngster Linus Ullmark who is already signed through 2018-19 but will likely spend most of the year with AHL Rochester.Read more

Poll: Which Non-Playoff Team Will Make It This Year?

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This summer has seen many of the teams who missed the playoffs last year improve quite a bit. The Dallas Stars are the easy choice for most improved, after adding Ben Bishop, Alexander Radulov, Martin Hanzal and Marc Methot to an already talented core. They will push for a playoff spot next season, but are in a tough division with teams like Nashville and Minnesota not ready to give up their recent success.

Carolina has locked up some of their key young players and brought in Justin Williams and Trevor van Riemsdyk for some championship pedigree. They think they’ve found a top goaltender in Scott Darling, and should see improvement from many of their players.

Buffalo will welcome Jack Eichel back for a hopefully healthy season, and have revamped their defense by letting Cody Franson and Dmitry Kulikov go. Nathan Beaulieu, Marco Scandella, Viktor Antipin and Brendan Guhle could make that group much improved, and they have plenty of talent up front.

Many other teams have improved, while some like Vancouver are willing to complete a slower rebuild. Which of the non-playoff teams are most likely to get there this season? Vegas is included in the poll in their first season, and you can vote for as many teams as you want.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

RFA Extension Candidates

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While veteran players like Carey Price and Cam Fowler have received huge extensions this summer a full year before hitting the open market, some younger players aren’t usually locked up as early. We saw the Edmonton Oilers jump on Connor McDavid right away, handing him a $100MM contract before even dealing with their current free agents, and there are others who may see an extension before the season is up.

Teams often don’t want to commit to young players before they have to, unsure of how they’ll react to bigger roles or a full-time NHL position. Still, there are some who are already well established and deserve a long-term deal. It’s obviously up to them to decide whether they want to lock themselves into an extension before playing the year, as many can leverage a solid season into even more money. That said, some players just like the stability of a long-term contract. Here are some who could earn extensions before the end of the season.

Jacob Trouba – Winnipeg Jets

Trouba held out last year until the beginning of November, and made it clear he wanted a bigger role somewhere else. He didn’t see himself getting that opportunity in Winnipeg, where the team had Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers penciled in ahead of him on the right side. As it happens, Myers was hit with injury and Trouba excelled in his increased role, logging 25 minutes a night and registering 33 points in just 60 games.

He’s now established himself as one of the best young defenders in the league and a key piece for Winnipeg going forward. They should try hard to sign him to an extension now, instead of letting this linger again and ending up in another hold out situation. Trouba has overtaken Myers on the depth chart, but allowing him to hold all the cards next summer would make for another messy situation, and it’s clear that he can provide ample value even on a big contract.

J.T. Miller – New York Rangers

Miller has always seemed like a good fit in New York, and signed an early deal with the Rangers last summer. He improved once again and continues to show why the team invested a 15th-overall pick in him. With 56 points in 82 games he was often the most dangerous player on the ice, and coming into his age-24 season he’s poised to put up even bigger numbers.

The Rangers have a ton of money coming off the books next summer with Rick Nash’s $7.8MM cap hit expiring, but will need all of it for extensions for some of their top young players. After committing big money to Mika Zibanejad this summer, they could lock in Miller now and provide some cap-certainty as they hit what will be a huge summer for the team.

Dylan Larkin – Detroit Red Wings

Larkin is coming off a down year and probably won’t want to take a discount because of it, but Detroit could lock him in as the face of the franchise going forward and start jettisoning other assets to continue the rebuild. They’re in no danger of him going anywhere next year, but it could be a clear sign to their fans that he’ll lead the next wave of Detroit success.

William Nylander – Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs have some huge contracts coming up, with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner both entering similar circumstances to these next summer. Nylander is first up, and could be locked up to a long-term deal right now. Like Edmonton the team may want to see how much Matthews will cost them first, but it’s not like they’re heading for a series of bridge deals with Nylander. He’s a key piece who will be there for a long time.

Locking him up now gives you some idea of what there will be left for free agency next season, as it would be tough to go after anyone with Matthews’ negotiations not technically allowed to start until July 1st (though they often are discussed anyway). Toronto might be the busiest team in the league next year, as seven forward contracts are expiring.

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