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Archives for August 2017

Matt Hendricks Signs One-Year Deal With Winnipeg

August 26, 2017 at 6:45 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

Elliottte Friedman tweeted that veteran center Matt Hendricks has found a home with the Winnipeg Jets. TSN’s Darren Dreger confirmed it, saying the deal with the Jets is a one-year deal worth $700K.

The former Edmonton Oiler was a fan favorite over the four years he played there. The 36-year-old compiled 20 goals and 18 assists in 214 games with the Oilers, but offense wasn’t what got him his notoriety. His physical style of play, leadership skills, willingness to stick up for his teammates as well as for his love of meeting with military people outside the locker rooms of home games to salute them is what everyone loved about Hendricks.

However, his age was starting to catch up to him (as well as the continued improved play of the team’s youth) and he only managed to get into 42 games this past year and was a healthy scratch for all 13 of the team’s playoff games. He scored four goals and three assists in this past season.

With the Jets, Hendricks hopes to take a similar role in helping tutor a young team that hopes to make the playoffs this year.

 

Edmonton Oilers| Transactions| Winnipeg Jets Matt Hendricks

1 comment

KHL’s Danis Zaripov Considering Coming To U.S.

August 26, 2017 at 5:59 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that there may be another NHL free agent entering the market soon. KHL’s Danis Zaripov, a 36-year-old winger, who was suspended in July for two years by the International Ice Hockey Federation, is considering leaving Russia and coming to the United States to finish out his career.

According to Friedman, a KHL media release stated that Zaripov samples “contained banned stimulants plus substances prohibited as diuretics and masking agents.”

While Zaripov stated he’d appeal, he also started the process to become eligibile to play in the U.S. and according to Friedman, that process might come to a conclusion next week. His former team already voided his contract, so he has no contractual commitment. There has already been some interest from a couple of teams, including the New York Rangers and the Vegas Golden Knights.

Zaripov, who has played his entire career in Russia, put up 16 goals and 29 assists last season with Magnitogorsk Metallurg. However, it was his playoff run last year that turned some heads. He scored 15 goals and added seven assists in 18 playoff games to reach the championship finals.

KHL| New York Rangers| Vegas Golden Knights Danis Zaripov

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Red Wing Notes: Athanasiou, Helm, Nielson, Svechnikov

August 26, 2017 at 5:12 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 5 Comments

A few days ago, PHR reported that Detroit Red Wings winger Andreas Athanasiou is receiving interest in signing a one-year deal with the KHL as he and the team struggle to sign a new deal. MLive’s Ansar Khan answers mailbag questions for readers and quickly points out that it is a legitimate possibility that he signs a deal in the KHL, although it’s still more likely he stays in Detroit and signs before training camp begins.

While the Red Wings have handed out some major contracts over the past few years to free agents, the team must take a hardline approach with Athanasiou because they have other young players they must lock up in the future, including Anthony Mantha and Dylan Larkin. Most hockey players don’t start making the big money until their third contract, so it’s unlikely the team will break the bank to bring Athanasiou back on a big deal.

Khan adds that if Athanasiou does leave for Russia, the team does have several options. While Athanasiou was the team’s second-leading goal scorer with 18 goals in just 64 games, he’s still a developing player, having scored just nine goals in 37 games during his rookie campaign. Many Red Wings players had down years last year and the Red Wings have high hopes to see some of their veterans bounce back this year. Much of Athanasiou’s production could be filled by increased production by Gustav Nyquist, Justin Abdelkader, Riley Sheahan and Larkin. The other possibility is that the team inks Thomas Vanek in such a situation, assuming he’d agree to ink a one-year deal and the team can move out some salary to make that deal work.

  • In the same mailbag, Khan writes that there is little chance the Red Wings could take advantage of the Pittsburgh Penguins need at center and move out the contracts of either Darren Helm or Frans Nielsen. He writes that both contracts remain too long and too expensive to trade off to a desperate team. Helm’s deal still has four years at $3.85MM per year, while Nielsen’s is even worse with five years remaining at $5.25MM per year.
  • Khan adds that 2015 first-round pick Evgeny Svechnikov would not be a likely candidate to make the team this year as he is still not ready for a full-time NHL role yet. He writes that he believes he needs another full year at the AHL level with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He scored 20 goals and 31 assists for the Griffins last year in 74 games.

Detroit Red Wings Andreas Athanasiou| Anthony Mantha| Darren Helm| Dylan Larkin| Frans Nielsen| Gustav Nyquist| Justin Abdelkader| Riley Sheahan| Thomas Vanek

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Pittsburgh Penguins

August 26, 2017 at 3:33 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

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.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Current Cap Hit: $71,720,000 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Zach Aston-Reese (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Jake Guentzel (Two years remaining, $734K)

Potential Bonuses

Guentzel: $183K

Guentzel was the latest of Pittsburgh’s youngsters to come up and make a difference right away to the point where he became a key cog in their attack down the stretch.  It will be interesting to see if his production carries over to a full season; if it does, he’s going to be a major bargain for them.  Aston-Reese was one of the more sought after college free agents during the season.  With their lack of depth down the middle as the roster currently stands, he’ll get a long look at training camp.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Ian Cole ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Patric Hornqvist ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Tom Kuhnhackl ($625K, RFA)
G Antti Niemi ($700K, UFA)
D Derrick Pouliot ($800K, RFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Carter Rowney ($613K, UFA)
F Bryan Rust ($640K, RFA)
F Scott Wilson ($625K, RFA)

Hornqvist has been a reliable and consistent secondary scorer for Pittsburgh since they acquired him three years ago.  He has posted at least 21 goals and 44 points in each season in that time.  That type of production is always in demand so barring a down year, he’s likely to have a shot at more money in free agency.  The Pens paid a notable price to add Reaves at the draft, trading from the first into the second round to do so.  He has improved his all-around game to the point where he can handle a regular shift and there aren’t many tough guys that can do that and the ones that can have landed sizable deals on the open market.  The other four forwards are all poised to play bottom six roles and given the number of big contracts on their books already, the team will likely be pushing for them to give up a bit of money on their next deals to hold down their spots in the lineup.

Cole is coming off a career year in both points (26) and ice time (19:49 per night).  That’s a notable jump for someone who has been more of a stay-at-home player in the past.  A repeat of that performance will have him in line for a big raise but if he reverts back to his normal numbers, his next contract should come in somewhat close to his current one.  Pouliot spent the majority of last year at the minor league level but as he now requires waivers, he’s likely to stick on the roster in some capacity.  Whether or not he can lock down a regular spot will go a long way towards determining what his next contract will be.

Niemi is coming off a tough season with Dallas that resulted in the final year of his contract being bought out.  That allowed him to take a cheap deal to join the Penguins where he’ll likely be tasked with playing 20-25 games to give Tristan Jarry another season to develop in the minors.  A strong season would go a long way towards rebuilding his value, especially with some of the better backups landing some bigger deals in recent years.

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Two Years Remaining

F Josh Archibald ($675K, RFA)
F Carl Hagelin ($4MM, UFA)
D Chad Ruhwedel ($650K, UFA)

Hagelin really struggled in 2016-17 and collected just 22 points in 61 games, a career low.  Accordingly, the speedy winger has come up as a frequent suggestion as someone the team could trade.  However, potential suitors will likely want to see if he bounces back before making any sort of commitment.  Like many of the depth players with one year left, Archibald is likely to serve a role at the bottom of the depth chart but checks in at only $25K over the league minimum which will help him secure a spot.

Ruhwedel played more games last season with Pittsburgh (34) than he did in four years with Buffalo combined (33).  Their injury woes also allowed him to get into six postseason contests as well.  He’ll once again serve as a depth option that they can call on as players start to get hurt.

Three Years Remaining

D Matt Hunwick ($2.25MM, UFA)
G Matthew Murray ($3.75MM, RFA)
D Justin Schultz ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Conor Sheary ($3MM, UFA)

Sheary avoided arbitration earlier this summer while giving up a year of free agency to sign his new deal.  If he continues to put up 50+ points like he did last season, this has a chance of being a big bargain for Pittsburgh.  Even if his point total drops, his cap hit is the going rate for above average third liners and he should be able to at least produce at that level so there isn’t much risk for the team here.

Schultz bet on himself with a one-year deal last summer and it paid off handsomely as he parlayed a 51-point year into his new contract.  His role should be a bit lower this season with Kris Letang set to return from injury but he’ll still have plenty of ice time next season.  Hunwick was added to replace Trevor Daley who left via free agency for Detroit.  While there were moments where played big minutes with Toronto, he’s better suited as more of a third pairing player and if that is his role, Pittsburgh may have overpaid slightly for him.

Murray’s contract already looks like a major bargain but it’s not as if the deal didn’t carry risk as when he signed it, he had just 34 NHL games of experience (regular season and playoffs) under his belt.  Fast forward to today and he has quickly established himself as a high-quality starter which has this looking like a deal that is well below market value.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Sidney Crosby ($8.7MM through 2024-25)
D Brian Dumoulin ($4.1MM through 2022-23)
F Phil Kessel ($6.8MM through 2021-22)
D Kris Letang ($7.25MM through 2021-22)
D Olli Maatta ($4.083MM through 2021-22)
F Evgeni Malkin ($9.5MM through 2021-22)

May 21, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel (81) Sidney Crosby (87) and Evgeni Malkin (71) celebrate after Kessel scores during the third period against the Ottawa Senators in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Don Wright-USA TODAY SportsHaving the top player in the league in Crosby locked up for as long as they have at this rate has to be considered a bargain for the Penguins.  Of course, the type of contract he’s on is now illegal but nonetheless they’ll be benefitting from it for a while yet.  While Malkin comes in more expensive and doesn’t produce as much as Crosby, he’s still a premier pivot when he’s in the lineup (though staying healthy has proven to be a challenge).  He’s high priced for a second line role but there’s no denying he’s a top line talent so it’s one they’re content to pay.  Kessel has seen his goal totals drop since leaving Toronto but he is still a legitimate top line forward.  However, his inconsistency has drawn the ire of coach Mike Sullivan and if Pittsburgh has to move out one of their ‘big three’ to free up some money, Kessel will be the one to be dealt.

On the back end, Letang is a legitimate number one defender but injuries are a big concern; he has averaged just 55 games over the last four seasons.  If he can stay healthy, there won’t be any issues with that cap hit but if he continues to be banged up on an annual basis, it could be a problem down the road.  Dumoulin avoided arbitration earlier this summer with his new contract.  He has established himself as a reliable second pairing defender and that’s where his cap hit checks in.  Maatta hasn’t turned into a top defenseman like the team was hoping for and was more of a fifth blueliner last season.  It’s probably too early to suggest they’ll be actively shopping him soon but if he follows last year up with a similar performance, there’s a good chance GM Jim Rutherford will be looking to shed his salary at some point.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Murray
Worst Value: Maatta

Looking Ahead

With the number of big contracts that Pittsburgh has on the books, they’re going to be a team that’s tight to the cap for the foreseeable future.  They have the wiggle room to make another addition this season but with nearly $55MM committed to just 10 players two years from now, they’d be wise to look for someone on a short-term deal.  They’ve filled out their roster in recent years with cheap depth pieces and that’s a trend that’s likely going to continue for a while to come.  That said, they should be able to keep the core together for at least a few more years assuming the Upper Limit continues to increase gradually as well so while they won’t be flush with cap space anytime soon, they’re not in bad shape overall.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pittsburgh Penguins Salary Cap Deep Dive

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Atlantic Notes: Bertuzzi, Namestnikov, Gauthier

August 26, 2017 at 2:15 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Although he had only a minor role with the Red Wings last season and has waiver exemption remaining, the team expects winger Tyler Bertuzzi to break camp with the big club in October, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  Bertuzzi played in just seven games with Detroit in 2016-17 and averaged just nine minutes per game but played quite well with AHL Grand Rapids in the playoffs where he collected 19 points (9-10-19) in 19 contests.

St. James adds that there are those in the organization who believe the 22-year-old would be best suited to start in the minors once again but both GM Ken Holland and head coach Jeff Blashill are among those who would like to see him start with the Red Wings.  The fact that Bertuzzi is on a league minimum contract will certainly help his case considering their current salary cap situation.  However, because of that and his waiver exemption, there’s a good chance that Bertuzzi will be forced to go back and forth a lot during the year in an effort to open up a bit of wiggle room during the season.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Lightning forward Vladislav Namestnikov has switched agencies as he has joined Gold Star Sports Management according to agent Dan Milstein (Twitter link). He previously had been with Newport.  The timing of this is notable as Namestnikov is entering the final year of his bridge contract and will be set to enter restricted free agency with arbitration rights next summer.  His qualifying offer will check in just north of $1.93MM.
  • Although Frederik Gauthier’s recovery from his hamstring surgery back in May is going well, there remains no firm timetable as to when he could return, notes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. He resumed skating for the first time last week.  At the time of the surgery, the speculation was that it would be at least six months before he’d be ready to return to game action.  When he does recover, the former first round pick will likely be headed for the AHL level once again.

Detroit Red Wings| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs Frederik Gauthier| Tyler Bertuzzi| Vladislav Namestnikov

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Poll: Where Will Thomas Vanek Wind Up?

August 26, 2017 at 1:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

The results of yesterday’s poll, “Will Jaromir Jagr or Thomas Vanek Play in the NHL This Year?“, have been an overwhelming “yes”. So far, more than 71% of voters think both will play, while the next highest scoring option was that Vanek will play, with close to 14%. While the idea of Jagr’s NHL career being over seems impossible to many, it has been relatively quiet for the future Hall of Famer this off-season, with the only recent news being whispers of interest coming out of Calgary. Vanek, on the other hand, has reportedly seen an uptick in interest of late and has ties to many teams across the league. So, the question then becomes, assuming Vanek plays in the NHL this year, where will he end up?

The most recent rumors have connected Vanek with the Vancouver Canucks. A team that seems unsure of its direction, the Canucks have added several veteran pieces this off-season, like Sam Gagner and Michael Del Zotto, and seem determined to make a playoff push with the soon-to-be 37-year-old Sedins set to hit free agency next summer. Loui Eriksson did not work out on the top line with Henrik and Daniel last year, and trying Vanek out could make some sense. On the other hand, Vancouver has some young talent that could use a shot and, even with Vanek, the team stands little chance of reaching the postseason. The Canucks should be in full rebuild mode, but until management realizes that, adding a veteran like Vanek is a real possibility.

The other team who has long been rumored to be in contact with Vanek are the Detroit Red Wings. Another team that probably shouldn’t be adding veterans, the Red Wings also simply may not have the capacity to sign the veteran scorer, given their current cap overage and unfinished business with Andreas Athanasiou. Nevertheless, the rumors have hung around, as Vanek did seem to fit in nicely in Detroit last season. A return could be best for him, but it wouldn’t be the most logical decision for the team.

The Boston Bruins seem intent on giving their young players the opportunity to make the team this year. However, the team also kept in touch with free agent Drew Stafford this summer and seemed likely to offer him a contract or tryout deal once they had the David Pastrnak negotiations wrapped up. Pastrnak remains unsigned, but now Stafford is off the market, signing in New Jersey. The Bruins could now turn their attention to Vanek, who has historically been a thorn in the team’s side, to provide some depth and insurance on the wings if the prospects aren’t ready for regular roles just yet.

Then there’s the Arizona Coyotes, who are in desperate need of a right-shot winger, and could use some more veteran leadership up front as well. Yes, the ’Yotes are still rebuilding, but they need to take the next step sooner or later. Vanek would bring a scoring boost and most of all some balance to the lineup and, with a league-high $19.3MM in cap space remaining, Arizona can certainly take a chance and pay Vanek what he’s asking. The fit makes sense, but does Vanek want to go to the desert? Will he have any other choice?

Finally, the San Jose Sharks lost Patrick Marleau this summer and his 46 points from last season and have only added Brandon Bollig and his zero points from last season to make up for it. That speaks for itself. Vanek would immediately be the Sharks’ biggest off-season acquisition and a great candidate to step in and replace Marleau in the top six.

So, what do you think? The response has been near total agreement that Vanek is staying in the NHL, but where exactly will he play?

Boston Bruins| Detroit Red Wings| Free Agency| San Jose Sharks| Utah Mammoth| Vancouver Canucks Drew Stafford| Jaromir Jagr| Loui Eriksson| Patrick Marleau

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Minor Transactions: 8/26/17

August 26, 2017 at 11:59 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Just as NHL teams have begun to fill out rosters with affordable deals and tryout offers, such as those yesterday for Drew Stafford (New Jersey) and Jay McClement (Pittsburgh), minor league squads are also trying to get their teams in order with the season set to start in just a little over a month. Here are some recent minor moves:

  • The pro game has not been kind to the Rupert twins, but all hope is not lost. Ryan Rupert, a 2012 sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs and one of the smaller pieces sent to Ottawa alongside Dion Phaneuf in that massive 2016 exchange, was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Senators this off-season and became an unrestricted free agent. After splitting each of his first three pro seasons between the AHL and ECHL, it was unlikely that he would find an NHL contract. However, it was somewhat of a surprise when he and brother Matt Rupert signed ECHL deals with the Indy Fuel back in July. The Rupert twins were both very successful junior players with the OHL’s London Knights, with each wearing the alternate captain “A” for a season and combining for over 400 points during their tenure. After a brief reunion with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in 2014-15, Ryan has amassed 58 points in 149 AHL games and 40 points in 53 ECHL games, while the undrafted Matt has 56 points in 125 ECHL games, as well as a couple AHL games on his resume. The duo seem to at least be worthy of an AHL contract, even if they do spend much of the season in the ECHL. It seems that one team agrees, as the Rockford Ice Hogs have invited the twins to camp on a tryout basis, according to The Sporting News’ Murray Pam. The Chicago Blackhawks’ affiliate is set to have some exciting, young players on the roster this season, but could use a couple hard-working minor league veterans like the Ruperts as well. If the tryout doesn’t pan out, the pair will likely return to Indy for the coming season and try to boost their in-season loan value and free agent stock for next summer.
  • The San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate, announced that they have re-signed defenseman Brian Cooper to a one-year contract. Cooper, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Ducks in 2012, but signed a minor league deal with their affiliate last season after not being offered a pro contract by the team. Cooper played four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha after being drafted, delivering modest offense and a solid defensive game, especially given his 5’10”, 196-lb. stature. The Alaska-native brought the same skill set to the AHL in 2016-17, recording 10 points in 37 regular season games for the Gulls and another pair of clutch points in the postseason, all while playing mistake-free in his own end. Cooper is expected to play a larger role for San Diego next season, as he works towards showing Anaheim that he can indeed be an NHL-caliber player one day.

More to come…

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Chicago Blackhawks| ECHL| London Knights| OHL| Ottawa Senators| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions Dion Phaneuf

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Options For Coyotes At Lacking Right Wing

August 26, 2017 at 10:35 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

By all accounts, the Arizona Coyotes are still a re-building club without much for expectations in 2017-18. However, at some point this team needs to take the next step and to do so the club needs to develop their many talented, young players as best as possible. For that reason, the incredulous lack of right-shots and experienced right wingers on the Arizona roster presents a substantial problem. In an article on the biggest issues facing each of Arizona’s sports teams, Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports opines that the Coyotes’ right wing depth is a major obstacle. With so few options, the team would be forced to move young players out of position or field unbalanced lines for the purposes of making the right wing position make sense. Instead, Morgan suggests that the roster still needs “tinkering”, with an outside addition going a long way to balancing out the team.

Morgan certainly is not exaggerating the problem that the Coyotes have on the right side. The only right-handed shot guaranteed to make the roster is newly-acquired top center Derek Stepan. Beyond him, Arizona could end up fielding an entire forward corps of lefties. Morgan mentions 20-year-old Christian Fischer as a near lock for one of the right-wing spots, given that he is likely the only natural right winger with the NHL ability in the organization right now. Fischer skated in seven games with the Coyotes last year, scoring three goals, and put up big numbers in the AHL as well. He looks primed for a full NHL campaign and the team’s lack of right wing options only helps to solidify his chances of making the roster. Young forwards Jens Looke and Nick Merkley are also righties with right wing experience, but what they lack is North American pro experience and seem better suited for a season in Tuscon, at least early on. So who fills the final three spots? Although he is a lefty, Tobias Rieder has fared well on the right side for much of the past few seasons in Arizona and will likely resume his role on the off wing in 2017-18. Brad Richardson and Anthony Duclair have routinely played on the off side in their careers as well, but with Richardson’s health still in question and Duclair coming off a disappointing season and has yet to re-sign, so relying on either, nevertheless both, is a risk for the ’Yotes. That leaves Arizona with the option of moving young lefties like Brendan Perlinin, Lawson Crouse, or Nick Cousins to the left side or giving veteran wash-ups like Emerson Etem, Michael Latta, or Mike Sislo a regular job. Neither of those avenues seem to be the best fit for the Coyotes.

Instead, GM John Chayka may be looking to fill the void with a new addition. A couple obvious names pop up as right side options still available on the free agent market, as Arizona could simply fill the hole left by veteran scorer Radim Vrbata with another veteran scorer like Thomas Vanek or Jaromir Jagr. The team said goodbye to the face of the organization, Shane Doan, this summer, so it is fair to be skeptical of them bringing in another aging player. However, Vanek and Jagr offer a scoring touch that Doan hasn’t had of late and that others like Jarome Iginla or Brian Gionta may not bring. If the Coyotes are going to take a roster spot away from a young player, even if it is to fill a notable absence, it will need to be someone ready to contribute. Younger veterans with more gas in the tank like Alex Chiasson or P-A Parenteau would make some sense as well. A trade, even at this point in the off-season, is always a possibility for Chayka as well. The Coyotes young GM has showed a willingness to take on bad contracts and a propensity for winning those trades as well. The cap-strapped Toronto Maple Leafs may be willing to give up a pick or prospect alongside Joffrey Lupul to remove that contract, especially when Lupul appears to be moving closer to playing health, while the Detroit Red Wings also need to move some salary at some point soon.

There are options aplenty for the Coyotes on the right side, but the question remains whether they see 2017-18 as yet another stepping stone campaign or a season where they can actually compete. It if it’s the former, then the team may hesitate to add another contract with so many young forwards eager for play time (even on their off side), but the latter would require another body at right wing. The decision belongs to Chayka an his staff, but there appears to benefits all around to adding another body to compete at right wing.

AHL| John Chayka| Utah Mammoth Alex Chiasson| Anthony Duclair| Brad Richardson| Brendan Perlini| Brian Gionta| Derek Stepan| Emerson Etem| Jarome Iginla| Jaromir Jagr| Jens Looke| Joffrey Lupul| Lawson Crouse| Michael Latta| Nick Cousins| P-A Parenteau

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Roster Or Bust For Sharks’ Noah Rod

August 26, 2017 at 9:30 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The “Russian Factor” is an old adage in hockey referring to the reluctance of some Russian players to fully commit to North American hockey. Thus far in his pro career, San Jose Sharks prospect Noah Rod may be pushing for “Swiss Factor” to gain some credence as well. A 2014 second-round pick and a highly-regarded young forward who played professionally in the Swiss NLA before the age of 18, Rod didn’t make his move overseas until late last season. After three seasons of only modest offense with Geneve-Servette HC, Rod turned some early season production – 14 points in 27 games – into leverage for a entry-level deal with the Sharks with hopes of an NHL shot. However, after inking a three-year, $2.43MM ELC on March 23rd, Rod skated in just two regular season games and five playoff games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, recording only two points.

Now, with a new season upon us, Rod is again showing that he may not be committed to North America. Rod would like to play in San Jose this season, but with only one of the city’s two teams. The Swiss Hockey News reports that Rod seems unwilling to play with the Barracuda and would like to return to Switzerland if he cannot crack the Sharks roster. Rod will certainly be given plenty of play time in San Jose’s upcoming prospect showcase, a four-team tournament between Western Conference adversaries where he will skate alongside fellow Swiss forward prospect Vincent Praplan, and will likely see significant ice time in the preseason as well. However, if the Sharks decide that Rod is not yet ready for a full-time NHL role, they could lose his services altogether if he returns to Geneve-Servette. The historic club has a handful of former NHLers leading their forward corps – Nick Spaling, Nathan Gerbe, Cody Almond – but would love to add their homegrown young talent back into the mix.

By all accounts, not sticking Rod on the NHL roster, at least initially, would be a mistake by the Sharks. After an off-season in which the Sharks have thus far done practically nothing, including losing long-time star Patrick Marleau and adding only veteran checker Brandon Bollig to replace him, San Jose needs any scoring spark they can get this season to make up for Marleau’s lost production. Rod may not have been an offensive dynamo in the NLA, but he has improved each year and is still just 21 years old. The Sharks would be wise to give the Swiss winger an early season audition to gauge his NHL readiness and whether or not the team can afford to lose him for the 2017-18 season. On the other hand, if Rod truly wants to play in the NHL one day, he must develop quicker and adjust to the North American game, and would be wise to simply stay in San Jose to accomplish those goals, regardless of whether he begins the season in the NHL or AHL.

AHL| Doug Wilson| NLA| San Jose Sharks Nathan Gerbe| Nick Spaling| Patrick Marleau

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

August 25, 2017 at 8:47 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

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.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $71,949,444 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Pavel Buchnevich (Two years remaining, $925K)
D Anthony DeAngelo (Two years remaining, $863K)
D Brady Skjei (One year remaining, $925K)
F Jimmy Vesey (One year remaining, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

DeAngelo: $400K
Vesey: $2.85MM

Total: $3.25MM

Vesey, the top prize out of the 2016 August free agent group, got off to a strong start with New York but tailed off as the season progressed.  Now that he has gone through a full professional season, expectations will be higher and if he can live up to them, he’ll get a nice boost on his next deal.  Buchnevich was held back by injuries for a good chunk of last year but he should be in line for a bigger role next season.

Skjei was a major bright spot in 2016-17.  Although he had just 12 games of NHL experience (regular season and playoffs) heading into the year, he wound up locking down a regular spot and was extremely productive from the third pairing with 39 points (5-34-39) in 80 games.  If he comes even close to that next season, he will be in line for a significant raise.  DeAngelo now finds himself with his third organization since June of 2016.  He was productive at times in a limited role with Arizona last year but there’s no guarantee he locks down a full-time spot.  If he winds up going back and forth between the Rangers and the AHL’s Wolf Pack, he might be a player who takes a smaller NHL AAV next summer in exchange for more guaranteed money (or a one-way deal).

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F David Desharnais ($1MM, UFA)
F Michael Grabner ($1.65MM, UFA)
F Kevin Hayes ($2.6MM, RFA)
D Nick Holden ($1.65MM, UFA)
F J.T. Miller ($2.75MM, RFA)
G Ondrej Pavelec ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Matt Puempel ($725K, RFA)
F Rick Nash ($7.8MM, UFA)

Nash is by far the most notable name on this list.  His production has nosedived the past two years (injuries haven’t helped either) but he still has the reputation of being a quality goal scorer.  He hasn’t lived up to his contract and shouldn’t land close to that in free agency but even though he’ll be 34 next summer, he’s likely to garner a fair amount of interest based on his reputation alone.  It was noted earlier today that no extension talks have taken place between Nash and the team.

As for the other forwards, Miller is wrapping up his bridge deal in 2017-18 and expectations will be high.  Not only is he coming off of a career year, he will also be asked to take on more of the load with Derek Stepan now in Arizona.  It’s certainly reasonable to think that he could double his current deal if he eclipses the 50 point mark again.  Hayes is in a similar situation and is also coming off of a career season with 49 points.  He is also likely to shift up a notch with Stepan gone which can only bode well for his next deal.  Grabner was a pleasant surprise as he finished second in goals last season on a team-friendly contract.  He has been hot and cold over his career but another 20-goal campaign would make him a much more coveted player next summer.  Desharnais was added to give them some extra depth down the middle while they wait for their prospects while Puempel will once again attempt to lock down a regular spot on the fourth line.

Sep 29, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Nick Holden (22) in action against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY SportsHolden struggled with Colorado but saw his fortunes take a turn for the better with New York.  He set career highs across the board offensively and cemented himself as a top-four option.  His name has been involved in trade speculation throughout the summer as someone they could move to find a replacement for Stepan but being a rental player that should land a bigger deal next summer, his value around the rest of the league may not be as high as it should be based on the way he played last season.  If he makes it to free agency, he’ll be in line for a considerable pay increase.

With Antti Raanta also being moved to the Coyotes, the Rangers moved quickly to bring Ondrej Pavelec in as their new backup goalie.  He’s coming off a rough year that saw him spend a long time in the minor leagues but on a new team and lower expectations than he had with Winnipeg, he’s a good candidate to bounce back.

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Two Years Remaining

D Ryan McDonagh ($4.7MM, UFA)
F Mats Zuccarello ($4.5MM, UFA)

There aren’t many players here but they’re prominent ones.  Zuccarello was more or less an afterthought going back to 2012-13 but since then he has been consistently productive, averaging 57 points over the past four years.  Even though he’s undersized, that won’t stop him from being highly sought after if he makes it to the open market.

McDonagh has been a dependable workhorse on the blueline for a long time and has cracked 40 points as well in two of the last four years.  He’s still a legitimate top pairing defender and will be 30 once he’s eligible for free agency.  At that age, he could very well land another six-year deal at a higher rate than he’s getting now.

Three Years Remaining

F Jesper Fast ($1.65MM, UFA)
F Chris Kreider ($4.625MM, UFA)

After not being able to agree to terms on a longer-term deal last summer, Kreider and the Rangers avoided arbitration by basically meeting in the middle with a four-year pact.  That lines him up to hit the open market at 29 and power forwards like him are always in high demand.  Fast saw his numbers decline last year but he’s still a capable third liner that’s locked up at a reasonable rate for the foreseeable future.

Four Or More Years Remaining

G Henrik Lundqvist ($8.5MM through 2020-21)
D Kevin Shattenkirk ($6.65MM through 2020-21)
D Brendan Smith ($4.35MM through 2020-21)
D Marc Staal ($5.7MM through 2020-21)
F Mika Zibanejad ($5.35MM through 2021-22)

Zibanejad’s deal is still quite fresh as it was signed just one month ago.  With Stepan gone, the 24-year-old will have a chance to push for a regular spot on the top line and if he can pull that off and produce like a number one, this will be a bargain pretty quickly.

Shattenkirk turned down more money and term to land with his preferred team in the Rangers.  He’ll provide them with a big boost offensively from the back end while strengthening their top four.  Smith fit in well after being acquired from Detroit around the trade deadline and his contract slots in around what a typical second pairing player gets in free agency although he doesn’t bring much to the table in the attacking zone.  Staal’s contract has been nothing short of a disaster to the point where it appears they’ve at least considered buying him out.  His reputation was that he was a strong shutdown player but that hasn’t been the case in recent years.  He can log minutes but not much else which is going to make this a rough contract to move.

Lundqvist’s deal stood up as the richest for a goalie before Montreal’s Carey Price signed his extension last month.  He’s 35 and is coming off his worst statistical season in the NHL.  If it was just an off year and he reverts back to his normal numbers it won’t be an issue but if 2016-17 represented the beginning of a downswing, this also has the potential to be a problem contract down the road.

Buyouts

D Dan Girardi ($2.61MM in 2017-18, $3.61MM in 2018-19/2019-20, $1.61MM from 2020-21 through 2022-23)
C Brad Richards (compliance buyout so no cap hit; payments to be made through 2025-26)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Miller
Worst Value: Staal

Looking Ahead

As things stand, New York is in a good spot cap-wise this season while they have $51.6MM committed to 11 players for 2018-19.  A good chunk of that money will need to go to new deals for Miller, Hayes, Vesey, and Skjei which will make it a challenge to keep Nash or Holden in the fold or find replacements.

The biggest test will come in 2019-20 when McDonagh and Zuccarello are set to hit the open market.  Both of them are likely to command sizable raises and the team already has a little over $40MM tied up in just seven players, an amount that will assuredly jump when the above group sign their next contracts.  Will GM Jeff Gorton be able to keep the entire core together at that time?  That might prove to be a bit too much of a challenge without moving at least one key player out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

New York Rangers Salary Cap Deep Dive

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