Archives for September 2017

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Philadelphia Flyers

September 1, 2017 at 6:10 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.

Philadelphia Flyers

Current Cap Hit: $69,859,167 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Travis Konecny (Two years remaining, $894K)
F Nolan Patrick (Three years remaining, $925K)
D Samuel Morin (One year remaining, $863K)
D Ivan Provorov (Two years remaining, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Konecny: $213K
Morin: $500K
Patrick: $2.65MM
Provorov: $850K

Total: $4.213MM

Konecny got off to a hot start last season but tailed off down the stretch. However, with a full NHL season under his belt, he should be in line for a solid sophomore year and will likely play in their top six. As for Patrick, the second overall selection is expected to lock down a regular roster spot although GM Ron Hextall has said they won’t force him into NHL action if he’s not ready. With their depth down the middle, the Flyers will be able to ease Patrick into the lineup which is something that isn’t typically afforded to top picks just coming out of the draft.

Provorov was put into a key role right away and he passed the test with flying colors. It’s quite rare that a rookie defender leads the team in average ice time but that happened last season with the 20-year-old, who also finished second on the team in points from the back end. Philadelphia will need to enjoy his cheap deal while they can as he already is on track for a massive raise on his second contract.

It’s expected that quite a few youngsters will get a chance on the back end. Morin is among those after getting a pair of full AHL seasons under his belt. Others like Robert Hagg (one year remaining) and Travis Sanheim (two years remaining) are also expected to get a long look at training camp.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Valtteri Filppula ($5MM, UFA)
D Brandon Manning ($975K, UFA)
F Matt Read ($3.625MM, UFA)

Filppula was acquired from the Lightning back at the trade deadline with Tampa looking to unload some salary for this season. While he’s not likely to push for more than 50 points like he did earlier in his career, he still slots in as a capable second liner. If he makes it to the open market, his next deal should come in relatively close to this one. Read’s contract looked reasonable when it was signed as a winger on the rise but he has tailed off in recent years. He’s not likely to be back after this season and his next contract will be for considerably less.

Manning has taken on more of a regular role over the last couple of seasons. He’ll likely reprise a depth role but if the youngsters struggle early on, he could be asked to take on more of the load at times.

Two Years Remaining

G Brian Elliott ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Jori Lehtera ($4.7MM, UFA)
G Michal Neuvirth ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Michael Raffl ($2.35MM, UFA)
F Wayne Simmonds ($3.975MM, UFA)
F Mike Vecchione ($900K, RFA)
F Jordan Weal ($1.75MM, UFA)

Simmonds is currently on one of the top team-friendly deals in the league. He signed it after his first year in Philly in 2012 and has been a top-six winger (often a front liner) since then. He’ll undoubtedly be looking for a big raise when this one is up but with his physical style of play, it will be interesting to see if that makes the team hesitant to hand out a long-term pact. Lehtera disappointed with St. Louis last season and will be looking to rebound in their top-six. Given their depth down the middle, there’s a chance that he could be moved out to the wing with the Flyers. Raffl had a year to forget in 2016-17 and didn’t live up to the contract. He’s more of a depth player at this point and if he struggles again early on, he’s someone that they could look to move. Weal didn’t play much in the NHL last year (and has only 37 career games under his belt) but impressed Hextall enough to land a big raise and a one-way deal so he’s likely to get a longer look. As for Vecchione, even though he has a one-way pact of his own, he’s still waiver exempt and is a candidate to go back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL.

Although goaltending remains a big question mark for Philadelphia (seemingly an annual tradition), the team has done well to not lock into long-term deals while they wait for some of their prospects to develop. Elliott comes over from Calgary where he didn’t fare well but he’s only a year removed from a much better season with St. Louis. Even if he just comes close to those numbers, this would be a big upgrade and a nice steal for the Flyers. Neuvirth is also coming off of a down year but at the very least, he provides insurance as someone that can assume the starting role if need be.

Three Years Remaining

D Radko Gudas ($3.35MM, UFA)
D Andrew MacDonald ($5MM, UFA)
F Dale Weise ($2.35MM, UFA)

Weise did not have a good first season with the Flyers and wound up as a healthy scratch at times. If that happens again in 2017-18, it wouldn’t be surprising if they consider buying him out next summer.

Gudas has a well-deserved reputation for being a predatory player but he’s also a capable second pairing player that took a step forward offensively last season. While some criticized his contract that was signed last summer as being too pricey, if he can maintain a comparable level of play this year, it’s not a bad contract at all. MacDonald hasn’t come close to living up to his money. He’s a third pairing player that has cleared waivers in the past. Hextall would love to unload his deal but unless he’s willing to take a comparably bad contract in return, that’s not going to happen.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Sean Couturier ($4.33MM through 2021-22)
F Claude Giroux ($8.275MM through 2021-22)
D Shayne Gostisbehere ($4.5MM through 2022-23)
F Jakub Voracek ($8.25MM through 2023-24)

It’s not entirely fair to suggest that Giroux is at a crossroads but his production has dropped for four straight years despite still seeing top line ice time; his 58 points last year was his lowest in a full season since 2009-10. He’s certainly capable of rebounding into form and if he does, this won’t be too onerous of a contract down the road. If the recent trend continues and his scoring output drops again though, there’s bound to be an increase in trade speculation as they’ll be paying top end money for no better than second line production.

Voracek signed his contract coming off of a career year but has put up 55 and 61 points since then. That’s not bad by any stretch but it isn’t what they’re paying him to produce. Because of the term left on the deal, he’d be tough to trade even if they wanted to so he’ll get plenty of chances to rebound. Couturier hasn’t become the offensive force he was back in junior but he is still a very strong two-way center on a good contract.

On the back end, Gostisbehere bypassed the bridge deal back in June with his new deal. His production dipped from his rookie season but was still above average overall. His offensive game alone should cover the cost of the contract but if he can improve in his own end, this could be a real bargain before too long.

Buyouts

G Ilya Bryzgalov (Compliance buyout so no cap hit; payments $1.643MM to be made through 2026-27)
F R.J. Umberger ($1.5MM in 2017-18)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Simmonds
Worst Value: MacDonald

Looking Ahead

For years, the Flyers found themselves in cap trouble to the point where there some bonus overages that carried over along the way. That’s not the case now. They’re comfortably under heading into 2017-18 and with the influx of young talent coming through the pipeline, they’ll be in good shape with quality players on cheap entry-level deals for the foreseeable future.

If Giroux (and to a lesser extent, Voracek) don’t rebound from the last couple of seasons, their contracts will hurt a bit. But again, a good chunk of those concerns can be offset by some cheaper talent on the horizon. Philadelphia is in very good shape cap-wise moving forward in a very tough Metropolitan Division.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Thomas Vanek

September 1, 2017 at 4:30 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

One of the long free agent waits of the offseason is finally over; the Vancouver Canucks have signed Thomas Vanek to a one-year contract worth $2MM. The deal will come in at a lower amount than his $2.4MM pact with the Detroit Red Wings from last season, even after Vanek put up a solid 48-point season. He’ll hit the open market once again next summer.

[Related: Updated Canucks Depth Chart]

Teams who want a little extra offense and are close to the playoffs could have used Vanek’s powerplay and shootout prowess in a sheltered role, but another option was always a team like Vancouver signing him only to flip him for an asset at trade time. Like Detroit last season, the Canucks could give Vanek ample opportunities to rack up points in the first half of the season, only to send him to a bubble team for a draft pick come February. Vanek netted the Red Wings a third-round pick (and Dylan McIlrath) last year, more than enough return for a relatively small amount of money.

The Canucks are in rebuild mode after struggling again last season, but have brought in several high upside players that could be used in this manner already this summer. Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto and Alexander Burmistrov could each fetch a solid return on the market either this year or next should they show any improvement, and Vanek could be much of the same. As the team waits out Daniel and Henrik Sedin’s contracts and looks to build towards a future centered on Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Olli Juolevi and Elias Pettersson, signing tradeable assets can only accelerate the process.

Horvat’s extension now enters the spotlight, as the team will have somewhere around $7MM in cap space depending on which forwards they move off the roster before the season starts. They currently have 15 forwards on one-way contracts, not including Horvat or Boeser, who is expected to stay with the team all year. While there likely will be some injuries in training camp, it does look like Vancouver will have to make a move or try and sneak a few players through waivers.

Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 first got confirmation that the Canucks were “in the mix” on Vanek.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Alexander Wennberg

September 1, 2017 at 3:53 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

So much for digging in their heels. The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Alexander Wennberg to a six-year, $29.4MM contract, ending what has been a long negotiation this summer. The 22-year old was a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, coming off his entry-level contract. The deal will pay him an average of $4.9MM each season, though it is slightly back-loaded:

2017-18: $3.5MM
2018-19: $4.5MM
2019-20: $5.35MM
2020-21: $5.35MM
2021-22: $5.35MM
2022-23: $5.35MM

Wennberg posted career highs in nearly every statistical category last season, registering 13 goals and 46 assists for 59 points. That number put him second in team scoring on the Blue Jackets behind only Cam Atkinson, and solidified his reputation as a number one center for the team. Selected 14th-overall in 2013, Wennberg has quickly overcome any doubts in his ability to rack up points at the NHL level. Through 217 games, he has totaled 119 points and could easily set new career highs once again this season.

At first glance this contract seems like a fairly large bargain for the Blue Jackets. Wennberg comes in well below Jonathan Drouin’s recent six-year extension, despite the Montreal forward having less experience in the league and scoring fewer points last season. While you can point to Drouin’s draft pedigree and dynamic offensive upside, contracts are usually handed out based on actual in-game production which Drouin only leads slightly in a per-game basis. The Blue Jackets will be quite pleased with contract that comes in under $5MM, and it will help them keep their entire core together down the road.

Over the next two summers, Columbus has contracts to give out to players like Atkinson, Artemi Panarin, Boone Jenner, Zach Werenski, Ryan Murray and several more, while a deal for Josh Anderson is still on the table this offseason. Getting a key member of your forward group like Wennberg locked up for a reasonable number is a huge part in keeping your salary structure possible. He’ll actually come in as just the fourth-highest paid forward on the team this season, behind Panarin, Brandon Dubinsky and captain Nick Foligno.

Wennberg isn’t a perfect player. 21 of his assists came on the powerplay this season, and he needs to do a better job generating shots while at even strength. Though his defensive game has potential to be good enough to lock down opposing top lines, it’s not yet at the level of some of the elite centers in the league. He’ll never be an overly physical player, but his size does allow him to work capably in the corners and in front of the net. Success in the faceoff dot should be expected down the road, though the team will obviously live with his shortcomings in that area in order to get him on the ice as much as possible.

It will be interesting to see if Wennberg gels with newcomer Panarin, who plays a much different game than the outgoing Brandon Saad but could form a near-unstoppable trio along with Atkinson should they see time together. The three are all gifted offensive players, but could be spread out among the top two lines in order to work with more physical players like Jenner or Dubinsky. Either way, it will be one of the most dangerous forward groups in the league, capable of beating teams in several different ways.

This contract has ramifications outside of Columbus as well, as David Pastrnak and Bo Horvat look for similar long-term contracts. Both players are in similar situations coming off their entry-level contracts, though have different offensive profiles. Pastrnak put up much higher scoring numbers last year, but plays the wing and is 20 months younger than Wennberg, while Horvat has a better two-way game and has a higher draft pedigree. Pastrnak has been looking for a contract that would far outpace this deal, while Horvat’s negotiations have spanned everything from a two-year bridge deal to an eight-year pact.

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported the financial details of the contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Submit Your Questions For The Pro Hockey Rumors Mailbag

September 1, 2017 at 1:45 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

Hockey is almost here and players are already arriving to start their on-ice workouts. Arenas across the country will start to fill as thirty-one teams attempt to take home the Stanley Cup. With the season fast approaching, submit your question to our mailbag and have our Brian La Rose answer it on Monday! What’s going to happen with Matt Duchene? Who is this Danis Zaripov? What’s the chance your team makes the playoffs? You can submit your questions on Twitter using the hashtag #PHRMailbag or by using the comment feature below.

Be sure to check back on Monday when our mailbag is posted. You can check out the last mailbag right here.

Danis Zaripov Has Two NHL Offers

September 1, 2017 at 1:03 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

We heard yesterday that Danis Zaripov—the 36-year old Russian winger under a two-year KHL suspension for doping—had interest in the Tampa Bay Lightning, and now Darren Dreger of TSN gives us even more information. Zaripov is believed to have two NHL offers in hand already, and is waiting for two more before deciding where he’ll make his North American professional debut. Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times confirms that the Lightning are not one of those offers, even though they are one of a few “preferred landing spots” for Zaripov.

Zaripov represents a late-summer wildcard, as an unexpected free agent entering the market. His upside is that of a proven playoff performer who can chip in offense at a pretty consistent rate, but it is curious that he could sign before proven NHL scorers like Thomas Vanek and Jaromir Jagr. Zaripov spent one season in North America back in 1998 when he played for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, but was before his time as a slightly undersized forward.

That type of player is much more welcome in today’s NHL, and there is definitely interest in bringing him aboard. Outside of the Lightning, the Rangers have been tenuously linked and Evgeni Malkin has thrown his support behind bringing him into the Penguins’ locker room. He’ll likely be brought in on a one-year deal in order to use performance bonuses to mitigate risk.

Latest On Jack Eichel Extension

September 1, 2017 at 12:01 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Darren Dreger of TSN joined The Instigators on WGR 550 in Buffalo for his weekly chat, and discussed the ongoing contract negotiations with Jack Eichel. Eichel is heading into the final year of his entry-level contract, and there has been constant speculation that he’ll sign a long-term extension before the season begins. Not so fast says Dreger:

I’m now getting the sense that he’s okay starting the season without a contract extension in place.

It’s clearly part speculation on Dreger’s part, but it does make some sense from Eichel’s side. Losing part of last season to injury has brought his overall production through the first two years of his career, even though he remains one of the brightest young stars in the league. There is a chance he could push his contract even further up the salary charts with a breakout year.

That said, Buffalo already knows what they have in Eichel and seem willing to pay up for it. Recently GM Jason Botterill was quoted saying he wants to get his young center locked up for the max term, and that there had been nothing but positive talks between the two sides so far. It still seems likely that something will get done before the start of training camp, but if it doesn’t there is little cause for alarm.

Morning Notes: Chytil, Bergeron, Kostka

September 1, 2017 at 10:32 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

After trading away their first-round pick in several consecutive years, the New York Rangers selected twice on the first day of the draft picking Lias Andersson at #7, and Filip Chytil at #21. While Andersson is set to try and crack the NHL roster out of training camp, it doesn’t look like Chytil will even be able to take part in the rookie tournament. A report out of the Czech Republic says that Chytil is dealing with a torn leg muscle suffered while playing in the Four Nations tournament.

While this injury hasn’t been verified by the Rangers, it would be a disappointing start to Chytil’s career with the team. He signed an entry-level contract in July, and though he isn’t expected to make the jump to the NHL—he’s just 17 after all—there was still a decision to be made on where he should spend this season. He could have been sent to Canadian junior where the North Bay Battalion selected him seventh overall in this year’s import draft, to the AHL to suit up for the Hartford Wolf Pack, or back to Europe where he could continue to develop on loan.

Patrice Bergeron underwent sports hernia surgery back in May, but is back on the ice and feels like he’ll be ready for the start of training camp with the Boston Bruins. Bergeron spoke to Matt Kalman of NHL.com, and said even though he’s still getting some treatment for the injury he feels ready enough to start camp. Hernia injuries can linger as we’ve seen in the past, and now at 32-years old it will be interesting to see if Bergeron can get off to a quick start with the Bruins. In the Atlantic Division, where it will be a dog fight for the playoff spots all year long, wasted games in October could come back to haunt them.
Former NHL defenseman Mike Kostka has signed a tryout with Swedish team AIK, after spending all of 2016-17 in the minor leagues. The undrafted NCAA free agent has played 85 career NHL games, split between Toronto, Tampa Bay, Chicago, New York and Ottawa. At 31, it’s tough to see him make it back to the NHL on a full-time basis, but as always this could open up Olympic consideration. Kostka has never represented Canada on the international stage, but it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him on the roster.

Latest On Columbus Blue Jackets’ RFA Talks

September 1, 2017 at 9:29 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Even as the calendar turns over into September and NHL training camps are just around the corner, the Columbus Blue Jackets remain locked in important negotiations. Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson, two core restricted free agents, remain unsigned. As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes (subscription needed), it doesn’t look like anything is close. The Blue Jackets aren’t willing to give in to contract demands for players who are pre-arbitration, while agents look to continuously press the average salaries higher and higher.

Anderson apparently will begin skating in Switzerland to stay in shape, if the contract talks aren’t finished in the next few weeks. He’s coming off his first full year in the NHL, in which he scored 17 goals and showed off his versatility. Wennberg remains the team’s first-line center, and will likely be one of the three most important forwards on the team this year. Missing training camp would be a step back, though there is clearly no animosity between the two sides.

It’s business after all, something that is being seen all around the league this year. David Pastrnak, Bo Horvat and Andreas Athanasiou remain unsigned among many others, and even though there are often late-summer RFA signings, it’s still a scary proposition for fans to wait this long. Columbus still has plenty of cap space to sign both long-term if they so choose, but with big extensions coming up for the 2018-19 season—Cam Atkinson in particular—they’ll have to be very careful with how they spend their dollars.

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