Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2017

Latest On Will Butcher

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In the ongoing saga of Will Butcher, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the free agent defenseman is still meeting with various teams. Dreger says that Butcher has whittled his list down to three or four clubs, and will make a decision at the beginning of next week at the latest. Yesterday it was confirmed that Butcher had met with the Vegas Golden Knights, and trips to the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils have also been reported.

It will be interesting to see if other free agent defensemen like Cody Franson and Dennis Wideman get a little more interest once Butcher is off the board. Last year, after Jimmy Vesey signed with the New York Rangers, Brandon Pirri, Jiri Hudler and Dominic Moore all inked contracts within the next ten days.

Butcher’s size and overall defensive game makes him hard to project into a team’s top-4, but his offensive skill and ability to run a powerplay is hard to find on the open market, especially at his age. He’ll be signing a two-year, entry-level contract wherever he ends up.

East Notes: Athanasiou, Kinkaid, Jarry

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Although the cap situation for the Red Wings is far from ideal as they currently project to be over the cap heading into the season, that doesn’t appear to be a big factor in the lack of progress being made in talks with winger Andreas Athanasiou, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan.  Instead, the scribe suggests that it’s their salary structure that may be playing a big role.

While the 23-year-old is coming off of an 18 goal season, this was his only full NHL campaign.  Accordingly, while Athanasiou is looking to be paid based off of that type of production, Detroit GM Ken Holland may be hesitant to give the type of money he’s looking for with as small of a track record as he has.  There’s no word as to what offers are on the table but Khan speculates that a two-year bridge deal worth around $1.5MM per year may be close to what the Red Wings have put forth.

Yesterday, it was reported that Athanasiou is considering a one-year offer in the KHL.  His agent, Darren Ferris, classified the offer as “significant”.  Between that and the potential to play in the Olympics, it certainly stands to reason that this could be a bit more than just an attempt at getting some leverage in talks with the Red Wings.  If he were to go overseas, Detroit would retain his rights.

More from the East:

  • Although he ultimately re-signed with New Jersey, goalie Keith Kinkaid acknowledged to Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media that he did speak to a few other teams during the interview period leading up to July 1st. Instead of going elsewhere though, he opted to sign a two-year, $2.5MM deal to remain with the Devils.  He’ll serve as Cory Schneider’s backup once again this coming season.
  • Although Pittsburgh’s addition of netminder Antti Niemi pushes prospect Tristan Jarry back to the number three role, GM Jim Rutherford suggested to NHL.com’s Wes Crosby that Jarry may still get into some NHL action with the Penguins this season. Niemi inked a one-year, $700K deal to replace Marc-Andre Fleury and serve as Matt Murray’s backup but the move also allows the 22-year-old to get another full season of AHL action under his belt before making another push for the number two spot in 2018-19.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes

at CDT | by 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.

Carolina Hurricanes

Current Cap Hit: $57,799,166 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Sebastian Aho (Two years remaining, $925K)
D Noah Hanifin (One year remaining, $925K)
D Brett Pesce (One year remaining, $809K)
D Jaccob Slavin (One year remaining, $743K)

Potential Bonuses

Aho: $850K
Hanifin: $850K
Pesce: $33K
Slavin: $133K

Total: $1.865MM

Carolina hasn’t wasted much time handing out some early extensions to their blueliners as Slavin received a seven-year, $37.1MM deal while Pesce inked a six-year pact worth $24.125MM in total earlier this offseason.  Both deals will kick in for 2018-19.  That locked up two of their core defenders through the rest of their RFA-eligible seasons plus three and two years respectively of their UFA eligibility.

As for the third defenseman on the list, the team has also expressed an interest in getting another contract for Hanifin done although there have been no formal discussions yet on one.  The former fifth overall pick has played a regular role in his first two seasons but hasn’t progressed a lot and as a result, he’s more likely to wait until next offseason to sign.

Aho had a very productive rookie season that went under the radar thanks to some of the other well-known freshmen.  He has already established himself as a legitimate top-six winger and if that carries over for the next two seasons, he’ll be in great shape to continue the trend of bypassing the bridge deal and landing a long-term, big money contract, something that GM Ron Francis is clearly comfortable doing.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Klas Dahlbeck ($850K, RFA)
F Josh Jooris ($775K, UFA)
F Elias Lindholm ($2.7MM, RFA)
F Joakim Nordstrom ($1.275MM, RFA)
F Derek Ryan ($1.425MM, UFA)
F Lee Stempniak ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($825K, RFA)
G Cam Ward ($3.3MM, UFA)

Lindholm has yet to take the big leap offensively that the team has been hoping for and as a result, he’s still more of a second line center.  Even if he hovers around the 40-50 point range again in 2017-18 though, he’ll have a chance to potentially double his AAV with the demand for quality players down the middle.  Stempniak was basically a placeholder for some of their younger players last year and will do so once again.  At this stage, it’s more likely that he’s traded in-season over signing a new deal.  If there’s ever such a thing as a bridge contract for a 30-year-old, Ryan has it.  He was off the radar just two years ago but more than held his own last season.  If he can repeat that this season, he’ll hit the market with a much stronger case to market to other teams.  Nordstrom and Jooris are likely to hold down depth roles and their next deals (or those for their replacements) will come in around the same amount.

The Hurricanes quietly added van Riemsdyk from the Golden Knights after expansion and he’ll have a chance to fortify their third pairing which suits him quite well.  While his potentially lower ice time will hurt his bargaining power, he’ll still be in line to at least double his salary with arbitration rights while sitting within a year of unrestricted free agency next summer.

Ward has been with Carolina since they drafted him back in 2002 but his time with the team may be coming to an end.  His numbers the past several seasons have been rather pedestrian which played a big role in them trading for a new starter this offseason.  Regardless of where he winds up for 2018-19, he’s likely in line for a notable pay cut, especially when the free agent market looks like it will have several players in his situation next offseason.

Read more

Interest In Thomas Vanek And Drew Stafford Picking Up

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Talks have picked up recently regarding free agent wingers Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford, agent Steve Bartlett noted to WGR 550 in Buffalo.  Bartlett added that he’s hopeful that both players should be able to put pen to paper on new contracts in the near future:

“I do feel optimistic that something will come through for both of these guys in the next week or two, and I think definitely the temperature has risen from teams around the league on both players.”

Vanek is the highest scoring player from last season that’s still on the market as he tallied 48 points (17-31-48) in 68 games between Detroit and Florida.  His 0.71 points per game mark was his highest since 2013-14 but that hasn’t helped him land a new deal just yet.  The 33-year-old is coming off a one-year, $2.6MM contract that he signed shortly after being bought out by the Wild.  While his production would suggest that he should be in line for a raise, the fact he’s waited this long to find his next home makes it more likely that he’ll wind up with a below-market contract.

As for Stafford, his market took a nosedive last season after he struggled mightily with Winnipeg with just 13 points (4-9-13) in 40 games.  He fit in much better with the Bruins as a trade deadline pickup with four goals and four helpers in 18 contests but that obviously hasn’t been enough to generate interest.  It has been speculated that Boston wouldn’t mind having him back in training camp but they would prefer a PTO deal to a guaranteed contract.  He made $4.35MM in each of the past two seasons and whatever contract he winds up with will undoubtedly come well under that.

With training camps now just a few weeks away, it’s likely that talks will start to rekindle on other veteran free agents as well as general managers look to shore up their depth or try to find a below-market bargain deal.

Cleveland Signs Pair Of Undrafted Free Agents

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Cleveland Monsters signed a pair of undrafted junior players today to AHL contracts, inking Ivan Kulbakov and Bobby MacIntyre to one-year deals. Both players are now 20 years old and will be leaving their respective junior leagues for 2017-18.

Kulbakov is coming out of the USHL after an impressive rookie season with the Youngstown Phantoms, where he went 30-16-1 and recorded a .919 save percentage. The Belarussian goaltender went undrafted even after a relatively impressive showing at the 2015 World Juniors, where he had a standout performance against the Czech Republic, stopping 44 of 48 shots to keep the game close. His height likely held him back as a goaltending prospect, as he stands just 6’0″ tall, well under the average NHL goaltender.

MacIntyre on the other hand is a forward who’s coming off a huge season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. Registering 80 points in 63 games, MacIntyre easily paced his club and ranked 15th in the league. Size is the culprit once again, as MacIntyre stands just 5’9″ and would have trouble adapting to the more physical NHL game. That said, he does possess some solid offensive upside and the move to Sault Ste. Marie in 2015 seemed to spark something in him. While there is still a long way to go to crack the Columbus Blue Jackets’ roster, there is definitely a place for him on the AHL squad as a tenacious offensive player.

Will Butcher Visits Vegas Golden Knights

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Reigning Hobey Baker award winner Will Butcher visited the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and is still expected to take up to a week to make his decision. The Golden Knights gave Butcher a pitch on where the organization is headed, but according to GM George McPhee the 22-year old defenseman now has to “take a look at [team] facilities and understand the city a little bit to make that final decision.”

McPhee was complimentary towards Butcher’s skill set in his interview with Schoen, saying that the young defender can run a powerplay. Even with more than a dozen defenders under contract for this season, Vegas doesn’t have a pure powerplay quarterback outside of Erik Brannstrom, who won’t be playing in North America this season. While several others have the talent to do so (Nate Schmidt, Colin Miller and Shea Theodore immediately come to mind), Butcher could be offered a spot right away to play to his strengths as a sort of recruiting tactic.

Butcher’s other likely destinations are New Jersey and Buffalo where he’s been linked since becoming a free agent on August 16th, though any number of other teams could enter the sweepstakes. It’s tough to put a projection on Butcher in the NHL, as some believe he’ll fail to reach the point where he can be relied upon at both ends of the rink. That’s clearly worth the risk for the Golden Knights as they look to build instead of compete in their first year.

Minor Notes: Tolvanen, Legwand, Hughes

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Nashville Predators’ fans, prepared to get excited. Eeli Tolvanen, the 30th-overall pick in this year’s draft made his KHL debut today playing for Jokerit and what a debut it was. The 18-year old forward scored a hat trick and added an assist in just over 13 and a half minutes of ice time as they took down Dinamo Minsk 6-1 in their first game. While obviously it will be impossible for Tolvanen to continue this pace, he becomes the youngest player in KHL history to record a hat trick.

After being denied admission to Boston College for failing to meet the school’s academic requirements, Tolvanen almost tumbled out of the first round before signing a one-year deal (plus a 2018-19 option) with Jokerit. The 5’10” 170-lbs forward lit up the USHL in his draft year and possesses one of the quickest releases of any prospect in his draft class. It will be interesting to see where he spends next season, after a campaign that’s off to an incredible start.

  • David Legwand will step behind the bench of the Sarnia Sting, an OHL franchise he is part owner of. The long time Nashville Predators’ forward will take an Associate Coach position with the team just over a year removed from his playing career. Legwand was an excellent player in his day, recording 618 points in 1,136 games over a 17-year NHL career. He’ll now join head coach Derian Hatcher in trying to turn the Sting around after a disappointing 2016-17 season. He’ll have to hope that Jordan Kyrou doesn’t make the St. Louis Blues out of camp, as he looked ready to take the next step towards professional hockey in the World Junior Summer Showcase. If Kyrou returns to the Sting, he could be in contention to lead the league in points after coming in sixth last year.
  • The Hershey Bears have signed Tommy Hughes to an AHL contract, bringing in the former Hartford Wolf Pack defender for one season. Hughes was signed by the New York Rangers organization as a CHL free agent in 2013, but never saw action in the NHL. The 25-year old is about as stay-at-home as you can get in a defenseman, recording just 30 points over his four-year AHL career.
  • Chris Terreri has joined the New York Islanders organization as a Goaltending Development Coach, and will also serve as Goalie Coach for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. Terreri had previously been with the New Jersey Devils for sixteen years. While the Islanders have struggled to find consistency in their NHL netminders the past few seasons, they do have some of the most interesting prospects in the league in Ilya Sorokin and Linus Soderstrom. If either come over to North America in the next few seasons, Terreri will be tasked with unlocking their full potential.

More Russian Talent On Maple Leafs’ Radar

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs clearly think there is unmined talent in the KHL. In consecutive drafts they’ve selected players that seemed “off the board”—Yegor Korshkov and Nikolai Chebykin in 2016 and Vladislav Kara in the most recent draft—and signed Nikita Zaitsev away from CSKA Moscow last summer. Zaitsev showed he could be a solid NHL contributor in his first year, and signed a seven-year, $31.5MM extension exactly a year later.

So now, when reports surfaced that both Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello traveled to Russia to meet with CSKA defenseman Igor Ozhiganov people take notice. The report appeared on Sovsport, before the Maple Leafs confirmed that Babcock and Lamoriello were in the country to various outlets (but not that they’d met with the defenseman). The pair completed a similar recruitment meeting with Zaitsev a year before he signed in the NHL, which could suggest the same is about to happen with Ozhiganov.

The 24-year old’s contract ends with CSKA in April, and he’s already played parts of seven years in the Russian professional league. The 6’2″ 216-lbs defender is not as offensive as Zaitsev (although he does have highlights like this), but comes with considerable defensive acumen and is also right-handed. For the Maple Leafs, who are looking everywhere to improve their defense corps, Russia seems like fertile land.

Jimmy Hayes To Attend New Jersey Devils Camp

at CDT | by 1 Comment

After being bought out by the Boston Bruins earlier this offseason, Jimmy Hayes has signed a professional tryout with the New Jersey Devils and will attend camp with the team, according to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll play this year for New Jersey, as PTOs are often used as showcases to other teams around the league.

Hayes was originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but saw his rights dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks before he even left Boston College. He would debut for the Blackhawks eventually, but struggle to find a consistent place in the lineup and eventually be dealt to Florida. There he found success, scoring 19 goals in 2014-15 before being shipped to Boston in order for the Panthers to get their hands on Reilly Smith (who they’ve subsequently dealt to Vegas). The three-year contract he signed with the Bruins turned out to be a disaster, as Hayes scored just five points all of last season and clearly didn’t have a place on the NHL roster going forward.

In New Jersey, the 27-year old Hayes will be battling youngsters for a roster spot in the bottom six. Players like Miles Wood, Blake Speers and Micheal McLeod each have their eye on a role with the team this year, but don’t have the experience that Hayes would provide. If he can show that he’s a legitimate option for 10-12 minutes a night, perhaps the Devils will want to allow their younger players to develop in the minors (or junior) instead.

Poll: Where Will Alex Kerfoot Sign?

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Last night Darren Dreger of TSN reported that NCAA free agent Alex Kerfoot had reduced his list of potential teams to five. Those he listed were the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. Arthur Staple and Steve Zipay of Newsday believe it’s even less than that, mentioning the Rangers and Sharks as the two finalists.

Kerfoot is from Vancouver, but could fit in as a depth center on many teams around the league. His senior season at Harvard went extremely well, registering 45 points in 36 games while taking over the captaincy from Jimmy Vesey. The New Jersey Devils were unable to sign him before the deadline, and he now has a chance very few young players are afforded: choose where to make your professional debut.

So where do you think he’ll land? There have been reports he could make his decision as soon as today, but it shouldn’t last much longer than a few days. If you believe a dark horse will swoop in at the last minute, make sure to leave it in the comments below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top