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2017-18 Primer: Chicago Blackhawks

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With the NHL season now underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Chicago Blackhawks.

Last Season: 50-23-9 record (109 points), first in Central Division (lost in the first round to Nashville)

Remaining Cap Space: $0 in regular space per CapFriendly, $2.44MM with LTIR

Key Additions: F Lance Bouma (free agency, Calgary), G Anton Forsberg (trade, Columbus), D Cody Franson (free agency, Buffalo), D Connor Murphy (trade, Arizona), D Jordan Oesterle (free agency, Edmonton), D Jan Rutta (Piráti Chomutov, Czech Extraliga), F Brandon Saad (trade, Columbus), F Patrick Sharp (free agency, Dallas), F Tommy Wingels (free agency, Ottawa)

Key Departures: D Brian Campbell (retirement), G Scott Darling (trade, Carolina), F Andrew Desjardins (free agency, unsigned), D Niklas Hjalmarsson (trade, Arizona), F Marcus Kruger (trade, Vegas – later dealt to Carolina), D Johnny Oduya (free agency, Ottawa), F Artemi Panarin (trade, Columbus), F Dennis Rasmussen (free agency, Anaheim), D Trevor van Riemsdyk (Vegas, expansion)

[Related: Blackhawks Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Brandon Saad – The trade that saw Saad return to the Blackhawks was among the biggest of the offseason.  While he didn’t have a ton of pressure on him in his first stint with the team (one can only have so much pressure on an entry-level contract), that won’t be the case now.

Jun 3, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad (20) during the first period in game one of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsChicago will be counting on Saad to jump onto the top line alongside Jonathan Toews and that’s a role he didn’t find himself in too often with Columbus.  They will also be asking him to help replace Panarin’s offense which is easier said than done; Saad’s career high in points is 53 (a mark he hit each of the past two years) while Panarin has reached 77 and 74 points over his two NHL seasons.

GM Stan Bowman admitted that a big part of the reason they did the trade was his familiarity with the team (although the two extra years on his contract were also important).  Can that make enough of a difference for Saad to have a career year and hold down that top line spot while at least coming close to replacing Panarin’s offense?  They’re certainly hoping so and expectations are quite high as a result.

Key Storyline: It wasn’t all that long ago that the Blackhawks were among the deeper organizations in the league.  With the salary cap starting to flatline and more big contracts kicking in, the annual tradition of purging talent for cheaper options continued this summer.  While they have always had enough talent in the system to fill out the roster with quality talent, their opening roster looks shallower than usual.

On defense, mainstays Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook return while Murphy is a serviceable top-four blueliner.  However, the rest of their back end is full of question marks with either flawed veterans or youngsters who may or may not be able to be impact players.  Bowman had to make a trade for defensive depth last season and he’ll likely need to do so again.

Up front, they have just five forwards making more than $1MM.  As a result, they’re hoping that some cheap veterans and some unproven talent can hold down the fort; in particular, they’re hoping rookie Alex DeBrincat will be able to produce right away and also help replace Panarin’s production.  Again though, the depth isn’t close to what it once was and will need to be supplemented.

Even with Marian Hossa, Jordin Tootoo, and Michal Rozsival all on LTIR, Bowman won’t have a whole lot of money to work with but some holes to fill.  How will he bolster this roster as the season progresses with the limited financial resources he has?  Bowman has gotten creative with the cap before and it wouldn’t be surprising if that happens again between now and the trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Eichel, Gaborik, Kelly, Anderson

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A big part of the decision to sign Jack Eichel to an eight-year, $80MM extension now instead of waiting until next offseason was the fact that there aren’t going to be any comparable contracts signed during the course of the season, GM Jason Botterill told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required).  This contract was going to be more of a precedent setter than a trend follower so instead of risking the asking price going higher if Eichel has a strong season as they’re hoping for, they now have their franchise player locked up now for the better part of the next decade.

More from around the league:

  • Although Kings winger Marian Gaborik hasn’t skated over the past week as he recovers from lingering knee issues, the team isn’t saying that he has suffered a setback in his recovery, notes Curtis Zupke of the LA Times. Head coach John Stevens would only say that team doctors decided he should have some maintenance days but the fact that he has shut it down for the time being doesn’t bode well for a return to the lineup anytime soon.
  • The Oilers have asked center Chris Kelly to remain with the team as an unsigned player, notes Paul Gazzola on the Oilers’ team website. While he won’t be able to play in any games, he’ll be able to practice with the team and can continue to battle for a roster spot that way.  This is the same approach that Toronto had with Brandon Prust last season while Brooks Laich has a similar arrangement with the Kings this year.
  • Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson is in the middle of going through the immigration process (which was required once his new contract was signed) and as a result, he will not be in their lineup on Friday night against the Islanders, reports Andrew Erickson of the Columbus Dispatch. However, since his contract is now active, he is counting against their 23-man active roster even though he’s not with the team.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Brandon Pirri

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8:06 PM: The team has officially announced the signing.  It’s a two-way deal worth the league minimum $650K at the NHL level.

11:22 AM: The Vegas Golden Knights appear to have signed Brandon Pirri, as the forward has been placed on waivers by the club today. Pirri was on a professional tryout with the Florida Panthers, but apparently has now signed a deal with the NHL’s newest team.

Vegas, who yesterday sent down three players—Vadim Shipachyov, Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch—still expected to make the team had just eleven forwards on the roster today. That roster work was done in order to protect their extra defensemen (of which they have many), but is now made even more clear by the Pirri signing. While there is no guarantee he makes the club to start the year, the team has added an experienced NHL forward with plenty of goal scoring ability to supplement their team.

The Golden Knights still seem required to make a trade before Friday’s opener to send one or two of their defensemen elsewhere, but it’s clear that the team has a plan in place to maximize their roster spots. Perhaps they’re hoping to sneak someone through waivers after teams begin the season, though who that would be is still unclear. The team has nine defensemen on the roster, not including Clayton Stoner who was placed on injured reserve, or Theodore who is expected to be recalled this week. All of them require waivers to be sent to the minor leagues.

Pirri though is an interesting add for the Golden Knights. After scoring 22 goals in just 49 games with the Panthers in 2014-15, it has still been a struggle to find a full-time job for the 26-year old. Vegas will be the fifth stop already in his career already, and most of it has to do with his defensive responsibility. Pirri has never been a very good two-way player, but did find his most success under Gerard Gallant and could find it again. On a team that will be desperate for scoring, Pirri could represent an interesting option.

Ducks Sign Josh Manson To A Four-Year Extension

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The Ducks have locked up a key defender as Josh Manson has inked a four-year extension, the blueliner announced via the team’s Twitter account.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the contract will carry a cap hit of $4.1MM.  The deal will begin in the 2018-19 campaign; he will earn $825K this season and would have been a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in July.

"AprManson has been with Anaheim since they drafted him in the sixth round (160th overall) back in 2011.  Last season, he played in all 82 games with the Ducks, tallying a career-high 17 points (5-12-17) while averaging 18:38 of ice time per night.  He also suited up in 17 postseason contests, posting three assists while seeing his ATOI increase to 20:33 per game.

With injuries to Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm to start the season, the Ducks will be asking Manson to take on a bigger role for the time being before settling into a fourth or fifth defender role once those two return to the lineup.

This contract now has Anaheim’s core of blueliners (including Vatanen, Lindholm, and Cam Fowler) locked up through at least the 2019-20 season.  However, with now just 13 players under contract for 2018-19, GM Bob Murray will still have a lot of work to do and not a lot of money as they already have more than $60MM committed for next season.  Most of their players with expiring contracts are slated to become unrestricted free agents but winger Nick Ritchie is another notable RFA who could be an extension candidate in the weeks to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

No Progress In Contract Talks For Andreas Athanasiou

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Although the Red Wings have been in contact with Andreas Athanasiou’s agent over the last few days, the GM told reporters, including MLive’s Ansar Khan, that nothing has changed with regards to the stalemate in negotiations.  Athanasiou’s agent Darren Ferris also told Khan that there is nothing to update at this time.

Detroit made a pair of offers to the 23-year-old restricted free agent earlier in the offseason.  They tabled a one-year offer worth $1.25MM that would allow him to return to restricted free agency next summer with arbitration eligibility where he could possibly have more leverage to yield a bigger salary.  They’ve also offered him a two-year pact with an AAV of $1.9MM.

Andreas AthanasiouHowever, Athanasiou is believed to still be seeking $2.5MM per season which means there is still a pretty large gap to bridge.  Ferris revealed back in August that the winger had a KHL offer on the table and while he wouldn’t reveal the specifics financially, it was suggested that it was worth more than what the Red Wings have offered.

Athanasiou is coming off of a strong season that saw him record 18 goals and 11 assists in just 64 games.  However, this was also his only year that he was a full-time NHL player so his track record is still pretty small.  The team is likely using comparables such as Toronto winger Connor Brown (three years, $2.1MM), Columbus winger Josh Anderson (who just signed a three year, $5.55MM deal on Monday), and Vancouver winger Sven Baertschi (two years, $3.7MM).  Those players all were coming off similar seasons to Athanasiou without any sort of long-term track record of NHL production.

With the season getting underway today, this will be the first day where Athanasiou is leaving money on the table by not being under contract.  If he is to play in the NHL at all in 2017-18, the two sides will need to reach an agreement on a new deal by December 1st.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Senators, Reinhart, Krug, Frk

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Although they didn’t make any deals over the past few days, Senators GM Pierre Dorion had been actively trying to bring in some forward help before the season gets underway, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  The Sens are already down one important forward in Clarke MacArthur and are set to have a pair of rookies in Logan Brown and Alex Formenton suit up in their opener on Thursday.  Colorado’s Matt Duchene has been a target but Garrioch adds that the two sides remain nowhere close on a potential trade.  Dorion also acknowledged that they feel they have enough defensive depth, even with Erik Karlsson set to miss the beginning of the season (although he’s not expected to miss more than a handful of games as he has nearly fully recovered from offseason foot surgery).

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • While the Sabres inked Jack Eichel to a massive extension on Tuesday, the team has no plans to pursue a new deal during the season with forward Sam Reinhart, reports Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. The second overall pick from 2015 had a career-high 47 points in 2017-18 but saw his goal total drop from 23 to 17.  Buffalo has toyed with the idea of deploying Reinhart as their third line center this season and while the versatility to play down the middle is certainly an asset, playing in the bottom six won’t help his production in this, his contract year.
  • Although he has been placed on injured reserve, Bruins defenseman Torey Krug is progressing well in his recovery from a broken jaw, GM Don Sweeney told Stephen Hewitt of the Boston Herald. The team plans to have him go for further testing on Friday but the hope is that he won’t be out much longer than a week.
  • Red Wings winger Martin Frk gave serious consideration towards leaving the team to play overseas, notes Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. After being waived on multiple occasions last season, the soon-to-be 24-year-old played in just two NHL games last season (both with Carolina before rejoining Detroit via the waiver wire) but he was assured by head coach Jeff Blashill to get a long look in training camp.  The decision to stick around was a smart one as he was named to their season-opening roster on Tuesday.

William Nylander Extension Not Expected During Season

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As Nikolaj Ehlers and Jack Eichel sign their respective long-term extensions, many fans in Toronto looked at the contracts as parallels for their own young stars. While Eichel compares favorably to Auston Matthews, Ehlers is almost a direct comparison for William Nylander. The pair were selected back to back in the 2014 draft, and have similarities in both style and production.

The Jets inked Ehlers to a seven-year extension today worth $42MM, but the Toronto forward won’t be negotiating during the season according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Like many other athletes, he instead wants to focus on his team’s success and his own game rather than where his future contract status lies.

In reality, it’s probably a good move for the Nylander camp. Entering the final year of his entry-level contract, Nylander is poised to spend the entire season riding shotgun with Matthews and racking up points. The two combined for 130 last season and could easily surpass those totals, especially given the innate chemistry they’ve shown once again in the preseason. If Nylander sets a new mark for points this season he could easily demand more than Ehlers’ $6MM per season. If not, he likely won’t be asking for much less.

It’s easy to bet on yourself when you’re as talented as Nylander, but the Maple Leafs likely want to know where Matthews’ salary falls before getting into any real negotiations anyway. As the Edmonton Oilers are finding out, when you have several superstars ready to get paid it is a tough job to fit them all into a salary structure and leave yourself any room. The Maple Leafs also have Mitch Marner to worry about, and eventually will have to decide if Jake Gardiner is worth a long-term extension. Waiting on Nylander may just be out of necessity.

Jaromir Jagr Signs With Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames have officially signed Jaromir Jagr to a one-year contract worth $1MM, with potential bonuses up to an additional $1MM for games played. Not only will suiting up for the entire season earn him extra cash, but the 45-year old legend is just 56 games shy of Gordie Howe’s all-time record of 1,767 NHL games. If healthy, he’s expected to break that this season."<strong

$1+1MM is a relatively small amount for a player who is still capable of contributing offensively. Jagr has always been a possession monster, able to protect the puck incredibly well with his big frame and distribute pucks from behind the net. His goal total of 16 last year, though disappointing, was due in large part to a career-worst shooting percentage that is almost sure to rebound.

Signing Jagr likely means a reduction of minutes for Troy Brouwer, who was largely disappointing after signing a big contract in free agency. Brouwer came over from the St. Louis Blues on a four-year, $18MM contract but registered the lowest point total of his career. With Micheal Ferland expected to take on a much bigger role with the top unit, and Jagr likely being slotted in on the right side of the third line, Brouwer will be relegated to fourth-line duties most nights.

The Flames have had an impressive offseason, addressing goaltending and defensive issues by bringing in Mike Smith, Eddie Lack and Travis Hamonic. Beyond that, the team can still expect some progression for young forwards Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. If they continue to play to their potential, Jagr could be a piece that helps them get over the top. His value both five on five and with the man advantage will be a big upgrade for Calgary, though there are still downsides to his play.

The biggest knock against Jagr is the speed at which he plays the game. No longer able to beat defenders with his skating ability, he nonetheless can create chances off the rush with skill alone. The apparent lack of defensive ability is usually counteracted by the down-low possession style he and linemates play, keeping the puck nearly 200 feet from their own net on most shifts. The Flames currently have more than $3.6MM in cap space, which would leave them able to make a move in-season should they find themselves in competition for the Stanley Cup.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Canadiens Trade Andreas Martinsen To Chicago Blackhawks

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The Montreal Canadiens weren’t done wheeling and dealing just yet, as the team announced that they have traded Andreas Martinsen to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Kyle Baun. Like Nicolas Deslauriers, who was acquired earlier in the day by the Canadiens, Baun will report directly to Laval in the AHL.

The Canadiens had assigned Martinsen to Laval already this training camp, but with the addition of Deslauriers—who plays a similar game—apparently he was no longer needed. The Canadiens had traded for Martinsen at last season’s deadline when they decided to get bigger, but he was held scoreless for them down the stretch and into the playoffs. A big body without much offensive touch, Martinsen will provide some NHL experience for the Blackhawks at the AHL level.

Martinsen is on a one-way deal, but won’t impact the Blackhawks’ cap situation unless he’s recalled to the NHL. Since he cleared waivers this week, he can report straight to Rockford and help the IceHogs. The undrafted forward has played in 119 NHL games since coming over from the DEL in 2015, but has registered just 18 points. The skill he showed in his breakout season for Dusseldorf has never materialized in the North American ranks.

Baun also went undrafted, but has just five games of NHL experience under his belt. It’s unlikely he’ll see the Canadiens other than as an injury fill in, but will help the new AHL Rocket to have success in their first season since moving closer to Montreal.

2017-18 Primer: Colorado Avalanche

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With the NHL season just underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Colorado Avalanche.

Last Season: 22-56-4 record (48 points), seventh in Central Division (missed playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $5.8MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Colin Wilson (trade, Nashville), F Alex Kerfoot (free agency, New Jersey), F Nail Yakupov (free agency, St. Louis), D Patrik Nemeth (waivers, Dallas), G Jonathan Bernier (free agency, Anaheim)

Key Departures: D Francois Beauchemin (buyout), F Mikhail Grigorenko (free agency, KHL), D Fedor Tyutin (free agency, unsigned), G Calvin Pickard (expansion, Vegas)

[Related: Avalanche Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Mikko RantanenPlayers To Watch: F Mikko Rantanen & F Tyson Jost – Though everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong in Colorado last year, there is still reason for optimism in the mountains. That optimism starts with the intriguing young core the team will ice at forward this year, including Rantanen and Jost. Both 10th-overall picks, Rantanen established himself as a full-time NHL player last year, recording 20 goals and 38 points in 75 games. While that seems underwhelming for a player many expect to be a top-line winger for years to come, it’s important to note that it ranked third on the team only behind established stars Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene.

Solidly built and armed with an incredibly accurate snapshot, Rantanen will score plenty of goals in this league. His ability to drift away from traffic and find a spot to unleash on net is uncanny, and will only develop with time and more successful linemates. At just 20, he’s only starting to fill out a 6’4″ frame that could carry around 220-lbs when it’s all said and done. That size, when added to his smooth skating and solid edgework shows a player who can contribute in several different elements of the game. While he struggled at times last year with consistency like many of the other Colorado Avalanche, a new season should bring better results.

Jost on the other hand jumped right from the NCAA tournament to the NHL last season, suiting up for just six games at the end of the year. Though he register his first NHL goal, it was the only point he put up through his short tenure. Still, Jost profiles as a prototypical two-way center that can score in bunches. He dominated his final season in the BCHL before heading to North Dakota where he continued to show why the Avalanche valued him so highly in the 2016 draft.

Not as big as some of the other number-1 centers in the league, Jost will likely settle into a second-line role with the Avalanche in the coming years. For now he’s been practicing with the fourth line, but there is clearly talent beyond that spot in the lineup. His development will be key to the success of the franchise, especially if they end up trading away some of their depth down the middle.

Key Storyline: That brings us to Duchene, who has been one of the biggest stories in the league for months now. While it now looks like he’ll begin the season with Colorado, there remains much speculation that a trade will eventually happen. Teams like Columbus, Carolina, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Nashville and New York have all been linked to Duchene at one point or another, though it’s unclear who would be willing to step up and pay the steep price GM Joe Sakic is still after.

The Avalanche are probably doing the right thing by waiting for their price to be met, but it must feel like torture to Duchene and agent JP Barry. The latter has been clear about his client’s desire for a fresh start, and Duchene has been hounded by questions and speculation since well before last year’s trade deadline. Perhaps showing that he can bounce back from last year’s disappointing 41-point season will catch the eye of a new team.

Unfortunately, Duchene will have a lot of responsibility heaped onto him to start the year. He’s been practicing between Nail Yakupov and Alex Kerfoot, who don’t inspire much confidence as they look to respectively rebuild and start their NHL careers. While both have high-end skill, Duchene will be required to drive play for the most part and play responsibly in his own end. While the speedster can do both of these things reasonably well, it’s not exactly his prime skill set.

The Avalanche are rebuilding, that much is clear. But this season is about more than just collecting assets and stockpiling draft picks. The team, coach and GM all need to prove that last year is behind them and that they’re no longer the laughing stock of the league. They’re just four years removed from an 112 point season with many of the same faces driving the team—that year Duchene had 70 points, while captain Gabriel Landeskog had 65. The playoffs are a long shot, but improvement is necessary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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