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Capitals’ Barry Trotz Likely To Cash In On Big Pay Day

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Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz might be the ultimate free agent. With many thinking early on that the Capitals planned to move on from their long-time coach after this season, Trotz instead has bet on himself and taken the Capitals for a long playoff ride, taking a once dejected and weakened Washington team this season and leading them to a surprising Stanley Cup Finals berth.

And despite the fact that Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said Friday that Trotz’ contract extension will not be addressed until the end of the season, Trotz looks to be in a great position to get a big raise from the $1.5MM that the 55-year-old coach is making this season, according to The Washington Times’ Matthew Paras.

The team had a two-year window which ended last season after two straight playoff losses to the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. With the window closed, the team lost multiple players in the offseason as defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner along with winger Justin Williams all walked in free agency. The team even traded winger Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils to free up cap room and then lost defenseman Nate Schmidt to the Vegas Golden Knights. Yet, the Capitals have made an unlikely Stanley Cup run and now have a chance to win the title under Trotz’ direction.

“He’s probably going to benefit from this too,” MacLellan said. “It’s not all not good for him. I think he’s done a good job managing it. To come in this year with so many questions — not from my point of view, the lineup questions were that big a deal — but just the emotional state of our team coming in to start the year and how to handle that, I think he’s done an outstanding job.”

Trotz admits that he’s made changes, including being more loose and relaxed during the playoffs and has made some key strategic moves that seems to have motivated the team, including the key decision to turn the goaltending reigns back to Braden Holtby in the playoffs after initially taking his starting job away. Another key decision was when the coach scratched a struggling Andre Burakovsky and then re-inserting him into the lineup where he notched two goals in Game 7 against Tampa Bay.

Trotz said he isn’t worried about his contract status and didn’t have much to say when asked what he would do if he wasn’t brought back.

“I’ll move on. So be it,” Trotz said.

 

Nikita Kucherov Not Likely To Get Extension Immediately

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The Tampa Bay Lightning’s season is over and now the team must shift its focus for next season. And while the Lightning have a t0-do list for the upcoming season, don’t expect Nikita Kucherov’s extension to be among the top priorities for the team, writes The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required).

Kucherov is in the last year of the bridge deal he signed in 2016 as a restricted free agent and will receive $4.77MM next year before reaching restricted free agency once again. The difference in the next negotiations is that the 24-year-old forward will have arbitration rights, giving him the leverage to potentially double his salary. An arbitrator could very likely side with a player who just put up 39 goals and tallied 100 points this season and reached the all-star game for the second time in his career.

However, Kucherov’s agent Dan Milstein says there haven’t been any talks of a new extension and he doesn’t expect any to start until after the 2018-19 season starts. After all, Kucherov isn’t going anywhere. Even with arbitration rights, Kucherov will be staying in Tampa Bay, but the Lightning will spend as much time as it can evaluating the play of Kucherov.

“He wants to stay in Tampa — he doesn’t want to go anywhere,” Milstein told The Athletic. “Worst-case, it’s arbitration, they’re not going to lose him. Both sides want him to be in Tampa.”

One possible reason is the way Kucherov struggled in the playoffs, especially in the final series before the Lightning were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Finals. The lack of scoring from Kucherov and linemate Steven Stamkos were a major issue. While he put up solid 2018 playoff numbers (17 points in 17 games), most of those offensive numbers came in their first-round series against the New Jersey Devils as he scored five goals and five assists in five games. However, from that point on Kucherov struggled, managing just two goals in the next 12 games. He also admitted that he was not dealing with an injury in the playoffs.

“Definitely you want to score goals,” Kucherov said. “Sometimes, it just doesn’t happen, doesn’t go your way.”

Perhaps the lack of an extension will be a motivating factor for Kucherov. He is expected to take a 10-day trip to Russia (half the length of last year) before returning to Tampa Bay to begin training for next season.

CHL Announces Top Players Awards for 2017-18

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The CHL announced their top player awards Saturday with Alex Barre-Boulet garnering the Sportsnet Player of the Year Award. The 21-year-old who played for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL, tallied 53 goals and 116 points to capture the award, beating out Everett Silvertips goaltender Carter Hart and the Sarnia Stings forward Jordan Kyrou. The 5-foot-9 Barre-Boulet, who went undrafted, signed an entry level contract in March with the Tampa Bay Lightning and will likely report to their AHL franchise next year.

While Hart fell short of winning the Player of the Year award, he didn’t walk away without one as the Philadelphia Flyers prospect won the Vaughn Goaltending of the Year award for the second time. The 19-year-old who starred for Team Canada at the World Juniors as well, blew the competition away with a 1.60 GAA in 41 games and putting up an impressive .947 save percentage. He beat out Windsor Spitfires Michael DiPietro and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies’ Samuel Harvey.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up another award as prospect Nicolas Hague won the Superstore Defenseman of the Year award. The second-round pick in 2017 from the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads totaled 35 goals and 78 points in 67 games last season. He beat out Moose Jaw Warriors Kale Clague and Acadie-Bathurst Titan’s Olivier Galipeau.

Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts won the Sherwin Williams Top Prospect Award as the Barrie Colts winger put up 40 goals in his rookie year in the OHL. Svenchikov is considered by many to be the second player to come off the board in the 2018 NHL Draft. He beat out Spokane Chiefs defenseman Ty Smith and Halifax Mooseheads Filip Zadina.

Here is a list of all the CHL award winners:

Player of the Year: Alex Barre-Boulet
Defenseman of the Year: Nicolas Hague
Goaltender of the Year: Carter Hart
Rookie of the Year: Alex Lafreniere
Coach of the Year: Drew Bannister
Scholastic Player of the Year: Alexandre Alain
Humanitarian of the Year: Garrett McFadden
Sportsman of the Year: Aleksi Heponiemi
Top Scorer: Jayden Halbegwachs
Top Prospect of Year: Andrei Svechnikov

Offseason Keys: Florida Panthers

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With just two teams still playing, the rest have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Florida Panthers.

This past season was a bit of a strange one for Florida.  After a down year that saw them fall out of a playoff spot, there was a fair bit of a shakeup on the roster and a change behind the bench.  It took some time but towards the end of the year, the Panthers hit their stride.  Unfortunately for them, it wasn’t quite enough to reach the playoffs.  Now, they head into an offseason with more stability and a few things less on their to-do list.  Here are some keys for the summer ahead.

Cut Some Payroll

Even after unloading Reilly Smith’s deal last summer (by working out a side deal with Vegas that also saw Jonathan Marchessault leave), Florida’s payroll is already relatively high, especially considering that they’re not typically a cap-spending squad.  Per CapFriendly, they already have nearly $66MM tied up for next season already.  Even more notable is that many of those contracts are long-term pacts and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them look to move one of those.

Of their ten players already signed through 2021, forward Nick Bjugstad may be the one to watch for this summer.  He wound up being shifted to the wing thanks to the presence of Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck as their top two centers and while he had a decent season, a $4.1MM cap hit for a middle-six winger could be deemed as expendable for the right price.  Considering the free agent market isn’t great in terms of quality depth down the middle, Bjugstad would undoubtedly attract some interest from teams looking for help at that spot.

From a shorter-term perspective, winger Jamie McGinn and his $3.33MM cap hit (and $3.5MM salary) is someone they could look to move to free up some money.  Considering his limited ice time, his 29 points isn’t too shabby but with some other wingers coming up quickly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Dale Tallon try to free up McGinn’s roster spot for one of them while saving some money along the way.

Determine Petrovic’s Future

2017-18 was not a year to remember for defenseman Alexander Petrovic.  After being protected in the expansion draft (which helped force Marchessault out the door), he was being viewed as a core player.  It didn’t take long for that to change.  He was a frequent healthy scratch early on and he voiced his frustration with his role back in November.  While he wasn’t on the bench too much down the stretch, he still wound up averaging just 14:39 per game, a significant drop from just a year earlier.

The 26-year-old is now entering his final year of restricted free agency after signing just a one-year pact last summer.  He’s due a qualifying offer of $1.85MM and while he struggled, he still should get that at the very least.  How much more will the Panthers want to give him, however?  A long-term deal seems unlikely given the lack of confidence that head coach Bob Boughner seems to have in him.  A one-year contract takes him to unrestricted free agency next summer and that’s not an ideal spot for Florida to be in either.

With that in mind, Tallon is going to have to make an interesting decision here.  Do they commit multiple years to keep him around?  If not, he then becomes a trade candidate and is someone that could wind up moving sooner than later.  What a difference a year can make.

Add A Top-Six Winger

Last summer, the Panthers went 50/50 on what they hoped would be top-six acquisitions on the wing.  Evgeni Dadonov’s return from the KHL went extremely well as he collected 65 points while emerging as a front-line option.  Meanwhile, things didn’t go as well for Radim Vrbata, who struggled mightily and has already announced his retirement.

Not surprisingly, there was a void in their top-six for most of this past season and it’s one that they will want to fill this summer.  Tallon has suggested in the past that while they’re open to signing a free agent in the right situation, their focus is building on the current core.

With that in mind, a trade seems like the way they’ll want to go.  Not only would that allow them to try to add someone more in line with the age of their core players (early-to-mid-20s), it would also enable them to get someone who is a little more cost-controlled which would be advantageous considering how many players are locked up long-term already.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sabres Expected To Buy Out Matt Moulson

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The Sabres are expected to buy out winger Matt Moulson once the window to do so opens up in mid-June, reports Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe.  The plan to do so shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after Moulson cleared waivers earlier this season after just 14 games with Buffalo.

Moulson re-joined the Sabres in July of 2014, inking a five-year, $25MM deal.  (He briefly spent time with them in 2013-14 after they acquired him from the Islanders but he was later flipped to Minnesota before the trade deadline).  However, he failed to live up to expectations and has provided Buffalo with a total of 35 goals over four seasons which is what earned him a one-way ticket to the minors.

After the Sabres decided that they didn’t want Moulson to take playing time away from anyone on their own AHL affiliate, they loaned him to Ontario of the AHL, the minor league affiliate for Los Angeles.  The 34-year-old was more productive with them, collecting 46 points (18-28-46) in 49 games which should help his cause as he looks for a new deal.

A decision to buy a player out often results in a fair bit of short-term cap savings for the team but that won’t really be the case here.  Due to the front-loaded nature of his contract (he has already received $22MM), the Sabres will incur a cap charge of $3.67MM for 2018-19 plus $667K the following season.  Meanwhile, Moulson will hit the open market and will likely have to settle for a two-way contract as he looks to get back to the NHL with a new organization.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Mailbag: Panthers, Blues, Trouba, Oilers, Hurricanes Draft

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With most teams now in offseason mode, this edition of the mailbag attempts to forecast some of the activity around the league this summer.

@kingspencer24: What do you think Florida will do this offseason via trade, free agency and draft how active do you think they’ll be? Do you think they’ll be a playoff team next season?

I’ll start with the last one.  Yes, I think they will be a playoff team in 2018-19.  I don’t want to read too much into their late-season run that got them back into the mix but their young core should only improve with another year of experience under their belts while they have some prospects pushing to make the jump.  As long as they can get steady goaltending out of Roberto Luongo and James Reimer, a Wild Card spot at the very least is a possibility.

With that in mind, I don’t expect them to be too active.  GM Dale Tallon has suggested previously that he’s more interested in adding players closer to the age of their core which limits them in free agency.  I suspect they’ll either only look to add players that are 27 or 28 that are close enough to that core age or one-year stopgaps in case some of their youngsters need more development time.

The trade market is where I expect they’ll be more active.  They have a deep prospect pool to deal from and if their intention is to keep Nick Bjugstad (a natural center) on the wing moving forward, dealing him would make some sense given the demand around the league for help down the middle.  That prospect pool could also enable them to deal their first-rounder although I don’t see them doing that.  I can see them targeting a younger top-six winger and looking to build from within the rest of the way.  All in all, I doubt it will be as busy an offseason as the summer of 2017 was.

Paul Heyman: Who should the Blues try to target in free agency and should they sign Fabbri to a 1yr deal to see if he has a healthy season next year?

The short answer is that any top-six forward should be targeted.  That was a need this past season but this time around, they actually have some money to work with.  They’re going to need to sign a replacement for Paul Stastny (or perhaps try to bring him back as a free agent) so they’ll surely kick the tires on John Tavares and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them inquire about Tyler Bozak as well.  Beyond them, the next level has players comparable to internal options like Patrik Berglund or Vladimir Sobotka so adding a similar player to them may not be the best use of their funds.

On the wing, I’ve long thought that James van Riemsdyk would be a good fit there.  He’s not a great fit as a number one go-to option but with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz already there, he wouldn’t need to be.  He was great with Toronto in more of an exploitative role and he could be in that spot in St. Louis.  James Neal would fit in a similar role as well while Patrick Maroon, a St. Louis native, would certainly add some grit into their top-six.

As for Robby Fabbri, the short-term bridge deal (one or two years) makes the most sense but if I was Doug Armstrong, I’d at least kick the tires to see if his camp was open to some long-term security.  Given how long he has missed, there’s at least a chance for a possible discount on a longer-term deal and if the Blues are confident he can rebound, getting a top-six piece locked up for a cheaper rate would be a big help for them.  That said, I expect they’ll go the bridge route and use the money saved by doing that to put towards adding more established help up front.

goggles: Do you think the Jets can and will re-sign Trouba?

Back when Jacob Trouba was in his contract squabble (which was a little more than a year and a half ago), I’d have thought there was no chance that this would be an option.  The bridge deal was just going to be a way to get him playing again for prospective suitors and it would be a new team having this conversation with him.  That’s clearly not the case now.

Yes, the logjam on the right side (his clearly-desired spot) is still there but it’s only for one more year as Tyler Myers is just one season away from unrestricted free agency.  With Dustin Byfuglien still signed for three more seasons and new deals for Blake Wheeler (UFA), Patrik Laine, and Kyle Connor (both RFAs) one year away, I’d suggest that Myers is the likelier one to feel the squeeze 12 months from now when they’re forced to let some players go since they won’t be able to keep them all.  That shouldn’t be the case this summer so why make a Trouba trade now?

Trouba isn’t coming off the best of platform seasons having only played in 55 games which would hurt Winnipeg’s bargaining power in a trade but will help them in negotiations.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a little bit of a compromise between the two sides.  I doubt Winnipeg wants to go the year-by-year route and considering the year Trouba had, it’s not a great one to build off of for long-term contract talks.  As a result, I think a four-year, meet in the middle compromise may happen.  That will provide the Jets with a pair of RFA years to lower the AAV a little bit which will come in handy for next summer while allowing Trouba a shot to hit the open market in his 20s.  It’s not a perfect situation for either side but is one that would work well enough for each of them.

Zack35: Edmonton has a ton of pressure to bounce back after a horrible season, does Chiarelli panic and make another Chiarelli one for one move?

With Edmonton being fully in win-now mode, I expect GM Peter Chiarelli to be active this summer.  Given that they’ll be tight to the salary cap thanks in large part to Connor McDavid’s new $12.5MM deal, they’re not going to be in a position to add much on the free agent market so any moves they make are going to have to involve salary going the other way.  Long story short, another one-for-one move is very much a possibility.

However, there is one other option that I could see them go with that would be a different type of move from the player-player swaps we’ve seen the last two summers.  The Oilers have the tenth-overall pick in next month’s draft and whoever they get with that selection isn’t going to be ready to jump in right away.  Accordingly, I could see Chiarelli try to move that pick for someone that is a year or two older that is still on an entry-level deal but could be ready to step in either at the beginning of next season or soon after that.

Instead of swapping out core players like they did previously in Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle though, I wonder if they try a different approach and look to do a swap of bad contracts in the hopes that a change of scenery will revitalize whoever comes the other way.  I don’t think they want to shake up their core much more so doing this, changing up the expensive complementary players, becomes the next option at Chiarelli’s disposal.

@PeteSchirrick17: Think the Canes go Svechnikov or Zadina at #2? And do they make an immediate impact next season?

mikedickinson: Big Canes fan and I want them to stay at #2, but what kind of package would it take for teams to move up?

I think they go with Barrie winger Andrei Svechnikov at second overall.  He’s a dynamic winger and while he isn’t a true power forward at the moment, he has the potential to fill out his frame and become one in the years to come.  Zadina is a pure goal scoring talent but he doesn’t have that power forward potential so I’d take Svechnikov who, in my opinion, is in a class of his own in terms of the forwards in this draft class.  Yes, Zadina showed some chemistry with Martin Necas at the World Juniors but that alone isn’t enough to justify picking him over Svechnikov.

A trade-down scenario doesn’t make much sense for Carolina.  They’re a team that has good secondary talent but lacks top-end pieces.  Trading down means foregoing a top-end player for presumably lesser-talented ones.  Svechnikov is a top-line winger down the road and should make a notable impact next season.  For a trade to make sense, they’d need to get a top-line player in return and that’s not going to be available in a trade down.  That’s more of a trade-out situation where you give up longer-term control for someone who can help move the needle right away.  That’s the likelier trade scenario for Carolina since they’re looking to make a splash under new ownership but for them, the best call they can make is to stand pat and take Svechnikov.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Elias Pettersson Signs Entry-Level Contract With Vancouver Canucks

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Saturday: CapFriendly provides the details of Pettersson’s contract, noting that he receives the maximum Schedule ’A’ and ’B’ bonuses ($850K and $2MM, respectively) in each year along with a maximum base salary and signing bonus ($925K combined).  This marks the first time that a fifth-overall selection has received the maximum entry-level contract, something that is typically reserved for the top pick or two in the draft.  However, Nashville’s decision to give Eeli Tolvanen (the 30th selection in 2017) maximum bonuses in the final two years of his contract may wind up changing those standards around the league.

Friday: The Vancouver Canucks have signed one of the top prospects in the world, inking Elias Pettersson to a three-year entry-level contract. Pettersson was selected fifth-overall last summer, and led the SHL in scoring en route to a Swedish championship. Pettersson also won a World Junior silver medal earlier this year, and just recently was part of the gold medal-winning Swedish World Championship team.

Though Pettersson had to leave the most recent tournament after suffering a thumb injury, he’s expected to be ready for training camp where he could very well carve out a spot on the Canucks. The 19-year old forward had 56 points in 44 games for Vaxjo and added another 19 in their 13-game playoff run. Though he could certainly afford to fill out a bit and gain some strength, his elusiveness and creativity allows him to succeed almost every time he touches the puck. Pettersson is a type of do-it-all forward that could potentially turn into a superstar in the NHL, scoring highlight reel goals while providing plenty of offensive opportunities for his linemates. Vancouver GM Jim Benning released a statement about his newest player:

Elias is a talented offensive player with tremendous vision and skill. Like most Canucks fans we watched with excitement the incredible season he had in Sweden. This is an important offseason of training and development for Elias and we expect him to be ready to challenge for a roster spot in training camp

Pettersson could stay in Sweden for another season, and the GM recently spoke out about how he believes another year with Vaxjo would do him well. There are still things that he can learn in the SHL, but if the Canucks feel he can compete at the NHL level right away there won’t be anything standing in his way. After winning Rookie of the Year, Best Forward, and MVP of both the regular season and playoffs, it would be understandable if Pettersson wants a new challenge in North America in 2018-19. We’ll have to wait to see if he gets that chance.

Injury Updates: Callahan, Capitals, Mangiapane, Suter

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Lightning winger Ryan Callahan will undergo shoulder surgery this offseason, the team announced (Twitter link).  The veteran had been out of the lineup on multiple occasions due to shoulder troubles, including two games in the opening round of the postseason against the Devils.  Callahan underperformed relative to his $5.8MM cap hit as he put up just 19 points in 67 regular season games and this operation will all but eliminate the possibility of a contract buyout as injured players are ineligible to be bought out.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik is fully participating in Washington’s first practice in advance of Monday’s start to the Stanley Cup Final, notes NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). He missed some time in Game Seven against Tampa Bay after being boarded by Cedric Paquette but it appears there are no lingering effects.  Winger Devante Smith-Pelly, who also was banged up that game, is also skating on a regular line in practice, Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post adds (via Twitter).
  • Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane is on schedule, if not slightly ahead of it, when it comes to his recovery from shoulder surgery, reports Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson. He went under the knife in mid-March after sustaining the injury in the AHL and is roughly a month away from getting back to on-ice training.  Despite being in the minors at the time, he should have a chance to crack Calgary’s lineup on a full-time basis after holding his own in ten games with the big club this past season.
  • Wild defenseman Ryan Suter is making progress in his recovery from surgery to repair his broken ankle, notes Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. However, he is still several weeks away from putting any weight on that ankle let alone resuming any offseason workouts.  Suter remains optimistic that he’ll be ready to start the season but that’s far from a guarantee.

Canucks To Relinquish Rights To Three Prospects

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It appears the Canucks are set to let a trio of prospects go.  Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma reports that Vancouver will not sign defenseman Cole Candella, winger Jakob Stukel, and center Brett McKenzie before their deadline to do so on June 1st.  The trio were all selected out of the CHL in 2016 and players in that situation have two years to sign before the team relinquishes their rights.

Candella, the 140th overall selection that year, is coming off of a career season with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL.  After being dealt by Hamilton back in September, he went on to play in all 68 games while posting new bests in goals (five), assists (28), and points (33).  Sudbury missed the postseason but Vancouver passed on bringing him to their AHL affiliate in Utica late in the year on an amateur tryout deal so this news isn’t too much of a surprise.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Stukel wrapped up his junior career with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL where he led the team in both goals (37) and points (64).  However, like Candella, the writing was on the wall regarding his future when he wasn’t invited to join Utica once his junior campaign came to an end.

As for McKenzie, his final junior campaign saw him take a step back offensively.  After recording 67 points in as many games with North Bay in 2016-17, his numbers dropped to 49 in 64 contests split between them and Owen Sound, who acquired him for their playoff push.  He did, however, have a strong postseason, tallying 16 points in 11 games which was good enough for a share of the team lead.

For a list of all players that need to be signed by next Friday, click here.

Offseason Keys: St. Louis Blues

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With just two teams still playing, the rest have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the St. Louis Blues.

2017-18 was full of highs and lows for the Blues.  Carter Hutton emerged as a top goaltender while offseason Brayden Schenn vastly exceeded expectations.  On the flip side, Jake Allen struggled between the pipes and they had more than their fair share of injuries.  In the end, it added up to missing the playoffs on the last day of the regular season, sending them back to the drawing board this summer.  What will they be looking to do this offseason?

Decide Hutton’s Fate

After being a decent backup for the last few years, Hutton took his play up quite a few notches this past season.  He started to steal starts away from Allen and wound up posting the best save percentage (.931) and goals-against average (2.09).  That’s quite a performance heading into unrestricted free agency.

Given the season that Allen had (2.75 GAA, .906 SV%), the Blues would undoubtedly like to have some form of insurance behind him and Hutton is the logical choice to try to keep around.  The question is, can they afford to?

Hutton will certainly be seeking a raise on the $1.125MM cap hit he played under in his two seasons in St. Louis.  With top backups reaching (and in some cases, surpassing) $2.5MM in recent free agent markets, it’s reasonable to assume that this will be the minimum benchmark he’s looking to get.

Is that too rich for the Blues?  They have some money to play with this summer but have a couple of key restricted free agents to re-sign (more on one of those shortly) and they will be on the lookout for another top-six forward, an area they were looking for help in throughout this past season and that was before they dealt Paul Stastny to Winnipeg.  If they can’t afford to bring him back, then they will need to decide whether or not to go with one of their prospects in Jordan Binnington or Ville Husso or if they’d be better served going after one of the other veterans on the open market.

Short-Term Or Long-Term For Fabbri

Two years ago, winger Robby Fabbri looked like he was on his way to becoming a key player rather quickly.  He put up 37 points in 72 games as a rookie and followed that up with a comparable sophomore campaign with 29 points in 51 contests, giving him a slightly higher point-per-game average.

However, that’s when the injuries started.  Fabbri tore his ACL in February of 2017, ending his second full NHL year prematurely.  He was expected to be ready for training camp and was going to be counted on to provide St. Louis with some secondary scoring.  Unfortunately, he wound up re-tearing the same ACL which ended his 2017-18 season before it even started.

A year and a half ago, he looked like a prime candidate for a long-term deal once his entry-level contract expired but that’s not the case now as he hits restricted free agency this summer for the first time.  Given how much time he has missed, a short-term bridge deal seems like the logical outcome.  However, this could be an intriguing buy-low opportunity for St. Louis.  Given the uncertainty that follows when a player misses a year and a half with multiple knee surgeries, there’s a chance that Fabbri may be willing to take a bit of a lesser salary to get some long-term security.  If they can find the right dollar amount on that deal, this could be an opportunity to get a top-six talent signed for a below-market value although there obviously would be some risk.  The bridge contract is still the likelier outcome but it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Doug Armstrong investigate a long-term pact as well.

Add Top Six Help

Throughout 2017-18, the Blues were looking for a top-six winger thanks to Fabbri’s injury.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have the cap space to make that type of in-season addition.  Stastny’s departure opens up another vacancy in there that needs to be filled, even with Fabbri returning.

During the season, the team tried centers Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka in that role but both are better suited for a third line position.  With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Armstrong look to deal one of those two players; Sobotka would be the easier to flip with him not having any no-trade protection and two years left on his contract.

With the salary cap expected to be increased for next season, St. Louis should have enough space to make a splash in free agency.  While they were looking for help on the wing during the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them look at the centers either considering that Stastny needs to be replaced.  The way things look now, there is likely to be at least one notable newcomer in their lineup come October.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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