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John Hayden Signs Two-Year Extension With Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward John Hayden to a two-year one-way contract extension that carries a $750K average annual value. Hayden was scheduled to become a restricted free agent for the first time, but will re-sign with the Blackhawks without much trouble.

Hayden, 23, was a third-round selection by the Blackhawks in 2013, but ended up spending four years at Yale University. Though he could have waited and become an unrestricted free agent last summer, he instead signed in March 2017 and immediately jumped into games for the team. That burned through the first year of his entry-level deal, meaning this year—which he split between the NHL and AHL Rockford—was the final season of his contract. Hayden didn’t secure the big second contract that some other college players have in the past few seasons, and much of that is because of his unclear role on the team going forward. In 47 NHL games this season he recorded 13 points, but averaged fewer than 11 minutes a night.

If Chicago is to compete for the Stanley Cup again during the Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane window, they need players like Hayden to make an impact on relatively inexpensive contracts. Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat did that this year, but weren’t enough to drag the team to the playoffs. Inconsistent goaltending and a revolving-door blue line took care of that, but with GM Stan Bowman expected to make drastic changes in those areas this summer, players like Hayden will be looked to for a big contribution up front.

Hayden did record 17 points in 24 games for the IceHogs, but isn’t a high-end offensive player. Instead, he’s a big body that can punish defenders on the forecheck and open up some room for teammates. He does have some underrated puck skills, but his role on the Blackhawks going forward is unlikely to be one on the top two lines. Unless he finds a fit like Tom Wilson in Washington, Hayden will have to use his limited minutes to make as much of an impact as he can.

Dallas Stars Will Not Buy Out Jason Spezza

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After a disappointing season there has been plenty of speculation about how the Dallas Stars will go about changing their roster for next year, but one veteran name won’t be cast aside so quickly. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that though his name had been mentioned repeatedly, Jason Spezza will not be bought out by the team and instead play out the final year of his contract. The buyout window opened today, and with Spezza’s $7.5MM cap hit many had speculated about him as a possibility.

Unfortunately, Spezza wasn’t able to maintain his career production this season. Seeing his minutes slashed considerably, he recorded only eight goals and 26 points in 78 games, easily the worst full season of his career. Up until this point Spezza had been one of the most consistent offensive players in the league, registering at least 50 points in 12 straight seasons (not counting the lockout-shortened year in which he played just five games), and at least 20 goals in nine of those. Once a 90-point player in his prime with the Ottawa Senators, he was limited to fourth line duty for much of the 2017-18 campaign.

At 35 a full rebound for Spezza is unlikely. There is probably not a 50-point player still around, as he heads into the twilight of his career. That said, there is some cause for optimism. Facing weaker competition, Spezza’s possession numbers were actually a positive this season and his career-low 5.8% shooting percentage is bound to improve next year. A career 13.0% shooter, anything even approaching that would have resulted in a much better season. Though that can’t be counted on, excitement with a new coaching staff under Jim Montgomery and Todd Nelson should give Spezza every opportunity to at least be an important part of the team.

The decision to not buy out his contract makes sense, even without a bounce-back season. Though the team would experience a $5MM cap reduction this season, it would keep $2.5MM on their books for the 2019-20 season when they need every dollar they can save to re-sign Tyler Seguin. Just as John Tavares is commanding a near $100MM contract this summer, the Stars could be in a similar situation with Seguin if they can’t get a deal done with him this time around. He’s eligible for an extension as of July 1st, but using any cap space on a Spezza buyout would only weaken the Stars position.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Michael Fora To Two-Year Deal

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The Carolina Hurricanes must have been paying attention at the most recent IIHF World Championship, as they’ve signed Michael Fora to a two-year entry-level contract. Fora was a big part of Switzerland’s silver medal run at the Worlds, playing in a pure shutdown role against some of the best players in the world. Speaking about his newest defenseman, GM Don Waddell had this to say:

Michael is a good-sized defenseman who had a strong season in Ambri and was used in a top-pairing shutdown role during Switzerland’s run at the World Championship. He adds depth to our defensive corps on the right side.

Fora, 22, should be plenty familiar with life in North America, as he spent a year playing for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL when he was younger. He recorded 32 points that season but went undrafted, and needed to prove that he could continue to grow and develop in the defensive end. He’s now a solid all-around player who could compete for an NHL job in the future. He’ll likely be headed for the Charlotte Checkers for the time being.

Carolina is working hard to solidify their minor league squad, already re-signing several key members over the last month. The team is rumored to be preparing for big changes to the NHL club around the draft, and with the second-overall pick could be ready to move in a different direction around different players. Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin have all been the most talked about names, but almost anyone on the roster seems available for the right price. Bringing in low-risk talent like Fora is just one way for the team to reinforce their entire organization while looking to move out some of the top names.

Ben Smith Signs With Adler Mannheim In DEL

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Less than 12 hours after winning his first Calder Cup as captain of the Toronto Marlies, Ben Smith has decided to take his talents to Europe. The veteran center has signed a three-year deal with Adler Mannheim of the German DEL.

Smith, 29, has done it all in North America, winning an NCAA Championship, Stanley Cup and now a Calder Cup. Usually limited to fourth-line duties while in the NHL, he has 237 games under his belt and set a career-high in points with 26 in the 2013-14 season. His AHL numbers however have always been much better, and he was arguably the Marlies’ best all-around forward for the entire season. Scoring 59 points in 74 games, he played with revolving linemates and contributed in all situations, leading the team in goals and points.

It’s interesting that he would sign a three-year deal in Europe, given the fact that he could likely find another two-way deal somewhere in the league. Perhaps the Maple Leafs made it clear it wouldn’t be with them—although, the organization has a distinct lack of center options at the moment—and Smith wanted the security of a multi-year contract. He’ll get that security, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him find immediate success in the DEL. Smith is a versatile player and easily morphs his game to fit the team’s needs.

Toronto Marlies Win 2018 Calder Cup

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And just like that, hockey season is officially over. The Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, finished off the last of the major North American hockey leagues with a Game Seven win over the Texas Stars, AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, to win the Calder Cup. The Marlies controlled the game and held a 3-0 lead late into the third before a flurry of action produced a 6-1 final.

This is the first Toronto hockey championship since 1967 and could be a positive sign of things to come for the Maple Leafs. It also marks a strong start to Kyle Dubas’ tenure as GM in Toronto, as the young executive has long had oversight over the Marlies.

Leading the top performers for Toronto was Playoff MVP Andreas Johnsson, who posted 24 points in 16 games and showed no fatigue after skating with the Maple Leafs in Round One. Goaltender Garret Sparks was also electric all spring, including several clutch saves in the deciding Game Seven. Not to be forgotten is captain Ben Smith, who now adds a Calder Cup title to his Stanley Cup win with the Chicago Blackhawks and NCAA Championship with Boston College.

A big win for the city of Toronto will surely be met with much excitement and the Marlies deserve every bit of the spotlight. However, the expectations are now higher than ever for the Maple Leafs to follow suit with a Stanley Cup in the coming years.

Coyotes And Sharks Strike Minor Trade

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Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka is feeling lucky today. The Coyotes have announced their second trade of the evening, acquiring forward Adam Helewka from the division rival San Jose Sharks. In return, the Sharks land defenseman Kyle Wood from the ’Yotes. Arizona announced the deal with a team release.

While this is a minor trade, it is not inconsequential. Helewka, 22, was a fourth-round pick of the Sharks in 2015. Like Hudson Fasching, who the Coyotes acquired from the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the day, Helewka’s offensive totals as a younger player exceed what he has been able to produce so far as a pro. However, he too seems to be trending in the right direction with an AHL career-high 38 points this year and a strong albeit brief playoff showing. In one day, Chayka has added a lot of offensive upside to the Tuscon Roadrunners and may find that both of his acquisitions could be good depth pieces up front for the Coyotes.

As for the Sharks, they add impressive potential of their own in Wood. The 22-year-old blue liner was one of the top scoring defensemen and an All-Star in the AHL in 2016-17 with 43 points in 68 games. He was pegged as one of the favorites to fill the roster spot of Jakob Chychrun early this season while he was sidelined, but Wood too ran into injury issues which lost him an NHL chance and also cost him some games and production in the AHL. However, at full health he is a dangerous minor league asset. Although the Sharks are set for their seven starting defensemen going into next season, Wood is yet another strong young option for the San Jose Barracuda and it would be no surprise see him make his NHL debut next year. Wood is an impending restricted free agent though, and the Sharks GM Doug Wilson will first have to sign the young rearguard to a new deal.

Snapshots: Islanders, Gudlevskis, Lucic, Canadiens

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The New York Islanders have made a coaching move, but not the anticipated one. Still lacking a head coach for his team, Lou Lamoriello has nevertheless made another change to the coaching staff, firing assistant Greg Cronin. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple confirmed the move, but added that no other coaching decisions have been made yet at the NHL or AHL level. Staple also had nothing to say about any of the motivations behind Cronin’s departure. Ironically, if Lamoriello was to tab Boston Bruins’ assistant Jay Pandolfo as his head coach, the Boston native Cronin would be an easy fix to replace him.

  • The Islanders have struggled in net for too long and need to make a change at goalie. That all but rules out recycling any of their unrestricted free agent goaltenders. Jaroslav Halak, Christopher Gibson, and Kristers Gudlevskis are all set to hit the open market and of the three, Gudlevskis faces the lowest chances of finding employment again in the NHL. Once a highly-regarded prospect for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Gudlevskis play in the AHL simply never reached an elite level that would have warranted an extended look at the highest level. This past season, he performed poorly and was handily outplayed by Gibson. As such, he may not have many opportunities in North America next season. It is no surprise then that Latvian news outlet OlyBet reports that Gudlevksis has had preliminary talks with Dinamo Riga, the KHL team in his native country. Gudlevskis was brought up in the Riga junior ranks and even appeared in two games with the big league team before coming overseas. Gudlevskis has never returned to Europe since and his preference would likely be to stay in the NHL, but it would be a natural fit with Dinamo if the offers don’t come from NHL teams this summer.
  • In today’s edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger have set the record straight about the trade market for Edmonton Oilers forward Milan Lucic. It was previously believed that the Oilers were shopping Lucic in hopes of ridding themselves of his contract, but in speaking with several team executives, LeBrun and Dreger feel that is not the case. Instead, they have heard that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli is seeking hockey trades rather than cap dump trades for Lucic. This would indicate that it is Lucic who has requested the trade and Edmonton is simply trying to oblige him.
  • One team rumored to be in on Lucic is actually out, according to LeBrun. The Montreal Canadiens, who pursued the power forward and former Bruins enforcer vigorously when he initially hit free agency, were speculated to again be interested in acquiring Lucic. The Habs could use some size up front and Lucic shared a strong rapport with coach Claude Julien when the pair were in Boston. However, LeBrun states that they are definitively “out” on Lucic.

Bruins To Meet With Ilya Kovalchuk

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The Boston Bruins have already been linked to Russian free agent and former NHL superstar Ilya Kovalchuk this off-season, but GM Don Sweeney confirmed the interest today, telling NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin that he will speak with Kovalchuk and his camp in the coming days. The Bruins are seeking to add a veteran scoring winger to their top six for next season and, if they don’t resign trade deadline acquisition Rick Nash, Kovalchuk could be a suitable replacement. Kovalchuk has already met with the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks, while the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Dallas Stars are among others who would like to outbid the Bruins for the big-name import.

Kovalchuk, 35, has been one of if not the best player in the KHL since he bolted from the New Jersey Devils in 2013. Sweeney still believes that the veteran sniper has the ability to left to translate those numbers back to the NHL. A big, strong shooter, Kovalchuk would not only add more talent and some balance to the Bruins roster, but would also be a great stylistic role model for a player like Jake DeBrusk, who he would likely skate beside with center David Krejci. However, the Bruins also liked the chemistry that those two players shared with Nash prior to his concussion late in the regular season. Sweeney stated that they remain in communication with Nash and that financially a deal with one of Nash or Kovalchuk would all but rule out the signing of the other.

If the decision were left up to Ty Anderson of The Sports Hub, he would gladly take Kovalchuk. The Bruins beat writer believes that the Russian goal scorer is the exact kind of gamble that Boston should take this summer to add a difference-maker that can balance their top six. Anderson notes that the Kovalchuk played right wing alongside Zach Parise in New Jersey and found great success and could do the same in Boston. His scoring touch could be what it takes to bring together a Bruins’ second line that paled in comparison to the league’s best line – Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak– last year.

Both Sweeney and Anderson note that the financial flexibility may be needed to sign Kovalchuk – or Nash – to his desired contract. TSN’s Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun said the same on “Insider Trading”  today, adding that the Bruins would like to move David Backes this summer and may even consider trading Krejci in the right move to free up space. The duo also bring up an interesting twist that the Kovalchuk sweepstakes is having on the trade market. They feel that the suitors for Carolina Hurricanes winger Jeff Skinner are largely the same as those talking to Kovalchuk. They name the Bruins, alongside the Kings and Sharks, as the teams that could look at Skinner if they were to miss out on Kovalchuk. Nash, Kovalchuk, Skinner, and the off-season is just getting started in Boston. A big move could be on the horizon for the Bruins.

Coyotes, Sabres Swap Brandon Hickey For Hudson Fasching

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It looks like another team will take a shot at signing prospect Brandon Hickey. The collegiate defenseman has been dealt for the second off-season in a row, this time from the Arizona Coyotes to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for minor league winger Hudson Fasching. Veteran forward and impending unrestricted free agent Mike Sislo will also head to Buffalo in the deal. Both teams have confirmed the trade and seem optimistic about re-signing their new prospects.

Hickey was originally acquired by the Coyotes last summer from the Calgary Flames as part of the Mike Smith trade. The Flames worried that they would not be able to sign the Alberta native, who they had drafted in the third round in 2014 but at the time had already played three seasons in the NCAA and was not yet looking to leave. A year later, the Boston University captain has graduated and apparently was not keen on signing in Arizona either/ He only has to wait until August to become a free agent, but the Sabres clearly hope to get him signed instead. A smart defensive blue liner with leadership qualities, Hickey would add experience and locker room presence to any pipeline and Buffalo could certainly use the blue line boost.

It’s likely that Buffalo was already given permission to have such contract talks with Hickey before this deal was made, otherwise it’s highly unlikely that they would have traded away a player like Fasching. Granted Fasching is an impending restricted free agent and, like Hickey, needs a new contract, the Sabres would have had more team control over Fasching than they do now with Hickey. Fasching also has pro experience, including 22 NHL games with the Sabres over the past three seasons. The 22-year-old American forward has not found the same offensive production in the pros that he exhibited with the University of Minnesota, but appeared to be back on track this season with a career-high 30 points in the AHL. Fasching brings a physical element that the Coyotes have often lacked and could be one of the top minor league options for the team moving forward.

As for Sislo, the 30-year-old forward put up good numbers in the AHL, but isn’t much of a threat to make a difference at the next level, whether he signs with the Sabres or another team. He may simply be a throw-in in this deal, given his impending free agency. This deal is primarily about two prospects getting a new opportunity to sign with a different team and filling specific, minor needs for each organization. It also continues a trend for each franchise: the BU-to-Buffalo pipeline for the Sabres and the Coyotes taking on high upside prospects that many others have written off.

John Tavares Focusing On Extension With New York Islanders

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We’re just a few weeks away from a potential superstar hitting the free agent market, but teams shouldn’t count the New York Islanders out just yet. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that John Tavares has been in constant communication with GM Lou Lamoriello, and is focused on extension negotiations with his current team. Dreger speculates that a deal could come together quickly, though obviously nothing is done yet. Tavares could still wait until the interview period that starts just a few days after the upcoming draft, in which he could talk to potential suitors to see what kind of deals are out on the open market.

The fact that Tavares is working towards an extension should come as no real surprise. Even though Lamoriello cleaned house soon after he arrived in New York, Tavares has always maintained the fact that he wants to stay with the Islanders his whole career if possible. While circumstances around the success and stability of the organization may have thrown that into uncertainty, there was still always a chance that he would re-sign with the team that drafted him. That chance seems to be alive and well, even though it feels every day like Tavares is closer to free agency.

One of Lamoriello’s most often used phrases is “if you have time, use it” but you can bet he would love to have some certainty on Tavares before heading into the draft next Friday. Teams are allowed to start talking to potential free agents on June 25th, at which point all bets are off on who will eventually land the superstar center. There would also be the option of trading Tavares’ rights if a deal couldn’t be agreed to, in order to take advantage of the eighth year that the Islanders can offer. It is important to remember though that a situation like that would have to be a sign-and-trade, since only the team who owned a player’s rights at the most recent trade deadline is allowed to extend an eight-year offer. Should they trade Tavares without a contract in place already, the acquiring team could only offer him seven years. The Islanders themselves could only offer seven should Tavares wait until July 1st, making it hard to imagine a situation where they re-sign him after that date.

If the team retains their captain, the Islanders would be locked in long-term with two offensive stars down the middle. Mathew Barzal proved as a rookie that he can handle a huge load offensively, making defense and goaltending the biggest issues for Lamoriello to address later this offseason. With rumors of Philipp Grubauer’s availability, and other defensemen on the block, this could be a summer filled with fireworks for the Islanders. They’re armed with two first-round picks in next week’s draft, an asset Lamoriello has never been shy to move for the right player.

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