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Archives for June 2018

Buffalo Sabres Sign Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen To Entry-Level Contract

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One of the top goaltending prospects in the world has signed his first NHL contract, as the Buffalo Sabres announced Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has inked his three-year, entry-level contract.

Luukkonen, 19, was selected 54th-overall in last year’s draft and spent this season playing in the Finnish second league where he recorded a .909 save percentage. He also suited up in the World Junior Championship, but was unable to carry Finland to a medal performance. The big, mobile netminder is built like the prototypical goalie prospect and should have a long professional career ahead of him. Still, he’ll have to find some more consistency before really making an impact for the Sabres.

Where he plays next season is still unclear, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Luukkonen stay in Finland for at least one more season (if not several). The Sabres obviously want to get him into their system, but throwing a teenaged-goaltender into the fire of the AHL is rarely a good development strategy. With Linus Ullmark set to jump to the NHL level and Robin Lehner still part of the organization, there is no reason to rush their young prospect. Instead, they can let him mature into the goaltender they hope he can be, which by all accounts could be a legitimate NHL starter.

Martin Bakos Signs One-Year Deal With Boston Bruins

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After a season that included trips to the IIHF World Championship and Olympic Games, Martin Bakos has now signed his first NHL contract. The Boston Bruins announced today that they’d signed the Slovakian forward to a one-year, two-way deal that carries a $700K cap hit.

Bakos, 28, is an extremely skilled forward who has been playing in the Slovak, Czech and Russian professional leagues for almost a decade. This season he recorded 40 points in 52 games, while scoring another 10 goals in Champions League matches. He wowed hockey audiences all over the world this spring with an incredible shootout move against France, and could inject some more skill into the Bruins organization.

It’s interesting to see where he is positioned for the Bruins, as 28-year old forwards with a long career in the European professional leagues rarely come to North America looking for a spot in the minor leagues. Whether Bakos can make an impact at the NHL level though is still to be determined, especially with a group as deep as Boston’s forward unit. With more young players ready to make their mark this season, Bakos would need to have an incredible camp to step into a full-time role with the Bruins in 2018-19.

Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Drake Caggiula

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The Edmonton Oilers have locked up one of their young forwards, signing Drake Caggiula to a two-year contract. Caggiula was scheduled to become a restricted free agent for the first time, coming off his two-year entry-level contract. Instead, he has signed on early for two years and $3MM, reports TSN’s Ryan Rishaug.

Signed out of the University of North Dakota after an excellent 51-point senior season, Caggiula shocked many by making the Oilers out of camp at the beginning of the 2016-17 season. Unfortunately a hip injury kept him out of the lineup until mid-November, when he made his presence felt with two points in his first two games. The rest of the season didn’t come as easily though, and Caggiula would end up with just 18 points as a rookie. This past season was much of the same, battling injury and inconsistency to finish with just 20 points, though his 13 goals actually tied him for fifth on the team.

Caggiula will turn 24 in just a few days and is likely close to the ceiling of what he can become as an NHL player. While he may not possess high-end offensive ability, he does have an incredible work ethic and can be a reliable player to support the more skilled Oilers forwards. Capable of playing both the wing and center, and contributing on the powerplay and penalty kill, his versatility will come in handy as the team tries to get back to a Stanley Cup contender.

Philadelphia Flyers Unlikely To Offer Long-Term Free Agent Deals

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The Philadelphia Flyers were pushed out of the playoffs early by the Pittsburgh Penguins, but still have a good enough core to believe that they can compete next season. There’s no tear down or rebuild happening, but GM Ron Hextall also isn’t looking to land any of the big free agents on the market. Speaking today to media including Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Hextall indicated that he would only be going after unrestricted free agents on short-term deals.

We’re certainly not going to reach out on a seven-year deal on a good player, I can assure you that.

Those comments would seem to take Philadelphia out of the running for both John Tavares and John Carlson (and maybe others), while also directly stating that he hasn’t spoken to the Ilya Kovalchuk camp and doesn’t expect to in the future. Instead, they may look at smaller free agent deals to support their current group. Tavares and Carlson are sure bets for seven-year deals if they hit the market, and could even earn eight-year contracts from their current teams over the next few weeks. Both will have plenty of suitors, and a bidding war that the Flyers clearly don’t want to get involved in.

As for Kovalchuk, he seems to also have healthy interest from around the league after visits to Los Angeles, San Jose, Detroit and several other clubs. The Flyers have their own scoring winger to worry about, as Wayne Simmonds is eligible for an extension on July 1st. The 29-year old has been one of the league’s best bargains for several seasons, and is in line for a huge raise on his next contract.

Vancouver Canucks, Markus Granlund Discussing Short-Term Deal

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When the Vancouver Canucks traded Hunter Shinkaruk in 2016 in exchange for Markus Granlund, most saw it as an immediate win for the Calgary Flames. Shinkaruk was a recent first-round pick and was in the midst of an excellent season for the Utica Comets, with 21 goals in 45 games. A year later, things weren’t as rosy. Granlund went on to score 19 goals and 32 points for the Canucks in 2016-17, and looked like a key piece for the team going forward. Shinkaruk played in seven games for the Flames recording a single point. Now, another year later, things aren’t so lopsided.

Granlund recorded just 12 points in 53 games this season, battling injury and putting up wildly inconsistent performances. His possession statistics fell off a cliff thanks to new head coach Travis Green giving him tough defensive assignments, while his powerplay time saw a huge decline and penalty kill time a huge increase. He had been forced into a new role, one that didn’t afford him much success offensively. Meanwhile, Shinkaruk played the entire season at the AHL level and posted his worst offensive season since his rookie year.

Still, the Canucks have the player contributing in the NHL and now are faced with a decision this summer. Granlund is scheduled to become a restricted free agent, and at age-25 is getting closer and closer to UFA status. Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet spoke with agent Todd Diamond, who claims the team has spoken to him about a short-term deal for his client. A two-year contract would take Granlund to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020, but also might be all the Canucks are willing to commit to a player that doesn’t have a role that suits his game at the moment.

Any deal will likely be a raise on the $900K cap hit Granlund has carried the last two seasons, but it might not be that substantial of one. With the team building around other pieces like Brock Boeser, Adam Gaudette and Elias Pettersson, there’s no clear future for Granlund unless he can turn things around next season. To do that, he’ll have to prove that he can either be an effective checking-line player, or contribute more offensively with the opportunity he’s given.

P.A. Parenteau Retires From Professional Hockey

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A ninth-round pick overcoming the odds to play on a top line in one of the most famous cities in the world, alongside one of the game’s premiere talents. That’s the story of P.A. Parenteau, who according to Brian Compton of NHL.com has decided to hang up his skates. Parenteau retires after trying to make it work in the KHL, and representing Canada at the Spengler Cup this year. The 35-year old forward actually told Montreal radio more than a month ago that this was what he was planning but it went mostly under the radar, much like his NHL career.

Selected 264th-overall back when the NHL draft still had more than seven rounds, Parenteau was an extreme lottery ticket for the Anaheim Ducks. The young QMJHL winger had just completed his first season of junior, but would go on to score 51 goals and 118 points the next season. Perhaps they had more than they had expected in this offensive player who didn’t have any single standout skill. Another year of junior and four years bouncing around the minor leagues before Parenteau would make his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks, and another three years before becoming a regular with the New York Islanders.

That’s where he found immediate success with a young first-overall pick named John Tavares, who turned Parenteau from a minor league scoring threat to a 20-goal, 67-point NHL talent. Parenteau told Compton that playing those two seasons with Tavares “changed [his] life completely. I can retire in peace now just because of those two years.” While he likely means the peace that came knowing he finally made his long-time NHL dream come true, there is also the financial gain that Parenteau received from his two years alongside Tavares.

After that 67-point season, the Colorado Avalanche signed Parenteau to a four-year, $16MM contract that would eventually be bought out by the Montreal Canadiens. After an outstanding lockout-shortened season in 2012-13 when Parenteau had 43 points in 48 games, his career took a sharp downward turn and he’d be out of the league just a few years later. Though there was some resurgence in Toronto, when a bad Maple Leafs team gave him plenty of ice time en route to another 20-goal season, the writing was on the wall for Parenteau.

In all, the ninth-round pick will retire with 491 games played in the NHL and 296 points. Those offensive totals put him 19th among all players selected in 2001.

Toronto Maple Leafs Announce Affiliation With Newfoundland Growlers

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The Newfoundland Growlers are one of the ECHL’s newest teams, and they now officially have an NHL affiliation. The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that they have agreed to an affiliation with the Growlers that will begin in 2018-19, and will continue the three-tiered development system they previously had with the Orlando Solar Bears.

Toronto has been a leader over the last few years in really using their ECHL roster to its full player development potential. For a long time the lower minor league has been seen as nothing but a staging ground for players who would never see the NHL, but it’s now being used as an opportunity for raw prospects to work on individual skills or goaltenders to round out their games by seeing a lot of game action. The Maple Leafs have used it for players like Martins Dzierkals, Mason Marchment and Garret Sparks, and will continue to do so to try and supplement their AHL and NHL rosters with highly regarded talent.

Now back in Canada, the affiliation will return to St. John’s where the Maple Leafs previously held their AHL team. Speaking of the commitment they’ve made to the community and team, new GM Kyle Dubas released this statement:

We are excited to begin our relationship with the Newfoundland Growlers as our newest ECHL affiliate. This is an important investment for our hockey club as we remain committed to giving our players the best resources possible to ensure their development and professional success. To now have our ECHL affiliate in St. John’s, Newfoundland, a town and province which has historically meant a lot to the Maple Leafs, is a truly special opportunity.

The Growlers will debut in 2018-19 and try to take home a Kelly Cup, something that should be up for grabs now that the Colorado Eagles are advancing to the AHL. The Eagles have won back-to-back championships but will become the primary AHL affiliate for the Colorado Avalanche next season.

Joni Ikonen Undergoes Surgery, Out Six Months

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It seems every few weeks the Montreal Canadiens get bad news on the injury front, and this time it’s top prospect Joni Ikonen. The team announced today that Ikonen underwent surgery on his right knee on Monday, and is expected to be out six months. The surgery was performed in Finland, but Ikonen will come to Montreal later this month for a rehab program.

Ikonen, 19, was selected in the second round last summer and played this year for KalPa in Finland. Scoring 14 points in 52 games—a relatively high total given his youth and role on the team—he also joined the Finnish World Junior team where he recorded a pair of points. There was consideration that he could make the jump to the AHL next season, but with an injury of this magnitude one might think another year in Europe is in order.

There is considerable talent in Ikonen, who has shown a knack for getting the puck to teammates in dangerous situations. The Canadiens desperately need help down the middle, and the young Ikonen does have considerable experience at center. If he can develop into the crafty playmaking option the team expects, he’ll help them fill out a glaring need in the organization. Hopefully he’ll be back in time for the next World Junior tournament, where he could play a larger role.

Free Agent Focus: Philadelphia Flyers

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Free agency opens less than three weeks from today and teams are well on their way to evaluating both their own impending free agents and those likely to reach the open market. There are quite a few prominent players expected to be available as unrestricted free agents, while many key restricted free agents will be looking to sign new contracts with their current squads.  Here is a breakdown of the Philadelphia Flyers’ free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: G Petr Mrazek – As soon as the Flyers acquired Mrazek from the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Trade Deadline, it was anticipated that there could be some confusion this off-season. The 26-year-old goalie needs a new contract, but the team holding his exclusive negotiating rights doesn’t have a place for him right now. Philadelphia still has their 2017-18 tandem of Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth under contract for another season and that won’t change unless they find a trade partner for one or the other. They also have to deal with the restricted free agency of Alex Lyon and Anthony Stolarz, both of whom are younger than Mrazek and have gotten more than a taste of the NHL level over the past two seasons. There is also Carter Hart to worry about. The CHL Goaltender of the Year and arguably the best goalie prospect in hockey is already under contract and seems to have proven he is beyond the major junior level already. Hart is likely to turn pro next season and needs starts. That’s five other goalies to consider already, so where does Mrazek fit in to the Flyers’ plans?

Not only does he seemingly not have a place in the organization right now, but Mrazek’s performance over the last two seasons also raises serious questions about his ceiling and long-term role in the NHL. After a hot start to his pro career that included two seasons of AHL domination and strong NHL spot starts, followed by two more seasons of impressive play sharing the net in Detroit with Jimmy Howard, things were looking up for Mrazek. He had essentially won the starting job heading into the 2016-17 despite being just 24 years old and seemed to be the Red Wings’ long-term answer in net. That idea fell apart quickly as Mrazek’s play became sporadic and the more consistent Howard took his job back. Mrazek has now posted two straight seasons of 3.00+ goals against averages and save percentages just narrowly in the .900’s. The 17 appearances that Mrazek made in Philadelphia after the trade were even worse than his games played in Detroit early last season, including one singular, disastrous playoff appearance, negating the thought that he needed a change of scenery.

So what to expect for negotiations with a young goalie, formerly considered a rising star, who has struggled for two years, even more so with his current team, and has no role carved out for him moving forward? In all likelihood, the answer is a trade. The Flyers gave away two conditional mid-round picks to get Mrazek when they were desperate for a goalie down the stretch. They would be lucky to get that back for his RFA rights in an off-season deal. Mrazek may also end up simply not receiving a qualifying offer. If, against the odds, Philadelphia decides they want to extend Mrazek, expect just a cheap, one-year deal- nowhere near his expired $4MM cap hit – and another move or two by the organization to make some space for yet another goalie.

D Robert Hagg – One of a number of young, up-and-coming Flyers defenseman, Hagg skated in 70 games and averaged over 18 minutes a night in his rookie season. While Hagg only registered nine points on the year, he showed good two-way ability and a solid checking game. He was one of only three Philadelphia defensemen with a positive rating and played a clean game despite leading the team in hits by a wide margin with 238. There is a lot to like about the young defender.

However, there is also a lot to take into account when quantifying his next contract. The Flyers already have overpaid bruisers Andrew MacDonald and Radko Gudas signed for two more years as well as Shayne Gostisbehere on a long-term deal. Ivan Provorov will surely land an expensive, long-term deal next summer and Travis Sanheim will need an extension as well. Additionally, the gifted but unproven Samuel Morin is an RFA alongside Hagg this summer. The Flyers need to be careful with how they handle this crowded blue line. As solid as Hagg looked in his rookie year, don’t be surprised to see him sign a shorter bridge deal for only a marginal pay increase while the team waits out some of its veteran contracts.

Other RFAs: F Taylor Leier, F Danick Martel, F Tyrell Goulbourne, D Samuel Morin, D Reece Willcox, G Alex Lyon, G Anthony Stolarz

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Valtteri Filppula – The 34-year-old Filppula is seeking a multi-year deal. There are many who doubt that the Flyers will be the team to give it to him. The veteran center has had a long and successful career as a complementary top-nine player, but the price tag for that support-level production on his last contract was $5MM. Since coming over from the Tampa Bay Lightning two years ago, Filppula’s offense has been in decline. He has still played an important role in Philadelphia, including that of a penalty kill specialist, but with 41 points in 101 regular season games in orange and black, Filppula hasn’t earned the right to command that kind of money again. If he is willing to give up salary in exchange for term, he could still play a key bottom-six role for the Flyers. However, the open market could pull him towards a team in greater need who would be willing to better compensate him.

D Brandon Manning – Like Mrazek, Philadelphia needs to first find a place for Manning before committing to re-signing him. A career Flyer, Manning hit career highs on offense in his sixth season with the team. He also bounced back from a down 2016-17 season mentally with a safer game and more well-thought out approach. Yet, Manning’s numbers on both sides of the puck are still very pedestrian. Although there could be concerns that letting Manning walk and replacing him internally would add more inexperience to a young blue line, there is no doubt that Manning’s minutes could be easily replicated. The 28-year-old only made $975K in each of the last two years, but if he looks for a substantial raise he will likely price himself out of Philadephia’s consideration. Manning will return on a short-term, low money deal or – more likely – he will sign a similar deal for only marginally more elsewhere.

Other UFAs: F Matt Read, F Colin McDonald, D Johnny Oduya, D Will O’Neill, G Dustin Tokarski, G John Muse 

Projected Cap Space: The Flyers are not in any cap trouble right now, but things can change quickly. Currently, they have over $17MM in cap space based on this year’s cap limit of $75MM. That is expected to increase to somewhere between $78-82MM, likely giving Philly somewhere closer to $22MM in space. First things first, they need to figure out their free agency situation this year, which includes new deals for many on the long list of pro-ready RFA’s above and perhaps another one or two of their own UFA’s. This is where GM Ron Hextall will need to be careful. He doesn’t want to use up too much of his space on luxuries like unnecessary extra goalies and defenseman or overpaying an aging forward. He also doesn’t need to give a player like Hagg an expensive extension right now, especially when he is the type of player with a limited ceiling who will likely command a similar amount after a few years on a bridge deal. Next, the team needs to keep in mind that next season they will have to hand pricey extensions to Wayne Simmonds and Provorov and could very likely be on the hunt again for a starting-caliber goalie to pair with Hart moving forward. None of those transactions will come cheap and the team can’t expect another major cap jump. Instead, they will have to account for those moves this off-season. At the end of the day, $22MM or so can only get you so far when you have a complete roster and many long-term contracts. Expect the Flyers to hit the free agent market with a pretty limited budget of no more than $7-8MM, likely in search of an upgrade to Filppula and/or Manning.

Avalanche Prepared To Pick Fourth If Senators Fold

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The first fireworks of the upcoming NHL Draft may show up at pick #4. When the Ottawa Senators acquired Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche, part of the substantial package was a top-ten protected 2018 first-round pick. The terms of the deal afforded the Senators a choice between trading this year’s pick or next year’s pick to Colorado if the pick landed within the top ten spots. Finishing the season with the second-worst record in the league, Ottawa was obviously locked in to the top ten. Even after bad luck dropped them to fourth overall in the NHL Draft Lottery, GM Pierre Dorion confirmed that they would hold on to the pick this year and defer to the 2019 first-rounder.

However, that was back in April and things change. It seems more likely than ever that Erik Karlsson and/or Mike Hoffman will be traded away from Ottawa this off-season and that doesn’t bode well for a Duchene extension either. There also continue to be frustrations over the management of owner Eugene Melnyk and the fiscal future of the organization. Ottawa seems far from a free agent destination right now and no closer to turning around one of the worst records in the NHL. The initial Stanley Cup odds for next season reflect this, as the Senators at 100/1 odds are alone in last place. It’s understandable for public relations purposes that the Sens keep this year’s #4, both to add an exciting new prospect and to all but confirm to fans that the outlook for next season is better this season. It may not be the smart move though.

There is a trio of top prospects in the draft this year: defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forwards Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina. After that, there is no consensus on the next-best player. In fact, the fourth overall pick more or less marks the beginning of a lesser tier of prospects; not exactly a power position in 2018. Next year, the Senators are almost certainly going to miss the playoffs and will be a lottery team with a chance to land in the top three with a lucky draw. According to odds makers, they are also the favorite to finish 31st, which would give them the best odds at the first overall pick – highly-touted franchise center Jack Hughes – and would mean that they could fall no farther than fourth again. There is risk in giving up a pick as high as #4 this year, but there is also substantial risk in not giving it away, blowing up the roster, and simply hoping for a better finish next year. The pain that the organization and the fans would feel about losing #1 after another brutal season would be far worse than giving up a non-consensus top player at #4 this year. The mounting pressure of that very real possibility could force the Senators to give in and surrender the 2018 pick.

The Avalanche know this and are remaining vigilant. The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers caught up with Colorado Director of Scouting Alan Hepple, who says the team knows what direction they would go in if they wind up with #4 this year after all. Per Chambers, the Senators can wait all the way until they are on the clock to make the pick to instead complete the trade this year. Hepple doesn’t think that will be the case, but the Avs are prepared in case it is. They certainly wouldn’t mind the spot, as the team nabbed defensive phenom Cale Makar in that same draft slot last year and would be happy to make a repeat performance. With their own pick at #16, Hepple says that the team will simply take the best player available, regardless of position, but at #4 they have identified a more pressing organizational need, as they did with the UMass puck-mover Makar last year.

If the first three picks go as expected and Ottawa isn’t thrilled by the next-best name on their draft board, they could crumble under the pressure of the potential repercussions: losing a higher pick next year. It could pay off or it could be a mistake in hindsight; there is no way to tell with a lot riding on the decision. However, if they do, Colorado is ready to jump in. It’s not the most likely outcome, but it remains a possibility, and an intriguing one, as draft day approaches.

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