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Latest On Ryan O’Reilly’s Trade Value

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The Buffalo Sabres are looking to do something to change up the culture in the locker room, and speculation has swirled around Ryan O’Reilly after his season-ending comments. O’Reilly was frustrated with the team and the idea that some players had become complacent despite continuing to lose on the ice. That trade speculation has never been confirmed by Sabres GM Jason Botterill, and Darren Dreger of TSN made it clear on Vancouver radio that the team won’t just be giving away O’Reilly.

The price tag is going to be very, very high…

…I think that if the right deal or the right offer was made, absolutely Buffalo would consider trading him. And it’s starting to feel like it’s more likely now than not likely. But again, there are so many teams that are looking for a versatile forward. In his case, he can obviously play center or play the wing, he’s a good character guy, he’s got a high level of compete. So it makes you wonder why Buffalo would want to part with him, but there’s still a lot of areas of concern for the Buffalo Sabres. But for Botterill to move out Ryan O’Reilly, he’s going to need several pieces. And if it’s around draft time, you know what it’s going to be: It’s going to be likely a young NHL player or a prospect, a high draft pick, and maybe something else on top of that.

O’Reilly is still an extremely effective player, but the Sabres are heading into a future that is built around Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin, and may believe that his trade value could be of more use to them. If the “high draft pick” for instance could make an impact in 2019-20, it would be just another piece that the Sabres could use to create a window of legitimate contention. While O’Reilly helps them on the ice right now, his $7.5MM cap hit does limit what they can do financially.

That contract though could force the Sabres to wait until after the draft to make any deal, even further reducing the chance that something gets done this summer. O’Reilly is owed a $7.5MM signing bonus on July 1st, while his salary is just $1MM. Any acquiring team could want the Sabres to pay that before making the trade official, meaning draft picks this season wouldn’t be involved. We’ll have to wait to see if that factors into Buffalo’s decision, and whether they can squeeze even more value out of him after the free agent market opens.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Patrick Brown To One-Year Contract

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The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed one of their minor league veterans, inking Patrick Brown to a one-year two-way contract. The 26-year old Brown was scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer thanks to his lack of NHL experience. The contract will pay him $650K in the NHL.

Brown was first signed out of Boston College in 2014, and quickly ascended the ranks in the AHL. Named captain of the Charlotte Checkers last season, he has played 28 games in the NHL but found a home in the minor leagues. Carolina GM Don Waddell explained as much in a statement:

Patrick served as captain in Charlotte again last season and was the heart and soul of the team. He is a tremendous leader on and off the ice and is a reliable, hard-working player. We are excited to keep him in the organization again next season.

The two-way forward had 27 points in 68 games with the Checkers, but wasn’t able to get them past their second-round playoff opponent. The Checkers fell at the hands of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in five games, and will try to get back to the Calder Cup playoffs in 2018-19.

2018 Key Offseason Dates

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With the official start of the offseason getting closer and closer, here is a look at some of the key dates to watch for in the weeks to come.

June 15 or 48 hours after the end of the Stanley Cup Final (the later of the two)

The NHL buyout window opens up.  Teams can buy out players for two-thirds of their remaining pay spread out over two times the length of the contract (one-third of remaining pay for players aged 25 or younger).  Unless the player has a no-move clause, they must first pass through unconditional waivers.

While one window opens, another closes.  This time also represents the first deadline for club-elected salary arbitration.  It’s rare that teams will file at this point; more will come in the second window in July.

June 22-23

NHL Entry Draft

June 24

Opening of the interview window for pending unrestricted free agents.  Teams can meet with players but are technically not allowed to officially agree to terms on a contract until free agency begins.  (That hasn’t stopped teams from agreeing in principle on deals though as we’ve seen in recent years.)

June 25, 4 PM CST

Deadline for teams to tender qualifying offers to their restricted free agents.  Those who do not receive one will qualify for unrestricted free agency when it begins in July.

June 26

Opening of the interview window for pending restricted free agents to discuss potential offer sheets.  Again, nothing can officially be agreed upon until free agency officially starts.

June 30, 4 PM CST

End of the regular buyout window.  Teams may still be able to utilize a buyout later in the offseason depending on arbitration filings.

July 1, 11 AM CST

Free agency officially begins.

July 5, 4 PM CST

Deadline for eligible players to file for salary arbitration.

July 5, 4:01 PM CST – July 6, 4 PM CST

The window for teams to take a player to salary arbitration.

July 15, 4 PM CST

Expiration of qualifying offers.

July 20 – August 4

Salary arbitration hearings are held.

Pacific Notes: Canucks, Miller, Christoffer

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While the Canucks have been linked to the Hurricanes and defenseman Noah Hanifin, that isn’t the only prominent Eastern Conference player they appear to have interest in.  TSN’s Bob McKenzie suggested in a segment on TSN 1040 (audio link) that Buffalo center Ryan O’Reilly is also on their radar.  It’s no surprise that Vancouver is in the market for help down the middle after losing Henrik Sedin to retirement; they now have that void to fill inside their top-six.  While on the surface it would seem counter-intuitive to add veteran help when the team appears to be in rebuilding mode, O’Reilly still has five years left on his contract so he’d still be around when the Canucks look to shift gears and try to get into contention.  He carries a $7.5MM cap hit with most of his money due in annual signing bonuses so it’s worth watching to see if Buffalo tries to deal him before a $7.5MM payment is due next month.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Golden Knights defenseman Colin Miller sustained a broken nose during Monday’s Game Four loss to the Capitals, the team announced (Twitter link). The injury was sustained in the third period in a collision with Washington winger T.J. Oshie.  Miller remained in the game and should be available to play in what is a must-win Game Five for Vegas on Thursday night.
  • Oilers pending RFA winger Braden Christoffer has signed a one-year contract with their minor league affiliate in Bakersfield, the AHL team announced. Christoffer was signed as an undrafted free agent by Edmonton back in 2015 but has yet to make it past the AHL.  This past season, he had 15 points along with 96 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Condors.  This makes it likely that he will not be qualified by the team in advance of the June 25th deadline.

Offseason Keys: Colorado Avalanche

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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 Colorado Avalanche.

If it wasn’t for Vegas, Colorado could have easily wound up being the talk of the league.  After a horrific 2016-17 season and the early trade of Matt Duchene, virtually no one thought they’d be heard from as a competitive team let alone a playoff squad.  However, they picked up their play considerably following the trade and worked their way into the postseason to end their year on a high note.  Now, GM Joe Sakic faces the decision of whether or not to try to escalate things or keep the same approach.  Here are some of their keys for the summer regardless of which route they take.

Add A Top-Four Defenceman

The defense has been an area of need for Colorado for a while now.  They’ve been active on the waiver wire the last couple of years to try to upgrade the third pairing and the overall depth and while that has improved things a little bit, those improvements are only incremental at best.

Erik Johnson gives the Avs a legitimate top pairing player while Tyson Barrie, though he can have his struggles in his own end, is one of the more dangerous offensive threats from the blueline.  Things start to fall off after that, however.  Samuel Girard should progress into a top-four player down the road but he’s only 20 while Nikita Zadorov has shown flashes of dominance but hasn’t really become a consistent top-four option.  2017 second-rounder Conor Timmins will turn pro in 2018-19 and could become a key player down the road but he won’t immediately crack the top four.  With due respect to those players, that unit could use some help if it wants to take that next step forward.

Sakic has stated that he could see the team getting younger next season and if that is indeed the plan, that may take them out of free agency.  Colorado has several young forwards in the system and if they don’t want to get an older player on the open market, the time is right to look into trading one or two of those and getting another core defender that they can build around for the foreseeable future.

Extension Talks For Rantanen

Winger Mikko Rantanen’s first full NHL season back in 2016-17 was decent but many felt he had another level to get to.  He more than proved his supporters right this past season as he jumped from 38 points up to 84, ranking him tied for 16th overall in the league.  In doing so, he has solidified himself as a long-term fixture on the top line.

As the 21-year-old gets set to enter the final year of his contract as of July 1st, the Avalanche can begin to work on a contract extension with him.  In particular, if they believe that Rantanen will produce at a similar level, they’d be wise to try to get something done now as another 80+ point season will really drive up the price in the summer of 2019.

What will be interesting here is if Sakic tries to use Nathan MacKinnon’s contract as the benchmark that Rantanen can’t go past.  MacKinnon is viewed as Colorado’s franchise player and has a $6.3MM cap hit.  However, the Upper Limit of the salary cap will be a fair bit higher this summer than it was two years ago which is something that will come into play.  If they intend to keep a Rantanen extension at a rate under MacKinnon’s, they may not be able to go with a maximum-term deal and instead sign one that doesn’t buy out as many UFA-eligible seasons.

With there being another season left on Rantanen’s deal, this is something that doesn’t have to be resolved for another year.  Given the sizable jump in points from his rookie to sophomore campaign, an extension for him will be a little trickier to navigate.  Of the top young players that can sign early extensions starting next month, Rantanen’s case will be one of the more interesting ones to follow.

Add Goalie Depth

With the addition of Jonathan Bernier in free agency last summer, Colorado had an above average backup that could step in if Semyon Varlamov struggled or was injured.  Combined, the duo did well enough to help lead the Avs to the postseason before both went down and Andrew Hammond, who was included in the Duchene deal to help offset salary, was forced to start the final two playoff games.

Both Bernier and Hammond are set to become unrestricted free agents next month but it appears the Avalanche intend to go in another direction as they signed KHL netminder Pavel Francouz earlier this summer.  Even if they view the 28-year-old as Varlamov’s backup, they still would be wise to add some insurance.

Spencer Martin is a restricted free agent and should be part of the picture in the minors but given the uncertainty surrounding Francouz and how he’ll adapt to the NHL level, he’s not an ideal third-stringer.  Someone with more of a proven track record in the NHL would certainly be beneficial and fortunately for Colorado, there are some players like that available (including Hammond).  It certainly won’t register as an exciting move if they do indeed sign a goalie like this but it would certainly be a beneficial move.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Flames Extend ECHL Affiliation With Kansas City

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The Kansas City Mavericks announced that they have extended their affiliation with the Calgary Flames and the Stockton Heat of the AHL through the 2018-19 season.  This will be the Mavericks’ fifth season in the ECHL and their second with Calgary as an affiliate.  Mavericks President and GM Brent Thiessen issued the following statement:

“We’re thrilled to continue building our relationship with the Flames and Heat.  Partnering with the Flames’ organization allows us to maintain our momentum within the affiliation and work with a top-notch franchise with a build-from-the-bottom philosophy. The Mavericks and I look forward to year two of what we believe will be one of the premier partnerships in all of professional hockey.”

Not all NHL teams actively utilize their ECHL affiliates but that wasn’t the case in for Calgary as they had six different players suit up in both the AHL and ECHL in 2017-18 headlined by goaltending prospects Tyler Parsons and Mason MacDonald.  With one of David Rittich or Jon Gillies expected to be back in the AHL next season, at least one of those two netminders is likely earmarked to spend a lot of time in Kansas City again in 2018-19.

Poll: Will Lou Lamoriello Get John Tavares Re-Signed?

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Today the New York Islanders took the first step towards a “culture change.” Lou Lamoriello, well known for his strict player policies and organizational rules, relived GM Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight of their responsibilities, assuming the general manager role himself and starting a search for the next coach. He said that the decision had nothing to do with the re-signing of John Tavares, and though Lamoriello is well known for sliding his way out of tough questions he might be telling the truth.

The fact is, the Islanders needed a change whether Tavares re-signs or not. The face of the franchise hasn’t been able to carry the organization to the promised land during his nine year career, despite his remarkable consistency on the ice. Now, Lamoriello will attempt to remove the idea of a single player at the front of an organization and that’s something Tavares will need to buy into. Instead, there will be plenty of uttering of the old phrase “it’s about the logo on the front, not the name on the back” and other team-first proverbs. How that sits with the 27-year old superstar, who was close with Weight and had been playing under Snow his entire career, isn’t certain.

What is certain is that Tavares could become arguably the most valuable unrestricted free agent the league has ever seen. In the middle of his prime and valuable in almost every facet of the game, Tavares is a direction-changing presence that could turn around a franchise immediately. Put him on a team that barely missed the playoffs and they will likely get in. Put him on a contender and they could become a powerhouse. Lamoriello knows that, and hasn’t been shy about signing his best players to long-term, big money contracts in the past. After all, this is the executive that signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a 17-year $102MM contract before the league rejected it, only to eventually get a 15-year $100MM deal approved with the Russian sniper.

So, will Lamoriello be able to negotiate a long-term deal with Tavares to keep him with New York for the next portion of his career? When we asked a similar question in January, before Lamoriello had been hired, more than 55% of our readers didn’t believe Tavares would end up back with the Islanders. Has that changed with the different management group? Or does the fact that he’s just a few weeks away from free agency make it even harder to sign on the dotted line? In just over three weeks Tavares will be able to start talking to other teams, and seeing what they have to offer him. That’s not a lot of time for Lamoriello to work with, but as he’s known for saying—”if you have time, use it.”

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Focus: Edmonton Oilers

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Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Edmonton’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Ryan Strome – When GM Peter Chiarelli and the Oilers decided last summer that Jordan Eberle had to be moved out because of his high-priced contract, the eventual return was the underperforming but talented Strome. The team enjoyed a $3.5MM cap cut, while hoping that the 24-year old forward could find his footing in Edmonton. After all, Strome was a fifth-overall pick who had scored 17 goals and 50 points in 2014-15, and could perhaps be relied upon as a long-term option down the middle.

Now, after another disappointing season where Strome’s below average skating was exposed on a team that lacked speed, and he struggled to maintain any kind of offensive consistency at center or the wing, there’s some uncertainty about where his future lies. As a restricted free agent, he doesn’t have a great case for a substantial raise over the $2.5MM cap hit he carried each of the last two seasons. After scoring just 34 points in 82 games—an even worse pace than his final year in New York—it’s not clear if he’s part of the problem or can still be part of the solution in Edmonton. He certainly won’t cost as much as Eberle’s $6MM cap hit in 2018-19, but neither side may look for a contract that stretches far beyond next season.

D Darnell Nurse – Perhaps the biggest problem in Edmonton this year was that several of their defensemen took substantial steps backwards, but one can’t really say that about Nurse. The 23-year old set career highs in games played, minutes played, goals, assists, points, +/-, penalty minutes, shots, hits and blocks, essentially leading the entire Oilers defense corps in nearly every category. He followed that with a big role on Canada’s IIHF World Championship team, and looks ready to blossom into the player Edmonton was hoping for when they selected him seventh-overall in 2013.

Still, it’s not clear exactly how long a contract the Oilers can afford to give their young defenseman. With so much money tied up in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the team has to be careful how they spend the rest of their cap. Nearly $20MM of the remaining funds are already committed to Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell and Adam Larsson for the next three seasons, meaning any deal buying out unrestricted free agent years for Nurse is likely too expensive to take on right now. That still leaves plenty of room for a short-term deal, but he’s the one heading into negotiations in a position of leverage after a career year.

Other RFAs: F Anton Slepyshev, F Iiro Pakarinen, F Drake Caggiula, D Matt Benning, F Braden Christoffer, D Ben Betker, F Patrick Russell, F Kyle Platzer

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Mike Cammalleri – A few seasons ago, the idea of Cammalleri walking in free agency might be a big story. Now, the veteran forward is just hoping for another contract. Cammalleri came to the Oilers in a midseason swap with the Los Angeles Kings, and found some of his old offensive juice for the team. With 22 points in 51 games he was relatively effective, and cost them very little in terms of salary. That could be a reason to bring him back on another incentive-laden contract, but there are likely bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks, as the team prepares for the draft and negotiates with the above listed RFAs.

Cammalleri will turn 36 in just a few days, and isn’t by any means a necessary piece for the Oilers to bring back. After agreeing to a $1MM contract with $200K in performance bonuses last season, he may be even less expensive if they decide his experience is worth the money and roster spot in 2018-19.

Other UFAs: D Yohann Auvitu, G Laurent Brossoit, F Brian Ferlin, D Mark Fayne, D Dillon Simpson, D Joey LaLeggia, F Grayson Downing

Projected Cap Space: It’s never a good thing when a team that missed the playoffs doesn’t have a lot of cap space, but that’s the situation the Oilers find themselves in. With just around $15MM in projected cap space for next season depending on where the upper limit lands, they won’t have a ton of space to find upgrades after re-signing their restricted free agents. That, and the lack of success despite another fantastic season from McDavid, is a reason why Edmonton is linked to nearly every rumored player on the market at one point or another.

There have been rumors in the past about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins potentially being available as the team looks to clear money, but after finding a home alongside McDavid on the top line he likely is now off limits. If the team could find a taker for Milan Lucic or one of their aging defensemen they likely would jump on the opportunity, but it won’t be easy. Chiarelli and his staff also need to prepare for their upcoming goaltending conundrum, as Cam Talbot and the newly signed Mikko Koskinen are unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2019.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minnesota Wild Name Jack Ferreira Assistant To The GM

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The Minnesota Wild got their man when they hired Paul Fenton to be their next general manager, and now they’ve hired the man who taught Fenton everything he knows. Jack Ferreira, legendary NHL executive and mentor, has been hired as the Minnesota assistant to the GM. In the press release, Fenton explains his relationship with his new assistant:

He’s certainly one of the people who has influenced my career, not only from when I was a kid playing, but all the advice he’s given me over the years. I learned so much working for him in Anaheim and continuing a relationship as we’ve gone forward in professional hockey. I look forward to having him here as a really good guidance piece.

Ferreira, 73, has worked with teams all across the NHL and has been a big part of developing hockey in the state of California. Most recently he had spent 12 years with the Los Angeles Kings working as a senior advisor that helped in a variety of responsibilities, but left the organization last month. His wealth of knowledge, and championship history—three Stanley Cups and a World Cup gold medal—will be priceless for Fenton to call on as he begins his new role with the Wild. Speaking about his new boss, Ferreira made it clear that he won’t try to impose his will when it comes to decision making:

I told him there’s going to be issues where we don’t agree. But we’re going to be united. He’ll have the final say, and whatever we do, I’m going to back him. We’re not going to see eye-to-eye all the time.

The Wild are trying desperately to overcome their history of early playoff exits, and let long-time GM Chuck Fletcher go earlier this spring. Fenton will try to find a way to push them over the top, and get to the point of real Stanley Cup contention.

Snapshots: Kunitz, Cameron, Anderson

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have some tough decisions to make this summer as they try to decide how to improve and get them to the next level, and Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the future of every player on the roster in his latest piece. When it comes to Chris Kunitz, who is one of the team’s few players scheduled for unrestricted free agency, Smith relays some comments from agent Ben Hankinson:

There’s no quit in [Kunitz]. He loved everything about the city, the team, the fans, and the direction they’re going. He’s wired for another run.

Kunitz, 38, registered 29 points for the second regular season in a row, but couldn’t find any of that playoff magic he had in Pittsburgh and Anaheim. Held to just a single assist in 17 postseason contests, it might be time for the Lightning to move on from the veteran winger. Whether they do is unclear at this point, but Smith does believe that Andrej Sustr, the only other roster player scheduled for UFA status, is as good as gone this summer. The towering defenseman played only 44 games in the regular season and was held out of the playoffs for the team.

  • Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that Dave Cameron, former Ottawa Senators head coach and recently a Calgary Flames assistant, has taken a job with the Vienna Capitals in Austria for next season. Cameron was a long time junior and minor league head coach, but will now journey to Europe for the next chapter in his professional career. We’ve seen it work for other NHL coaches in the past, including Marc Crawford who spent four years in Switzerland before returning to the NHL, and Bob Hartley who won a championship in Switzerland and recently had been leading the Latvian national team. Hartley is now headed to the KHL, another option for Cameron down the road if he isn’t given another opportunity in the NHL.
  • Speaking of coaches leaving for other opportunities, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Minnesota Wild assistant coach John Anderson will not have his contract renewed. Anderson had come with the team alongside Bruce Boudreau two years ago, but will have to find another landing spot for the next part of his coaching career. A four-time 30-goal scorer during his playing days, Anderson was a long-time head coach of the Chicago Wolves and secured two Calder Cups for the team during his time in the AHL.

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