Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for June 2018

Free Agent Focus: Montreal Canadiens

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Free agency is now a little more 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 Montreal’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agent: F Phillip Danault – Montreal has been hard-pressed to find help at center in recent years with Danault being the exception.  While he was expected to serve on the third line, he has spent a big chunk of his tenure in the top six and even has spent a fair amount of time on the top unit.  He has held his own in that role as well, putting up reasonable offensive numbers (21-44-65 in 134 games the past two seasons).

The 25-year-old is now arbitration-eligible and is in line for a considerable raise on the $950K salary he received this past season.  While the Canadiens may try to argue that he is more of a third line player, his usage and production suggest otherwise which could very well push his AAV over the $3MM mark on his next contract.  As the lone full-time NHL player in restricted free agency for Montreal this offseason, he’s going to be the primary focus for GM Marc Bergevin among those needing to be re-signed.

Other RFAs: F Daniel Carr, F Jacob de la Rose, F Markus Eisenschmid, G Zach Fucale, F Jeremy Gregoire, F Michael McCarron, D Tom Parisi, F Kerby Rychel, F Logan Shaw

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Chris Terry – The Canadiens have a very small list of unrestricted free agents and with Antti Niemi off the board having re-signed a one-year, $950K extension last month, there isn’t anyone of particular prominence left.

Terry was the only one of Montreal’s UFAs to not actually see NHL action last year but he’s listed here for another reason.  He led the AHL in scoring this past season which should garner him a lot of interest both from teams looking to add an elite minor league scorer but also internationally.  The 29-year-old played on a one-way, league minimum contract in 2017-18 and if he decides to stay in North America, he will likely get a similar deal this time around.

Other UFAs: F Adam Cracknell, F Ales Hemsky

Projected Cap Space: Montreal wound up going into this past season with plenty of cap room as they weren’t big spenders in free agency.  They never really needed to dip into that which has them set up to potentially make some noise this summer.  They have a little under $63MM in committed contracts per CapFriendly with Danault being the only restricted free agent of note so they will have some money to spend before even factoring in the projected cap increase.  The big question for them is whether they try to go after one big acquisition or spread their wealth and try to upgrade a few different spots around their lineup.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Red Wings, Bowness, Pacioretty

at CDT | by 3 Comments

While there has been speculation that the Red Wings are a candidate to slide back from the sixth pick in the draft, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that speculation around the Draft Combine is that Detroit is looking to move up and may be willing to move their second first-round pick (from Vegas which will slot in 30th or 31st) to do so.  Detroit is believed to be looking for defensemen so jumping up a spot or two would likely guarantee they’d get the second-best blueliner available (beyond Rasmus Dahlin who is expected to go to Buffalo at number one).

More from the East:

  • The Rangers could be interested in hiring assistant coach Rick Bowness, Garrioch suggests in a separate column. The 63-year-old was just let go by the Lightning earlier in the week.  New York is believed to want at least one assistant coach with NHL experience on their staff and certainly has that as he has worked behind the bench since the mid-1980s.  However, Lindy Ruff remains on the coaching staff and he too has plenty of NHL experience.  If the Rangers do indeed pursue Bowness, that could mean that Ruff may be going elsewhere.
  • While preliminary talks have occurred on an extension with Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated in an interview with Sportsnet 960 (audio link) that he still believes Montreal’s captain will wind up being dealt this summer. He mentions Florida as a team that has interest in him and that Pacioretty would have interest in going to.  Friedman adds that the perception around Montreal is that there isn’t as much pressure to make the playoffs next year and that they’re looking to rebuild a little bit.  If that is the case, that could open up the potential for a more futures-based return.

Prospect Notes: Tkachuk, Ollas-Mattsson, Lundestrom, McGrew

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While there has been plenty of speculation that Brady Tkachuk was leaning towards staying at Boston University for next season, he told Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (subscription required) that a decision won’t be made until after the draft.  He wants to sit down with whichever team drafts him to get a sense of what they would like him to do.  It’s likely that whoever the school hires as their next head coach (as David Quinn has gone to the Rangers) will also play a role.  Tkachuk is expected to go in the top five later this month.

Other prospect news and notes from around the hockey world:

  • Although the Flames opted not to sign 2014 sixth-rounder Adam Ollas-Mattsson by Friday’s deadline, they may still offer him an AHL deal down the road, reports Postmedia’s Eric Francis. The 21-year-old has actually spent a bit of time with their minor league affiliate already, having played in 23 games over the last two seasons.
  • Speaking with reporters at the combine, including The Hockey Writers’ Mark Scheig (Twitter link), forward Isac Lundestrom stated that he is likely staying in Sweden for next season. While he is under contract with Lulea of the SHL already, a team selecting him in the first round has the option to supersede that deal.  Lundestrom is presently expected to go near the middle of the first round in the draft later this month.
  • While the Sharks let 2016 draft pick Mark Shoemaker go yesterday, they did extend a bona fide offer to 2017 sixth-rounder Jake McGrew, notes Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). Teams must give their selections a bona fide offer within one year of their being picked or they lose their rights.  Typically, the process is a formality but there have been players who struggled enough in their post-draft year to be let go.  McGrew had a pretty quiet post-draft season and seemed like a candidate to be released a year early but evidently, San Jose thinks he could rebound in 2018-19.

Offseason Keys: New Jersey Devils

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

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 New Jersey Devils.

The Devils weren’t a popular pick to make some noise in the tight Metropolitan Division but they turned some heads and worked their way into a playoff spot.  Now, they enter the offseason with a lot of payroll room to work with which gives them some chances to bolster their roster.  What should they be focusing on?

Sign A Top-Six Winger

While New Jersey got some unexpected contributions from players they had pegged to play in lesser roles, the Devils were lacking impact winger depth beyond Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri.  (Marcus Johansson was pegged to be in that role but dealt with concussion issues for most of the year.)  They added Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner before the trade deadline which helped their depth but didn’t really solve the problem either.

Fortunately for New Jersey, the free agent market is fairly strong on the wing.  There aren’t a lot of front-line options but there are some players that can slot in on their second line.  That would allow players like Blake Coleman, Miles Wood, and Jesper Bratt to remain in the bottom six which would give their lineup a lot more balance.  There are enough options on the open market that the focus should be to sign a winger and save their trade capital to fill another hole.

Determine Zacha’s Role And Future

Three years ago, the Devils made center Pavel Zacha the sixth-overall pick in the draft hoping he was their future number one.  While he’s still just 21, that level of optimism is starting to fade after his second straight mediocre season.

In 2017-18, Zacha was frequently in the bottom six and even spent a few games as a healthy scratch.  He was quickly surpassed by Nico Hischier who now slots in as their top center of the future (and the present).  Travis Zajac has three years and a full no-trade clause left on his deal and with a $5.75MM cap hit, he stands to be a fixture in the top six for a while still.

So where does that leave Zacha?  Would a move to the wing allow him to push for more of a regular spot in the top six?   At the very least, it would give him a chance to show if his offensive game has another level to it after scoring just eight goals for the second straight year.  However, doing so also moves him off of a premium position which could negatively affect his value if he fails to produce.

Considering the situation, it’s reasonable to wonder if GM Ray Shero will at least explore the idea of trading Zacha this summer.  He’s still young enough that there will be teams that think a change of scenery will be what he needs to get going so they should be able to get quality offers for him; they wouldn’t necessarily be selling low.  If he has another year like his first two, however, that could change.

Zacha still has some upside so this isn’t an easy call.  Keeping the status quo doesn’t appear to be an ideal situation though so it seems unlikely that New Jersey will have him in the same situation heading into 2018-19 if they have him at all.

Add A Top Defender

It has been a long time since the Devils were thought of as a well-stocked team defensively.  The back end has been an area of concern for a few years now, even with a few moves made as of late in an effort to address it such as the acquisition of Sami Vatanen from Anaheim and the signings of Ben Lovejoy and Will Butcher.  Those moves have helped but more work needs to be done.

New Jersey is lacking a true blue-chip prospect so there isn’t help coming from within down the road either.  That means they’re going to have to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately for them, there is only one top-pairing defender set to hit the open market and that’s Washington’s John Carlson.  It’s clear that they will make a big run at him, just like they did with Kevin Shattenkirk last summer.  But if Carlson follows Shattenkirk’s lead and declines a bigger offer from the Devils, then they’ll be in a tough spot.  Adding depth certainly helps but not as much as a top blueliner does.

While the Devils don’t have a lot of prospect depth on the back end, they have an intriguing prospect group of forwards (and Zacha still holds some value as well).  This may be the time for Shero to dip into that and use some of those future assets to try to land a top-three defenseman.  They have the cap room to take on a larger salary without having to send money the other way to offset it and that’s not something that can be said of a lot of teams looking to make a splash this summer.  If New Jersey wants to take that next step forward, this is a hole that needs to be filled.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Metropolitan Notes: Tavares, Moore, Orpik

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With Lou Lamoriello now at the helm of the Islanders, his primary order of business is trying to get center John Tavares locked up and away from the open market next month.  In an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link), TSN’s Bob McKenzie notes that talks between Lamoriello and Pat Brisson, the agent for Tavares, have occurred on a daily basis since the 75-year-old joined New York last month.

While McKenzie predicts that as things currently stand, the 27-year-old will likely make it to the post-draft interview period, he expects the Islanders to try to be active on the trade market this month in an effort to land another scoring winger to try to entice him to put pen to paper sooner than later.  Tavares is coming off the second-best scoring season of his career and if he doesn’t sign early, he will be highly sought after on the open market as franchise centers rarely make it to free agency.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Devils blueliner John Moore is eligible to hit unrestricted free agency next month but if he had his way, he’d stay where he is now. Speaking with Abbey Mastracco of The Record, the 27-year-old stated that “I really like it here, my family likes it here. It’s a good team, good guys and I want to be here.”  Moore signed with New Jersey three years ago and played a big role on their back end in 2017-18, playing in a career-best 81 games while logging 20:01 per night, the most of his career.
  • Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik suffered an injury to his index finger in the dying seconds of Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night, notes TSN’s Frank Seravalli. He received a slash from Vegas center Erik Haula who received a major penalty and a game misconduct on the play but time had already expired.  Despite the injury, Orpik is expected to suit up in Game Three tonight.

Snapshots: Carlson, Ellis, Kovalchuk, Nash

at CDT | by 5 Comments

If John Tavares re-signs with the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson would become the undisputed top free agent on the market this summer. However, Carlson’s priority is also to re-sign with his current team and the Capitals’ current Stanley Cup run may only sell him on staying even more. Plus, the estimated cap increase could make it easier for Washington to retain their blue line leader. Yet, Carlson is unlikely to ignore what the open market might offer in a world with no Tavares and a higher cap ceiling. The 28-year-old defenseman could command much more from another team than he’ll likely be able to get from the Caps. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun believes that one of the top suitors will be none other than Carlson’s current opposition, the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite their unforeseeable success this season, the Knights’ defensive corps is far from an elite unit and is in need of a leader. Although they have been connected to Erik Karlsson in the past, LeBrun opines that the easier route for Vegas may be to simply sign Carlson. The need, the cap space, and the connection to GM George McPhee may be enough to entice Carlson to make the cross-country trek. If the Knights are able to win the Stanley Cup, it would add insult to injury to steal both a title and a top player from the Capitals.

  • LeBrun also had the inside scoop on another defenseman, the Nashville Predators’ Ryan Ellis. Although Ellis is not a free agent until 2019, LeBrun learned from Nashville GM David Poile that signing Ellis to an extension will be the Predators’ top priority this summer. Citing the loss of Ryan Suter years ago, LeBrun says that Poile is no longer willing to wait on re-signing his key players. However, the negotiations with Ellis may prove to be more difficult than anticipated. Ellis has been one of the best values in hockey over the last five years at a cap hit of just $2.5MM. No one will blame the offensive defenseman for seeking top dollar in his next deal and he is more likely to find that on the open market.
  • One player who may not be as concerned about money is Ilya Kovalchuk. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Kovalchuk’s main priority in returning to the NHL is to win the Stanley Cup. Kovalchuk is allegedly focused on finding a multi-year deal with a good fit. One possible suitor could be the New York Islanders, as Kovalchuk expressed to Dreger that he appreciated how then-GM Lou Lamoriello handled his sudden departure from New Jersey and shared that the two have maintained a positive relationship. Now that Lamoriello is in New York with more than enough cap space to sign Tavares and quite a few more, Kovalchuk could be a target. The KHL’s reigning leading scorer may sign with any team on July 1st.
  • One player who could be locked up before July 1st is Rick Nash. Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney has expressed a desire to bring back several of his impending free agents, but has noted the reality that there is not enough space for all of them. The Bruins appear to have prioritized a new deal with their blockbuster trade deadline acquisition, as The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson reports that Sweeney and Nash will continue negotiations next week. On the topic, Sweeney said “Rick indicated when he came to Boston that he was excited about the opportunity. He wants to win. He wants an opportunity to win. He felt badly, and certainly he’s not responsible for this, because he got injured.” What Nash feels badly about is likely both the drop-off in his play during the playoffs and the premature end to the Bruins season at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. Nash suffered a concussion late in the regular season and never seemed to get back to 100%, but prior to his injury looked unstoppable on the Bruins’ second line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. At the right price, it’s understandable why Sweeney and company would like to give Nash another chance to re-create that chemistry and help bring a Cup to Boston.

Pittsburgh Is Not Looking To Trade Phil Kessel

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Following the recent report from The Athletic’s Josh Yohe that Penguins star forward Phil Kessel was upset about his usage in the playoffs and that he and head coach Mike Sullivan were at odds that had led the team to look at moving Kessel, colleague Pierre Lebrun clarified the situation after speaking with Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford. LeBrun reports that Rutherford feels the rumors of dissension in the locker room have been “blown out of proportion”. If this sounds familiar, it is because Rutherford responded to Kessel rumors similarly last summer and, of course, he was not traded. It appears to again be a topic that is inflated by the media more than it is grounded in reality.

Rutherford tells Lebrun that both he and Sullivan understand that it is Kessel’s preference to play with Evgeni Malkin, but defends his coach, saying “there’s times where they play together, when they’re both really going, and there’s times when they don’t… (Sullivan) believes balance throughout the lineup is the best way to win, and we won two Cups that way”. He continues that “for someone to suggest it’s an issue within our team, that can’t be taken care of or resolved, I don’t believe that’s accurate… I don’t feel that we have to trade Phil Kessel.”

If there is no discourse, why would the Penguins trade Kessel? Yes, there are salary cap concerns, but some of those could be eliminated by the estimated significant cap increase, while others could be assisted by shipping out a less-crucial player like Carl Hagelin or Matt Hunwick. After all, Kessel’s 92 points this season did finish tied for seventh in the league in scoring – ahead of Sidney Crosby – and he was among the league’s best in goals, assists, and power play production. At a reduced cap hit courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins would much rather keep Kessel and his enormous output rather than try to find a fair return for him. If not for the rumored rift between he and Sullivan, there is little reason they would rush to deal him away. It appears that we can close the book on this hypothetical, at least until next off-season.

Golden Knights Ink Three To Entry-Level Contracts

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After re-signing two players yesterday, the Vegas Golden Knights have added three more names to their future plans. The team announced this evening that they have come to terms on entry-level contracts with draft picks Jake Leschyshyn and Ben Jones and free agent Gage Quinney. Leschyshyn and Jones signed three-year deals, while Quinney signed a two-year deal. Financial terms have not yet been disclosed.

Leschyshyn is likely the most familiar name of the group, both due to his actual name and his draft slot. The 19-year-old center was selected in the second round of the draft last year at #62 overall, though he was actually the Knights’ fifth pick of the draft and third center. Leschyshyn plays for the Memorial Cup host Regina Pats of the WHL and scored five points in seven WHL playoff games and added a goal in the Cup tournament. During the regular season, his 40 points in 64 games was somewhat underwhelming on a talented Pats team, but there is still a lot to like about the well-rounded game of the North Carolina native.

If Vegas fans are looking for a prospect with more exciting recent results, look no further than Jones. The Knights took a flier on the raw forward in the seventh round of the draft and it paid off for them. The 19-year-old center scored 79 points in 68 games this season with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs, which was good enough for third on the team in scoring. Jones then took his game to the next level in the playoffs, registering a team-best 12 points in ten games. Jones has take a major step as and NHL prospect and is yet another promising prospect for the Knights.

Quinney appears to be a sentimental pick up more than anything. The Las Vegas native grew up playing youth hockey in the area and is the son of former NHLer and Las Vegas Thunder minor leaguer Ken Quinney. Quinney played four seasons in the WHL before turning pro, during which he only put up modest offensive totals. He played all of last season in the ECHL before landing a starting role with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this year. In both of his pro campaigns, Quinney has continued to be only a moderate offensive producer, but appears to be rounding out his game. The ceiling may not be high for the 22-year-old forward, but he is likely to be a fan-favorite prospect immediately.

Overseas Notes: Shirokov, Plotnikov, Volchenkov, Boychuk

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

One of the KHL’s top scorers is on the move. The league announced that Sergei Shirokov has signed a two-year deal with Avangard Omsk. Shirokov, 32, finished third in scoring this season for SKA St. Petersburg, the KHL regular season champs, with 41 points in 49 games. He was a top ten finisher in the league in goals per game and plus/minus among the top twenty in overall goals and points. He now takes those talents to Omsk, a team that has been a popular destination so far this off-season. Since hiring head coach Bob Hartley, the team has theoretically fixed its goaltending and scoring issues with additions of Karri Ramo and Igor Bobkov in net and Shirokov and young Denis Zernov up front. Shirokov, a sixth-round pick of the Vancouver in 2006, may not have impressed in his two NHL seasons with the Canucks, but has enough talent to turn Avangard into a true contender.

  • On the other hand, SKA seems to be bleeding assets. Shirokov joins leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk (in theory), long-time star Vadim Shipachyov, and starting goaltender Mikko Koskinen in departing St. Petersburg and there is still a chance that star forward Nikita Gusev and top defenseman Slava Voynov could eye a jump to the NHL this summer. Fortunately, Sergei Plotnikov isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Despite a bounce back season that had some thinking he might take another shot at the NHL, Plotkinov has signed a four-year extension with SKA per a team release. Plotnikov will now be looked upon as a top scorer for St. Petersburg alongside Gusev and won’t be able to disappear for long stretches as he was known for during his brief stay in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Arizona Coyotes. The team’s continued place as a top contender in the KHL may depend on it.
  • Anton Volchenkov is gearing up for his 18th season of pro hockey. The 36-year-old defenseman has signed a one-year deal with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, the KHL announced. The Russian veteran was cut from his team, Admiral Vladivostok, in early February and there was speculation that it would be the end of his career. However, the menacing blue liner will live to skate another day. Admittedly, Volchenkov’s play has slipped since he left the NHL after the 2014-15 season. The long-time Ottawa Senator was a first-round pick of the team in 2000 and played close to 700 games with the Sens, New Jersey Devils, and Nashville Predators. He previously played with Torpedo during the work stoppage that shortened the 2012-13 season and likely used those connections to return to Novgorod. Never much of an offensive threat, Volchenkov can still play a leadership role and will bring his aggressive possession game to the team.
  • It appears Zach Boychuk will put off any attempt at returning to North America for at least another year. The former Carolina Hurricanes top prospect has signed a one-year deal with Severstal Cherepovets, the team revealed today. This marks the third season for Boychuk in the KHL after failing to find NHL employment in 2016. Boychuk, the 14th overall pick in 2008 and the cousin of Johnny Boychuk, had high expectations when entering the NHL. Despite a solid, two-way game, Boychuk never provided the offensive pop that justified his early selection or that could keep him in the league full-time. He still has only production overseas. After spending years mostly buried in the AHL, it remains unknown if Boychuk will ever try to make the jump back across the Atlantic when he continues to land more lucrative contracts in the KHL.

Klas Dahlbeck Signs In KHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

June 1st: The contract is now official, as CSKA announced the signing this afternoon. It is a one-year deal for Dahlbeck, opening the door to an NHL return in the near future if his season goes well in Moscow. For their part, CSKA seems excited for the potential that the veteran defender brings in their efforts to strengthen the blue line next year.

May 22nd: According to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, Carolina GM Don Waddell has confirmed Dahlbeck’s departure to the KHL.

April 27th: It was a forgettable 2017-18 season for Klas Dahlbeck. The 26-year-old defenseman re-signed with the Carolina Hurricanes expecting an expanded role, only to lose his job to rookie Haydn Fleury. Dahlbeck proceeded to suit up for just 33 games, spending much of his time watching from the press box. In what little action he saw, Dahlbeck recorded just five points and had the worst possession numbers of any Hurricanes defenseman. It was a disappointing campaign for the 2011 third-round pick and former AHL standout who at one time carried much promise.

Now it seems Dahlbeck is looking to move on the next stage of his hockey career. According to the Sports Business Gazette out of Russia, Dahlbeck is preparing to sign in the KHL this season (link in Russian). Dahlbeck won’t be joining just any team, but one of the league’s most elite organizations, CSKA Moscow. CSKA is fresh off the second-best regular season record in the KHL and an appearance in the Gagarin Cup final. They’ve been collecting displaced NHLers in recent years, including the likes of Valeri Nichushkin, Mikhail Grigorenko, Nikita Nesterov, and Alexey Marchenko, and the Swedish-born blue liner Dahlbeck appears to be next in line.

While the contract has yet to be signed and neither CSKA nor Carolina have confirmed the move, this is a deal that seems logical and likely to happen. Dahlbeck has shown capable two-way play in the past and will likely step in and be a solid presence on the CSKA back end. Meanwhile, it’s no loss for the Hurricanes, who have one of the most talented young defensive corps in the league, with six bona fide starters under 27, and could still add to that group with top prospect Jake Bean next season.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top