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Oliver Ekman-Larsson Sitting On Substantial Contract Extension Offer

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Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to be the biggest offseason question in Arizona, as the team approaches July 1st when he can be extended. Though we’d previously heard that the two sides were working on an eight-year deal, Bob McKenzie of TSN puts a dollar figure on the contract and updates where the negotiations stand. In the recent edition of Insider Trading, McKenzie explains:

Right now the ball seems to be squarely in Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s court. He is sitting on an offer from the Arizona Coyotes that is believed to be an eight-year contract extension at an average annual value of $8.25MM. If he wants to sign long-term and make a commitment to the Coyotes, that’s the deal that’s on the table. If he doesn’t want to do that, then the Coyotes would of course look at their options in terms of maybe going down the trade route. There doesn’t seem to be any sense of timetable on this but obviously sooner rather than later both sides would like to know where this thing’s at. 

Ekman-Larsson can’t officially sign an extension until July 1st, but it sounds like the decision hasn’t even been made over whether he’ll accept the deal. His current contract, a six-year $33MM deal signed in spring of 2013, expires next summer when he’s scheduled to be part of an elite free agent class. Alongside potential free agents like Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, Ryan Ellis and Ryan McDonagh, Ekman-Larsson could be another top-pairing defenseman on the market for the highest bidder.

Despite the opportunity he could find himself in next summer, Ekman-Larsson has always maintained that he’d rather stay in Arizona if given the opportunity. That opportunity is certainly there if the contract McKenzie and others have reported is still on the table, though there may be some who believe he could get even more should he wait out his full deal. Doughty and Karlsson are both expected to eclipse P.K. Subban’s $9MM cap hit on their next contracts, and if Ekman-Larsson was on the open market he might have a chance at doing the same. The Swedish defenseman is the youngest of the three and will see his current deal expire while he’s still just 27.

Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Draft Picks Expire

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The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players—the same total as last year—will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2018 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. Adam Mascherin is the highest picked player among those who will be headed back into the draft, selected 38th overall by the Florida Panthers two years ago. Below is the full list of players:

Anaheim Ducks:

F Tyler Soy (7th round, 2016)

Arizona Coyotes:

F Anton Karlsson (3rd round, 2014)
D David Westlund (6th round, 2014)

Buffalo Sabres:

D Vojtech Budik (5th round, 2016)
F Brandon Hagel (6th round, 2016)
D Austin Osmanski (7th round, 2016)

Calgary Flames:

D Adam Ollas Mattsson (6th round, 2014)

Carolina Hurricanes: 

C Hudson Elynuik (3rd round, 2016)
D Noah Carroll (6th round, 2016)

Chicago Blackhawks:

D Andreas Soderberg (5th round, 2014)

Colorado Avalanche:

G Maximilian Pajpach (6th round, 2014)

Dallas Stars:

D Miro Karjalainen (5th round, 2014)

Detroit Red Wings:

D Jordan Sambrook (5th round, 2016)
F Julius Vahatalo (6th round, 2014)

Florida Panthers:

G Hugo Fagerblom (7th round, 2014)
C Adam Mascherin (2nd round, 2016)

Los Angeles Kings:

D Jacob Friend (7th round, 2016)

Minnesota Wild:

D Pontus Sjalin (6th round, 2014)
D Brayden Chizen (7th round, 2016)

New Jersey Devils:

G Evan Cormier (4th round, 2016)

Philadelphia Flyers:

C Anthony Salinitri (6th round, 2016)

Pittsburgh Penguins:

D Connor Hall (3rd round, 2016)

San Jose Sharks:

D Mark Shoemaker (6th round, 2016)

Tampa Bay Lightning:

C Christopher Paquette (5th round, 2016)

Toronto Maple Leafs:

D Keaton Middleton (4th rond, 2016)
F J.J. Piccinich (4th round, 2014)
D Nicolas Mattinen (6th round, 2016)

Vancouver Canucks:

D Cole Candella (5th round, 2016)
F Jakob Stukel (6th round, 2016)
C Brett McKenzie (7th round, 2016)

Washington Capitals:

F Kevin Elgestal (7th round, 2014)
D Dmitri Zaitsev (7th round, 2016)

Winnipeg Jets:

C Jordan Stallard (5th round, 2016)

Montreal Canadiens In Preliminary Extension Discussions With Max Pacioretty

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Though trade rumors have swirled around Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty for the better part of a year, there may be more evidence to support an upcoming contract extension. Darren Dreger of TSN reported on Insider Trading that GM Marc Bergevin and agent Pat Brisson of CAA have had “preliminary discussions” about a potential extension for Pacioretty. While Dreger can’t handicap the chances of it happening, the idea of Pacioretty being moved this summer may not be as likely as some had believed. The two sides could sign a contract extension as early as July 1st, though terms can be agreed upon at any time.

Entering the final season of his six-year $27MM contract, the 29-year old Pacioretty is coming off arguably the worst offensive season of his career. After scoring at least 30 goals in each of the four seasons between 2013 and 2017, he registered just 17 goals this year and his lowest assist total since becoming a full-time NHLer. Those low totals were partly caused by injury, but also by the ineffectiveness of many of the other Canadiens forwards this season. Though he’s been waiting for a true first line center for much of his career in Montreal, Pacioretty failed to drive even-strength play at his usual high level this year, and couldn’t rely on his linemates to pick him up. Should Montreal go out and acquire such a center, or see substantial improvement from Jonathan Drouin in the role next season, there is plenty of reason to believe that Pacioretty’s numbers will rebound in 2018-19.

If that’s the case, signing him now to an extension could be the most prudent option for Montreal. If Pacioretty is willing to negotiate, he won’t be able to demand quite as much as he could have following one of his 35-goal campaigns and could be locked up for a reasonable cap hit. His $4.5MM deal has been one of the better bargains in the league for several years, and if Montreal could avoid a huge raise a long-term extension certainly makes sense. Acting as captain, Pacioretty has always spoken highly of Montreal and only really mentioned playing somewhere else when trade rumors peaked this last season, knowing he could potentially move at the trade deadline. The fact that he’s considering signing an extension at all after the season he had proves that he’s willing to stay and help the Canadiens win, as it’s likely not in his best financial interest.

Though the 2019 class of free agents is currently projected to be one of the best groups of all-time, Pacioretty would certainly have suitors all around the league. As we recently saw with Evander Kane and will likely see with James van Riemsdyk, James Neal and others this summer, goal scoring is well paid on the free agent market. Pacioretty is scheduled to hit that market at the age of 30, meaning he’ll have to prove he’s not in a rapid decline this season if he wants a long-term deal.

On the other hand, the Canadiens could feel as though a change is needed for the big winger. With the third-overall selection in the upcoming draft, and good young players like Drouin and Victor Mete to build around, the team may decide to move Pacioretty for some younger assets and try to build a core with a longer window of contention. Even with Carey Price and Shea Weber heading into the back half of their careers, the team doesn’t necessarily have to rush to contention in the next few seasons.

Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes

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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 Arizona’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agent: F Max Domi – The 12th-overall pick from 2013 is an enigma for the Coyotes, who have received flashes of dominance and bouts of inconsistency from Domi throughout his young career. Few would argue with 135 points in 232 games for any forward before his age-23 season, but there is clearly more to get out of Domi as he heads out of his entry-level contract. After spending time at center this season his point totals were boosted by a late-season run, but he failed to eclipse the 10-goal mark for the second consecutive year. Perhaps because of that relatively disappointing total, trade rumors have popped up around Domi with the Pittsburgh Penguins showing interest.

While nothing is certain for any NHL player, the future for Domi is particularly unclear. Does he sign a long-term deal with the Coyotes this season to be a core piece of their rebuild, anchoring the top-six alongside Clayton Keller and others? Is a short-term bridge deal a better option for a player who has yet to really show his full potential in the NHL? Do the Coyotes use this summer to cash in on their asset before he becomes too expensive, and try to acquire a more veteran presence to help them win in the near future? With GM John Chayka loathe to lose out on young inexpensive assets, trading Domi at this point seems like the opposite of the Coyotes model. Perhaps Arizona will show patience and accept his 6.0% shooting percentage in 2017-18 as more of a bargaining chip than reason to move him.

Other RFAs: F Freddie Hamilton, F Laurent Dauphin, G Sean Maguire, D Dakota Mermis, D Trevor Murphy, G Marek Langhamer, F Michael Bunting

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D Kevin Connauton – The Coyotes face a much more difficult crop of unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2019, when Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson and others are scheduled to hit the free agent market. They also already dealt with Antti Raanta, their biggest question mark from this offseason, when they signed him to a new three-year extension. Still, Connauton has a pretty compelling case for a raise this summer from the $1MM he’s earned the last two years.

The 28-year old defenseman finished third on the Coyotes in scoring by defensemen with 21 points, and did so in limited minutes that included almost zero powerplay time. His 11 even-strength goals actually put him fourth on the entire team—not just among defensemen—and he tied for the lead with three game-winners. All that while playing just over 15 minutes a night, and getting relatively even zone starts (if not a little negative). There’s obviously an argument to be made to let Connauton walk, as the team will likely have Jakob Chychrun back and could get contributions from younger players—including perhaps one selected with the fifth-overall pick in the upcoming draft. His agent also recently told Craig Morgan of AZ Sports that like many other players, Connauton wants a bigger role. If that’s not possible in Arizona, perhaps he’ll find himself in a new sweater come October.

F Brad Richardson – Richardson’s fate may have been sealed when the Coyotes traded for Marcus Kruger in early May, as the former Carolina Hurricanes forward is expected to take over as the shutdown center for Arizona next season. The 33-year old Richardson then would be expendable, even if he has proven to be a big part of the leadership group for the club. His 15 points in 76 games this season were far from a career-high, but still represented a solid campaign for a player tasked with winning faceoffs and getting the puck out of his own end. Richardson had a whopping 66% defensive zone-start percentage, easily the highest on the Coyotes last season.

Centers are difficult to find on the open market, but there may be no room for Richardson any longer on a Coyotes team that is looking to contend for the playoffs in 2018-19. If Dylan Strome is truly ready to step into a full-time role in the NHL, it gives the team four—Derek Stepan, Christian Dvorak, Strome and Kruger—capable options down the middle with even more experience in other players on the roster. His market may lie elsewhere around the league as he’s proven himself a capable NHL option over the last decade.

Other UFAs: F Zac Rinaldo, D Luke Schenn, D Joel Hanley, F Pierre-Cedric Labrie, F Mike Sislo, F Tye McGinn

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Valeri Nichushkin Expected To Sign With Dallas Stars

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Recently, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (subscription required) reported that Valeri Nichushkin and his agent were confident that a deal would be worked out with the Dallas Stars to allow the 23-year old forward to return to the NHL. After leaving for the KHL two seasons ago, Dallas has maintained that they would like Nichushkin to return one day when he’s ready to help the Stars win. Now the team, well known for their dramatic Twitter reveals, has tweeted out “Choo Choo” along with a picture of Nichushkin in a Dallas uniform and a quote from GM Jim Nill:

I think in the end, Val’s going to come back as a Dallas Star here this year.

If Nichushkin does return to the NHL he’ll have to sign a new contract after leaving as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2016. By extending a qualifying offer the Stars retained his exclusive rights, and would be able to sign him to any deal the two sides felt comfortable with (within the confines of the CBA, that is).

Selected 10th overall in 2013, Nichushkin got off to a brilliant start in Dallas by scoring 14 goals and 34 points in his rookie season. The big forward is a freight train on skates, and proved to be a difficult player to handle even at such a young age. Unfortunately, a hip injury robbed him of most of the next season and after a disappointing 2015-16 under Lindy Ruff—a head coach that reportedly clashed with the young Russian winger—he was off to the KHL. His return to the NHL maybe wouldn’t be as impactful as Ilya Kovalchuk’s impending signing, but would certainly give the Stars another impressive young talent to build around.

Finishing third on CSKA Moscow in goals this season, Nichushkin was held out of the Olympics as one of the banned Russian players. He had to watch as his countrymen took home the gold medal, before injuring his shoulder in the KHL playoffs and missing out on the IIHF World Championship as well.

Schedule Set For AHL Calder Cup Finals

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While most eyes are glued to the Stanley Cup Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals, some other markets may be more interested in what the AHL has to offer. Tomorrow night marks the beginning of the Calder Cup Finals between the Toronto Marlies and Texas Stars, with top prospects and outstanding players on both sides. The AHL released all the schedule and broadcast information for the series, as all seven games will be hosted on both TSN and the NHL Network. The schedule is as follows:

All times CST

Game 1 – Saturday, June 2nd @ Toronto, 3pm

Game 2 – Sunday, June 3rd @ Toronto, 3pm

Game 3 – Tuesday, June 5th @ Texas, 7pm

Game 4 – Thursday, June 7th @ Texas, 7pm

Game 5 – Saturday, June 9th, @ Texas, 7pm*

Game 6 – Tuesday, June 12th @ Toronto, 6pm*

Game 7 – Thursday, June 14th @ Toronto, 6pm*

*if necessary

For more information on specific broadcasters, visit the AHL site for all the detailed information.

Evgeny Kuznetsov “Day-To-Day” With Upper-Body Injury

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Friday: Amazingly, Kuznetsov is on the ice at the Capitals option skate this morning. No word on whether he’ll play tomorrow, as Trotz still claims he has not been cleared to return to game action.

Thursday: The Washington Capitals came away with a big road win in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final last night, but they also lost a key contributor in the match-up. The postseason’s leading scorer, Evgeny Kuznetsov, was forced out of the game early after he was the recipient of a hip check into the boards from Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. Speaking to the media earlier, head coach Barry Trotz offered no update on Kuznetsov’s condition, other than to say that he is “day-to-day” with an undisclosed upper body injury, reports Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post. Trotz seemed unsure if Kuznetsov would be available for Friday’s practice as he deals with this injury, but hopes to give a more educated update tomorrow.

The hit in question (video) seems to show the brunt of the impact landing on the right elbow and forearm area of Kuznetsov. If Kuznetsov suffered a break of any kind in that area, it would severely limit his stick-handling ability and would likely mean the end of his season. If he cannot return in the series, it would be a major blow to Washington’s Cup hopes. Kuznetsov has 25 points this postseason, including eleven goals, and had been on an 11-game point streak as well. Should the Capitals go on to win the series, the 26-year-old center would likely be one of the favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

For what it’s worth, Kuznetsov’s teammates do not seem overly concerned about his availability. Alexander Ovechkin told Khurshudyan that he’s “sure he’s going to be fine”, while Nicklas Backstrom offered an open-ended “We’ll see what happens”. If Kuznetsov does miss any time, it is also comforting to Washington players, personnel, and fans alike that Lars Eller performed well when he was forced to take over Kuznetsov’s ice time last night. Eller’s tenure in Washington has not been without bumps in the road, but he has taken his play to a new level in these playoffs. It would not be easy to fill the shoes of the postseason’s most dangerous forward, but Eller seems to be up for the task if called upon.

Bogdan Kiselevich Signs With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers have signed another high profile Russian player, inking Bogdan Kiselevich to a one-year contract. This comes just a year after the team brought back Evgeni Dadonov, who ended up with 65 points for them this season. Financial details on Kiselevich’s contract have not yet been released, but GM Dale Tallon released a statement on his new defenseman:

Bogdan is a solid, shutdown defenseman who adds depth to our blue line and possesses a strong work ethic. He’s proven himself to be a reliable defensive presence on the international stage and in the KHL and has the ability to be a steadying influence on the back end for our young defensemen.

Kiselevich, 28, has been on the radar of NHL teams for some time, making his KHL debut nearly a decade ago. The defensive defenseman is a well-known shutdown option in Russia, and was recently used in that role at the Olympics. The Russians obviously won gold, though couldn’t repeat the feat at the recent IIHF World Championship.

If this experiment is as successful as Dadonov’s, the Panthers will be adding another impact player for a run next season. The Florida blue line already looked pretty crowded, but Kiselevich has experience playing both sides and should be versatile enough to play with nearly any type of partner. Though not known for his offense, he has had solid production in recent years playing a simple game and joining the rush when the opportunity presents itself.

Kiselevich will be an unrestricted free agent again next summer, but after waiting so long to come to North America one has to believe that the Panthers have the inside track on any future deals. Something convinced him to come to the NHL finally, and if he finds success in Florida it wouldn’t surprise to see them re-sign him at some point. Remember, any extension can’t be signed until the new year since he’s on a one-year contract.

As Panthers’ reporter Harvey Fialkov opines, this could mean trouble for Alex Petrovic, who plays a similar game and is a restricted free agent this summer. Petrovic saw his ice time reduced dramatically this season, and could be a potential trade chip for the Panthers this summer.

Either way, this signing only strengthens a Panthers team that looked ready to compete for the playoffs in the second half of last season.

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