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Archives for June 2018

Minnesota Re-Signs Kyle Rau To A Two-Year Contract

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Minnesota has locked up one of its restricted free agents, announcing that they’ve re-signed winger Kyle Rau to a two-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay $700K in the NHL and $275K at the minor league level in each season.  He would have been eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency as of this coming Sunday.

The 25-year-old spent most of 2017-18 at the minor league level where he collected 23 goals and 27 assists in 69 games to rank third on the team in scoring.  He also got into three regular season games with the Wild where he collected an assist while suiting up in one postseason contest as well.

Rau was a third-round pick (91st overall) of the Panthers back in 2011 and the majority of his NHL experience has come with them.  He played in 33 games with Florida over parts of two seasons before signing with Minnesota as an unrestricted free agent last July.  He will likely battle for an end-of-roster spot with the Wild in training camp and if he doesn’t crack their roster, he will become one of their first call-ups when injuries strike next season.

Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Jean-Francois Berube

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded Jordan Schroeder to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jean-Francois Berube, bringing in another goaltender to the organization. Schroeder actually carries a slightly lower cap hit ($650K vs. $750K for Berube), but both are on one-way deals.

The Blackhawks have been open with their desire to add an experienced goaltender behind Corey Crawford for next season, and were involved in the talks for Philipp Grubauer at one point. Now, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that the team has reached out to Jonathan Bernier, Carter Hutton and Cam Ward, three of the best and most experienced goaltenders headed for unrestricted free agency. It would make sense then to clear out one of the five goaltenders they had under contract, and Berube must have pulled the short straw.

Berube, 26, looked like an up-and-coming goaltender a few years ago for the Los Angeles Kings and then New York Islanders, but couldn’t put it all together at the NHL level. Now through 34 games at the highest level he’s posted just a .898 save percentage. The Blue Jackets won’t be using him at the NHL level unless something happens to one of their other goaltenders—their duo of Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo is one of the best in the league—but could use a veteran for the Lake Erie Monsters.

Schroeder did play in 21 games for the Blue Jackets this season, but didn’t appear to be in their long-term plans. The 27-year old center is an excellent minor league player, but has just 42 points through 165 NHL games and will now join his fourth team without being able to lock down a full-time role. If he can’t secure the fourth-line center role in Chicago he’ll likely find himself on waivers again before the season begins, and perhaps playing for the Rockford IceHogs this year.

Winnipeg Extends Defenseman Joe Morrow

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Wednesday: The team has officially announced the contract, bringing back Morrow for one year at $1MM.

Tuesday: A team declined to extend a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent defenseman who had been a good fit, only to re-sign him to an affordable one-year deal. Sound familiar? Less than an hour after the Vancouver Canucks re-signed Derrick Pouliot to an extension, the Winnipeg Jets have followed suit with a new contract for Joe Morrow. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Morrow has signed a one-year, $1MM extension to remain in Winnipeg.

Like Pouliot, Morrow does not lose out on not getting a qualifying offer by yesterday’s deadline. The 25-year-old defender made the league minimum $650K last year, making a new million-dollar pact a substantial upgrade. In fact, it is almost a surprising raise for Morrow. The young journeyman, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins and traded to the Dallas Stars and then to the Boston Bruins before even making his NHL debut, was on his third team in two years when he finished the 2017-18 season with the Jets. Boston had declined to qualify Morrow last summer, only they intended to let him walk as a free agent. Morrow signed with the Montreal Canadiens and posted a career high in games played and points while also showing some defensive improvements. However, Morrow was still less than a full-time player and his move to Winnipeg was more of an afterthought depth addition at the time of the NHL Trade Deadline. Morrow was solid albeit unspectacular down the stretch for the Jets and was used only sparingly in the postseason. With that said, the Jets were vocal about how pleased they were with Morrow’s acquisition.

The Winnipeg front office and coaching staff clearly saw enough of the puck-moving defenseman to decide on using some of their precious cap space to bring him back. The Jets face a daunting number of restricted and unrestricted free agency conundrums this summer, but seemingly worked quickly to get a deal done with Morrow. With four veteran defenseman signed for next season and three more qualified as RFA’s, Winnipeg has plenty of depth on the blue line, but must have plans to use Morrow in some capacity next season.

Pittsburgh Trades Conor Sheary, Matt Hunwick To Buffalo Sabres

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The Pittsburgh Penguins made it clear after re-signing Bryan Rust that there may be cap casualties this summer, and we now may have an idea of who GM Jim Rutherford was talking about. Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick are headed to Buffalo in exchange for a conditional 2019 fourth-round pick. The pick would move to a third-round selection if Sheary scores 20 goals or 40 points, or if Hunwick is traded before the 2019 draft. With no salary retained, this move clears $5.25MM for the Penguins, giving them plenty of room to add through free agency if they so choose.

Buffalo GM Jason Botterill released this statement on the acquisitions:

Conor has proven himself to be a reliable forward with an ability to come through in big games, whose playoff experience speaks for itself. Conor and Matt will bring a winning pedigree to our team, and we expect them both to complement our group very well.

Sheary is the prize of the trade for the Sabres—if you couldn’t tell from the above statement—and will likely be asked to take up residence on the left side of one of the top two lines in Buffalo. He has experience playing with a superstar center before, spending plenty of time on Sidney Crosby’s wing in Pittsburgh. If he can recreate some of that chemistry with Jack Eichel, the Sabres may have finally found a fit for their franchise center.

The 25-year old Sheary went undrafted as a junior player and needed to prove himself at the NCAA level before being offered a professional contract. Even then it took several years of development to get to the NHL, a path that Botterill will be quite familiar with given he was an assistant GM of the Penguins and ran their minor league system at the time. If there is anyone around the league that knows more than Rutherford about Sheary, it’s Botterill.

That said, Sheary did have just 30 points last season and has proven to be an extremely streaky scoring threat. There are times where all his hard work and speed result in very little, as we saw in the playoffs when he was held to just two assists through 12 games. Buffalo will hope a return to playing with skilled forwards will jump start that offensive touch, and get him back to the 23-goal man he was in 2016-17.

Hunwick had already worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh, just a single year into the three-year $6.75MM deal he signed last summer. There was never any bad blood between the veteran defenseman and the coaching staff or organization, but he couldn’t find a fit in the lineup and ended up playing in just 42 games. Getting rid of his contract was key this offseason, now that Jamie Oleksiak has taken his role at the bottom of the defensive corps and the team could be interested in bringing in players like Jack Johnson.

Should Johnson still be a target for the Penguins, they certainly have enough space now to fit him in. With the reputation Rutherford has for trading though, it seems just as likely that Pittsburgh will be involved in talks for players like Jeff Skinner, Max Pacioretty or Artemi Panarin, all three of whom are heading into the final year of their current contracts. Whether the price tag on any of them would interest the Penguins isn’t clear, but they now have the cap room—over $10MM in fact—to make a much bigger splash.

For Buffalo, adding two roster players for a conditional mid-round draft pick is nothing short of brilliance by Botterill. The Sabres aren’t in salary cap trouble and can easily afford to take a swing on both. Sheary provides a high reward player who could blossom in Buffalo, while Hunwick represents an upgrade on some of the defensemen the team iced last season. Even though the 33-year old didn’t fit into the Pittsburgh system, doesn’t mean he can’t be a useful sixth or seventh defenseman for the Sabres going forward.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first tweeted that there were “rumblings” of a trade between the Penguins and Buffalo Sabres surrounding Conor Sheary. Darren Dreger of TSN reports gave us the Hunwick addition and the conditions of the trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Final Group Of Six Will Wait For Decision From John Tavares

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The free agent interview period is supposed to drum up intrigue around dozens of names that will undoubtedly change teams on July 1st, but all eyes this year have been on pitch meetings taking place at the CAA headquarters in Los Angeles. Those meetings are meant to woo John Tavares, who would arguably be the best free agent to ever hit the market in the salary cap era. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tavares’ current team the New York Islanders presented on Monday, with the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks meeting with the superstar center and his representatives on Tuesday. Wednesday is blocked off for the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, after which, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, Tavares will shut down all communication with other teams. There were previous reports that some teams, namely the Vegas Golden Knights and Nashville Predators, were in the running through phone conversations, but that doesn’t appear to be the case any longer.

So six teams—New York, Toronto, Boston, San Jose, Dallas and Tampa Bay—will wait patiently tonight after Tavares hears the final pitches, and await word of whether he’ll be leaving for a new address this summer. The Islanders of course are the only team that can offer Tavares an eight-year deal, and the other teams are not currently allowed to discuss contract details, only express interest. If Tavares reaches Sunday without a contract, the Islanders lose their advantage and become like any other team able to sign him to seven years. Should that happen, it seems unlikely that he’d be heading back to the Islanders, meaning the countdown is on for New York.

Of course there are different strengths and weaknesses from each market, and TSN has released a calculator to show off the differences surrounding state (or provincial) taxes. The Lightning and Stars have a huge advantage in this way, though it is obviously not the only determining factor. Even with a no-movement clause, there is no guarantee that a player spends his whole career in a certain state, meaning there likely won’t be any discounts for the teams which have the best tax rates.

Red Wings Seeking To Fill Familiar Roles

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According to The Athletic’s Craig Custance, the Detroit Red Wings have special interest in four unrestricted free agents: goaltender Robin Lehner, center Valtteri Filppula, winger Thomas Vanek, and defenseman Mike Green. What all four of these players have in common is that the Red Wings have a very specific role in mind for each player. Detroit is seeking to replace, or in some case retain, players who had success in a certain organizational role.

Lehner, 26, appears to be a priority for the Red Wings. The former Buffalo Sabres starter reportedly visited Detroit today to meet with the Red Wings’ front office and coaching staff. Custance points out that Lehner is still young enough that he could get his game back on track and step into the starter role if and when 34-year-old Jimmy Howard leaves when his contract expires after next season. This was the exact role that the team had planned for Petr Mrazek, ironically the other big-name non-qualified goaltender. Mrazek was ahead of schedule and took Howard’s job for much of 2015-16 and 2016-17, but a drop-off in his performance eventually ran him out of town. The Wings seem to now see Lehner as a second chance at their plan, replacing Mrazek in hopes of landing a young heir apparent behind Howard.

Filppula is a name that Red Wings’ fans are familiar with. The veteran pivot was drafted by the team back in 2002 and spent eight seasons in Detroit. Who better than a wise, capable long-time Red Wing to replace a wise, capable long-time Red Wing? Custance writes that Detroit is worried that injuries may keep Henrik Zetterberg from returning this season and pursuing Fippula gives them a back-up option if their seasoned leader isn’t around. Both players are versatile, two-way centermen who can help the team in many ways. Even if Zetterberg is healthy, Filppula’s return to Detroit could help to groom some of their younger talent.

Vanek and Green are interesting targets in that the Red Wings want them back to avoid having to find another way to replace them. Vanek scored 38 points in 48 games with Detroit in 2016-17, but was traded to the Florida Panthers at the deadline. Almost immediately it was rumored that the Red Wings hoped to bring him back as a free agent. Instead, Vanek signed with the Vancouver Canucks and again was a deadline acquisition, this time by the Columbus Blue Jackets. While Vanek registered 56 points in 80 games, Detroit struggled to make up his production. They are now back in the running for his services this off-season in hopes that he can again provide a spark on offense. They are also trying to avoid losing Green and, like Vanek, immediately regretting the loss due to a difficulty in replacing his ability. Green is the lone high-end offensive defenseman on the free agent market and Detroit is far from the only team in the running. Custance reports that they are willing to match salary, but won’t seem to budge on a maximum two-year term. If the Red Wings were to lose Green to free agency, they would surely have a hard time making up his 30+ points and more than 22 minutes of ice time per game over the past two seasons.

The Red Wings have not been a strong team for the past few years, but there have been some facets of their game play that have worked out well. Detroit is hoping to continue, replace, or revive those successful pieces in hopes of finally returning to a complete, competitive team. Are Lehner, Filppula, Vanek, and Green the right moves? Or should the Red Wings forget about past successes and move on to a new, younger strategy?

Canucks Re-Sign Defenseman Derrick Pouliot

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Yet another example of a restricted free agent not receiving a qualifying offer only to sign an extension with his team anyway, the Vancouver Canucks have announced a new deal with defenseman Derrick Pouliot. The contract is for one year and worth $1.1MM. While this is a great deal for the Canucks, it is also well above the value of Pouliot’s would-be qualifying offer, showing that the offer’s absence was just a formality of ongoing negotiations.

Pouliot, 24, finally landed a full-time NHL role last year in his fifth pro season. The eighth overall pick in 2012 had struggled to find his spot with the Pittsburgh Penguins for years, leading the two-time defending champs to trade him away last summer for the relatively underwhelming package of Andrey Pedan and a fourth-round pick. Pouliot arrived in Vancouver eager to show that he was better than the part-time player he was in Pittsburgh. He did just that, skating in 71 games for the Canucks and recording 22 points along the way. Pouliot trailed only Alexander Edler in terms of points and assists among Vancouver defenseman and was not only the best possession player on the blue line, but behind only Daniel and Henrik Sedin in Corsi.

This is why many were surprised when it was reported that the Canucks had not extended a qualifying offer to Pouliot yesterday. The young rearguard is clearly a key piece for Vancouver and likely a part of GM Jim Benning’s long-term plan. Pouliot’s extension may only be for one more year, as the team continues to evaluate his overall game and work on improving problem areas, but it stands to reason that Pouliot could bridge the gap between Edler, a 2019 free agent, and top prospects Quinn Hughes and Olli Juolevi as the primary puck-mover and offensive catalyst on the Vancouver’s back end.

Free Agent Rumor Round-Up: Maroon, Grabner, De Haan, Rieder

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Teams are free to speak with impending free agents prior to the official opening of free agency on Sunday, July 1st. As usual, that has produced a flurry of rumors regarding which teams and how many teams are talking to each of the biggest names. Here is an update on some of those rumors:

  • Unsurprisingly, winger Patrick Maroon has been linked to his hometown St. Louis Blues. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirms that the Blues have reached out to Maroon’s camp in hopes of bringing him back to where his hockey aspirations first began. Maroon is coming off a career-high 43-point season and especially looked strong after a Trade Deadline deal from the Edmonton Oilers to the New Jersey Devils. Blues beat reporter Andy Strickland adds that Maroon has not closed the door on a return to either Edmonton or New Jersey, but that the Blues are one of at least six other teams who are pursuing the power forward.
  • The Boston Bruins were busy making their pitch to John Tavares today, but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t also thinking a few steps ahead. Mark Divver of the Providence Journal says that the Bruins have “checked in” on two-way speedster Michael Grabner, another Devils deadline acquisition. Not only do the Bruins need another veteran right-shot forward and want to continue to add quickness to the roster, but it also might not be a coincidence that Grabner spent years playing alongside Tavares with the New York Islanders.
  • In a shallow class of top-four defenseman, Calvin de Haan is drawing a lot of interest despite missing most of the season with the New York Islanders due to injury. The 27-year-old former first-round pick is one of the more reliable and younger options among defenders on the market and is set to cash in as a result. Kings beat writer Dennis Bernstein reports that Los Angeles is the latest team to show interest in de Haan, bringing the speculated total number of teams interested in the blue liner into the double-digits.
  • When the Kings declined to offer Tobias Rieder a qualifying offer yesterday, it was only a matter of time before teams came calling on the new UFA. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal states that the Vancouver Canucks are one of those interested teams, but that four or five other suitors have already emerged. The two-way winger is one of the youngest and most versatile options available on the market.

Dallas Stars Sign Reece Scarlett To One-Year Deal

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Reece Scarlett will be staying in Texas, as the Dallas Stars have re-signed the free agent defenseman to a one-year, two-way contract. Scarlett was actually scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent on July 1st, after failing to get a chance at the NHL level once again in 2017-18. The team hasn’t released any financial details, but it would be surprising if Scarlett secured anything more than the minimum of $650K at the NHL level.

Scarlett, 25, was acquired in November from the Florida Panthers, and quickly found his niche with the Texas Stars as a reliable defensive option. Recording just seven points in 44 regular season games, he was nevertheless an important part of the team making the playoffs. The Stars weren’t favored heading into the postseason, but Scarlett and other veteran AHL players led them all the way to the Calder Cup finals against the Toronto Marlies. They’d spread their luck a little too thin against the powerhouse Marlies and come up short, but it was still an outstanding season for the group.

No one is expecting Scarlett to make an impact at the NHL level next year, but bringing back reliable depth options is important for any organization. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him make his NHL debut at some point if the Stars face injuries, and at the very least will provide some experience to Texas as they look to improve on 2017-18. There is plenty of young dynamic talent coming through the pipeline for the Stars, but it’s players like Scarlett who are the backbone of any minor league organization.

2018 Hockey Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced

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The Hockey Hall of Fame have announced their inductees for 2018, and among them are Martin Brodeur and Martin St. Louis. The hall has also inducted Gary Bettman, Willie O’Ree, Jayna Hefford and Alexander Yakushev. Players like Sergei Zubov, Theoren Fleury, Daniel Alfredsson and Alexander Mogilny will have to wait at least another season to see if they are accepted into the honored group.

Brodeur sticks out among all the player candidates as the easiest decision after a career that set the all-time record for goaltenders in wins, shutouts, games played and points. Brodeur led the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cup championships, while also winning a Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie and four Vezina’s as the league’s top goaltender. His 691 career wins are 140 more than second place Patrick Roy, while he has a 23-shutout lead on Terry Sawchuk with 125. Roberto Luongo is the closest active goaltender in both categories, trailing in wins by 120 and shutouts by 49. Basically, his records are unlikely to be matched for a long time, if ever.

St. Louis is the poster boy for small players who were overlooked because of their size. Undrafted, St. Louis had to prove himself in college and then the IHL before being given an NHL opportunity. After some early struggles with the Calgary Flames, St. Louis turned into one of the most dynamic offensive players of a generation in Tampa Bay, twice winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer. He also took home a Stanley Cup, a Hart Trophy, three Lady Byng’s and a handful of All-Star appearances during his 1,134-game career. St. Louis finished up with the New York Rangers in 2015 with 1,033 career points in the regular season. Add in 90 more playoff points in 107 games, and you have the career of a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

Bettman and O’Ree are heading in as builders, one a commissioner that has led the league since 1993 and the other the first black player to suit up for an NHL game. Bettman’s accomplishments in the league speak for themselves, as the NHL is in a strong financial position and is expected to expand to 32 teams in the near future. It’s O’Ree though who will go in with much fanfare, after years of watching from the sidelines. Making his debut for the Boston Bruins on January 18, 1958, O’Ree would break the color barrier for the NHL and change how the game was seen for many around the world. His impact wasn’t as simple as that game though, as O’Ree has worked tirelessly with the league and hockey community for the six decades that have followed to introduce the game to players who might not normally be given the opportunity to play. Even now, at the age of 82 he continues his work to ensure that no one should be denied the chance to play hockey because of the color of their skin.

Hefford, a legend in women’s hockey goes into the Hall of Fame just four years after winning her fourth Olympic gold medal. She also took home 12 World Championship medals, the first of which she earned back in 1997 as a teenager. A prolific scoring threat for her whole career, she routinely recorded crucial goals in the dying minutes of important international games, and dominated the NWHL and CWHL during season play.

Yakushev may be less well-known to younger NHL fans, but anyone who watched the 1972 Summit Series will be familiar of his work. The legendary Russian player was a mixture of skill and brute force, and collected 10 World Championship medals over his long career. In ’72 against Canada, one of the most famous international series of all-time, Yakushev actually led the Russian squad and trailed only Phil Esposito—a player he was compared to during his time—in total scoring.

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