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Archives for June 2018

Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Sign J.T. Miller To Five-Year Deal

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have decided that J.T. Miller is a good long-term fit for the team, signing the RFA forward to a five-year, $26.25MM contract. Miller will carry a $5.25MM cap hit for the next half decade, after fitting in tremendously following a midseason trade from the New York Rangers. The deal contains no signing bonuses, and is broken down as follows:

  • 2018-19: $5.25MM
  • 2019-20: $6.0MM
  • 2020-21: $4.5MM
  • 2021-22: $6.0MM
  • 2022-23: $4.5MM

Miller, 25, came over from the Rangers in a package that also included Ryan McDonagh, and ended up being a huge part of the Tampa Bay success down the stretch. With 18 points in 19 regular season games, he took to his role beside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov with aplomb. Ten goals including five on the powerplay in those 19 games gave him 23 on the season, a new career high and his third consecutive season above 20. Unfortunately, that goal scoring dried up in the playoffs when Miller was able to record just two tallies in 17 games. That postseason performance will have to improve as he heads into the prime of his career if this contract is going to be worth it, as the Lightning aren’t waiting around for their next chance at a Stanley Cup.

Amazingly, the Lightning are one of the teams scheduled to sit down with pending free agent center John Tavares this week, despite having just over $5MM in cap space after re-signing Miller. The team already has expensive long-term contracts with five forwards, and that doesn’t include the mega extension that Nikita Kucherov is eligible to sign on July 1st. Kucherov has just one season remaining on his current contract at a criminally low cap hit of just under $4.8MM. Kucherov should become one of the highest paid wingers in the league on his next contract, after breaking 100 points this season and leading the Lightning in scoring for the third consecutive season.

With Miller now under contract for several seasons, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman can turn his attention to issues like re-signing Kucherov, McDonagh, Brayden Point and Anton Stralman, all who see their deals expire next summer. The wizard-like GM has convinced franchise players to stay for less than market value before, and will need to work some more magic to fit everyone in. Miller’s $5.25MM cap hit certainly isn’t unreasonable for a 50-60 point player, but it’s also not a huge bargain for the team. If he’s destined to stay on the wing in Tampa Bay—which is far from guaranteed—he’ll have to really keep producing offensively to reward the team for making such a big investment in his career.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jack Johnson In Talks With Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are always one of the teams to watch in trade season and free agency, at least with Jim Rutherford in the GM chair. The veteran executive is no stranger to salary cap gymnastics and horse trading, and usually finds unexpected ways to improve his roster. One of those ways may now come in the form of Jack Johnson, who according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has had very positive talks with the Penguins as we get closer to free agency opening on July 1st. Johnson is a good friend of Sidney Crosby and would give Pittsburgh another veteran option on the blueline to help on another Stanley Cup run in 2018-19.

The cost of a Johnson contract isn’t clear. The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman earned $5MM on the last season of his seven-year, $30.5MM contract in 2017-18, but lobbied for a trade in order to try and secure a better contract on the open market. The 31-year old was involved in a very public bankruptcy case in 2014, and simply wanted to ensure a healthy deal this summer knowing it may be his last multi-year deal in the NHL. He ended up staying with Columbus all season, but faced being a healthy scratch down the stretch—in part, somewhat ironically, because of the Blue Jackets’ acquisition of Penguins defenseman Ian Cole at the deadline—and didn’t suit up for a single playoff game.

Where his market currently sits is unclear, but the Penguins can’t be paying huge sums to a defenseman in their current cap situation. After re-signing Bryan Rust earlier today, Pittsburgh has around $5MM in cap space with Jamie Oleksiak and others still to sign. Though they can go up to 10% over that during the offseason, signing Johnson to a hefty multi-year deal would make it awful tricky going forward. Rutherford has made it clear that they will send out some salary at some point this season, but even trading Phil Kessel’s $6.8MM cap hit doesn’t create much room if a good chunk of it is taken up by a Johnson signing.

Philadelphia Flyers To Re-Sign Samuel Morin

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June 26: The Flyers have officially announced the contract, though they provided very few details. The team revealed it is a “multi-year” deal, and did not give any financial details.

June 22: GM Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers confirmed today that the team has agreed to re-sign Samuel Morin to a three-year contract. Stephen Whyno of the Associate Press reports the deal will carry an average annual value of $700K. Morin is expected to miss a good chunk of the season after a knee injury suffered in the AHL playoffs, but is now locked up for the next few years.

Morin, 22, was selected 11th overall in 2013 but still hasn’t quite turned into the dominating shutdown presence they had hoped for. The 6’6″ defenseman is still obviously in the team’s plans, but has plenty of competition from players like Travis Sanheim, Robert Hagg, Ivan Provorov, and Philippe Myers. With Shayne Gostisbehere already signed long-term and Radko Gudas still an effective option, it’s not like there is ample opportunity on the Philadelphia blue line going forward. That’s the tough part for Morin, who played just 15 games this season and is set to miss another huge chunk of development time with this latest injury.

Still, the Flyers have now locked him up almost at a risk-free cost to the organization. At worst he’s a minor league stud for the team at a cap hit that can be completely buried, and at best he forces his way onto the NHL roster and is an undervalued asset for the team moving forward. Morin will turn 23 in a few weeks, and would actually qualify for Group VI free agency in the summer of 2021 if he doesn’t get into another 77 games. That won’t be hard to do if he’s healthy, but there’s no guarantee on that at this point.

Korbinian Holzer Clears Waivers

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Tuesday: Holzer has cleared waivers.

Monday: The Anaheim Ducks have placed Korbinian Holzer on waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, but not for the purpose of a buyout or contract termination. Instead, the Ducks are likely hoping another team will claim him and take the $900K off their books, or at least gain some leverage on Holzer in any extension negotiations. This transaction is often seen right before an arbitration hearing with a restricted free agent, but Holzer is still under contract for one season and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019.

Anaheim has plenty of options on the blue line for next season, and could likely go without Holzer all year if another team was willing to claim him. He played in only 16 games for them last season, and hasn’t ever really been a full-time NHL player. He does offer some right-handed depth, but isn’t dynamic enough to warrant a roster spot. If the Ducks can’t find a taker, he may be destined for the San Diego Gulls next season.

The Ducks do have some work to do this summer to shore up their defense, as Brandon Montour is a restricted free agent and will be looking for a substantial raise. The team already has Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson locked into their top-four, while several young players like Jacob Larsson, Marcus Pettersson and Josh Mahura should be challenging for playing time. In what has become a defenseman factory, the Ducks don’t need Holzer any longer for a depth option with the big club.

Alex Burrows Placed On Unconditional Waivers, Buyout Expected

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The Ottawa Senators have admitted their mistake and today placed Alex Burrows on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout. Burrows was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in 2017 and immediately signed to a two-year contract extension. That extension though came after Burrows’ 35th birthday, meaning the buyout will have no effect on his 2018-19 cap hit. The Senators will still carry his $2.5MM contract on their books, but will be required to pay only two thirds of that amount, spread over the next two seasons.

The Canucks received budding prospect Jonathan Dahlen in the deal, while the Senators were hoping that Burrows experience and feisty on-ice play would help them in a season they felt they could contend for the Stanley Cup. While Burrows did play well down the stretch and the team came within one goal of reaching the Finals, he took a huge step backwards in 2017-18 and registered just 14 points in 71 games. He obviously didn’t have much more to give, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him file retirement papers after the buyout is completed.

It’s a tough move for the Senators to make, but if you forget about the price they paid for him it is one they had to do. The team has several younger players ready to spend some time in the NHL, and Ottawa is desperate to not finish at the bottom of the standings. As much as some believe there is nothing they can do to stop that from happening, GM Pierre Dorion is trying his best to put together a roster that is competitive. They don’t have the benefit of picking early should they finish out of the playoffs, since their first-round selection belongs to the Colorado Avalanche, meaning their goal is development and competitiveness this season. Burrows wasn’t playing a positive impact on either of those things, meaning he needed to be shipped out somehow.

The cap hit won’t really hurt the Senators, as the team has nearly $20MM in room and aren’t expected to come anywhere close to the ceiling this season. Operating on an internal budget, it seems likely that they’ll be closer to the cap floor than its ceiling by the end of the summer.

Tom Kurvers Named Minnesota Wild Assistant GM

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The Minnesota Wild have brought in another familiar name to join Paul Fenton in the front office, as they announced the hiring of Tom Kurvers as an Assistant General Manager. Kurvers had been working with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the past decade, prior to which he was with the then Phoenix Coyotes organization.

Kurvers, 55, suited up for 659 regular season games in the NHL during an 11-year playing career, and was famously involved in a trade that netted the New Jersey Devils a pick that ended up being Scott Niedermayer. Kurvers would play just 89 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs who gave up the pick, before moving on to play for three more teams before the end of his career. In all, Kurvers would win a Stanley Cup, a Hobey Baker Award and even a Japan Ice Hockey League championship at the very end of his career. He’s familiar with winning, and will try to bring that knowledge back to the Wild.

Minnesota is a team to watch this summer as they try to fix a roster that has been good for quite a while, but never able to really compete in the Western Conference playoffs. Key members of their core are starting to hit the back portion of their careers, and they’ve lost plenty of young talent in recent years. Fenton will bring his well-regarded scouting and development ability and lean on Kurvers to help him turn things around, or at least get them over the hump to really contend for a Stanley Cup championship.

Bryan Rust Re-Signs With Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have locked up one of their most versatile forwards, re-signing Bryan Rust to a four-year contract. The deal carries an average annual value of $3.5MM, and will carry Rust to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2022. Rust was scheduled to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, but will now be locked into a contract with Pittsburgh until just after his 30th birthday.

Rust, 26, has moved up and down the Penguins lineup for the last few years, often riding shotgun with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. With that, he set a career-high with 38 points this season and saw the ice in every situation. A reliable defensive winger who can play both sides, he’s a useful piece for the Penguins to move around when needed. That said, this deal now brings with it some extra responsibility and expectations.

The Penguins are paying for UFA years in this contract, as Rust had just one year of restricted free agent status left and could have easily taken the team to arbitration for a hefty raise on the $640K cap hit he’s carried the last two seasons. The team is betting that he would have attracted several suitors, and offered him enough to make it worthwhile for him to sign away some of his free agent seasons. They should have a good indication of who would be interested, since they recently made Rust available in trade in at least negotiations over Max Domi. Whether GM Jim Rutherford would be open to trading Rust for other players isn’t clear, but with a cap crunch and improvements needed it would come as no surprise.

Rust’s deal leaves the Penguins with just over $5MM in projected cap space, but still some decisions to be made about roster players. Jamie Oleksiak was given a qualifying offer and is an RFA, but Riley Sheahan and Tom Kuhnhackl are both unrestricted free agents after going unqualified yesterday. The team could retain any number of them, but will have to be careful how much cap space is allocated to each. There is of course the chance that Phil Kessel and his $6.8MM cap hit is dealt in the coming weeks, but otherwise the Penguins look to be cash-strapped as free agency approaches. Rust’s deal does give them some level of cost certainty, but also complicates the cap situation for this summer.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Ross Colton

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed NCAA forward Ross Colton to a two-year, entry-level contract, ending his collegiate career after just two seasons. Colton will join the Lightning organization and add another highly skilled forward prospect to a Syracuse Crunch team that was already loaded.

Colton, 21, led the University of Vermont last season with 23 points in 36 games, including 16 goals for one of the weaker teams in H-East. Vermont went just 10-20-7, which could have hidden some of the talent that Colton brings to the table. Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft—his second year of eligibility—Colton exploded in the following season in the USHL, scoring 35 goals and 66 points in 55 games. His ability to put the puck in the net shouldn’t be overlooked, especially now as he joins an organization who specializes in developing overlooked, undersized talent.

Puck protection is Colton’s best attribute, using his relatively low center of gravity and good balance to shield the puck in the offensive zone and work a cycle before taking it to the net. He’ll try to bring those skills to the professional ranks, where the competition for spots on the Crunch will be tough.

Spencer Carbery Named Hershey Bears Head Coach

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The Washington Capitals parted ways with AHL head coach Troy Mann at the end of the season, and have now brought in his replacement in Spencer Carbery. Carbery was announced as the next head coach of the Hershey Bears, coming over from the Providence Bruins where he’d been an assistant. Capitals VP of hockey operations Bryan Helmer released a statement on the hiring:

Today is an exciting day for the Hershey Bears organization as we welcome Spencer Carbery as our new head coach. Throughout this process, Spencer’s passion, character and work ethic stood out–and his desire to win is without equal. His familiarity with the Hershey and Washington organizations will help make this a smooth transition, and we feel he is the perfect fit to lead this storied franchise to even greater success.

The Bears missed the playoffs last season and decided to move on from Mann, who is as intense a coach as there was in the AHL. In his place, Carbery will try to right the ship and bring Hershey back to the Calder Cup contender they were in recent seasons. The Capitals added plenty of young talent in the recent draft despite being Stanley Cup champions, and will hand off the duties of in-game development to Carbery and his staff.

Hockey Canada Releases 2018 Ivan Hlinka Camp Roster

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One of the tournaments that has a huge impact on draft position is the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, held each year in August for the best U18 players in the world. Many of these players will be eligible for selection in the following draft, though some are even younger than that. It gives many fans a first chance to see some of the top stars that they’ll hear about for the coming season, and an inside look at the prizes their competing for in the first round.

Today, Hockey Canada released its 44-player selection camp roster for the tournament, which will be whittled down in time for the tournament in early August. Among the names are some spectacular talents, including Bowen Byram, arguably the top defenseman available at this point for 2019, and Alexis Lafreniere, an early candidate to go first-overall in 2020. Plenty of other talent like Peyton Krebs, Ryan Suzuki and Dylan Cozens are also competing for a roster spot, making the Canadian roster one to watch out for.

Below is the full roster, along with the year they are eligible to be drafted in:

G Luke Cavallin (2019)
G Taylor Gauthier (2019)
G Mack Guzda (2019)
G Nolan Maier (2019)

D Jacson Alexander (2019)
D Justin Barron (2020)
D Mitchell Brewer (2019)
D Bowen Byram (2019)
D Maxence Guenette (2019)
D Christopher Inniss (2019)
D Braeden Korczak (2019)
D Grayson Ladd (2019)
D Jake Lee (2019)
D Christopher Merisier-Ortiz (2019)
D Matthew Robertson (2019)
D Braden Schneider (2020)
D Nathan Staios (2019)
D Michael Vukojevic (2019)

F Alex Beaucage (2019)
F Brett Budgell (2019)
F Graeme Clarke (2019)
F Brandon Coe (2020)
F Dylan Cozens (2019)
F Kirby Dach (2019)
F Dylan Holloway (2020)
F Ethan Keppen (2019)
F Peyton Krebs (2019)
F Alexis Lafreniere (2020)
F Nathan Legare (2019)
F Dawson Mercer (2020)
F Blake Murray (2019)
F Sasha Mutala (2019)
F Alex Newhook (2019)
F Xavier Parent (2019)
F Jakob Pelletier (2019)
F Samuel Poulin (2019)
F Jamieson Rees (2019)
F Massimo Rizzo (2019)
F Xavier Simoneau (2019)
F Ryan Suzuki (2019)
F Philip Tomasino (2019)
F Josh Williams (2019)
F Nick Wong (2020)
F Connor Zary (2020)

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