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The Contract Each Team Would Most Like To Trade: Part III

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Nearly every team has one of those players: a top talent they were excited to sign and never thought could do anything but help them. In hindsight, history shows that more often than not, expensive, long-term free agent contracts don’t work out. It may look good at first (or it may look bad right away to the outside observer), but players struggle to make their value last throughout a lengthy contract. Those contracts come back to bite teams and are hard to get rid of. As teams begin to finalize their rosters at this point in the off-season, many are struggling to make everyone fit under the salary cap and are regretting these past signings that exasperate a cap crunch that can be tough for even a mistake-free club. We already took a look at the first third and second third of the league; here are the contracts that each of the final ten teams would most like to trade, from Philadelphia to Winnipeg:

Philadelphia Flyers: Andrew MacDonald – two years, $10MM remaining

Based purely on salary versus what he brings to the table, Jori Lehtera’s $4.7MM contract is the worst on the Flyers. However, Philadelphia is far from cap trouble this season, currently among the five lightest payrolls in the league, and Lehtera’s deal expires after this season. However, next year the Flyers will need to re-sign or replace Wayne Simmonds, hand new deals to Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny, and likely find a new starting goalie. The cap crunch will be much more real and the over-inflated $5MM contract of Andrew MacDonald will hurt. MacDonald’s six-year, $30MM contract was immediately panned by the public and it wasn’t long after that he was buried in the minors for cap relief and to keep him out of the lineup. MacDonald simply is not the player he was with the New York Islanders earlier in his career when he could eat major minutes, was stellar in man-to-man defense, and could block shots with the best. What he is being paid now is far beyond what he is actually worth. Some would say that Radko Gudas is worse, but that is an argument that suffers from recency bias. Combining the past two seasons, Gudas actually has the same amount of points as MacDonald in fewer games and less ice time, a better plus/minus rating, far more shots, and of course infinitely more hits. At $3.35MM for the next two years, Gudas is a far better deal.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Carl Hagelin – one year, $4MM remaining

The real answer is that GM Jim Rutherford would not like to trade any more players. He already ditched two of his worst contracts by sending Matt Hunwick and Conor Sheary to the Buffalo Sabres and he isn’t eager to make another salary dump. However, the reality is that Rutherford is going to find it hard to manipulate his roster this season with just over $1MM in cap space. As such, it is likely that another Penguin could be on the move. An outside observer could easily point to the Jack Johnson contract as one that stands little chance of maintaining its value over the term and the same argument could be made for Patric Hornqvist as well. However, Rutherford just signed those deals and wouldn’t move them even if he could. That leaves a short list of players who could be moved and the only one that sticks out as being overpriced is Carl Hagelin. Hagelin has played an important part of the Penguins’ reign over the past few years, but at $4MM he has not cracked 40 points in any of the three seasons and can go cold for weeks at a time. Rutherford won’t make a move unless it can benefit the team, but if he can get another scoring winger in exchange for a package that dumps Hagelin’s salary, he’ll do it.

San Jose Sharks: None

Mikkel Boedker, Joel Ward, and Paul Martin are all gone. Two top forwards, the two best defensemen, and the starting goalie are all locked up long-term at a reasonable rate. The Sharks have almost $4.5MM in cap space this season, giving them room to add. Congratulations to GM Doug Wilson and his staff. This roster is the epitome of cap compliance mixed with depth and talent. There is not one contract that the team would be interested in dumping.

St. Louis Blues: Alexander Steen – three years, $17.25MM remaining

The Blues currently have all but $285K of their cap space committed to 24 players. The team may send Chris Thorburn or Jordan Nolan down to the AHL, but will only gain marginal space. Something else has to give. If they could target any player to move to alleviate some pressure, it would be Alexander Steen. With just seven forwards and three defensemen (as of now) signed beyond next season and the majority of players in line for raises or free agent replacements, these cap woes aren’t going away anytime soon and an expensive long-term deal needs to be shipped out. Understandably, St. Louis is all in this season and wouldn’t be eager to ship out an important top-six piece. However, Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn, and Jaden Schwartz are the new young core up front now and paying 34-year-old Steen $5.75MM for three more years for declining production just doesn’t make sense. The Blues could potentially land some nice pieces from another contender for Steen as well. Admittedly, the Tyler Bozak contract looks even worse than Steen’s, but the Blues won’t be looking to trade a player they just signed.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Ryan Callahan – two years, $11.6MM remaining

The long-term implications of several other deals aside, the Lightning’s Stanley Cup window is wide open and their focus is on the here and now. The one player really impeding their ability to add freely to the roster is Ryan Callahan. While GM Steve Yzerman has excelled at extending most of his core below market value, the six-year, $34.8MM contract for Callahan was a mistake. Injuries limited Callahan to just 18 games in 2016-17, but last year he played in 67 games yet he only managed to score 18 points. Callahan’s days as an impact player are over, but he is still being paid like one at $5.8MM. While Tampa Bay can manage this season with close to $3MM in cap space, they would have more to work with without him. However, Callahan’s contract will really present a major road block next summer, when the Bolts need to re-sign Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde, Anton Stralman, and more. There is no doubt that Yzerman will look to unload Callahan’s contract before it comes to that point.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Nikita Zaitsev – six years, $27MM remaining

The Maple Leafs severely jumped the gun when they rewarded Nikita Zaitsev with a seven-year deal after his rookie season in 2016-17. Although Zaitsev was an import, making his NHL debut at 25 years old, his situation epitomizes why bridge deals exist. Toronto sought to lock him up long term and gave him nearly a maximum term at $4.5MM, just $500K less per year than top defender Morgan Rielly. In his encore performance last season, he showed that he is not worthy of the salary nor length of that contract, dropping from 36 points to 13 points for the year, turning the puck over at an alarming rate, and eventually becoming a healthy scratch. This team simply can’t afford the type of long-term mistake that they made with Zaitsev. While it’s nice that they have Reilly, John Tavares, and Nazem Kadri signed long-term, it’s Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander they need to worry about. The Maple Leafs will have to balance multiple expensive, long-term deals moving forward and would love for Zaitsev’s to not be one of them.

Vancouver Canucks: Loui Eriksson – four years, $24MM remaining

It seems unlikely that the recently-signed deals for Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel will work out well, but they at least deserve some time. Loui Eriksson has had his time and has done nothing with it. While the Canucks aren’t under any cap pressure, they can’t enjoy seeing Eriksson’s $6MM cap hit – the highest on the team – on the books for four more years, especially when the bulk of his front-loaded salary has already been paid out. Eriksson was brought in with an expectation that he would be the ultimate fit with Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Instead, he has scored just 47 points combined over two seasons, less than his final season total with the Boston Bruins. The Sedins are now gone, the team is trying to get both younger and more physical and defensive-minded, and Eriksson is simply an expensive poor fit. There’s not much more to say about a player who desperately needs a change of scenery and a team that wants him gone.

Vegas Golden Knights: None

The Golden Knights are riding high after an outrageously successful first season in the NHL. It is highly unlikely that they see anything wrong with their current contracts, almost all of which were either hand-picked or signed by GM George McPhee. Give it some time and that could change. Reilly Smith is notorious for a significant drop in production in his second year with a team, but is signed for four more years at $5MM. Paul Stastny for three years at $6.5MM per seems like a solid deal, but he has always produced better surrounded by equal talent. Does Vegas have enough to justify his signing? A $2.775MM cap hit for Ryan Reaves doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. Finally, there’s the three-year, $21MM extension for heroic goalie but also 33-year-old well-worn vet Marc-Andre Fleury, which could end poorly. And this isn’t even counting what could be a massive reactionary contract for one-year breakout star William Karlsson. The Knights don’t see any problems right now after finding immediate success, but if they slide significantly in year two, things could get ugly.

Washington Capitals: T.J. Oshie – seven years, $40.25MM remaining

No, it’s not Tom Wilson. The call of the question is which contract each team wants to trade, not which is objectively the worst. Wilson’s contract does seem excessive, but he is just 24 and could grow into that salary (doubtful but possible). Plus, the organization loves what he brings to the team. T.J. Oshie on the other hand is heading in the wrong direction. Oshie has done what he was brought in to do: help the Capitals win the Stanley Cup. It took a max eight-year term to keep Oshie off the market last summer and now Washington has their Cup but also has a 31-year-old with diminishing returns signed for seven more years. Oshie could absolutely still help the Capitals over the next few years, but it’s doubtful that he will be back in 60-point range in that time. He also will be nothing more than a cap space vacuum when he’s in his late thirties making $5.75MM. Oshie is a great player and one of the more likeable guys in the league, but this contract has little upside left. The Capitals would at the very least consider trading Oshie now, which can’t be said for most of their other core players.

Winnipeg Jets: Jacob Trouba – one year, $5.5MM remaining

The list ends with a tricky one. Is $5.5MM a fair value for Trouba? An arbitrator thinks so and the Jets would likely agree. However, Trouba’s contract has been a nightmare for the team. The young defenseman clearly does not want to be in Winnipeg and has set himself up for yet another arbitration clash next summer, after which he will bolt in free agency. The Jets have no long-term security with Trouba and that meddles with their future planning. With Blake Wheeler, Tyler Myers, and several others also in need of new contracts next summer, the Jets don’t need another Trouba arbitration award cutting into their cap space just so that he can walk after the season. The team will definitely look to get maximum value in a trade for Trouba over the next season.

College Notes: Meyer, Fensore, Rule Changes

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Carson Meyer’s luck has finally turned. The Ohio native and Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick was hoping to make it the Buckeye State trifecta by transferring to Ohio State for his junior year collegiate season. Meyer struggled this past season at Miami University, fighting health issues and fatigue to record only ten points despite reaching 26 as a freshman and 51 in his final junior season in the USHL. Meyer later discovered that the “sickness” impacting his play was actually a 25-inch tapeworm. Wanting to put that experience past him, Meyer transferred to OSU only to be told that he would likely have to sit for a year due to NCAA transfer rules. However, the university has announced that the NCAA has approved their submitted waiver for Meyer to participate immediately this year. Now back at full health and joining a team that reached the Frozen Four last year, the quick winger could be in store for a breakout campaign.

  • Boston University has received a commitment from U.S. National Development Team defenseman Dominick Fensore, beginning in the 2019-20 season.  The young rearguard took to Twitter to announce the decision himself. While Fensore clearly has enough talent to play in the exclusive development program, he brings the undersized defensemen trend to a new level. The 16-year-old stands 5’6″ and is listed at just 141 pounds. While the teenage blue liner surely has more growing to do, that is incredibly small for any hockey player, never the less a defenseman. Luckily, BU has excelled in recent years with developing smaller defensemen, such as the Boston Bruins’ Matt Grzelcyk and current NHL prospects Chad Krys (CHI) and David Farrance (NSH). After another year with the USNTDP, playing alongside top 2019 defensive prospect and future Boston College rival Cam York, Fensore should be ready to join the Terriers and make an impact at the college level.
  • The rules for overtime in the NCAA will be a bit different going forward and how different they are will depend on the conference. The NCAA approved a proposal this week that gives each conference autonomy in deciding how best to handle overtime out of three options. If the score is tied after regulation, there will continue to be a mandatory five-minute, five-on-five overtime. After that, the new rule allows for a) the game to end in a tie, b) a shootout, or c) a five-minute, three-on-three overtime followed by a shootout. Non-conference games and postseason games will continue to use their previous overtime formats. Another new rule also provides each time with an additional timeout if the game goes to overtime. Other approved rule changes include using video replay to review ejection-worthy penalties, new definitions for slashing and legal substitution, and – perhaps most interesting – allowing teams to dress 19 players rather than the typical 18 players for each game.

Snapshots: Middleton, Sharks, Morrisonn

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The Boston Bruins will add another memorable name to the rafters of TD Garden this season, as the team announced today that they will retire Rick Middleton’s #16 on November 29th. Middleton starred for the Bruins for twelve seasons from 1976-1988 and recorded 898 points in 881 games, fourth-most in Bruins history. His 402 goals rank third on a long list of impressive Boston alumni, behind only Johnny Bucyk and Phil Esposito, while his 496 assists rank sixth behind the likes of Bucyk, Esposito, Ray Bourque, Bobby Orr, and Wayne Cashman. Seeing as all but Middleton and Cashman of that group have had their numbers retired, it seems fitting that “Nifty” was next up. Yet, Middleton was surprised to receive a call from President Cam Neely today, saying he was “knocked off (his) feet” by a “dream come true”. Middleton’s number retirement will be the eleventh by Boston and will ironically be the first for the Bruins since Neely himself was honored in 2004. Who could be next for Boston? A past great like Cashman or perhaps a current long-time star like Patrice Bergeron or Zdeno Chara?

  • The San Jose Sharks made some changes to their front office today that included players previously believed to still be active. The team named Ryan Hamilton, J.P. Cote, and Neil McKenney to their scouting staff, replacing Jimmy Bonneau and Michael Chiasson who have been promoted to AHL coaching roles. The release essentially served as a retirement announcement for Hamilton and Cote. Hamilton, 33, had been the captain of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for the past three years and last played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15. Cote, 36, has been playing in Europe for the past three years, but was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013-14. McKenney has been hired away from his position as Director of Hockey Operations for Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
  • Former NHL defenseman Shaone Morrisonn is embarking on a interesting twist to his playing career. The 2001 first-round pick is entering his 17th pro season and will do so in largely uncharted territory. Morrisonn has been playing in the KHL since 2012, but will now move to the Oji Eagles of the Asia League. The league was only established in 2004, after Morrisonn had already begun his pro career, and has not attracted many well-known North American names over the years. Perhaps in closing out his own career, Morrisonn will open the door to more former NHLers continuing their careers in Japan, South Korea, and China. Hockey is certainly spreading to Asia and a player with at least some name recognition playing in the local pro league could go a long way in continuing to grow the game.

Minor Transactions: 07/31/18

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The last few arbitration cases will be wrapped up over the next few days, and the waiting game will truly begin until the start of the 2018-19 season. Though there is plenty going on with the World Junior Summer Showcase and training camps opening in a few weeks, most eyes are still focused on the last few names on the free agent market. We’ll keep track of any minor signings right here.

  • Cole Cassels has signed in the German DEL for next season after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Vancouver Canucks. Originally selected in the third round in 2013, Cassels never did make it to the NHL and recorded just 26 points for the Utica Comets last season. It doesn’t look like there is much of an NHL future for the 23-year old center, unable to make the same offensive impact as his father, Andrew Cassels, a long-time NHL player with over 1,000 games under his belt.
  • The New Jersey Devils decided not to give a qualifying offer to 24-year old Mario Lucia, who has now signed on to play in Norway for this year. Lucia, selected in the second round by the Minnesota Wild seven years ago, had a good career at Notre Dame but struggled at the AHL level. Lucia came to the Devils organization earlier this year in a minor league trade, and had just seven points for the team in 23 games.
  • The disappointing NHL career of Zach Nastasiuk (or lack there of) is likely over before it began. Nastasiuk, 23, was a second-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings back in 2013. A first-rounder in the OHL as well, Nastasiuk had boasted strong production in juniors with the Owen Sound Attack prior to being selected and only improved after his draft year. Yet, when he joined the pro ranks in 2015, the powerful forward’s offense disappeared. Nastasiuk has spent the entirety of his entry-level contract in the minors, playing 102 games in the ECHL compared to 64 in the AHL and has failed to show off any elite ability at either level, instead playing a checking role most of the time. It is no surprise then that the Red Wings did not qualify him this off-season and that has been unable to find another NHL contract. Instead, Nastasiuk has signed with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, the team announced. It is a two-way deal as well, meaning Nastiuk could very well spend the bulk of his season with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades instead.

Ryan Spooner Signs Two-Year Contract With New York Rangers

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The New York Rangers have avoided arbitration once again, this time signing Ryan Spooner to a two-year contract. Spooner was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Saturday August 4th. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the deal will carry an average annual value of $4MM.

Spooner, 26, had just one year of restricted free agency remaining meaning that the Rangers have bought out one of his UFA seasons. That’s a different tact than was taken with Kevin Hayes, who signed for just one season and immediately became the target of trade speculation. Spooner, who only came to the Rangers a few months ago as part of the package exchanged for Rick Nash, actually fit into the lineup quite well and registered 16 points in 20 games down the stretch. While part of that is due to the increased role he was given on a team out of the playoff race, there has always been good offensive potential in Spooner just waiting to really be taken advantage of.

Even with the added year, Spooner will continue to be a trade possibility for the Rangers. As the team continues to try and get younger and faster, his pending unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020 makes him a prime target as a deadline acquisition in February. Teams often like to get an extra year of control, but at $4MM we’ll have to wait and see what kind of market develops. Spooner isn’t recognized as a defensively responsible forward, though that may be overlooked with enough offensive production this season. If he’s given prime powerplay opportunities and is lined up at the wing in New York’s top-six, there is a very real chance he could surpass his career high of 49 points.

For New York, that would be a dream scenario as they look to cash in on as many assets as possible. Spooner, Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Vladislav Namestnikov and Jimmy Vesey could all be valuable to the right buyer, and aren’t signed past the 2019-20 season. In fact, no forward on the roster except for Mika Zibanejad has a contract that extends for more than two years—not counting young players like Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, who haven’t guaranteed themselves a spot just yet—meaning the Rangers are almost completely free of long-term commitments. That’s a key part of what could be a quick rebuild in New York, as they hope for the next generation of prospects to lead them back to the playoffs in short order.

With Spooner’s arbitration case resolved, the Rangers will receive a second buyout window in which they could potentially create even more cap flexibility by ridding themselves of Brendan Smith or Marc Staal. Both defensemen have declined rapidly in recent years, but are tough buyout candidates given their front-loaded contracts. More likely the Rangers will just ride out the next few years with them and hope they can attract a buyer near the end of their contracts (though both hold trade protection). While the team doesn’t expect to contend this season, the 2020-21 season may be a different story.

Gustav Forsling Undergoes Wrist Surgery

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The Chicago Blackhawks have several interesting defensive prospects pushing for spots on the NHL roster, including Gustav Forsling who impressed in 41 games last season. Unfortunately, Forsling looks like he’ll be unable to crack the team out of camp given that he underwent surgery on his right wrist today. The 22-year old defenseman is expected to be out for 14 weeks, putting his return into the early part of November and well into the season.

Forsling was just a fifth-round pick in 2014 by the Vancouver Canucks, but has developed into a legitimate top-four option for the Blackhawks with big upside left in his offensive game. Though he recorded just 13 points last season, he shows obvious talent with the puck and potential to eventually quarterback a top powerplay. While that’s the ceiling for Forsling, even just becoming a full-time player for Chicago after being acquired for Adam Clendening (who eventually returned to the Blackhawks organization last season and is now in Columbus) will be a huge win.

A position battle was brewing for the Blackhawks as training camp approaches, but now that Forsling has been ruled out we may have some clarity to who will be on the ice on opening night. Henri Jokiharju could still surprise and force his way onto the roster, but it looks like barring any sort of trade Erik Gustafsson’s spot is secure. The loss of Forsling does only magnify the lack of depth the team may have on the blue line this year though, as if Jokiharju and Adam Boqvist are sent back to their respective leagues the team doesn’t have a lot of NHL-ready talent to step in. Should Chicago suffer another injury, there’s no telling where they might turn for help.

Los Angeles Kings Face 2019 Cap Crunch

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The Los Angeles Kings were expected to be big players this summer after a frustratingly quick first-round exit last season. The same issue that had plagued them in recent years—a lack of goal scoring—popped up again in their series with the Vegas Golden Knights as the team scored just three goals while being swept out in four games. While Marc-Andre Fleury played extremely well for the Golden Knights, seeing the Kings struggle to put the puck in the net was nothing new for fans of the team. The 239 goals they scored in the 2017-18 were the second fewest among all playoff teams, and actually a substantial increase over the 201 they had scored in 2016-17. Even with an MVP-level season from Anze Kopitar, the team needed more offense.

In came Ilya Kovalchuk as the team’s big offseason move, bringing back the 35-year old sniper from the KHL on a three-year, $18.75MM deal. Kovalchuk was fresh off another exceptional season in the KHL and had won the Olympic MVP while taking home gold with Russia. The former Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils forward should bring some added scoring punch to the lineup this season, though there is no guarantee he is still the elite player he once was. The fact that he’s heading into the back half of his thirties should also give pause to any lofty expectations, despite his big contract.

That big contract though, and the eight-year $88MM extension given to Drew Doughty ahead of the final year of his current deal, could also contribute to an extreme salary cap crunch for the Kings next summer. While the team currently has just over $2.1MM in cap space according to CapFriendly with a roster of 21 players (including Jack Campbell as a third goaltender) next offseason is where it could get really difficult. With Doughty’s deal kicking in and big-money contracts still owed to Kovalchuk, Kopitar and others, the team projects to have just around $5.3MM in cap space with only 15 players under contract. Among those who will need new deals as restricted free agents are Adrian Kempe and Alex Iafallo, both of whom will have to be key pieces to an offensive turnaround.

Eight of those players under contract for the 2019-20 season are already in their thirties, while Jake Muzzin will be joining them in February. That’s a ton of money dedicated to players on the back half of their careers, and will create quite a dilemma for the Kings going forward. The team does have some very intriguing prospects like Gabe Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, Akil Thomas and Kale Clague in the system, but will they be enough to supplement an aging roster that is taking up a huge part of the cap? Even just finding enough money to put together a 23-man roster next summer could be challenging, especially if either Iafallo or Kempe really break out and demand a big pay raise.

The other issue is that the cap crunch will prevent the team from really chasing any more scoring help in trade unless the player comes without a contract for the 2019-20 season. Though rentals certainly can be helpful for a playoff run, they often cost more in future assets than they’re worth and bring nothing but more disappointment and regret in the postseason. The lack of future flexibility the Kings find themselves with makes it tough to really be contenders on the trade market, unless they’re prepared to send salary the other way. The defense corps, which took on Dion Phaneuf and his expensive contract last season, would be the obvious target for any salary shedding, but it is also the strongest part of the team.

The Kings should be in the playoff hunt this season, and could experience an offensive renaissance with Kovalchuk in the mix. If they don’t though, prepare for plenty of speculation about them shedding some of their aging contracts at the deadline in an attempt to gain some flexibility going forward. As it stands, they may have to move out a valuable asset just to get under the cap in 2019.

Snapshots: Hughes, Hanrahan, Hunter

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While Quinn Hughes has decided to head back to the University of Michigan for another year, he won’t be joined by brother Jack Hughes this season. The younger of the two, Jack, is expected to be the first-overall selection next June and according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com will spend his draft year playing with the US National Team Development Program once again. That likely means he’ll never be heading to the collegiate ranks, as he’s widely expected to step right into the NHL for the 2019-20 season given his incredible talent.

The two will get a chance to play together on a big stage at the World Junior Championship in late December, as both are basically locks for a team that is exploding with talent. The pair are currently playing at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Kamloops, British Columbia before Quinn returns to Michigan and Jack takes his place with the NTDP.

  • Ryan Poehling meanwhile won’t play in any of the Summer Showcase games according to Morreale, after he underwent surgery on July 7th. Poehling had tonsilitis and a deviated septum dealt with, and instead is skating on his own at the tournament getting ready for his junior year at St. Cloud State. The Montreal Canadiens draft pick will likely be a returnee for the US World Junior squad, after recording three points in seven games during their bronze medal run last time around. Poehling is another one of the Montreal center prospects that will try to solve their lengthy struggles down the middle, and could easily be playing professional hockey by the end of the 2018-19 season.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have named Barry Hanrahan Vice President, in addition to his current title of Assistant General Manager. Hanrahan has been with the club for more than two decades filling various roles, and is a key part of their front office.
  • Mark Hunter is now eligible to be hired by any team in the league, after the Toronto Maple Leafs deal with him ended on July 15, but as Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) writes, it makes sense that he’s taking his time. Custance spoke to one of Hunter’s former colleagues in Lindsay Hofford—recently hired by the Arizona Coyotes—who extolled the virtues and successes of Hunter over the years. There’s an obvious desire from Hunter to become an NHL GM, something even Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas explained when he was given the job, but no clear openings right now. Whether he’ll accept another role as an assistant isn’t clear, but he remains a strong candidate.

Latest On Brady Tkachuk’s Upcoming Decision

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After Vancouver Canucks draft pick Quinn Hughes decided to return to Michigan for another season instead of turning pro, all eyes turned to Brady Tkachuk to see if he would make the same decision. The Ottawa Senators prospect is expected to make a final decision by August 12th on whether he’ll return to Boston University or sign his first professional contract, but Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal adds that his performance in the current World Junior Summer Showcase could have a big effect on his choice. Cox tweeted that “all indications point” towards a return to BU, unless he finds himself at a level above his competitors in the junior tournament.

For what it’s worth, Tkachuk was held off the scoresheet—except for an early holding penalty—during his first game of the tournament yesterday, when the United States fell to Sweden 3-1. There’s obviously quite a few more matches to show off his talent, but it’s not a good start for those hoping a big performance would lead him to leave the NCAA after just one season.

If Tkachuk does go back, the Senators could always sign him at the end of the NHL season and even get him into a few games without burning a contract year. Because Tkachuk won’t turn 20 until September 20th, he could play up to 10 games and still see his contract slide forward, though it’s not clear when his year would end. If Boston University finds themselves in the Frozen Four mix, there might not be much time for him to join the Senators, making a 2019-20 debut more likely.

Hughes, Tkachuk and Oliver Wahlstrom, who is expected to report to Boston College this season are all extremely talented players who shouldn’t be in the NCAA ranks for very long. While there is always a slight chance that one could finish his college years and become an unrestricted free agent down the road, players selected early in the first round virtually never go this route. All should be joining their respective organizations before long, and making an impact in the NHL in short order.

Poll: How Many Remaining Veteran Free Agents Will Sign?

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With just one day left in July, free agents have had a month to find employment in the NHL. Last summer, there were less than 20 unrestricted free agents signed after the end of July through the beginning of the regular season. This off-season, there are a plethora of notable names left on the market, but at this point is is unlikely that they all find a new home in the league. The question now is how many of these top names get lucky.

Rick Nash could find a landing spot if he wanted to. The six-time All-Star is currently evaluating his future in hockey versus his health after suffering yet another concussion this season. Should he decide to return, he would likely have more than a few teams interested in a short-term deal.

If Nash opts not to return, the top-scoring forward from last season left on the market is actually Mike Cammalleri. Cammalleri, 36, quietly put up 29 points last season after a hot start with the Los Angeles Kings and then a trade to the Edmonton Oilers. The former point-per-game player is not quite that kind of scorer any more, but could still contribute to a number of teams.

Benoit Pouliot was a perennial 30-point player until he turned 30 and has struggled the past two years. In the right situation, he could still make an impact. The same goes for Mark Letestu, Drew Stafford and Jannik Hansen. Ales Hemsky was highly productive before injuries derailed his career, but remains a possible high-ceiling gamble if back at 100%.

Other available forwards bring more of a two-way game such as Daniel Winnik, Scott Hartnell, Scottie Upshall, Chris Stewart, Antoine Vermette, Jussi Jokinen, Tommy Wingels, Jason Chimera, Joel Ward, Dominic Moore, Matt Stajan, and Lee Stempniak. There are also some younger options like Alex Chiasson, Nick Shore, Logan Shaw, Tomas Jurco, and Freddie Hamilton.

On the blue line, Luca Sbisa is reportedly drawing interest from several teams across the league. Although he suited up for just 30 games with the Vegas Golden Knights, he managed to register 14 points and plays a strong checking game. It would seem that Sbisa is in line for a contract at some point.

But what about Toby Enstrom? A free agent for the first time in his long career, the well-respected veteran was expected to land a contract early on but still remains unemployed. Enstrom has always been a reliable presence on the back end, but at 33 years old, he has shown signs of slowing down.

Other aging options on defense include Alexei Emelin, Johnny Oduya, Kevin Bieksa, Dennis Seidenberg, Kyle Quincey, Paul Martin, Josh Gorges, and Jason Garrison. However, experience may not be able to outweigh ability with many younger defenseman still out there. Brandon Davidson, Cody Franson, and Paul Postma seem like players who should be signed, while Justin Falk, Frank Corrado, Ryan Sproul, and Duncan Siemens are all intriguing targets as well.

In net, the options are pretty straightforward. One would think that Kari Lehtonen, Steve Mason, and Ondrej Pavelec had all done enough in their careers to earn a continued stay in the NHL, especially when there are no other legitimate goaltenders available at this point. Yet, its hard to pinpoint three teams that need another option in goal. These three keepers may need to wait until injuries strike to find work.

So, how many of these remaining free agents will sign before the season starts?

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