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Archives for July 2018

East Notes: Larkin, Red Wings, Penguins

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The Red Wings are focusing on a long-term contract for restricted free agent forward Dylan Larkin, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  She notes that Detroit’s preference is to sign him to a five-year deal but that they could have to go to six to get a deal done.  A five-year term would buy out the remainder of Larkin’s RFA-eligible years but only get rid of one UFA-eligible season which isn’t something teams often try to do.  On the other hand, doing that would be a way to get some longer-term stability while keeping the salary cap hit slightly lower which could be quite useful for a team that is once again pegged to be right up against the cap in 2018-19.

Elsewhere out East:

  • Still with Detroit, they are looking at adding someone from outside the franchise to their front office, notes Gregg Krupa of The Detroit News. The Red Wings have lost several executives in recent years, including Steve Yzerman, Jim Nill, plus scouts Mark Leach and David Kolb which has left them lacking in certain areas.  With former players Jiri Fischer, Dan Cleary, Shawn Horcoff, and Tyler Wright now in key positions, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to add someone with some experience.
  • While the Penguins have added another center to the fold with the signing of Derek Grant earlier today, GM Jim Rutherford told Josh Yohe of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the move isn’t a precursor to a trade. Instead, it gives them more flexibility.  It had been suggested last weekend that Pittsburgh could look at trying Derick Brassard on the wing and move him up in the lineup.  With Grant giving them an extra center in the fold, that looks like more of a realistic possibility now.

Free Agent Profile: Toby Enstrom

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While he was often banged up in his final few seasons in Winnipeg, defenseman Toby Enstrom has been a dependable blueliner over an 11-year NHL career.  With a return to the Jets off the table, the 33-year-old is now looking for a new team for the 2018-19 season.

Last year, Enstrom dealt with multiple lower-body injuries and also was a scratch the odd time on a deep Jets back end.  As a result, he wound up playing in just 43 regular season contests while suiting up 11 times in the playoffs.  It was Winnipeg’s decision to sit him late in the postseason that played a role in him deciding to leave even before free agency began.

Although that certainly isn’t a great year with which to market himself, it should be noted that Enstrom has logged at least 20:51 per night in every season except for 2017-18.  While he is probably better suited to play closer to 18 minutes per game at this stage of his career, the fact that he can move up and take on a bigger when called upon should be appealing to some teams.

While Enstrom is long removed from his days as a 50-point player, his mobility and puck-moving skills fit in well as the league transitions to quicker, more skilled defenders.  That could still make him useful on a power play although he isn’t much of a shooting threat at this stage of his career.  Enstrom isn’t a top-four player anymore but he could still upgrade the third pairing on a lot of teams.

Potential Suitors

At this stage of his career, it’s hard to imagine rebuilding teams looking at Enstrom and vice versa so let’s just focus on teams that have playoff aspirations.

In the West, Chicago has freed up some cap space and could stand to upgrade their defensive depth which would make them a logical fit for Enstrom.  Nashville’s back end is full with three players on cheap contracts but they have more than enough cap flexibility to add a one-year upgrade.  San Jose is who we originally projected Enstrom signing with as he would certainly serve as an improvement on their third pairing.  If they’re unable to land a notable player via trade over the coming weeks or months, upgrading their depth by signing someone like Enstrom becomes a more feasible option.

Out East, Washington has some salary cap flexibility and could stand to use another veteran to help round out their back end.  New Jersey has been surprisingly quiet this summer and after not being able to land much in free agency, shoring up their depth makes sense as a next way to turn.  Meanwhile, Columbus lost a pair of left-shot defenders in free agency and while they have some lower-end replacements signed, Enstrom would represent an upgrade on their third pairing.

What will be interesting here is if Enstrom is willing to play a six/seven role where he is a healthy scratch at times which is what his role would be with some of these teams.  He didn’t take too well to being in that spot in Winnipeg and if that’s still the case now, that could limit his options.  With that in mind, returning home to play in Sweden is certainly on the table as well.

Projected Contract

Enstrom was ranked 37th on our Top 50 Free Agents listed with a projected one-year, $1.75MM contract.  That represents a significant decrease from the $5.75MM he received in each of the last five seasons but is in line with what veteran third pairing players can get on the open market.  While he has yet to sign thus far, it’s hard to envision the price going much lower knowing that he can simply choose to go back home to Sweden and sign a sizable contract there.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 7/19/18

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Several minor league free agents have decided to head overseas for next season.  We’ll keep tabs on those moves here.

  • Dallas UFA defenseman Brent Regner has signed a one-year deal with EC Salzburg, the Austrian team announced (link in German). The 29-year-old spent all of last season with AHL Texas where his ten goals led all Stars defenders in the regular season while he also added 11 points in the postseason which also led all of their blueliners.  Regner has a total of seven NHL games under his belt with Florida back in 2015-16.
  • Winger Patrick Cannone has inked a one-year deal with Ingolstadt in Germany, per a team release (link in German). The 31-year-old spent the last two seasons in Minnesota’s organization.  He suited up in 76 games with Iowa of the AHL last season, collecting 17 goals and 22 assists.  Cannone made his NHL debut with the Wild back in 2016-17 where he got into three games.
  • Rangers UFA winger Daniel Catenacci has inked a one-year deal with HC Bolzano in Italy, the EBEL team announced (link in German). The 25-year-old qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency since he has played less than 80 NHL games in his career.  Catenacci spent most of last year with New York’s AHL affiliate in Hartford, posting 15 points in 42 games.  He also got into one game with the Rangers where he was held off the scoresheet.

Derek Grant Agrees To Terms With Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Pittsburgh Penguins waited patiently and have found a bargain on the free agent market, agreeing to terms with Derek Grant on a one-year $650K contract. Grant was arguably the top forward left in free agency other than Rick Nash, who hasn’t made a decision on whether or not he’ll play next season.

The 28-year old center was given his first real opportunity to play substantial NHL minutes last season when the Anaheim Ducks were dealing with injuries to both Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf, and impressed with a stretch of 11 points in 15 games early in the season. Though his total would only reach 24 on the season in 66 games, he obviously did enough to earn himself another NHL deal. That will come in Pittsburgh where the Penguins have continued to collect center depth for the better part of a year, and who will now likely have to play several pivots on the wing.

Riley Sheahan re-signed with the team, Derick Brassard is expected to be healthy and Matt Cullen returned from his one-year stint with the Minnesota Wild, leaving the Penguins with more center options than they need going into the year. While Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will obviously remain in their positions as one of the league’s top 1-2 punches, GM Jim Rutherford is obviously not willing to be left scrambling for backup options this time around. It’s also not clear where Grant will fit in exactly, given that the team was expected to provide Daniel Sprong, Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon with full-time roles this season. That’s obviously not a given anymore, as the Penguins have as many as 16 forwards competing for 13 or 14 NHL jobs.

Washington Capitals Re-Sign Madison Bowey

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The Washington Capitals still have to reach a contract with Tom Wilson, but are close to inking all of their restricted free agents this summer. Madison Bowey is the latest to re-sign with the Capitals on a two-year contract worth a total of $2MM.

Bowey, 23, made his NHL debut last season and ended up playing 51 games with the Capitals. Though he didn’t see any time in the playoffs, he still was able to experience the run with the team and celebrate them winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. That experience should come in handy this season when Bowey will be asked to be a full-time contributor to the team, anchoring the bottom pairing with either Christian Djoos or Michal Kempny, depending on how the season goes along.

Still waiting for his first NHL goal, Bowey showed that he could be a capable puck mover at even-strength and racked up 12 assists in his shortened season despite limited minutes. That total could certainly improve going forward as the second-round pick gains more confidence at the NHL level and is given a bigger role. The league is short on capable right-handed options, and if Bowey can prove his worth the Capitals would have one of the strongest right sides in the league with John Carlson and Matt Niskanen ahead of him. Those two and Dmitri Orlov will be earning the lion’s share of the salary on the back end, leaving young players like Bowey and Djoos for the team to rely upon at a relatively low price.

Snapshots: Jagr, Snowden, Golden Knights, Canada

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Jaromir Jagr was on the ice today in the Czech Republic, practicing for the first time this year with Kladno, the team he owns in his home country. That doesn’t mean the 46-year old has any intention on an NHL comeback though according to NHL.com correspondent Michael Langr, who caught up with the legendary forward. Jagr simply wants to get healthy after a knee injury has kept him from the ice for the last six months. Finally, the youthful Jagr is admitting that his body can’t keep up the way it used to.

My biggest limit is age. There are things I would like to handle but I can’t do it anymore. At my age these limitations come more and more often. But I believe that when my leg and the entire body gets stronger, it will all get better and better.

Though it likely won’t be in the NHL, we might see Jagr in game action again this season. One of the all-time greats in the game of hockey, any chance to have him continue his career at this point is a welcome bonus. It would be interesting to see if Jagr is interested in suiting up for the Czech Republic next spring at the World Championships, if he is healthy enough to contribute. The tournament will be held in Slovakia next year.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired John Snowden as an assistant coach for their newly crowned ECHL team the Newfoundland Growlers. Snowden had worked as an associate coach with the previous affiliate Orlando Solar Bears the last three seasons, but will now be under Ryan Clowe on the Canadian east coast. The 36-year old had a long minor league playing career that included stops in the AHL and ECHL, but never did make it all the way up to the AHL.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have come to a trademark agreement with the U.S. Army and will be allowed to continue using the “Golden Knights” name for the on-ice product and merchandise. The Golden Knights name has long been used by an army parachute team and will continue to going forward.
  • Liam Foudy, Markus Phillips and Akil Thomas have all been added to Hockey Canada’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster, replacing Jordy Bellerive, Robert Thomas and Josh Brook. The latter three will be unable to take part in the camp due to injury, but are not necessarily out of the running for the roster that will head to the tournament in late December.

Adam Lowry Re-Signs With Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets have avoided arbitration with forward Adam Lowry, signing him to a three-year $8.75MM contract. Lowry was scheduled to have his arbitration hearing on Sunday July 22nd, but will no longer be on the docket. This deal will carry him right through to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2021.

Lowry, 25, played just 45 games this season for the Jets but put up the best offensive pace of his young career. With 21 points in that shortened season, he was an effective bottom-six player for a club that has one of the deepest forward groups in the NHL. Unfortunately that point production dried up in the postseason when Lowry was held to just two assists in 17 games, but with the departure of Paul Stastny in free agency he was a must-sign to keep the Jets strong down the middle. The team will likely use Lowry once again in a third-line center role, where his size and physicality can continue to punish defenders and opposing forwards.

Earning just under $3MM, Lowry now becomes a potential bargain for the Jets if he can continue to contribute offensively. The team has plenty of other restricted free agents looking for big pay days—including Jacob Trouba who will argue his $7MM arbitration ask tomorrow—and it looked like they may be in trouble financially. With Stastny heading for Vegas and no other significant additions the team may be able to fit everyone in. Lowry’s contract was a big part of that, as giving him any more term would have forced the cap hit even higher and left the team in a crunch. Three years makes it easy to swallow, but also sets him up to hit the unrestricted free agent market as a prime target.

If Lowry can continue his steady progression and put up 30-40 points for the next few seasons, he could easily get a big raise in 2021 as a 28-year old center. It looks like he’ll get plenty of opportunity over the next three years to show he can be a playoff performer, as the Jets are set up to be one of the most competitive teams in the league for some time. With the emergence of other young talents like Jack Roslovic, Lowry may even get more skill on his wings and a chance to really break out. For now though, expect him to just be a valuable penalty killer and versatile option for the Jets.

Latest On Artemi Panarin Extension Talks

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are busy trying to overcome the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals to become the top dog in the Metropolitan Division, and the recent decision of Artemi Panarin to avoid extension negotiations has put them in a tough spot. While Panarin doesn’t want to sign a long-term deal with the Blue Jackets at the moment, the team has to make a decision about whether he’s more useful to them as a trade asset or a potential expiring contract next summer. The superstar forward could fetch quite a price on the trade market, but is also an integral piece of the Blue Jackets’ attack. We may get a little more clarity soon enough though, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) now reports that Panarin has set a date of September 13th a deadline for any “business matters.”

That’s the first day of training camp for the Blue Jackets, making a deadline like this not all that unreasonable for a player to demand. Many before Panarin have told their respective teams that they don’t want to negotiate during the season, this time is only different because he also doesn’t seem to want to negotiate right now. Panarin is less than a year away from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and may not want to give that chance up.

A deadline of this sort definitely affects the trade market though, as any team who would want to extend Panarin would seemingly have to both acquire and negotiate in less than two months. While that’s certainly possible, every day that goes by makes it tougher for Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to get full value back for his offensive dynamo. Whether he even wants to move him is still unclear, but the biggest return would surely come if Panarin was willing to work out an extension prior to the deal.

The trade market in the NHL seems quiet right now, with things having calmed down on both Max Pacioretty and Erik Karlsson in the last week, but Panarin’s future could change that in a moment. If he is ever truly put on the block there will be 30 teams calling Kekalainen to find out what it would take to get him, especially given his reasonable $6MM cap hit this season. $2MM of that has already been paid out as a signing bonus, making him one of the biggest bargains in the league in terms of offensive production. If he’s made available this summer, even teams that are on the playoff bubble would be after him knowing they could flip Panarin at the deadline if necessary. The 26-year old forward holds no trade protection in his current deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Tim Army Hired As Head Coach Of Iowa Wild

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The Minnesota Wild have announced the hiring of Tim Army as the next head coach of the Iowa Wild, their AHL affiliate. Army was with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season as an assistant coach, and several years before that on the Colorado Avalanche bench as an assistant. Head coaching is certainly nothing new to Army though, as he’s previously held the role in the AHL and NCAA.

Army will take over a Wild team that is still waiting for the first playoff appearance in franchise history, a daunting task for any head coach. The team should have some added skill with the additions of Louis Belpedio and Dmitry Sokolov, should they be assigned to the AHL for this season. Still, Army will have to bring a roster together without the help of many high-end prospects or elite draft picks. It might be tough, but Army did take the Portland Pirates to the playoffs in two out of three seasons he coached the franchise.

Minnesota has a new GM in Paul Fenton who has had success in the past building a deep minor league organization, and will try again to bring some winning ways to the Wild. While the NHL team tries to get over the hump and advance deep in the playoffs, the AHL squad just wants to get into the tournament.

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