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Archives for July 2018

Tampa Bay Re-Signs Cedric Paquette To One-Year Deal

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Lightning center Cedric Paquette was one of the few arbitration-eligible players that didn’t file.  Now we know why as the team announced that they have re-signed him to a one-year, $1MM contract.

The 24-year-old played in 56 games with Tampa Bay last season, collecting five goals and four assists while logging a career-low 10:12 per game of ice time.  Paquette’s role increased in the postseason as he became a regular (playing in all 17 contests) while his playing time jumped to 11:51 per game.  In his career, he has played in 236 games (all with Tampa Bay), collecting 27 goals and 23 assists along with 41 PIMS.

The contract now gives the Lightning just under $3.4MM in cap space to work with and have just one player left to re-sign in winger Adam Erne.  However, if they do plan to add another impact player this summer – whether that’s Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson or someone else – they’ll have to free up some money first.  Not surprisingly, it was reported earlier today that Tampa Bay and Ottawa are seeking a third team to get involved in trade talks to take on a contract or two to help facilitate a trade.

Andreas Athanasiou Agrees To Two-Year Deal

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The deadline for player-elected salary arbitration comes and goes today, and Andreas Athanasiou won’t be filing this season. That’s because he’s agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings according to Craig Custance of The Athletic. John Matisz of theScore reports that the deal will come in around $3MM per season for the speedy winger, who dealt with a lengthy holdout last summer and ended up signing on October 23rd, well into the season.

Athanasiou, 23, set a career high in points last season with 33 in 71 games, but still wasn’t the dominant offensive presence that some have predicted. His speed is of the game-changing variety, but he hasn’t been able to round out the rest of his game to become a top-line player on a consistent basis. There’s nothing wrong with falling in somewhere further down the depth chart, but this two-year deal will give him another chance at showing that he can be an elite scoring threat in the NHL. Athanasiou will still be a restricted free agent when the contract expires, but would be much closer to unrestricted free agency and a potentially expensive long-term contract.

Given the long and sometimes public negotiation that went on last offseason though, this deal comes as somewhat of a surprise. There were plenty of rumors a year ago that Athanasiou could be traded, and his representation even confirmed that he was talking to KHL teams about a potential contract to go overseas. While the two would eventually come to an agreement on a one-year contract worth just under $1.388MM—or at least the prorated version of it—it wasn’t clear what Athanasiou’s long-term future was in Detroit. It’s still not a guarantee that he lasts on the Red Wings through the next part of his career, but getting him under contract before the arbitration deadline is a good sign.

The cap hit of $3MM though may pose a problem for the Red Wings. Detroit now has just over $6MM in cap space remaining, and still have to work out contracts with Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha. Long-term deals for either of them will eat up a good chunk of that number after Larkin led the team in points with 63 and Mantha led in goals with 24. The team does have nearly $4MM in cap space tied up in Johan Franzen who can be moved to long-term injured reserve, but that still doesn’t give them a lot of wiggle room for in-season moves or any more free agent acquisitions. The Red Wings are trying to rebuild, and cap space can often be used as a weapon in trade negotiations in order to collect extra assets. While there is quite a bit of relief coming next summer, the Red Wings look like they’ll push up against the ceiling for another year without a very exciting roster to show for it.

2018 Arbitration Tracker

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The deadline to file for player-elected salary arbitration comes in at 4pm today, while the next day brings the deadline for team-elected filings. To understand the entire arbitration process, make sure you read Mike Furlano’s Capology 101 posts from 2016 on the process (part 1, part 2). Filing for arbitration also removes the opportunity for other teams to sign a player to an offer sheet.

Below, you can find a complete list of unsigned arbitration eligible players broken down by team, and their decisions as they come in. Refresh this page often as new information will be added as it comes in.

Anaheim Ducks

F Kalle Kossila
F Kevin Roy
D Andy Welinski
D Brandon Montour – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Arizona Coyotes

(none)

Boston Bruins

(none)

Buffalo Sabres

F Daniel O’Regan

Calgary Flames

F Garnet Hathaway – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Mark Jankowski – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Elias Lindholm – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Brett Kulak – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
G David Rittich – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Carolina Hurricanes

F Greg McKegg
D Trevor van Riemsdyk – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration. Re-signed – two-years, $4.6MM

Chicago Blackhawks

(none)

Colorado Avalanche

F Matthew Nieto – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Patrik Nemeth – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Ryan Murray

Dallas Stars

F Gemel Smith – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Devin Shore – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Mattias Janmark – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Detroit Red Wings

F Andreas Athanasiou – Re-signed, two-years $6MM
F Matt Puempel

Edmonton Oilers

F Anton Slepyshev – Will not file, playing in KHL.
F Ryan Strome

Florida Panthers

F Curtis Valk
D MacKenzie Weegar – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Alexander Petrovic

Los Angeles Kings

D Paul Ladue

Minnesota Wild

F Jason Zucker – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Mathew Dumba – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Montreal Canadiens

F Phillip Danault – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Joel Armia – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Nashville Predators

F Miikka Salomaki – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

New Jersey Devils

F Stefan Noesen – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Blake Coleman – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Nick Lappin
F Kevin Rooney
F Christoph Bertschy – Will not file, playing in NLA.

New York Islanders

F Ross Johnston
F Brock Nelson – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Devon Toews

New York Rangers

F Jimmy Vesey – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Ryan Spooner – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Boo Nieves
F Kevin Hayes – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Brady Skjei – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D John Gilmour
D Rob O’Gara

Ottawa Senators

F Mark Stone – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Cody Ceci – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Philadelphia Flyers

F Taylor Leier – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Tyrell Goulbourne
D Reece Willcox
G Alex Lyon – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration. Re-signed, two years, $1.5MM.

Pittsburgh Penguins

F Teddy Blueger
F Thomas DiPauli
D Jamie Oleksiak – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Ethan Prow
D Andrey Pedan – Will not file, playing in KHL.

San Jose Sharks

F Chris Tierney – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

St. Louis Blues

F Beau Bennett
F Dmitrij Jaskin – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration. Signed one-year, $1.1MM after deadline.
F Oskar Sundqvist – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration. Signed one-year, $700K after deadline.
D Joel Edmundson – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration.
D Jordan Schmaltz
D Petteri Lindbohm
G Jordan Binnington

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Cedric Paquette Re-signed one-year, $1MM contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Miro Aaltonen – Will not file, playing in KHL.

Vancouver Canucks

D Troy Stecher – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Vegas Golden Knights

F Teemu Pulkkinen
F Tomas Nosek – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F William Karlsson – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Colin Miller – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Philip Holm
G Oscar Dansk

Washington Capitals

F Tom Wilson
F Liam O’Brien – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Winnipeg Jets

F Brandon Tanev – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F Adam Lowry – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
F J.C. Lipon
F Nicolas Kerdiles
F Marko Dano – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
D Tucker Poolman
D Jacob Trouba – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration
G Connor Hellebuyck – Filed for player-elected salary arbitration

Montreal Canadiens Sign Jacob De La Rose

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After some bad news this morning, the Montreal Canadiens are having a better afternoon. The team has announced a two-year contract for promising young forward Jacob de La Rose, which will carry an average annual value of $900K. de La Rose had arbitration rights, but came to an agreement to avoid the process altogether before the deadline for filing came down today.

The 23-year old de La Rose scored just 12 points in 55 games for the Canadiens this season, but finished his year with a gold medal at the World Championships as a checking center for Sweden. That is likely his future role in the NHL with Montreal as he doesn’t possess high-end offensive ability, but a reliable defensive presence is still a valuable asset for the team. As the Canadiens hope that Jonathan Drouin takes to the position this year, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi turns into a high-end option, de La Rose will give the team depth down the middle for years to come. For the small price of $900K, they now have a full-time player locked up for the next two seasons.

It’s not clear what Montreal will do with the rest of their cap space, as they now have just over $12MM with only Phillip Danault and Joel Armia to re-sign as restricted free agents. The unrestricted free agent market is picked fairly clean, meaning if they intend on improving the roster before the season begins it will likely have to be through trade.

London Knights Sign Adam Boqvist For 2018-19 Season

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It shouldn’t be a surprise at this point to anyone that follows the Ontario Hockey League, but the London Knights have once again signed an incredible talent that seemed unlikely to ever play in the CHL. Adam Boqvist, selected 109th in the 2017 import draft, has decided to leave Sweden and play for the Knights in 2018-19. This comes after Boqvist was selected eighth-overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL Entry Draft, and quickly signed his entry-level contract.

Boqvist, 17, is an outstanding talent who possesses some of the best goal scoring ability of any defenseman in the most recent draft. His 2017-18 season was split between the junior league in Sweden and the SHL, almost entirely skipping the Allsvenskan where many young players develop. The undersized Boqvist loves to carry the puck and will join Evan Bouchard in London as one of the best 1-2 punches in the entire CHL. Both young defense prospects are right handed and may not play together, but will likely help the Knights push back near the top of the OHL once again.

For the Blackhawks, this allows them to keep a closer eye on Boqvist as he develops this season. Though the SHL would have certainly provided a good opportunity, London is arguably the best organization in the CHL for developing NHL talent, and have seen plenty of players take huge leaps while hitting the ice for them. Should he experience an OHL playoff run and perhaps even a Memorial Cup berth, Boqvist will get to play against many faces who he’ll be up against at the next level in a few years.

Islanders Sign Jakub Skarek

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Thursday: The team has officially announced the three-year deal.

Wednesday: The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Jakub Skarek to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Skarek himself announced the signing via Instagram.  Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.  The 18-year-old was the 72nd overall pick back in last month’s NHL Entry Draft.

Skarek spent last season with HC Dukla Jihlava of the Czech Extraliga where he posted a 2.41 GAA and a .913 SV% in 21 games. He also played in five games for the Czechs at the World Juniors but struggled considerably with a 5.19 GAA and a .848 SV%.  Despite that, he was rated second among international goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting.

Despite the contract, New York fans shouldn’t expect to see Skarek in North America anytime soon. He has already been loaned to Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga on a two-year agreement that carries an option for the 2020-21 season.  It’s likely that he will play out at least the first two years in Finland and then reassess his situation from there.

As Skarek is just 18, his contract will be able to slide for up to two years assuming he doesn’t play in ten or more NHL games as expected. Accordingly, while he may be signed now, this three-year contract may not expire until five seasons from now.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Andrej Sustr To One-Year Deal

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed another depth defenseman, inking Andrej Sustr to a one-year contract. Sustr joins Luke Schenn as options to help replace the outgoing Kevin Bieksa and Francois Beauchemin on the Ducks blue line. Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports that the one-way deal is worth $1.3MM.

Sustr, 27, was limited to just 44 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season and essentially pushed off of their depth chart thanks to the acquisitions of Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev and Dan Girardi. The Lightning allowed Sustr to reach unrestricted free agency, but he’s entering another crowded situation in Anaheim. The Ducks are losing Bieksa and Beauchemin and have already passed Korbinian Holzer through waivers, but still have plenty of talent on the blue line. Cam Fowler, Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Montour are the core of the group, but Jacob Larsson, Marcus Pettersson, Andy Welinski and now Schenn will all be competing for roles. Sustr will have to prove his worth quickly, though his cap hit does suggest that he’s in their full-time plans.

The towering 6’7″ defenseman is a useful piece when he’s playing his best, and shouldn’t be asked for more than about 15 minutes a game in Anaheim when everyone is healthy. The fact that he is right-handed only adds to his value, and should provide the Ducks with some excellent depth as they try to contend for a Stanley Cup once again.

Martin Kaut Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed another exciting prospect, inking Martin Kaut to his three-year entry-level contract. Kaut, selected 16th overall in the most recent draft, is expected to remain in the Czech Republic for the upcoming season, meaning his contract will slide forward for at least one year. GM Joe Sakic had this to say about Kaut at the draft:

Martin plays a complete, two-way game. He competes, he’s strong on the puck. He’s got a great shot, and he’s a pure goal scorer. We just like the upside and what he can bring to our club.

Kaut was a dominant player for the Czech World Junior team a few months ago, part of an excellent forward group that also included Filip Zadina and Martin Necas. He also recorded 16 points in 38 games at the highest level in his home country, an impressive feat for a player who won’t turn 19 until October. Unfortunately he was limited during the recent NHL Scouting Combine due to a heart issue that was found during his medical exam, keeping him from doing any of the physical testing. Still, since the issue wasn’t a major problem the Avalanche quickly snapped him up when he was available at 16.

The talented winger should fit in nicely with a young prospect group coming through the Colorado system. Cale Makar, Conor Timmins, Josh Dickinson and others are already closing in on making an impact at the NHL level, while Nathan MacKinnon leads a group of early-20 players already among the best in the league. That doesn’t even touch on the fact that they should get another high pick when Ottawa surrenders their 2019 first-round selection thanks to the Matt Duchene trade from last year. Colorado looks like they’re ready for sustained success, and Kaut is only another piece to that puzzle.

Snapshots: Chychrun, Lambert, Legace

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The Arizona Coyotes were shocked by how quickly Jakob Chychrun recovered year, as the then-19 year old defenseman made his return to the lineup just three months after undergoing knee surgery in August. This time they won’t be so surprised. Chychrun, who suffered another brutal knee injury at the very end of the season, is expected to be ready for training camp in September with the Coyotes according to Craig Morgan of AZ Sports. His remarkable ability to rehab doesn’t faze GM John Chayka at this point, who said that Chychrun is “just one of those guys who just recovers on his own schedule.”

That’s big news for the Coyotes, who are looking to ride a late-season surge last season all the way to the playoffs in 2018-19. After acquiring several players including Derek Stepan, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Antti Raanta last summer, Chayka was busy again in bringing in Alex Galchenyuk, Michael Grabner and Marcus Kruger to round out the lineup. All eyes though will be on the young core of Chychrun, Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome, who are the key to getting the Coyotes back to long-term respectability.

  • The New York Islanders have shocked no one by hiring Lane Lambert as an assistant coach, reuniting him with Barry Trotz behind the bench. Lambert has worked alongside Trotz for the last seven seasons, prior to which he worked as the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals implementing the same system Trotz was using while with the Nashville Predators. The two are almost inseparable at this point, and now face the task of returning the Islanders to success in 2018-19.
  • As many have expected, the Columbus Blue Jackets have named former NHL goaltender Manny Legace as their new goaltending coach, promoting him from a similar position with their minor league affiliates. Legace, known as an incredibly consistent backup goalie during his playing career, is now an extremely well-regarded coach that was destined for the NHL ranks. He’ll get to work with two-time Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky in his first season in Columbus, but will likely focus more on preparing Joonas Korpisalo for the starting role should the team not be able to reach a contract extension with the former. Bobrovsky is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and could command a deal like Carey Price’s eight-year $84MM extension.

Shea Weber Out Five To Six Months Following Knee Surgery

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The Montreal Canadiens have been hit with injury after injury that will take several players out for the beginning of the 2018-19 season. What they didn’t need was another surgery for one of their best players, and yet today announced that Shea Weber will be out for five to six months. Weber underwent knee surgery to repair a meniscal tear on June 19th, and will be out until mid-December. The team had already announced earlier this offseason that Paul Byron would miss six months after shoulder surgery, prospect Joni Ikonen needs six months to come back from a knee injury, and Andrew Shaw won’t be ready for the start of the season due to his own knee surgery in April.

While all three of those prior injury updates hurt, the Weber news is crushing for the Canadiens as they try to bounce back in 2018-19. The team struggled tremendously without Weber in the lineup last season, and simply don’t have anyone on the roster who can provide the kind of impact expected of him. The blue line will have to rely on veterans like Karl Alzner and Jeff Petry, while hoping young Victor Mete and Noah Juulsen can make an impact right away. Weber will be 33 when he makes his return, and played just 26 games last season while dealing with a foot injury.

The Canadiens maintain that they’re trying to make the playoffs this season, and goaltender Carey Price is just entering his eight-year $84MM contract extension. Still, after holding onto the third-overall pick to take Jesperi Kotkaniemi and with rumors persisting about a potential Max Pacioretty trade, the team seems to be headed into a sort of mini-rebuild. After spending very little on the free agent market—bringing back Tomas Plekanec on a $3.5MM performance bonus-laden deal was their biggest commitment—the team still has nearly $13MM in cap space with some restricted free agents left to sign.

The most frustrated in the whole situation is likely Weber, who last played on December 16th, 2017 meaning it may be an entire year before he’s back on the ice for Montreal. That’s an enormous weight to carry when earning a huge salary, though as of this season the Canadiens financial burden did reduce some. Weber is owed just $6MM this season and $30MM over the next eight years, despite carrying a cap hit of just under $7.86MM through 2025-26.

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