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Gemel Smith Clears Waivers

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The Dallas Stars have taken a play out of the Calgary Flames book, having placed Gemel Smith on waivers prior to his arbitration hearing on Wednesday August 1st. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Smith actually cleared waivers today, though there had been no report yesterday of his assignment. The Flames used the same tactic earlier this month with Brett Kulak, in order to show the player’s relative value around the league. Smith is definitely an interesting player, but any acquiring team would have needed to quickly prepare for the arbitration hearing without the ability to reschedule it.

Smith, 24, played in 46 games for the Stars last season and scored 11 points, but was given very little opportunity to play consistent minutes. Averaging fewer than 10 minutes per game, the fourth-round pick was limited to being just an energy player for a team that struggled to find much secondary scoring. Dallas was extremely top heavy, playing their big three forwards—Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov—20 minutes or more each night while giving few chances to those lower in the lineup. That may change with new head coach Jim Montgomery, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a bigger opportunity for Smith.

After adding Blake Comeau and Valeri Nichushkin this summer, Smith will have to battle younger players like Jason Dickinson and Roope Hintz for a roster spot let alone regular minutes on the ice. The team is deeper on the wing this season and has to ride whichever hand is hottest in a must-win season. Dallas missed the playoffs again last season and can’t keep struggling in the middle of the Western Conference pack during the peak years of Benn, Seguin and John Klingberg. Smith should get a chance to impress at some point given his upcoming arbitration award and lack of waiver-exempt status, but he’s going to have to battle for it.

The fact that the rest of the league passed on Smith already should give Dallas renewed belief that they could sneak him through again in the season and send him to the minor leagues, but that’s not necessarily the case. Roster situations can change drastically over the next two months, and depending on the arbitration award (or settlement) teams could think he’s worth the risk.

Dallas Stars Hope To Extend Tyler Seguin Before Season Begins

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Though it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, the Dallas Stars are working hard on a long-term extension for star center Tyler Seguin and hope to have him signed by the start of the 2018-19 season. GM Jim Nill spoke with Mark Stepneski of NHL.com and explained that though working out a deal of this nature is complicated, Stars’ fans shouldn’t start to worry if the contract isn’t signed in the next couple of months.

I hope [the teams can reach a deal by the start of the season]. But I think I have mentioned from Day 1 that I don’t want people to panic if he is not signed when the season starts. I think the biggest thing is we need to have a good season — get off to a good start. I hope he is signed by then, but I know if he isn’t, we’ll get a good year out of him and go from there. But like I said, I am hopeful we can get it done. We’ll have to see.

Recently we looked at the potential circus that could be created if Seguin begins the year without a contract, given John Tavares’ recent example. The contract situation was a daily story for Tavares as he played out his final year with the New York Islanders, only to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs—somewhat unexpectedly—on July 1st. Seguin, a perhaps even more gifted offensive player, would have the entire league knocking down his door if he ever got to the free agent interview period. If the Stars can’t get a deal done at some point, it would be hard to look at the Islanders lack of return for Tavares and make the decision to hold onto Seguin through July 1st.

The starting speculation though is unfounded for now, as Nill seems confident that he’ll eventually get a deal done with his top center. Seguin is earning $6.5MM ($5.75MM cap hit) this season on his current deal, and holds a 15-team no-trade list. The Stars meanwhile will try to find a different result with much the same roster in 2018-19, though there have been some additions like Valeri Nichushkin and Blake Comeau. Seguin will be relied upon once again for a good chunk of the offense, something that shouldn’t hurt his leverage in the continued negotiations.

Early Notes: Prospects, Moore, Matthews

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The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has released his Top-50 NHL Prospects ranking (subscription required), listing the best drafted players under the age of 23. Wheeler’s list includes a short paragraph on every single one of the ranked players, and nearly 70 honorable mention players. There are some rankings that may surprise fans, but Wheeler explains that the biggest factor in his rankings is high-end skill, not necessarily proximity to the NHL or likelihood of getting there.

Number one on his list should come as no surprise, given that Rasmus Dahlin has been termed a “generational talent” by people all around the NHL over the past few months. While Wheeler isn’t comfortable handing out that exact term, he does rave about the Buffalo Sabres prospect and his potential to become the “best defenseman in the world.” That should bring a wave of smiles to Sabres fans, who have another prospect near the very top of the list as well.

  • Dominic Moore is hoping to play again in 2018-19, but he doesn’t think it will be with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After suiting up for 50 games with Toronto last season, Moore was essentially replaced by Tomas Plekanec at the trade deadline and is still waiting for an opportunity around the league. He told TSN 1050 radio that he’s just being patient, given that he’s had long offseason waits before. Moore has played nearly 900 regular season games in his NHL career, and had 12 points last season for the Maple Leafs.
  • Speaking of the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews has begun talks with the team on a contract extension according to several reports including Luke Fox of Sportsnet. Matthews is heading into the final season of his entry-level contract and became eligible to sign an extension on July 1st. The star center is likely going to command a huge contract similar to the ones Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel have signed in past seasons, though the new Maple Leafs front office will have work to do making sure everything can fit into their salary cap. The team already handed out an $11MM cap hit to John Tavares and are still in negotiations with restricted free agent William Nylander on his next deal.

Pacific Notes: Canucks, Campbell, Hathaway

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The situation in Vancouver surrounding the sudden resignation of President Trevor Linden continues to be murky at best. Francesco Aquilini and the ownership continue to avoid prying questions, while GM Jim Benning and coach Travis Green continue to be on the hot seat instead. Many would like to know what led to the departure of a young executive with deep loyalties to the organization, but answers have been few and far in between. Mike Johnson of Sportsnet talked to Benning and Green, but found out little. Benning spoke highly of Linden, but said “I don’t know all the reasons why (he resigned) and it’s not my place to comment on it.” Johnson suggests, as many have, that Linden’s departure may not have been as independent as it appears and that he may have been forced out due to conflicts with the ownership. For his part, Benning says that he never noticed any discourse and says that nothing has changed about the team’s vision and direction. Green added that he thought the best of Linden, but that his departure won’t change the organizations game plan. However, that could change and so could the dynamic of the team’s front office. Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre reports that Benning has been told that the Canucks are not searching for a replacement for Linden, implying that Benning would absorb some of the responsibilities that he has been given already in Linden’s absence. However, that directly contradicts another report that former Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi has already been connected to the vacancy. It seems that there is still a lot to be revealed about both the past and future conditions of Vancouver’s leadership.

  • The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman wonders if Los Angeles Kings backup goalie Jack Campbell will be the second coming of Martin Jones for the team. Campbell, who endured a bust label for years as a Dallas Stars first-round pick in 2011 who struggled to find success early on as a pro, finally looked like a legitimate NHL goaltender in five appearances with the Kings last season in his second year since being traded away by Dallas. Campbell started four games and made one relief appearance, posting a save percentage of .924 and a goal against average of 2.48 and also played well in the AHL. Dillman reports that this performance has L.A. expecting Campbell to be the primary backup to Jonathan Quick next season, despite the presence of veteran Peter Budaj and promising prospect Cal Petersen. The Kings hope that by committing to the young keeper that they could end up with another reliable asset like Jones. Jones also struggled to stick out in his early pro seasons, albeit as an undrafted free agent, before putting up stunning numbers as Quick’s backup for two seasons once he was given a real shot. The Kings have Campbell locked up for two more years – and Quick for five – so they would love to get a repeat performance of Jones, with Campbell providing elite play as the backup until the point that they can trade him away. This time they just hope that he won’t get flipped back into the division like the Boston Bruins did with Jones, who now frustrates the Kings on a regular basis as the starter for the San Jose Sharks.
  • The Calgary Flames received the salary arbitration award for defenseman Brett Kulak on Wednesday and also agreed to terms on extensions with forward Mark Jankowski and goalie David Rittich in the past 48 hours, avoiding arbitration, yet they still aren’t done. The next scheduled arbitration hearing is none other than another Flame: forward Garnet Hathaway. Hathaway and his side are set to sit down with Calgary and an arbitrator on Monday if nothing can be agreed upon by then. With the Flames preoccupied working out three other contracts over the past two days, it would be no surprise if the two sides at least exchange briefs and filing numbers over the next day or two which could perhaps speed up negotiations. Hathaway played in only 59 games with Calgary last season and has less than 100 NHL games total to date, so it would be a surprise to see the fourth liner actually go through the arbitration process without a deal. However, most would have made a similar argument about Kulak, whose case was actually farther apart in terms of perceived value than many would have thought given his somewhat minor role. Garnet could be the same way, as their has been little talk of an agreement, and the Flames could be destined for yet another hearing.

Are There More Moves Coming In Minnesota?

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On Wednesday, the Minnesota Wild did what many thought wasn’t possible when they locked up high-scoring forward Jason Zucker on a long-term deal without putting themselves in an impossible situation with the salary cap. The team somehow managed to re-sign two young stars, both Zucker and Mathew Dumba, to a combined $11.5MM cap hit as well as add free agents Greg Pateryn, Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, J.T. Brown, Matt Bartkowksi, and Andrew Hammond all while maintaining some semblance of cap space. The team is projected to enter the season with $1.77MM in cap space and a roster that added talent while only losing the likes of Daniel Winnik and Matt Cullen.

The question now is: is it enough? While it never hurts to return the majority of a roster from a playoff team, there is some question as to whether the Wild are keeping up in the Western Conference arms race. The team has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and has still won just four playoff series in its 18-year history. Fans are clamoring for more than just regular season success and Minnesota – and new GM Paul Fenton – have instead opted to return the same team so far in an off-season where major changes were expected. Although the new contracts for Zucker and Dumba were more than fair and the team addressed needs for more physicality on the blue line with Pateryn and another option in net with Hammond, as well as adding veteran depth pieces, there will be some who are critical of an otherwise quiet summer.

With so little cap space, the Wild may find it difficult to make many additions in-season as well. As the projected 23-man roster currently stands, Minnesota does not seem to be facing many holes and will get an injection of youth in the form of full seasons for Jordan Greenway and Nick Seeler. However, after getting a glimpse of other prospects like Luke Kunin, Louis Belpedio, and Carson Soucy last season, the team will undoubtedly want to avoid leaving them in the AHL all year. The trio all carry $925K cap hits that exceed the salaries of those on the roster they are most likely to supplant and the result will be even more cap space eaten up. Without moving out some salary, Minnesota will be left hoping their young talent can make a major impact as they will otherwise struggle to add veteran difference-makers over the course of the year.

While observers will always point to the massive contracts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise as the contracts that Minnesota could most benefit from moving (although Suter is still one of the most reliable defensemen in the league), the team has also entertained offers for Jonas Brodin and Nino Niederreiter in the past and could do so again. While Eric Staal has been a revelation for the team, they could also look to move the pending free agent if they get off to a slow start and can land a younger asset in exchange. At the end of the season, it could be that this same Wild lineup plus some free agent additions and young players is enough to reverse their postseason fortunes. However, if they fall short again or, even worse, miss the playoffs, the team will finally have to make some major changes. It’s possible that the team gets ahead of that possibility by making some moves this off-season instead.

Pittsburgh Penguins Re-Sign Tristan Jarry

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have their final restricted free agent wrapped up. The team has announced a two-year contract extension with backup goalie Tristan Jarry that carries a cap hit of only $675K: a $650K salary in 2018-19 and a $700K salary in 2019-20. On top of a friendly salary, the deal is also of a two-way nature this season before transitioning to a one-way contract next year.

It is unlikely that Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford could have done any better with this contract. The Penguins are perhaps in worse shape going up against the salary cap ceiling next season than any other team in the league. Pittsburgh currently has all but $1MM of their available cap space committed to a projected 23-man roster than looks unlikely to change much. The team already had to make a salary cap dump earlier this off-season, trading capable winger Conor Sheary to the Buffalo Sabres in order to also offload underacheiving defenseman Matt Hunwick. There have been some questioning how the team could re-sign one of the most well-regarded goalie prospects in the pros and not have to make another similar move. Yet somehow Rutherford was able to convince Jarry to sign a) for close to a minimum salary, b) for multiple years, and c) on a two-way deal in the upcoming year. For a 23-year-old former second round pick who has incredible AHL numbers and had a solid first NHL season in 2017-18 behind an injury-prone starter, that seemed impossible. If Jarry again appears in 26 or so games and posts a .908 save percentage and 2.77 GAA or better in either of the next two years, this contract will be an amazing value for the Penguins.

The Penguins may still not be off the hook, however. Jarry’s two-way contract and waiver exemption will make it easy for the Penguins to move him up and down through the organization to relieve starter Matt Murray and slated backup Casey DeSmith when necessary – and recent history has shown that Murray is likely to miss time at some point. Yet, call-up’s for Jarry, as well as players like Zach Aston-Reese, Jimmy Hayes, and Zach Trotman, will eat away at what little cap space the Penguins have. It may be possible for them to get through the season as currently structured, but if Rutherford wants some more flexibility to maneuver his roster, don’t be surprised if another cap-relieving trade is still completed at some point. Until then though, Rutherford deserves some credit for locking up all of his restricted free agents and putting together a well-rounded roster given his uncomfortable cap scenario.

Poll: Which Non-Playoff Team Will Make It In 2019?

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We’ve seen a large amount of turnover on NHL rosters over the last few months, with the trade deadline, entry draft and plenty of action in free agency. Now as we get closer to training camp every team in the NHL has its sights set on the playoffs and a chance at the Stanley Cup. Even those who finished outside the postseason picture last season are aiming for a different result in 2018-19, and everyone who did get into the tournament is just hoping to hold on.

Last summer we asked which non-playoff team from 2016-17 would make it in 2017-18 and the results were clear. The Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning were the easy favorites, earning more than 18% of the vote each. Unfortunately for Dallas that prediction didn’t come true, as the team missed the postseason for second consecutive year. Not so for the Lightning though, who bounced back from an injury plagued year to once again be a force in the Eastern Conference.

Interestingly the Colorado Avalanche came in last with just 11 votes (0.73%) after posting a historically bad 2016-17 season, and yet the team bounced back and just made the playoffs in the Western Conference. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen were a huge part of that, but a solid performance by the entire roster should be credited for them finding their footing again last season. Can the Buffalo Sabres do a similar basement-to-playoffs run in 2018-19 with their young core of Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt?

Cast your vote below on who you think will make the playoffs in 2018-19 and make sure to explain your choice in the comment section below. Even leave your thoughts on who will fail to reach the postseason next year.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Several NHL Prospects Included In Finland Summer Showcase Roster

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The World Junior Summer Showcase rosters for USA Hockey have already been released, and today we got a look at one of the countries they’ll have to face next week. Finland has released their final roster for the tournament and it includes several players already drafted by NHL clubs.

Rasmus Kupari, the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings this past June, is listed with the group and should have a good shot at being one of the leaders on the squad. His skill and ability at center ice should allow him to thrive, though he’ll still be just 18 when the winter tournament is underway. Interestingly Jesperi Kotkaniemi is not on the listed roster, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be on the World Junior team in December. There will still be plenty of changes to the roster, but this group will get the chance to prove their worth next week in Kamloops, British Columbia.

There are a pair of 2019 draft eligible standouts to watch in Anttoni Honka and Kaapo Kakko, as both are potential picks near the very top of the draft. Though there’s no guarantee the 17-year old players make the final cut, they are extremely exciting talents that should be interesting to see a glimpse of against some of their similarly-aged peers.

The full roster is below:

G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF, 54th overall, 2017)
G Lassi Lehtinen (undrafted)
G Filip Lindberg (undrafted)

D Toni Utunen (VAN, 130th overall, 2018)
D Santeri Salmela (undrafted)
D Aleksi Anttalainen (undrafted)
D Saku Vesterinen (undrafted)
D Otto Latvala (undrafted)
D Oskari Laaksonen (BUF, 89th overall, 2017)
D Joona Riekkinen (undrafted)
D Anttoni Honka (2019 eligible)

F Ville Petman (undrafted)
F Erkka Seppala (undrafted)
F Eetu Pakkila (NJD, 203rd overall, 2018)
F Aleksi Klemetti (undrafted)
F Teemu Engberg (undrafted)
F Linus Nyman (undrafted)
F Jesse Koskenkorva (undrafted)
F Sampo Ranta (COL, 78th overall, 2018)
F Aarne Talvitie (NJD, 160th overall, 2017)
F Kristian Tanus (undrafted)
F Kaapo Kakko (2019 eligible)
F Rasmus Kupari (LAK, 20th overall, 2018)
F Olli Maansaari (undrafted)
F Janne Jokinen (undrafted)

Remaining Restricted Free Agents

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We’re getting closer to turning the calendar over to August, and there is still a lot of work to do for teams around the NHL. 10 arbitration cases remain unsettled, including for star players like William Karlsson and Mark Stone. Both will be extremely interesting to follow, as their respective teams have tough decisions on their hands.

For the Vegas Golden Knights, do you hand out a long-term expensive contract to a player that is still relatively unproven. Though Karlsson scored 43 goals this season he had just 18 career tallies beforehand, and finished this season with an impossible 23.4% shooting percentage. There is almost no chance that he can maintain that rate going forward, meaning his huge 2017-18 season may be a career-high. On the other side of that coin though is the increased opportunity he was given after switching teams, which could provide a realistic chance for him to be a 30-goal, 65-point player going forward. Signing him now would likely get you a bit of a discount on that type of scoring threat, though Vegas would assume almost all of the risk.

In Ottawa, there’s no clear direction on how the team will deal with Stone’s impending unrestricted free agency. Obviously one of the team’s most talented players, an arbitration award of one year would stop the Senators from negotiating with Stone’s camp until January on any potential extension and could make him a prime trade candidate. The 26-year old posted his fourth consecutive 20-goal season in 2017-18 despite playing in just 58 games. With all the turmoil in Ottawa it could be difficult to convince him to stick around long-term.

Beyond the arbitration cases though there is an incredible amount of talent left on the RFA board. Dylan Larkin, William Nylander, Sam Reinhart, Shea Theodore, Josh Morrissey and many others remain unsigned and could all be looking at expensive long-term deals with their respective clubs. These players are already excellent players in the NHL before they’ve even become eligible for arbitration and could really grind the offseason to a halt if they decide to hold out. There’s no indication that anyone is planning a long negotiation, but we’re now almost a month into the signing period without any deals.

Below is the full list of unsigned restricted free agents:

Ondrej Kase (ANA)
Nick Ritchie (ANA)
Marek Langhamer (ARZ)
Sam Reinhart (BUF)
Noah Hanifin (CGY)
Garnet Hathaway (CGY) – Scheduled for arbitration, July 30
Hunter Shinkaruk (CGY)
Patrik Nemeth (COL) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Gemel Smith (DAL) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 1
Dylan Larkin (DET)
Matt Puempel (DET)
Darnell Nurse (EDM)
Michael McCarron (MTL)
Kerby Rychel (MTL)
Miikka Salomaki (NSH) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 2
Kevin Rooney (NJD)
Steven Santini (NJD)
Miles Wood (NJD)
Kevin Hayes (NYR) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 2
Ryan Spooner (NYR) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Cody Ceci (OTT) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 1
Mark Stone (OTT) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 3
Robert Hagg (PHI)
Jordan Schmaltz (STL)
William Nylander (TOR)
William Karlsson (VGK) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Shea Theodore (VGK)
Eric Comrie (WPG)
Nicolas Kerdiles (WPG)
J.C. Lipon (WPG)
Josh Morrissey (WPG)
Nic Petan (WPG)

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