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Emerson Etem To Attend Los Angeles Kings Training Camp

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It’s been several years since Emerson Etem was really considered a top prospect, but he’s still just 26 and could have some good hockey left in his career. That’s the hope of the Los Angeles Kings, who according to Lisa Dillman of The Athletic, will have Etem in training camp on a professional tryout next month. The journeyman winger spent last season playing in the AHL and NLA, where he suited up for the Tucson Roadrunners and Lugano HC respectively.

Etem was originally selected in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks in 2010, and was a superstar in the junior ranks before eventually making the NHL team during the 2012-13 season. In 115 games for the Ducks over three seasons though, Etem was held to just 31 points and limited minutes. Unable to carve out a full-time role, he’d eventually find himself fighting for NHL ice time with the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, before returning to the Ducks organization for a short time. Last season he signed a two-way deal with the Arizona Coyotes and earned an early call-up, but never cracked the lineup and had his contract eventually terminated so he could go play in Europe.

It will be tough for him to crack a Los Angeles squad that added Ilya Kovalchuk this summer and has seen youngsters like Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe establish themselves as full-time options, but there certainly could be a two-way deal in the future for the former top prospect. If Etem is finally willing to play in the minor leagues and fight for his next opportunity, why not have it be in Ontario just fifty miles from his hometown of Long Beach, California.

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets Not In Active Negotiations

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One of the more interesting teams to watch this offseason has been the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have two of the biggest 2019 unrestricted free agents heading into their final season under contract. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are both elite talents still in their prime, but after the former told the Blue Jackets that he both wasn’t ready to negotiate an extension and wanted all business matters resolved by September 13th, it seemed like the team would be forced to move on from at least one of them. Bobrovsky meanwhile was silent on any potential extension, though fans clasped clammy hands together with anxiety over the future of their starting goaltender, knowing that it would likely take a huge contract to keep him in Columbus.

In Aaron Portzline’s latest piece for The Athletic (subscription required), the venerable Blue Jackets insider gives updates on both situations, including reporting that the Blue Jackets and Bobrovsky’s agent “have not actively negotiated for some time now.” The 29-year old goaltender is expected to be demanding something approaching or eclipsing Carey Price’s eight-year $84MM contract with the Montreal Canadiens, which would put the Blue Jackets right at the top of the list of team spending in net. It’s not clear if they’re willing to do something like that, especially if they want any chance at bringing Panarin back into the fold.

Bobrovsky though isn’t as easy to trade if he can’t be signed, as not only does he have a full no-movement clause in his contract but the Blue Jackets would be punting the goaltending position almost entirely. Though Joonas Korpisalo has shown potential in his short career, he also recorded just an .897 save percentage last season in 18 games and is by no means a guarantee to post even average numbers in a starting role. For a team looking to contend for the Stanley Cup in 2018-19, trading away a goaltender of Bobrovsky’s stature—especially for a return that would be limited because of his clause—is almost impossible.

That puts Columbus in a very difficult situation though if there is no contact between the two sides, and one that doesn’t look like it has an easy way out. For now, we’ll have to wait and see how the team navigates the next few months knowing two of their best players could be in their final season with the organization. Do they load up for one last run, or move out expiring pieces to try and build around the core of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Zach Werenski and Seth Jones?

Erik Karlsson Trade Talks Picking Up

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After the last few weeks have brought little in terms of trade speculation around the NHL, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has sparked the fire again surrounding Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators. Friedman tweets that trade talks involving the superstar defenseman have picked up recently, with Western Conference destinations—potentially including the Vancouver Canucks—as the most likely. West teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars had previously been linked to Karlsson, though it’s unclear if they’re included in the recent discussions.

For Vancouver the acquisition of Karlsson would seem unlikely, given that the team is still rebuilding and there is no guarantee that the Senators defenseman would be open to an extension. Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet tweets that Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson are all completely off the table for the Canucks, making it hard to imagine a package strong enough to beat any other contender for Karlsson’s services. Interestingly MacIntyre does not mention top prospect Olli Juolevi, though that doesn’t necessarily mean he would be available.

There are obviously dozens of other teams in the NHL who would be interested in Karlsson, though many of them won’t be able to afford an extension that could push towards Drew Doughty’s eight-year $88MM contract. Ottawa would likely receive the biggest return from a team that can immediately extend Karlsson, but that could also dramatically reduce their trading partners. The Golden Knights have the prospect capital and cap space to fit a star like Karlsson in, and the Colorado Avalanche have a trade chip that no one else in the league can match. That’s the Senators own first-round pick this season, acquired in the Matt Duchene trade from last season. After Ottawa chose to keep their 2018 pick and select Brady Tkachuk, they had to give up the 2019 pick and a potential opportunity at top prospect Jack Hughes. With the Senators expected to struggle this season—especially if Karlsson departs—the Avalanche could easily be holding a top-three pick in their pocket. For what it’s worth, Adrian Dater of BSN Denver isn’t hearing any connection with the Avalanche and Karlsson.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were the other team strongly linked to Karlsson in the past, and it’s unclear if they still pose a threat to acquire the defenseman. That would require Tampa Bay moving out other salary, but would make them an absolute powerhouse in the Eastern Conference and the favorite for a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. All of the other teams in the Atlantic Division will be hoping that the Senators’ captain heads out west and signs a long-term contract to stay out of their way.

Plenty Of Work Still Left To Do In Winnipeg

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The Winnipeg Jets are one of the strongest and deepest teams in the NHL. They reached the Western Conference Finals last season on the back of a strong goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck, a never-ending offensive attack, and a diverse and talented blue line. This summer they had quite a bit of work to do to keep that group together, and have already dealt with several issues.

Hellebuyck was signed to a six-year contract, guaranteeing he’ll be in Winnipeg through his prime years, while Adam Lowry and Tucker Poolman signed multi-year deals to maintain their roles as depth players in the NHL. Jacob Trouba reached a one-year deal through the arbitration process, and crept one year closer to unrestricted free agency, and several other fringe pieces re-upped for one-year deals. Just yesterday, Nicolas Kerdiles inked his two-way deal yesterday, but unfortunately, that doesn’t cover nearly all the work the team still has to do.

First on the to-do list has to be a new deal for Josh Morrissey, who has established himself as a key left-handed counterpart to the big names on the right side for the Jets defense corps. With Toby Enstrom leaving for greener pastures, Morrissey will be asked to take on even more responsibility going forward and could demand a long-term deal. The Jets have Poolman, Dustin Byfuglien and Dmitry Kulikov signed past 2018-19, and need to get some more certainty on the blue line as they continue their negotiations with Trouba and fellow 2019 UFA Tyler Myers. For his part, Morrissey believes that a contract will get done before the start of the season. He told Jason Bell of the Winnipeg Free Press as much in a recent interview:

Everyone’s going to have their own opinions and that’s fine, but from my standpoint as a player, my agent and from our conversations with the team, everything’s been going great. Everyone’s confident it will be handled and done, definitely in time for the season.

It’s in Myers, Trouba and captain Blake Wheeler that the next group of big decisions lie. All three are scheduled for unrestricted free agency next summer, and though an extension can’t be signed with Trouba until January, the other two are potential extension candidates at any point. The team certainly doesn’t want to watch two of their most valuable players walk out the door in less than a year, especially as they just start their competitive window.

Then, there is the question of Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. Both star forwards are heading into the final years of their entry-level contracts, and both could break the bank on long-term extensions. While Laine says there is no rush to get a deal done, the Jets have to try and save every possible dollar if they’re going to be able to bring back Wheeler and Myers too. Connor is fresh off a breakout 31-goal campaign as a rookie, and Laine looks like he’s poised to be the next great NHL goal scorer capable of winning multiple Maurice Richard trophies and contending for the Hart as league MVP. That kind of player could get an eight figure salary if he pushes hard for it, though the recent Nikita Kucherov extension could put a soft cap on winger earnings for a while.

The Jets are currently sitting with $35MM in cap space for the 2018-19 season, but that suddenly doesn’t seem like very much when you start adding up the salaries of Morrissey, Wheeler, Myers, Trouba, Laine and Connor. There’s room to keep everyone in Winnipeg, but it will be a tight fit. The next 12 months will be an incredibly busy period for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, even while the team tries to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vancouver Canucks

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Vancouver Canucks

Current Cap Hit: $70,227,845 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Brock Boeser (one year, $925K)
F Adam Gaudette (two years, $917K)
F Nikolay Goldobin (one year, $863K)
F Elias Pettersson (three years, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Boeser: $850K
Gaudette: $850K
Goldobin: $213K
Pettersson: $2.85MM

Total: $4.763MM

Boeser’s first full NHL season was quite the impressive one.  Despite missing 20 games due to injury, he still led the team in goals with 29 and tied for the lead in points with 55.  With the departures of the Sedin twins, this is now truly his team offensively already.  Extension talks are scheduled for this week but Boeser’s negotiating leverage is lessened by his overall lack of NHL experience.  With that in mind, unless Vancouver is prepared to go past $6MM per year already, he would be better served playing out next season where similar production would bolster his case considerably.  Regardless of whether it gets done now or a year from now, there’s a good chance that Boeser will have the top cap hit in Vancouver for 2019-20.

Pettersson is coming off of a season where he won just about every award he could in the SHL (including Rookie of the Year plus MVP of the regular season and playoffs).  Although they have a logjam of forwards, there’s a good chance he starts on the wing inside the top six or gets to that point before long.  Goldobin split last year between the NHL and AHL and while he showed flashes of promise, he has yet to really establish himself in Vancouver.  If he can do that, he should be able to improve on his current AAV but if he struggles, not only does he become a trade candidate but he also is someone that may be asked to take an NHL pay cut (with higher minor league money) on his next deal.  Gaudette was the top scorer in the NCAA last year and got a cup of coffee with Vancouver.  If they really go with a youth movement, he’ll be one of the beneficiaries but he could also be an opening roster casualty due to his waiver exemption.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Michael Del Zotto ($3MM, UFA)
F Derek Dorsett ($2.65MM, UFA)
D Alexander Edler ($5MM, UFA)
F Brendan Gaunce ($750K, RFA)
F Markus Granlund ($1.45MM, RFA)
D Ben Hutton ($2.8MM, RFA)
F Brendan Leipsic ($650K, RFA)
G Anders Nilsson ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Derrick Pouliot ($1.1MM, RFA)

Among the forwards, Granlund is the most notable.  He had a down year in 2017-18, posting just a dozen points in 53 games after collecting 32 points the year before.  The deal he’s on (one that was signed back in June) likely equates to a last chance contract.  If he rebounds, he’ll play himself into a nice raise with arbitration eligibility but if he struggles, he’ll be a non-tender candidate.  Gaunce has failed to live up to his first-round draft billing and will simply be battling to make the roster so a sizable raise isn’t likely in the cards.  Leipsic fared quite well after coming over from Vegas with nine points in 14 games.  Competition for a top-six spot is much stronger now, however, so the type of playing time he was getting then is far from a guarantee.  If he can secure a regular roster spot at the very least, he’ll land another deal next summer.  Dorsett was forced to call it a career early last season after experiencing continued pain following cervical disc herniation surgery back in 2016-17 but won’t formally file his retirement papers until his contract expires.  If Vancouver needs more cap flexibility in-season, he’ll be moved to LTIR.

The defensive group is much more interesting.  Edler has been part of trade speculation for a long time now and with his deal now expiring, that will surely intensify if the Canucks get off to a slow start.  When healthy, he’s still a capable second or third defender but staying healthy has been a challenge which will greatly affect his next contract.  Because of the injury history, his next deal will probably check in somewhat close to his current one.

Del Zotto has been on short-term deals for most of his career and as he’s an offensive-minded depth defender, that probably won’t change too much next summer.  He’ll need to improve his output if he wants to secure a raise and a little bit of stability on his next contract.  It wasn’t long ago that Hutton was viewed as part of Vancouver’s long-term future.  However, he struggled considerably last year and the team has been trying to move him but have had to takers thus far.  He projects as a safe bet to be non-tendered at a $2.8MM qualifying offer next summer.  Pouliot wasn’t given a qualifying offer back in June to avoid the potential for arbitration but they quickly reached an agreement.  He took some small strides forward last season but this could be a make or break year for him.  Improvement could get him a longer deal but if he struggles, he could be let go as well.

Nilsson was brought in to serve as a bridge to top prospect Thatcher Demko while pushing incumbent Jacob Markstrom for starts.  His performance last season wasn’t particularly strong and a repeat of that could have him on the outside looking in on the goalie market next summer.  On the flip side, with the extra emphasis on capable backups, a rebound season could allow him to get close to his current AAV.  Either way though, with Demko expected to be ready for 2019-20, a return to Vancouver for Nilsson isn’t likely to be in the cards.

Two Years Remaining

D Alex Biega ($825K, UFA)
F Sam Gagner ($3.15MM, UFA)
G Jacob Markstrom ($3.67MM, UFA)
F Tim Schaller ($1.9MM, RFA)
D Troy Stecher ($2.325MM, UFA)
D Chris Tanev ($4.45MM, UFA)
F Jake Virtanen ($1.25MM, RFA)

Gagner has largely struggled in a top role but has provided capable secondary scoring over the last couple of years.  That’s the role he’s likely to have with the Canucks moving forward.  That said, he’ll have a hard time getting a multi-year deal on his next contract if he hovers around the 25-30 point mark.  Schaller was brought in as part of their somewhat-perplexing strategy to load up on bottom-six forwards this summer.  He had a career year with Boston last year and if he can repeat that in Vancouver, they’ll get decent value out of the contract.  Virtanen has struggled with consistency so far which made his bridge contract the expected outcome.  Within the next two years, the team should know if he’s part of their long-term plans (which will involve a big raise) or merely a filler in which case, he could be a non-tender candidate with a $1.5MM qualifier in June of 2020.

Tanev is another Vancouver defender that has been part of trade speculation for a while with nothing happening.  He’s one of the more well-regarded stay-at-home blueliners in the league but he has a lengthier injury history than Edler which will hurt his market value on his next contract.  Stecher took a big step back last season but his performance in his rookie year was enough to get him this deal.  If he reverts back to his rookie form, this will be a good contract but if not, this could be another Hutton situation.  Biega has some stability in the form of a one-way deal but he’s not likely to play much when the team is healthy.

Markstrom’s first full year as a starter had some ups and downs but all in all, it wasn’t a bad year.  He’ll need to build on that if he wants to secure another contract though with Demko coming quickly.  If he can show himself to be a starter, he will have several suitors down the road but if he proves to simply be a platoon player, he’ll be looking at a pay cut on his next contract.

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Jets Sign Nicolas Kerdiles To A One-Year Contract

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The Jets have inked one of their remaining restricted free agents, announcing that they have re-signed winger Nicolas Kerdiles to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay the league minimum of $650K in the NHL while his minor league salary is $150K, per Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe (Twitter link).

Winnipeg acquired Kerdiles back in June from Anaheim in exchange for center Chase De Leo in what amounts to a swap of players that could benefit from a change of scenery.  Although the 24-year-old got into four games with the Ducks back in the 2016-17 postseason, he wasn’t able to parlay that into a spot on the roster last season.  He suited up in just two games in Anaheim while spending most of his season with AHL San Diego where he picked up 15 goals and 19 assists in 49 games.

While he will get a look with the Jets in training camp, Kerdiles will likely be AHL-bound once again when the season gets underway in October.  While he will have to clear waivers to do so, he passed through unclaimed last year and should do so once again.

The Jets still have some work to do this summer.  The team still has a trio of players to re-sign, headed up by defenseman Josh Morrissey.  Goaltender Eric Comrie and winger J.C. Lipon are also in need of new deals and will likely join Kerdiles with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate in Manitoba.

Pacific Notes: Davidson, Canucks, Bernhardt

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After inking Jakub Jerabek yesterday to a one-year contract, the Oilers don’t appear to be finished shopping for defensive help in free agency.  Postmedia’s Jim Matheson reports (Twitter link) that Edmonton has offered a tryout deal to Brandon Davidson, who is also currently sitting on multiple two-way offers.  At this point, it’s likely that Davidson is still hoping to land a one-way pact before committing to something else.

The 27-year-old has had two separate stints with the Oilers previously.  After dealing him to Montreal in February of 2017, they claimed him off waivers from the Canadiens last December.  Three months later, they flipped him to the Islanders in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick.  Given how he has bounced around though, Davidson may be hard-pressed to get a one-way contract but if he has to go the PTO route, going back to a place where he’s had success in Edmonton would be a good move.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • The Canucks are a team that has used PTO deals in training camp in recent years but Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma reports that this will not be the case, at least as things currently stand. Vancouver shored up their depth up front this summer with a trio of bottom-six signings while they have eight returning defensemen so the vacancies just aren’t there.  While some teams will bring in tryouts simply to help fill out the roster through the early goings of the preseason, it doesn’t appear that Vancouver will be among those.
  • The Coyotes have parted ways with director of amateur scouting Tim Bernhardt as well as veteran scout Rob Pulford, GM John Chayka confirmed to Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. Bernhardt has been at the helm for the last five drafts where the team has landed regulars such as center Christian Dvorak, defenseman Jakob Chychrun, and winger Clayton Keller.  Arizona brought in Lindsay Hofford as an assistant GM earlier this summer, tasking him with reshaping the scouting department as one of his tasks.  Bernhardt told Morgan that working with the new direction was not something he wanted to do.

Golden Knights To Name Fort Wayne Komets As ECHL Affiliate

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August 21: The Golden Knights have officially announced the affiliation.  It is a one-year agreement for the 2018-19 season.

August 8: Another day, another potential ECHL affiliate off the market for those NHL teams still searching. Justin Cohn of The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana reports that the hometown team is just “a signature away” from becoming affiliated with the league’s newest team, the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights. As the organizational depth of the Knights grows even more in the team’s second year, it needs a location for those players who are not getting enough play time at the AHL level. Who better than the Komets, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant’s first head coaching gig, to solve that problem.

The nature of NHL-ECHL partnerships often varies team-by-team. Some NHL programs maintain strong, lasting relationships with their “AA” affiliate and devote multiple players to their ranks, while others use it solely in an emergency to stash a player or two and switch affiliations frequently. It is always to the benefit of an NHL squad to have an ECHL affiliate, but some teams simply cherish the option more than others. Last season, the Komets were affiliates of the Arizona Coyotes and, as Cohn writes, ’Yotes prospects Artur Tyanulin, Trevor Cheek, and Michael Houser were a key part of the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals. However, Arizona unexpectedly dropped Fort Wayne as their affiliate in favor of former AHL franchise the Norfolk Admirals. In search of a new feeder team, Cohn relays that the team had been talking to both Vegas and the Nashville Predators, but Nashville has instead chosen to share the nearby Atlanta Gladiators team with the Boston Bruins. With just one contender remaining, it is now all but official between the Golden Knights and Komets.

There have been several changes in allegiance this off-season, but once this affiliation becomes official – as well as Nashville and Atlanta – there will only be a handful of NHL and ECHL teams left un-aligned. According to the league, the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, and Tampa Bay Lightning remain without an ECHL affiliate, while the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Orlando Solar Bears, and Rapid City Rush do not have NHL affiliates. There is still some time for some of those teams to figure out a deal before the puck drops on the 2018-19 season.

Randy Lee Resigns As Assistant General Manager Of Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators dramatic offseason continues, as Randy Lee has now resigned his post as Assistant General Manager and General Manager of the Belleville Senators. Lee was involved in a legal matter earlier this summer during a trip to Buffalo for the NHL Scouting Combine, though Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that his hearing has now been postponed to September 13th.

Lee, a member of the Senators organization for nearly two decades, was suspended indefinitely by the team on June 15th following his arrest in Buffalo for harassment in late May. The team will begin an immediate search for his replacement, though they have already been operating without his input for more than a month. At the time of the suspension, the team had this to say about the matter:

As our hockey club’s initial statement made clear, our Hockey Team – and our organization as a whole – will always hold our leaders, coaching staff, players and employees to the highest standards of behaviour.

Harassment in any form is unacceptable, whether it occurs inside or outside the work place. As a result, and with all the care and caution required in such cases, we have spent the past two weeks listening carefully to, and consulting with our community, our fan base and our partners to understand their expectations on the matter.

Lee issued his own statement on his resignation, indicating that he believes the club needed to find a replacement for him while his legal proceedings are ongoing:

My suspension has given me more time to spend with my loved ones than ever before. For the past 23 years, my family has taken a back seat to my career. My focus is now on putting them first. At the same time, I have to think about my obligations to the hockey team. They need an Assistant General Manager who can focus completely on the coming season. Until this matter is behind me, however, I’m not in a position to do that. For this reason–in consultation with the Ottawa Senators and my family–I have chose to resign as Assistant General Manager of the Ottawa Senators and General Manager of the Belleville Senators.

It’s been a long offseason for Ottawa, with Lee’s arrest not the only public controversy the team has gone through. From locker room issues including a feud between Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson that led to a trade of the former, to the three key players who are now scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2019 without any extensions in sight, there has been little to get excited about for Senators fans. It’s not often that a team goes from a goal away from the Stanley Cup Finals to a 30th-place finish in one season, but the Senators did that in 2017-18. Many are expecting them to struggle again in 2018-19, but at least one distraction can potentially be put behind them now that Lee is no longer connected to the organization.

Snapshots: Corsi, Ramo, Matthews

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired a pair of new faces for the coaching staff, bringing in Jim Corsi as goaltending development coach and Carey Krug as an assistant for the Cleveland Monsters. Corsi of course is the coach that the statistic is named after, but also has a long history of developing NHL goaltenders including working with Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller after taking over from legendary coach Mitch Korn in Buffalo.

Krug, another familiar name in the hockey world, is the uncle of Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug and has been a skills development coach working with various players for more than a decade. He’ll join Columbus’ AHL affiliate and work with head coach John Madden for the upcoming season.

  • Karri Ramo will miss the next six months thanks to a knee injury, keeping him out of a good portion of the KHL season. After posting outstanding numbers with Jokerit last season, Ramo was set to start for Avangard Omsk this season. Instead, that job will likely go to hulking goaltender Igor Bobkov, who also came over to Omsk this offseason. Bobkov was selected back in 2009 by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round, but never did crack the NHL. Now 32, it seems unlikely that Ramo will ever return to the NHL during his playing career.
  • Auston Matthews has been the center of several rumors this offseason regarding his perceived attitude towards Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock and the arrival of John Tavares in town. He sat down with Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (subscription required) to put some of that speculation to rest, and admitted that he is ecstatic about the team adding a star of Tavares’ stature. Matthews also admitted that if the Maple Leafs brass asked him if he was ready to be the next captain of the team already, he would tell them yes—an admission that is only going to start more speculation about the 20-year old superstar.

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