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Vegas Golden Knights Looking To Move Out Salary

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The Vegas Golden Knights have gone from an empty expansion team roster to a cap crunch sooner than anyone could have expected. The defending Western Conference champs are enjoying another strong season and made a major splash at the trade deadline, acquiring Mark Stone and subsequently signing him to an eight-year, $76MM extension. GM George McPhee made the move knowing that the majority of the roster was locked up through next season and beyond and he would not be forcing anyone out by adding a $9.5MM cap hit to the payroll; or so he hopes. The other side of that coin is the lack of free agents who could depart Vegas naturally this off-season leaves little cap flexibility for the one major extension the team needs to make: top line center and impending restricted free agent William Karlsson. 

Karlsson, 26, bet on himself this past year when he signed a one-year, $5.25MM deal with Vegas following a breakout 78-point campaign. He hasn’t quite replicated those numbers this season, but with 44 points through 71 games, Karlsson is on a 51-point pace and has at least proven that he is a reliable contributor and will almost certainly be able to command a raise in his next deal, which is likely to be a long-term pact.

The only problem is that CapFriendly currently projects Vegas to have negative cap space next season. Of course, this does not take into account a likely bump in the cap ceiling nor does it exclude the cap hit of the injured David Clarkson, but the Knights have joined the select few teams who are in a legitimate cap crunch, where the salary they need to add to complete their roster does not match up with the space they expect to work with. For now, McPhee is waiting to see what his options are before moving forward in talks with Karlsson. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that the two sides have not talked contract yet and do not plan to until after the season. Even if early discussions go smoothly, that timeline almost assures that Karlsson will again file for arbitration and bad decision for the team side could cause major problems.

As a result, Granger expects the team to work quickly to move out salary this off-season. In addition to Karlsson, Tomas Nosek and Malcolm Subban are also restricted free agents, while veteran leader Deryk Engelland and goal scorer Brandon Pirri are among the UFA’s they might be interested in re-signing. It’s a group of players that each made no more than $1.5MM this season, but new deals even at those same values add up in addition to Karlsson’s demands. Granger expects the Knights to have $5.75MM in cap space, which is likely not enough to re-sign Karlsson, nevertheless these supporting pieces as well. The team could also use an upgrade at backup goalie, moving on from Subban for a more established piece.

So who could be on the move to help clear up space? Granger points to bottom-six forwards Ryan Reaves and Cody Eakin as the most likely trade casualties. Although Reaves is valued more for his checking game and willingness to defend his teammates, his nearly $3MM salary is hard to swallow given his paltry offensive contributions. Vegas could find a much cheaper option to fill Reaves’ role. Eakin is sixth in scoring for the Golden Knights this season, but is seemingly locked into a fourth-line center slot moving forward which doesn’t match up nicely with his contract of just under $4MM. Granger points out that both Reaves’ and Eakin’s contract expires after next season, so moving them may not be hard. However, McPhee could opt to deal from a greater position of strength: Vegas’ surplus of defensemen. The team could try to trade Colin Miller, who costs slightly more than Eakin against the cap and has taken a step back in his development this year. The 26-year-old is signed for three more years, but there are surely teams out there who would still be willing to take a chance on his upside. Other possibilities to clear cap space, albeit smaller amounts, are defenseman Jon Merrill and forward William Carrier.

Whatever McPhee decides to do, it is clear that he must move some salary out and the sooner the better once the off-season gets underway. The Golden Knights’ focus is elsewhere right now, but if this promising team is to keep their core together and continue their impressive start to the franchise, they need to do what it takes to keep Karlsson around long-term, even if it costs them in the short-term to do so.

Panthers, Islanders Expected To Be Active This Off-Season

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With the New York Islanders sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division and the Florida Panthers not yet out of postseason contention, eight points back of the final wild card slot with a game in hand, fans are not yet looking toward next season with plenty of meaningful games left this season. Yet, the two Eastern Conference teams are expected by many to be some of the most active players in the upcoming off-season. The Islanders could have more cap space entering the summer than just about any other team, while the Panthers have not won a playoff series since 1996 and are desperate to take a step forward. Both teams have needs and could look to fill them in explosive fashion this off-season.

Things have gone as well as they possibly could have this season for the Islanders. Despite losing John Tavares and entering the year with an unproven goalie tandem, the team is not only playoff-bound, but also the league leader in goals against average. Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss have been stellar in net, the team’s young defensemen have taken a major step forward under new head coach Barry Trotz, and the offense has picked up the seemingly insurmountable slack that Tavares left behind. Yet, much of their success could be undone by free agency, which would leave the team in need of making several big additions. Lehner is an impending free agent and the Isles must decide whether or not to commit to the young reclamation project or else seek a long-term replacement, with 33-year-old Greiss only signed for one more year. Yet, the net is not even the greatest of their concerns. Captain Anders Lee and fellow top forwards Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle are approaching free agency without new contracts. After losing Tavares last summer, it seems almost impossible that New York could also let Lee slip away. But can the same be said for Nelson and Eberle, who are also top-five scoring forwards for the Isles. The team may be in a position where they need to add considerable talent up front, as well as replenish depth.

Currently projected to have the fourth-most cap space of any team this summer, the Islanders could hypothetically re-sign Lehner and their trio of forwards without issue or else find free agents on the market. However, if spending power is not enough to bring in top free agents – like say Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky – GM Lou Lamoriello could explore the trade market. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple writes that the Islanders’ newfound depth on the blue line could help to facilitate a major trade. He believes that the team wants to move forward with a young core of Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, and Devon Toews on the blue line. He also mentions AHL All-Star Sebastian Aho as another key piece, while recent high draft picks Noah Dobson and Bode Wilde also deserve consideration. This youth movement has made top defenseman Nick Leddy expendable and Staple believes that he is a talent that could bring back an established top-six forward. The Islanders could also look to move veterans Johnny Boychuk and Thomas Hickey instead of or in addition to Leddy. That trade flexibility paired with ample cap space make the Isles a dangerous player on the trade market this summer, if not all of their problems can be fixed via free agency.

In fact, the Panthers could wind up being an ideal trade partner for the Islanders. Florida leads the NHL this season with five 20-goal scorers and has an offensive game and potent power play that few in the league can rival. However, their defense and their goaltending both leave a lot to be desired. The Panthers don’t have the cap space that the Islanders do, but The Athletic’s George Richards believes that the team plans to make trades to free up cap space in order to hit the free agent market with more bargaining power. Florida is another team that has been linked to the Panarin/Bobrovksy package, while they are also a team that could greatly benefit from adding Erik Karlsson. Richards writes that the team will be “aggressive” in pursuing top free agents, but that doesn’t mean they will succeed in drawing targets to a non-traditional hockey market.

As such, Florida could also wind up making noise on the trade market and a name like Leddy would be the caliber of player they would like to add. Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov have enjoyed strong seasons with the Panthers this year, but both have just one season remaining and could be on the trade block this summer. There were also rumors that Jonathan Huberdeau was a player that GM Dale Tallon listened to offers for at the trade deadline again and he could do so again for the team’s highest-paid forward. These are names that will move the needle for other NHL clubs. Veteran goaltenders Roberto Luongo and James Reimer? Not so much. However, the team needs to improve on its poor goaltending and to do so would need to move one (or both) of the tandem costing them a combined $7.933MM. This may involve Florida moving picks or prospects as well. There are many layers to the trade possibilities for the Panthers this off-season, making them a fascinating team to watch.

With weeks remaining in the regular season and the unknown of the postseason yet to come, the status quo could change for either one of these teams. As things stand though, there are major question marks for both squads that at this point don’t look like they can be answered until after the playoffs have ended. As soon as that happens, the Islanders and Panthers will become must-watch teams in how they approach the NHL Draft, the start of free agency, and the summer trade market. Both clubs could look drastically different in 2019-20 by way of an active off-season.

Eastern Notes: Merzlikins, Giroux, Wood, Smith

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The Columbus Blue Jackets may be getting another big prospect into the organization sooner than later as The Athletic’s Tom Reed reports that goaltending prospect Elvis Merzlikins will likely soon sign an entry-level deal now that his Swiss League team has been eliminated. The 24-year-old prospect could find himself battling for Columbus’ starting goaltending job next season.

Expect that in the next few days, the Blue Jackets sign Merzlikins, who has been the starting goaltender for Lugano for the last six years, get his immigration papers in order and get him to Cleveland of the AHL to get into as much action as possible before the end of the season. The 24-year-old had an impressive season in the Swiss League with a .921 save percentage and a 2.44 GAA in 43 games this season. A third-round pick in 2014, Merzlikins has opted to stay overseas since drafted, but suggested last summer that he might come over this season. With Sergei Bobrovsky likely headed elsewhere in free agency this summer, the team could give Merzlikins a shot at the starting job.

  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux may miss his first game in more than three years as interim head coach Scott Gordon said that Giroux is ill and will be a game-time decision Sunday, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. The 31-year-old has played in 256 straight games, dating back to February of 2016. If he can’t play, Justin Bailey will replace Giroux who has 20 goals and 76 points this season for Philadelphia.
  • The New Jersey Devils are without forward Miles Wood once again Sunday as he will continue to sit out with a right ankle fracture despite making the West Coast trip with the team, according to Chris Ryan of NJ.com. Wood, who has been out since Feb. 25, remains day-to-day. The 23-year-old hasn’t been as effective for New Jersey after a breakout 19-goal season a year ago as he has eight goals and 21 points in 56 games this season.
  • Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos stated on Hockey Night in Canada late last night that Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach D.J. Smith could draw quite a bit of interest as a head coaching candidate this offseason. Smith was considered a top candidate for the New York Islanders job before Barry Trotz came available and took the position. Smith may get quite a bit of interest from the Ottawa Senators this summer. Ottawa considered Smith back in 2016, but Toronto rejected their request to interview him. They hired Guy Boucher instead.

Minor Transactions: 03/17/19

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After a 12-game schedule on Saturday, the NHL has another seven games to wrap up the weekend, including several with playoff implications. Perhaps one of the most important will be the Minnesota Wild hosting the New York Islanders. A victory by the Wild would put them into a tie with the Arizona Coyotes for the final wild card spot in the West. In the meantime, teams continue to tweak their rosters throughout the day. Check to see what they’ve done:

  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis. The Golden Knights reported that Marc-Andre Fleury has a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. Fleury did not show for the morning skate and it is believed that Malcolm Subban will get the start Sunday. The 26-year-old Lagace has been playing well in Chicago with a 2.33 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
  • Nick Lappin has been busy lately, at least on paper. After being promoted from AHL Binghamton on Friday, the Devils forward was demoted yesterday. He’s now back with New Jersey, according to CapFriendly. The 26-year-old winger played in his tenth game this season with New Jersey the other night, but has yet to record a point. He has 27 points in 45 games with the minor league Devils.
  • Matt Read has also been a constant on the transaction wire, again being called up to the Minnesota Wild on an emergency basis, the team announced. A free agent addition this season, Read has played in seven games with Minnesota and another 53 with AHL Iowa, recording 33 points. If the Wild do manage to make the postseason, Read will be a valuable veteran depth option. If they miss, he can continue to be a core player for the farm team.

Pacific Notes: Raanta, Baertschi, Goldobin, Bennett

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Even thought the Arizona Coyotes lost to the Edmonton Oilers Saturday, the team was still able to come away with a point and still retain the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Their lead over Minnesota dropped to two points as the Wild won last night. However, with a legitimate shot a playoff berth this season, the Coyotes may get even better news if they can get in. According to AZ Central’s Richard Morin, there is a solid chance that goaltender Antti Raanta could be healthy enough to return for the playoffs.

That could create an interesting controversy, however, as one of the key reasons for the team’s success has been the recent play of backup Darcy Kuemper. The 28-year-old has been nothing short of outstanding since Raanta went down with a knee injury on Nov. 27, posting 20-11-3 record, with a .924 save percentage and a 2.40 GAA as the team’s starter. While Raanta’s return would change things in net, the team seems likely to stick with the hot hand.

“We have Darcy, who has been unbelievable for us and has given us a chance every night,” Coyotes goaltending coach Corey Schwab said. “He’s our guy, which means he’s our guy today and we’ll see what tomorrow brings. He’s done a great job at instilling confidence in the whole team. As far as how or when Antti Raanta is going to be back, nobody really knows. That’s a whole separate issue. It’s not even something for me to think about until we get there. Up until that point, there’s no question that Darcy has done enough to be the guy for us going forward.”

  • The Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green reported that forward Sven Baertschi has been cleared for contact but is not expected to play Sunday. The 26-year-old has been injured for a large chunk of the season with a concussion, but was more recently diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome in early February. In total, Baertschi has only appeared in 22 games this season, although he has struggled with injuries his entire career. Baertschi has never played more than 69 games throughout his career.
  • Sticking with the Canucks, Green also said that forward Nikolay Goldobin will be scratched Sunday and followed that with an interesting comment, according to TSN’s Jeff Paterson. ‘”You’ve got to bring something to the table,” said Green. “I just looked. He’s got 2+2 in the last 23 games. Those aren’t numbers that are really going to keep a guy in the league.”
  • There were a few people surprised when Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett was a scratch Saturday. However, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun writes that the word is that Bennett is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. “We were hoping when we got into Winnipeg, in the morning, it would be better,” Calgary head coach Bill Peters said. “And it went the other way. It was worse, so he couldn’t go.” Bennett is second on the team in hits with 120 and has 12 goals and 14 assists in 69 games.

Toronto’s Jake Gardiner Still Has No Timetable For Return

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have played 10 games without top-four defenseman Jake Gardiner, who has been out with a back injury, and it looks like the team misses him as they have struggled to a 5-4-1 record without him. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported late last night on Hockey Night in Canada that the Maple Leafs may be without Gardiner for quite a bit longer.

The 28-year-old blueliner has yet to resume skating and there is no timetable for his potential return. Despite often receiving the wrath of fans, Gardiner has been a key element to the team’s defense although his offense has dropped off this year. After posting 52 points last season, Gardiner has scored just two points and 27 assists in 60 games this year. Regardless, the team has struggled without the presence of Gardiner and defenseman Travis Dermott, who went down with shoulder injury on Feb. 27 and was expected to be out for four weeks and appears to be right on schedule.

It’s a tough situation for Toronto to be in after going out and acquiring Jake Muzzin in late January to bolster their defense. While there were rumors that Toronto was looking to add more depth to their defense, the team opted to stand pat defensively at the trade deadline, not realizing that they would lose two of their top-four defensemen not long thereafter. The team must put all their faith in their depth defensemen, including Martin Marincin, Justin Holl and Igor Ozhiganov. The team could also get some relief from the AHL as the team’s top defenseman, Calle Rosen, is close to returning from a foot injury and could fill in shortly.

 

 

Toronto Looking To Make Sheldon Keefe One Of AHL’s Highest-Paid Coaches

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One of the top AHL coaches looks close to being off the market as the Toronto Maple Leafs organization is close to an agreement with Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe to be one of the highest-paid coaches in AHL history, Nick Kypreos of Hockey Night in Canada reported late last night.

“It’s safe to say he’d be one of the AHL’s highest-paid coaches in history but it’s a contract that wouldn’t keep him from getting a job in the National Hockey League should teams come knocking,” Kypreos said.

The 38-year-old Keefe, who coached the Marlies to the Calder Cup Championship last season, is expected to have an NHL out-clause that would allow him to break his contract if hired by an NHL team, which could be quite possible as his name already has surfaced quite a bit in the last couple of seasons. Keefe has been with the Marlies since the 2015-16 season after coming over from the Saul Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. Keefe has amassed a 183-84-21 record in four seasons in the AHL. The Marlies are currently in third place in the North Division, but have struggled with goaltending issues this season.

San Jose Sharks Expected To Extend Head Coach Peter DeBoer

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The San Jose Sharks have the second-best record in the Pacific Division and the second-best record in the Western Conference. With all that success, the Sharks have indicated they intend to extend head coach Peter DeBoer shortly to a multi-year contract, according to Nick Kypreos on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday.

DeBoer, currently in his fourth season with San Jose, has been having an impressive season as the Sharks have a 43-21-8 record and his team’s 94 points is good enough for fourth best in the NHL with two of those teams ahead of them being just one point ahead of them with 95 points in the Calgary Flames and the Boston Bruins. Many people have picked San Jose to win the Western Conference.

The 50-year-old coach has a career record of 317-180-106 over 11 seasons in the NHL, which has included stints with the Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Johnny Kovacevic

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Sunday: The Jets have announced the signing, making it official. Kovacevic has signed an amateur try out with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL and is expected to spend the rest of the season there.

Friday: The Jets have inked one of their prospects as TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed defenseman Johnny Kovacevic to a two-year, entry-level deal.  CapFriendly adds that the contract carries a $700K base salary with a $92.5K signing bonus in both years. The deal officially begins in the 2019-20 season.

The 21-year-old was a third-round pick of Winnipeg back in 2017 (74th overall) following a strong freshman season at Merrimack that really put him on the NHL radar after playing in the CCHL the previous two years.  While he hasn’t matched his offensive numbers from that rookie year in his past two seasons, he has emerged as a capable two-day defender that was a fixture in their top four and clearly, Winnipeg has liked what they’ve seen as they’ve signed him a year early as he still was eligible for his senior season.

With the contract starting next season, Kovacevic is likely report to AHL Manitoba for the rest of the season on an amateur tryout deal. The Moose are currently in ninth in the Western Conference, on the outside of the playoff picture. Kovacevic may be the boost they need to sneak in over the course of these final few weeks.

Snapshots: Boychuk, Cizikas, Foligno, Bishop

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The New York Islanders could have gotten back defenseman Johnny Boychuk Saturday as the veteran defenseman was available to play, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. Boychuk appeared to hurt his shoulder when he took a hit from Philadelphia’s Jakub Voracek last week, but Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that Boychuk could have played. However, with the defense having played so well against Montreal Thursday, Trotz elected to keep the same six on defense against Detroit. He could play Sunday, however.

The team could also get back Casey Cizikas on Sunday as well. The Islanders named him a late scratch after he suffered a lower-body injury in warmups before Saturday’s game. The 28-year-old, who is having a career year, was suffering from a stomach flu several weeks ago and still hasn’t recovered from it.

“I was expecting him to play,” Trotz said. “We’re at that point in the year where we have to make sure with our players. He’s been pretty worn out. He lost a lot of weight.”

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that captain Nick Foligno did not travel with the team to Boston for their game today against Boston for personal reasons, but add that the personal reason doesn’t have anything to do with his daughter’s recent surgery. Foligno, who has 16 goals and 30 points this season, is expected to be back in the lineup soon. Foligno has missed some time this year due to the health of his now-five year-old daughter, who had to undergo a procedure in December/January. The Blue Jackets next play on Tuesday in Calgary.
  •  SportsDay’s Gerry Fraley writes that the Dallas Stars hope to have goaltender Ben Bishop back soon. The goaltender, who has been sidelined with a lower-body injury which he sustained Thursday at Minnesota, has been red-hot lately, having gone 230 minutes and 53 seconds without allowing a goal, a club record. Despite the fact that his injury improved the following day and had no difficulty walking out of the arena that night, the team opted to bench Bishop Friday against Vegas. However, the team hopes to get him back real soon as Dallas is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to making the playoffs. “I think he’s just being smart,” said Dallas head coach Jim Montgomery. “He’s trying to make sure it doesn’t become a two-week thing.”

 

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