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Archives for July 2019

Luke Witkowski Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are bringing back Luke Witkowski, after the hybrid forward/defenseman spent two years with the Detroit Red Wings. Witkowski has signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Lightning.

Witkowski, 29, was a sixth-round pick of the Lightning back in 2008 and joined their organization after four years at Western Michigan University. Known mostly for his physicality, he put up a whopping 204 penalty minutes in his first professional season. That physical play has never disappeared, and he has found a way to stay in the lineup even if it meant lining up at forward and defense in the same game.

With just ten points in 119 career games he won’t be making much of an offensive impact, but Witkowski will likely receive some playing time in the NHL next season just as he has in each of the last five. The two years will provide him with some stability, while he is also very familiar with the Syracuse Crunch from his time in the Tampa Bay development system.

St. Louis Blues Sign Derrick Pouliot, Five Others

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The NHL’s only Australian is on the move. Nathan Walker is set to sign a two-year, two-way deal with the defending champion St. Louis Blues. They didn’t stop there though, as the Blues have announced two-way contracts with five other players—Derrick Pouliot, Mike Vecchione, Nick Lappin, Jake Dotchin and Evan Polei.

Even though they were relatively quiet today, deciding to keep their Stanley Cup group together instead of bringing in any top names, the Blues have done well to add real depth to the organization on inexpensive deals. Pouliot especially was expected to get a more lucrative contract than this, even though the Vancouver Canucks had decided to not issue him a qualifying offer. The 25-year old even landed on our Top 50 UFA list, though admittedly he didn’t have a ton of leverage after a 12-point season.

Several of the others have legitimate NHL experience though, meaning the Blues will be able to pick and choose who starts the year on the NHL roster and who goes to the AHL as injury insurance. The team knows just how much of a grind it is to get all the way to the championship and will be well prepared in case of injury.

Boston Bruins Announce Several Signings

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While the Boston Bruins garnered some attention early on today with a long-term extension for defenseman Connor Clifton and the signings of young power forward Brett Ritchie and third-string goalie Maxime Lagace, the team was quietly working through a number of other deals that insiders failed to pick up on. The team has announced seven signings: extensions for Clifton and Ryan Fitzgerald, one-way contracts for Ritchie and Par Lindholm, two-way contracts for Lagace and Brendan Gaunce, and an AHL contract for defenseman Josiah Didier.

Outside of Clifton and Ritchie, the biggest news is the addition of Lindholm, who signed a two-year deal with an AAV of $850K. Although Lindholm, 27, just finished his first NHL season after a long career in Sweden, the Bruins got a good look at him as a member of the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. Lindholm recorded 12 points in 61 games for Toronto, but was held to just one point in four regular season games and two postseason games for the Winnipeg Jets following a late-season trade. However, defense is more Lindholm’s game anyway, as he proved to be a good physical presence and proved to be adept at blocking shots and creating turnovers. Lindholm is a good fourth-line depth option and penalty kill possibility for the Bruins, who lost Noel Acciari to the Florida Panthers, but replace much of the same ability at half the price.

Gaunce, 25, became a UFA after he was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Vancouver Canucks. A 2012 first-round pick, the Canucks expected more offense out of the forward, who instead recorded just 15 points in 117 NHL games through four seasons with the team. Last year, Gaunce played all but three games in the AHL. At his point, Gaunce is a player who uses his size and speed to play a physical, up-tempo style, but lacks the skill to play a scoring role in the NHL. At best, Gaunce will challenge Lindholm to be the next man up on the fourth line in Boston, and would be an affordable piece at $700K, but at worst he has a high floor of being a hard-working and experienced minor league presence that will make his Providence teammates better.

One such teammate is Fitzgerald, who returns to the team on a one-year, $700K deal, coming in below his qualifying offer. Fitzgerald has shown a well-rounded game and consistent production in two years with the Providence Bruins, as he did in four years at Boston College. The homegrown product comes from hockey bloodlines and plays a smart game. There’s still some question of whether the skill is enough to get to the NHL, though. Fitzgerald will still be searching for his Boston debut this coming season.

Another Providence addition is Didier, who strengthens a talented, but shallow AHL blue line for the Bruins. Didier is coming off a career-best offensive season for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, despite only being a part-time player for the Calder Cup champs. It’s unclear how much of a role he will play in Providence, but it’s a risk-free investment in a big, experienced defender by the Bruins.

Washington Capitals Sign Brendan Leipsic

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The Washington Capitals have added another depth forward with a little upside, signing Brendan Leipsic to a one-year, one-way contract worth $700K. Leipsic split last season between the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. The team has also signed minor league forward Philippe Maillet to a two-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level.

Leipsic, 25, has shown flashes of brilliance in the NHL but hasn’t quite been able to establish himself as a full-time player just yet. In 45 games with the Kings last season he recorded 18 points, but failed to receive a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent. That’s not the first team that passed on him over the years, as the third-round pick has been traded twice, picked in the expansion draft and claimed off waivers over the years. In Washington he’ll try to show that he can be an everyday player, but his $700K deal can be buried in the minor leagues if the team feels he’s not ready to contribute.

Maillet meanwhile is a minor league addition that won’t be expected to contribute at the NHL level at all. The 26-year old forward went undrafted out of the QMJHL despite strong scoring numbers and actually went to the University of New Brunswick for four seasons. Signing a minor league deal with the Ontario Reign, he showed that had still been overlooked and actually registered 94 points in 140 games for the AHL club. This deal represents his first NHL contract and a reward for years of hard work.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Ness, Miele, Bennett

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The Arizona Coyotes already made their big splash this off-season, acquiring Phil Kessel, so it comes as little surprise that the team made one unassuming announcement about three players signed to two-way contracts. Defenseman Aaron Ness has signed a two-year deal, as has forward Andy Miele, while forward Beau Bennett has signed a one-year deal. No financial terms have been disclosed.

Ness, 29, is the only one of the trio who spent last season in North America. A depth piece for the Washington Capitals, and before that the New York Islanders, Ness has played in 47 career NHL games and can be a useful minor league piece in case of emergency. The Coyotes have great depth on the blue line, but the team will be happy to let Ness, who scored a career-high 55 points last year with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, play a key role with the Tuscon Roadrunners while acting as deep option should injuries strike at the top level.

Miele, 31, begins his second stint with the Coyotes organization after spending the past two seasons abroad. A player with incredibly impressive numbers in the AHL, Miele branched out to the European ranks in search of a greater role. He enjoyed back-to-back strong seasons, first in the Swedish Hockey League and last year in the KHL, but appears ready to try his hand in the NHL again. Miele has only 15 NHL games to his credit, but he and the ’Yotes hope that his time overseas has further developed his game to the point that he can contribute in Arizona.

Bennett, 27, was limited to just five games with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk last season, his first outside North America, but that didn’t stop the Coyotes from taking a chance on him. Now in his fourth NHL stop, Bennett is looking to get back to being a regular in the league, as he was in his first five pro seasons. The 2010 first-round pick has skated in 200 NHL games, recording 64 points, and enjoyed the best season of his career just a few years ago in 2016-17 with the New Jersey Devils. If GM John Chayka and company see the residual upside in Bennett, he could be an intriguing option for the Coyotes this seaosn.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Warsofsky, Agozzino

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have inked a pair of depth players, signing David Warsofsky and Andrew Agozzino to two-year, two-way contracts. Both deals will carry an average annual value of $700K at the NHL level. The minor league players were teammates last season with the Colorado Eagles. Assistant GM Bill Guerin released a statement on the deals:

David and Andrew are two guys that are going to provide great depth for our organization. They are both leaders that can help mentor some of our younger players. If there are injuries or trades, you need guys like David and Andrew, who have both NHL and AHL experience, to be able to come in and contribute. We’re lucky to get two guys with great experience in this role, and expect both of them to push to make the NHL roster out of training camp.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign David Kampf

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed David Kampf to a two-year contract after failing to issue him a qualifying offer last week. Kampf technically became an unrestricted free agent, but was always expected to re-sign with the Blackhawks after a nice season in the NHL.

The 24-year old forward signed out of the Czech Republic in 2017 and quickly showed that he was in no need of seasoning in the minor leagues. He played 46 games with the Blackhawks in 2017-18 and came back as a regular last season. In 63 appearances he registered 19 points, but was relatively effective in a bottom-six center and penalty killing role. That’s likely where he’ll be used again next season, though it’s unclear exactly how the Blackhawks’ bottom-six will shake out now that Ryan Carpenter and Andrew Shaw have been acquired in recent days.

In fact, Chicago has only eight forwards in the entire organization on one-way contracts for next season, meaning there still could be a fair amount of change and competition in the lineup. Kampf will know he has the security of a two-year deal and will still be under team control when it expires in the summer of 2021.

Florida Panthers Trade James Reimer

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July 1: The Panthers have officially bought out Darling.

June 30: The Florida Panthers have traded goaltender James Reimer to the Carolina Hurricanes. In return the Panthers will acquire a 2020 sixth-round pick and goaltender Scott Darling, who has been placed on waivers for the purpose of a contract buyout. After the recent retirement of Roberto Luongo this leaves the Panthers with just two minor league goaltenders under contract, likely opening the way for a free agent signing tomorrow. Sergei Bobrovsky is the speculative favorite, though nothing can be official until the free agent period opens.

Darling had two years remaining on his current deal, meaning a buyout will force the Panthers to pay him $4.73MM total over the next four years with the following cap hits:

  • 2019-20: $1,233,333
  • 2020-21: $2,333,333
  • 2021-22: $1,183,333
  • 2022-23: $1,183,333

Reimer meanwhile becomes the presumptive starting goaltender in Carolina for the time being, since they too are lacking in NHL experience at the position. Both Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney are set to become unrestricted free agents after failing to work out new contracts, leaving Reimer and one of Anton Forsberg or Alex Nedeljkovic as the tandem for next season. That is of course unless the Hurricanes go after another free agent, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the team is still interested in bringing back Mrazek or going after Semyon Varlamov.

The 31-year old Reimer struggled last season in Florida, posting just a .900 save percentage in 36 appearances and seeing his goals against average balloon to 3.09. That’s a far cry from the .920 mark he posted in his first season with the Panthers in 2016-17, one that made him look like the eventual successor to Luongo and a long-term option. That’s the goaltender the Hurricanes will hope they can get, one that carried an average Toronto Maple Leafs team to the playoffs in 2013 and even earned Hart Trophy votes. They’ve had success with ex-Maple Leafs before, as McElhinney played excellent after a waiver claim at the start of last season.

Carolina has been one of the more active teams on the trade market so far, making deals to acquire Patrick Marleau (who they then bought out), Erik Haula, Forsberg and Gustav Forsling, while sending Calvin de Haan and others out of town. The team found so much success in the second half of last season and the playoffs, but obviously aren’t content with waiting around for their team to take another run without changes.

The question in Florida now becomes whether they can officially land Bobrovsky—and perhaps his close friend and teammate Artemi Panarin. The team has more than $26MM in cap space to use without any high profile restricted free agents to get under contract. With a new head coach in Joel Quenneville and big moves expected in free agency, it is obvious that GM Dale Tallon is ready to compete for the Stanley Cup right now and will spend quite a bit of money to do it.

New York Rangers Sign McKegg, O’Regan

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The New York Rangers have already locked up the top free agent on the market, and now they’ve signed some depth forwards as well. Greg McKegg and Daniel O’Regan have both agreed to terms with the Rangers.

While they won’t be bringing the same impact as Artemi Panarin, McKegg and O’Regan still represent two options for the Rangers to use at the bottom of the NHL lineup. McKegg especially has turned himself into a legitimate fourth-line player, suiting up 41 times for the Hurricanes last season and scoring 11 points. With so few players signed past this season for the Rangers, McKegg might find himself waiting for a trade to get a real opportunity but should see some playing time in the NHL. The 27-year old has 24 points in 132 career games split between the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins and Hurricanes.

O’Regan meanwhile was actually a relatively interesting prospect at one point for the San Jose Sharks and was part of the deal that landed them Evander Kane two seasons ago. A star at Boston University for four seasons, he jumped into the professional ranks in 2016 and dominated immediately, scoring 58 points in 63 games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. He’s done well since then in minor league appearances, but can’t seem to carve himself out a role in the NHL. In New York he’ll have to fight for any opportunity he can get but could very well be ticketed for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Florida Panthers Sign Brett Connolly

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Monday: As expected, the Panthers have confirmed a four-year deal with Connolly. However, the team has set to disclose the financial terms. GM Dale Tallon calls Connolly “a Stanley Cup Champion who knows what it takes to win in this league (and) brings a dimension of both size and skill to our young forward group and will strengthen our depth.” There is clearly an expectation that the scoring winger will continue to grow into a true top-six player over his time with Florida.

Sunday: While the Panthers have been linked to some of the top players in the free agent class, it appears as if they will be making some smaller free agent splashes as well.  Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED reports (Twitter link) that Florida could be signing winger Brett Connolly to a four-year contract when the market officially opens up on Monday.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic echoes (Twitter link) that the Panthers are expected to land Connolly while Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland adds (via Twitter) that the deal will carry a $3.5MM AAV.

The 27-year-old is coming off of a career year with Washington.  After putting up 27 points (his previous high) in 2017-18, he blew past that as he posted 22 goals and 24 assists in 81 games while chipping in with a pair of goals in the postseason.  Most notably, 44 of his 46 points came at even strength and finding players that are capable of producing without power play time are hard to find.  That helped vault him to 17th on our Top 50 UFA Rankings.

That said, this deal won’t be without its risks.  Connolly is only a few seasons removed from being non-tendered in two straight summers (2014-15 with Tampa Bay and 2015-16 with Boston) and his point production had been in the twenties for the three previous seasons before 2018-19.  If he reverts to his career averages, this contract could become an overpayment fairly quickly.  On the other hand, if he can come close to that level of five-on-five production once again, it could wind up as a bargain.

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