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Archives for August 2019

Minor Transactions: 08/19/19

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It’s the dog days of summer, and while many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, major NHL signings are few and far between. Yet, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:

  • The Rochester Americans have signed John Wiitala to a one-year AHL contract, giving him his first opportunity at the professional level. Wiitala played four years at Ohio State University, scoring 17 points in 36 games as a senior. The undersized forward will try to help the Americans repeat their excellent 2018-19 season which ended in a 46-23-7 record.
  • Ara Nazarian has signed a one-year AHL deal with the Binghamton Devils, following four years at the University of New Hampshire. The 23-year old forward scored 12 goals and 23 points in 33 games as a senior and will get a chance to test himself at the next level.
  • Nashville Predators draft pick Vladislav Yeryomenko has signed a three-year contract with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL, ending any speculation that he might sign an entry-level deal in the NHL. The 20-year old defenseman was picked 151st overall in 2018 and played the last three seasons in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen. The Predators will now hold Yeryomenko’s draft rights indefinitely.

Poll: Who Are The Best Defensemen In The NHL?

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Earlier this month the NHL Network started their annual exercise rating the top players in the NHL by position, and gave us Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov as the best players in the world at their respective spots. The rest of the lists created such debate that we polled the members of the PHR community and came up with our own rankings, which differed quite a bit. In fact, for the second year in a row our readers picked Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin at the top of each list.

We asked readers to select the best 20 wingers in the NHL. Our PHR community-voted Top 20 Wingers list currently looks like this:

  1. Alex Ovechkin (691 votes)
  2. Patrick Kane (644 votes)
  3. Nikita Kucherov (618 votes)
  4. Artemi Panarin (543 votes)
  5. Mitch Marner (517 votes)
  6. Taylor Hall (482 votes)
  7. Vladimir Tarasenko (459 votes)
  8. Brad Marchand (451 votes)
  9. Johnny Gaudreau (442 votes)
  10. Leon Draisaitl (412 votes)
  11. David Pastrnak (407 votes)
  12. Mikko Rantanen (384 votes)
  13. Mark Stone (340 votes)
  14. Claude Giroux (327 votes)
  15. Jamie Benn (306 votes)
  16. Patrik Laine (294 votes)
  17. Blake Wheeler (289 votes)
  18. Gabriel Landeskog (274 votes)
  19. Matthew Tkachuk (254 votes)
  20. Phil Kessel (228 votes)

Now, the network has released their ranking of the best defensemen in the NHL and the debate has heated up once again. Brent Burns jumped up to the top of the list after an outstanding 83-point season, while Mark Giordano’s Norris Trophy vaulted him to third despite not appearing anywhere on the list a year ago. Burns set a new high in points for his career despite turning 34 in March, while Giordano had nearly 20 more points than his next closest season. The undrafted Calgary Flames defenseman will turn 36 in October but was unstoppable at both ends of the rink.

The rest of the list is populated by both veterans and youngsters, with names like Ryan Suter coming in right next to Miro Heiskanen. While young players are taking over the forward position there is still plenty of older talent locking it down on the back end. One player with a huge jump is somewhere in between; Morgan Reilly finds himself seventh on the board after breaking out in his sixth NHL season. The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman is still just 25 but is now one of the longest-tenured players on the roster with 470 games under his belt.

Just like our forward polls, we want the PHR community to let us know who the best defensemen in the world are. Unlike the last poll however, we’ll ask you to select just 10 names.  Make sure to leave a comment below on who you think deserves to be recognized, or your thoughts on how the other two polls ended. We’ve included many names that could be considered, but if you think we’ve missed someone important (which we undoubtedly have) make sure to leave his name down below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Eric Tangradi Signs In KHL

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After playing in just six NHL games during the 2018-19 season, Eric Tangradi is headed overseas. The veteran forward has signed a one-year deal with Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL.

Tangradi, 30, has spent the vast majority of the last several years in the minor leagues, where he was a Calder Cup champion with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2017 and recorded 24 points in 41 games for the Binghamton Devils last season. In 150 NHL contests over the years, Tangradi has 16 points and 86 penalty minutes.

Originally selected 42nd overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, Tangradi never did hit his ceiling of a physical NHL scorer. Still he has carved out a nice career in North America and will now test himself against different competition in the KHL. The Devils decided not to re-sign him after his one-year two-way deal expired this offseason.

Five Key Stories: 8/12/19 – 8/18/19

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While August has been pretty quiet in terms of big headlines, there were a few newsworthy items around the league over the past seven days.

Barbashev Looking Overseas: When the Blues re-signed defenseman Joel Edmundson following his arbitration award, their salary cap picture came into greater focus.  They still have to re-sign center Ivan Barbashev but with less than $2MM in cap room to do so, things could get a little dicey.  His agent Dan Milstein muddied the waters when he indicated that the 23-year-old is “looking at options on both sides of the ocean”.  It’s believed that Barbashev is looking for a four-year deal around $2MM per season which may be difficult to get if he opted to return home to play in the KHL.  Nonetheless, it’s possible that it could him just a little bit more leverage as he and the Blues try to get a deal done.

Priskie To Carolina: When the calendar flipped to August 16th, quite a few NHL-drafted players became unrestricted free agents.  The top player in that class was Quinnipiac defender Chase Priskie, originally a Washington draft pick.  He didn’t stay unsigned for very long as the Hurricanes signed the 23-year-old to a two-year, entry-level contract.  He was one of ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award in 2018-19 and is believed to be somewhat close to being NHL-ready.  However, with four established right-shot defenders in front of him on Carolina’s depth chart, he may have to bide his time in the minors for a little while first.

Torn ACL For Valimaki: Calgary’s back end was dealt a blow as youngster Juuso Valimaki sustained a torn ACL in summer training.  No timeline for recovery was announced but these injuries typically take six months or longer to recover from.  He was expected to contend for a full-time roster spot and potentially allow them to move defenseman T.J. Brodie to free up some cap room.  Instead, the Flames will now need to keep Brodie and they are now on the lookout to acquire another blueliner.  With Calgary needing to free up cap space to re-sign wingers Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane, expect GM Brad Treliving to be discussing trades involving some forwards in the coming days and weeks.

GM Extensions: The debate around whether or not Carolina GM Don Waddell should be able to operate without a contract can be put to rest now as the Hurricanes signed him to a three-year deal.  He assumed the GM duties last year and the team quickly turned things around so the fact he’ll be sticking around for a while should come as no surprise.  Meanwhile, the Canucks have also committed to their GM for three more years as they’ve agreed to terms with Jim Benning on a three-year extension.  Benning has been in the role since 2014 and while the team hasn’t had a lot of success during his tenure, he has assembled a very strong group of young players to give them a very promising core to build around.

Erne To Detroit: The Red Wings added some depth on the wing, acquiring Adam Erne from Tampa Bay in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round pick.  The Lightning weren’t likely to be able to afford to re-sign him given their salary cap situation (they’re saving room for RFA center Brayden Point) while they only have one contract slot available which is earmarked for Point so a move needed to be made.  Meanwhile, at 24, Erne could figure into Detroit’s plans for a while for what amounts to a pretty low acquisition cost.  Shortly after the trade, the winger inked a one-year, $1.05MM contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Originals: 8/12/19 – 8/18/19

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With the hockey world being squarely in the summer doldrums, there has been plenty of original content here at PHR over the past week.

Our look at the salary cap situation continued as we wrapped up the Pacific Division.  I took a look at the numbers for San Jose and Vancouver while Holger did the same for Vegas.  We also kicked off our look at the Metropolitan Division as Holger broke down Carolina’s situation; while their reputation is that of a lower-spending team, they’re going to be pretty tight to the $81.5MM salary cap for the upcoming season.

After polling our readers for their listing of the top centers in the league, we’ve done the same for the wingers.  Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Chicago’s Patrick Kane, and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov currently hold the top three spots but there’s still time vote.

While there aren’t many big names left on the unrestricted free agent market, there are some intriguing depth options and possible reclamation projects available.  A player in the first category is defenseman Andrew MacDonald, who Holger profiled.  While he was overpaid on his contract with the Flyers, he could still potentially fill a sixth or seventh role for next season.  Meanwhile, a player in the latter category is winger Valeri Nichushkin who Holger also examined.  The tenth overall pick in 2013 had a disastrous year in Dallas as he went the entire season without a goal but he’s not far removed from being someone envisioned as being a top-six power forward.  He’d be a good candidate to consider for a rebuilding team.

Our 2007 redraft series continues.  Winger Jakub Voracek moved up a spot to go number six to Edmonton which means Columbus is now on the board.  Click here to cast your vote.

The back half of our mailbag is now available.  Topics that I covered in this edition are what’s next for the Rangers, what may need to happen for a David Backes trade, teams that could surprise next season, possible trade candidates between now and the start of the preseason, and  Ottawa’s lack of spending.

Last month, the Wild parted ways with general manager Paul Fenton.  Which GM will be the next one to be let go?  Make your prediction here.

Minor Transactions: 08/18/19

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It’s the dog days of summer, and while many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, major NHL signings are few and far between. Yet, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:

  • Northeastern University landed a pair of high-quality graduate transfers last week in University of New Hampshire forward Brendan van Riemsdyk and Merrimack College goalie Craig Pantano, both of whom are expected to be major contributors. However, they’ve also now suffered a loss. After two disappointing seasons to begin his collegiate career, center Bobby Hampton has opted to leave the program, reports USCHO. Hampton will enroll at Penn State University and will join the Nittany Lions for the 2020-21 season with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining. Hampton joined Northeastern in 2017 with high expectations after leading the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Rough Riders in scoring the season prior, but recorded just seven points combined in his first two college seasons.
  • Trevor Yates had up and down between the AHL and ECHL last season and he’s already well on his way to a similar start to the 2019-20 campaign. After signing with the ECHL’s Reading Royals on Friday, Jason Guarente of the Reading Eagle already reports that Yates will be in camp with their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, trying to instead earn an AHL contract, with Lehigh or elsewhere. A former star for the Cornell University Big Red, Yates’ pro career got off to a slow start last year, but he finished strong with a point-per-game stretch in the ECHL. The 24-year-old forward has the size and intelligence to be a key two-way forward in the AHL or, as he slowed late last season, a top-line forward at the “AA” level.
  • The AHL’s Manitoba Moose have re-signed defenseman Charles-David Beaudoin to a one-year extension, the team announced. Beaudoin has played a part-time role for the Moose in each of the past two seasons, recording 15 points combined over the past two seasons. The 25-year-old righty took an unorthodox route to the AHL, spending two years at the University of Quebec – Trois Rivieres after his QMJHL junior career before jumping from USports to the pros, and will look to take on a larger role in his third AHL season.

Minnesota GM Search Down To Three

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The Minnesota Wild seem to have narrowed their search down a bit as three names seem to have forced their way to the top. In his recent mailbag, The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that it likely will come down to Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin, Montreal Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby and former Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall.

Guerin continues to be the frontrunner as Wild owner Craig Leipold is enamored by Guerin’s stature and leadership, something that is of high priority after issues with previous GM Paul Fenton, who lasted just over a year with many issues surrounding his ability to lead. Guerin is believed to be a man who can not just lead a front office, but has the ability to affect the coaching staff and the players in a positive way, which Russo believes makes him the favorite. The only issue for the Wild is that they were hoping to get a general manager that already has experience as a GM, which Guerin doesn’t.

Hextall, who many thought was the favorite immediately when the job became available, is still in the mix. Russo writes that while there are rumors that many in Philadelphia were glad to see Hextall leave due to his lack of leadership, the scribe has interviewed quite a few people and believes that those complaints can be easily explained of justified, which might suggest that Hextall, who has the most experience as a general manager, might also make a good GM. However, if the team is worried about re-creating the same problem they had when Fenton was in charge, the team might opt to go in a different direction.

Mellanby could be the darkhorse, however. He has an impressive track record in Montreal and after interviewing on Wednesday, rumors are he impressed Leipold quite a bit. The only other longshot would be New Jersey’s Tom Fitzgerald, but after extensive interviewing with Minnesota a year ago, the Devils aren’t thrilled about allowing him to interview again and only allowed a 20-minute chat. There has been no further interviews with the idea that the only way it can hire Fitzgerald is if they just offer the job to him outright without further discussion, which seems unlikely.

 

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. 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 2019-20 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.

Carolina Hurricanes

Current Cap Hit: $79,004,791 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Andrei Svechnikov (two years, $925K)
F Martin Necas (three years, $863K)
D Jake Bean (two years, $863K)
F Warren Foegele (one year, $747K)

Potential Bonuses:

Svechnikov: $2.65MM
Necas: $538K
Bean: $500K
Foegele: $20K

With a system full of top prospects, the Hurricanes got an impressive rookie season from Svechnikov, drafted with the second-overall pick in 2018, last season and now will have a top-six option for another two years at an entry-level cost. At 18 years old, he tallied 20 goals and 37 points and should be in line for more playing time and bigger numbers this season as a 19-year-old and could eventually become the franchise winger the team needs long-term. The Hurricanes also have high hopes for Necas to step in and take big role next season at the center position. The 2017 first-rounder had an impressive season for the Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and could provide Carolina with some cheap talent.

Bean, the team’s first-rounder in 2016, has only made two appearances for Carolina, but could get a chance to take a much bigger role after a strong season with Charlotte, which saw his skills take that next step. The 23-year-old Foegele began to show off his offensive skill over the course of the season in Carolina. He scored 10 goals and 15 points during the regular season, but was even more impressive in the playoffs with five goals and nine points in just 15 games. If he can take his game up a notch, the Hurricanes could have an even more impressive offense next season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Justin Faulk ($4.83MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($2.3MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($874K, RFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($850K, RFA)
F Brian Gibbons ($725K, UFA)
F Clark Bishop ($700K, RFA)
F Lucas Wallmark ($675K, RFA)

There were rumors that suggested that talks between Carolina and Faulk were no where close on a potential extension and others that said negotiations were promising, however, Faulk could be a legitimate trade candidate if the team can’t eventually work out an extension. The 27-year-old Faulk had a solid season both defensively as he was finally in the positive on his plus/minus for the first time in his career, while also adding 11 goals and 35 points. However, with a number of young defensemen who are waiting for a chance to get an opportunity in Carolina, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Carolina unload him at the trade deadline.

Haula is an interesting acquisition. The 28-year-old was coming off a 29-goal season in Vegas’ inaugural season, but then suffered a gruesome knee injury and never returned. In the end, he played just 15 games, although he was close to returning late in the season with many believing that he would have been available had the Golden Knights had gotten deeper into the playoffs. If he can prove to be healthy, Haula might prove to be one of the best acquisitions of the year. Whether the Hurricanes will re-sign him will obviously depend on how he fares next season.

The team might be ready to move on from van Riemsdyk, who has served as a bottom pairing defenseman, but probably makes too much at $2.3MM to keep around long term, especially since Fleury hasn’t really had a true chance to prove himself and could be a better option at his price.

Two Years Remaining

D Dougie Hamilton ($5.75MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Dzingel ($3.38MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.13MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($2MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($738K, RFA)

The team has a number of interesting contracts with two years left, including their entire goaltending situation. The team has Mrazek, who put together a stellar season after years of inconsistency, and new backup Reimer as the new tandem with their top prospect in Nedeljkovic close to ready to step into the lineup. All three will likely stay this season as Nedeljkovic is waiver exempt and likely will just stay in the AHL. However, if he can prove in training camp that he’s ready for the back-up role, few would be surprised if the team found a way to unload Reimer, who had a terrible season last year in Florida.

Despite hearing constant rumors that Carolina was shopping Hamilton around this offseason, it looks like the Hurricanes will have the veteran defenseman for another season. He put up solid numbers, scoring 18 goals an 39 points and is solid defensively, but he could eventually be a trade candidate, perhaps as early as the trade deadline if the team struggles and can’t reproduce the same success it had a season ago. The team also hopes that they can get Dzingel to provide the same type of offense he was producing in Ottawa, rather than his struggles in Columbus. However, he should provide solid value at his pricetag and fit in nicely as a middle-six option.

Three Years Remaining

F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM, UFA)

It might have been the trade of the year when the Hurricanes acquired Niederreiter from Minnesota for Victor Rask. While Rask struggled in Minnesota, Niederreiter’s season took off when he arrived, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games and he slotted in nicely on the first line. If he can produce anything close to that, the team has a steal of a deal for the next three years. If his production drops back to what it was in Minnesota earlier in the year (nine goals and 23 points in 46 games) then the team has a contract that could be a burden for some time.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Sebastian Aho ($8.45MM through 2023-24)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM through 2023-24)
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM through 2024-25)
D Brett Pesce ($4.03MM through 2023-24)

The Montreal Canadiens did Carolina a favor when they shocked the NHL by signing Aho to an offer sheet that didn’t look difficult to match. While five years likely isn’t ideal, the Hurricanes still now have their top franchise player signed until 2024 and can figure out its plans after that, but now are one of the few teams that have locked up their franchise restricted free agent already, with the rest still waiting to sign a contract. That should provide Aho, who had another breakout season with 30 goals and 83 points, with plenty of time to be ready for training camp and see if he can take his game to another level once again.

His linemate in Teravainen is another key piece of Carolina’s future who keeps producing better and better numbers. The 24-year-old produced 21 goals and a career-high 76 points and is locked up for another five years as well, giving Aho a solid winger to work with. The team, however, may not be as thrilled with the four years it still has in Staal, who produced one of his worst seasons although injuries did play apart. The 30-year-old still has four years at $6MM from a 10-year, $60MM deal he signed back in 2012. After posting just 11 goals and 28 points in 50 games, the team hopes he can bounce back.

One thing the Hurricanes did was locking up its young defenders. The team has seen Slavin develop into a top-line defenseman in the last year and to have him locked up at just $5.3MM for six more years will likely be one of the team’s biggest bargain for a long time. He has been averaging more than 22 minutes per game for three of his four seasons in the league. Pesce has also seen his game increase and is also a steal with the rising cost of young defensemen lately. Pesce saw his minutes break 20 minutes for a second straight season, while his offense increased by 10 points.

Buyouts

F Patrick Marleau ($6.25MM in 2019-20)
F Alexander Semin ($2.33MM through 2020-21)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Salary Cap Recapture

None

Still To Sign

F Justin Williams (UFA)
F Saku Maenalanen (RFA)
D Roland McKeown (RFA)

One question that is still up for grabs is whether Williams will return to the team. The 37-year-old winger has been told he can take as much time as he wants to determine whether he wants to return to hockey. He’s made it clear it’s either Carolina or retirement, but after putting up a solid campaign last year of 23 goals and 53 points, it’s hard to believe that the veteran leader is ready to hang it up if he still is capable of producing as a top-six forward. While he may eventually have to slide down to the third line, the veteran was critical to the team’s deep playoff run and Carolina hopes he will come back.

While McKeown might have a hard time finding playing time in Carolina’s stacked defense, the team will need to get Maenalanen signed at some point. The 6-foot-4 bottom-six winger stepped into the lineup late in the season and was a solid contributor, posting four goals and eight points in 34 games, while skating for just 9:26 of ATOI. He provided some physical play and if he can steal a spot on the fourth line, could be valuable.

Best Value: Slavin
Worst Value: Staal

Looking Ahead

The Carolina Hurricanes have done an impressive job of drafting well, developing their talent and adding veteran talent at reasonable prices. With most of their core already locked up long-term and plenty of talent still on entry-level contracts, the Hurricanes should be able to keep their team competitive for years and keep getting better as the team continues to develop.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Alex Petrovic Signs PTO With Boston Bruins

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While there has been talk for days that former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Alexander Petrovic has signed a professional tryout with the Boston Bruins, there hadn’t been any official confirmation. However, in his Sunday column, Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins confirmed that Petrovic has signed the PTO with Boston. He was supposedly deciding between offers from several other teams, including Carolina and Calgary.

The signing of Petrovic should be a great addition for Boston, who have plenty of issues with their defense. The team dealt with numerous injuries last season that at times forced several players from the Providence Bruins to fill in. With recent news that veteran defenseman Kevan Miller still hasn’t started skating yet after fracturing his kneecap twice last season, and the fact that two of their blueliners, Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, remain restricted free agents and theoretically may not be at training camp, signing Petrovic makes sense.

Petrovic was a solid defenseman with the Florida Panthers, but was never thrilled with his playing time there as the most playing time he ever received was in his rookie season back in 2012-13 when he averaged 18:47 of ATOI. Unfortunately, his game never truly improved and he saw his time on the ice drop, eventually forcing him to demand a trade. That trade came in December last year when the Oilers acquired him to fill their void on defense. However, Petrovic never really got a fair trial with the Oilers, only playing nine games and dealing with a concussion issue. Of course, Petrovic will have to prove his value in Boston to get a contract, but he could be the perfect insurance for a defense that has plenty of questions.

Free Agent Profile: Valeri Nichushkin

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Just a year ago, the Dallas Stars were praising the signing of Valeri Nichushkin, their first-round pick back in 2013. The young, promising power forward showed quite a bit of promise before opting to return to the KHL. However, the team pressed and pressed before finally getting Nichushkin to agree to come back last year on a two-year, $5.9MM deal. The team hoped the then 23-year-old would immediately jump into their top-six and make an instant impact.

Instead it all backfired. Nichushkin struggled immensely, never scoring a goal all season and saw his playing time drop significantly. He missed time early in the year due to a groin injury and never found his place in the team’s lineup. He was scratched 16 times during the regular season and appeared in just one out of 12 playoff games for the Stars where he only played 7:57 of TOI. After just that one year, the team decided to cut him loose, buying out the team’s final season and letting a talented 24-year-old go.

The question is can Nichushkin bounce back. The 24-year-old is still young and has both the size and talent to put it all together. You would think there would be teams who might be willing to take a chance on him. The positives were that his defense last year was much improved from his first stint in Dallas as a teenager. Nichushkin killed penalties and even got some time on the team’s shutdown line with Radek Faksa. Unfortunately, his inability to put the puck in the net hurt his value.

Potential Suitors

Teams looking for young talent and might have a need for depth could find themselves interested. A team like Edmonton, who is in need of talented wingers, who might be able to have a breakout season, might be an interesting match. However, after trying that a season ago with Tobias Rieder, who also tallied no goals last season, the team may not want to deal with the same type of issue.

The New York Islanders might be another team that could use some depth on the bottom-six and with his defense, could be a good fit after the team lost Valtteri Filpula to Detroit this offseason. Especially with the Islanders having so much youth close, but perhaps not completely ready for the NHL squad, Nichushkin might be the perfect fill-in for one season.

There is also a legitimate chance that he could head overseas, but so far he has not chosen to sign a deal over there and with many leagues already getting started, he may want to find a chance in North America first. However, in the end, it will all come down to what team is willing to take a chance on the young forward.

Projected Contract

Unfortunately for the young Russian, Nichushkin will likely have to look for a PTO and try to prove that his inability to score was an aberration. There were many that thought that he might be able to bounce back, but considering how much Dallas was paying him and the fact they had to free up cap space to bring in Joe Pavelski, the team wasn’t going to put up with that salary. However, at a minimum-salaried deal, many teams might be ready to take a flier on him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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