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Archives for August 2019

Minor Transactions: 08/05/19

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As August begins and we get closer to the end of arbitration and contract holdouts, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:

  • Pro enforcer Bobby Farnham has decided to take his talents to the EIHL, signing a one-year deal with the Belfast Giants. Farnham has bounced up and down between the AHL and NHL for years, mostly as an imposing physical presence. Despite being just 5’10” the 30-year old Farnham has always been willing to drop the gloves or go after a player in the corner. In 67 NHL games he has 138 penalty minutes a total dwarfed by the 1,044 he has received through 404 AHL games.
  • Farnham will be joined in Belfast by former NHL player Liam Reddox who has spent the last eight seasons with the Vaxjo Lakers. Reddox actually served as captain of the Swedish team for the last four years, but will be looking for a new challenge in 2019-20. Once the 112th pick of the 2004 draft, Reddox played 100 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers before leaving for the SHL in 2011.
  • There was a trade in the ECHL this morning, with the Maine Mariners acquiring the rights of Jordan Klimek in exchange for Derek Pratt and Garrett Cecere. All three are former NCAA players looking to make their way in professional hockey.

Poll: Who Are The Best Centers In The NHL?

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NHL Network certainly knows how to throw the hockey world into a tizzy when it comes to ranking the best players in the league. Last night the network revealed their annual list of the Top-20 Centers in the NHL and once again Connor McDavid found himself edging out Sidney Crosby in the top two spots. Last season’s bronze recipient Evgeni Malkin fell all the way to #13 however, allowing Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon to jump a couple of spots up the list.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (Crosby, Malkin), Toronto Maple Leafs (John Tavares, Auston Matthews), Tampa Bay Lightning (Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point) and Washington Capitals (Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom) all have a pair of names on the list, giving the group a very Eastern Conference flavor. Despite Jonathan Toews’ resurgence in 2018-19 he was left off the list again along with potential snubs like Sean Couturier, Dylan Larkin and Mathew Barzal among many others.

Like last year, when our community actually crowned Crosby as top dog, we thought we’d do our own tally here at PHR. In the poll below we’ve listed many options and are asking you to vote for your top group by selecting 10 names. Do Stamkos and Tavares stay ahead of their younger teammates? Will Malkin get back into the top 10? Can Elias Pettersson climb even higher? Cast your votes below and make sure to leave a comment explaining your choices.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Though Leon Draisaitl was included in the 2018 list, his absence suggests that the NHL Network considered him a winger this season. The same can be said about other part-time centers that haven’t been included in the poll above. The list is not exhaustive, and write-in votes are encouraged in the comment section.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Kevin Shattenkirk

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have added another former New York Rangers player to the mix, signing recently bought out Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year contract. The deal carries a $1.75MM salary and a full no-trade clause.

Shattenkirk, 30, saw his performance and role with the Rangers decline over his two years in New York and when it came time for them to clear salary to accommodate Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba, he was one of the first to go. As we wrote when he was bought out last week it took him very little time to find a landing spot given his history of success and the lack of available depth at the positions. The defense market has been all but picked clean (except perhaps for Jake Gardiner who remains unsigned) meaning Shattenkirk immediately became a desirable asset despite his recent play.

For $1.75MM, the Lightning are betting he’ll be able to rediscover some of the magic he had with the St. Louis Blues. During parts of six seasons in St. Louis Shattenkirk was one of the most productive offensive defensemen in the league, recording 258 points in 425 games. A powerplay dynamo who also logged big minutes at even-strength, Shattenkirk even received Norris Trophy votes on three different occasions. Even in New York he was still able to record 51 points in 119 games, though his all-around performance declined and he was sheltered heavily away from tough defensive matchups.

Tampa Bay already has two elite defensemen in Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh along with an impressive group that also includes Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak and Braydon Coburn. Shattenkirk will essentially be replacing outgoing veterans (and former Rangers) Dan Girardi and Anton Stralman, though he obviously plays a bit different role than either one.

The signing is obviously a bargain for a player that was once one of the most dynamic defensemen in the league, but it also does tighten the purse strings a little bit further in Tampa Bay. The team still has Brayden Point and Adam Erne sitting as unsigned restricted free agents with now just over $9.3MM in cap space. Though there are ways to add a bit to that total—Anthony Cirelli, Mathieu Joseph and Cernak are all still waiver-exempt, for instance—it still doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room to fit in a long-term deal with Point that could approach $10MM per season depending on term. If the team decides to do a bridge deal like they have with several other high profile RFAs however, there shouldn’t be a cap issue in Tampa Bay this year.

Five Key Stories: 7/29/19 – 8/4/19

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Although the early part of August doesn’t typically feature a lot of activity around the league, there were quite a few newsworthy headlines over the past seven days on top of a pair of late additions to the UFA market.

Callahan To Ottawa: The Senators have seemingly become a clearinghouse for injured players.  They already have Clarke MacArthur and Marian Gaborik in the fold and they will now be joined by Ryan Callahan as Ottawa acquired the winger in exchange for goalie Mike Condon.  In doing the deal, the Sens save nearly $2MM in actual salary as they’re only responsible for 20% of Callahan’s $4.7MM salary with insurance picking up the rest while Condon’s $3MM price tag (in cash) goes to Tampa Bay.  Meanwhile, the Lightning free up $3.4MM in cap space (Callahan has a $5.8MM AAV with Condon at $2.4MM) which will help as they look to re-sign RFAs Brayden Point and Adam Erne.

Fenton Fired: It’s extremely rare that a GM is let go midway through the summer but that’s what the Wild decided to do as they relieved Paul Fenton of his duties after just over a year with the team.  Owner Craig Leipold indicated that there wasn’t one specific thing or event that led to the decision but rather an accumulation of things over his tenure.  Minnesota made several puzzling trades, highlighted by dealing Nino Niederreiter to Carolina for Victor Rask.  Niederreiter did quite well with his new team while Rask continued to struggle.  Despite the trades suggesting they’d be rebuilding, Fenton was quick to give veteran winger Mats Zuccarello a new deal.  Assistant GM Tom Kurvers will handle the GM duties on an interim basis while the team looks for a successor.

Vasilevskiy Extension: Tampa Bay has often tried to get its top players signed to extensions early and they’ve done so again.  Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy signed an eight-year, $76MM extension, making him the third-highest paid goalie (in terms of AAV) in the NHL once it kicks in for the 2020-21 season.  The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is coming off of a career season and is in his prime so there shouldn’t be a lot of concern about falling off towards the end of the deal.  However, the Lightning, who already had to move out players for cap reasons, will almost assuredly have to do so again next offseason.  The team now has over $67MM in commitments to just 13 players for 2020-21, an amount that will only go up when Point eventually signs.

Gusev To New Jersey: When Vegas signed Nikita Gusev early in the postseason, their hope was that they’d be able to get him signed for next season.  However, the salary cap made that all but impossible unless they were to clear out some other players to free up cap room.  Instead, the opted to trade the 27-year-old Russian, dealing him to the Devils in exchange for second and third-round picks.  Gusev then quickly signed a two-year, $9MM deal.  He will add another gear to New Jersey’s attack that certainly has been bolstered this offseason with the addition of top pick Jack Hughes, winger Wayne Simmonds, as well as defenseman P.K. Subban.

Seven For Girard: While Colorado remains in a waiting game when it comes to RFA winger Mikko Rantanen, they took care of some other business as they signed defenseman Samuel Girard to a seven-year, $35MM extension that will begin in 2020-21.  The 21-year-old has impressed over his first two NHL campaigns and was a key part of the return of the original Matt Duchene trade.  He’ll likely push past averaging 20 minutes per night next season while he has shown signs of a developing offensive game.  Assuming he continues to hold down a spot in Colorado’s top four, this deal should hold up well in terms of value as it progresses.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Originals: 7/29/19 – 8/4/19

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Here’s a closer look at the original content here at PHR over the past week.

Our free agent profile series continued as we assessed the situation of several veterans that have yet to find a new home for next season.  I took a look at defenseman Ben Hutton who seems to be held up by the fact that Jake Gardiner has yet to sign anywhere as well as reviewing winger Patrick Marleau and winger Jason Pominville.  Meanwhile, Zach profiled goaltender Cam Ward’s situation as well as what the goalie market is like in general with a little more than a month to go until training camp.

Our redraft series is back for another run as we ask you to reselect the 2007 draft class.  Not surprisingly, Patrick Kane retained his number one draft slot while Jamie Benn (who originally went 129th) landed the second-overall selection.  Who should go third?  Cast your ballot here.

The Anaheim Ducks have typically been a team that has been in cap trouble over the past few years.  That isn’t the case now.  I examined their cap situation and while they won’t be entering into any big bidding wars on the open market anytime soon, they’re no longer in a spot where they need to clear out important players in order to stay in cap compliance.  They’re well under the Upper Limit for next season with a fair bit of payroll that can be shifted to LTIR if they need to make more room.

The arbitration hearings have come to an end after three were held today.  Quite a few players wound up settling over the past week but before they did, Zach broke down Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark’s case as well as defensemen Jake McCabe (Buffalo) and Joel Edmundson (St. Louis).  While both Sabres players ultimately settled ($1.33MM for Ullmark on a one-year deal, $2.85MM per season for two years for McCabe), Edmundson’s case went to a hearing with a decision expected to come sometime on Tuesday.

Free Agent Profile: Jason Pominville

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While Jason Pominville’s best days are certainly behind him, the winger has continued to be relatively productive in recent years.  Despite that, he’s still looking for a new contract more than a month into free agency.

Although his ice time dipped considerably last season to just 12:28 per game, the 36-year-old still managed to score 16 goals for the second straight campaign and all but two of his 31 points came at even strength.  That makes him one of the better five-on-five players that’s still available on the open market and while his days of being a top liner are gone, affordable secondary scoring is something that will be in demand in the weeks leading up to training camp.

Of course, there are some concerns to his play.  He’s not the best two-way player, nor is he the fastest skater and given his age, Pominville doesn’t have much time left in his career.  As a result, he’s not going to be a fit in a top-six while teams that run a bottom-six group that’s counted on to be defensively responsible probably won’t show much interest either.  Nonetheless, given his track record of production, the veteran should have some suitors.

Potential Suitors

Teams in a few different situations could have interest.  A veteran team looking for some extra scoring help in the bottom six could have a use for Pominville, as could a team that’s tight to the cap but is looking to add some extra depth.  On the flip side, even a rebuilding team could view him as a capable placeholder to allow a prospect more time in the minors to develop with an eye on potentially flipping him at the trade deadline.

In the East, a return to Buffalo doesn’t appear to be likely given their cap situation.  Pittsburgh would be a potential fit if they wind up shipping out a bigger contract to free up enough room to re-sign defenseman Marcus Pettersson.  He’d play primarily in a lower role with them but has the offensive acumen to hold his own when moving up in the lineup.  If Justin Williams opts to not return to Carolina, Pominville could be a reasonable fit instead, albeit in a lesser role.  The Islanders are lacking some offense in their bottom six; although that is by design to some degree, having someone like Pominville would at least give them a bit more versatility.

Out West, Arizona has been on the lookout for more offensive depth which would make Pominville a potential fit.  However, they’d have to go into LTIR to sign him (Marian Hossa’s deal still has two years left) which could be a concern if they believe Clayton Keller can reach some of his performance bonuses.  Dallas had an issue with secondary scoring last season (Pominville’s goal total would have been fourth on the team) and while they’ve improved their forward group, more scoring depth would certainly be welcome.  Chicago could still have a bit of cap room left over once they re-sign Brendan Perlini and Pominville would give GM Stan Bowman some extra insurance in case some of his prospects need more development time.

Projected Contract

Pominville is heading for a significant pay cut.  He made $5MM in salary last season ($5.6MM cap hit) and he’s probably not going to even get half of that on his next deal.  Getting one-third of that price point is the likelier scenario.  A one-year deal is a certainty which allows for the possibility of performance incentives which would make him a bit more intriguing to a cap-strapped squad.  A base salary around the $1MM mark with a chance to come close to doubling that in games played and production bonuses is something that a lot of teams could afford and could wind up providing a bit of value as well.  With the current state of the UFA market, it’s hard to see Pominville getting much more than that.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jason Zucker Likely Safe Following Paul Fenton’s Firing

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Former Minnesota Wild GM Paul Fenton managed to trade away Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, and Mikael Granlund in 14 months on the job and was shopping Zach Parise prior to his dismissal. Yet, the name that has come up most often in trade rumors of the last year has been another core forward, Jason Zucker. Shortly after signing a new five-year, $27.5MM extension with the team last summer, Zucker’s name seemingly took a permanent spot on the trade block and was seemingly close to being dealt on several occasions, including a nixed deal to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Phil Kessel earlier this off-season.

With Fenton’s departure now comes piece of mind for Zucker, writes NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. Zucker received a personal call from Minnesota owner Craig Leipold when the decision to move on from Fenton was officially made, with Leipold clearly feeling that Zucker was one of the players most ill-affected by Fenton’s reign and was a long-term key player who deserved better. Zucker tells Pierce that he is glad none of the rumored trades ever came to fruition, as he is happy to be in Minnesota and is ready for a fresh start but relieved it didn’t require a move to a different team. Zucker says that he and his teammates are not worried about the new GM, but are eager to see what comes next for the club:

You earn the respect by the moves you make, the teams you build, and the championships you win, and that’s what it comes down to. For us, we’re excited to see who comes in and the direction he’s going to take this organization.

As for Zucker’s job security moving forward, a new GM is unlikely to trade away any more core players from Minnesota, at least not any time soon. He will likely take some time this upcoming season to evaluate the team before restructuring. Even then, Zucker’s $5.5MM cap hit over the next four years is a bargain deal if he can get back to the 64-point form he showed in 2017-18. However, after a drop-off to just 42 points last season, he’ll need to bounce back to remain safe moving forward. Additionally, Zucker’s limited No-Trade Clause – a ten-team no-trade list – will help him stay in Minnesota if it comes to that, but the 27-year-old would rather prove his worth through his player rather than have to use his contract. As the team looks to move on from Fenton and repair their culture, a well-respected player like Zucker feeling comfortable, playing up to par, and buying into the team’s long-term plan could be invaluable for Minnesota.

Sabres Notes: Mittelstadt, Salary Cap, Prospects

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The Buffalo Sabres have now signed all their restricted free agents and have a roster that looks to be close to ready for next season. However, with that in mind, there is still the question of who will be Buffalo’s second-line center, a hole the team struggled with all season. The team had high hopes that Casey Mittelstadt, the eighth overall pick in 2017, could fill that role immediately last season, but he struggled to adjust. While the hope was that the Sabres would find a replacement via trade or free agency this summer which would give Mittelstadt more time to develop as a third-line center, it looks like the team might have to hope that Mittelstadt can improve on his performance in his second NHL season.

In a mailbag column, the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski writes that it looks more and more likely that Mittelstadt will return to the second-line center role, although he points out that the team is likely going to have Sam Reinhart and Marcus Johansson to help him develop on that line. On top of that, with the cost of top-six centers nowadays, it’s likely that even moving Rasmus Ristolainen wouldn’t even be able to net themselves someone like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Throw in the fact that the team is likely to have 2019 first-rounder and seventh-overall pick Dylan Cozens with the team by next season and the team might be better off working on developing their centers.

  • The Athletic’s Joe Yerdon (subscription required) writes that with the Buffalo Sabres having hit the salary cap ceiling after signing Jake McCabe and Linus Ullmark Saturday, the team has quite a few options in front of them to loosen the team’s salary cap situation before the season starts. The team’s best chance to do that is with a buyout, which they will get to do later this week, if the Sabres choose to. The most likely candidates are Vladimir Sobotka and Marco Scandella, but both come with cap hits towards next season, which doesn’t help the team next year, especially with Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour likely needing new deals. A trade of Ristolainen would be another option, but also would likely come with salary coming back, which might defeat the purpose of the trade.
  • NHL.com’s Heather Engel looks at that the Sabres top five prospects, but also notes that their top two prospects are expected to miss training camp this year. Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2019, Cozens, had surgery to repair his left thumb that he injured during development camp and is expected to miss two to three months, making it unlikely he’ll be ready for training camp. Their second-best prospect, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had hip surgery in April and is expected to miss six months, not a good time when he was supposed to make his professional debut this season. The hope is that both players will be able to pick up where they left off last year despite missing some time at the start of the season.

Snapshots: WJSS Top Performers, Compher, Stralman

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The World Junior Summer Showcase just ended and there were plenty of highlights and impressive performances among all the countries that participated. While there were many top performers, NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman picks out 10 players who stood out at the WJSS, putting quite a bit of emphasis on the play of Montreal Canadiens and U.S. prospect Cole Caufield, who tied for the WJSS lead with four goals and seven points, including three highlight-reel goals in each of his final three games. Early indications might suggest that the Canadiens may have gotten a steal with the 15th pick in this year’s draft after slipping a bit because of his size (5-foot-7).

While a number of first-round picks from both the 2018 and 2019 drafts are mentioned in his top 10, three players from the incoming 2020 draft were also on his list, including projected top pick Alexis Lafreniere as well as Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond, both who are considered potential top-10 picks next season and were considered to be some of the most gifted forwards on Sweden’s team.

The only non-first-rounder mentioned in his top 10 was forward Sampo Ranta, a fourth-round pick in 2018 by the Colorado Avalanche. Raanta was the final player to get cut from last year’s Finnish WJC gold medal team and scored four goals and six points for Finland last week. He will return to the University of Minnesota, but could be a top prospect for the Avalanche to keep an eye on.

  • Speaking of the Avalanche, the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers writes that trainer Ian Mack, who is known for helping Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane last summer have a career-high 110-point season last year, is working with a number of prospects, including Colorado Avalanche forward J.T. Compher. The 24-year-old forward has yet to have that breakout season the team has been waiting for since the team acquired him in the Ryan O’Reilly trade in 2015. A second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres back in 2013, Compher finished last year with 16 goals, but is hoping that Mack will get him to another level after he signed a four-year, $14MM extension this summer. “I worked out with him for a full month before I got on the ice,” Compher said. “Once I got back on the ice, I felt more explosive and better on my lateral movements — and even better on my edges. I can move quicker.”
  • In a Q&A with new Florida Panthers defenseman Anton Stralman, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) writes that the blueliner claims to be healthy after an injury-plagued year with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Stralman, who had surgery in May on both sides to correct a sports hernia injury that he tried to ignore, but was forced to sit out some time at the end of the season last year. Stralman finished the season playing just 47 games last year and only appeared in two games after March 5. He hopes he can make a difference with the Panthers defense after signing a three-year, $16.5MM deal this summer.

 

 

Pacific Notes: Meruelo, Frolik, Talbot

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Arizona Coyotes fans got good news last week when Alex Meruelo closed on his sale of the franchise and the expects to keep the franchise in Arizona. The new owner must still figure out whether the team can get a new arena and make his claim to keep the team in the state of Arizona a reality.

Arizona Sports 98.7’s Matt Layman notes five takeaways from his press conference last week, including the owner’s desire to win. However, perhaps the most interesting fact is that Meruelo is known for buying failed businesses and making them viable once again. While Arizona isn’t a failing franchise, the team has been losing money and Meruelo might be the perfect owner to take over a struggling franchise that many feel cannot survive where it is, hence the rumors that the team will eventually make its way to Houston.

At the end of the day whether you’re flipping pizzas or you’re hitting hockey pucks, it’s a business and it must be treated as one. Hockey is a sport, but it’s also a business. I’ve had a lot experience growing businesses and turning them around. For 40 years I’ve been doing this. I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve got good people that I work with that I consider to be my team and my family and that makes me who I am today.

  • The Calgary Flames may have $7.76MM in projected cap room still, but with Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane still unsigned, the team will be forced to offload a contract to bring both forwards, especially Tkachuk under contract. While there has been plenty of talk of Calgary trading away a defenseman such as T.J. Brodie or Travis Hamonic, The Athletic’s Kent Wilson (subscription required) writes that another option would be Michael Frolik. The middle-six forward is still just 31 and is coming off a 16-goal season, which might make him more palatable than many of the veteran free-agent options remaining on the market. Frolik has one year remaining at $4.3MM. Wilson suggests that Ottawa might make a good fit. The Senators are way under the cap, but Frolik will actually be paid just $3MM in salary despite his cap hit number, something that the budget-focused Senators love to acquire. The scribe adds the New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers as alternative options for Calgary.
  • Sportsnet’s Luke Fox writes that Calgary Flames new goaltender Cam Talbot hopes to prove his value to his new team. Talbot, who signed on to be a veteran backup to David Rittich this summer, struggled in his final two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers before finally being traded at the trade deadline. Talbot said he hoped that a trade to Philadelphia would be the reset of his career that would allow him to bounce back. However, Talbot played just three and a half games with Philadelphia as the backup to Carter Hart and never got a chance to prove his value. Now in Calgary, Talbot said he hopes to be more than just a backup to Rittich and hopes to split time with him evenly. “[Rittich] played extremely well last year and kinda took that spot and earned his right to battle for it. I’m going in. I want to complement him,” says Talbot.

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