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Archives for August 2019

Metropolitan Notes: Jones & Werenski, Capitals Goalies, Shattenkirk

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After years of being paired together, Seth Jones and Zach Werenski saw some time apart. Over a three year period, Jones and Werenski spent 75 percent of their 5-on-5 time together and were almost inseparable. The two star defenseman stayed together on the top pairing line. However, that changed a bit last year. Jones and Werenski were split up sometimes as the two ended up spending just 57.7 percent of the time as Werenski, who was working on his defensive game, was often paired with Ryan Murray or David Savard.

The Athletic’s Alison Lukan (subscription required) analyzes whether the pair should be kept together or the split should finally be made and have each one of them on separate defensive lines. She writes that while they were more successful when they were together, the Jones and Murray combination and the Werenski and Savard combinations were among the top three combinations in terms of getting good chances and converting. While the split up likely affected Jones and Werenski’s goal-scoring last season, it created a deeper defense overall.

However, Lukan does note that Werenski’s defensive numbers actually dropped last season when not playing alongside Jones and considering that’s his weakness, Columbus might have be better off keeping the pair together. The Blue Jackets overall defense is improving and the combination of Murray and Markus Nutivaara actually put up solid numbers together as well and might serve the team even better as the second pairing. Of course, no one really knows what head coach John Tortorella is thinking.

  • In his most recent mailbag series, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir (subscription required) comments on the goaltending depth in the Washington Capitals’ system. The team has a number of young goaltenders, including Ilya Samsonov, who they hope is the goaltender of the future. The team also houses Pheonix Copley and AHL All-Star Vitek Vanecek. However, El-Bashir points out that trading away some of their goaltending depth is extremely unlikely considering the team doesn’t know what will happen with current starter Braden Holtby, who will be an unrestricted free agent next season. With starting goaltender salaries beginning to skyrocket, it seems unlikely the team would be able to retain him, but if the Capitals win another Stanley Cup title this year, then things might change. Of course if Holtby does leave, then is Samsonov ready? If not, then the team might have to turn to Copley or Vanecek or even look elsewhere.
  • Chris Ryan of NJ.com writes that it’s highly unlikely that the New Jersey Devils consider signing defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who became a free agent after the New York Rangers bought him out last week. The Devils courted back in 2017 when Shattenkirk was the top defensive free agent and might be inclined to add him once again. However, considering the changes in the last two years, there is little need to bring Shattenkirk in. In those two years, the team has brought in P.K. Subban, Sami Vatanen, and Will Butcher as well as drafted Ty Smith and seen the emergence of Damon Severson.

Free Agency Rumors: Bargains, Brassard, Upshall

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NHL free agency is more than a month old, yet still chock full of value. In fact, the Athletic’s Jonathan Willis calls it the strongest August unrestricted free agent class that he has seen in over a decade. So how many of these notable names can expect to find NHL employment before next season? Willis broke down the group of unsigned players, listing five centers, six left wings, four right wings, four left-shot defensemen, four right-shot defensemen, and zero goaltenders that he feels certain still deserve a role in the league. Many of those are distinguished veterans who will comes as no surprise, names like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Justin Williams, Derick Brassard, Patrick Maroon, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Brian Boyle, and Ben Lovejoy, for example. Others are simply role players at this point in their career, having failed to show the upside needed to be an impact contributor, such as Riley Sheahan, Tobias Rieder, Magnus Paajarvi, Dmitrij Jaskin, Ben Hutton, Joe Morrow, and Fredrik Claesson, to name a few. However, the most intriguing names, pointed out by Willis as possible targets for bargain hunters at this point in the off-season, include Jake Gardiner, Kevin Shattenkirk, Oscar Lindberg, Valeri Nichushkin, and Alex Petrovic. Willis believes each one has a high ceiling and has more to give an NHL team than the rest of the list, aside from some of the top veterans. Some of those analyzed by Willis who he didn’t feel were necessarily worthy of another NHL contract? Jamie McGinn, Micheal Haley, Cody McLeod, Zac Rinaldo, Devante Smith-Pelly, Drew Stafford, Andrew MacDonald, David Schlemko, Adam McQuaid, and Cam Ward.

  • One of the aforementioned names, Derick Brassard, may be closest to finding a new home. The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins has confirmed the Edmonton Oilers’ interest in the veteran center, as they currently have a hole down the middle on their third line. This is hardly the first time that Brassard’s name has been linked to the Oilers, but it is the first time details have emerged. Leavins reports that Brassard is seeking upwards of $4MM AAV on his next contract, which is beyond what Edmonton is willing to pay. They have fair reason to avoid that salary too, as Brassard is coming off the worst season of his career, a 23-point campaign split between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Colorado Avalanche. Approaching 32 years old and already showing signs of decline over the past few years, Brassard will be hard-pressed to get $4MM from any team, never mind the cap-strapped Oilers. Leavins mentioned that the Montreal Canadiens also have interest in Brassard, but the two teams are unlikely to engage in a bidding war. If the Oilers are already in talks with Brassard, they stand a good chance to land him at a fair price, even if it takes another few weeks to move him to a reasonable asking price.
  • Leavins also notes that Scottie Upshall is hoping to throw his hat back into the ring for NHL consideration this summer. Upshall joined the Oilers in training camp on a PTO last fall, only to suffer a serious lower-body injury and to be cut from camp. Leavins notes that he has been rehabbing for the past nine months and feels he is ready for a comeback. The market for Upshall certainly won’t be overwhelming – he was on a PTO last year and is now a year older and coming off a major injury – but there’s reason to think he still has value and could earn another training camp invite. Upshall has had his struggles with both injuries and consistency throughout his 15-year NHL career, but the journeyman forward has cracked 30 points five different times and is an established two-way contributor and penalty killer. His last full season with the St. Louis Blues in 2017-18, Upshall played a regular role on the team’s fourth line, albeit missing 19 games, and was on a full-season pace for 25 points and a career-high 155 hits. If Upshall really is back at full strength, it’s fair to assume that some teams may have interest in his veteran presence and energy role, especially if they can also assume a 20-30 point season on a minimum contract.

Atlantic Notes: Bjork, Shattenkirk, Suzuki

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After dealing with shoulder injuries for the past two years, Boston Bruins forward Anders Bjork feels that he’s finally healthy and ready to take the role that he originally signed on for when he left Notre Dame after a big junior season and came to Boston as one of the team’s top prospects.

Instead, the 22-year-old suffered multiple injuries to his left shoulder, which in both cases required surgery, according to the Boston Globe’s Matt Porter. In 2017, Bjork suffered two injuries; he was trucked at center ice by Toronto’s Matt Martin in November and then saw his season ended after a crosscheck from Francois Beauchemin in January, then last year, his season ended in December while in the AHL after he overextended his shoulder after a hit from Washington’s Nathan Walker.

Bjork said that while he hasn’t gained any weight and still weighs about between 190 to 195 pounds, the forward said he is much fitter and has worked extensively in the gym on his upper-body muscles so there are no further issues.

I’ve had a lot of time to train. I didn’t want to get too heavy and lose any speed, but getting stronger, my upper body for shooting and winning my battles. I don’t feel heavy or slowed down at all. I’m pleased with that. My focus now is to maintain that and keep my strength throughout the season. You’ve got to be dedicated to keep the good weight on, because you’re playing a lot of hockey.

  • When defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was an unrestricted free agent back in 2017, the Tampa Bay Lightning were one of the first teams that attempted to sign him. However, with the cap problems the team had at the time, signing the highly-touted defenseman was impossible and the team settled instead on Dan Girardi to a more reasonable deal. The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) wonders whether the Lightning might consider grabbing Shattenkirk now on a much more reasonable deal. Shattenkirk had everything go wrong with the Rangers since then from suffering a significant knee injury to suddenly finding himself in a rebuilding situation. However, Smith feels that a Shattenkirk fit makes sense and could work out as a short-term and cheap option.
  • The Athletic’s Marc Dumont (subscription required) analyzes the play of Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki, who will turn pro this season, and who many view as a top-six center option for Montreal in the future. While looking at his junior numbers and noting a significant plateau of his numbers after his third year, the scribe believes that Suzuki should become an eventual fixture in the team’s middle, but also suggests that Suzuki likely will never be an elite player. He also writes that the 20-year-old would likely benefit from one to two years in the AHL before he is ready to make an impact for the Canadiens.

Central Notes: Girard, Dach, Honka, Robertson

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The seven-year, $35MM contract that Samuel Girard signed with the Colorado Avalanche earlier this week as a sign that the team has found an heir apparent for recently traded Tyson Barrie. While the team has a ton of talent in Cale Makar, as well as the 2019 fourth-overall pick in Bowen Byram, the Avalanche believe they have a top-four defenseman in their 21-year-old.

In fact, The Athletic’s Scott Burnside (subscription required) writes that he believes that general manager Joe Sakic believes strongly that the 162-pound Girard is ready for a full-time role this season as their top defender, which is a big task to take on. Barrie averaged 24:11 in the playoffs last year, while Girard averaged almost five minutes below that. However, the team believes he will take his game up a notch and make his seven-year deal a steal of a signing in the future.

  • Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago writes in a mailbag column that he wonders whether the Chicago Blackhawks will seriously consider keeping 2019 third-overall pick Kirby Dach on the roster entering the season. Last year, the top four draft picks in the 2018 draft made their respective teams in the NHL, and Chicago does have an opening for a third-line center which could be a perfect match. Of course, much of that decision will come down to how Dach performs at training camp as well as how many minutes he might play as Dach is used to being a top-minutes player on his junior team.
  • In his latest mailbag, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Dallas Stars may have trouble moving defenseman Julius Honka, who the team was expected to move this offseason. Shapiro believes the team is hoping to get a fourth-round pick for the 2014 first-rounder who has fallen out of favor in Dallas, but he writes that many teams believe that they can just get the blue liner off of waivers at the start of the season as its highly unlikely that Dallas will keep Honka on their roster.
  • Sticking with the Stars, Matthew DeFranks of SportsDay writes in a mailbag column that he believes that while Jason Robertson could be an excellent addition to the Dallas Stars team, he doubts that Robertson will play more than a handful of games with the Stars next season. The 20-year-old is turning pro this season after Dallas selected him in the second round of the 2017 draft and saw him net 48 goals and 117 points in 62 games in the OHL last season. Franks writes that Robertson will spend most of next season in the AHL with the Texas Stars as he learns to adjust to the pro game.

Adin Hill Agrees To Sign Qualifying Offer With Arizona Coyotes

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The Arizona Coyotes have brought back their third-string goaltender as Adin Hill has agreed to accept his qualifying offer and will sign a one-year deal, according to The Athletic’s Craig Morgan. The Coyotes have announced the trade, reporting that it is a two-way contract. Since Hill made $675K last season, his qualifying offer is for five percent more, meaning Hill should make just under $709K. While his qualifying offer expired on July 15, the offer can be extended by the team.

Hill showed some flashes of potential last season after being recalled and pulled into active duty after Arizona saw both their goalies, Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper, injured in the middle of the season. Hill immediately took over, winning four straight games, which included one shutout and two one-goal performances. He continued to show impressive skills for six more games before teams began to figure things out. The 23-year-old finished with a 2.76 GAA and a .901 save percentage in 13 appearances before returning to Tucson in the AHL.

With Raanta and Kuemper expected back to tandem the net for the Coyotes, Hill is expected to work on his skills with the Roadrunners and is the likely callup if one of the injury-prone goalies gets hurt and if he can find some consistency, could eventually be a long-term option for the club, especially considering that Kuemper is in the final year of a two-year deal he signed back in 2018. Raanta is also only two years away from unrestricted free agency, so a good season by Hill could eventually vault him into the mix.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Linus Ullmark To One-Year Deal

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have signed goaltender Linus Ullmark to a one-year, $1.33MM deal today, avoiding the pending arbitrator’s ruling after the two sides met on Friday. The deal will allow Ullmark to become an unrestricted free agent next year.

It’s the second deal the Sabres struck with a player today, as the team signed Jake McCabe earlier today as well. With those two deals now settled, that will give the team a second buyout window for 48 hours that will start in three days with several potential candidates if the Sabres want to cut a player, including Marco Scandella, Zach Bogosian, or Vladimir Sobotka. However, the team did well for themselves with four scheduled arbitration hearings, receiving a favorable decision in the Evan Rodrigues case and below-market deals with Ullmark, McCabe, and Remi Elie. 

The 26-year-old Ullmark came in this season as the backup goaltender behind starter Carter Hutton, but didn’t fare as well as many had hoped. He did get quite a few appearances as he played in 37 games, but finished with a .905 save percentage and a 3.11 GAA in that span. This deal will likely become a “prove it” deal for Ullmark, who must prove to Buffalo that he deserves to be an NHL goaltender and maybe even challenge the veteran Hutton for more playing time next season.The question now is whether Ullmark can become a consistent goaltender for the slowly improving Sabres.

Ullmark, a sixth-round pick in 2012, impressed fans in Buffalo back in the 2015-16 season when he appeared in 20 games for the Sabres and performed well with a .913 save percentage when he was a 22-year-old. However, the team opted to keep him in the AHL to give the goaltender more seasoning. The 6-foot-4 netminder looked ready for the challenge after his performance in the 2017-18 season when he was 21-12-4 with the Rochester Americans, putting up a 2.42 GAA and a .922 save percentage. He looked even better in five appearances with the Sabres that year. Ullmark was also selected to the AHL All-Star game twice, in 2016 and 2017.

The question now is whether Ullmark can become a consistent goaltender for the slowly improving Sabres.

Oilers Notes: Offseason Plans, Nugent-Hopkins, Koskinen, Petrovic

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Despite quite a bit of struggles over the past couple of years, the Edmonton Oilers didn’t make a significant amount of changes this offseason. Sure, the team did acquire James Neal in a swap of bad contracts, sending off Milan Lucic, but little else was done. Much of that could be due to new general manager Ken Holland who wants to see more of his team before trading pieces away carelessly.

The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) writes that Holland should be quite busy over the next seven months as there are plenty of opportunities to upgrade. One obvious option is to pick up a free agent or two before training camp begins. The team already signed forward Josh Archibald a few weeks ago, but could add even more talent to their bottom-six. There are several significant names still available, including Derick Brassard, Thomas Vanek, Riley Sheahan, Magnus Paajarvi and Oscar Lindberg all as possibilities.

Mitchell also points out the Oilers could look to signing some players to PTO’s as well. The team got lucky last year when it signed Alex Chiasson to a PTO and eventually signed him as he scored 22 goals last season in a breakout campaign. There are a number of interesting players out there as well that might be willing to sign a PTO, including Valeri Nichushkin, Dmitrij Jaskin and Nicolas Kerdiles.

  • In the same article, Mitchell also notes that the team could find itself shopping a pair of their own players at the trade deadline as both Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Larsson will be free agents after the 2020-21 season. If the team has little interest in handing either of them long-term deals, Holland might be better served trading them in February if the team is out of the playoff race, giving a buyer a chance to get a player who can help for their playoff run, but also a full year next season. The 26-year-old Nugent-Hopkins is coming off a career-high 28 goals and 69 points last season and could generate a solid return if the Oilers opted to move him at the trade deadline. Larsson, also 26, struggled last season with a minus-28 rating, but could still prove to be a solid defensive depth addition to a playoff team.
  • While Mikko Koskinen is being paid more than twice the amount of veteran backup Mike Smith, new head coach Dave Tippett says that he intends to split the minutes up between his two goaltenders equally, according to Edmonton Journal’s Derek Van Diest. The 31-year-old Koskinen was originally signed to take over full-time duties last season and will begin the first year of a three-year, $13.5MM deal, but still hasn’t proven to the team, fans or coaching that he deserves to be the team’s No. 1. “I hope they both play a similar amount of games and they’re both really good every one of them,” Tippett said at the Sixth Annual Mark Spector Golf Classic at the Quarry Golf Course on Wednesday. “Last year, I thought Koskinen looked tired. If you watch the last 20 games, he played a lot and mentally and physically, he looked tired.”
  • Former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Alexander Petrovic remains unsigned, but the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson writes that he’s heard that there is interest from the rival Calgary Flames for the blue liner. The team could look to add a veteran depth defenseman like Petrovic, who just bought out Michael Stone. Petrovic, acquired in December from Florida for Chris Wideman and a 2019 third-round pick, played just nine games for the Oilers, posting a minus-seven in that time.

Bruins Notes: McAvoy, Carlo, Cassidy, Calder

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The Boston Bruins are a month away from training camp and arguably their best two defensemen remain unsigned. Restricted free agents Charlie McAvoy, 21, and Brandon Carlo, 22, are still in the process of negotiating new contracts, and effort made difficult by Boston’s current salary cap conundrum. The Bruins have just over $8MM in cap space right now, but the problem is McAvoy alone is eyeing a contract worth that amount each year. The 2016 first-round pick has struggled to stay healthy through his first two NHL seasons, but has been dominant when available with 60 points in 117 games while leading the Bruins in average time on ice. Some have cited Jacob Trouba’s recent seven-year, $56MM contract with the New York Rangers as a possible goal for McAvoy’s camp, while he would likely still exceed $6MM annually on a bridge deal. Barring any other roster changes, that would make it hard for the team to then sign Carlo, who is less effective offensively but has become the team’s most reliable defensive blue liner over the past three years. The price on a Carlo extension again depends on term, but the big defender could top $4MM on a long-term pact.

The Bruins simply don’t have the cap space right now to give both players what they want, otherwise they would both be signed already as core pieces of the present and future. It will take further negotiations or a roster shake-up to get McAvoy and Carlo under contract, so the wait continues. Bruins president Cam Neely tells NBC Sports Boston that the team must be ready for the possibility that one or both are still unsigned entering September:

“We do have to plan and prepare for these players to not be at camp opening day. But we have five, six weeks hopefully to get something done. We feel like we should be able to get something done with both of these guys at numbers that make sense for us, and hopefully makes sense for them. I think we’ve done a really good job of kind of managing the cap and making sure that we’re OK to get these guys done.”

It remains possible that the Bruins could squeeze both young defenders in on short-term bridge deals without making any further moves. The more likely scenario, which gives the contenders some more flexibility for the coming season though, is that a transaction or two will be made. David Backes, and his $6MM cap hit, has been the most talked-about target, but it could be pricey to move him without giving up a top pick or prospect or taking back another bad contract. Backes also has a limited No-Trade Clause to worry about, although he may be more open to a move if his options are another NHL team or AHL Providence. A move to the minors would save the Bruins $1.075MM against the cap. As for other possibilities, the affordable extensions of Connor Clifton and Steven Kampfer have made veterans Kevan Miller and John Moore expendable, if the Bruins can get fair value back in a deal for one or the other. One way or another, it’s likely the Bruins need to clear some cap space before next season to accommodate McAvoy and Carlo without handicapping their roster for the whole season, so expect some moves out of Boston. The start of the season on October 3rd and, worst case scenario, the December 1st deadline for RFA’s to play next season are the dates to watch for resolutions to this situation.

  • One negotiation that won’t be as much of a concern for the Bruins is the extension of head coach Bruce Cassidy. Since taking over for Claude Julien late in the 2016-17 season, Cassidy is 117-52-22 as the Bruins’ bench boss and has guided the team to back-to-back 100-point seasons. In 2017-18, he was a Jack Adams Award finalist and in 2018-19 he was a Stanley Cup finalist, so it’s safe to say that the Bruins are happy with Cassidy’s work. Neely said as much, stating how important Cassidy has been to the Bruins’ recent success, as well as their future. He also added that the team does not expect any issues with re-signing Cassidy, but have been preoccupied this summer with McAvoy and Carlo. A new contract is no doubt on its way for Cassidy. Neely joked that “I feel comfortable that he’ll be ready for training camp.”
  • For those looking for a dark horse candidate for the 2020 Calder Trophy, perhaps looking to take advantage of long odds, pay close attention to the Bruins in training camp. Given the team’s shortage of cap space and needs up front, a rookie could fall into a nice situation in Boston. If Charlie Coyle remains at third-line center, as expected, and the team moves Danton Heinen back to left wing, where he has been a better fit on his natural side, it opens up a competition to skate on the right side of David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk on the second line next season. A player who finds a nice fit with those two will have the potential to produce at a high level. Of course, that could wind up being free agent addition Brett Ritchie, talented but oft-injured Anders Bjork, or the no longer waiver-exempt Peter Cehlarik. However, the Bruins have some younger options with much more upside who could fight for the job instead. Top forward prospect Jack Studnicka is now a pro and, while he has generally played center during his junior years, the right-shot forward is buried on the depth chart down the middle and may have too much skill to keep in the minors. Oskar Steen was one of the best players in the Swedish Hockey League last season at just 21 years old and the right wing could find the adjustment to North America easier than expected. Jakub Lauko turned some heads at the junior level last year and could make a case with his play in camp that he doesn’t need to return to the QMJHL. The teen winger could instead try to fight for a role on his off-side. Finally, there are two players who got their first NHL looks last season in Karson Kuhlman and Zach Senyshyn. Kuhlman’s hard-working game won over the Bruins’ coaches and even earned him a role in the postseason, while Senyshyn seems to have outgrown the minors and is ready to put his next-level speed to better use. If any of these potential rookies wins the position battle to play alongside Krejci and DeBrusk, it doesn’t necessarily make them a Calder favorite, but does make them a high-ceiling dark horse to watch out for.

Free Agent Profile: Cam Ward

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Since the unrestricted free agency rush of July 1st subsided, just two NHL goaltenders have been signed off the open market: Anthony Stolarz with the Anaheim Ducks and Jared Coreau with the New York Islanders. That’s two goalie signings in 33 days, making it easily the quietest position of this off-season, despite a major re-shuffling of UFA starters early on and several RFA extensions as well.

Unsurprisingly, several notable names remain available – Scott Darling, Chad Johnson, Mike McKenna, Al Montoya – while Michal Neuvirth has already accepted a PTO. However, one name sticks out above the rest for both his career accomplishments and his meaningful role in 2018-19.

Cam Ward, 35, ventured outside of Carolina last season for the first time in his 14-year NHL career. Ward signed a one-year, $3MM contract with the Chicago Blackhawks last summer and proceeded to play a major tole for the team this past season. Dealing with ongoing issues with starter Corey Crawford, Ward ended up playing in 33 games to Crawford’s 39 and Collin Delia’s 16. Although Ward’s .897 save percentage and 3.67 GAA were the worst among the trio, it was only a marginal gap. The Blackhawks struggled defensively and no goalie was safe, as all three finished with a save percentage below .910 and GAA above 2.90.

Still, Ward cannot have been happy with his results last year. A Stanley Cup winner and former All-Star, Ward was rock solid for the Hurricanes for several years. He thrived early on as a workhorse, including a 2010-11 campaign in which he posted a career-high .923 save percentage in a league-best 74 appearances. He then settled nicely into a timeshare role, posting back-to-back seasons with a 2.40 GAA while playing in around 50 games each year from 2014 to 2016. Even as he continued to age and his numbers slipped slightly, no one could have predicted his pedestrian performance last season. It was a sharp decline from his career numbers that could have been an outlier or could be signaling the end of his career.

One thing that is certainly working against Ward finding work this off-season is the now well-established narrative that he does not play well as a backup. Over his career, Ward has played in four seasons, including last year in Chicago, in which he did not make at least half of his team’s starts. In those three seasons combined, Ward is 49-38-13, with a a save percentage of .895 and a GAA of 3.37. In all of his other seasons combined, Ward has a record of 285-218-75, with a save percentage of .911 and a GAA of 2.63. It is extremely clear that Ward does his best work with regular appearances and any team looking to make the most of signing him will want to offer that opportunity. But does such a landing spot exist?

Potential Suitors

The honest answer is that the team likely to sign Ward, if any, isn’t aware of the need just yet. Ward could very well be a veteran option that a team turns to in case of injury or poor performance that can be a temporary starter. While it’s impossible to project injuries, the New York Rangers have a starter who is even older than Ward and have very little depth behind him. A Henrik Lundqvist injury could certainly turn the Blueshirts on to Ward as an option to step in at starter during a season that brings high expectations to New York. The same could be said for the Vegas Golden Knights, whose 34-year-old starter Marc-Andre Fleury has dealt with injury issues before. Vegas is in better shape with their depth in net and could handle a short absence from Fleury, but without a proven NHL goalie elsewhere on the depth chart, a long-term injury could send them on the hunt for a solution. Despite having both John Gibson and Ryan Miller, the Anaheim Ducks are far from safe when it comes to injury risk and could be an option for Ward if disaster strikes. The Philadelphia Flyers shuffled through goalies like no other team in NHL history last year, so another issue with Brian Elliott could easily have the Flyers intrigued in Ward.

As for teams who risk needing a starter due to poor play, no team jumps out more than the Columbus Blue Jackets. It’s perhaps even fair to call them the most likely landing spot for Ward, as they are sure to go through some bumpy times with their young tandem of former backup Joonas Korpisalo and unproven import Elvis Merzlikins. The team only has more untested foreign talent in the minors as well. The Blue Jackets have ample cap space, so if there was a bidding war for Ward at any point, Columbus would be the favorite to beat out any other team in need of an emergency starter.

If Ward is intent on signing before the season begins though, rather than wait for a need-based market to develop in-season, there are a couple of teams who could still be looking for a backup. Again, that isn’t the ideal role for Ward, but it is one that the respected veteran would likely be willing to try his hand at again. The Florida Panthers spent big on Sergei Bobrovsky this summer, but 22-year-old Samuel Montembeault is slated to be the primary backup heading into next year. He is waiver-exempt still and could head to the AHL without issue if the team opted to look at a veteran backup. However, this doesn’t seem extremely likely, considering their investment in Bobrovsky, who they likely expect to make 65 starts. In Colorado, the Avalanche seemed hesitant to give last year’s third-string, Pavel Francouz, an extended look despite strong numbers in the NHL and AHL. He is now the likely backup to Philipp Grubauer, who himself is still finding his footing as a true starter. The Avs have almost no depth in net and could look to add another name to the mix in Ward.

Projected Contract

Ward has made at least $3MM in each of the past four seasons and more than $6MM on the contract prior to that. Those days are now over. Regardless of the impact that his role or the team’s defense had on his 2018-19 performance in Chicago, Ward has lost his leverage to command a sizable salary after such a poor season. If he is settling in to a backup role before the season, he will almost certainly land somewhere between $1MM and the league minimum of $700K. If he is signing mid-season to take over as a starter or at least in a timeshare, that number could go up, but not much higher. If Ward feels like he has several years left, he will be looking at this season as an investment in future earnings; he will accept a cheap deal to go to the right place where there is the potential to succeed, so as to hit the market next summer with some more bargaining power. The only question is whether that right fit exists, now or down the road after the season begins. Ward could call it a career if no such opportunities arise by the end of the calendar year.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Anaheim Ducks

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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.

Anaheim Ducks

Current Cap Hit: $72,999,758 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Brendan Guhle (one year, $697.5K)
D Jacob Larsson (one year, $894K)
F Sam Steel (two years, $863K)
F Troy Terry (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Guhle: $132.5K
Terry: $850K

The Ducks have several quality young players at their disposal but not a lot of vacant roster spots to work with so there could very well be a shuffle back and forth between Anaheim and AHL San Diego.

Steel and Terry both spent at least a quarter of last season with the Ducks and figure to get a long look at training camp.  Terry, in particular, should push for a bottom-six role which shouldn’t have him in line for a significantly larger contract a year from now.  Steel has a chance to push for a better spot which could push his price tag higher if he can produce inside the top six with regularity.

On the back end, Larsson spent more than half of last year in Anaheim and if that happens again, he should get a bit of a raise on his next deal even if he does spend some time in the minors still as he’d be pushing 100 games of NHL experience.  Guhle is likely to be in the sixth or seventh role but while it would be his first real extended look in the NHL, that type of role only lends itself towards a one-year deal for next season at a marginal raise.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Michael Del Zotto ($750K, UFA)
F Nicolas Deslauriers ($950K, UFA)
F Patrick Eaves ($3.15MM, UFA)
F Derek Grant ($750K, UFA)
D Jani Hakanpaa ($850K, UFA)
D Korbinian Holzer ($850K, UFA)
G Ryan Miller ($1.125MM, UFA)
F Devin Shore ($2.3MM, RFA)
F Daniel Sprong ($750K, RFA)

Potential Bonuses

Miller: $1.2MM

There aren’t really any impact players in this group.  Eaves missed almost all of last season due to injury and may not play in 2019-20.  In that case, he’ll be on LTIR and not brought back.  Shore has shown some flashes of offensive upside but with three straight seasons between 29 and 33 points, he shouldn’t be looking at a big raise a year from now.  Deslauriers and Grant are veterans that are earmarked for the fourth line or depth spots and will likely be replaced by prospects at the expiration of their deals (if not sooner).

Similarly, Del Zotto and Holzer are basically placeholders for their prospects.  Both can hold their own on the third pairing but in the event either is retained for 2020-21, it should be at a similar price tag.  They surprisingly gave Hakanpaa a one-way deal despite the fact that the 27-year-old struggled several years ago in the AHL and didn’t exactly dominate in Finland.  However, he’s probably a depth signing as well that can be retained or replaced at that price.  Miller provides the Ducks with a capable veteran presence in the backup role assuming he stays healthy.  At 39, it’s safe to say he’s not in their long-term plans.

Two Years Remaining

F Ryan Getzlaf ($8.25MM, UFA)
F Ondrej Kase ($2.6MM, RFA)
F Nick Ritchie ($1.498MM, RFA)
F Carter Rowney ($1.133MM, UFA)
G Anthony Stolarz ($750K, UFA)

Getzlaf has been Anaheim’s top forward for a long time now and even led them in scoring last season despite missing 15 games.  His days of being a top centre are basically over although that’s likely the role that the 34-year-old will have heading into next season.  It’s certainly quite possible that the Ducks will look to retain Getzlaf when his contract expires but with diminishing returns (and perhaps by then, a lesser role), any new deal would have to come at a considerable pay cut.  He’ll have spent 16 years with the organization by the time his deal is up and the idea of playing his entire career with one team certainly has to be appealing.

Kase battled injury issues last season but was quite productive when he was in the lineup, collecting 20 points in just 30 games.  He’s likely to see a fair bit of top six time next season and if he can continue to produce at that rate, he could be coming close to doubling his current AAV when he hits restricted free agency with arbitration rights.  Ritchie quietly held out until early into last season before signing but the lull didn’t hurt too badly as he set a new career-best in points.  If he can creep closer to the 40-50 point mark, he’ll get a big jump on his $2MM qualifier in 2020-21.  Rowney is a capable fourth liner but will probably be replaced from within when his deal is up while Stolarz appears to be the favorite to succeed Miller as the backup goalie when the veteran retires.  They may be able to afford a more expensive backup two years from now though so he may not be part of the long-term picture either.

Three Years Remaining

F Ryan Kesler ($6.875MM, UFA)
D Hampus Lindholm ($5.206MM, UFA)
D Josh Manson ($4.1MM, UFA)
F Rickard Rakell ($3.789MM, UFA)

Kesler underwent hip surgery back in May and his playing future is very much in question.  He’s not expected to play at all in 2019-20 and will be LTIR-bound but it’s quite possible that he has played his last NHL game.  While Rakell is coming off of a down year, he has already considerably outperformed his contract and should be in the $6MM-$7MM range on his next pact if he can get back to his output from the previous two seasons.

There’s a case to be made that Lindholm is Anaheim’s top all-around blueliner and getting a top pairing player at that price is quite a bargain.  He’ll be 28 and in the prime of his career when he hits the open market so it’s quite possible that he garners something closer to $8MM on his next contract.  Manson is still largely under the radar but has emerged as a capable second-pairing defender.  He showed some flashes of offense back in 2017-18 and will need to do so more consistently if he wants to get into that next tier of salaries.

Four Or More Years Remaining

D Cam Fowler ($6.5MM through 2025-26)
G John Gibson ($6.4MM through 2026-27)
F Adam Henrique ($5.825MM through 2023-24)
F Jakob Silfverberg ($5.25MM through 2023-24)

While Henrique and Silfverberg’s deals can’t be classified as extreme overpays, they’re also far from great value.  Both players have shown flashes of top-six production but have yet to provide it consistently.  Having the two locked up at over $11MM could be tough to navigate when their cap situation gets tighter down the road.

Fowler’s production has never really reached the levels that Anaheim was hoping for but he is nonetheless still a capable top pairing player.  As salaries for top-end blueliners soar, having him locked in at this rate is a bit of a bargain.

The biggest bargain could ultimately be Gibson, however.  He singlehandedly kept the Ducks in it through the first half of last season before fading a bit down the stretch.  Recent contracts for Sergei Bobrovsky ($10MM) and Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5MM) have been for considerably more than Gibson’s AAV despite Gibson being pretty close to being in that tier of netminders.  Over the next few years, he’ll eventually become one of the lower-paid starters in the league.

Buyouts

D Simon Despres ($663K per year payable through 2024-25; cap-exempt per CapFriendly)
F Corey Perry ($2.625MM in 2019-20, $6.625MM in 2020-21, $2MM in 2021-22 and 2022-23)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Gibson
Worst Value: Kesler

Looking Ahead

With roughly $8.5MM in cap room for 2019-20 plus the ability to put Kesler and likely Eaves on LTIR, cap space won’t be an issue at all for Anaheim next season.  However, the extra $4MM on Perry’s buyout will hurt their flexibility for the following year.  (Considering their cap space, it’s fair to wonder now if they’d have just been better off keeping Perry for this season and look at a buyout next summer when it wouldn’t have been quite so cap-prohibitive.)

While they don’t have much in the way of expiring contracts coming off the books, there aren’t any prominent players that will need new deals next summer.  Anaheim can simply bring some of their prospects into those spots currently occupied by depth players and perhaps even save a bit of cap room in the process.  Kase and Ritchie should be more expensive two years from now but Getzlaf’s expiring deal should give them some extra wiggle room there.

For years, Anaheim’s cap situation has been a bit of a juggling act.  All of a sudden, they actually have a little bit of stability in that regard.  They’re far from being in great shape long-term but they no longer are in a place where they’ll have to cut from their current roster in order to keep other players in the fold.  That’s a good step in the right direction for the Ducks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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