Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for September 2019

Poll: Which Star RFA Is Most Likely To Miss Games?

at CDT | by 11 Comments

We’re now exactly two weeks from the start of the 2019-20 NHL regular season and eight* restricted free agents are still without contracts. While a few of those names represent depth or role players, five names stand out as potentially disastrous situations. Brayden Point, Mikko Rantanen, Matthew Tkachuk, Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine have all shown superstar ability in their short careers and would be huge talents to leave on the sideline when the season begins. All five forwards scored at least 30 goals last season, with Laine registering the fewest points (50) and Point the most (92).

It’s hard to know exactly when any of them will finally break down the barrier and report to camp at this point. Rantanen and Laine are skating in Switzerland, Tkachuk is with his old OHL team and there have been reports about nearly all of them that things still aren’t close. Just a few days ago Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweeted that last offer from the Tampa Bay Lightning to Point was a three-year deal that carried just a $5.7MM average annual value. That would represent a much lower number than someone like Mitch Marner signed for, but Tampa Bay has long maintained the philosophy of low-cost bridge deals for their star players coming out of the entry-level system.

It seems likely then that at least one of these five will miss games at the start of the season. Preseason games have already started without them in training camp and opening night is quickly approaching. But who is the most likely to be without a contract on October 2nd? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain your thoughts in the comment section.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

*There are actually several other RFAs that do not have NHL contracts, but they have already signed elsewhere around the globe to play in other leagues.

West Notes: Tkachuk, Krebs, McDavid

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine have joined a European team to continue their training while waiting on a new contract, Matthew Tkachuk has taken a different route. The Calgary Flames restricted free agent has started skating with the London Knights according to Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press, taking the ice with some former teammates in Ryan Rupert and Matt Rupert.

Tkachuk spent just one season with the Knights before being drafted by the Flames in 2016, but formed one of the most dominant lines the OHL has seen in many years alongside Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak. The trio each totaled more than 100 points that season en route to a Memorial Cup championship. Both Marner and Dvorak have signed long-term extensions with their respective NHL teams, but for the Flames to do the same with Tkachuk might be tricky. The team currently projects to have just over $6.3MM in cap space and would likely have to make an additional move of some kind before signing the star winger to any deal buying out unrestricted free agent years.

  • Speaking of impressive junior players, Vegas Golden Knights first-round pick Peyton Krebs has been named captain of the Winnipeg Ice for their first season after the recent relocation. Krebs served in that role last season when the team was still located in British Columbia as the Kootenay Ice, and scored 68 points in 64 games. The 18-year old forward was expected to go even higher than his eventual draft position of 17, but suffered an Achilles injury just a few weeks before the draft and ended up falling out of the first half of the round. The Golden Knights certainly weren’t disappointed to get a player of his caliber that late, and they’ll be keeping a close eye on him in Winnipeg this season.
  • Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland told reporters he is “pretty optimistic” that Connor McDavid will be fully recovered from his knee injury in time to suit up for opening night, and that there is a chance that he gets into at least one preseason game. While it hasn’t been officially decided, having McDavid in the lineup to start the year is huge for an Oilers team that needs every point they can get this season as they look to try and get back into the playoffs. The Pacific Division is packed with teams that believe they can represent the division in the postseason this year, and the Oilers will have to get off to a strong start if they want to keep pace.

Latest On Patrik Laine, Mikko Rantanen

at CDT | by 4 Comments

When the Mitch Marner saga came to an end, some believed that it would move along some of the other restricted free agent negotiations around the league. That may not be the case for two Finnish forwards, who are currently training overseas. Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine are both practicing with SC Bern of the Swiss NLA, and don’t appear close to new deals with the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets respectively. In fact, their agent Mike Liut joined Sportsnet radio this morning and talked about the negotiations, bluntly stating that they’re “not close” on either player. Liut went on to draw comparisons for one of his clients to Marner:

I think that Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen are probably the two closest comparables in terms of how they play the game. Where you have wingers that are adept at creating offense for those that they’re playing with. They do it maybe a little bit differently. Mikko’s 225 (lbs) and Mitch is not, but Mitch is a carrier and a great player. The Leafs have really looked into the future. You’re going to have a salary cap at $81.5MM, there’s no growth factor, one half of one percent. History has shown what the league does on a year-over-year basis, it’s going to 2.5% revenue growth.

Your top line, your top three players whether they’re defensemen or forwards are going to be in that range that the Leafs have created.

Liut also discussed how teams are going to have to roll through players on a more constant basis in order to keep their top players paid. Laine and Rantanen both certainly want to be compensated like top players, and it’s easy to see why. Laine has scored 110 goals in his three-year career, one of the highest rates in the league thanks to his incredible shot and ability to float away from traffic at the right time. Though his overall point totals declined sharply last season, goal-scorers are rewarded handsomely in the NHL and Laine should be no different.

Rantanen meanwhile has become one of the most impressive offensive players in the league, recording 171 points over the last two seasons. While some of that is because of his time with Nathan MacKinnon, there’s no doubting Rantanen’s talent. The tenth overall pick from 2015, Rantanen stands 6’4″ but has the puck skills and playmaking ability often associated with much smaller players. Even in the playoffs where young players often struggle, the Colorado forward led his club with 14 points in 12 games and was a force on the ice on almost every shift. If his camp truly sees a direct comparison to Marner, they must be looking for a pretty big raise. The Toronto Maple Leafs forward recently signed a six-year deal worth more than $65MM, putting him among the top handful of salaries ($10.893MM AAV) in the NHL.

While both are practicing overseas at the moment, Liut downplayed the idea that either one would sign with a European club even if the contract included an NHL-out clause. That should settle some nerves in Colorado and Winnipeg, but if contracts aren’t close at this point there should be real concern that the Finns will miss a good chunk of training camp or perhaps even the start of the regular season.

Anton Burdasov To Attend Edmonton Oilers Training Camp

at CDT | by 2 Comments

As expected, Anton Burdasov will try to land a job in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers this fall. The Russian winger has signed a professional tryout with the Edmonton Oilers. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reported last month that there was interest from several teams. Burdasov has spent the last decade playing in the KHL, most recently with Ufa Salavat Yulayev.

Burdasov, 28, was never drafted by an NHL team, but slowly became one of the more consistent offensive pieces in the KHL. The 6’2″ 227-lbs winger not only scored 19 goals last season in 50 games, but he also led the KHL in penalty minutes with 114. With the Oilers desperately searching for answers on the wing, that kind of size and scoring ability could be very useful.

With Edmonton sitting close to the cap, they couldn’t commit to Burdasov without seeing him in action on an NHL rink. Bringing him in on a tryout basis will give them a much closer look at what he can offer, and whether or not he could fit into their group. He’s already reported to camp and is in uniform, giving him plenty of time to make an impact on the coaching staff and players.

Ryan Suzuki Signs Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes as still hard at work as the season begins, signing another young player for the future. The team has announced a three-year entry-level contract for Ryan Suzuki, who was selected in this year’s first round. GM Don Waddell released a short statement on his newest prospect:

Ryan is a skilled center with strong playmaking ability. He’s an exciting young player, and we believe he has a bright future in the NHL.

Suzuki was the 28th overall pick in June, just two years after his brother was also a first round selection by the Vegas Golden Knights. The younger Suzuki is expected to play with the Barrie Colts again this year, but will climb up the prospect ladder quickly if he continues to find the kind of success he had last season. In 65 games with the Colts, Suzuki recorded 25 goals and 50 assists, totaling 25 more points than the next highest forward on the team. If given a stronger cast this year he very well may challenge for the OHL scoring lead, and perhaps even his brother’s OHL high of 100 points.

The Hurricanes have built quite the prospect pipeline over the last several years, but now as they transition into a contender in the Eastern Conference they will need to keep hitting on late first-round picks like Suzuki. If they can keep supporting their young core with more talent through the draft, the team looks poised for a large competitive window.

Dustin Byfuglien Contemplating NHL Future

at CDT | by 13 Comments

When the Winnipeg Jets announced recently that Dustin Byfuglien was taking a leave of absence from the team but it was not due to injury, eyebrows raised all around the league. Support poured out for whatever Byfuglien was dealing with, hoping that it would not affect his playing status for this year. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, it might. McKenzie reports that the Winnipeg Jets defender is “using the time to ponder his NHL future” and explained there is no timetable for a decision.

Byfuglien is currently on the fourth of a five-year contract and is set to earn $8MM this season and $6MM next, all in salary. Retirement would forfeit all of that and remove one of the Jets’ most consistent defensemen from the team right before they are expected to contend for the Stanley Cup again. Winnipeg has already seen Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot leave through various methods this summer, meaning a loss of Byfuglien would sting even more.

Of course, there is also a potential silver lining for the Jets, who are still without Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor as they negotiate new contracts. The team doesn’t have a ton of cap space to fit the pair in if they wanted to go for long-term contracts, a problem that would be alleviated if Byfuglien retired. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic also suggests that the team could then pursue either Rasmus Ristolainin or Justin Faulk in trade to try and replace some of what Byfuglien brings, though that is just speculation at this point.

Ben Hutton Agrees To Terms With Los Angeles Kings

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Late last night the Los Angeles Kings added another defensemen to their group, agreeing to terms with Ben Hutton on a one-year, $1.5MM contract. The deal comes after a competitive market failed to develop for the 26-year old, but will get him into training camp before the season starts.

Hutton has spent the last four seasons as a regular on the Vancouver Canucks blueline, playing in 276 games and recording 70 points. He averaged more than 22 minutes a night last season, but was likely a bit over his head as the Canucks dealt with injuries. The fifth-round pick has been effective at the professional level since signing out of the University of Maine, but failed to receive a qualifying offer from the Canucks who were looking to move in a different direction.

In Los Angeles, Hutton joins a group that is just looking to start moving in the right direction. His one-year deal lines him up with nearly the entire rest of the defense corps, as only Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez have any type of term on their deals. Derek Forbort, Paul Ladue and Joakim Ryan will all join Hutton in unrestricted free agency again next summer, giving the team some potential trade bait at the deadline if they are out of the race once again.

Going to the Kings gives Hutton the potential to play in the top-four once again, and perhaps even with a partner like Doughty if the team decides to go that route. For a player trying to rebuild his value that’s not a terrible situation to be in. We ranked Hutton 38th among our Top 50 UFAs this summer, predicting he would land a two-year deal with the Kings.

East Notes: Krug, Jarry, Rasmussen

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo now signed, Bruins GM Don Sweeney can turn his focus to his next crop of free agents, a group that is headlined by defenseman Torey Krug who is slated to be unrestricted in July.  Sweeney told NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty that he expects to have some extension discussions with Krug’s camp once he has a chance to do some forecasting.  The back-loaded nature of McAvoy and Carlo’s deals means that their back end will automatically cost a fair bit more a few years from now while they already have over $56MM in commitments for 2020-21 so there is definitely some projections that will need to be done on Boston’s end.  Krug’s offensive ability has him in line for a notable raise on his current $5.25MM AAV.

Elsewhere around the East:

  • The Penguins explored trades involving goaltender Tristan Jarry this summer, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. That’s not entirely surprising considering the three-year deal that they handed Casey DeSmith last season which makes Jarry the potential odd man out.  He needs to clear waivers to make it back to the AHL so presumably, teams that might have interest would be limiting their offers accordingly knowing there’s a good chance that he’ll be available for free over the next couple of weeks.
  • Detroit’s preference is to develop Michael Rasmussen as a center despite spending most of last year on the wing, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. As a result, it appears as if there’s a good chance that the 20-year-old will spend a good chunk of the season in the minors after being a full-time NHL player a year ago.  Part of the reason for that was that he wasn’t eligible to play in the AHL due to his age and the NHL-CHL agreement but that’s no longer in effect now.  Rasmussen was the ninth-overall pick back in 2017 but with the Red Wings having decent depth down the middle already, dropping down a level may be the best way to develop him at his natural position.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Buffalo Sabres

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

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.

Buffalo Sabres

Current Cap Hit: $82,559,524 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Rasmus Dahlin (two years, $925K)
F Casey Mittelstadt (one year, $925K)
F Tage Thompson (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Dahlin: $2.85MM
Mittelstadt: $850K
Thompson: $425K

Mittelstadt burned the first year of his entry-level deal at the end of 2017-18 so his first full year was last season and there were some rocky moments along the way.  While he was able to hold down a regular role on the third line most nights, his offense was sporadic.  There is still plenty of upside but barring a breakout year offensively, a short-term contract should be in the cards a year from now.  Thompson, one of the key pieces in the Ryan O’Reilly trade, didn’t have a great first season with Buffalo.  He’ll be asked to play a bottom-six role once again which won’t help his negotiating leverage so he’ll also be looking at a bridge deal.

Dahlin, the top pick in 2018, had a strong rookie season and it’s believed that the best is yet to come.  While the post-ELC market for defensemen isn’t as robust as it has been for forwards in recent years, there’s a good chance that Dahlin could change that.  If he progresses as anticipated, he should surpass Aaron Ekblad’s $7.5MM AAV by a considerable margin.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Zach Bogosian ($5.143MM, UFA)
F Zemgus Girgensons ($1.6MM, UFA)
D Matt Hunwick ($2.25MM, UFA)
F Johan Larsson ($1.55MM, UFA)
D Brandon Montour ($3.388MM, RFA)
D Casey Nelson ($812K, UFA)
F Sam Reinhart ($3.65MM, RFA)
F Evan Rodrigues ($2MM, RFA)
D Marco Scandella ($4MM, UFA)
F Conor Sheary ($3MM, UFA)
F Vladimir Sobotka ($3.5MM, UFA)
G Linus Ullmark ($1.325MM, RFA)
F Jimmy Vesey ($2.275MM, UFA)

It’s pretty easy to see what GM Jason Botterill’s plan is here.  There are plenty of veterans coming off the books and they’ll keep the ones they want to and will spend on replacements for the rest.

Reinhart is the most notable of this bunch by a considerable margin.  He signed a bridge contract after not really taking much a step forward over his first few seasons.  However, he took a big step in that direction last season, reaching 65 points.  A repeat performance would push him into the $6.5MM or more range a year from now.  Rodrigues received his deal through salary arbitration and assuming he can crack the 30-point mark in 2019-20, he could be closer to $3MM next summer.

Among the pending UFAs, Sobotka had a tough year with the Sabres and will play a sparing role at most this season.  Barring a sudden return to form, he’ll be closer to the $1MM mark on his next deal.  Sheary held his own away from Pittsburgh and was back around his usual point total.  Players like that (middle class) have been squeezed out in free agency in recent years though so while it’s possible that he could earn himself a small raise, he could also be forced into a short-term lesser deal as well.  Vesey has been relatively consistent over his first three NHL seasons.  At times, he can hold his own in the top six and in others, he looks out of place.  I think a small raise is a possibility but nothing substantial.  Girgensons has been pretty consistent the last four years but that’s not necessarily a good thing.  He’s a capable checker but his offensive game has yet to emerge.  Instead of being a part of their long-term plans like they envisioned when they picked him in the first round, he’s someone that’s going to be struggling to get a multi-year deal a year from now.  Larsson looked like a player on the rise a couple years back but has basically been a depth piece so matching his current deal could be difficult.

Montour wound up having to take a bridge contract with Anaheim in part due to their salary cap situation at the time.  That means that he’ll be a good bargain this season but he’s in line for a big raise.  The Sabres clearly envision him as a key part of their future given that they parted with a first-rounder to get him and a deal in the $6MM range is likely.

Bogosian’s contract has been an ugly one for a while.  He has had issues staying healthy in recent years and his effectiveness has waned as well.   He should be able to secure another contract but it will be at a fraction of this one.  Scandella was a quality shutdown defender in Minnesota but has been more of a third pairing depth option with the Sabres.  Players like him have seen their role diminish in recent years so he’ll also be hard-pressed to get close to this price tag a year from now.  Nelson is a serviceable injury replacement and could hold down a seventh or eighth role to allow some prospects (such as Henri Jokiharju) to get some more AHL seasoning.  Players like that are basically signing for the league minimum now so a small dip in pay is certainly a possibility for him.  Hunwick has already been ruled out for the year and will be on LTIR while his playing future is in question.

Ullmark’s first full-time season in Buffalo didn’t go as well as anyone had hoped.  There were a few games where he stood out in a strong way but statistically speaking, he was a below-average backup.  That’s why he wound up with this one-year deal that will go a long way towards determining if he’s part of the long-term future or not.

Two Years Remaining

G Carter Hutton ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Marcus Johansson ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Jake McCabe ($2.85MM, UFA)

Johansson had a strong showing in the postseason with Boston which certainly boosted his market heading into free agency.  However, his injury history likely played a big role in him only being able to get a short-term deal.  If he can stay in the lineup, he’ll have a chance to beat this contract two years from now when he’ll still only be 30.

McCabe has also battled injury issues the last couple of years which hurt his negotiating leverage somewhat.  As a result, he wound up settling for what amounts to a second bridge deal.  McCabe has shown an ability to play on the second pairing in the past and if that carries over during this deal, he’ll be well-positioned to cash in on the open market.

Not surprisingly, Hutton wasn’t able to match his league-leading numbers from the year before when he was with St. Louis.  He got into a career-best 50 games but faded as the season went on.  He’ll be 35 two years from now which could have him looking at going year-to-year for the rest of his career.

Three Years Remaining

D Colin Miller ($3.875MM, UFA)
D Rasmus Ristolainen ($5.4MM, UFA)

Ristolainen has been involved in trade speculation for a while, especially after the recent acquisitions of Montour and Miller.  He has struggled at times in the number one role in Buffalo but as a quality offensive threat that can log big minutes, his contract is still quite reasonable but as of yet, there hasn’t been a good enough offer to get him.  Miller was a cap casualty in Vegas and now goes to Buffalo where he’s likely to slot in on their third pairing.  That’s great for the Sabres from a depth perspective but it won’t help his value for his next deal though lots can change before he’s eligible to sign his next contract.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Jack Eichel ($10MM through 2025-26)
F Kyle Okposo ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Jeff Skinner ($9MM through 2026-27)

Many top draft picks have signed long-term, big-money contracts in recent years.  Eichel was among that group although his deal was a bit more puzzling at the time considering he hadn’t cracked the 60-point plateau.  Clearly, Botterill was expecting a big improvement and that he’d be able to become a legitimate top line center.  It took until his fourth year to do so but Eichel picked up his production to a front line level a year ago.  With the escalating price tag for top players, this deal shouldn’t wind up as a significant overpayment in the grand scheme of things but it’s not going to be classified as a bargain anytime soon either.

Skinner got off to a tremendous start last season and he wound up with his first career 40-goal season to show for it.  However, most of that production came in the first half of the season so there is certainly some risk here.  If he reverts back to his early-season form, this will be an okay contract but if that doesn’t happen, this could become a problem fairly quickly.  Okposo’s contract certainly has been a problem as he has produced like a third liner and there isn’t much optimism that he can have a big improvement.  The structure of the contract means that a buyout isn’t a great option either.

Buyouts

D Christian Ehrhoff ($857K through 2027-28, cap-exempt as a post-CBA compliance buyout)
F Cody Hodgson ($792K through 2022-23)
F Ville Leino ($1.222MM in 2019-20, cap-exempt as a post-CBA compliance buyout)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Montour
Worst Value: Okposo

Looking Ahead

Yes, there is short-term pain on the horizon (though Hunwick’s LTIR gives them some wiggle room) but there is light at the end of the tunnel.  With the number of expiring contracts on the books, Botterill will have the opportunity to pick and choose who he wants to keep and then reshape the roster from there with a pretty clean slate all things considered.  As far as their long-term cap situation goes, they’re in pretty good shape once they get through the upcoming season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NWHL Sells Boston Pride

at CDT | by 4 Comments

In the midst of a boycott by many of the sport’s best players, the National Women’s Hockey League is forging ahead and today announced some significant news. The league has sold the Boston Pride franchise to a team of investors led by Cannon Capital managing partner Miles Arnone. The Pride will become the only independently operated franchise in the NWHL after the Buffalo Sabres ownership group relinquished control of the Buffalo Beauts back to the league earlier this year. Arnone released a statement explaining why he purchased the team:

My investors and I believe in the NWHL, and we are honored to take on the responsibility of leading the Boston Pride during this important era of growth for women’s sports. We will build the Pride into a world-class team and an innovative and thoughtful business venture that demonstrates the power of professional women’s hockey and the value of the game’s remarkable athletes.

The NWHL has faced public scrutiny after a group of nearly 200 players, including top women’s hockey names like Kendall Coyne Schofield, Marie-Philip Poulin and Hilary Knight announced they would not take part in the upcoming 2019-20 season. That group subsequently founded the PWHPA and have organized the “Dream Gap Tour,” showcasing their talent in several cities across North America. Even in spite of the boycott, the NWHL has taken strong steps forward financially, increasing the league’s salary cap to $150,000 per team and introducing a 50-50 revenue split similar (though not exactly like) the one the NHL uses. They also announced that many of their games would be streamed live on Twitch, signing a three-year deal with the platform earlier this month.

Having an investor take control of a franchise like the Pride could lead to incredible opportunities for growth of the league, including increased resources for the players and fan engagement. League commissioner Dani Rylan released a statement explaining how important this step is for the NWHL:

The NWHL congratulates Miles Arnone on his acquisition of the Boston Pride, and we thank Miles and his investors for their belief in our league and players. Miles has a love for the game and deep connections in the New England community. The Pride’s new ownership is passionately committed to the team for the long haul, and we are confident they will set a new standard for how professional women’s hockey teams are run in North America. Their dedication to investing in the Pride’s infrastructure, player development, and every aspect of the sport and business is a game-changer.

The 2019-20 NWHL season will begin on October 5th and will include 24 regular season games for each team.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top