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Camp Notes: Laine, Priskie, Boedker, Boqvist

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Jets winger Patrik Laine will soon be beginning his training camp but it won’t be in Winnipeg.  Vili Pesu of Ilta-Sanomat in Finland reports that Laine will soon begin skating with SC Bern of the Swiss NLA; head coach Kari Jalonen indicated that it would be on a week-to-week basis.  Laine is coming off an intriguing season; while he had 18 goals in the month of November alone, he also only had a dozen tallies the rest of the season.  As a result, a short-term bridge deal has been the expectation for a while but it appears that there is still a ways to go to get an agreement in place.  While Laine will be practicing with Bern, he will not be participating in any games while he’s with them.

More camp news from around the NHL:

  • Hurricanes defenseman Chase Priskie has been listed as week-to-week following an injury sustained on Friday, notes Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer (Twitter link). The youngster signed with Carolina after being an unrestricted free agent back in mid-August.  At the time, he was told that he’d be given a long look at earning a roster spot with the big club but missing even a couple of weeks could make that a much tougher task.
  • Senators winger Mikkel Boedker will miss at least the next five days due to a hip flexor, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The winger is entering his second season with the team and will be playing for a new contract as he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.  Meanwhile, in a separate tweet, Garrioch notes that Ottawa will make their first set of roster cuts on Sunday.  They’re currently carrying 63 players on their training camp roster.
  • It doesn’t appear as if Blackhawks prospect Adam Boqvist will be returning to OHL London for the upcoming season. GM Stan Bowman told NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis that if the defenseman doesn’t crack Chicago’s roster, they will send him to their AHL affiliate in Rockford instead of back to junior.  While Boqvist is only 19 (typically too young for players with CHL experience), he was drafted out of Brynas in Sweden which doesn’t make him subject to the NHL-CHL agreement which allows him to play in the minors already.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: St. Louis Blues

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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.

St. Louis Blues

Current Cap Hit: $81,004,594 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Vince Dunn (one year, $723K)
F Robert Thomas (two years, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Dunn: $57.5K
Thomas: $425K

Thomas wasn’t asked to take on a big workload in his rookie year but he still did relatively well offensively before tailing off in that regard a little bit in the playoffs.  He’s likely to be a fixture in their top six in the long term but may spend a good chunk of the upcoming season on the third line which would seemingly take an early extension off the table.

Dunn’s sophomore campaign fell under the radar somewhat but he certainly had an impressive year, particularly at the offensive end where he fell just shy of the team lead in several categories.  While his minutes have somewhat been sheltered thus far, he’s already looking at a notable second contract and if his usage grows this season, he could move into that higher-end tier in a hurry.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Sammy Blais ($850K, RFA)
D Jay Bouwmeester ($3.25MM, UFA)
D Joel Edmundson ($3.1MM, UFA)
F Robby Fabbri ($900K, RFA)
D Alex Pietrangelo ($6.5MM, UFA)
F Brayden Schenn ($5.125MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses

Bouwmeester: $250K (based on regular season games played and playoff success)

I think Schenn is going to be a very interesting case for GM Doug Armstrong.  On the one hand, he’s a safe bet to reach 50-plus points (more when he’s really going) and as a center, that’s an important piece to have.  On the other hand, his role is eventually pegged to be filled by Thomas though that’s still probably a few years away.  With limited flexibility next summer (and a lot of players to re-sign), does Schenn get deemed a luxury that they can no longer afford?  His next deal should surpass the $7MM mark (and more if he rebounds to his 2017-18 numbers).  But it’s hard to let a top-six center in the prime of his career potentially walk for nothing.  They’ve moved a pending UFA pivot recently – will they do so again?  If they’re in the middle of the pack near the trade deadline, they just might.

Fabbri has had huge issues staying healthy and last year was no exception which resulted in him taking a small pay cut this offseason over getting a raise with a qualifying offer.  That’s telling as it means that if the asking price was much higher, he likely would have been non-tendered.  If he can’t stay healthy and lock down a regular spot in the lineup, that will probably the outcome a year from now.  Blais split last season between the NHL and AHL but suited up quite a bit in the postseason and could lock down a regular spot this season.  Even so, it will be in a fourth line role which means his next contract shouldn’t be too much higher than this one.

Pietrangelo is poised to get a significant raise next summer.  While he’s not in that top echelon around the $11MM mark, he’s still a quality top pairing blueliner and as he turns 30 next month, a max-term contract isn’t out of the question either.  Something in the $9MM range is a legitimate possibility.  Bouwmeester took a cut in pay to stick around after having a strong second half last season.  He’s going to be going year-to-year at this stage of his career and given that he’s going to fill more of a supporting role than a core one, it’s hard to imagine him getting more a year from now.  Edmundson is coming off a tough season that saw him scratched at times.  Depending on what happens with their other UFAs and Dunn’s contract, he could wind up having to move on.  If he can get back to being a 20-plus minute player, something around $4.5MM will be a realistic target for his next deal.

Two Years Remaining

G Jake Allen ($4.35MM, UFA)
G Jordan Binnington ($4.4MM, UFA)
F Ivan Barbashev ($1.475MM, RFA)
F Tyler Bozak ($5MM, UFA)
D Carl Gunnarsson ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Zach Sanford ($1.5MM, RFA)
F Jaden Schwartz ($5.35MM, UFA)
F Alex Steen ($5.75MM, UFA)

Steen’s deal was a good one for a time when he was a strong two-way presence on their top line.  However, his usefulness and role have diminished to the point where some have wondered if he’d be bought out.  He has a full no-trade clause which could complicate things if the Blues tried to trade him with some salary retention.  Schwartz has been hit or miss during this contract.  At times, he has played quite well (he averaged close to a point per game in 2017-18) but has also struggled at others and has had injury concerns throughout his career.  He’s a capable top-six winger when healthy and his ability to stay in the lineup will go a long way towards dictating his next deal.  Bozak didn’t light the lamp in his first year in St. Louis but acquitted himself relatively well.  He’ll continue to serve as quality depth down the middle though if Schenn re-signs for next season, Bozak could become a corresponding cap casualty.  Sanford spent most of the season with the Blues which earned him a decent raise but he’ll need to move up the depth chart if he wants another contract two years from now.  Curiously, Barbashev wound up getting less than Sanford despite playing a bigger role last season.  It’s possible that he’ll see some third line time before this deal is up which should have him in line for a raise of $1MM or so in 2021.

Gunnarsson has battled injuries of his own in recent years which resulted in him taking a sizable pay cut to stick around.  He’ll serve as a depth option which doesn’t bode well for him recovering some of that money in two years’ time.

Binnington’s rise from a minor leaguer to a catalyst in their Stanley Cup run has been well-chronicled.  However, given the fact that he still has a limited track record, he opted to take what amounts to a bridge contract.  It’s no coincidence that he checks in just ahead of Allen who has struggled at times in the number one role over the last couple of seasons.  It’s also no coincidence that the deals expire at the same time, giving Armstrong some time to further evaluate each netminder and assess which one, if either, is worth building around down the road.  A platoon situation is certainly a possibility which won’t help the bargaining power for either of them.

Three Years Remaining

D Robert Bortuzzo ($1.375MM, UFA)
D Colton Parayko ($5.5MM, UFA)
F David Perron ($4MM, UFA)

Perron’s return to St. Louis was a largely-successful one as he finished fourth on the team despite missing 24 games due to a concussion.  If they can get anywhere close to that type of production over the next few years, this will wind up being a significant bargain.

Parayko hasn’t really emerged into the top offensive threat that he has shown flashes of becoming but he is a core part of their back end.  As he’ll be hitting the open market at 29, a long-term contract of six years or more is quite likely and if his offensive game comes around over the next few years, he’ll be looking at a big raise as well.  Bortuzzo is another depth player and shouldn’t be looking at much of a raise three years from now as long as he stays in that slot on their depth chart.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Ryan O’Reilly ($7.5MM through 2022-23)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($2.75MM through 2022-23)
F Vladimir Tarasenko ($7.5MM through 2022-23)

Tarasenko has been consistently streaky throughout his career but continues to put up relatively consistent numbers overall, ranging from 66-75 points over the last five seasons.  That’s top line production so while it’s not a huge bargain, they’ve been getting a decent return for their commitment.  O’Reilly was their big offseason acquisition a year ago and he responded with a career year offensively while also earning the Selke and Conn Smythe trophies.  That contract looked to be on the expensive side not that long ago but that’s not the case now.  Sundqvist went from being a part-time role player to a key cog on the third line last season and rather than look at a short-term contract, they opted to lock him up to a longer-term deal and in doing so, upped the expectations for him offensively.  If he can hold down that third line role, they should get a decent return from the contract.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Perron
Worst Value: Steen

Looking Ahead

For the upcoming season, the Blues are going to be right up against the Upper Limit which is going to limit their ability to make much in the way of in-season acquisitions.  Things are only going to get tougher after that.

While they do have over $20MM in expiring contracts, they’ll be paying up big to keep Pietrangelo and Schenn around while Dunn’s second contract will be a fairly big one as well.  Those three alone will eat up most of the expired money which means there could be another big cap crunch for 2020-21.

The good news is that there aren’t a lot of long-term contracts on the books which will give Armstrong a little bit of flexibility in that sense when it comes to retooling his roster.  However, get used to them being right against that cap ceiling as they’re going to be there for a while.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wild Sign Jared Spurgeon To A Seven-Year Extension

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Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon hadn’t hidden his desire to sign a long-term extension with the team but talks didn’t appear to be progressing under former GM Paul Fenton.  With new GM Bill Guerin in the fold, the two sides were able to agree to a deal as the team announced that they have signed Spurgeon to a seven-year, $53.025MM contract extension that will kick in for the 2020-21 season.  The $7.575MM AAV checks in slightly above that of veterans Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, making him the highest-paid player on the team when the contract kicks in.

The 29-year-old is coming off of a career season in 2018-19.  He set new marks in goals (14), assists (29), and points (43) while logging more than 24 minutes a night for the third straight season.  That workload was the second-highest on the team behind Suter while his total ice time played ranked eighth overall in the league.

Back in December of 2015, Spurgeon signed his current deal, one that carries a cap hit of just under $5.2MM.  At the time, he didn’t have a significant track record so it was perceived to be somewhat of a risk.  Instead, it has turned into quite the bargain as he has performed as a quality top pairing player at a rate that third and fourth blueliners have been getting on the open market.

Spurgeon has spent his entire nine-year career with Minnesota after not signing with the Islanders who drafted him in the sixth round back in 2008 but opted not to sign him, a decision they’d clearly like a do-over on.   Meanwhile, the Wild’s decision to take a chance on him has certainly worked out better than they could have hoped.

With the deal, Minnesota could have a little bit of stability on their back end as all seven of their NHL defenders would be signed through the 2020-21 season.  They also now have more than $70MM in commitments for that campaign although they now have 19 players signed.  That should allow them to have some flexibility in free agency one year from now.

Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link)  was the first to report that a deal was imminent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Faulk, Johns, Boyle

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Earlier this month, there were reports that a trade that would see Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk get traded to the Ducks was gaining some traction.  However, in an appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests that the deal is unlikely to happen now.  While Anaheim is open to doing the move without a pre-arranged extension in place, Faulk is presently unwilling to waive his partial no-trade clause unless he gets it.  Considering the status of their back end and this near-swap, the 27-year-old likely realizes that the writing is on the wall with regards to his future in Carolina.  Accordingly, Friedman suggests that the two sides may be working together to find a landing spot that Faulk is amenable to going to.  It would certainly be in the best interest of the Hurricanes to do so as if they can find a spot he’s happy with and willing to sign an extension, that could certainly boost the return coming their way.

Other notes from around the league:

  • While Stars defenseman Stephen Johns was skating earlier this offseason at development camp, he will not be taking part in training camp, notes Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News. GM Jim Nill indicated that there would be no further update on his status.  Johns missed all of last season with a concussion and this would certainly appear to suggest that those symptoms are still present.  Dallas signed Andrej Sekera after he was bought out by Edmonton in June which gives them a little bit more depth heading into the upcoming season.
  • Brian Boyle is one of the more notable unrestricted free agents still available. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes (Twitter link) that the veteran would like to play for the Blue Jackets and be reunited with head coach John Tortorella.  However, at this time, Columbus wants to evaluate their younger players instead of turning to Boyle.  Hedger does add that there are a couple of teams that would like to sign Boyle but need to clear cap room to do so first.

NHL Suspends Evgeny Kuznetsov For Three Games

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Last month, Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov received a four-year suspension from the IIHF for a positive test for cocaine at the World Championships back in May.  At the time, the NHL did not issue a suspension of their own but that has changed.  The league announced that Kuznetsov has been suspended for three games for inappropriate conduct and that there would be no further comment on the matter.  However, Kuznetsov released the following statement:

I have decided to accept the NHL’s suspension today. I am once again sorry that I have disappointed my family, my teammates, and the Capitals organization and fans. I promise to do everything in my power to win you back with my actions both on and off the ice. I also understand that I am fortunate to have an opportunity to make things right. Thanks to the Capitals, NHL, and NHLPA, I have taken many steps in the right direction and I’m confident that I will continue on that path. I am grateful for everyone’s support and I’m looking to move forward from this point. While I can appreciate that people may have additional questions, I will not be commenting further on this matter.

At the time of the IIHF’s suspension, the league had indicated that Commissioner Gary Bettman would meet with the 27-year-old before deciding how to proceed.  Khurshudyan notes that the meeting took place on Monday.

While the IIHF considers cocaine a performance-enhancing substance, the NHL does not which is why this is not a standard 20-game suspension for a first violation of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

Unlike most suspensions, this one will allow the Capitals to remove Kuznetsov from their salary cap while it is being served, a team source reported to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link).  That will actually give them some much-needed cap flexibility to start the season though it comes at the cost of one of their top forwards.  In the meantime, as it is a regular season suspension, Kuznetsov will be eligible to participate in the preseason.

Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post was the first to report that Kuznetsov would be suspended.

West Notes: Palmu, Tryamkin, Fiala, Ducks

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Several veteran players are still looking for a place to play but so is one of Vancouver’s prospects.  Winger Petrus Palmu has spent the last two seasons with TPS Turku in Finland (aside from a brief stint with AHL Utica last year) but his agent Todd Diamond told Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston that the 22-year-old is hoping to catch on with a team in the SHL this season to play at a higher level of competition.  Returning to the AHL doesn’t appear to be an option for Palmu at this time although he could join them or the Canucks at the completion of his season overseas.

Meanwhile, Diamond also reiterated that blueliner Nikita Tryamkin remains open to the idea of one day rejoining the Canucks.  That almost certainly won’t happen this season as he’s under contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL and they’re unlikely to release him from his deal early.  Vancouver holds his NHL rights through the 2021-22 season.

Elsewhere around the Western Conference:

  • While Wild winger Kevin Fiala recently signed his bridge contract, he has yet to join the team at training camp. Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that the 23-year-old is currently awaiting his work visa.  The team is hopeful that he’ll be able to join them early next week although it’s likely that this will keep him out of the first couple of preseason games.
  • The Ducks announced (via Twitter) that center Ryan Kesler and winger Patrick Eaves will indeed miss all of the upcoming season. Kesler’s diagnosis was expected but Eaves, who has been dealing with post-viral syndrome since 2017, had not been ruled out for its entirety before now.  He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer while Kesler is signed through 2021-22 at $6.875MM.  Both players will be placed on LTIR if Anaheim needs to free up additional cap space for the upcoming season although they currently sit well under the Upper Limit for the time being.

Several Teams Interested In Ben Hutton

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While several players are simply struggling to find a team that’s interested in them, that doesn’t appear to be the case for defenseman Ben Hutton.  TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the blueliner is weighing his options at the moment and mentions the Kings, Wild, Rangers, and Red Wings among the teams to have shown interest.

Hutton is coming off an improved season relative to his 2017-18 performance.  After struggling to merely stay in the lineup that year, he wound up logging a career-high in ice time at 22:31 per night, a mark that ranked second on the Canucks.  Despite that and an uptick in his point production from six to 20 points, Vancouver opted to non-tender him over qualifying him at $2.8MM this summer.

That made him one of the better options available on the UFA market but that one has been particularly slow to develop; even Jake Gardiner had to wait until earlier this month to get a new deal.  Nonetheless, Hutton should be able to find a landing spot soon if this many teams are still interested.

The Kings have been linked back to him going back to July.  Their back end isn’t the strongest and he’s young enough that he could be part of the picture for a few years if things went well.  However, GM Rob Blake tried to downplay the idea of them signing him late last month saying they took a look but it didn’t go further than that.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s back end hasn’t undergone any changes this summer but head coach Bruce Boudreau was hesitant to give big minutes to players like Brad Hunt and Nick Seeler.  Accordingly, someone that can log a heavier workload would certainly be appealing to the Wild.

The Rangers are a bit of a surprise on this list.  While they could certainly use Hutton on their back end, they’re unlikely to be able to afford RFA Anthony DeAngelo without having to use some creativity when it comes to the cap and adding Hutton would only compound that.

As for the Red Wings, they lost Niklas Kronwall to retirement earlier this month which would seemingly open up a spot.  However, they added Patrik Nemeth early in free agency this summer and still have veterans Danny DeKeyser and Jonathan Ericsson on the team so there may not be a full-time spot for Hutton to work with.

Nevertheless, although training camps are underway, it appears that Hutton won’t be without a team for much longer.  However, at this stage, it’s hard to envision him getting the $2.8MM that he received last season despite his improved performance.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Mitch Marner

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The Mitch Marner saga is over. The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally signed their star winger, announcing that they have signed Marner to a six-year deal that carries an AAV of $10.893MM, the seventh-highest in the league.  The deal buys out his remaining four years of restricted free agent eligibility as well as two years of UFA status.

PuckPedia reports that the breakdown of the deal is as follows:

2019-20: $700K base salary, $15.3MM signing bonus
2020-21: $700K base salary, $14.3MM signing bonus
2021-22: $750K base salary, $9.608MM signing bonus
2022-23: $750K base salary, $7.25MM signing bonus
2023-24: $750K base salary, $7.25MM signing bonus
2024-25: $750K base salary, $7.25MM signing bonus

The 22-year-old is coming off of a career season across the board after posting 26 goals and 68 assists; his 94 points ranked 11th in the league (fifth among wingers) while leading the team in scoring.  He also added two goals and two assists in the postseason.  The fourth overall pick back in 2015, Marner sits third in scoring from that draft class behind the top two picks in Connor McDavid (Edmonton) and Jack Eichel (Buffalo).

Accordingly, Marner was believed to be seeking a contract comparable to that of teammate Auston Matthews, who inked a five-year deal with a cap hit of $11.634MM last season.  He ultimately came up short of that but sets a new market benchmark for restricted free agent wingers while checking in as the second-highest-paid winger in the league behind Artemi Panarin of the Rangers.

As the top RFA in this class, many expected that other free agents were waiting to see what Marner got before working to finalize their own contract.  With that now done, it will be worth watching to see if that helps move the needle for other wingers such as Mikko Rantanen (Colorado), Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary), plus Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor (Winnipeg), among others.

With this deal, the Maple Leafs now have over $40MM tied up in four forwards between Marner, Matthews, John Tavares, and William Nylander.  The first three of those are all in the top-seven in the league in cap hit which will make them a very intriguing team to keep an eye on as they work to remain in salary cap compliance.   This type of salary structure has never really been seen so many teams will be looking to see how they’re able to work within it.

When it comes to the upcoming year, they will be making full use of LTIR this season with Nathan Horton ($5.3MM) and David Clarkson ($5.25MM) both heading on there for the entire year.  However, CapFriendly projects them as currently being more than $13MM above the Upper Limit at this time so there is likely more work that needs to be done.  Winger Zach Hyman and defenseman Travis Dermott are both expected to be injured to start the season and if they’re projected to miss at least three weeks, they can also start on LTIR which would allow Toronto to get under to start the year although they would need to make some moves when those players are ready to return.

Regardless of the salary cap implications, GM Kyle Dubas has to be pleased that he was able to get Marner signed before the season gets underway.  In doing so, he avoids the risk of talks running well into the season as they did with Nylander a year ago.  Had that happened, Marner’s AAV for this season would have been higher than $10.893MM which likely provided another impetus to get something done before the puck drops on the start of the season on October 2nd.  With his deal now complete, it will be interesting to see how quickly the other dominoes around the league will fall.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report a deal had been agreed upon while TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report the cap hit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Sixteenth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)

Another mid-round pick jumps into the top half of our first round as Dadonov is the Oilers selection. They would certainly like him more than Alex Plante who they actually took in that spot 12 years ago, but Dadonov comes with his fair share of frustrations as well. Picked out of Russia after making his debut at the highest level there, Dadonov wouldn’t suit up for a North American team until 2009. That year he showed exactly why the Florida Panthers spent the 71st pick on him by scoring 40 points in 76 games at the AHL level and making his NHL debut, but it wasn’t all followed by roses.

After bouncing back and forth between the two leagues for most of the next two seasons, Dadonov was actually traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in a minor deal in January of 2012. He would never suit up for the Hurricanes, instead spending the rest of the season with the Charlotte Checkers, before deciding the minor leagues weren’t for him. Dadonov returned to Russia and the KHL where he would spend the next five seasons, eventually becoming one of the league’s most consistent offensive producers. After a 66-point season with St. Petersburg in 2016-17, the Panthers decided to pursue their old flame once again and brought him back to North America. This time, there would be no minors.

Over the last two seasons Dadonov has proven to be one of the increasingly rare success stories to come back from the KHL and produce, scoring 56 goals and 135 points in 156 games. Finding immediate chemistry with some of the other talented forwards in Florida, he’s now actually closing in on a potentially large contract in free agency. Dadonov’s current deal expires after this season and if he decides to stay in North America there will be plenty of suitors who believe he could give their team an offensive punch.

It is interesting though that the 30-year old winger comes in this high. Because of his time away from the NHL he ranks 24th in points among players selected in 2007, and has still only played 211 games in the league. Obviously his skill and production over the last two seasons have swayed voters enough to believe he was the right choice at 15th overall.

He certainly could have been the right pick for the Minnesota Wild, who held selected 16. After the Carolina Hurricanes wagered on NHL bloodlines by picking Brandon Sutter earlier in the round, the Wild followed suit by snapping up Colton Gillies, a big winger out of the Western Hockey League. Gillies had only scored 13 goals and 30 points that season for the Saksatoon Blades, but he was the nephew of Hall of Fame forward Clarke Gillies who had won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders. The younger Gillies had shown his physicality even as a young player in the WHL, and the Wild must have hoped they could pull out some of his family’s offensive history.

Unfortunately, that never happened. In 154 NHL contests, Gillies recorded just six goals and 18 points. He left for the Slovakian league in 2015 and ended up in the KHL where he plays to this day. The 16th overall pick is still not much of a scorer, making him another first-round bust from 2007. If Minnesota had the chance again they may have taken someone else, but who?

With the sixteenth pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Minnesota Wild select?  Cast your vote below!

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL.  He has not been included in this vote.

Snapshots: Mangiapane, DeAngelo, Sharks

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The Calgary Flames are still working towards a deal with Matthew Tkachuk, but he’s not the only unsigned restricted free agent they have. Andrew Mangiapane is now missing time at training camp as well, but Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports that’s not what he wants. Francis tweeted today that Mangiapane has made a $200K concession in negotiations, bringing his ask down to $850K in order to get into camp and prove himself. Unfortunately, that’s still more than his $715K qualifying offer that the team can wait for him to accept.

The Flames don’t have any excess cap space to be handing out, even though there is now such a small gap between the two sides. Tkachuk is going to get a huge raise and could very well become the highest paid player on the team—eclipsing Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano at $6.75MM—meaning the team needs to save every penny in negotiations. Already with just 21 players on the roster, CapFriendly projects the Flames to have just barely over $7MM in cap space.

  • Anthony DeAngelo, another restricted free agent that isn’t getting many headlines, also remains without a contract with the New York Rangers. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that there is still a “wide gulf” between the two sides, and notes that the Rangers don’t want to go higher than the $925K they recently signed Brendan Lemieux for. DeAngelo broke out last season for the Rangers with 30 points in 61 games and was one of the team’s better defensemen by year’s end. The 23-year old doesn’t have a lot of leverage without arbitration eligibility however and will have to make a decision soon if he wants to take part in any of training camp.
  • The San Jose Sharks have already made some training camp cuts, sending six players back to junior. Mitchell Brewer, Zach Emond, Zach Gallant, Jake Gricius, Jake Lee and Hudson Wilson have all been returned, leaving 57 players for the NHL training camp.

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