Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for September 2019

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Marcus Pettersson

at CDT | by 2 Comments

As expected, the Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Marcus Pettersson to a one-year, one-way deal and will have him in training camp. Pettersson accepted his qualifying offer salary of $874,125. GM Jim Rutherford released a short statement on the deal:

Marcus is a smart, reliable defenseman who improved our defensive corps after coming over from Anaheim last year. We are fortunate to have a good, young defenseman of his caliber in our top-six.

Pettersson, 23, will come back to the Penguins on a very reasonable deal after he broke out as a full-time player last season. Originally selected in the second round by the Anaheim Ducks, he ended up on Pittsburgh as the return for Daniel Sprong and immediately found a home. Playing nearly 18 minutes a night, Pettersson recorded 19 points in 57 games with the Penguins and finished tenth in Calder Trophy voting. After Erik Gudbranson was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks, the two made up a very solid second pairing and actually posted some of the strongest possession numbers on the team.

That strong season made many expect a more expensive deal for the young defenseman, but the Penguins have convinced him to come back for at least one more year at a reduced price. While it doesn’t give them much certainty going forward, a near-minimum contract that can be plugged in gives the team a lot more flexibility in designing their roster. The Penguins currently project just over the cap meaning there very well could be another trade coming at some point, though with such a low number for Pettersson they could actually just start the season with fewer than 23 players on the roster and make the decision down the line.

Either way, something will have to change at some point on the blueline. The team has up to nine defensemen with NHL experience and all of them will require waivers in order to be sent to the minor leagues. If they all get through training camp healthy, Rutherford will have to make a decision on who he wants to expose to the rest of the league.

Pettersson will be a restricted free agent again next season and will have arbitration rights.

Snapshots: Red Wings, Blues, RFAs

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings will operate without a captain once again this season, despite the expectation that Dylan Larkin will one day assume the role. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ansar Khan of MLive that they will instead start with four alternates: Larkin, Justin Abdelkader, Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening. Blashill and Steve Yzerman agreed to wait until the GM got to know the entire team better after taking over this offseason.

Larkin, 23, has become the face of the Red Wings franchise after putting up a career-high 32 goals and 73 points last season. As the old guard including Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and recently Niklas Kronwall have moved on from their roles on the Red Wings, Larkin and other young players have taken on more and more responsibility. As the team transitions from rebuilding to contending over the next few years it seems likely that someone will eventually wear the “C” for Blashill and Yzerman, just not yet.

  • The St. Louis Blues are finalizing extensions for Steve Ott and David Alexander according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The pair of assistant coaches will be given extensions that match the length of head coach Craig Berube, who was given a three-year deal earlier this summer. The coaching staff under Berube completed a miracle turnaround this season with the Blues, taking them from last place in the NHL to Stanley Cup champions in just a few months.
  • Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest has heard a few things on restricted free agents Patrik Laine and Mikko Rantanen, including about a recent short-term offer from the Winnipeg Jets to the former. The deal presented to Laine was in the “$5MM per year range” though Strickland notes that even on that short-term deal the Jets will “need to come up on money.” For Rantanen, Strickland reports that the free agent forward is not far away in terms of salary with the Colorado Avalanche and that the team’s last offer “blew past Nathan MacKinnon’s $6.3MM AAV.”

Minor Transactions: 09/12/19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Training camp is upon us and physicals are underway for all players under contract. Yet, many NHL clubs still have work to do, with prominent restricted and unrestricted free agents still without deals for the 2019-20 season. Minor league affiliates, European teams, and college programs are also still making moves to finalize their plans for the coming season. Keep track of those minor transactions right here:

  • Colin Campbell will be in Colorado Avalanche training camp on a professional tryout after spending the first several seasons of his career with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 28-year old forward was part of the 2017 Calder Cup squad and scored 19 points in 63 games last season.
  • Daniel Audette won’t be back with the Laval Rocket this season, instead signing an AHL contract with the Springfield Thunderbirds according to Stephane Leroux of RDS. A former first-overall QMJHL pick, the undersized Audette has never been able to turn his immense offensive skill into an NHL opportunity. He recorded 39 points in 71 games with the Rocket last season.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will have Brandon Halverson in training camp on a professional tryout, the second goaltender to take a PTO with the team along with Michal Neuvirth. Halverson has spent the last three seasons bouncing between the AHL and ECHL in the New York Rangers system, but went unqualified this summer and became an unrestricted free agent.

Morning Notes: Theodore, Flyers, Pettersson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

You can bet Shea Theodore didn’t have the summer he was expecting. After failing a random drug test at the World Championship because of an elevated hormone level, Theodore was informed that it was not because of a supplement but he in fact had testicular cancer and would need surgery right away. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman opened up about the situation in an article for the Players’ Tribune today, explaining that though it was a frightful time in his life he has fully recovered.

Theodore said that Phil Kessel reached out this summer to give his support, given that the veteran forward dealt with the same diagnosis years ago. Theodore credits that drug test with potentially saving him from a battle that would have much more difficult, and implores everyone to get checked regularly and be open with your physician.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers are getting closer to a deal with Ivan Provorov, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The two sides are still working through the negotiation and both three and six year deals are on the table, but things have turned positive in recent days. It seems as though things aren’t so rosy for the other Flyers’ RFA, as McKenzie tweets that Travis Konecny is not close to a new deal. The pair are huge parts of the Philadelphia future and will hopefully join the team in training camp soon with freshly inked deals.
  • That’s exactly what is happening for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who is joining the team and expected to sign in the “next day or so” according to McKenzie. The deal will be a short-term contract, but would mean the team has their full complement of players in camp. The Penguins do appear to have too many NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster at the moment, meaning a trade or waivers is coming for at least one. Of course, that is contingent on the rest of the group staying healthy through camp, which is not a certainty anywhere around the NHL.

Winnipeg Jets Extend Josh Morrissey

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Winnipeg Jets have two restricted free agents to sign, but have inked one of their other young players a year before his deal even expires. The team announced an eight-year extension for Josh Morrissey, a contract that will carry an average annual value of $6.25MM. Morrissey will earn $3.15MM this season on his current deal. The full breakdown is as follows:

  • 2020-21: $8.0MM
  • 2021-22: $8.0MM
  • 2022-23: $5.2MM
  • 2023-24: $8.0MM
  • 2024-25: $4.8MM
  • 2025-26: $4.8MM
  • 2026-27: $4.8MM
  • 2027-28: $4.8MM

According to Ken Wiebe of The Athletic the deal will also include a full no-movement clause in years 3-5 and a limited no-trade clause in the final three. That kind of length and security is surprising in this market where other young players are instead looking to maximize their earning potential by taking short deals. Morrissey will be giving up six seasons of unrestricted free agency at a very reasonable price, considering his growth the last few years.

Selected 13th overall in 2013 it took a few years for Morrissey to put it all together, but when he did there was no looking back. Suiting up in all 82 games for the 2016-17 season as a rookie, he was seeing more than 20 minutes a night on a regular basis by the end of the year. That ice time has only increased since to the point where the left-handed defenseman averaged more than 22 minutes for the Jets last season. A true shutdown option for the team, his offensive game also exploded to the tune of 31 points in 59 games. That low game total was due to a shoulder injury and is disappointing, but if he can stay healthy there’s little doubt he won’t outproduce this contract and quickly.

Getting this contract locked in should only help the Jets in the negotiations with Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor, Knowing exactly what Morrissey will cost is an important piece of information for the team to have when setting a limit for how high they will reach. Laine and Connor will surely eat up the $15MM the team has available this season, but will also make next offseason a tightrope walk for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

San Jose Sharks Name Logan Couture Captain

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but Logan Couture has been named the next captain of the San Jose Sharks. The team lost Joe Pavelski to free agency and the Dallas Stars this summer, leaving the role vacant. Couture was the obvious choice at this point in his career, though he’ll have a great stable of alternates to lean on. Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, Erik Karlsson and Joe Thornton will all have an “A” on their sweater at times this season. Head coach Peter DeBoer explained the decision:

Since I arrived in San Jose four seasons ago, we have been blessed with a tremendous amount of leadership on our roster. Logan has grown up within that environment and evolved into someone who not only plays his best hockey when it matters the most, but who also leads by example off the ice. He knows what it takes to win and his performance in our recent playoff runs reflects that. Most importantly, Logan has the respect of his teammates and we’re extremely proud to name him as the tenth captain of the San Jose Sharks.

Couture, 30, has developed into one of the most consistent two-way players in the entire league and is coming off a career-high 70 points in 2018-19. While his regular season offense has been excellent—Couture has scored at least 21 goals in every season of his career save one injury-shortened campaign and a 25-game rookie stint—it’s the playoffs where he has made his real impact for the Sharks. A leader every year when the postseason rolls around, Couture has 48 goals and 101 points in 116 career playoff games. His presence was felt all the more when Pavelski went down to multiple injuries this past spring (though they didn’t keep him out long), and it seemed obvious then that Couture would eventually take over as captain.

Among his alternates he’ll have two former captains in Karlsson and Thornton, one of the most impactful defensemen in the league in Burns and link to the next wave of Sharks’ talent in Hertl.

Early Notes: Capitals, Sbisa, Senators,

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals are arriving for training camp today and doing their first press availability, including GM Brian MacLellan. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post passes along some information from the front office executive, including an update on contract talks with Braden Holtby and Niklas Backstrom. The team will “play this out” with both players, who have just one year remaining on their respective contracts. They have made contact with Holtby’s agent already and will be speaking with Backstrom’s soon.

Khurshudyan also notes that the team is waiting to hear from the NHL with regards to Evgeny Kuznetsov, who met with commissioner Gary Bettman earlier this week. Kuznetsov was recently suspended by the IIHF for a positive cocaine test and could face further discipline from the NHL, though many—including Khurshudyan—doubt that will happen.

  • Luca Sbisa is officially back with the New York Islanders on a professional tryout, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday. Sbisa had been spotted on the ice during some informal skates prior to training camp and it was assumed he would be back, though today confirmed that belief. The 29-year old defenseman played nine games for the Islanders last season and has suited up just 39 times since the end of 2016-17.
  • The Ottawa Senators will not have a captain this season, instead naming Mark Borowiecki, Ron Hainsey and Jean-Gabriel Pageau the three alternates. Hainsey of course is a brand new face in the Senators room but has a familiarity with new head coach D.J. Smith from their time together with the Toronto Maple Leafs. An extremely vocal player on the ice, Hainsey has seen just about everything there is to see over a 1,068-game NHL career.

New York Rangers Re-Sign Brendan Lemieux

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Just in time for training camp, the New York Rangers have re-signed forward Brendan Lemieux to a one-year contract extension, the team announced. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie adds that it is a $925K AAV for Lemieux, only a slight raise from his recently-expired entry-level deal.  Lemieux will be a restricted free agent again next summer, but this time with arbitration rights.

Lemieux, 23, is betting on himself after finally carving out a regular role in the NHL last season. Lemieux spent the majority of his first two pro seasons in the AHL, only playing in nine games with the Winnipeg Jets in 2017-18. However, after a very productive campaign with the Manitoba Moose, the Jets handed Lemieux a fourth-line spot last season and he made the most of the opportunity. The big winger notched nine goals and was a dominant physical presence on the ice through the first half of the season. However, Winnipeg traded him to the Rangers at the trade deadline as part of the package that landed Kevin Hayes. Lemieux saw significantly more ice time down the stretch in New York and continued to add points and even more so penalty minutes. He finished the year with 12 goals and 17 points in 63 total games, as well as 108 penalty minutes, which ranked fifth in the league.

While some may find it strange that a checking forward like Lemieux would settle for a short-term deal when offense can often be hard to come by with limited minutes and opportunity, Lemieux has an incredible opportunity to prove his value this coming season to a Rangers team than needs someone to neutralize threats to new star forwards Artemi Panarin and Kaapo Kakko, among others. Lemieux’s production may not change at all, but he could nevertheless prove himself to be an invaluable member of the team by coming to the defense of his teammates. On the other hand, Lemieux also scored 12 goals last season while spending most of the year in Winnipeg, playing about seven minutes per night on a team with great forward depth. He may find that in New York he has the opportunity to push for a 20-goal season if afforded consistent ice time over 82 games. Such a feat would certainly make his decision to take a one-year deal look like a smart move.

With Lemieux signed, the Rangers are left with just over $1MM in projected cap space. It’s a better situation than expected given Lemieux’s surprisingly affordable price tag after all this time, but New York will still need to get creative with their roster. RFA defenseman Anthony DeAngelo remains unsigned and we recently hypothesized that it would cost upwards of $3.75MM to re-sign him. Even if DeAngelo opts for a one-year deal like Lemieux, he would still be asking for at least $3MM. The team will likely have to make a move to free up the space to sign yet another young player coming off a breakout season who shows signs of only just beginning to reach his full potential.

Oilers Notes: McDavid, Puljujarvi, De Jong

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

When it comes to franchise centerpiece Connor McDavid, the Oilers aren’t taking any chances. When asked about how many games McDavid would play in the coming preseason, new GM Ken Holland was very honest: “Either one at most or very likely zero… I’d rather be safe than sorry.” He took it further than that as well, stating that if McDavid is not fully ready for Opening Night, he won’t play. McDavid has spent the off-season rehabbing a leg injury suffered late in the regular season, but has already been skating with his teammates and early reports are cautiously optimistic that he will be at full strength come October. Holland and company will play it safe though if their star player isn’t back to 100% in time and don’t appear willing to risk that status in the preseason either.

  • Holland also spoke about estranged winger Jesse Puljujarvi, but it was a similar refrain. “I believe there are teams out there that are interested,” he said, adding “I’m not going to force something. If it’s there I’ll explore it. If it’s not, I am prepared to sit.” Puljujarvi recently signed with Karpat of the Finnish Liiga, but Edmonton doesn’t seem fazed by the change in status quo. The team will retain his NHL rights no matter what and have held steady in their message that they will hold out for what they deem is a fair price for the young winger, even if that means he plays in Europe all season. The 2016 fourth overall pick recorded just nine points in 46 games last season and so far teams seem reluctant to pay up for his potential.
  • The Oilers have announced their first round of training camp cuts today, sending several rookie game invites away before the NHL veterans join the team-owned prospects on the ice. Three of those participants were re-assigned to AHL camp with the Bakersfield Condors. While Steven Iacobellis and Jakob Stukel were not a surprise, having signed with Bakersfield this off-season, defenseman Brendan De Jong will also be given a chance to win a spot with the Condors. De Jong, a former Carolina Hurricanes prospect, was not tendered a qualifying offer this summer and became a free agent. With both incredible size and offensive instincts, De Jong has been a valuable member of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks over the past few years and could still turn out to be an effective pro.

College Notes: Phillips, Schingoethe, MacDonald

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Clayton Phillips will be playing closer by this season, and sooner than expected as well. Phillips notified the University of Minnesota back in June that he would be transferring and most expected that he would return to the USHL this season before resuming his NCAA career. That won’t be the case. Phillips has already landed at a new school, a Big Ten Conference of the Gophers in fact, and will be eligible to play immediately. Penn State University announced today that Phillips has joined the program and are excited to have the smooth-skating defenseman for the final two years of his NCAA eligibility. A third-round pick of the Penguins in 2017, Phillips is still a somewhat raw talent, but has the physical tools to be a pro player. While neither a high-scoring blue line threat nor a shutdown defender, Phillips is a great skater and puck-mover. His ability will certainly be an upgrade for the Nittany Lions and he hopes the Penguins as well down the road.

  • The University of Denver picked up a nice commitment today in 2020 NHL Draft-eligible forward Wyatt Schingoethe. The 17-year-old center is set to play a second season with the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks this season, who announced he would then join the Pioneers. Schingoethe impressed with 33 points in 62 games in his first junior season last year and looks to take another step forward this season. Scouting source Future Considerations currently has Schingoethe ranked No. 92 in their pre-draft rankings, which could very well put him in third-round range next spring, or even higher with a breakout season. NHL teams will surely put some extra stock into the fact that he is heading to Denver too, one of the top college programs in the country.
  • Not to be outdone, another elite collegiate team, Boston College, has also landed a notable commitment. 16-year-old forward Cameron MacDonald, who drew attention last season with a stunning 126 points in 52 games at the midget level, announced on Twitter that he has signed on to join the Eagles, at least in a few years. MacDonald, not to be confused with defenseman Cameron McDonald of the rival Providence College Friars, put himself on the list of early names to watch in the 2021 NHL Draft class with his performance last season. He’s taking his talents to USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede this year – and likely the year after as well – and if his offensive ability translates, he will certainly be a prospect to keep tabs on. The Nova Scotia native has the makings of a game-changing pickup for Boston College.

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

scroll to top