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East Notes: Hall, Pominville, Point

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While contract talks are ongoing with several prominent restricted free agents, it appears that talks will also soon be occurring with arguably the top pending unrestricted free agent forward.   Devils GM Ray Shero told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that he plans to sit down with winger Taylor Hall at some point during training camp to discuss a potential contract extension.  While he’s coming off a season that saw him play just 33 games due to a knee injury, he’s only a year removed from winning the Hart Trophy.  Between that and the fact that a new market record was recently set for a winger when Artemi Panarin signed for an AAV just over $11.64MM with the Rangers back in July.  Hall could certainly find himself in that range if he was to make it to the open market next summer which would represent a significant jump on his current $6MM cap hit.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Veteran winger Jason Pominville won’t be surfacing at training camp with Montreal but the door hasn’t completely closed on a return to Buffalo. GM Jason Botterill told reporters, including Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) that they continue to have discussions with the 36-year-old although he also indicated they don’t intend to bring anyone into camp on a tryout deal.  Pominville has indicated that his preference is to play somewhere which wouldn’t require uprooting his family which is why Buffalo and Montreal have been mentioned as the likeliest spots for him to play.  However, if the Sabres don’t have a spot for him, he’ll either have to reassess his options or potentially call it a career.
  • Talks between the Lightning and RFA center Brayden Point to not appear to be progressing well. Joe Smith of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that a deal between the two sides is still not close.  Point is coming off of a career year that saw him pick up 92 points in 79 games.  However, Tampa Bay has a well-defined salary structure with Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy (starting next year) at $9.5MM.  That would seemingly represent the ceiling for his earning potential on his contract.  While they don’t quite have that much cap space to work with, the Lightning could still conceivably approach the $8MM mark without having to do much in the way of cap-related roster changes.

Rangers To Assign Matt Beleskey To The Minors

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Training camp hasn’t even officially started yet and the Rangers have already made their first cut.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that New York plans to sent winger Matt Beleskey directly to training camp with AHL Hartford and will not have him at camp with the big club when it opens up later this week.

While uncommon, this type of move isn’t entirely unprecedented as Buffalo did the same with winger Matt Moulson last season.  However, the Rangers will officially have to wait for the waiver period to open up before they can make the move official.  That will occur when it gets to twelve days before the start of the season which is September 20th.

Beleskey spent the majority of last season with the Wolf Pack so the fact they intend to send him there should come as little surprise.  In 53 games at that level, he had just five goals along with 17 assists while he picked up a goal in four games with New York.  As a result, it’s quite likely that he’ll pass through unclaimed once again.

The eventual move will free up some extra cap room for the Rangers.  Teams can bury someone making up to $1.075MM in the minors without any cap penalty; any amount after that will still count on their cap.  Beleskey’s cap hit with New York is $1.9MM (Boston is also on the hook for that amount) so he will only count on their books for $825K.  With winger Brendan Lemieux and defenseman Anthony DeAngelo still sitting as restricted free agents, that extra space will go a long way towards helping to get those players under contract in the coming days and weeks.

Vancouver Canucks, Brock Boeser Still Not Close On Contract

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The Vancouver Canucks begin training camp on Friday ahead of a big season with big expectations. Their young core led by Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser is hoping to turn things around push the Canucks into a playoff spot in the Pacific Division. There’s only one thing wrong with that picture—Boeser still doesn’t have a contract. The 22-year old won’t be with the club on Friday without one, and Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet reports that the two sides are still not close to a deal, with a big salary gap even on a short-term deal.

Boeser, who has scored 59 goals through the first 140 games of his career, is absolutely paramount to the Canucks’ chances this season. Though the team has added talent like J.T. Miller, Micheal Ferland and Tyler Myers, no one can match Boeser’s pure goal-scoring ability and perfect fit with Pettersson on the top line. His 39 even-strength goals over the last two seasons puts him ahead of other wingers like Patrik Laine, Mitch Marner and Phil Kessel and he ranks 25th in the entire league for goals (of any variety) per game over that time.

The question will be how the two sides finally structure the deal to provide Boeser with the best financial opportunity. There have been reports earlier this year that had the player asking for a number somewhere in the vicinity of $7MM per season, but it would be difficult for the Canucks to fit that in at the moment given their other cap commitments—this is where Roberto Luongo’s recapture penalty is really squeezing GM Jim Benning and the rest of the front office. A comparable player in Timo Meier signed at the beginning of the summer for $24MM over four years, but loaded $10MM of that in salary at the end so that his qualifying offer would be that high in his final year of restricted free agency. The Canucks may not want to do something like that and provide a roadmap for Boeser to get to UFA status so easily, but obviously there is a substantial gap still on shorter-term deals.

It is important to note that unlike other restricted free agents that have played three full seasons on their entry-level contracts, Boeser is not eligible for an offer sheet thanks to making his NHL debut at the end of the 2016-17 season after coming out of college. He only has two options at this point, hold out or sign a deal with the team, since he’s also not arbitration eligible. Boeser must sign before December 1st in order to be eligible to play at all this year.

Latest On Justin Faulk Trade Talks

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Though several reports have come out that there is trade on the table between the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes revolving around Justin Faulk, the deal still hasn’t been finalized thanks to a no-trade clause and extension talks. An extension hasn’t yet been reached, the Hurricanes defender can block a deal to Anaheim if he chooses, and according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic other teams have now increased their interest in trying and add the offensive-minded Faulk. Those teams include ones that would not require Faulk to waive his 15-team no-trade clause, though LeBrun doesn’t give any indication of who they may be.

With training camp just a few days from opening up across the league, Faulk has become the most talked about non-RFA around. His services would certainly help a number of teams in the league, but currently exists as a pure rental that is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet believes that Faulk would be targeting $6.5-7MM per season on any extension, though he also wrote earlier today that the Ducks “appear willing to make the move without any long-term security at this time.”

At just 27-years old, Faulk represents the kind of player who would normally be extremely coveted on the open market. If he were an unrestricted free agent today, you can bet a number of teams would be knocking on his door trying to bring him in on a long-term deal, which makes the interest in him on the trade market understandable. If a team can acquire him for a reasonable cost a year early and extend him to a contract they believe he’s worth, they don’t have to fight the entire market next summer. That reasonable cost is the biggest question however, as there have been reports that Ondrej Kase would be involved in the deal should the Ducks get it done.

If that’s the kind of asset the Hurricanes would receive, it makes a lot of sense for them to move on from the puck-moving defenseman. Carolina recently added Jake Gardiner who, while being the other handedness, carries a lot of similarities to Faulk in regards to playstyle. They also have one of the deepest defensive units in the league, and could probably remove two names given that Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean look ready to take on increased minutes.

The Hurricanes also have to shed some salary before the season starts, though that could be accomplished in other ways if necessary. The team currently sits at just over $83MM in projected salaries for the 2019-20 season, though that takes 24 players into account, more than you can carry at any one time.

Snapshots: Malkin, Kase, Fiala

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Evgeni Malkin has been the target of trade rumors for years now, but after they perked up again following a disappointing 2018-19 season he’s hoping to put them behind him. In an incredible piece that delves into Malkin’s home life and the relationship he has had with teammates (including a spotlight on Phil Kessel) and coaches, Rob Rossi of The Athletic (subscription required) also got an idea of what the big Pittsburgh Penguins forward hopes his future holds:

It’s (a) huge next three years. I still want to play 100 percent — and sign (for) three more years with Pittsburgh.

Malkin’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2022, when he will be 35 (turning 36). That would mean another contract would be of the 35+ variety, adding some risk for the Penguins should Malkin decide to retire at any point during it. While that’s a long way away, you can bet GM Jim Rutherford has already contemplated his actions down the road in regards to the franchise icon.

  • With a Justin Faulk trade still being discussed between the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes, Sara Civian of The Athletic confirms previous reports that Ondrej Kase would be involved. That news has surprised some other teams around the league according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who reports that Kase was unavailable in trade talks for a long time and suggests his new availability may be linked to health concerns. Kase has never played a full 82-game season in the NHL and actually has just 149 games to his name at this point in his career. Still, the 23-year old forward has shown an ability to score goals at a strong rate and could be a nice addition for the Hurricanes.
  • Kevin Fiala remains unsigned, but Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin hopes his talented young forward is in town for training camp when it starts in a few days. Guerin told The Athletic (subscription required) that the team has made a “fair offer” to Fiala and that the 23-year old is now deciding. Fiala came to the Wild from the Nashville Predators last season and put up seven points in 19 games down the stretch, but has shown flashes of top-line offensive potential in the past and could be a huge part of the turnaround in Minnesota.

Latest On Ivan Provorov

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1:25pm: Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the two sides had been working on a six-year deal, but that things may have changed since Werenski’s signing. He adds that Provorov will not sign the same three-year, $15MM contract and noted in response to a reader that a six-year at $7MM per season “may get it done.”

9:35am: After Columbus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Zach Werenski agreed to a three-year bridge deal in order to get a new deal signed before training camp started, heads turned to Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins and Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers to see who would be next. Both young defensemen are in similar situations to Werenski, looking for big raises after solid starts to their careers. For Provorov at least, it seems to have moved things along. His agent Todd Diamond spoke to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet today and reported that they and the Flyers were closer yesterday on a contract than they had been for weeks, and that things are starting to move in the right direction.

Provorov, 22, was taken just ahead of Werenski in the 2015 draft and has played all 246 games for the Flyers over the last three seasons. The former Brandon Wheat Kings superstar took almost no time at all to adjust to the speed of the NHL, recording 30 points and playing 22 minutes a night as a rookie. That ice time has only increased, to the point where Provorov was averaging more than 25 minutes a night in 2018-19, putting him sixth in the league in that category. Unfortunately his offense took a step backwards last season and the left-handed defenseman recorded just 26 points including just two on the powerplay. Granted, Shayne Gostisbehere is the lead dog when the Flyers have a man-advantage, but if Provorov is ever to become that Norris-caliber defenseman that some believed he could be, he’ll need to create more offense in one way or another.

Still, there’s no doubt that he is one of the most important players on the Flyers roster. Depending on term, he very well could become the highest-paid defenseman on the team, eclipsing Matt Niskanen’s $5.75MM cap hit. Whether he follows Werenski down the path of a bridge deal is unclear, but that would at least give the two sides more time to negotiate a long-term deal down the road.

If a bridge deal does come out for Provorov, it will be important to note his salary in the final season. That will determine the qualifying offer that follows the deal, which could—like Werenski—walk him right into unrestricted free agency. Provorov is currently scheduled to reach UFA status in the summer of 2023.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

New Jersey Devils Sign Pavel Zacha

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After flirting with the KHL recently, Pavel Zacha has decided to stick around in the NHL. The New Jersey Devils have signed the young restricted free agent to a three-year deal that carries an average annual value of $2.25MM. GM Ray Shero released this statement on the signing:

We are happy to have finalized this three-year agreement as Pavel is an important part of our team. He has established himself as someone who can play in any situation and we are looking forward to his continued growth as a player.

Zacha will still be a restricted free agent when the deal expires, but will be arbitration-eligible. The full breakdown of the deal is as follows:

  • 2019-20: $1.75MM
  • 2020-21: $2.0MM
  • 2021-22: $3.0MM

Once again it is important to note the back-loaded nature of an RFA contract, meaning the Devils will be forced to issue a $3MM qualifying offer in order to keep Zacha’s rights at the end of the deal. At that point he would be just one year from unrestricted free agency, meaning he could essentially turn this into a four-year, $9.75MM deal and walk himself right onto the open market if he chooses. Still, getting it done now will allow Zacha to have a full training camp to try and finally become a bigger part of the New Jersey offense.

Though the cap hit is still relatively low compared to some of the other free agent numbers being thrown around, it seems in this case as if Zacha’s KHL threat may have actually resulted in a stronger offer from the Devils. In 201 NHL games the 22-year old has just 29 goals and 76 points, unable to register more than 13 goals in any of his three full seasons. In contrast, Anthony Beauvillier, a player selected 22 spots after Zacha in the 2015 draft, has scored at a much higher pace (48 goals in 218 games) and recently agreed to a two-year deal worth just $2.1MM per season. Obviously buying out the third year is what bumped up the AAV in Zacha’s case, but the fact that he was able to secure it with such little production may have something to do with his (apparent) willingness to play overseas.

There’s no getting around it, Zacha has been a disappointment to this point in his career. Selected ahead of some of the most productive young players in the league, he’ll continually be compared to names like Timo Meier (selected 9th), Mikko Rantanen (10th), Mathew Barzal (16th) and Kyle Connor (17th). While his draft pedigree shouldn’t matter at this point and the comparisons aren’t exactly fair, the Devils have to hope they can coax more offense out of him while still developing Zacha into the strong defensive center he showed at times last season. Now that Jack Hughes is in town to pair with Nico Hischier in the top two pivot spots, Zacha has a chance to be a difference-maker on the third line if he can just take a few steps forward in his development.

Minor Transactions: 09/10/19

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Training camp is upon us, as rookie tournaments are underway and veterans are arriving back in town for informal workouts. In no time, teams will be back on the ice. Yet, many NHL clubs still have work to do, with prominent restricted and unrestricted free agents still without contracts. 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:

  • The Buffalo Sabres have announced several transactions following the prospect challenge, including sending Lukas Rousek and Matthew Welsh back to their respective teams. Notably, Brett Murray has been assigned to the Rochester Americans training camp as he continues to work towards the next step in his hockey career. Murray, a fourth-round pick of the Sabres in 2016, spent parts of two seasons with Penn State University before leaving to play for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL last season. He led the entire league in goals with 41 and at 21-years old could join the Americans to start his pro career.
  • Former Northern Michigan standout Jordan Klimek has been acquired by the South Carolina Stingrays after spending his rookie season with the Maine Mariners. Klimek, a 24-year old defenseman put up 18 points in 66 games for the Mariners last season.

KHL To Implement Salary Cap Floor

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The KHL’s Board of Governors was busy this weekend, discussing and ultimately deciding on a number of major issues. The league approved the use of “smart puck” tracking technology, distributed television revenue to each team, and formally open up investigations into both a new playoff format as well as rules pertaining to player loans. However, the biggest decision came in regard to a touchy subject in the KHL: competitive balance. The league has officially announced that they will introduce a salary cap floor, beginning in the 2020-21 season.

A group consisting of representatives from all 21 NHL teams received a majority vote to implement a salary cap floor, which should act to combat the KHL’s problem with powerhouse clubs. The league already has a salary cap structure with an upper limit of 900MM rubles, or about $14MM, but few teams have the funds to build their rosters right up against the cap. Without any floor to speak of, the cap only marginally assisted with competitive balance, as many teams who felt overwhelmed by the talent of teams like CSKA Moscow, SKA St. Petersburg, and Ak Bars Kazan would instead field low-money rosters in an attempt to maximize their profits in what they felt would be an inevitable losing season.

From now on, that will no longer be an option. The top teams will continue to spend to the cap, but the rest of the league will now have to build more competitive rosters. In it’s first season, the salary cap floor will be set at 30% of the cap ceiling, or 270MM rubles. This is only about $4MM, but is just the first step toward a more balanced KHL. Over the following three years, the floor will move to 35%, 45%, and finally 50% in 2023-24 and beyond. Team that fail to reach the salary cap floor will be punished with financial penalties the first two times they fall below the minimum team salary and upon the third instance will receive a postseason ban.

As it relates to the NHL, a salary cap floor in the KHL will mean there is more money to go around in the competitor league. The financial status of the KHL still pales in comparison to the NHL, but a required minimum payroll for 21 KHL teams (and counting) is sure to produce more scenarios where a jump to Europe is more appealing than a two-way contract. It could also encourage homegrown Russian players to stay in the KHL longer, as the pay discrepancy may not be as large. At the end of the day, the KHL salary floor won’t have a substantial immediate impact on the NHL’s flow of talent beyond a few specific situations, but if it succeeds in improving the competitive balance in the KHL, the league’s popularity could increase which would be felt across the hockey world.

Minor Transactions: 09/09/19

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Training camp is upon us, as rookie tournaments are underway and veterans are arriving back in town for informal workouts. In no time, teams will be back on the ice. Yet, many NHL clubs still have work to do, with prominent restricted and unrestricted free agents still without contracts. 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:

  • P.K. Subban is one of the NHL’s brightest stars and Malcolm Subban continues to fight for recognition as an NHL backup. Little brother Jordan Subban has not had the same luck in his pro career. The 24-year-old defenseman played on an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies last season after the Vancouver Canucks declined to extend him a qualifying offer last season. After a so-so season in the minors, the NHL interest was again missing this summer and now Subban has opted to take his talents overseas. Dornbirner EC of the Austrian EBEL has announced a one-year deal with the young defender. Subban stands a good chance of being the best player on his new team, but even a dominant season in Austria won’t be enough to convince NHL teams that the 2013 fourth-round pick is any more than a famous last name. Subban is just beginning a long road back to relevance.
  • Tobias Lindberg is another former NHL prospect having a hard time in his professional development. A fellow 2013 fourth-rounder, the 24-year-old forward is most well known for having been traded five times since February 2016. Unlike Subban, he’s also seen NHL action, skating in six games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015-16. However, since then he has been relegated to an AHL role and has not been overly productive. Lindberg recorded just 16 points in 61 total games split between three teams last season. Looking to restore his value and find a consistent place to play, Lindberg was expected to skate with IK Oskarshamn of the SHL this upcoming season. However, things went from bad to worse for the struggling prospect today, as the team announced that his contract had been terminated. While the press release was meant to make it seem like an amicable breakup, the club stated that Lindberg did not show the potential that they had hoped for and he, in turn, did not feel he could get the ice time he needed in Oskarshamn. It’s unclear now where Lindberg goes from here in his pursuit of a fresh start.

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