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2020 Arbitration Tracker

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Originally published on Oct 13

The dates for the upcoming arbitration hearings have been set, with the first three being held on October 20. Hearings will continue through November 8. It is important to remember that this offseason, once a hearing begins, teams are no longer allowed to negotiate with the player in question while the arbitrator deliberates.

The full schedule is:

October 20

Andrew Mangiapane – Settled, 2 years $2.43MM AAV
Anthony DeAngelo – Settled, 2 years $4.8MM AAV
Matt Grzelcyk – Settled, 4 years, $3.69MM AAV

October 21

Ilya Mikheyev – Settled, 2 years $1.65MM AAV

October 22

Connor Brown – Settled, 3 years, $3.6MM AAV

October 25

Tyler Bertuzzi – Player filing: $4.25MM – Team filing: $3.15MM – Awarded: $3.5MM

October 26

Linus Ullmark – Settled, 1 year, $2.6MM AAV

October 27

Sam Reinhart – Settled, 1 year, $5.2MM AAV

October 28

Jake Virtanen* – Settled, 2 years, $2.55MM AAV

October 30

Joshua Ho-Sang – Settled, 1 year, $700K AAV (two-way)

October 31

Devon Toews – Settled, 4 years, $4.1MM AAV
Alexandar Georgiev – Settled, 2 years, $2.43MM AAV

November 1

Nick Paul – Settled, 2 years, $1.35MM AAV

November 2

Gustav Forsling  – Settled, 1 year, $700K AAV (two-way)

November 4

Victor Olofsson – Settled, 2 years, $3.05MM AAV
Warren Foegele – Settled, 1 year, $2.14MM AAV

November 5

Ryan Strome – Player filing: $5.7MM, Team Filing: 3.6MM – Settled: 2 years, $4.5MM AAV

November 6

Brendan Lemieux – Player filing: $2MM, Team Filing: 2 years, $1.0125MM AAV – Settled: 2 years, $1.55MM AAV
Ryan Pulock – Settled, 2 years, $5.0MM AAV

November 7

Christian Jaros – Settled, 1 year, $750K (two-way)

November 8

Chris Tierney – Settled, 2 years, $3.5MM AAV
MacKenzie Weegar – Settled, 3 years $3.25MM AAV
Haydn Fleury – Settled, 2 years, $1.3MM AAV

*Virtanen was not included in the NHLPA’s announcement, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports he will have a hearing on the 28th. 

MacKenzie Weegar Signs With Florida Panthers

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The arbitration process for 2020 is now over as MacKenzie Weegar, the final player with a hearing scheduled for this weekend has signed a new contract with the Florida Panthers. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Weegar will sign a three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.25MM. The full breakdown is as follows:

  • 2020-21: $2.0MM
  • 2021-22: $3.0MM
  • 2022-23: $4.75MM

Weegar was scheduled for a hearing on Sunday, the final day of arbitration, and would have had to exchange filings with the team today. That hearing will obviously no longer be necessary.

The 26-year-old has turned into one of the more underrated defensive defensemen in the league over the last few seasons, spending a good amount of his ice time alongside Aaron Ekblad in Florida. Though he doesn’t give you much offensively—Weegar has just 41 points in 172 career games—Weegar has consistently posted strong possession numbers and is a staple on the penalty kill.

Standing just 6’0″ and without exceptional speed, Weegar does a little bit of everything on the ice. He’ll hit when needed, but will never lead the league in that category and isn’t going to blind you with any 100-foot stretch passes. But he can quietly shut down rushes with strong position and an active stick, making life easier on his partner.

That might be why so many teams were linked to him this offseason as a potential trade candidate. Now that he has a contract, perhaps that talk will resume (teams rarely like to trade for a player with an arbitration case on the schedule) but if not, he’ll slot in behind Ekblad, Keith Yandle, and Anton Stralman as a rock-solid fourth option in Florida.

Brendan Lemieux Avoids Arbitration

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The New York Rangers won’t need their arbitration hearing for Brendan Lemieux, as the two sides have come to a new agreement. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Rangers have signed Lemieux to a two-year contract that carries an average annual value of $1.55MM. The young forward’s hearing had been scheduled for today, with Lemieux filing for $2MM and the Rangers looking for a two-year contract with an AAV just over 1.01MM. This falls almost right in the middle, where arbitration likely would have landed anyway.

Lemieux, 24, scored 18 points in 59 games last season but was among the league leaders in penalty minutes, racking up 111 of them as an in-your-face pest every night. He won’t play a scoring role with the Rangers but doesn’t kill you at even strength and provides some bite to the bottom of the lineup.

With the new contract signed, the Rangers now have about $4.8MM in cap space and all of their players locked up. If they want to spend a little on free agency they have that ability, though with some big extensions coming up in the next few years it may be wise to only take on short-term money.

Speaking of money, the Rangers will now receive a second buyout window on Sunday where they could potentially free up even more cash. Brendan Smith is really the only candidate left, though at this point it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. A buyout would only save them a little more than $1.5MM in cap space this season, not a lot more than they would get by burying Smith in the minor leagues again. Taking on the buyout penalty in 2021-22 that would come along doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Instead, the Rangers may just look ahead with their roster set and next season representing a new chance. Loaded with young talent all over the roster, New York should be considered a playoff contender.

Alex Ovechkin Discusses His Playing Future

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Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin still has several playing years left in him but the veteran is already thinking about the end of his playing career, one that doesn’t end in a Washington uniform.  In an interview with RTVI’s Tina Kandelaki, Ovechkin stated that he sees himself winding up his career back home with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL, a team he suited up with before coming to the NHL while he also spent some time with them during the lockout before the 2012-13 season got underway.

Having said that, Washington fans shouldn’t be worrying that their franchise player will soon be leaving.  In a follow-up question, he stated that he only wants to play for two teams in his career, Dynamo back home and with the Capitals in the NHL.  The 35-year-old didn’t specify how long he sees himself staying in North America, theorizing it could be as long as five more years or as little as two.

Regardless of how long his next deal may be, Ovechkin basically publicly committing to another contract with Washington is the key takeaway here.  He’s entering the final year of his 13-year, $124MM deal and acting as his own agent in negotiations by choosing to negotiate directly with GM Brian MacLellan but it’s clear he doesn’t have any plans to hit the open market.

The future first-ballot Hall of Famer sits eighth all-time with 706 goals and while he’s still 190 short of Wayne Gretzky’s record, he still should be a top goal-scorer for a while yet should he choose to stick around in the NHL for a medium-term deal.  It’s quite possible that the length of his next contract will ultimately determine whether or not he gets that top spot.

Even with the pandemic levelling out the salary cap for the foreseeable future, there’s a good chance that Ovechkin’s AAV on his next contract will come in close to the $9.538MM mark on his current contract.  It will be subject to 35-plus restrictions (unless the deal is uniform in salary each year, a new wrinkle in the CBA) which makes it less likely that a cheaper year or two is added on to try to lower the cap hit.  At any rate, while Ovechkin’s heart may be set on finishing his playing career back home, his time with the Capitals isn’t ending anytime soon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Dumba, Reinhart, Hickey

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Earlier this offseason, it seemed quite possible that Wild defenseman Mathew Dumba would be on the move.  They had signed Jonas Brodin to a long-term extension and with Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon already locked up on long-term deals themselves and Seattle’s expansion draft looming, Dumba seemed to be the odd one out.  So much so, in fact, that Minnesota was shopping him back in September.

However, as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (subscription link), a move isn’t likely to materialize now.  He notes that talks have cooled down and teams simply aren’t willing to part with the impact center that it would require to make GM Bill Guerin pull the trigger on a trade.  Many teams being capped out doesn’t help either.

There may come a time where Dumba is eventually moved (expansion could eventually force their hand) but it doesn’t appear as if it will be now.  Instead, it looks as if the 26-year-old will get an opportunity to rebuild some trade value after a quiet year with the Wild, one that saw him put up 24 points in 69 games, well below the point-per-game output from his previous two years.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Although Sabres forward Sam Reinhart wound up signing a one-year deal last month, he told Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that he is still hopeful to remain with Buffalo on a long-term contract down the road. Reinhart’s new pact will once again have him eligible for restricted free agency next offseason but at that time, he’ll only be a year away from UFA eligibility and could simply elect arbitration, take the award, and get to the open market.  That doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the time being at least.
  • The Hurricanes have added some AHL depth as their AHL affiliate in Chicago announced the signing of defenseman Brandon Hickey to a minor league deal. The 24-year-old spent the past two years in Buffalo’s system following his acquisition from Arizona but was non-tendered by the Sabres last month after playing in just 23 games last season.

Predators Loan Connor Ingram To Allsvenskan

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Nashville has found a place for goaltending prospect Connor Ingram to play while waiting for training camps in North America to begin.  IK Bjorkloven of the Allsvenskan in Sweden announced that they’ve reached a loan agreement with the Predators that is valid for the entire 2020-21 season but that the Preds have the right to recall him at any time.

The 23-year-old was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the third round back in 2016 but was dealt to the Predators back in 2019 for a 2021 seventh-round pick to give him a change of scenery.  It certainly made a difference.  Last season, Ingram played in 33 games with AHL Milwaukee, posting a .933 SV% along with a 1.93 GAA, numbers that were the third-best in the league among qualifying goalies.

That was enough for Nashville to hand Ingram a three-year extension back in March, one that converts to a one-way deal in its final season.  It’s possible that he’s up with them before then, however, as both Pekka Rinne (UFA) and Juuse Saros (RFA) are in the final year of their respective deals.  With that in mind, Ingram is almost certain to start next season back with the Admirals but he’ll be first in line to be recalled if injuries strike regardless of how he performs on this loan agreement.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Dominik Kahun

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Nov 5: The Oilers have officially announced the contract for Kahun, which will be for one year and worth $975K, as Friedman reported. With that deal in the books, Kahun has now been loaned to the DEL until the start of the NHL season. The Czech-born forward group up and developed in Germany, winning the DEL Championship three times before originally signing with the Blackhawks.

Nov 1: It has been a busy offseason for Edmonton with the additions of Tyson Barrie and Kyle Turris plus the return of Jesse Puljujarvi but it appears they’re not done yet.  Jiri Poner, the agent for forward Dominik Kahun, told Michael Bauer of Eishockey News in Germany, that his client has signed a one-year deal with the Oilers.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the deal will be worth $975K.

Kahun was surprisingly non-tendered by Buffalo last month as the Sabres were looking to avoid salary arbitration with him but that shouldn’t be mistaken for them not wanting to keep him. Poner indicated that Buffalo was the other team showing considerable interest in Kahun’s services but that they’ve opted to go in a different direction.

The 25-year-old only has two NHL seasons under his belt but both have been productive.  He had 37 points in 82 games in his rookie season with Chicago before being moved to Pittsburgh as part of the Olli Maatta trade last summer.  He was producing at a better pace with the Penguins but they opted to move him to pick up Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues at the trade deadline and Kahun fared well with his new team, picking up two goals and two assists in six games before the pandemic hit.  Between the two spots, he had 12 goals and 19 helpers in 56 games and as a result of not being qualified, he was one of the more productive players to hit the open market.

Assuming the deal occurs, Kahun will be reunited with fellow countryman Leon Draisaitl.  The two played together in Mannheim’s junior system before coming to North America to play in the CHL; Draisaitl played in Prince Albert (WHL) while Kahun went to Sudbury (OHL).

Notably, while they added him on the open market, Edmonton will be able to retain Kahun’s rights as a restricted free agent next offseason if they so desire although he will be arbitration-eligible once again.  The minimum age for outright UFA eligibility is 27 and Kahun won’t be able to get there or have the required seven years of experience to become unrestricted in 2021.

The Oilers have just over $730K in cap space, per CapFriendly, though that number would go up a bit as Kahun’s presence would force someone else off the roster so they’ll still be in compliance after completing the signing.  They do have to re-sign RFA defenseman Ethan Bear as well but they will eventually have some extra flexibility on the cap with Oscar Klefbom expected to start next season on LTIR and they’ll need to dip into that to get his deal done.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Jacob Perreault

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed one of their 2020 draft picks, inking Jacob Perreault to his three-year entry-level contract. Perreault was selected 27th overall and plays for the Sarnia Sting of the OHL.

The son of longtime NHL forward Yanic Perreault, the 18-year-old winger is a completely different player than his father. Lining up almost exclusively at right wing, Jacob Perreault is a legitimate sniper who can score in a variety of different ways, including loading up his lethal wrist shot from the top of the circle. In his first two seasons of OHL hockey, he recorded 69 goals in 120 games.

He was the second first-round pick the Ducks had this season and will join an impressive group of forward prospects in the system. While the NHL team still includes quite a bit of veteran salary, there are better times ahead for Anaheim if even a handful of these high draft picks work out.

Of course, with any prospect these days, the question will be raised about where Perreault will play. The OHL is hoping for a February start but has had questions around the idea of playing without body checking, while Perreault is too young to play in the AHL. Under contract now, he could potentially be loaned overseas, though it would be much more difficult for the Ducks to have a say in his development.

Poll: Which 35+ Player Would You Sign?

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In today’s NHL, by the time a player reaches the age of 35, many consider his career to be over. ’He’s too slow,’ is usually the critique, given how fast the game has gotten over the last few decades. Even players that were once considered strong skaters are being passed by young phenoms, able to carve up the ice. But for some, that isn’t the case. The rare player is still effective into his mid and late-thirties, able to compensate for the declining footspeed with experience and awareness.

Joe Thornton, currently the oldest active player under contract in the NHL, recently signed a new deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs at age-40. He’s just a few months the senior his longtime teammate Patrick Marleau, who also just inked a new deal, this time to return to the San Jose Sharks. Henrik Lundqvist is the oldest goaltender in the league, though he’s only a few weeks older than Mike Smith.

For a long time now, Zdeno Chara has held the title of the oldest in the league. But the 43-year-old defenseman has still yet to sign a contract for the upcoming season. Perhaps after more than twenty years in the league, he’s prepared to hang up his skates, but you certainly can’t rule him out at this point. He’s still an effective penalty killer and can add instant leadership and experience to any locker room.

But beyond Chara, there exist some interesting older players on the open market.

Ron Hainsey, for instance, is coming off a season in which he logged nearly 21 minutes a night for the Ottawa Senators. The 39-year-old defenseman actually led the team in +/- and even recorded 12 points in 64 games, despite heavy defensive deployment. Hainsey averaged more than three minutes of short-handed ice time, but was actually quite an effective penalty killer.

Then there is Andy Greene, a longtime member of the New Jersey Devils who actually served as captain for five seasons. Not only did he earn $5MM on the last year of his deal, but he also netted the Devils a second-round pick at the deadline when he was acquired by the New York Islanders. Greene actually scored at a better point-per-game pace than Chara and is another respected leader.

Then there are the forwards. The whole league just watched Corey Perry go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final with the Dallas Stars, looking rejuvenated and as feisty as ever. Perry scored as many goals (5) in the postseason as he did in the regular season, but could still be a valuable fourth-line addition for a team that wants that bite for the playoffs.

Brian Boyle is also player that has plenty of playoff experience and can add a bit of physical presence. He’ll turn 36 in December but still scored 15 points in 39 games for the Florida Panthers this season, an 82-game pace that puts him over 30. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of production, especially when it comes along with a 6’6″ frame that is one of the most imposing in all of professional hockey.

Not to be forgotten of course is Ilya Kovalchuk, the enigmatic winger that is likely headed for the Hall of Fame one day. He could reach the 1,000 regular season game threshold if he plays in the NHL in 2020-21, and will likely break 900 career points as well. Kovalchuk is certainly not playoff-tested and has seemingly disappeared at times throughout his career, but that short stint in Montreal this season—when he scored 13 points in 22 games and looked re-energized—may excite a front office even as he approaches his 38th birthday next spring.

Who would you sign? All of these players would be eligible for bonus-laden deals, if they agree to a one-year contract. Could they still play a role on your NHL team? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain your thoughts in the comments.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Vladislav Gavrikov

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have inked one of their two key restricted free agents, signing Vladislav Gavrikov to a three-year contract worth a total of $8.4MM ($2.8MM AAV). Gavrikov was an RFA but did not have arbitration rights and could not be signed to an offer sheet. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen released this statement on the deal:

Vladimir Gavrikov was everything we hoped he would be during his rookie season last year, establishing himself as a top four defenseman in the National Hockey League. He is still a young player that we expect will get better every year and continue to be an important part of our blueline.

A sixth-round pick from 2015, Gavrikov took his time before finally coming over to North America in 2019, but when he did he was an instant success. The 24-year-old defenseman has quickly become a top option for the Blue Jackets, scoring 18 points in 69 games this season while logging 19 minutes a night. Now that the team has moved on from Ryan Murray those should increase even further, but he’ll still be at a very reasonable price tag.

Gavrikov had little leverage in negotiations with the Blue Jackets, other than perhaps threatening to return to the KHL. Notably, the three-year term that he worked out will take him directly to unrestricted free agency at age-27, the best chance for him to maximize his value at this point.

For Columbus though, the third year is incredibly important. In the summer of 2022, they will need to work out new contracts for both Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, with the former actually being scheduled for unrestricted free agency. Having Gavrikov locked in for just $2.8MM when extensions kick in for both of their top defensemen will be key in keeping their financial situation in order.

It also will give them some security if David Savard, currently their trusty third option, leaves as a UFA after this upcoming season. Savard, 30, will carry a $4.25MM cap hit this year but should command a raise on the open market after so many years of steady play.

Now, the Blue Jackets can focus all of their attention on Pierre-Luc Dubois, the final RFA to sign and arguably their most important forward. Dubois will command a huge raise, but Kekalainen has been clear that he will not rush into a deal that doesn’t make sense for his team. Dubois could potentially sign an offer sheet, but with such little cap space left around the league that seems extremely unlikely at this point.

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