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Archives for December 2020

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Alexander Volkov, Mathieu Joseph

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The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to wrap up negotiations with their restricted free agents, this time signing Alexander Volkov to a one-year, one-way contract according to his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the deal is worth $700K. The team has also announced a two-year, one-way contract for Mathieu Joseph which will carry an average annual value of $737,500.

Volkov, 23, is a very interesting player to watch this season in Tampa Bay, given how tight they are to the cap and how inexpensive he now will be. Selected 48th overall in 2017 he has done nothing but dominate at the minor league level, scoring 55 goals and 123 points in 195 games with the Syracuse Crunch since debuting in 2017. In 2019-20 he played nine games with the Lightning, scoring just a single point but flashing the same interesting mix of speed and skill that makes him dangerous in the minor leagues.

If you want to know how highly Volkov is regarded by the Lightning coaching staff and front office, remember that he dressed in a single playoff game this summer. That happened to be game six of the Stanley Cup Final, when Tampa Bay clinched a series win over the Dallas Stars to become champions.

Joseph meanwhile, who is also 23, actually already has 107 games under his belt with the Lightning and will get a chance to add to that total this season. The fourth-round pick from 2015 has a well-rounded game that can play up or down the lineup and he proved he could contribute offensively when given the chance in 2018-19. Joseph scored 13 goals and 26 points in 70 games with the Lightning that season, despite averaging just over 11 minutes a night. Though his offensive numbers dropped to just seven points in 37 games this year, he is still a valuable depth piece that the team now has locked up at a bargain price.

The Lightning may have cap problems that they need to sort out, but players like Volkov and Joseph represent exactly why they are such a tough organization to beat. They’ve built arguably the strongest player development pipeline in the entire league, which continues to churn out NHL-level talents each year out of mid-round picks or trade throw-ins. Even if they have to move on from some of their more high profile talents, they have the depth to fill out the roster internally (while also being an appealing destination for free agents).

Mackenzie Blackwood Re-Signs With New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils have signed restricted free agent goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to a new three-year contract. The deal will pay the young netminder $1.475MM in 2020-21, $2.8MM in 2021-22 and $4.125MM in 2022-23 for an average annual value of $2.8MM. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald explained just what Blackwood means to the organization:

Mackenzie is going to be one of the key young, core pieces for this organization for a long time and we are excited and extremely happy to have him under contract. He’s obviously shown that he can be a number one goalie, and the sky’s the limit for him.

The sky is the limit indeed. The 24-year-old Blackwood was selected 42nd overall in 2015 and has slowly but surely worked his way up the ladder to become a starting goaltender in the NHL. In 2018-19 he appeared in 23 games for the Devils, posting a .918 save percentage and going 10-10 on a dreadful team. Last season the Devils still struggled, but Blackwood was a bright light in the darkness, posting a .915 and a 22-14-8 record. Remember that New Jersey went 28-29-12 overall, meaning the team won only six games all year without Blackwood in the crease.

That kind of reliance might not be necessary this season as the Devils brought in Corey Crawford to serve as a tandem option during a shortened season. The 35-year-old Crawford is still an effective netminder and can help take some of the pressure off Blackwood this year, while still serving as a capable backup in a regular 82-game 2021-22 season.

New Jersey will be spending quite a bit on goaltending, even if it pales in comparison to places like Montreal and Florida who have spent big in recent years. Not only will Crawford carry a $3.9MM hit and Blackwood this $2.8MM, but the Devils will also still owe $2MM to Cory Schneider in each of the next four seasons after his October buyout.

At any rate, this is Blackwood’s net to take for the next decade if he wants it. The Devils are trying to build the organization back up to compete with the other Metropolitan powerhouses, who each seem to have their own young goaltending star, and will need the Thunder Bay native to be a big part.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Colorado Avalanche

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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 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Colorado Avalanche

Current Cap Hit: $79,676,386 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Cale Makar (one year, $880K)

Potential Bonuses
Makar: $2.5MM

Makar’s rookie season was nothing short of dominant as he took home the Calder Trophy for the top rookie while finishing in the top-10 of Norris voting for the top defenseman in the league.  He finished second on the team in scoring and logged over 21 minutes a night.  Better still, he played even better in the playoffs.  He looks like a franchise blueliner already and is going to command a substantial raise next offseason, even without arbitration eligibility.  The fact they burned a year of his entry-level deal in the 2019 playoffs might help keep the AAV down slightly (he’ll have less than two full seasons of games under his belt) but if his sophomore campaign is anything like 2019-20, that shouldn’t make much of a difference.  Makar may not get the top cap hit of $9.25MM but he should come fairly close to that mark.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($1.8MM, UFA)
F Matt Calvert ($2.85MM, UFA)
D Ian Cole ($4.25MM, UFA)
G Philipp Grubauer ($3.33MM, UFA)
F Tyson Jost ($874K, RFA)
F Gabriel Landeskog ($5.571MM, UFA)
F Brandon Saad* ($5MM, UFA)

*- Chicago is paying an additional $1MM on Saad’s contract.

Landeskog hasn’t been able to get to the lofty offensive levels of his linemates but the captain has nonetheless been an integral part of their forward group for the last nine years.  He’s only 28 and should be able to get close to a max-term deal on the open market if he gets that far.  Even with the UFA market being unkind to most wingers this year, Landeskog should be able to buck that trend and pick up a million or so on his AAV on his next contract.  That may not be doable for Saad, however.  His second go-around with Chicago was not as productive as his first and he is viewed as more of a middle-six player than a top liner.  The latter are still going to get paid but the former will feel the squeeze so he has a lot at stake with his new team this season to restore some value.  Calvert and Bellemare are useful role players but with the cap staying flat, they are in spots that will need to be replaced by cheaper options in Colorado and with other teams feeling the crunch as well, both will almost certainly have to take a less-expensive deal next summer.  Jost accepted his qualifying offer after three relatively quiet seasons.  He’s too young to write off but they’re expecting him to take a step forward and play his way into a bigger deal.  A repeat performance may not be enough for a non-tender but his value around the league will take another dip if he doesn’t show some offensive improvement.

Cole has been an effective veteran on the third pairing and he’ll be asked to play that role again this season.  It’s a premium price for the role but it’s one they can afford for now.  That won’t be the case next year as he’ll almost certainly be replaced by Conor Timmins or Bowen Byram, players that likely won’t see much NHL action this season but should be ready for a full-time spot in 2021-22.  Cole, meanwhile, could see his price tag cut in half if not more with teams looking to go cheaper on the third pairing.

Grubauer was brought in to be the goalie of the future but even after Semyon Varlamov left to join the Islanders, he wasn’t able to really step into that number one role.  Injuries certainly played a role in that, including in the postseason as well.  He certainly hasn’t been bad by any stretch in his two seasons with the Avs but he has yet to establish himself as a full-time starter either.  If he can do that this year, he could add a couple million to his price tag but if not, he may not be able to command much more than he’s getting now.

Two Years Remaining

F Andre Burakovsky ($4.9MM, UFA)
G Pavel Francouz ($2MM, UFA)
F Nazem Kadri ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Valeri Nichushkin ($2.5MM, UFA)

Burakovsky struggled with consistency in Washington but things certainly came together in Colorado as he had a career year offensively by a significant margin despite the pandemic cutting things short plus missing another 13 games due to injury.  The fact that he signed what amounted to another bridge contract coming off of that signifies that neither side is entirely convinced about what his offensive ceiling may be.  If he reverts back to his previous level of production, he’ll be looking at a big pay cut two years from now but continuing at that pace should have him in line for at least a small raise and perhaps more importantly, a long-term deal.  Kadri is another player that did well following his change of scenery.  While his output didn’t jump like Burakovsky’s, he had a key role on the second line and played extremely well in the playoffs.  Impact centers are always in high demand and low supply so even in a deflated marketplace, Kadri should be able to land a decent-sized raise two years from now.  Nichushkin’s return to the NHL was a successful one as he was a capable secondary scorer as the change of scenery certainly worked for him as well.  Given his relative inexperience, Colorado is certainly hoping that he can still take another step forward offensively.  If he doesn’t, it’s hard to see him getting much more than this on his next deal.

Francouz’s first full NHL season was a strong one as he actually outperformed Grubauer from a statistical standpoint (2.41 GAA, .923 SV% compared to 2.63 and .916) with a similar workload.  Things weren’t as good for him in the playoffs before injuries forced him out of the lineup as well.  His inexperience didn’t give him much leverage in talks but if he performs even close to this level for the next two years, he’ll be well-positioned for another million or more on his next contract.

Three Years Remaining

F J.T. Compher ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Joonas Donskoi ($3.9MM, UFA)
D Ryan Graves ($3.167MM, UFA)
D Erik Johnson ($6MM, UFA)
F Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3MM, UFA)

MacKinnon’s contract has turned into one of the biggest bargains in the NHL in recent years with three straight seasons of more than 90 points under his belt.  As things stand, he should be in a position to command more than $10MM per year on his next deal and considering he’ll still only be 28 at that time, he’s a near-lock for a max-term contract as well (eight years with Colorado, seven years if he goes elsewhere).  GM Joe Sakic will certainly be planning around what this deal will cost as he continues to shape his roster.  Donskoi’s contract seemed a bit pricey when he signed it although he hit a new career best in points per game last year.  Nonetheless, it’s still a bit on the high side and it wouldn’t be too surprising if he would be a player that gets dangled if they want to free up some cap flexibility over the next three years.  Compher’s offensive numbers have been relatively consistent over his three full NHL campaigns where he has produced like a third-line center.  However, the fact he can play down the middle certainly boosts his value.  He’ll need to get into the 40 or more point range to have a chance at landing a bigger deal on the open market.

Johnson’s contract held up better a few years ago than it does now.  He once was their top defender but his ice time has been reduced the last couple of seasons while staying healthy has been a challenge.  With a no-move clause and an 11-team no-trade clause, this could be a difficult deal to try to get out of, especially as their younger defenders move up the depth chart.  Graves fit in well alongside Makar, earning him a big raise after spending the previous two seasons on one-year, two-way contracts.  If he can hold down a top-four role, they’ll get a good return on this deal but given his relative inexperience, it does come with some risk as well.

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Oilers, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Put Extension Talks On Hold

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While the Oilers were believed to be making progress on a long-term extension with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the days leading up to the opening of free agency in October, those talks instead appear to have been shelved.  GM Ken Holland spoke with reporters on Monday (video link), and indicated that those discussions are on the back burner for now:

His agent Rick Valette and I had many conversations during the two weeks around free agency in October. But the marketplace has changed so much that basically our conversations have ended, and I would hope at some point once we get up and running, we can pick back up and see if we can find a solution to keep Nuge in an Oilers uniform. Certainly, that’s my goal, but the deal’s got to work for Ryan and for the Oilers.

The 27-year-old has been a mainstay in Edmonton’s lineup since they selected him with the first-overall pick back in 2011.  While he hasn’t quite lived up to the offensive expectations associated with that selection, Nugent-Hopkins has certainly been a core piece and in recent years, his production has improved as he has spent more time on the wing alongside one of Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.  Last season, he had the highest point-per-game mark of his career (0.94), notching 22 goals and 39 assists in 65 games while averaging 20:28 per night in ice time.

It’s that uptick in production that makes his deal a little trickier to finalize right now.  His current contract carries a $6MM AAV and salary.  Had he continued to hover around the 50-point mark as he had before the 2018-19 campaign, he likely would have only been in line for a small raise.  However, if his production stays at that level, the asking price is only going to go higher.  While Edmonton will have some cap flexibility next offseason (around $28MM), they still have half a roster to fill out with that money and taking a quarter of that or more for Nugent-Hopkins will certainly take a big chunk out of it.

For his part, Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t seem to be too worried about the step back in discussions, telling 630 CHED’s Reid Wilkins (audio link) that his focus now is simply on the upcoming season.

Obviously a weird, different time to be talking contracts.  Right now, I’m just focused on getting the season started. In my mind, I know it’s there, but I’m going to put it on the back burner and just really focus on getting the season going and getting started the right way.

As things stand, Nugent-Hopkins will be one of the top forwards available if he makes it to the open market next summer.  Whether it comes from Edmonton or someone else, he should be able to still land a raise, even in a UFA market that should largely resemble this one with very limited cap space to go around.

NHL Announces Critical Dates, Medical Protocols, Rule Change

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The NHL has officially released the list of critical dates for the upcoming season. Though many of these have been previously reported, they are now locked in place for the league.

December 31: Training camps open for seven non-playoff teams from 2019-20.

January 3: Training camps open for 24 playoff teams from 2019-20.

January 13: 2020-21 regular season begins.

April 12: Trade deadline (3pm ET)

May 8: Last day of regular season.

May 11: Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.

July 9: Last possible day of Stanley Cup Final.

July 17: Deadline for expansion protection lists (5pm ET).

July 21: Seattle Kraken expansion draft (8pm ET).

July 23: Round 1 of NHL Entry Draft.

July 24: Rounds 2-7 of NHL Entry Draft.

July 28: Free agent signing period begins (12pm ET)

In addition to the critical dates, the league has issued a rule change for the upcoming season. Rule 83.1, which is the off-side rule, now includes:

A player is on-side when either of his skates are in contact with the blue line, or on his own ide of the line, at the instant the puck completely crosses the leading edge of the blue line. On his own side of the line shall be defined by a “plane” of the blue line which shall extend from the leading edge of the blue line upwards. If a player’s skate has yet to break the “plane” prior to the puck crossing the leading edge, he is deemed to be on-side for the purpose of the off-side rule.

This “in the air” clarification has been speculated on for years and will likely reduce the number of challenges used by coaches.

The league has also released its transition rules and medical protocols, which include some clarification to what happens to a player if he tests positive for COVID-19. In that case, the player will be eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve.

Washington Capitals Sign Conor Sheary

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The Washington Capitals have added another former rival to the lineup, signing Conor Sheary to a one-year deal worth $735K. The former Pittsburgh Penguins forward was an unrestricted free agent.

Sheary’s 23-goal season with the Penguins in 2016-17 may seem like a long time ago, but he can still provide useful depth on a reasonable contract. The Capitals should be very familiar with him, having met three times in the playoffs in the past and watching him lift the Stanley Cup above his head twice.

There’s value in playoff experience, but it’s certainly not clear exactly where Sheary can fit into the Capitals lineup right away. The team has ten forwards making at least $1.5MM this season and penciled into the lineup, with others like Nic Dowd and Daniel Sprong both on multi-year one-way deals. Then there are the young players, like Connor McMichael who could push for a roster spot when he returns from the World Juniors.

Still, with taxi squads confirmed for the season, many teams will need to carry extra depth forwards like Sheary who don’t need any additional development and can step into a top-six role in a pinch.

Though the exact salary cap rules for the taxi squad isn’t clear, it does appear to have opened up some more flexibility for teams like the Capitals who are technically over the cap ceiling at the moment. The $82.5MM estimate that CapFriendly lists does still include Henrik Lundqvist’s $1.5MM, but even if he is removed, his replacement will still take up a good chunk of that amount.

Sheary meanwhile likely sees a contract with the Capitals as an opportunity to get his career back on track after a stumble in Buffalo. The undersized winger had 45 goals in his first 184 games with the Penguins but has scored just 24 in 141 since.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Erik Cernak, Jan Rutta

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have reached agreements with a pair of free agent defensemen, signing Erik Cernak and Jan Rutta. Cernak’s new three-year contract will carry an average annual value of $2.95MM, while Rutta’s two-year pact will come in at a $1.3MM AAV.

’How can the Lightning afford that,’ you might ask yourself, but reports have recently surfaced that the team could potentially be without Nikita Kucherov to start the year. If the superstar is forced onto long-term injured reserve, the team could potentially use his $9.5MM in cap space for replacements. The move would be complicated, especially if Kucherov returned at some point during the regular season, but could give the Lightning the flexibility needed to sign these two and the still restricted free agent Anthony Cirelli.

Cernak, 23, is another success story for the amateur scouting department, as he was acquired by the team before he ever played a professional game. Selected 43rd overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2015, Cernak was part of the surprising Ben Bishop trade in 2017 that saw the veteran netminder head across the country as Andrei Vasilevskiy took over the top job. Bishop would only end up playing in seven total games for the Kings, who still had Jonathan Quick, and would then sign with the Dallas Stars in the offseason.

The Lightning would continue Cernak’s development in the minor leagues, but it took just one AHL season for him to show he was ready for the next step. The dependable, big-bodied Slovak has played 125 regular season games over the last two seasons in Tampa Bay and was a big part of the team’s Stanley Cup run this summer. While he’ll likely never be a big point producer, he balances out the back end and allows more offensive players to take some chances.

Rutta meanwhile was never drafted, but the Lightning acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019 as part of a depth defender swap. Sending the disappointing Slater Koekkoek—who had been a tenth overall pick—the other way, Rutta became a valued member of the Lightning and has now signed two new deals with the team.

Though he only played in 33 regular season games and five playoff contests, Rutta is a perfect depth option for the Lightning that can move in and out of the lineup this season, or even spend some time on the taxi squad. Tampa Bay brought back Luke Schenn on an inexpensive contract for a similar reason, but did lose names like Kevin Shattenkirk and Zach Bogosian from their championship roster.

Make no mistake, this is a difficult puzzle for the Lightning to put together even with the Kucherov news. The team is now quite a bit over the salary cap ceiling and still has Cirelli to sign (not to mention Mathieu Joseph and Alexander Volkov).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Joe Veleno, Moritz Seider To Remain In Europe

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Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman held a conference call with reporters (video link via the Detroit Free Press) and among the major announcements was that both Joe Veleno and Moritz Seider will be staying in Sweden until the end of the SHL season instead of returning for training camp. Filip Zadina, Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom, and Mathias Brome, who are all also out on loan, will be brought back.

Veleno, 20, is playing for Malmo in the SHL where he has 11 points in 21 games so far. The 30th overall selection in 2018 had an up-and-down AHL debut last year when he scored 23 points in 54 games, but still has a very high ceiling as a two-way center that could be a staple in the Red Wings lineup for years to come. Leaving him in Europe certainly would suggest that the Red Wings believe he has more developing to do before really pushing for an NHL roster spot, though Yzerman did note there are still so many questions about what the AHL season will look like this season.

Seider meanwhile is still just 19 but is looking right at home at the SHL level. Playing with Rogle, he has 12 points in 17 games and was not released to the German World Junior squad. Selected sixth overall in 2019 to the surprise of many, Seider has quickly become one of the top prospects in the entire world and is a key to the Detroit turnaround. The 6’4″ defenseman has all the attributes of a true number one option, meaning his development is absolutely crucial to the Red Wings.

Speaking about all of the players who have suited up overseas, Yzerman noted that though playing in Europe has likely sharpened the games of Zadina and others, it isn’t the NHL and they’ll still have to prove themselves on this side of the pond.

It’s important to remember too, that though they will stay for the rest of the year, Veleno and Seider could potentially be late-season recalls for the Red Wings once things end overseas. The SHL regular season schedule completes at the beginning of April while the NHL regular season isn’t expected to be completed until May.

Deryk Engelland Announces Retirement

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One of the most beloved players in Vegas Golden Knights (short) history has decided to hang up his skates. Deryk Engelland has retired from playing professional hockey after 11 seasons in the NHL. He will remain with the organization as Special Assistant to the Owner, Bill Foley, who released a statement:

Deryk Engelland epitomizes what it means to be a Golden Knight. A no-ego, selfless, hardworking player who has an unwavering commitment to protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Since he joined our organization in 2017, Deryk’s service to our community has been exemplary. On behalf of the entire Vegas Golden Knights organization, we would like to congratulate Deryk on an outstanding career. He has made an indelible mark on our city and we are excited for this next chapter, as he stays with the Golden Knights family and continues the outstanding work he has done in our community.

Engelland was never a top player in the NHL, but he had a special connection to Las Vegas that helped the franchise get off the ground immediately in 2017. Selected by the New Jersey Devils in 2000, he spent the first two seasons of his professional hockey career with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL. After stops in Lowell, South Carolina, Hershey, Reading, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh, and Calgary, he made it back when he was picked in the expansion draft—though he had never really left in the first place. His familiarity with the city allowed him to help the new players feel comfortable as they went to the expansion franchise, but it was his words to a packed arena on October 10, 2017 that cemented him as a Vegas legend.

Nine days earlier, just before the season started, Las Vegas had been shaken by a mass shooting that killed 58 people. Engelland stood at center ice before the first home game in franchise history and delivered a short, emotional speech.

Like all of you, I’m proud to call Las Vegas home. I met my wife here. Our kids were born here. I know how special this city is. To all the brave first responders that have worked tirelessly and courageously through this whole tragedy, we thank you. To all the families and friends of the victims, we’ll do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong.

At 4:18 of the first period, Engelland scored the second goal on home ice in Golden Knights history. It was just the 23rd of his career.

Morning Notes: Chara, Gauthier, Nolan

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Zdeno Chara remains unsigned with just a few weeks until the regular season, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking anywhere other than Boston for his next deal. Matt Keator, Chara’s agent, told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic yesterday that more than 20 teams have reached out on the veteran defenseman, but his focus is still on the Bruins.

Given Keator even mentioned that Chara “still has the option to retire,” it seems very unlikely that the 43-year-old plays for anyone else this season. Still, it’s not a guarantee that the Bruins even have room for him. Team president Cam Neely told reporters including Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com that they “do want to take a look” at some of the younger, left-shot defensemen in the system, while also wavering on whether he thinks Chara would even want to return for the condensed season.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs decided not to give Frederik Gauthier a qualifying offer this offseason, bringing in more veteran options like Joe Thornton as depth down the middle. Now, the 25-year-old center could be heading for a professional tryout with the Arizona Coyotes, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Gauthier was never expected to be much of an offensive threat, even when picked 21st overall in 2013, but he has just 31 points in 176 NHL games and doesn’t skate well enough to be a true checking center. If he decides to take the PTO, he’ll have a tough battle on his hands in a crowded Arizona bottom-six.
  • Another player that will be fighting for an NHL job is Jordan Nolan, who signed an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earlier this month but will be invited to training camp with Pittsburgh according to GM Jim Rutherford. Nolan could earn himself another NHL contract with a strong camp, despite not playing a single game above the AHL last season. The powerful winger does have more than 400 games at the NHL level in his career but has never recorded more than ten points in a single season.

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