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Flames Listening To Offers For Sean Monahan

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After a disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs, many expect big changes in Calgary this summer.  Tweaks to the roster alone probably aren’t going to be enough and players like defenseman Mark Giordano and winger Johnny Gaudreau have been speculated as possible candidates to be on the move, the former due to their expansion situation where he may have to be left unprotected and the latter due to his contract situation as he’s about to enter the final year of his contract.

The other long-term core player that the Flames have is center Sean Monahan and it appears that he’s in play as well as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is listening to offers for the 26-year-old.

It was only two seasons ago that Monahan had a dominant season, one that saw him notch 34 goals and 48 assists in 78 games while he and Gaudreau became one of the more productive duos in the NHL.  At that point, it looked as if he had arrived as the clear-cut number one middleman they hoped they’d get when they selected him sixth overall back in 2013.

But things haven’t gone well since then.  In 2019-20, his production dipped to 22 goals and 26 assists in 70 games in the pandemic-shortened year, the second-lowest point per game rate of his career.  Then came this season where things were even worse.  Monahan managed just 10 goals and 18 helpers in 50 games.  While the fact the pandemic cut the season short again is notable, so too is the fact that his previous career-low in goals was 22.  Suddenly, after being one of their more consistent scoring threats, that element of Monahan’s game disappeared and as a result, both Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund were more productive this season.

Monahan has two years left on his contract with a $6.375MM AAV with a 10-team no-trade clause, per CapFriendly.  That price tag looked like a bargain two years ago but that isn’t the case now based on his recent performance.

Nevertheless, with what is once again a very weak free agent center market and the fact that impact pivots are hard to come by, there still should be several teams interested in Monahan.  While the price tag is high for his recent production, he notched between 58 and 64 points in the four seasons preceding his 82-point campaign so there is a proven level of success and at 26, he still should be in the prime of his career.  In terms of upside, there probably won’t be many other centers of that caliber that find their way into trade talks this summer.

With the cap being flat and Seattle’s entry into the league, the trade market could be busier than normal as a result.  It looks like Monahan can be added to the list of players that could be on the move in the coming months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Checklist: Detroit Red Wings

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The offseason has arrived with roughly half of the league finished up after missing the playoffs.  It’s time to examine what those teams need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Detroit.

The rebuild continues for the Red Wings which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise with how their roster was structured coming into the season.  They’re playing the long game and have amassed a quality group of prospects that will be added to this summer with a dozen draft picks including five in the first two rounds.  GM Steve Yzerman has already checked off one major item from his checklist with the decision to retain head coach Jeff Blashill (though they will need to replace Dan Bylsma behind the bench) but he still has a lot of work to do.

Rebuild The Back End

There’s no denying that Detroit has plenty of cap and roster flexibility, especially on the back end where a grand total of two regulars are under contract for next season in Danny DeKeyser and Troy Stecher.  Of those, it’s worth noting that DeKeyser cleared waivers and would almost certainly do so again next year.  There’s a lot of work to be done here.

Filip Hronek is the top restricted free agent out of the group and very quietly led the Red Wings in scoring this season with 26 points while logging over 23 minutes a game for the second straight year.  He isn’t eligible for salary arbitration as he’s coming off his entry-level deal but that won’t stop him from landing a significant raise.  Even with a bridge deal, he should be able to at least quadruple his $714K price tag while a contract that buys out UFA years would be substantially higher and should put him ahead of DeKeyser’s AAV.  Dennis Cholowski and Gustav Lindstrom have a bit of upside but project as role players at this point.  So too are veterans Marc Staal and Alex Biega, both set to become unrestricted free agents; Hronek is the only core piece of the bunch and it’s a core that isn’t very deep.

There is definitely room for multiple additions in their top four defensively and that’s not even considering top prospect Moritz Seider who is ready to make the jump to the NHL.  Detroit has been cautious in their player development so it’s unlikely he’ll get heavy minutes right away.  It’s unlikely that they will be a prime free agent destination so Yzerman may need to do what he did a year ago with Staal and leverage their cap room – they have less than $33MM on the books for next season – to add some pieces.  A willingness to add someone with term on their deal this time around might be a better way to go than another rental.

Detroit isn’t ready to become a contender next season so this isn’t something that has to all be done this summer but bringing in another building block or two to shore things up would be a welcome step in the right direction.

Re-Sign Key RFA Wingers

There is a long list of forwards that are in need of new deals but there are two that certainly stand out among the group in wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Jakub Vrana.  Both players are eligible for salary arbitration so if they want to avoid a hearing, they’ll be trying to work out new deals by August (assuming the players file by the deadline).

Bertuzzi’s case is going to be an intriguing one.  Coming into the season, he was coming off a career year offensively despite the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign and had two straight seasons of 21 goals and at least 47 points.  The expectation coming into the year was that he’d be able to take another step forward this season.  He looked to be on his way to doing so with five goals and seven points in nine January games but those wound up being his only games.  While he initially wasn’t expected to miss the rest of the year, that eventually became the case and he underwent back surgery at the end of April.  Bertuzzi, now 26, is a year away from UFA eligibility and while his platform year ended in disappointment, he’ll still carry some leverage knowing that he can force another one-year deal and hit the open market a year from now.  He’ll be owed a qualifying offer of $3.5MM but expect Detroit to go considerably higher and try to buy out some UFA eligibility.

As for Vrana, he was the key piece coming back in the deadline deal that saw Anthony Mantha head to Washington.  While the 25-year-old underwhelmed with the Capitals, that changed following the move.  His playing time jumped by nearly three minutes a night while he produced at a point per game pace, collecting eight goals and three assists in 11 games.  That’s certainly a small sample size and no one should be expecting that to continue but it pushed his numbers to a level comparable to his career year in 2019-20 once you extrapolate for the shortened season.  His qualifying offer is actually a bit lower than his AAV based on the structure of the deal but Vrana will certainly earn more than the $3MM they’re required to offer.  He’s two years away from unrestricted free agency so the two sides could agree to a one-year pact that allows for more evaluation while keeping him RFA-eligible after that.  Alternatively, if Yzerman feels that Vrana is a top-six fixture for the foreseeable future, a long-term contract now would make sense.

Add A Starting Goalie

Goaltending has been an issue for the Red Wings for several years now.  Jimmy Howard had a good run as a starter but by the end of his playing days, he wasn’t a legitimate starter.  Jonathan Bernier has done relatively well considering the weaker team in front of him but he isn’t a number one either.  Neither is Thomas Greiss who they signed in free agency last offseason.  That allowed them to basically run a platoon of decent veterans which was fine for a season when they weren’t opting to contend but it hasn’t exactly set up them for their post-rebuild either.

Last year, it was Howard’s free agency that created an opening between the crease and this time, it’s Bernier in that situation.  He seemed like a probable candidate to move at the trade deadline but there wasn’t much of a market and he wound up staying put.  Now, Yzerman has to decide whether or not he wants to keep Bernier and run with the platoon again or look to try to bring in more of a long-term piece.  If the expectation is that they won’t be a playoff contender next year, keeping the status quo would make some sense in principle while allowing them the ability to potentially trade a rental a year from now (Greiss will be in the final year of his contract in 21-22).

However, a starting goalie isn’t something a team should be searching for on an annual basis.  At some point, a more permanent solution needs to be brought in and it’s probably not coming from their prospect pool.  It’s not a great year for proven starters in free agency but there are upgrades available there while the looking Seattle expansion could result in some more activity on the trade market than usual.  Yzerman will need to determine if this is the time to make a goalie splash or punt on the decision for another year.

Add Top-Six Forwards

The list of teams that scored fewer goals than Detroit this season begins with Anaheim and also ends with Anaheim.  With Bertuzzi, Vrana, and Dylan Larkin, they have three capable top-six forwards but the depth starts to slide after that.  Filip Zadina has some upside still and Robby Fabbri was quietly productive in limited action but they’re not ready to be top-six players on a contender just yet.

To help get them to playoff contender status, they need to bring in multiple players that can play in the top six, preferably a winger and a center.  The good news is that there are quality UFA wingers available that may require an overpayment in terms of money to bring in but they have ample cap space and can afford to overpay to maintain their prospect and draft pick capital.  The bad news is that the same can’t be said for centers.  Filling that void will require some creativity.

Last offseason, Detroit used their cap space to take on Staal and add a second-round pick for their troubles.  A similar approach could be taken here to both improve their roster as well as keep adding to their stockpile for the future.  Yzerman has built up the forward depth since taking over in Detroit and now it’s getting closer to being time to make a bigger splash.  This summer, one that should have a lot of player movement, looks like a good place to start improving on that front.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Minor Transactions: 5/26/21

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While things are relatively quiet on the transaction front during the NHL playoffs, there have been a few transactions today around the hockey world.  Here’s a rundown of those involving NHL-affiliated players and teams:

  • Panthers free agent defenseman Emil Djuse won’t be returning to North America. Instead, Rapperswill-Jona of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve inked the blueliner to a two-year deal.  Djuse spent the 2019-20 season in North America between AHL Texas and Springfield and was actually rather productive offensively for a blueliner with 32 points in 53 games but opted to play in the KHL this season instead of re-signing with Florida.  He is set to become an NHL free agent in July.
  • Kings prospect forward Alexander Dergachyov has been traded to Avangard Omsk, the KHL team announced. Going the other way to Vityaz Podolsk is none other than current Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington, as well as minor league forward Alexander Yaremchuk. Kylington, 24, is of course playing in North America, but as a restricted free agent this off-season following a campaign in which he was used very sparingly, perhaps the Swedish blue liner will be intrigued by the opportunity to move the KHL. On the flip side, the 24-year-old Dergachyov was a fifth-round pick of Los Angeles back in 2015 (74th overall) but hasn’t opted to sign with the team yet, instead preferring to remain at home.  He signed a two-year contract with Omsk following the trade, so any move to L.A. will have to wait a while longer.
  • The Canadiens have signed defenseman Terrance Amorosa to a one-year AHL contract, their farm affiliate announced (Twitter link). The 26-year-old signed a tryout deal with Laval in March and despite playing just five games, he clearly made enough of an impression to get another deal.

Snapshots: Nelson, Schwartz, Sikura

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It’s been six years since Todd Nelson received his only head coaching opportunity in the NHL, but that could change in the coming weeks. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Nelson will interview for the Arizona Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets. The 52-year-old has spent the last three seasons as an assistant with the Dallas Stars after serving as head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins.

That one NHL opportunity came with the Edmonton Oilers, when Dallas Eakins was fired midseason during the 2014-15 campaign. Nelson was the head coach of the Oklahoma City Barons at the time and came up to try and salvage the season. In 51 games, the Oilers went 17-25-9, finishing ahead of only the Coyotes in the Pacific Division and missing the playoffs.

  • The St. Louis Blues and Jaden Schwartz agreed before the season to put off any extension negotiations, but they’ll get together now to see if they can work something out. GM Doug Armstrong told reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic that they will “figure out if this relationship is going to continue,” noting they have some time until the end of July when Schwartz would become an unrestricted free agent. In the final season of a five-year, $26.75MM contract, the 28-year-old Schwartz put up just eight goals and 21 points in 40 games. He was held scoreless in all four playoff games as the Blues were swept out of the first round.
  • The Henderson Silver Knights are getting a reinforcement for their Pacific Division finals tonight, as Dylan Sikura has been assigned to them from the Vegas Golden Knights. Sikura had 22 points in 30 games for the Silver Knights this season and will get a chance to help them take home the John D. Chick Trophy as division champions. The Silver Knights take on the Bakersfield Condors this evening in the first game of the best-of-three series.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/26/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:

Colorado – Jayson Megna*
Vegas – Brayden McNabb*

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: None

After two days without a single name on the list, the NHL wasn’t so lucky today. Megna and McNabb have been added and will have to sit out for their respective teams. McNabb’s exclusion is obviously more important given the Golden Knights game this evening against the Wild. He played just over 13 minutes on Monday night but will have to be replaced for tonight’s game.

*denotes new addition

Colorado Avalanche Sign Alex Beaucage

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Not a bad week so far for Alex Beaucage. On Sunday, he scored two goals in game four of the QMJHL semi-finals, on Tuesday his Victoriaville Tigres clinched a berth in the Presidents Cup finals, and today he has signed his entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche. The team announced the three-year contract this afternoon.  Per CapFriendly, the deal carries a $925K AAV and breaks down as follows:

2021-22: $750K base salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $82.5K games played bonus
2022-23: $775K base salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $57.5K games played bonus
2023-24: $832.5K base salary, $92.5K signing bonus

Beaucage, 19, was selected 78th overall in 2019 by the Avalanche, part of an impressive class that has already produced NHL talent in Bowen Byram and Alex Newhook. He was the team’s fifth selection that year, but has already shown exactly why the Avalanche jumped at the opportunity to select him. In his first post-draft season, Beaucage recorded 40 goals in 63 games for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, finishing tied for third in the league. This season he came back and put up 14 goals in 14 games for the Huskies before a late-season trade took him to Victoriaville. In the postseason he has been a dominant force, posting six goals and 17 points in ten games.

Though not an elite skater, the 6’1″ forward has learned to use his strength and excellent shot to create goals from anywhere in the offensive zone. Before this season Corey Pronman of The Athletic listed him as one of the Colorado prospects with NHL potential, and that certainly hasn’t changed in the shortened QMJHL year. If anything, Beaucage has established himself as another player to watch in the Avalanche system and one who could quickly work his way through the minor leagues if his goal-scoring ability transitions to the professional level.

For Colorado, that 2019 class is looking like an incredible piece of managerial work from GM Joe Sakic and his staff. Not only was the team already one of the most dangerous groups in the NHL but continue to supplement their roster with homegrown talent.

AHL Announces 2020-21 All-Star Teams

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After revealing their All-Rookie Team yesterday, the AHL has handed out another set of accolades for the best players in the league. The 2020-21 All-Star teams have been released, honors that are voted on by coaches players, and media. Unlike most years, when a first and second team would be announced, the league decided to name All-Division teams in this unique season.

While these teams do not predict future NHL success as well as the All-Rookie group, there are still plenty of NHL stars that have been awarded AHL All-Star honors in the past. This year’s group many young players that will soon be on an NHL bench, including several members of the All-Rookie team.

Atlantic Division

G Jeremy Swayman, Providence Bruins
D Samuel Bolduc, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
D Tarmo Reunanen, Hartford Wolf Pack
F Morgan Barron, Hartford Wolf Pack
F Cameron Hughes, Providence Bruins
F Jakub Lauko, Providence Bruins

North Division

G Zane McIntyre, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
D Oskari Laaksonen, Rochester Americans
D Cameron Schilling, Hershey Bears
F Boris Katchouk, Syracuse Crunch
F Connor McMichael, Hershey Bears
F Taylor Raddysh, Syracuse Crunch

Canadian Division

G Cayden Primeau, Laval Rocket
D Otto Leskinen, Laval Rocket
D Connor Mackey, Stockton Heat
F Kalle Kossila, Toronto Marlies
F Egor Sokolov, Belleville Senators
F Nathan Todd, Manitoba Moose

Central Division

G Beck Warm, Chicago Wolves
D Calen Addison, Iowa Wild
D Cody Franson, Rockford IceHogs
F Riley Barber, Grand Rapids Griffins
F Riley Damiani, Texas Stars
F Adam Mascherin, Texas Stars

Pacific Division

G Logan Thompson, Henderson Silver Knights
D Josh Mahura, San Diego Gulls
D Ryan Murphy, Henderson Silver Knights
F Cooper Marody, Bakersfield Condors
F Andrew Poturalski, San Diego Gulls
F T.J. Tynan, Colorado Eagles

Robert Morris University Terminates Hockey Programs

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It is a terrible day for NCAA hockey, as Robert Morris University has announced that it will no longer field a Division I men’s or women’s hockey team. The university explains that the decision is part of a “series of strategic initiatives intended to position the university to amongst the most agile and professional focused schools in the nation.”

The school will honor the scholarships for student-athletes affected by the decision, or assist those players in transferring to a school with a hockey program. Normally players would need to sit out a year after transferring, but as the release explains, that is not necessary if they are coming from a school that has discontinued their program. Approximately 55 athletes and seven staffers will be affected by the decision.

Though RMU isn’t one of the programs that regularly churn out NHL players, it was an important fixture in the hockey community around Pittsburgh. Just this year the NCAA held the Frozen Four in the area, due in part to the success and stability of the Colonials.

In the release, the university directly answered the question of how it determined hockey would be cut:

The decision to discontinue the men’s and women’s ice hockey programs was made based on an analysis which included scholarships and operating costs, and the necessary investments to maintain and improve the current facility. The university also wanted to align our athletic offerings more closely with other similar nationally-ranked universities of our size.

The school has no plans to discontinue any of the other 15 Division I sports programs.

Edmonton Oilers Hope To Re-Sign Mike Smith

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The Edmonton Oilers were swept out of the first round of the playoffs, but it wasn’t because of goaltending. The 39-year-old Mike Smith posted a solid .912 save percentage in the four games, good enough to keep every game close between the Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. At his end-of-year media availability, Edmonton GM Ken Holland said plainly that he wants to re-sign Smith after the strong season he experienced.

Now 15 years into his NHL career, Smith posted an outstanding .923 save percentage during the regular season, essentially becoming the only netminder the Oilers could rely on. Despite costing just a third of the cap hit Mikko Koskinen carries, Smith was the unquestioned starter by the end of the season and played every minute of the team’s playoff series, including a back-to-back in games three and four.

Koskinen meanwhile could be on the chopping block after posting a brutal .899 save percentage in 26 games for the team. Holland explained that buyouts are very possible for his club this summer in order to free up additional cap space, and the 32-year-old Koskinen is a prime candidate. Not only was he signed by Holland’s predecessor, but he also would cost just $1.5MM against the cap for the next two seasons. If Smith can be brought back on a reasonable deal, that would free up a good chunk for the team to invest elsewhere.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Smith can recreate the season he just had. His two previous were poor, posting a .900 save percentage over 81 appearances for the Oilers and Calgary Flames, and he very well could be the oldest netminder in the league in 2021-22. The team does have veteran backup Alex Stalock in the organization now after claiming him in March, but there isn’t yet a prospect pushing for NHL playing time. If Smith is retained and Koskinen bought out, it could still be worthwhile to examine the rest of the goaltending market in case the veteran fails to repeat his excellent 2020-21 performance.

Latest On Evgeny Kuznetsov’s Future In Washington

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For months now, there have been whispers that the Washington Capitals are “running out of patience” with forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, and when GM Brian MacLellan spoke to the media today he certainly didn’t douse the flames of speculation. As Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press tweets, MacLellan indicated that is open to trading anyone (save for Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom) this offseason if it makes the team better. When asked specifically about Kuznetsov, he expressed some of that lack of patience:

If he can’t play at his highest ability, we’re not going to be a good team and we’d have to make some other decisions. 

I don’t know, I think it’s been inconsistent for a few years here, and it has hurt our team. 

In January, the 29-year-old Kuznetsov was part of the group that broke COVID protocol and caused the Capitals to incur a $100K fine from the league. He ended up on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list for the next 18 days, unable to practice or play with the team in the early part of the season. Earlier this month, he and teammate Ilya Samsonov were late for a meeting and benched for a game, only to show up on the COVID list once again. He would spend 13 days unavailable this time, right as the team was preparing for and playing in the first round of the playoffs. Kuznetsov would return for three games against the Boston Bruins but failed to record a point as the Capitals were defeated.

In 2019, Kuznetsov was given a four-year suspension from the IIHF after he tested positive for cocaine at the World Championships. The NHL eventually suspended him for the first three games of the 2019-20 season due to inappropriate conduct. Kuznetsov accepted both suspensions, apologizing to those that he let down and vowed: “to take ownership of my situation and my actions from this point forward.”

At his best, Kuznetsov can be one of the most dynamic players in the NHL. He showed it in 2017-18, scoring 83 points in 79 games and then leading the league in playoff scoring en route to a Stanley Cup. He could have easily been the choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy that went to Ovechkin, who scored five points fewer than Kuznetsov’s 32 in the 24-game run. In his career overall, the playmaking center has 418 points in 520 games and scored 29 this season in 41. There is no one who questions his talent, just his consistency.

Kuznetsov is signed through the 2024-25 season at a $7.8MM cap hit and carries a 15-team no-trade list. That kind of contract isn’t easy to deal but it is easy to see why a team might be interested. Centers of his offensive ability don’t reach the market very often, especially not at his age and experience level. For the Capitals, who will need to re-sign Ovechkin this summer and tweak the lineup for another run, that cap space could be useful. So could Kuznetsov if he’s playing to his capabilities, which is why a trade certainly isn’t a guarantee.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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