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Archives for June 2021

Carl Soderberg Signs In Sweden

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Carl Soderberg’s time in the NHL has come to an end.  Rather than take another run at the free agent market next month, the veteran has decided to head back home as Malmo of the SHL announced that they’ve signed Soderberg to a two-year contract.

Soderberg was one of the top-scoring centers in free agency in the fall after a 35-point campaign with Arizona (and 49 the year before with Colorado).  However, interest was limited and it took until just before training camps began for him to land a one-year, $1MM contract with Chicago.

The 35-year-old managed to put up a respectable seven goals and eight assists in 34 games with the Blackhawks before he was traded to the Avalanche as extra depth for their playoff push.  He wound up having a limited role with them down the stretch, notching just two assists in 11 games and was a frequent healthy scratch in the playoffs although he did manage a goal and two helpers in his four contests.

That type of end to his season wouldn’t have helped his free agent market so rather than sit waiting for an opportunity to come up, Soderberg will instead return to his hometown team, getting himself a two-year guarantee in the process.  His NHL time wraps up with 110 goals and 187 assists in 597 career regular season games.  Not a bad run at all for someone who is legally blind in his left eye.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Anton Blidh

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The Boston Bruins have re-signed free agent forward Anton Blidh to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K. The 26-year-old was set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer, but will now stay with the organization he’s known for the last several years.

Blidh was originally a sixth-round pick of the Bruins in 2013, but didn’t come over to North America until the 2015-16 season. When he arrived, he quickly became a valuable depth player for the Providence Bruins, but not much offensive production ever developed. The six-foot winger has played in 38 games with Boston over the years, but has just two goals and three points.

Because he has played so few, Blidh doesn’t help Boston’s expansion situation at all. That means this deal comes purely on merit as a depth bottom-six option. In that injury-insurance role he is okay, but don’t expect him to make much of an impact on the scoresheet. More likely, Blidh will be placed on waivers at the end of 2021 training camp and spend most of the year in Providence once again.

Expansion Primer: San Jose Sharks

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Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, who will likely warrant protection, and which ones may be on the block to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing? Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4:00 PM CDT on July 17th. The full eligibility rules can be found here, while CapFriendly has an expansion tool to make your own lists.

Back in 2017, the San Jose Sharks ended up losing David Schlemko to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion process after they decided not to make any side deals with the incoming team. Vegas decided on Schlemko with the intention of a trade and quickly flipped him to the Montreal Canadiens for a fifth-round pick. The Sharks are the perfect example in favor of just letting the expansion process play out, as the Golden Knights ended up leaving other names like Brenden Dillon on the table. Schlemko played just 55 more NHL games and was out of professional hockey after the 2018-19 season.

At that point, the Sharks were a recent Stanley Cup runner-up and had been to the playoffs 13 of the previous 14 seasons. It’s a much different situation this time after two years of missing the postseason and the protection options show how thin the roster is getting.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:

Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Kevin Labanc, Ryan Donato, Alexander True, Rudolfs Balcers, Jayden Halbgewachs, Dylan Gambrell, Jonatan Dahlen

Defense:

Erik Karlsson (NMC), Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic (NMC), Radim Simek, Christian Jaros, Jacob Middleton, Nicolas Meloche

Goalies:

Martin Jones, Josef Korenar

Notable Unrestricted Free Agents

Marcus Sorensen, Matthew Nieto, Patrick Marleau, Kurtis Gabriel, Maxim Letunov, Greg Pateryn

Notable Exemptions

Alexander Barabanov, John Leonard, Nikolai Knyzhov, Mario Ferraro, Noah Gregor, Alexei Melnichuk, Sasha Chmelevski, Ivan Chekhovich

Key Decisions

Overall, the Sharks are facing a tough offseason. How do you retool and get the roster back to contender status when you have so much money tied up in aging players? The contracts handed out to the old core are anchors on the roster now, especially in a flat-cap world, and there are holes all over the place. With that in mind, the Sharks could potentially use the expansion draft as an opportunity, trying to bait (or entice) the Kraken into taking one of those contracts off the books.

That discussion starts (and perhaps ends) with Burns, the bearded, unique, franchise icon that has done so many incredible things for the Sharks. Burns turned 36 in March and just had his second-worst offensive season (even by points-per-game) since arriving in San Jose a decade ago. Gone are the days of the 20+ goal, point-per-game rover that took home the Norris Trophy in 2017 and yet, there are still four more years on his contract at an $8MM cap hit. It’s not that Burns is completely ineffective, but the idea of having his contract vanish has to be at least a little bit enticing for GM Doug Wilson. That’s a tough trigger to pull given how popular he is in the market, but it actually might be the most effective way to clear some space.

A move like that is only even a possibility because both Karlsson and Vlasic have no-movement clauses that force San Jose to protect them in the draft. Getting out from either one of their contracts—seven more years at $11.5MM for Karlsson and five at $7MM for Vlasic—would be ideal, but isn’t possible unless Wilson can somehow convince them to waive their clause.

If the team goes with the traditional seven forwards/three defensemen protection scheme, which is likely, that basically makes the decision either Burns or Simek for the last spot. The 28-year-old Simek signed a four-year, $9MM contract just over a year ago and looked like a stable, stay-at-home foil for Burns or Karlsson,  but has quickly been passed on the depth chart by younger options. Though he dealt with some injuries this season, Simek only averaged 14:13 in ice time through 40 appearances and really doesn’t need to be protected at this point.

Upfront, things are a little more favorable. Couture, Kane, Meier, Hertl, and Labanc seem like locks for protection, even though not all of them lived up to their contracts this season. Even though Meier and Labanc only had 12 goals each, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to expose them and give up on the chance for a bounceback in 2021-22.

That leaves two protection spots available at forward and there are several options. Donato was supposed to reach another level in San Jose after being acquired for a third-round pick in October, but managed just six goals and 20 points in 50 games. He is actually a restricted free agent, so even if the team wants to leave him exposed to fill a required spot he’d need a new contract first. Balcers showed flashes potential and could likely warrant a spot, while Gambrell is at least still young enough to hopefully take a step forward offensively.

The real wildcard is Dahlen, who just signed a contract to return from Sweden after dominating the second tier there. The 23-year-old is the kind of boom-or-bust prospect that an expansion team would love to get their hands on, meaning San Jose is probably going to have to protect him. There’s no guarantee Dahlen ever works in the NHL, but his offensive skill makes him so intriguing that Seattle would have to take a swing.

In net, it seems obvious to leave Jones exposed and protect Korenar. Even though the young goaltender didn’t perform particularly well in his ten-game stint this season, Jones has been so bad for so long now that it would be a miracle to get his contract off the books. For three straight seasons, Jones has posted an .896 save percentage as the team’s starting goaltender and he has three years at $5.75MM left on his deal.

Projected Protection List

F Logan Couture
F Evander Kane
F Timo Meier
F Tomas Hertl
F Kevin Labanc
F Jonatan Dahlen
F Rudolfs Balcers

D Erik Karlsson
D Marc-Edouard Vlasic
D Brent Burns

G Josef Korenar

Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist

When Vegas had their expansion draft, a minimum of two forwards and one defenseman had to be exposed that were under contract and played either 40 games in the most recent season or 70 over the past two combined.  Due to the pandemic, those thresholds have been changed to 27 games played in 2020-21 or 54 in 2019/20 and 2020-21 combined.  In creating our expansion list for each team in this series, we will ensure that these criteria are met.

Forwards (0)
Defensemen (1): Radim Simek

The Sharks actually don’t have either of their required forward spots filled if they protect those top five, but could easily fix this with new contracts for Donato and Gambrell. Even re-signing Marleau would give them one, if the all-time games played leader is serious about returning for another season. Remember though that this isn’t a perfect situation to be in, given that both Donato and Gambrell are arbitration-eligible. It’s doesn’t help leverage much when the other side knows the contract they are signing may immediately go to another team. Either one could decide to wait for the arbitration process, leaving the Sharks in a tougher spot with the expansion draft coming in just over a month.

At defense, even if the Sharks decided to leave Burns exposed instead, he fills the requirement as well.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Snapshots: Heartlanders, Chicago, Hogberg

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The Minnesota Wild have announced a multi-year affiliation agreement with the new Iowa Heartlanders ECHL franchise. The minor league team is set to begin play in the 2021-22 season and will now have the support of an NHL organization. Wild GM Bill Guerin released a short statement on the agreement:

We are thrilled to announce a new ECHL affiliation agreement with the Iowa Heartlanders. We look forward to being a part of the Heartlanders inaugural season and helping grow the great sport of hockey while also having the opportunity to develop players at both the AHL and ECHL level in Iowa. This is an exciting day for our organization. 

Minnesota is already affiliated with the Iowa Wild of the AHL, meaning both of their development tiers are now located relatively close to home. More and more, NHL organizations are using the ECHL to develop young, raw talents that need more seasoning before joining the AHL. For goaltenders especially, the ECHL can be the perfect place to get professional games under your belt instead of just trying to improve during practice. Minnesota goaltender Cam Talbot for instance spent a few games with the Greeneville Road Warriors early in his career.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks could be taking a big swing this offseason, as Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic report that the team will explore adding either Dougie Hamilton or Seth Jones. Obviously, it’s not up to just the Blackhawks if either of those players is to end up in Chicago, but the fact that they’re looking at such a big move does give some insight into where the organization wants to go in the near future. Jones, who leads the hot stove almost every night after telling the Blue Jackets he wouldn’t re-sign right now, would cost the Blackhawks a large package in trade; one source suggested to Powers and Lazerus that it would cost a first-round pick, second-round pick, and a high-end prospect to land the defenseman. Hamilton meanwhile is a pending free agent, but the Hurricanes have allowed him to speak to other teams already. Carolina GM Don Waddell mentioned earlier today that the team could pursue a trade ahead of free agency if Hamilton finds a fit, though it’s not clear what kind of return it would take to pull that off.
  • As expected, Marcus Hogberg will return to Sweden next season, signing a four-year deal with Linkoping HC in the SHL. The deal has been rumored for several weeks, really ever since Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion announced that the team would not be issuing Hogberg a qualifying offer. Though he did play in 14 games for Ottawa this season, the Senators have a huge number of goaltenders in the system that can more than replicate his .876 save percentage.

Columbus Blue Jackets Re-Sign Kevin Stenlund

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have avoided arbitration with one of their restricted free agents and dealt with an expansion draft issue at the same time. The team has re-signed Kevin Stenlund to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1.05MM. The Blue Jackets can now leave him exposed to the Seattle Kraken to fill one of their forward requirements.

Stenlund, 24, played 32 games for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring five goals and ten points while averaging just 12:32 of ice time. The 2015 second-round pick does have the size that teams covet down the middle which could make him a candidate for the expansion draft, but getting him signed now allows Columbus to make sure their more valuable forwards are protected.

The deal, which gives Stenlund a raise of almost $200K over the qualifying offer he agreed to last season, also likely secures him a spot on the NHL roster for 2021-22. The team could potentially bury it in the minor leagues to clear the cap hit, but Columbus isn’t really in a situation to pay minor league talent more than $1MM. More likely he’ll serve in a bottom-six role next year if he’s still with the Blue Jackets, giving them another option at center as they try to figure out how to add depth at that position.

Stenlund will likely join Eric Robinson, Dean Kukan and Matiss Kivlenieks as the four players that fill the exposure requirements for the Blue Jackets. That doesn’t mean Seattle needs to pick one of them, but Columbus is in a rather strong position this time around—remember, GM Jarmo Kekalainen gave up a first-round pick in the Vegas draft to protect certain players, only to watch William Karlsson score 43 goals in his first year with the Golden Knights. Columbus is much better prepared this time and actually has three first-round picks that teams are “hungry” for as they make their own expansion draft plans.

2021 Jim Gregory Award Finalists Announced

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Most of the major NHL awards are voted on just after the regular season concludes before any playoff implications can really affect the outcome. The Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award though is voted on following the second round of the playoffs, meaning it often includes several of those that make it to the final four.

This year is no different, as the three finalists are Marc Bergevin of the Montreal Canadiens, Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders, and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers. The voting is done by NHL general managers, a panel of league executives, and both print and broadcast media.

Bergevin has twice been a finalist for the award previously, but not since 2014. His Montreal club shocked the North Division by beating the top-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in seven and then sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in order to move to the Stanley Cup semi-finals. Among Bergevin’s biggest moves last summer was a trade sending Max Domi to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Josh Anderson and bringing in championship pedigree in the form of Joel Edmundson, Jake Allen, Tyler Toffoli, and Corey Perry, then acquiring Eric Staal during the regular season.

Lamoriello meanwhile is no stranger to the award, having just won it in 2020 after taking the Islanders deep in the bubble playoffs. Well, his Islanders are back in the third round again, with the legendary executive continuing to push the right buttons at the right time. His acquisition of Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac was one of the most successful deadline acquisitions in the league, giving the team even more depth upfront for their four-line attack.

Zito is the lone manager that didn’t make it to the final four, with his Panthers ousted in the first round by the defending Stanley Cup champions. Even making it that far was an impressive feat though, as the first-time manager took hold of an organization that had been spinning its wheels and got it pointed in the right direction. Zito overhauled the group since arriving, bringing in names like Patric Hornqvist, Sam Bennett, Alexander Wennberg, Anthony Duclair, Nikita Gusev, Brandon Montour, Markus Nutivaara and Radko Gudas through trade or free agency, while letting former important contributors like Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov walk.

Carolina Hurricanes Extend Rod Brind’Amour

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The Carolina Hurricanes have locked up their head coach just a few hours before he potentially wins the Jack Adams. Rod Brind’Amour is a finalist for the award, which is given to the coach of the year in the NHL and will be announced later today. The contract will be a three-year term for Brind’Amour, keeping him off the free agent coaching market for the time being. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a statement:

Rod has been the driving force behind the culture change we’ve undergone here. He keeps our players motivated, demands accountability, and has our team ready to compete every night. He has truly raised the bar for our organization, and we’re thrilled to have him continue as our coach for years to come.

At the accompanying press conference, Brind’Amour confirmed that the delay in announcing the contract came down to working out deals with the rest of the coaching and training staff. A franchise icon, he explained that he would have a “hard time” being a head coach somewhere else in the league. Brind’Amour of course isn’t just a coach for the Hurricanes, he was the team’s captain during their only Stanley Cup championship in 2006 and is about as tied into the identity of the organization as one person can be.

In fact, Waddell explained that if a time comes when Brind’Amour no longer wants to be behind the bench, the organization would find a role for him somewhere else. The coach even hinted that he would want to join the front office at some point. Even as a first-time head coach, Brind’Amour’s time in Carolina is going well. Through three seasons he has a 120-66-20 record, taking the team to the playoffs each year. Should he win the Jack Adams, it would be the first time a Hurricanes coach takes home the award.

A three-year contract will keep him in Carolina for a while, a good sign for a team that has a strong core. The team hasn’t quite gotten to the point of Stanley Cup favorite, but was certainly a contender this season after finishing first in the Central Division with a 36-12-8 record. Brind’Amour’s next challenge may be replacing Dougie Hamilton, should the top-pairing blueliner not return in free agency.

Washington Capitals Sign Three Players

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The Washington Capitals have completed a little housekeeping today, re-signing both Garrett Pilon and Bobby Nardella to identical two-year contracts. The deals will carry an average annual value of $750K in the NHL and are two-way the first season, one-way the second. The team has also signed Michael Sgarbossa to a two-year, two-way contract that will carry a $750K salary in the NHL.

Pilon, 23, made his NHL debut this season, suiting up for a single game with the Capitals five years after they drafted him 87th overall. The rest of his time was spent with the minor league Hershey Bears, scoring 16 points in 14 games. That was the first time he came anywhere close to a point-per-game rate in the AHL, signaling that he may have unlocked a little more offense after a few relatively pedestrian seasons. The Capitals obviously believed he was worth extending taking Pilon through the 2022-23 season with this new contract.

Should he fail to get much more opportunity at the NHL level, Pilon could end up a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of this contract, as he will be 25.

Nardella meanwhile is already 25 and still has not played a single game in the NHL. The former Notre Dame star spent this entire season with Djurgardens IF in Sweden, scoring 33 points in 47 games. Undersized, Nardella does bring an excellent offensive profile but will still be hard-pressed to become an impact player with the Capitals. Still, he too received a multi-year deal, keeping him from free agency and in the Washington system. He’ll be a prime candidate to help fill in during injury emergencies, but don’t expect him to take a full-time roster spot anytime soon.

Sgarbossa, 28, was already headed for unrestricted free agency, after spending the last three seasons in the Capitals organization. He’ll be back though too continuing to serve as an injury replacement and minor league depth. The undrafted center played in five games for the Capitals this season, registering two assists. In 14 games for the Hershey Bears, he put up ten points and has long been an excellent minor league performer.

Augustana University To Add NCAA Division I Hockey

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North Dakota is well-known for its college hockey as home to one of the greatest powerhouse programs in the sport. Well, now their neighbors to the south are about to get involved. As first reported by ESPN’s John Buccigross on Tuesday night, Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is working on creating a Division I Men’s Hockey program, beginning in 2023-24. The school has since confirmed the decision today as part of a plan to transition the entire athletic department to Division I by 2030, but did not provide a timeline for their move in hockey. Augustana currently does not have intercollegiate hockey or even club hockey, so there is work to do but a plan is in place.

It has been a time of great change in the NCAA hockey ranks with the likes of Robert Morris and Alabama-Huntsville going the way of the dinosaur, but LIU and soon St. Thomas joining the fold, with Lindenwood in the works and schools such as Tennessee State, Navy, and Illinois exploring the possibility. While some of these new entries may seem somewhat random, Augustana University (formerly College) should not. South Dakota has quietly grown into a hockey hotbed due in no small part to the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede, one of the top programs in the league. The ECHL and NAHL also call the state home, with the Rapid City Rush and Aberdeen Wings, respectively.

One roadblock to entry into Division I hockey can often be finding a conference, but that is also where Augustana’s addition makes sense. The school currently participates in Division II’s Northern Sun Conference. The NSIC’s membership includes Bemidji State, Minnesota State-Mankato, Minnesota-Duluth, and St. Cloud State – two teams from the NCHC and two teams from the WCHA. Their relationships with those schools could break down that barrier to entry by jumping right into an established conference. The Vikings could be in good shape to get off to a hot start to their entry in Division I hockey.

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