Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for July 2021

Los Angeles Kings Sign Alex Edler

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the Los Angeles Kings have shored up their defense today, signing veteran defenseman Alexander Edler. The deal is for one year, per Pierre LeBrun, and carries a cap hit of $3.5MM.

Edler, 35, is joining just the second NHL team of his career after spending 925 games and parts of 15 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Once a star two-way defender who could log more than 24 minutes a night against the other team’s best, racking up 30-point season after 30-point season, it’s obvious that Edler is no longer going to change the look of a defensive group. Instead, he should be able to provide some experienced depth to a unit in Los Angeles that doesn’t have much of it.

Take out Drew Doughty and you have a defense corps for the Kings where 26-year-old Olli Maatta is the grizzled veteran, he of 468 NHL games. The others are either young or inexperienced (or both), meaning Edler should be an important member this season if they have their sights set on a playoff spot. While $3.5MM might be a little pricey for the player he is now, a one-year deal offers almost no risk for the Kings, unless you consider the opportunity cost of the roster spot. There will still be plenty of minutes for the young guns though, and if the team falls out of the race, Edler makes a nice deadline chip to flip for a mid-round pick.

Boston Bruins Sign Erik Haula, Tomas Nosek

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Boston Bruins have signed Erik Haula to a two-year contract according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $2.375MM. The team has also signed Tomas Nosek to a two-year deal according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Nosek’s deal will carry an AAV of $1.75MM.

Haula, 30, seemed like a good bet to return to the Nashville Predators after the team lost Calle Jarnkrok in the expansion draft. Instead, while the Predators did retain Mikael Granlund, they lost Haula to the Bruins where he can bring some scoring punch to the bottom-six. For just $2.375MM, a slight raise on what he earned last season, Haula doesn’t even need to approach his career-highs of 29 goals and 55 points to be an effective player for Boston. If he can be solid defensively and sit right around that 30-40 point range, the team will be that much better for it.

Interestingly enough, Nosek was teammates with Haula when he set those career-highs with the Vegas Golden Knights. Both selected in the expansion draft, it was in Vegas that Nosek became a full-time NHL player, suiting up 240 times over the past four seasons. Even in limited minutes, he adds a little bit of offense, and in 2020-21 he was on a scoring pace that would have shattered his previous numbers if it were a full season. 18 points in 38 games may not sound like much, but when it comes with positional flexibility, penalty-killing prowess and a 6’3″ frame, it equals a pretty valuable bottom-six option.

How the Bruins lines shake out with all the newcomers—the team also signed Nick Foligno—isn’t clear, but there’s certainly a lot of NHL depth to work with. The team has 14 forwards already on one-way contracts with no one earning more than Patrice Bergeron’s $6.875MM.

Vancouver Canucks Ink Nic Petan

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks have added a nice depth piece up front in forward Nic Petan. Petan has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the minimum $750K NHL salary and a substantial $450K AHL salary, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The slippery winger has not been a regular player in the NHL for a few years, but has 136 games of experience, stellar AHL numbers, and at 26 still has room to improve.

Petan, a 2013 second-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets, always seemed like a talented prospect who was on the verge of a breakthrough, but it never came. Petan showed flashes of ability, even recording 13 points in 54 games for the Jets in his best NHL season, but could never hold down an NHL job. When he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018, the hopes was that his style of play and the Leafs’ need for affordable help would be an ideal match, but it resulted only in less opportunity and fewer results.

Will Vancouver finally be the right fit for Petan? It still seems like the skilled forward has more to offer than has been seen in the NHL thus far. His AHL production is incredibly strong and he plays a slick, play-making style that should create offense no matter what level he is at. With a number of talented shooters and net front disruptors on the Canucks, perhaps Petan will be able to put his strengths to work in his new home and surprise everyone as an impact player. If not, he’s a nice depth piece all the same at a minimum salary.

Los Angeles Kings Sign Phillip Danault

at CDT | by 15 Comments

The Los Angeles Kings have signed Phillip Danault, the team said today. It’s a six-year contract worth $5.5MM per season.

The 28-year-old Danault enters the Los Angeles organization after a successful stint with the Montreal Canadiens. Finishing top-10 in Selke Trophy voting for the past three seasons, Danault has cemented himself as a truly elite defensive centerman who can play top-six minutes. While he’ll never break the bank offensively, nor should he see power-play time, Danault still carries 40-50 point upside with incredible solid possession numbers. He’s coming off a 24-point season in which he shot a near-career-low 6.8 percent, so some increased goal totals for next season should be expected.

Danault currently slots in as the Kings’ second-line center behind Anze Kopitar, but how long he holds that title remains to be seen. Danault’s strength in the faceoff dot likely cements him at the center position, so it’s reasonable to surmise that he could serve as the team’s third-line pivot by the end of the deal. The Kings have many young centers, especially Gabriel Vilardi and Quinton Byfield, who look to be consistent top-six contributors within the next few seasons. However Danault gets used, though, he’ll bring a strong impact to a team who’s struggled mightily defensively in recent years.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Brock McGinn

at CDT | by 35 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Brock McGinn to a four-year deal, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. It carries a cap hit of $2.75MM per season.

McGinn enters the Pittsburgh organization after nine years in the Carolina Hurricanes organization. A veteran of six NHL seasons now, McGinn tallied his 50th goal and 100th point in the NHL and also has a series-winning overtime goal under his belt. A reliable third-line winger, McGinn’s coming off a good year with 13 points in 37 games, more importantly, in a season that saw his defensive impacts skyrocket. He’ll likely slot in a third-line position again in Pittsburgh and could form part of a formidable two-way shutdown line if centered by Teddy Blueger.

What’s important in this deal is cost certainty for the Penguins. Signed through 2024-25 at a cap hit under $3.0MM, McGinn projects as being able to provide consistent performance for that dollar amount as he’ll enter his 30s at the end of the deal. It’s a solid deal for a dependable player and should help Pittsburgh navigate some uncertain salary-cap waters.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Roland McKeown

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Some defensive depth is heading to Denver. After a season spent overseas on loan in Sweden, former Carolina Hurricane Roland McKeown has signed with the Colorado Avalanche. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that it is a one-year, two-way deal for the two-way blue liner at the minimum $750K NHL salary and a $225K AHL salary.

A 2014 second-round pick, McKeown has yet to really pan out in the NHL. Seemingly always on the cusp of a job with the Hurricanes, the 25-year-old only actually has ten NHL games to his credit, all coming back in 2017-18. A plus player at every level with good AHL scoring numbers, as well as now a decent season in the SHL, plus a valued right-handed shot, McKeown seems like a player that would have earned more NHL opportunity, but it has not occured.

While the easy excuse is to cite Carolina’s impressive defensive depth of late, that isn’t going to change in Colorado. The Avalanche are well-stocked on the blue line as well, in both the NHL and AHL. It would seem that he would be no better than ninth on the depth chart to begin the year. However, that is not considering the fact that he is one of only three right-handed defenders with NHL experience in the organization. If McKeown can get off to a strong start and injury befalls a righty, such as injury-prone veteran Erik Johnson, perhaps McKeown will finally get his shot.

Nashville Predators Sign David Rittich

at CDT | by 5 Comments

TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Nashville Predators have signed netminder David Rittich to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $1.25MM, a drop-off of over 50% from Rittich’s previous deal. The netminder hopes the “show me” pact will lead to a more lucrative contract next summer, while the Predators hope the former Flames starter can be an affordable and more importantly effective backup to Juuse Saros in the post-Pekka Rinne era.

Rittich, 28, is not long removed from looking like the long-term starter in Calgary. A well-regarded prospect that blossomed into a competent pro, Rittich seized the Flames starting job in 2018-19 with a .911 save percentage and 2.61 GAA in 45 games – not elite but enough to get the job done. However, when his numbers declined the following season, the Flames decided to sign Jacob Markstrom and Rittich’s future became muddied. A trade to Toronto this season didn’t help his stock, as he struggled in four games with the team. Rittich entered the free agent market as one of more intriguing and unpredictable netminders available.

The Predators watched as a number of other teams with vacancies in net through substantial contracts at goalies, some of whom are older and had worse numbers than Rittich. The team likely believes they got a steal then for Rittich at $1.25MM. If he does return to form, it will be a great deal indeed. If he doesn’t, the team has a great faith in Saros as a workhorse and has a strong fallback option in AHLer Connor Ingram. The deal seems like a win-win from Nashville’s perspective.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Jujhar Khaira

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Chicago Blackhawks have added some size and toughness to the bottom-six, signing Jujhar Khaira to a two-year contract. Khaira was recently let go by the Edmonton Oilers when they decided not to issue him a qualifying offer, but will land a $925K AAV in Chicago, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Khaira was one of the most recognizable names not to receive a QO this season and the Blackhawks leapt at the chance to add the physical young forward to their lineup. However, expectations should be tempered for the big winger. Although Khaira flashed some scoring ability earlier in his career that hinted at power forward potential, his ice time has remained steady over the past four years in Edmonton but his production has decreased and his hits have increased. Khaira has settled into a grinder role rather than focusing on the skill development needed to keep contending for an offensive role.

That is not to say that Khaira isn’t good at what he does. The 6’4″, 212-pound forward checks hard and often and is a difficult match-up for opponents. He was particularly aggressive this past season, logging a career-high 151 hits despite only playing in 40 games. That’s nearly four hits per game and a full season pace over over 300 hits. Those are menacing numbers and make Khairia a rare and valuable asset, even without the offensive upside.

New York Rangers Bring Back Greg McKegg

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After one year away in Boston, the New York Rangers have signed forward Greg McKegg for a second stint in the Big Apple. The contract is a one-year, two-way deal with the NHL minimum $750K salary and a $350K AHL salary, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. McKegg will return to his role as a dependable extra man on the roster or next man up in the minors.

McKegg, 29, seems like he has been around far longer than he actually has. The veteran forward has only played 190 NHL games over 10 seasons, but having spent time with seven different teams and played 40+ games with four of them, it seems like McKegg has been a key depth piece for a long time. In reality, he still has plenty of gas left in the tank and this will be far from his last NHL contract if he continues to bring value to his teams.

For the first time in his career, he is beginning a second stint with a team by returning to New York after suiting up for 53 games with the Rangers in 2019-20. Though used sparingly by the Boston Bruins this season, McKegg played well in his five games with a noticeable physical presence and a dominant face-off record. The Rangers will be looking for the same this year, as the team has a very young, skilled forward group and could look to McKegg to provide veteran presence and grit, either as an extra man or possibly even the anchor of the fourth line.

Carter Hutton Signs With Arizona Coyotes

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have signed goaltender Carter Hutton to a one-year, $750K contract according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. With Darcy Kuemper, Adin Hill, and Antti Raanta both gone, the Coyotes needed a goaltender with some NHL experience.

As it stands now, Hutton looks like the starter in the desert for next season unless another addition is made. This is very likely, but still a testament to the trust that the team has in him if no other moves pan out. Hutton, 35, had some hard times in Buffalo over the past three years. However, it was just before then that Hutton delivered an all-time NHL season, leading the league with a .931 save percentage and 2.09 GAA for the St. Louis Blues in 2017-18. Hutton may not be at the top of his game any more, but very well might have more in him than he was able to show in Buffalo over the past few years. The Coyotes look no better than the Sabres right now, but the system may be different enough that the veteran can benefit from a change of scenery.

However, Hutton’s best chance at success in Phoenix will be if the ’Yotes add another netminder. Hutton’s top seasons of his NHL career have all been when he played under 40 games. With only untested Josef Korenar as another NHL option in net right now, that is not happening. The aging goalie needs someone to take at least half of the starts off his hands or the likelihood that he can stay fresh enough to excel seems slim.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top