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Archives for July 2021

Frank Vatrano Linked To Seattle

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When Seattle picks their team on Wednesday, they’re expected to make several side deals like Vegas did back in 2017 to take on assets for staying away from a player, picking a specific player, or even in exchange for someone that was selected.  In the latest DFO Podcast (audio link), Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Florida will be one of those teams.  While Chris Driedger is expected to go to Seattle, Seravalli adds that Frank Vatrano is also expected to be heading to the Kraken as well.

The 27-year-old winger has quietly found his scoring touch since moving from Boston to Florida, notching 58 goals in 206 games over the past three seasons including 18 tallies in 56 contests in 2020-21.  Those numbers aren’t elite by any stretch but he has found his place as a capable secondary scorer.

To that end, it’s a little surprising that the Panthers appear to be willing to move on from Vatrano who is about to enter the final year of his contract with a reasonable $2.533MM AAV.  They have some promising young forwards in Grigori Denisenko, Owen Tippett, and 2020 top pick Anton Lundell that could stand to benefit from a spot being created up front.

Alternatively, it could be a scenario where GM Bill Zito is looking to free up some cap room to make a more prominent addition or even a trade for someone that’s selected.  Either way, it appears that Driedger may not be the only Panther acquired by Seattle on Wednesday.

Jonathan Bernier Expected To Test Free Agency

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At times this past season, it looked like there was a possibility that goaltender Jonathan Bernier could extend his stay with the Red Wings.  However, it appears that won’t be the case as TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that the veteran has decided to test the open market when free agency begins next week.

The 32-year-old hasn’t exactly posted great numbers with Detroit but with the Red Wings bottoming out in the standings as GM Steve Yzerman rebuilds the roster, Bernier held his own most nights over the last three years.  In 2020-21, he played in 24 games while splitting time with Thomas Greiss, posting a 2.99 GAA along with a .914 SV% which was six points above the league average.  Being above the NHL average in that department is something that his agent Pat Brisson will undoubtedly bring up in contract discussions.

Bernier could very well be in line for a small raise on the $3MM cap hit he had on this most recent deal.  The backup market has continued to grow in recent years with an increase of teams wanting to lessen the workload of their starter or even head towards more of a platoon with some deals coming in closer to the $3.5MM mark.  Bernier has basically been in that same situation for the past several years even before his time in Detroit and that track record could help him when the floodgates open next week.

Ryan Getzlaf Intends To Re-Sign With Anaheim

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There were many pending unrestricted free agents that were left unprotected for Wednesday’s expansion draft but the expectation is quite a few of them will ink new deals between the lifting of the transactions freeze on Thursday and the start of the free agent market next Wednesday.  Among those appears to be center Ryan Getzlaf as Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register notes that the veteran is believed to be intending to return to Anaheim and re-sign with the Ducks before free agency opens up.

The 36-year-old has spent his entire 16-year career in Anaheim and is the longest-serving captain in franchise history after taking on that role in 2010.  In his prime, he was a dominant top-line center but his production has tapered off sharply in recent years.  This past season, he posted career lows offensively with just five goals and 12 assists in 48 games despite still averaging more than 16 minutes per game.  That had him in trade speculation at the trade deadline although with an $8MM AAV, a viable deal never materialized.

Now that he’s set to hit the open market, it’s fair to say that Getzlaf will be taking a significant drop in pay whether it comes from Anaheim or someone else.  At this stage of his career, he’s probably better off on the third line or lower so his salary will be more commensurate with that role.  Worth noting, he is eligible to sign a contract with performance incentives as long as it’s a one-year contract.  Such a structure would seemingly make sense for both sides as it would allow the Ducks to get him on a lower base rate but allow Getzlaf the opportunity to make more if his production rebounds next season.  Either way, it certainly appears as if Getzlaf’s tenure in Anaheim might not be done just yet.

Canadiens And Jets Among Teams To Show Interest In Rasmus Ristolainen

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Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is no stranger to trade speculation as it has seemingly become an annual tradition as of late.  Now, as he’s set to entire the final year of his contract next season before being eligible for unrestricted free agency, that speculation will only intensify.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported on the latest Insider Trading segment (video link) that several teams have shown some level of interest in the 26-year-old including the Canadiens and Jets.

Ristolainen saw his production dip sharply in 2020-21, going down to just four goals and 14 assists in 49 games, his lowest output since 2013-14, his rookie campaign.  However, he has four seasons of more than 40 points under his belt (and had a shot at getting there in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign had it not been for the schedule reduction) and has logged heavy minutes throughout his career.  That makes him one of the more intriguing offensive threats from the back to be available this summer.

Of course, there’s the matter of his defensive zone play.  It hasn’t been particularly sharp for most of his career and while Buffalo has struggled considerably throughout his career which doesn’t help matters, he hasn’t exactly helped their fortunes in that regard.  A change of scenery could help his fortunes which would go a long way towards helping his case on the open market a year from now.

Both Montreal and Winnipeg make sense as landing spots for Ristolainen.  The Canadiens have a big hole to fill on their back end with Shea Weber’s playing future in serious jeopardy while the Jets have been needing to bolster their defense corps for a while now with GM Kevin Cheveldayoff already acknowledging that he’s looking to make a move to accomplish that.

Both teams have ample cap space to bring him in as well at his $5.4MM price tag; Montreal can place Weber on LTIR to give themselves some wiggle room while Winnipeg has over $15MM coming off their books plus potential LTIR flexibility with Bryan Little as well.

We’ve seen Ristolainen in trade speculation for a while but with him about to enter the final year of his contract and a UFA market that isn’t exactly loaded with impact blueliners, the timing for a trade is certainly right.  With the NHL Entry Draft just days away and the transactions freeze set to lift on Thursday, there will likely be another frenzy of moves and the Finnish rearguard could very well be among them.

Free Agent Focus: St. Louis Blues

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Free agency is now just a few weeks away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in late July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. The big focus in St. Louis is on a disgruntled sniper, but there are other issues to worry about as well.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Robert Thomas – The discussion of RFAs, which is a long one in St. Louis, should start with Thomas, the 22-year-old center who showed real promise before a brutal 2020-21. In his first two NHL seasons, Thomas recorded 19 goals and 75 points in 136 games; those numbers dropped to just three goals and 12 points in 33 games this season. That’s a big step backward for the 2017 first-round pick, but it certainly doesn’t mean the Blues are giving up on him. In fact, it actually might help them in contract negotiations, at least if they’re willing to do a short-term deal. Thomas likely won’t want to lock into a long contract after such a poor offensive showing, meaning there’s even a chance that he could sign his qualifying offer and bet on himself in 2021-22. Just one year away from being arbitration-eligible, a big showing next season could set him up for a huge payday a year from now.

F Jordan Kyrou – Despite being in the same situation in terms of arbitration eligibility, Kyrou comes into this summer with very different leverage. The 23-year-old broke out this season with 14 goals and 35 points in 55 games, becoming one of the team’s most reliable offensive weapons. In fact, given his production came in limited minutes—Kyrou scored all 14 of his goals at even-strength despite averaging just over 13 minutes a night—there’s actually a good bet his scoring totals get a significant bump next season if moved full-time into the top-six (something that seems likely with the expected departure of Vladimir Tarasenko). His camp and the Blues will both know that, meaning a multi-year deal right now is probably the best bet for both sides, even if it does come with a healthy raise.

D Vince Dunn – The RFA list for St. Louis is long and also includes some other interesting forwards, but Dunn’s name is perhaps the most intriguing of all. The 24-year-old defenseman was left unprotected in the upcoming expansion draft and may end up negotiating a contract with the Kraken instead of the Blues, but either way, he’s in line for a significant raise. Signed to a one-year, $1.875MM deal in December, Dunn’s 2020-21 season certainly wasn’t smooth, but still ended up with him averaging more than 19 minutes a night. He scored six goals and 20 points in 43 games, continuing the early-career production that had him so highly coveted. Sure, there are defensive warts, but it’s difficult to find young defensemen that can drive play as well as Dunn has through his first 267 NHL games. Even if Seattle doesn’t take him, there’s a chance that the Blues aren’t the team he’s negotiating with anyway. The team has had him on the block before, and the fact that he’s arbitration-eligible makes it a tricky situation. St. Louis already has nearly $22MM tied up in their top-four defensemen, meaning they may not want to fit in whatever Dunn is awarded, should he go that route.

Other RFAs: F Ivan Barbashev, F Zach Sanford, F Jacob de La Rose, F Erik Foley, F Dakota Joshua, F Nolan Stevens, F Evan Polei, G Evan Fitzpatrick

Key Unrestricted Free Agents:

F Jaden Schwartz – Sometimes overlooked when discussing the Blues’ key players over the past several years, Schwartz has been a consistent offensive producer for quite a while. That is, of course, until the 2020-21 campaign, where he scored just eight goals and 21 points in 40 games. That is a per-game rate much worse than six of the previous seven seasons, which included four 20+ goal campaigns and five in which Schwartz scored at least 55 points. The one season that lines up with that kind of production? 2018-19, when Schwartz had just 36 points in 69 games but then showed up in the playoffs, helping the team to a Stanley Cup. In short, he’s coming off the worst year of his career at the most inopportune time, as he looks for a big payday in free agency. His history will certainly drive interest, but buyer beware with the 29-year-old forward, who has faced some sort of injury nearly every season of his career.

F Mike Hoffman – If you want a weapon for your powerplay, look no further than Hoffman, who had another seven goals with the man-advantage even in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. Even if he doesn’t contribute a ton in the defensive zone, the term “instant offense” applies to the 31-year-old winger. The market was weak enough in last year’s uncertain market that Hoffman accepted a one-year, $4MM deal to go to St. Louis, but it’s hard to imagine him taking that kind of a contract this time around. He’s going to score, you can be sure of it, but he doesn’t exactly play the style that Blues head coach Craig Berube has become known for, and will turn 32 in November. A multi-year deal is a risk, but one that someone will likely take this summer.

Other UFAs: F Tyler Bozak, F Alex Steen (retired), F Curtis McKenzie, F Nathan Walker, F Austin Poganski, D Mitch Reinke, G Jon Gillies

Projected Cap Space

With all those free agents off the books, you’d think the Blues would have a ton of cap space to work with. Well, not exactly, at least until they move Tarasenko out. The team currently sits $17.4MM under the cap ceiling, but a good chunk of that will have to be given out to the restricted free agents that remain. The team only has eight forwards signed to one-way deals, and though young players like Klim Kostin will likely push for spots, there’s lots of work to do for GM Doug Armstrong to fill out the roster.

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

Yannick Weber Signs In Switzerland

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July 20: Weber has officially retired from the NHL, meaning there will be no return to North America after the three-year deal in Switzerland. Over 13 seasons, he played 499 regular season games, 42 postseason contests and reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017.

June 8: With his latest NHL contract coming to an end, Yannick Weber is going home. The Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman has signed a three-year contract with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland, likely ending his playing career where it all began.

Now 32, Weber was originally a third-round selection of the Montreal Canadiens in 2007 and ended up playing more than 500 games in the NHL. During his 499 regular season contests, the depth defenseman managed 94 points. In 2017 he went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final with the Nashville Predators, playing in 22 of the team’s playoff games.

This season he suited up just twice for the Penguins, spending most of the year on the taxi squad with his two-way contract. With unrestricted free agency pending once again, he’ll take the stability of a three-year deal back in his home country and likely bid farewell to the NHL. Weber will turn 33 before the 2021-22 season gets underway.

Snapshots: Jets, Tarasenko, Buchnevich

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The Winnipeg Jets will be in the market for defensemen when the trade freeze is lifted in a few days. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke with NHL.com, explaining that the team is looking to improve the back end through trades or free agency, even though they have several young defensemen in the system already. Jordie Benn, Derek Forbort, and Tucker Poolman are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents this summer.

There’s also the possibility that Dylan DeMelo is selected by the Seattle Kraken, leaving the Jets even more shorthanded. Currently, the team has just DeMelo, Josh Morrissey, Nathan Beaulieu, and Sami Niku under one-way contracts for next season. Logan Stanley and Neal Pionk are both restricted free agents, while Ville Heinola, who could be in line for a full-time role, is still on his entry-level contract. Even if that whole group was brought back, it simply wasn’t good enough to help the Jets really contend for the Stanley Cup, meaning a more substantial change could be in order.

  • The Seattle Kraken are reportedly considering a select-and-trade with St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko, but Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweets that it could get even more complicated than that. Strickland suggests a third team could be involved in any Tarasenko trade were the Kraken to choose him. That would open up the door for even more salary retention, potentially giving someone the 29-year-old forward at a bargain. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic spoke with the doctor that performed Tarasenko’s most recent shoulder surgery, who explained that it is “rock solid” and suggested the sniper would be at full strength for the start of the 2021-22 season.
  • Strickland also tweets that the Blues have serious interest in New York Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich, who is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer for the final time. Buchnevich is now 26, just a year away from UFA status, and appeared on Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff’s list of trade targets last week, with the scribe writing that Rangers GM Chris Drury has “engaged in conversation about the possibility of moving” him. With 20 goals and 48 points in 54 games this season, Buchnevich has blossomed into a true top-six option that could potentially replace some of the outgoing firepower in St. Louis. It’s not just Tarasenko that could be leaving the Blues, as Mike Hoffman, Jaden Schwartz and Tyler Bozak are also all pending UFAs.

PHR Mock Expansion Draft: Seattle Kraken

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The protection lists are in and the Seattle Kraken are now on the clock. Tomorrow night the 32nd NHL team will select their expansion roster from around the league, taking one player from 30 teams. The Vegas Golden Knights are exempt from the process, but will also not receive part of the heft expansion fee.

Seattle must select at least 20 players who are under contract for the 2021-22 season. They must also select a minimum of 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders. The contracts of the selected players must fall between 60% ($48.9MM) and 100% ($81.5MM) of the 2020-21 salary cap. The full rules for the selection process can be found here.

The last time we had an expansion draft, the PHR team came together and developed a consensus roster. Though several of those choices turned out to be correct, the vast number of side-deals kept several top names out of Vegas. This year, we’ve done something a little bit different. Brian La Rose, Zach Leach, Josh Erickson, and I have each submitted a roster, along with a bit of explanation of our process. In these lists, we don’t take into account any potential expansion-day trades but do consider future transactions. As always, we welcome your thoughts and critiques in the comment section below.

Brian La Rose

Forwards (17):

Adam Gaudette (CHI)
J.T. Compher (COL)
Max Domi (CBJ)
Adam Mascherin (DAL)
Tyler Benson (EDM)
Calle Jarnkrok (NSH)
Andreas Johnsson (NJD)
Josh Bailey (NYI)
Julien Gauthier (NYR)
Chris Tierney (OTT)
Jakub Voracek (PHI)
Jason Zucker (PIT)
Dylan Gambrell (SJS)
Ondrej Palat (TBL)
Alexander Kerfoot (TOR)
Kole Lind (VAN)
Mason Appleton (WPG)

Defense (10):

Josh Mahura (ANA)
Jeremy Lauzon (BOS)
William Borgen (BUF)
Mark Giordano (CGY)
Jake Bean (CAR)
Troy Stecher (DET)
Kale Clague (LAK)
Brett Kulak (MTL)
Vince Dunn (STL)
Justin Schultz (WSH)

Goaltenders (3):

Josef Korenar (ARI)
Chris Driedger (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)

Value and flexibility were the two elements I valued on my Seattle roster. It’s a team that will be well below the Upper Limit once everyone is signed with several veterans who were selected with the intention of flipping them either before the draft this week or by the trade deadline for picks and prospects to build up their asset base. If they’re moved by the draft, that frees up the ability to take on a bad contract or two like Arizona just did with Andrew Ladd, adding more long-term pieces to the puzzle in the process. Others like Chris Tierney and Justin Schultz are pieces that would benefit from a big role and improved numbers, building up their value for the trade deadline.

In goal, Chris Driedger (assuming he signs) with Kaapo Kahkonen gives them a controllable and cost-friendly tandem for a few years. I don’t see the point of paying big money for a veteran at this stage as I’m eyeing a longer-term buildup. Josef Korenar is waiver-exempt and as much as there are better waiver-exempt third goalies available, someone had to be picked from Arizona.

There are two distinct classes on the back end. The expiring contracts are the trade bait but it’s by design that there are six players under the age of 25. Vince Dunn is an established piece and I think some patience and good development could yield three more regular NHL blueliners out of the more unproven players with an opportunity for a regular role. Again, they’re all controllable through restricted free agency, giving them either some cost-effective players or interesting trade pieces a year or two down the road.

Up front, most of the players chosen that are signed beyond 2021-22 were picked with an eye on rehabilitating value. Whether it’s a change of scenery or a chance to play a bigger role, the hope is that some of them will become trade assets next summer. Veterans like Jakub Voracek, Jason Zucker, and Josh Bailey, meanwhile, serve as capable pieces to keep the team competitive most nights. I’d take the gamble on an injured Max Domi to see if he’s someone that’s worth keeping around longer-term. If not, he’s someone who ideally would be flippable at the deadline as well. Again, there are some prospects on there with minimal NHL time by design. The hope is that a couple will realistically pan out into serviceable pieces.

I’m not looking to make the playoffs right away if I’m GM Ron Francis. I’m thinking a slower build that gives them a promising stable of assets is the better way to go and this roster was selected with that in mind. There are some players who could be around for a while, others who can be moved for picks and prospects, and the cap flexibility to quickly pivot if something changes quickly.

Zach Leach

Forwards (15):

Adam Gaudette (CHI)
Joonas Donskoi (COL)
Vladislav Namestnikov (DET)
Cooper Marody (EDM)
Carl Grundstrom (LAK)
Ryan Johansen (NSH)
Kieffer Bellows (NYI)
Julien Gauthier (NYR)
Vitaly Abramov (OTT)
Jason Zucker (PIT)
Dylan Gambrell (SJS)
Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
Yanni Gourde (TBL)
Jared McCann (TOR)
Jonah Gadjovich (VAN)

Defense (11):

Haydn Fleury (ANA)
Jeremy Lauzon (BOS)
William Borgen (BUF)
Mark Giordano (CGY)
Jake Bean (CAR)
Dean Kukan (CBJ)
Brett Kulak (MTL)
P.K. Subban (NJD)
Justin Braun (PHI)
Brenden Dillon (WSH)
Dylan DeMelo (WPG)

Goaltenders (4):

Josef Korenar (ARI)
Ben Bishop (DAL)
Chris Driedger (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)

Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis took a slow, methodical approach to team-building when he was with the Carolina Hurricanes. He very well may do so again in Seattle, but he also knows how important it is for an expansion team to be exciting from the get-go in a new market. Francis can accomplish both by taking advantage of some of the big names available to him on short-term contracts, such as Subban, Tarasenko, and Zucker. Those are names that make the Kraken dangerous right away, but will also result in nice trade returns down the road if Seattle isn’t competing for a playoff spot.

However, the team stands a good chance with supporting players like Gourde, Donskoi, McCann, Namestnikov, Dillon, DeMelo, and more. I tried to balance my picks between stars on short-term deals, affordable long-term deals, high-upside young players to build around, and veteran trade bait like Bishop, Giordano, and Braun, while also selecting some players with ties to Francis or to the Pacific Northwest. I also attempted to give the team some roster flexibility with 30 picks required, taking Abramov (playing in the KHL this year) and goalies Kahkonen and Korenar (both waiver-exempt). The one pick that likely needs the most explaining is Johansen – I simply believe that Nashville has a side deal with Seattle that involves one of their two $8MM centers. I think Johansen can return to form with a change of scenery and wingers like Tarasenko and Zucker wouldn’t hurt.

Josh Erickson

Forwards (15):

Alexander Volkov (ANA)
Nino Niederreiter (CAR)
Joonas Donskoi (COL)
Kevin Stenlund (CBJ)
Tyler Benson (EDM)
Matt Duchene (NSH)
Nicholas Merkley (NJD)
Jordan Eberle (NYI)
Colin Blackwell (NYR)
Evgenii Dadonov (OTT)
Ryan Donato (SJS)
Yanni Gourde (TBL)
Jared McCann (TOR)
Conor Sheary (WSH)
Mason Appleton (WPG)

Defense (11):

Cam Dineen (ARI)
Colin Miller (BUF)
Mark Giordano (CGY)
Anton Lindholm (CHI)
Troy Stecher (DET)
Kale Clague (LAK)
Brett Kulak (MTL)
Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI)
Marcus Pettersson (PIT)
Vince Dunn (STL)
Guillaume Brisebois (VAN)

Goaltenders (4):

Callum Booth (BOS)
Ben Bishop (DAL)
Chris Driedger (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)

It’s a team with more scoring punch than most expected weeks ago, mostly due to some unexpected exposures (Niederreiter, Dadonov, McCann etc.). There are still some notable omissions here – namely Stenlund over Max Domi from Columbus and Volkov over Adam Henrique for Anaheim. While those would certainly be the better player to select, you just can’t take too many big-money players in this environment. The higher cap hits of Duchene, Eberle, Niederreiter, and Gourde were more palatable. There’s also a bit of a controversial decision in Philadelphia, selecting Gostisbehere over either James van Riemsdyk or Jakub Voracek. He’s younger, cheaper, and on less term than both of the two, and should be poised for a bounce-back, especially under the coach in which he first succeeded. Opted for Kulak over Price for a similar reason – astronomical cap hit and injury concerns made Dallas’ Bishop a more appealing option.

Kahkonen is still waiver-eligible, meaning that Seattle could use him as the third goalie reliably if Bishop is healthy. They wouldn’t risk losing him on waivers. There aren’t really any additional cap dumps or trades needing to be made after this draft, and this team could easily finish at the top of the division and conference in Year 1.

Gavin Lee

Forwards (17):

Michael Bunting (ARI)
Nick Ritchie (BOS)
Joonas Donskoi (COL)
Kevin Stenlund (CBJ)
Evgeny Svechnikov (DET)
Jujhar Khaira (EDM)
Andreas Athanasiou (LAK)
Calle Jarnkrok (NSH)
Nicholas Merkley (NJD)
Jordan Eberle (NYI)
Julien Gauthier (NYR)
Chris Tierney (OTT)
Jason Zucker (PIT)
Dylan Gambrell (SJS)
Yanni Gourde (TBL)
Jared McCann (TOR)
Jake Virtanen (VAN)

Defense (9):

Haydn Fleury (ANA)
William Borgen (BUF)
Mark Giordano (CGY)
Jake Bean (CAR)
Calvin de Haan (CHI)
Brett Kulak (MTL)
Robert Hagg (PHI)
Vince Dunn (STL)
Dylan DeMelo (WPG)

Goaltenders (4):

Ben Bishop (DAL)
Chris Driedger (FLA)
Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN)
Vitek Vanecek (WSH)

I’ve gone with a bit of a different approach than some. I want to be a relatively competitive team right away, to give the market something to cheer for in year one, but I also was careful not to commit to any real long-term contracts. The four years remaining on Gourde’s deal is the only contract on the books through 2024-25, and he was only the choice because the center depth is so weak across the league. The key here is flexibility for GM Ron Francis and head coach Dave Hakstol. At least eight of the forwards selected have experience in the middle at the NHL level, meaning you could even sell some off when the annual race for a third-line pivot comes to pass at the deadline. Bunting’s inclusion is more about Arizona’s available players than the 25-year-old unrestricted free agent’s future. Even if a deal can’t be done, they’ll have a few days to trade his rights to interested parties.

Like Brian and Josh, I passed over the idea of Tarasenko, even though it looks like the Kraken may be interested in selecting and flipping the Russian winger. The same goes for another high-priced talent like Voracek in Philadelphia. Just don’t think it’s worth the opportunity cost of bringing in those contracts. Seattle’s cap flexibility is the greatest weapon they have right now.

In net though, I couldn’t pass up the chance to get Bishop. Sure, he might not be the same or even play due to his injury history, but there isn’t much else available in Dallas. Unless they can get a deal done with a UFA like Jamie Oleksiak or Sami Vatanen, why not take the chance on a goaltender who has one of the best save percentages in history. Even if Bishop doesn’t play, Driedger and Vanecek are good enough to hold the fort for an expansion team, while Kahkonen is still waiver-exempt and can be stashed in the minor leagues.

All four teams we’ve selected likely have a chance to do well in 2021-22, though obviously, the Kraken could start selling off assets immediately and build for a better future down the road.

Montreal Canadiens Exploring Forward Market

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The Montreal Canadiens have several forwards scheduled for unrestricted free agency later this month, and it’s not clear how many they will be able to retain. Phillip Danault, perhaps the one with the most leverage in any negotiation, seems destined to hit the open market. Though rumors had emerged linking Danault to the Seattle Kraken, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports and Eric Engels of Sportsnet have both confirmed that the two sides didn’t even speak about a potential deal.

Still, with Danault, Joel Armia, Corey Perry, Eric Staal and Tomas Tatar all pending free agents, the Canadiens have some work ahead of them to fill up the forward ranks. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweets that the team has been “actively exploring the forward market” and notes that Montreal has even inquired about Anthony Beauvillier of the New York Islanders. Beauvillier is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent, but is also a huge part of the Islanders forward group and part of the team’s protected list for the expansion draft.

The recently-turned 24-year-old forward scored 15 goals and 28 points in 47 games this season for the Islanders, a pace that would have shattered his previous career highs if the season wasn’t shortened. If he can continue that development, there’s a real chance that Beauvillier can become a true top-six difference-maker. That would of course interest the Canadiens, but whether they can pry the young forward out of New York is a different question.

Montreal only has six forwards (including Jonathan Drouin) under one-way contracts for the 2021-22 season at the moment, meaning they can reshape their group however they see fit this summer. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki will be back on their entry-level contracts, and new deals seem likely with restricted free agents Artturi Lehkonen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. But there will be a real opportunity for a free agent or trade target to come in and make an impact next season, especially if the Seattle Kraken end up shocking the world and taking Carey Price’s $10.5MM cap hit off the books, or if Shea Weber is unable to play and spends the year on long-term injured reserve.

After a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, most teams bring back mostly the same group to try and climb the mountain once again. In Montreal, things could look very different in 2021-22.

Los Angeles Kings Willing To Move Top Draft Pick

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Want to get into the top-10 at this year’s draft? Call the Los Angeles Kings. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Kings are “open for business” in regards to the eighth overall selection in the upcoming draft.

The Kings, who haven’t made it past the first round of the playoffs since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, have amassed a huge number of picks over the last few years, making their prospect list longer than most. In 2020, they had five picks in the first three rounds including second-overall Quinton Byfield. In 2019, they had another five picks in the top three rounds, including fifth-overall Alex Turcotte. Now, with the team trying to move closer to contention, it seems they are ready to sacrifice some futures for current help.

To get an idea of what that eighth overall selection may represent, Luke Hughes occupied the spot in yesterday’s final draft ranking from Bob McKenzie of TSN. That ranking is based on polling of current NHL scouts, meaning there is a real chance someone as talented as Hughes is still available at that spot. Even if it’s not him, there is enough talent at the top of this draft to make the eighth pick pretty appealing.

Draft picks in the top five are rarely moved in the NHL, but trades involving picks 5-10 are a little more common. In 2011, Columbus sent Philadelphia the eighth overall pick in the Jakub Voracek–Jeff Carter deal. It ended up being Sean Couturier. At the 2012 draft, the Penguins received the eighth overall pick in a package for Jordan Staal and ended up selecting Derrick Pouliot. In 2013, it was the ninth pick heading from New Jersey to Vancouver for Cory Schneider, eventually leading to the Canucks selecting their captain, Bo Horvat. In 2017, the Rangers ended up with Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, using it to pick Lias Andersson.

The results have been mixed, and almost always come down to the player that the team ends up picking. Even in the Pouliot and Andersson years, there were several NHL stars still on the board. Though late-round firsts have a much lower probability of success, the eighth overall pick carries plenty of value even in this uncertain draft year. If the Kings are really entertaining offers, they should be able to command a hefty price.

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