PHR Mailbag: Kraken, MacKinnon, Entry Draft, Sharks Goaltending, Kings, Centers, Guentzel, Devils, Kuznetsov, Predators
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the upcoming expansion draft, Nathan MacKinnon’s future, some Entry Draft predictions, and much more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag.
Nha Trang: Crystal Ball #2: Is Ron Francis’ intent in Seattle to emulate Vegas and win now, or to put together a team that’ll contend 2-3 years from now?
I suspect Francis is looking ahead a few years but to be fair, I don’t think the Golden Knights went into the process expecting to make a long playoff run in their first season either. With who all was left unprotected, Seattle could assemble a roster that could make a real run at a playoff spot but they should be looking to accumulate some picks and prospects more than trying to get into the postseason right away.
The way to do that will be to pick some players that can be flipped for value. Last time, Vegas took some veteran defensemen that went for late picks which is fine (Seattle will probably do the same with a few picks) but there are some top-six forwards available that other teams will part with quality assets to get. For example, if Tampa Bay doesn’t pay the high price to entice them to take Tyler Johnson, then take and flip Ondrej Palat who, as a rental, will yield a nice return. Same with Calgary and Mark Giordano. I’m sure they’ll get some picks for taking on certain contracts as well but moving one or two of their better selections would be a way to differentiate themselves from Vegas and build for the future.
Shjon: How active and/or successful do you think Francis will be during the free agent interview period between the 18th and 21st?
I suspect they’ll be extremely active in terms of speaking with UFAs. They’ll talk to dozens of them if they can. They get an opportunity to learn about a bunch of asking prices and if I were them, I’d try to get a couple of agreements in principle in place without actually selecting that player just to add as many assets as possible.
If you define success by how many they actually sign, I’d say they won’t be successful. Other than Chris Driedger who is the expected selection with a sign and select agreement, I don’t know if they really need to sign anyone else. They’ll be successful in terms of knowing more about what the UFA market will look like than any other team. But if they sign a bunch of players, I wouldn’t call it a success in that they will be giving up the opportunity to add other pieces as well. Fill out the roster with signed players and RFAs to build up the asset base, then supplement it with free agents at the end of the month.
Y2KAK: Who would be the most realistic player going to Seattle? Oshie? Tyler Johnson?
There aren’t many ‘obvious’ selections to make a list of realistic if not likely picks. Giordano from the Flames seems like the logical selection as someone that could be flipped but Calgary may want to pay to keep him around. I’d like to put Vince Dunn as a realistic choice as a young defenseman with some offensive pop that’s under team control for a while but Vladimir Tarasenko has to be tempting in terms of trying to improve his value and then flipping him later.
I’ll go with Driedger just with how long he’s been linked to them but if they decide they want to take Carey Price (I don’t think they will, especially with the injury questions now), even Driedger wouldn’t be a certainty as Seattle may not want to tie up that much money between the pipes. That’s one of the really intriguing elements of this draft is just how many viable ways Seattle can go here. Each writer here at PHR will be picking a mock team and I expect there will be plenty of varying opinions.
M34: MacKinnon has publicly stated he would take a “cheaper” deal again next time he is up. At that point in his career, and the MVP-caliber status/production, what is his market value? What kind of “lesser” deal is he willing to sign? Will it make a difference whether or not Colorado wins a Cup between now and then?
Assuming that Connor McDavid’s $12.5MM remains the top bar as it should be, Nathan MacKinnon’s market value should settle in a little below that in the $11.5MM to $12MM range. John Tavares is basically the only comparable top center to actually sign recently via unrestricted free agency and he signed for $11MM. MacKinnon is the better player so $11MM becomes the minimum bar to clear if he gets to the open market. He’ll be 27 at the time of his free agency (turning 28 before the 2023-24 season starts) and still in the prime of his career so while that’s undoubtedly a high price tag, it’d be justifiable for teams to throw it at him.
A hometown discount is always tough to peg for superstar players. It’s not as if the player can accept a lower AAV for a longer-term deal like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did; MacKinnon is getting the max (eight years from Colorado, seven from everyone else). And even in this cap environment, there will be enough teams willing to throw that type of money at him. Would he take a million less per year than market value? Maybe but it’d be hard to see the discount being much more than that.
I don’t think it will make much of a difference if they’ve won the Stanley Cup between now and then. For me, it’s a question of being contenders. Is Colorado still going to be a consistent threat in the West two years from now? If the answer to that question is yes (and it should be), then that’s the bigger priority over already having won one.
The Mistake of Giving Eugene Melnyk a Liver Transplant: It sounds like almost all draft prospects plan to return to their current teams next year. Are there any notable players who would possibly try the NHL or AHL next year? Also, how much of this is COVID-19 related, as this certainly seems higher than normal?
There are usually only a handful of draft picks to make the jump each year, including the top selection; Mike Modano was the last to not go to the NHL right away and that was in 1988. With this being a lost development year for a lot of prospects, it’s not shocking that some of the expected top picks are planning on staying where they are for another year and in most cases, I think whoever drafts them would be fine with it. (I think Buffalo would rather Owen Power turn pro right away so we’ll see if they can make that happen assuming he does indeed go number one.) Generally speaking, a lot of this should be attributed to COVID-19.
As for trying the AHL, I don’t expect any of the European prospects to try that league while most American prospects will be committed to the college route. Those are the ones that are eligible to go to that league as anyone picked from the CHL is restricted from joining the AHL until they turn 20 or have four years of service time.
rogueraceseries: Thank you for fielding questions! My head-scratcher is this…. What 2021 draft-eligible prospect will make the biggest leap/splash in this year’s draft? Like Seider jumping to #6 two years ago. Conversely, what player do you think will drop the most? Maybe Caufield as an example (he has had the last laugh this playoff run, hasn’t he? #nhlerstud)
Mason McTavish really seems to be flying up the rankings lately. A few months ago, he seemed to be at the back of the lottery but all of a sudden, a top-five selection doesn’t appear to be out of the question. I’ll also toss Sebastian Cossa out as a possibility. Are there teams that value him higher than Jesper Wallstedt? If so, he could go a fair bit higher than where most would expect (which, at this point, is probably in the late teens/early twenties). Two Russians in Danill Chayka and Nikita Chibrikov are other candidates. Some have them in the second round but if there’s a team that’s sold on his upside, they could land in the teens.
As for who drops, my usual picks for this question each year tend to get picked earlier than normal; the crystal ball doesn’t seem to work well for this one. I’ll go with Aatu Raty. Once viewed as a possible top-five pick, his value has dropped considerably. Some have him in the teens but it wouldn’t shock me if he slides closer to the back of the first round.
Cheechoo56: Assuming we are to believe Doug Wilson’s saying the Sharks are retooling and not rebuilding, are there any free agent goalkeepers that make sense in San Jose (given a potential buyout for Martin Jones and their cap situation)?
It’s not a great year for true number one goalies in free agency and that’s what San Jose really needs. Philipp Grubauer is the top name out there but his career high in games played is 40. Whether it’s retooling or rebuilding, the Sharks don’t need someone in their 30s already. Someone with an opportunity to be around for a few years would be preferable.
If it’s not Grubauer, I’d be looking at Linus Ullmark. Ullmark has struggled to secure the starting role in Buffalo but San Jose’s back end is a whole different animal. Perhaps a change of scenery gives him a bit of a boost and if that happens, San Jose would have goaltending that probably checks in just above the league average. They’d take that in a heartbeat.
Adin Hill is going to be part of the equation now as well but I don’t think he’s ready to be a starter yet or even the 1A guy in a platoon. They’re still going to need a more proven starter and Jones isn’t it. I’m not convinced Ullmark will be either but that tandem would certainly put them in the right direction.
Rene vandervelden: Who is a better trade target for the Kings, Jack Eichel or Vladimir Tarasenko?
I’ll go with Tarasenko. The Kings aren’t really in a spot where they should be parting with a bunch of top young talent to try to win now. I know that’s what their veteran core wants but it’s not the smart move. Anze Kopitar is already at $10MM and adding another center at that price point may not be the wisest decision which sours me on Eichel as a fit. I’m not opposed to the idea of them dealing away one of their many young pivots but not for him.
What I like about Tarasenko is that his trade value shouldn’t be all that high. He wants out, he has had shoulder trouble the last few years, and his contract at $7.5MM is too expensive for most teams to absorb. The Kings can take on that deal without offsets which gives them a leg up. Is there a risk to Tarasenko? Absolutely. But there’s also the potential for a high reward and at what would appear to be a below-market acquisition cost, there’s a chance for them to upgrade the roster without losing key parts of the future. That’s the sweet spot I’m looking for if I’m GM Rob Blake.
@FritzLiebich: Are the LA Kings ready to contend or are they 2-3 players away? Who should the Kings target by way of UFA or trade?
There is an opportunity for Los Angeles to be a playoff contender next season but by that, I mean a team that’s in a battle for a Wild Card spot. That’s not really true contention and it’s why I just advocated against making a big splash on the trade market with Eichel. But I do like the idea of them trying to add and the Viktor Arvidsson pickup certainly made sense.
I’d be looking for veteran bridge players if I was Blake, players that can upgrade the roster now but also be expendable in a trade if one of their many young prospects is ready for a bigger role. That means players on short-term contracts unless they’re adding someone that they think could still be a quality contributor a few years from now.
They could go for a free agent but I like the trade route better. Many teams are looking to dump contracts which means there will be opportunities to add roster upgrades at below-market costs such as Tarasenko above. Target Tampa Bay as they have several pricey veterans that need to be moved for cap reasons; they can’t command full value. As an example, Alex Killorn would be another nice addition on the wing. The Islanders may want to shed some money based on who they left unprotected. Jordan Eberle’s contract is a bit long for my liking (three more years) but would fill a positional need. They’re not getting these types of players for free but they won’t be paying a premium either and won’t have to sign someone to a longer-term contract that wouldn’t be advisable based on where they are. They’d improve the team and not mortgage the future in terms of assets or cap flexibility.
Offseason Checklist: Colorado Avalanche
The offseason is in full flight with the draft and free agency fast approaching. We continue our series which examines what each team needs to accomplish over the coming weeks and months. Next up is a look at Colorado.
This was a season that some felt might be Colorado’s best time to take a run at the Stanley Cup with some core players on team-friendly contracts, allowing them the flexibility to add Brandon Saad last offseason. However, things didn’t go as planned as they were eliminated by Vegas in the second round. Now, GM Joe Sakic has considerable cap room at his disposal but several key players in need of new deals. Accordingly, Colorado’s checklist this summer revolves primarily around those pending free agents.
Re-Sign Makar
Before digging into the notable UFAs, let’s look at the big RFA first. Makar has been an impact player since joining the Avs for the 2019 playoffs where he left college and played a regular role right away. From there, he has become one of the most dynamic offensive threats in the league from the back end and was the runner up in Norris Trophy voting while recording 44 points in 44 games this past season.
Generally speaking, players that don’t have the longest of track records typically can’t command the long-term, big-money contract. Makar technically falls into this category as two abbreviated regular seasons have left him with just 101 regular season contests under his belt, roughly a year and a quarter of a full 82-game campaign. However, how much more does he really have to prove at this point? He’s already a premier talent and that’s not going to change.
Accordingly, Makar should be one of the exceptions to the rule in that someone with that few games played can command a long-term deal if he wants one (which isn’t a guarantee with the current cap landscape). There aren’t many comparable players to work from but Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot had inked the richest post-entry-level contract by a defenseman at eight years and $64MM. That just changed with the eight-year, $67.6MM deal that Dallas gave to Miro Heiskanen on Saturday. If he gets a max-term contract, his agent will undoubtedly be working off the templates of these two deals.
Sign A Starting Goalie
Three goalies posted a goals against average below two in 2020-21. One won the Vezina, one played a dominant half-season in Carolina, and the other is Philipp Grubauer whose timing for such a season was perfect as he’s set to hit the open market later this month. He now stands atop the free agent class for goaltenders which has him well-positioned for a substantial raise on the $3.33MM AAV he had on his most recent contract. Considering some of the goalies that have signed in recent years such as Matt Murray, Jordan Binnington, and Jacob Markstrom, Grubauer has a legitimate chance of doubling his previous price tag despite never playing more than 40 games in a season, a mark he reached this year for the first time.
One question for Colorado is can they afford to pay their starter that much knowing they need to save big money for Makar’s deal, the fact they have another key UFA to bring back (more on him shortly), and have Nathan MacKinnon up for a lucrative new contract two years from now. They can only afford so many big-ticket deals on the books.
However, can they afford to not bring Grubauer back? There is plenty of uncertainty with backup Pavel Francouz who missed the entire season due to a lower-body injury and it’s not as if he’s particularly proven in the NHL with all of 36 career NHL regular season contests. They need a proven starter and while Grubauer doesn’t have the longest track record, it’s a better one than any of the other viable free agents out there. They don’t need elite-level goaltending with the caliber of the team in front of him and keeping Grubauer around would give them some long-term stability between the pipes.
If they can’t agree to terms with him, the plan may shift to trying a short-term platoon and there are enough veterans available to make this an option. It’s not a long-term solution though and shouldn’t be their primary plan heading into free agency while the trade market could yield some more intriguing options at a higher acquisition cost. This will need to be addressed quickly as it’s hard to see any viable options left by the time the calendar flips to August.
Re-Sign Or Replace Landeskog
Onto the other significant pending UFA. Gabriel Landeskog has been a fixture in Colorado’s lineup for the last decade after being the second-overall pick in 2011. He has spent the majority of his time on their top line and has been on a bargain contract throughout his career as after his entry-level deal expired, he played on a seven-year deal with a $5.571MM cap hit which is certainly below market value for a top liner. The captain has made it clear that he wants to stay and has even publicly voiced his frustration over the fact a deal isn’t done.
So what’s the holdup? Salary is one thing – he’s heading for a raise in Colorado or elsewhere despite the reported recent offers from the Avs – but speculatively, I think the term of a new deal may be the bigger issue in discussions. Yes, Landeskog is only 28 but with over 700 career games played (regular season and playoffs), that’s a fair bit of mileage. He also plays a rugged style, one that doesn’t necessarily tend to age well which adds a layer of risk to any deal that approaches the eight-year maximum which is why the reported eight-year offer from the Avalanche to Landeskog is as low as it is. Is there a happy medium that takes a year or two off the term of the contract but keeps it at an affordable price point for the team? Having that option could very well push things along.
If they can’t work out an agreement, that’s a big hole for the Avalanche to fill. Re-signing Saad becomes a more viable option but if not, they could be a player in free agency to try to find someone to step onto the top line. But there are still nearly two weeks before Landeskog gets to the open market. It’s hard to see Colorado giving up on the prospect of re-signing their captain until he puts pen to paper elsewhere.
Center Decisions
With MacKinnon in place, there are no questions about their top center. J.T. Compher is still in the mix for now although we’ll see what happens with him being made available to Seattle. Things could change fairly quickly after that, however.
Nazem Kadri is coming off another quality season on the second line and is signed for this season with a $4.5MM price tag before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. Of course, the question stems from what happened in the playoffs when he received an eight-game suspension for an illegal check to the head on Blues defenseman Justin Faulk. It wasn’t his first notable incident either and the number of games per suspension is going up from here. Is Colorado prepared to move forward with him or will they be better off trying someone else who could be a longer-term option in that role?
Then there’s Tyson Jost. He was the tenth-overall pick in 2016 but he hasn’t been able to establish himself as more than a role player. He’s arbitration-eligible for the first time this summer after accepting his qualifying offer in the fall but his projected role hasn’t changed as he’s still a bottom-six option. Now 23, is he someone that would be better suited with a change of scenery? They’d be selling low but another year like his last few would send Jost’s value even lower.
There’s also Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, their fourth-line pivot for the last two years who is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the month. He isn’t a major point producer but has been a fixture on their penalty kill and well above average at the faceoff dot. He’s also 36 and clearly not in anyone’s long-term plans. Is that spot better suited for someone closer to the league minimum or someone younger? At this point, it seems like he won’t be back.
Sakic will have some decisions to make about his middlemen in the coming weeks. The end result could be a group that’s a fair bit different than the one that finished up the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Carey Price Could Miss Time With Knee Injury
UPDATE: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is now reporting that the injury is to Price’s knee while the hip will also be assessed. Price will consult doctors next week, and LeBrun states that the hope is that the injury isn’t serious.
The saga of Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price has taken a variety of unexpected twists and turns over the weekend. After being left exposed with his no-movement clause waived, his future with Montreal suddenly became extremely uncertain. Now, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Price may miss significant time next season with a hip injury.
It complicates what’s already a very uncertain goalie selection process for the Seattle Kraken. General manager Ron Francis has a bevy of options to choose from. It’s been widely reported that the Kraken have immense interest in Florida Panthers netminder Chris Driedger, so the question of who his partner in the crease will be remains. While many suggest Price due to his legendary status, this news about his health may sway them otherwise. It’s a similar situation with Dallas Stars goalie Ben Bishop, who was left exposed but didn’t play a single game this season due to injury. Other potential options include Braden Holtby and Kaapo Kahkonen, among others, but Seattle has a tough choice ahead of them.
For Montreal, this could be a decently sized blow to their success next season. It’s softened a bit with the guarantee that Jake Allen will be back with the team next season. But despite posting better regular-season numbers than Price, the team won more with Carey in the crease. With no specific guidelines on how much time Price will miss, it’s extremely hard to project how this news could affect both Montreal and Seattle. Still, it’s certainly a development that shifts both their plans.
Snapshots: Price, NHL Schedule, Snowden
The NHL landscape was rocked this weekend with a landslide of news triggered by a pre-Expansion Draft transaction freeze that came into effect yesterday. Trades rolled in quick succession prior to the 3:00 PM ET deadline, leading to an unexpected rush of news. Now, with teams’ protection lists for the Seattle Expansion Draft being released this morning, there are even more implications. One of these is the future of Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price. After shockingly being asked to waive his no-movement clause, Price wasn’t protected by the Habs this morning. It’s led to a variety of rumors surrounding the circumstance of his potential selection. One potentiality that was floated was Seattle selecting Price and proceeding to trade him back to Montreal with salary retained. However, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that this isn’t possible given league statutes. The NHL classifies this type of move as salary cap circumvention, meaning that if the Kraken do select Price, he won’t be able to be immediately dealt back to Montreal. Uncertainty remains surrounding whether the Canadiens could re-acquire Price next offseason, however, which could be a strong possibility.
- National Hockey Now reports that the NHL will indeed be re-incorporating series-style scheduling into the 2021-22 regular-season schedule, which is expected to be released this week. It’s a move that was widely anticipated ahead of the announcement. This year’s NHLPA players’ poll revealed that 66.3% of players wished to carry this year’s series-style scheduling forward into the coming seasons. It’ll be of benefit to teams as they begin to readjust to league-wide travel, as the league returns to its standard divisions next season. The only modification will be the Arizona Coyotes moving to the Central Division, vacating their Pacific Division spot for the Kraken.
- The AHL’s Toronto Marlies announced today that they’ve brought in John Snowden as an assistant coach. He fills a vacant seat on the Marlies’ coaching staff left by former NHL defenseman Rob Davison, who departed the team after his contract expired this offseason. Snowden’s most well-known achievement as a coach is guiding the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers to a Kelly Cup Championship in 2019 after he was promoted to the job mid-season. He’ll look to bring that championship expertise to the next generation of Toronto Maple Leafs prospects beginning next season.
Poll: What’s The Biggest Protection List Surprise?
The past 48 hours across the NHL have been nothing short of chaos. With protection lists for all 30 teams due at 3:00 PM ET yesterday, along with the ensuing transaction freeze, a flurry of movement at the deadline drastically changed how many teams were to approach the expansion draft. Projected Seattle picks such as Jason Dickinson and Adin Hill were dealt, along with bigger names like Ryan Ellis and Jared McCann.
That frenzy didn’t stop yesterday, however. With the protection lists not being made available to the public until this morning, nobody was quite sure what their team was going to do. All those questions were answered this morning, some of those answers having potentially seismic implications.
There were many surprise omissions from teams’ protection lists, but let’s start with the elephant in the room. After being first reported by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun last night, Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price waived his no-movement clause and was not protected by the team. It’s an incredible turn of events after the netminder guided the team to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993 while being inarguably their most valuable player.
Another Canadian team made some waves this morning too. The Toronto Maple Leafs opted for a 4F-4D-1G protection scheme, leaving out the newly acquired McCann from their protected list. It doesn’t appear that there’s a side deal to protect him in place, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that McCann’s acquisition purely ensures that one of him or Alexander Kerfoot will remain on the roster in 2021-22. There were some other big surprises out of the East and Canada too, as Nino Niederreiter, Max Domi, Jordan Eberle, Evgenii Dadonov, and James van Riemsdyk were all somewhat unexpectedly left unprotected by their teams.
And then there’s the Vladimir Tarasenko saga in Missouri. The former St. Louis Blues superstar had requested a trade from the team earlier this offseason after a souring relationship, mostly caused by the team’s handling of his recent various shoulder injuries. He’s been left exposed by the team, meaning that they could use him for nothing rather than taking the best available trade offer. It breaks from practice, including the Columbus Blue Jackets’ protection of disgruntled defenseman Seth Jones.
So, we ask you, PHR readers, what shocked you the most about this weekend’s expansion news? Who was the biggest exposure surprise? Vote in our poll below.
Which was the most surprising Expansion Draft exposure?
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Carey Price (MTL) 57% (1,833)
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Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) 14% (453)
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Jordan Eberle (NYI) 7% (231)
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Nino Niederreiter (CAR) 6% (205)
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Jared McCann (TOR) 6% (197)
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Max Domi (CBJ) 5% (160)
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James van Riemsdyk (PHI) 4% (124)
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Evgenii Dadonov (OTT) 1% (41)
Total votes: 3,244
[Mobile users, click here to vote!]
Rangers’ Ryan Strome Drawing Trade Interest
The New York Rangers’ Expansion Draft protection list contained a surprise inclusion, but it wasn’t Ryan Strome. (Kevin Rooney?) Strome has bounced around during his NHL career, but has found a good fit in New York with back-to-back career years in terms of per-game scoring. Yet, Strome may be protected from selection by the Seattle Kraken, but that doesn’t guarantee that he will be on the Rangers roster next season. Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland reports that Strome is drawing considerable interest on the trade market.
Rosters are currently frozen through Wednesday’s Expansion Draft, but that was preceded by a mini-trade deadline on Saturday that resulted in a flurry of activity and surely far more conversations than what actually came to fruition. Strome’s name apparently came up in these talks and when transactions are unlocked later this week, he may be on the move. Of course, this depends one whether the interest that Strickland reports is being encouraged. If the Rangers are listening to offers or even shopping Strome, then a deal could happen soon. The Rangers are known to be in the market for an improvement down the middle and could be looking to open up cap space and a top-six center spot in one fell swoop by moving Strome. However, if this interest in Strome is developing without any involvement from New York, it could mean nothing. If the Rangers are unsuccessful in trading for an established center, they will have a hard time upgrading Strome on the free agent market this season and could be hesitant to move him.
One team who is eyeing Strome, should he be available, are the Ottawa Senators. Strickland notes that Ottawa in particular is interested in adding the center. This could be a savvy move for the Senators, who are looking to take a step forward in their rebuild this season, but would not have to sacrifice too much for Strome, whose contract expires after next season. Ottawa may also need to replace center Chris Tierney, who was left exposed in the Expansion Draft. If Strome excels playing on the young Ottawa roster, the team has more than enough cap space to extend him. If he struggles or the team falters again this season regardless, the Senators could flip him at the trade deadline to recoup their assets.
Nick Foligno Likely To Sign With Minnesota Wild
When Nick Foligno left the Columbus Blue Jackets at the NHL Trade Deadline this season, traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, many expected that he could return to the team this off-season. The Columbus captain since 2015, Foligno has strong ties to the organization and the city, enough that there was an expectation that the veteran forward would re-sign with the rebuilding club. While Foligno is technically the property of the Maple Leafs until July 28 and is now able to negotiate with the Seattle Kraken after being exposed in the Expansion Draft, this was the anticipated path of his off-season and the expectation remained that it would end back in Columbus.
Not so fast, says Bally Sports Andy Strickland. If there was any other team the could seduce Foligno from Columbus, it would be the Minnesota Wild, where his brother Marcus Foligno is a core player and signed long-term, not to mention protected from the Expansion Draft. That appears to be exactly what he is thinking. Strickland reports that there is a “strong possibility” that Foligno joins his brother in Minnesota when the free agent market opens next week.
Foligno, 33, is a gritty, hard-working forward who wins puck battles and creates offense in front of the net. Even as he has gotten older, Foligno’s offense has remained consistent throughout his career, scoring between 0.4 and 0.65 points per game in 12 of his 13 full NHL seasons (the one exception was a .92 PPG aberration in 2014-15). Foligno is also a smart, experienced leader, both in the locker room and on the ice. Foligno could help to make up for the recent departures of long-time Wild leaders Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, even replacing Parise’s middle-six winger role. The fit makes sense for a Minnesota team that is looking to take a step forward this coming season after a major turnaround in 2020-21.
2021 Expansion Draft Protection Tracker
The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft does not take place until Wednesday, July 21, but the proceedings are already underway. The NHL enacted a transactions freeze at 2:00pm CT on Saturday and at 4:00pm protection lists were due from all 30 teams taking part in the draft. The league will review and approve these lists and release them to the other teams and to the public on Sunday. In the meantime though, there will inevitable be leaks of who has been protected as well as who has been exposed. This list will be updated until all protection lists are confirmed:
Anaheim Ducks
Protected: F Nicolas Deslauriers, F Max Jones, F Isac Lundestrom, F Rickard Rakell, F Jakob Silfverberg, F Sam Steel, F Troy Terry, D Cam Fowler, D Hampus Lindholm, D Josh Manson, G John Gibson
Key Players Exposed: D Haydn Fleury, D Brendan Guhle, F Adam Henrique, D Kevin Shattenkirk, F Alexander Volkov
Arizona Coyotes
Protected: F Lawson Crouse, F Christian Dvorak, F Conor Garland, F Clayton Keller, F Phil Kessel, F Johan Larsson, D Kyle Capobianco, D Jakob Chychrun, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, G Darcy Kuemper
Key Players Exposed: F Christian Fischer, F Tyler Pitlick, D Ilya Lyubushkin, G Josef Korenar
Boston Bruins
Protected: F Patrice Bergeron, F Charlie Coyle, F Jake DeBrusk, F Trent Frederic, F Brad Marchand, F David Pastrnak, F Craig Smith, D Brandon Carlo, D Matt Grzelcyk, D Charlie McAvoy, G Daniel Vladar
Key Players Exposed: D Connor Clifton, F Ondrej Kase, F Curtis Lazar, D Jeremy Lauzon, F Nick Ritchie, F Chris Wagner, D Jakub Zboril
Buffalo Sabres
Protected: F Rasmus Asplund, F Anders Bjork, F Jack Eichel, F Casey Mittelstadt, F Victor Olofsson, F Sam Reinhart, F Tage Thompson, D Rasmus Dahlin, D Henri Jokiharju, D Rasmus Ristolainen, G Linus Ullmark UFA
Key Players Exposed: D Will Borgen, F Zemgus Girgensons, D Colin Miller
Calgary Flames
Protected: F Mikael Backlund, F Dillon Dube, F Johnny Gaudreau, F Elias Lindholm, F Andrew Mangiapane, F Sean Monahan, F Matthew Tkachuk, D Rasmus Andersson, D Noah Hanifin, D Chris Tanev, G Jacob Markstrom
Key Players Exposed: D Mark Giordano, D Oliver Kylington, F Milan Lucic
Carolina Hurricanes
Protected: F Sebastian Aho, F Jesper Fast, F Warren Foegele, F Jordan Staal, F Andrei Svechnikov, F Teuvo Teravainen, F Vincent Trocheck, F Brett Pesce, F Brady Skjei, F Jaccob Slavin, G Alex Nedeljkovic
Key Players Exposed: D Jake Bean, D Jake Gardiner, F Morgan Geekie, F Nino Niederreiter
Chicago Blackhawks
Protected: F Henrik Borgstrom, F Alex DeBrincat, F Brandon Hagel, F David Kampf, F Patrick Kane, F Dylan Strome, F Jonathan Toews, D Caleb Jones, D Connor Murphy, D Riley Stillman, G Kevin Lankinen
Key Players Exposed: F Ryan Carpenter, F Brett Connolly, D Calvin de Haan, F Adam Gaudette, G Malcolm Subban, D Nikita Zadorov
Colorado Avalanche
Protected: F Andre Burakovsky, F Tyson Jost, F Nazem Kadri, F Nathan MacKinnon, F Valeri Nichushkin, F Logan O’Connor, F Mikko Rantanen, D Devon Toews, D Samuel Girard, D Cale Makar, G Philipp Grubauer UFA
Key Players Exposed: F J.T. Compher, F Joonas Donskoi, D Erik Johnson, F Gabriel Landeskog UFA
Columbus Blue Jackets (link)
Protected: F Cam Atkinson, F Oliver Bjorkstrand, F Boone Jenner, F Patrik Laine, F Gustav Nyquist, F Eric Robinson, F Jack Roslovic, DVladislav Gavrikov, D Seth Jones, D Zach Werenski, G Joonas Korpisalo
Key Players Exposed: D Gabriel Carlsson, F Max Domi, D Dean Kukan, F Kevin Stenlund
Dallas Stars
Protected: F Jamie Benn, F Radek Faksa, F Denis Gurianov, F Roope Hintz, F Joe Pavelski, F Alexander Radulov, F Tyler Seguin, D Miro Heiskanen, D John Klingberg, D Esa Lindell, G Anton Khudobin
Key Players Exposed: G Ben Bishop, F Tanner Kero, F Adam Mascherin, D Andrej Sekera
Detroit Red Wings
Protected: F Tyler Bertuzzi, F Adam Erne, F Robby Fabbri, F Dylan Larkin, F Michael Rasmussen, F Givani Smith, F Jakub Vrana, D Filip Hronek, D Nick Leddy, D Gustav Lindstrom, G Thomas Greiss
Key Players Exposed: D Dennis Cholowski, D Danny DeKeyser, F Vladislav Namestnikov, D Troy Stecher, F Evgeny Svechnikov
Edmonton Oilers
Protected: F Josh Archibald, F Leon Draisaitl, F Zack Kassian, F Connor McDavid, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, F Jesse Puljujarvi, F Kailer Yamamoto, D Ethan Bear, D Duncan Keith, D Darnell Nurse, G Stuart Skinner
Key Players Exposed: F Tyler Benson, G Mikko Koskinen, D William Lagesson, F Cooper Marody, D Kris Russell
Florida Panthers
Protected: F Aleksander Barkov, F Sam Bennett, F Anthony Duclair, F Patric Hornqvist, F Jonathan Huberdeau, F Mason Marchment, F Carter Verhaeghe, D Aaron Ekblad, D Gustav Forsling, D MacKenzie Weegar, G Sergei Bobrovsky
Key Players Exposed: F Noel Acciari, G Chris Driedger UFA, D Radko Gudas, D Markus Nutivaara, D Anton Stralman, F Frank Vatrano, F Lucas Wallmark
Los Angeles Kings
Protected: F Lias Andersson, F Viktor Arvidsson, F Dustin Brown, F Alex Iafallo, F Adrian Kempe, F Anze Kopitar, F Trevor Moore, D Drew Doughty, D Matt Roy, D Sean Walker, G Cal Petersen
Key Players Exposed: F Andreas Athanasiou, D Kale Clague, F Carl Grundstrom, F Brendan Lemieux, D Olli Maatta, D Kurtis MacDermid, G Jonathan Quick
Minnesota Wild
Protected: F Joel Eriksson Ek, F Kevin Fiala, F Marcus Foligno, F Jordan Greenway, F Ryan Hartman, F Nico Sturm, F Mats Zuccarello, D Jonas Brodin, D Matt Dumba, D Jared Spurgeon, G Cam Talbot
Key Players Exposed: F Nick Bjugstad, G Kaapo Kahkonen, D Brennan Menell, F Victor Rask, D Carson Soucy
Montreal Canadiens
Protected: F Josh Anderson, F Joel Armia UFA, F Jake Evans, F Brendan Gallagher, F Jesperi Kotkaniemi, F Artturi Lehkonen, F Tyler Toffoli, D Ben Chiarot, D Joel Edmundson, D Jeff Petry, G Jake Allen
Key Players Exposed: F Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin, D Brett Kulak, G Carey Price, D Shea Weber
Nashville Predators
Protected: F Filip Forsberg, F Tanner Jeannot, F Luke Kunin, D Alexandre Carrier, D Mattias Ekholm, D Dante Fabbro, D Philippe Myers, D Roman Josi, G Juuse Saros
Key Players Exposed: F Matt Duchene, F Rocco Grimaldi, F Calle Jarnkrok, F Ryan Johansen, F Rem Pitlick, F Colton Sissons, F Yakov Trenin, D Mark Borowiecki, G Connor Ingram
New Jersey Devils
Protected: F Jesper Bratt, F Nico Hischier, F Janne Kuokkanen, F Michael McLeod, F Yegor Sharangovich, F Miles Wood, F Pavel Zacha, D Ryan Graves, D Damon Severson, D Jonas Siegenthaler, G Mackenzie Blackwood
Key Players Exposed: F Nathan Bastian, F Andreas Johansson, D P.K. Subban
New York Islanders
Protected: F Mathew Barzal, F Anthony Beauvillier, F Cal Clutterbuck, F Anders Lee, F Matt Martin, F Brock Nelson, F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, D Adam Pelech, D Ryan Pulock, D Scott Mayfield, G Semyon Varlamov
Key Players Exposed: D Sebastian Aho, F Josh Bailey, F Kieffer Bellows, F Michael Dal Colle, F Jordan Eberle, D Thomas Hickey, F Ross Johnston, F Richard Panik
New York Rangers
Protected: F Pavel Buchnevich, F Filip Chytil, F Chris Kreider, F Artemi Panarin, F Kevin Rooney, F Ryan Strome, F Mika Zibanejad, D Libor Hajek, D Ryan Lindgren, D Jacob Trouba, G Alexandar Georgiev
Key Players Exposed: F Colin Blackwell, D Anthony DeAngelo, F Julien Gauthier
Ottawa Senators
Protected: F Drake Batherson, F Connor Brown, F Logan Brown, F Nick Paul, F Brady Tkachuk, F Austin Watson, F Colin White, D Thomas Chabot, D Victor Mete, D Nikita Zaitsev, G Filip Gustavsson
Key Players Exposed: F Vitaly Abramov, D Josh Brown, G Joey Daccord, F Evgenii Dadonov, G Matt Murray, F Chris Tierney
Philadelphia Flyers
Protected: F Nicolas Aube-Kubel, F Sean Couturier, F Claude Giroux, F Kevin Hayes, F Travis Konecny, F Scott Laughton, F Oskar Lindblom, D Ryan Ellis, D Ivan Provorov, D Travis Sanheim, G Carter Hart
Key Players Exposed: D Justin Braun, D Shayne Gostisbehere, D Robert Hagg, F James van Riemsdyk, F Jakub Voracek
Pittsburgh Penguins
Protected: F Teddy Blueger, F Jeff Carter, F Sidney Crosby, F Jake Guentzel, F Kasperi Kapanen, F Evgeni Malkin, F Bryan Rust, D Brian Dumoulin, D Kris Letang, D Mike Matheson, G Tristan Jarry
Key Players Exposed: G Casey DeSmith, D Marcus Pettersson, F Brandon Tanev, F Jason Zucker
San Jose Sharks
Protected: F Rudolfs Balcers, F Logan Couture, F Jonathan Dahlen, F Tomas Hertl, F Evander Kane, F Kevin Labanc, F Timo Meier, D Brent Burns, D Erik Karlsson, D Marc-Edouard Vlasic, G Adin Hill
Key Players Exposed: D Ryan Donato, F Dylan Gambrell, G Martin Jones, F Matthew Nieto, D Radim Simek
St. Louis Blues
Protected: F Ivan Barbashev, F Jordan Kyrou, F Ryan O’Reilly, F David Perron, F Brayden Schenn, F Oskar Sundqvist, F Robert Thomas, D Justin Faulk, D Torey Krug, D Colton Parayko, G Jordan Binnington
Key Players Exposed: F Sammy Blais, D Robert Bortuzzo, F Kyle Clifford, D Vince Dunn, D Niko Mikkola, F Zach Sanford, D Marco Scandella, F Vladimir Tarasenko
Tampa Bay Lightning
Protected: F Anthony Cirelli, F Nikita Kucherov, F Brayden Point, F Steven Stamkos, D Erik Cernak, D Victor Hedman, D Ryan McDonagh, D Mikhail Sergachev, G Andrei Vasilevskiy
Key Players Exposed: F Ross Colton, D Cal Foote, F Yanni Gourde, F Tyler Johnson, F Mathieu Joseph, F Alex Killorn, F Ondrej Palat
Toronto Maple Leafs
Protected: F Mitch Marner, F Auston Matthews, F William Nylander, F John Tavares, D T.J. Brodie, D Justin Holl, D Jake Muzzin, D Morgan Rielly, G Jack Campbell
Key Players Exposed: D Travis Dermott, F Pierre Engvall, F Alexander Kerfoot, F Jared McCann
Vancouver Canucks
Protected: F Brock Boeser, F Jason Dickinson, F Bo Horvat, F J.T. Miller, F Tyler Motte, F Tanner Pearson, F Elias Pettersson, D Olli Juolevi, D Tyler Myers, D Nate Schmidt, G Thatcher Demko
Key Players Exposed: D Madison Bowey, F Loui Eriksson, F Jonah Gadjovich, F Matthew Highmore, G Braden Holtby, F Kole Lind, F Antoine Roussel, F Jake Virtanen
Washington Capitals
Protected: F Nicklas Backstrom, F Lars Eller, F Evgeny Kuznetsov, F T.J. Oshie, F Daniel Sprong, F Tom Wilson, D John Carlson, D Dmitry Orlov, D Trevor van Riemsdyk, G Ilya Samsonov
Key Players Exposed: D Brenden Dillon, D Nick Jensen, D Justin Schultz, F Conor Sheary, G Vitek Vanecek
Winnipeg Jets
Protected: F Kyle Connor, F Andrew Copp, F Pierre-Luc Dubois, F Nikolaj Ehlers, F Adam Lowry, F Mark Scheifele, F Blake Wheeler, D Josh Morrissey, D Neal Pionk, D Logan Stanley, G Connor Hellebuyck
Key Players Exposed: F Mason Appleton, G Mikhail Berdin, D Dylan DeMelo, F Jansen Harkins, D Sami Niku
Pro Hockey Rumors 2021 Expansion Draft Primers
The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft process is upon us. Rosters are frozen, protection lists are submitted, and in under 24 hours the full list of players available to the Seattle Kraken will be known ahead of Wednesday’s draft. Over the past month, Pro Hockey Rumors has previewed how the expansion process could shake out for each of the 30 teams participating, including predicting protection lists and identifying potential Kraken targets. While many of these scenarios have changed in the weeks since, capped off by a flurry of activity today, many also remain intact. As the protection list details continue to trickle in, catch up with the key decisions that each team faced in preparing for this league-altering event:
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights – exempt
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets
Snapshots: Halak, Ovechkin, Koivu, Hudon
Veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak and the Boston Bruins are officially parting ways. Halak’s agent, Allan Walsh, confirmed to The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter that Halak will reach unrestricted free agency on July 28 and the Bruins are not expected to be a suitor. The news really should not come as much of a surprise. It’s the dawn of a new day in net in Boston, as young goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Daniel Vladar have been excellent in both the NHL and AHL and look ready to take on regular NHL roles. Swayman in fact took the Boston backup job from Halak over the course of this season and into the postseason. The 2020 Hobey Baker finalist and Mike Richter Award and 2021 AHL All-Star has already shown flashes of NHL starting potential and could secure the role this season. Vladar, who led the AHL in save percentage and GAA in 2019-20, requires waivers this season, so he too looks locked into an NHL role. Between that duo and Tuukka Rask, who will be sidelined until mid-season but is still a candidate for extension, Halak had no place with the Bruins. With that said, there should be plenty of suitors out there. Halak was an ideal Robin to Rask’s Batman over the past three years, taking on a considerable workload and playing at an elite level, winning the Jennings Trophy with Rask in 2019-20. The 36-year-old has shown signs of decline in the past calendar year, but can still be an above average backup for a contender or a 1B mentor to a young 1A.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is less than two weeks away from reaching unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career but in an interview with Match TV’s Pavel Lysenkov, he expressed confidence that he will be able to reach an agreement to remain with Washington. He also acknowledged the possibility of returning to Dynamo Moscow in the KHL for next season which suggests that a new deal with the Caps isn’t finalized and is simply waiting until after the expansion draft to be filed as many expect will happen with several UFAs next week. Ovechkin has been adamant about his desire to play in the Olympics and with there still being uncertainty about whether NHL players will participate in 2022, going to the KHL would guarantee him the chance to participate. Having said that, a return to Washington still is the expected outcome.
- Former NHL center Mikko Koivu has found his first coaching opportunity as Ilta Sanomat’s Tatu Mullykoski relays that the 38-year-old has been named an assistant coach for Finland’s Under-20 team (their World Junior squad). He replaces Tuomo Ruutu who became part of Florida’s coaching staff earlier this summer. Koivu spent the first 15 years of his career with Minnesota before joining Columbus for this past season. However, he hung up his skates after seven games with the Blue Jackets.
- Pending UFA winger Charles Hudon is looking to return to North America, notes TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 27-year-old opted not to re-sign with Montreal as a restricted free agent and instead spent the season with Lausanne in Switzerland where he had 32 points in 33 games this past season. Hudon has 41 points in 125 games over parts of five seasons with the Canadiens.