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Archives for July 2021

Snapshots: Jones, Flames, Ducharme

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As speculation around the now-constant Duncan Keith trade rumors intensifies, more clarity is coming around a potential return. A piece in the Edmonton Journal by David Staples starts off the party with the Edmonton Oilers. Jumping off earlier reports from both Elliotte Friedman and Bob Stauffer that the Chicago Blackhawks weren’t interested in taking on another big contract in exchange for Keith, Staples suggests defender Caleb Jones as a potential piece going to Chicago in exchange for Keith. With Chicago now being implicated in trade talks with Columbus Blue Jackets defender Seth Jones, playing with his brother may entice Seth to sign an extension if dealt to the Hawks. What is for sure is that it’s just the beginning of the inevitable rumors and speculation surrounding such big a name as Keith. As Chicago looks to move on from a franchise legend, what Chicago receives in return for Keith will be under intense scrutiny.

  • The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal, during his ’Donnie & Dhali’ radio show today, reports that the Calgary Flames weren’t identified by Keith or his agent as a potential trade destination. With captain Mark Giordano potentially being left unprotected for the Seattle expansion draft, it made sense that Calgary could be looking to acquire a veteran presence to replace Giordano on their blueline. However, considering the leverage Keith holds with his full no-movement clause, it appears as though Keith in a Flames uniform isn’t a true possibility come October.
  • Marc Antoine Godin, senior writer for The Athletic Montreal, relayed remarks made by Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme today ahead of his return to the bench for Game 3 after being sidelined for two weeks due to COVID-19. Reacting to the news that the Quebec provincial health authority would not allow more fans into the building, Ducharme commented that “it’s hard to find the logic” for not increasing the capacity from the existing 3,500 fans, especially due to the large crowds that have formed outside in recent games. It’ll be on Ducharme tonight to guide his team to a Game 3 win, despite the supposed lack of a true home-ice advantage.

Poll: Grading The Viktor Arvidsson Trade

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The Los Angeles Kings made their first big splash of the summer yesterday, acquiring forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for the 40th overall selection in this year’s draft and a 2022 third-round pick.

The deal came after two consecutive seasons where Arvidsson has come up short of expectations, with just 25 goals and 52 points over 107 combined games. That’s a big step backward for the player who racked up 34 tallies in just 58 games during the 2018-19 season, or the one that had posted back-to-back 61-point seasons the two years prior. Arvidsson has also failed to ever play in every scheduled game for the Predators, dealing with various minor injuries throughout the last several years.

Still, there’s lots of upside to the 28-year-old forward, something the Kings can take a chance on next season. Los Angeles has amassed one of the most impressive prospect groups in the NHL and didn’t have to forfeit a single one to land the talented winger. In fact, they still own a draft pick in each of the rounds they gave up, thanks to previous trades for Alec Martinez and Jeff Carter. There was an opportunity to add an established forward without drastically affecting the Kings future, and they took it.

Was Arvidsson the right choice though? That same draft capital could have been used to land someone else, and it’s not like he has provided much excess value on his $4.25MM deal the past two seasons. He immediately becomes the Kings’ third-highest paid forward and will contribute to a bit of a financial squeeze in the coming years. Even though Los Angeles has shed some of their highest-priced assets in recent years, they still have nearly $27MM tied up in the trio of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick. As younger players start reaching restricted (or unrestricted, in the case of Calvin Petersen) free agency, they’ll need raises to keep them in the organization. Adding a $4.25MM hit doesn’t come without some risk in that regard, though if Arvidsson bounces back it won’t be much of an issue.

For Nashville, moving Arvidsson not only cleared a bit of cap, but also helped their expansion situation. Should the team decide to go the eight-skater protection route in order to keep all of their talented defensemen, the forward list is down to just a few names. Moving Arvidsson for some draft capital now allows them to protect someone else, a little extra value that should be taken into account when assessing the trade.

Filip Forsberg certainly didn’t like the deal, but how do you think each team did? Cast your vote for each side below and make sure to explain your thoughts in the comments.

Grade the Arvidsson trade for the Predators
B 40.69% (570 votes)
C 33.83% (474 votes)
D 11.21% (157 votes)
A 10.56% (148 votes)
F 3.71% (52 votes)
Total Votes: 1,401
Grade the Arvidsson trade for the Kings
B 43.46% (598 votes)
A 35.03% (482 votes)
C 16.57% (228 votes)
D 3.56% (49 votes)
F 1.38% (19 votes)
Total Votes: 1,376

[Links for mobile/app users: Predators, Kings]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Focus: Detroit Red Wings

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Free agency is now less than a month 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 Red Wings, who have been quietly collecting assets for the last few seasons, could start to dip their toes into the UFA waters.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Jakub Vrana – At the deadine this season, instead of just selling, Red Wings’ GM Steve Yzerman took a bit of a different approach. Sure, he traded away core forward Anthony Mantha for a package that included two high draft picks, but the biggest piece coming back was Vrana, a 25-year-old forward who had already found a lot of success in the NHL. The deal immediately paid dividends (for both teams) as Vrana scored eight goals and 11 points in 11 games down the stretch in Detroit, including a four-goal effort against the Dallas Stars. He now enters the offseason as one of the team’s most important restricted free agents, though how Yzerman will handle his negotiation isn’t clear. With several seasons of NHL action under his belt, Vrana is arbitration-eligible and could reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2023. That means a long-term deal would be buying out most of the years with the highest earning potential, likely driving the average annual value way up. A short-term deal could be beneficial to both parties, especially if the Red Wings have any thought of flipping him for more futures at some point.

F Tyler Bertuzzi – Speaking of flipping an asset, Bertuzzi is now just a year away from unrestricted free agency and arbitration-eligible once again. That means he could potentially wait for the one-year contract given by the arbitrator and walk into UFA status at 27, but there is certainly risk on Bertuzzi’s part. For one thing, he played just nine games this season and underwent back surgery at the end of April. He is supposed to be healthy in time for the start of 2021-22, but who knows how his body will react after such a long layoff. There are other teams in the league who would covet the bang-and-crash style of the 26-year-old, and he very well could be a trade candidate in the coming weeks. Just like Mantha, Bertuzzi might be just a little too old to be part of the next wave in Detroit.

Other RFAs: F Adam Erne, F Evgeny Svechnikov, F Michael Rasmussen, F Mathias Brome, F Givani Smith, F Hayden Verbeek, F Chase Pearson, D Christian Djoos, D Filip Hronek, D Dennis Cholowski, D Gustav Lindstrom

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Luke Glendening – Is it finally time for the defensive specialist to leave Detroit? Glendening has been in trade rumors for the last half-decade, always a candidate to be moved to a contender at the deadline. It has never actually happened though, meaning the 32-year-old has played his entire 554-game NHL career with the Red Wings. One thing he hasn’t experienced much of during that time? Offensive zone faceoffs, as he has been hammered by defensive zone starts his entire career. There’s almost no offense there, and Glendening certainly isn’t the skater he once was, but his faceoff prowess is still a weapon on the penalty kill and in key defensive situations. He won nearly 61% of his draws this season, trailing only Patrice Bergeron in that category league-wide.

D Marc Staal – When Staal came to Detroit, it was a simple cap dump by the New York Rangers to free up more room on the back end for young players. Then he went and became one of the Red Wings most reliable defensemen, averaging more than 18 minutes a night against the opponent’s best. Suddenly, he seems like a realistic extension candidate for Detroit, who could help insulate some of the younger names that will be added to the lineup next season. The 34-year-old is nearing the end of his career and has made almost $55MM over the course of nearly 1,000 games; he shouldn’t be very expensive if Yzerman wants to bring him back.

G Jonathan Bernier – Undersized goalies can’t get it done? Tell that to Bernier, who has quietly been an effective NHL option for more than a decade. Now 32, he’s coming off another strong season in Detroit where he posted a .914 save percentage in 24 appearances. There’s a reasonable chance that Bernier could be a 1B option on a contending team, but there’s also a good argument to be made for the Red Wings to bring him back. He worked fine with Thomas Greiss this season and Detroit doesn’t have a minor league netminder truly banging down the door for an NHL opportunity.

Other UFAs: F Bobby Ryan, F Sam Gagner, F Valtteri Filppula, F Darren Helm, F Henrik Zetterberg, F Turner Elson, F Dominic Turgeon, F Kyle Criscuolo, F Taro Hirose, D Dylan McIlrath, D Joe Hicketts, D Alex Biega, G Calvin Pickard, G Kevin Boyle

Projected Cap Space

Part of the rebuild that Yzerman has done in Detroit, along with accumulating lots of draft picks, is clearing the books of any real long-term money. In fact, after trading Mantha, the team has just two players signed to one-way contracts through the 2022-23 season. That means nearly the entire cap is his to play with going forward, with more than $48MM this offseason in particular. If the team wants to sign players, they have the room.

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

Boston University Hires Jay Pandolfo, Brian Daccord

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July 2: BU has officially announced Pandolfo as the Terriers’ associate coach. The team will also be adding Brian Daccord as a goaltending coach after he resigned from the Arizona Coyotes earlier this year. Daccord, whose son is a goaltender in the Ottawa Senators organization, left the Coyotes after just one season.

July 1: Boston Bruins assistant coach Jay Pandolfo is making a move, but he won’t be going far. According to the New England Hockey Journal, Pandolfo is set to join Boston University as an associate head coach under Albie O’Connell. He will replace outgoing assistant Paul Peart, who recently accepted the head coach position at prep powerhouse Cushing Academy. Pandolfo’s hockey career took off as a standout at BU in the 90’s and led to a long, successful NHL career that wrapped up back in Boston with the Bruins in 2012-13. He now returns to his alma mater as a seasoned coach, looking to win an NCAA Championship as he did as a player in 1995.

The move, while understandable given the history, is still unorthodox. Pandolfo is leaving an NHL assistant position on one of the better and more consistent franchises in the league to take a similar role at the college level. Pandolfo has been on the Bruins’ staff since 2016-17, the year in which current head coach Bruce Cassidy first took over. While there hasn’t been much noise surrounding Pandolfo this year or last, he was once considered an up-and-coming coach, with at least one confirmed head coach interview with the New York Islanders in 2018. Now, he moves away from that possibility and into the college game. If he can help right the ship at BU, where the Terriers have struggled to find great success in recent years despite some of the best talent in college hockey, Pandolfo could quickly grab an NCAA head coaching job.

As for the Bruins, the team is not without a number of suitable internal candidates. Development coach Chris Kelly and scouting coordinator P.J. Axelsson are both former players who would be good for the role, as would highly-regarded AHL head coach Jay Leach, who interviewed for the Arizona Coyotes’ vacancy recently. It is also worth noting that Rick Tocchet, now out of head coach options despite considerable interest, was briefly a Bruin during his playing days and skated alongside Team President Cam Neeley and GM Don Sweeney. 

Minor Transactions: 07/02/21

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Game three of the Stanley Cup Finals is on tap tonight, as the Montreal Canadiens try to claw their way back into the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. “You’re not in trouble until you lose on home ice” reads the old hockey saying, something Montreal will try to avoid at the Bell Centre tonight. As all eyes focus on that game, we’ll keep track of all the other notable minor transactions around the hockey world.

  • The Providence Bruins have signed Eli Zummack to a two-year AHL contract, bringing him in from the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. The 21-year-old undrafted forward was an unrestricted free agent after scoring 22 points in 21 games this season. Undersized, Zummack dominated the competition in 2020-21, scoring 86 points in 64 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day. 

Montreal Canadiens Head Coach Dominique Ducharme Expected Back For Game 3

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July 2: Ducharme is on the ice at today’s morning skate and is expected to be behind the bench this evening.

June 26: Some more good news came across the wire for Montreal Canadiens fans today. The team announced via Twitter Saturday morning that they expect head coach Dominique Ducharme to return behind the bench for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It will be Ducharme’s first game action since Game 2 of the team’s Stanley Cup Semifinal series versus the Vegas Golden Knights after a positive COVID-19 test sidelined the head coach for 14 days.

In Ducharme’s absence, longtime NHLer and Habs assistant coach Luke Richardson has taken over the bench. The Habs went a sparkling 3-1 with Richardson at the helm, losing one game due to a Nicolas Roy overtime winner. Richardson’s knowledge of the current roster, having been an assistant coach with the team since 2018-19, has proved instrumental in helping Montreal return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993.

This current playoff run has been somewhat of a renaissance for Ducharme himself. After a rocky 15-16-7 finish under Ducharme’s tutelage, Montreal entered as the worst team by standings’ measure in the playoffs. As the interim bench boss, it was rather unlikely that he’d be retained as the head coach at the season’s end. However, it’s impossible to ignore what Ducharme and Montreal have put together over the past few weeks, especially after dispatching two of the league’s top teams in Vegas and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It certainly won’t be a cakewalk for Montreal, Richardson, and Ducharme as they prepare for a battle against the defending Stanley Cup champions, with Game 1 Monday night in Tampa. Ducharme will wait eagerly for his return to the Bell Centre for Game 3 on Friday night.

Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars

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Free agency is now just under a month 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.  Dallas has a handful of veterans that will be reaching unrestricted free agency but their biggest contract this summer will be their top young defenseman.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Miro Heiskanen – The highest-picked defenseman from the 2017 draft class (third overall) didn’t waste much time establishing himself as a focal part of Dallas’ back end and logged nearly 25 minutes per game this season.  He wasn’t able to maintain his strong production from the bubble last summer but still managed 27 points in 55 games which is above average for a defenseman.  A big payday is coming with the question being how long the contract will be.  The Stars would undoubtedly love to give him a max-term eight-year contract, buying four extra years of team control in the process.  However, with the cap flat now and Heiskanen not eligible for arbitration this time around, a bridge deal would give him a chance to improve his numbers and enter negotiations in hopefully a better financial environment plus arbitration rights.

F Jason Dickinson – His offensive numbers on a per game basis were comparable to his previous two seasons which saw him surpass the 20-point mark.  But Dickinson is known more for defensive prowess and was tied for second in SH ATOI among Dallas forwards.  He’s a capable third-liner who can play the wing and down the middle, making him a useful player to have.  However, Dickinson is owed a $1.6MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights that could push the price tag into the $2MM range.  If the Stars want to buy themselves some extra wiggle room this summer, that might be a bit too pricey.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dallas try to get something done before the qualifying offer deadline.

F Joel Kiviranta – After spending most of 2019-20 in the minors, the 25-year-old didn’t see any AHL action this season and got into a career-best 26 NHL games where he had 11 points.  Kiviranta is best known from his play in the bubble where he had five goals in 14 postseason contests last summer but that alone won’t give him too much leverage in talks even though he’s arbitration-eligible.  He should be able to get a small raise from the $925K he made on his entry-level deal but not too much more than that.

Other RFAs: F Nicholas Caamano, D Joseph Cecconi, D Ben Gleason, D Julius Honka, F Adam Mascherin, G Colton Point, D Jerad Rosberg

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Jamie Oleksiak – It was a disappointing year for quite a few Dallas veterans but that wasn’t the case for Oleksiak.  The 28-year-old stepped into a regular role in the top four for the first time in his career and responded with arguably his best NHL season, notching 14 points while logging over 20 minutes a game.  He’s not the fastest of skaters – few his size are – but Oleksiak is a capable stay-at-home defender and may be starting to show some offensive potential as well, scoring six goals during the season after notching five last postseason.  There was trade interest in him at the deadline and given his age and improvement, he should be able to land a bit more than the $2.5MM salary he received this year if he makes it to the open market.

F Andrew Cogliano – In his prime, Cogliano was a speedy two-way forward.  However, in recent years, the production has tailed off for the 34-year-old who is basically just a checker now.  There is still a market for those types of players but it will have to come at a much lower price tag than the $3.25MM he made over each of the past three seasons.  Half of that may be tough to get, even.

D Sami Vatanen – This was a tough season for Vatanen, to put it lightly.  After not getting much interest in free agency, he opted to go back to New Jersey in the hopes of building his value back up.  It didn’t happen.  Instead, he dropped to the third pairing, didn’t produce much (six points in 30 games isn’t great for a blueliner known for some timely offense), and wound up being waived after they couldn’t find a trade taker for him.  That’s what got Vatanen to Dallas where he did even less.  After taking less than half of his previous contract for this season (from $4.875MM to $2MM), another cut is coming for the 30-year-old.

Other UFAs: G Landon Bow, F Justin Dowling, D Taylor Fedun, D/F Mark Pysyk

Projected Cap Space

The Stars currently have a little over $15MM in cap space with 16 players signed.  That’s not a bad spot to be in although more than half of that will go to Heiskanen if they can get any sort of medium or long-term deal in place.  If that happens, they’ll basically be filling out the rest of the roster with cheap contracts and basically be at the Upper Limit.  Barring trades, it could be a quiet summer for Dallas.

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

Snapshots: Beniers, Ceci, Forrest, Killorn

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Back in the spring, presumptive number one pick Owen Power raised some eyebrows when he suggested he was leaning towards staying at Michigan over turning pro.  He may not be the only prominent Wolverine to do so as Matthew Beniers told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale (Twitter links) that he is leaning towards doing the same as well.  Beniers is viewed by many as the top center available in this draft class but unlike Power, he may not quite be NHL-ready just yet so more time in college seems like a wise idea.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The Penguins would like to retain pending UFA defenseman Cody Ceci this summer but they’ll have to cut some payroll to make that happen. GM Ron Hextall told Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that they’d have to move out some money to have a shot at bringing the veteran back.  The 27-year-old had a nice bounce-back year, notching 17 points in 53 games while logging 18:31 per night, a number that jumped to over 22 minutes a game in the playoffs.  He wound up being a strong bargain for Pittsburgh at $1.25MM and has earned a raise but with over $78MM in commitments already per CapFriendly and a handful of roster spots that still need to be filled, some roster juggling will be needed to make that happen.
  • Penguins AHL coach J.D. Forrest has been selected to coach the United States at the upcoming Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, relays Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The tournament features many draft-eligible players each year although Canada is opting not to participate this season given travel concerns.  Forrest has been with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the past five years with this season being his first as head coach.
  • Lightning winger Alex Killorn made the trip to Montreal as the Stanley Cup Final continues, notes Mari Faiello of the Tampa Bay Times. He missed yesterday’s game after blocking a shot late in the second period but while Killorn flew out with the team, head coach Jon Cooper wouldn’t commit to providing an update on whether or not the veteran will be available for Friday’s third game of the series.

Expansion Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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

Back in 2017, the Oilers lost a young defenseman to Vegas in expansion in Griffin Reinhart.  The fact they lost him wasn’t a big deal – he only played one game for the Oilers in 2016-17 and never played a game for the Golden Knights; he played in Germany this season – but it provided a harsh reminder of what they gave up to get him in 2015 first and second-round picks.  (The first-rounder became Mathew Barzal and the second-rounder turned into Mitchell Stephens.)  This time around, they may very find themselves losing a young defenseman once again.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:
Josh Archibald, Tyler Benson, Leon Draisaitl, Seth Griffith, Dominik Kahun, Zack Kassian, Jujhar Khaira, Cooper Marody, Connor McDavid, James Neal, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jesse Puljujarvi, Devin Shore, Anton Slepyshev, Kyle Turris, Bogdan Yakimov, Kailer Yamamoto

Defense:
Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Oscar Klefbom, William Lagesson, Darnell Nurse, Kris Russell

Goalies:
Mikko Koskinen, Alex Stalock, Stuart Skinner, Dylan Wells

Notable Unrestricted Free Agents

D Tyson Barrie, F Alex Chiasson, F Tyler Ennis, D Slater Koekkoek, D Dmitry Kulikov, D Adam Larsson, G Mike Smith

Notable Exemptions

D Evan Bouchard, D Philip Broberg, F Ryan McLeod, D Dmitri Samorukov

Key Decisions

The first key decision was made earlier this week when they re-signed Nugent-Hopkins.  Had they not done so, it was possible that they could have gone with the eight-skater route, allowing them to protect an extra defenseman.  That won’t be the case now as he joins McDavid, Draisaitl, Yamamoto, and Puljujarvi as sure-fire protectees.

There are quite a few candidates for those last two spots.  A year ago, it felt like Kassian was going to be in that guaranteed protected list.  He had just signed a four-year deal and was coming off a career year offensively; it felt like he was finally becoming the type of power forward that he was expected to when he was a first-round pick in 2009.  Then 2020-21 happened.  He had two significant injuries that cost him half the season and when he was in the lineup, he wasn’t particularly productive as he managed just two goals in 27 games.  His contract has gone from market value to an overpayment in a hurry and as a result, he could very well be left exposed even though when he’s on his game, he can be a difference-maker for the Oilers.

Archibald has become more of what they were hoping for from Kassian – a physical forward that can move up and down the lineup where needed and chip in with a timely goal here or there.  His scoring total dipped to just seven this season after a dozen in each of the previous two years but he’s the type of versatile player they’ll likely opt to keep around.

In terms of their other veterans, Khaira is a capable checker but a $1.3MM qualifying offer makes him a possible non-tender candidate as in this market, that’s a bit much for a fourth liner.  That uncertainty makes it difficult to think he’ll be protected.  Turris, Neal, and Shore cleared waivers and spent frequent time as healthy scratches.  It’s safe to say they’ll be exposed as well.  Kahun had a tough year after two straight years of more than 30 points which has him in the possible non-tender category as well.  If they agree on a new low-cost deal early, it could earn him a protected slot but it’s not a guarantee.

That leaves Benson, a player with seven career NHL games under his belt with none of them coming this season.  (This year, he had 36 points in 36 games with AHL Bakersfield.)  He’s now waiver-eligible and seemingly on the cusp of a roster spot.  Even if he winds up being the odd man out in training camp, he still has more upside than several of the veterans that are vying for one of the last two protected slots.

On the back end, there are two safe bets to be protected.  Nurse has become their number one defenseman while Bear’s tough season is overshadowed by a strong 2019-20 campaign.  His potential is high enough that he’ll be kept away from the Kraken.

Larsson is a pending UFA but there is mutual interest in getting a new deal in place before he hits the market.  If that was to happen in the next couple of weeks, he’d get the third spot.

Assuming that doesn’t happen (or they wait to announce until after the draft), it would appear that two young blueliners – Jones and Lagesson – will be in the mix for the final slot.  Jones’ best showing came in his rookie year in 2018-19 and he hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time spot since then.  Of the two, he has a bit more offensive upside than Lagesson, who is more of a stay-at-home defender.  Lagesson’s a year older (25 vs 24 for Jones) and doesn’t have as much NHL experience (27 games vs 93 for Jones).  Jones would appear to have the slight edge out of the two.

If Klefbom was healthy, he’d be a guaranteed protectee.  However, he missed all of this season after shoulder surgery and it doesn’t sound like he’ll be ready to start next year either.  Could Seattle pick him in the hopes of him returning to health and becoming a possible trade asset down the road?  Perhaps but that’s an expensive gamble with $9.669MM still owed in salary in the final two years of his deal.  Russell was extended during the season to meet one of the exposure criteria and nothing has changed on that front.

Unlike most teams, Edmonton’s protected spot between the pipes is uncertain.  It’s safe to say it won’t be Koskinen who may very well be bought out this month.  Stalock was claimed off waivers during the season and is signed for cheap but he didn’t play at all.  Are they prepared to make him the full-time backup next year?  If so, he could get this slot but if not, keeping a youngster makes more sense.

That should be Skinner.  He struggled in his lone NHL appearance this season but was much better with Bakersfield, posting a 2.38 GAA with a .912 SV% in 31 games.  He’s still waiver-exempt and if made available, could be intriguing to Seattle in terms of having another goalie in the system.  Wells struggled in both the AHL and ECHL this season so it’s safe to say he won’t be protected.

Having said that, if they come to terms on a new deal with Smith between now and the draft, he’ll get the protected spot.

Projected Protection List

F Josh Archibald
F Tyler Benson
F Connor McDavid
F Leon Draisaitl
F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
F Jesse Puljujarvi
F Kailer Yamamoto

D Ethan Bear
D Caleb Jones
D Darnell Nurse

G Stuart Skinner

Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist

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

Forwards (4): Zack Kassian, James Neal, Devin Shore, Kyle Turris
Defensemen (2): Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell

The Oilers are well-positioned as things stand.  If Seattle likes one of Khaira or Kahun, it’s possible one of the pending RFAs gets selected.  Otherwise, Lagesson could be the target as a young defender with potentially a little bit of trade value or someone that can hold down the seventh or eighth spot on the back end.  Edmonton appears to be set to be one of the teams that won’t be impacted all that much when they lose a player to the Kraken.

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

Devils Given Green Light To “Spill The Coffers”

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New Jersey has been a team that has been well below the Upper Limit of the salary cap but that may be changing this offseason.  Scott O’Neil, the outgoing CEO of the owning partnership of the team, made an appearance on the Speak of the Devils podcast (audio link) earlier this week and indicated that GM Tom Fitzgerald had been given the green light to spend and add to his roster:

Let’s spill the coffers. We’ve got plenty of cap space, let’s use it. We’ve got plenty of picks, let’s go get ’em. We’ve got the expansion draft, that’s going to create opportunity. ’Fitzy’ seems like he’s locked in, zeroed in. He’s got the green light to go. Let’s put some players on the ice.

It’s time. It’s time to start building up. We have this young core in place. Now let’s go build a hockey team and win some games.

It has been a tough stretch as of late for the Devils who missed the playoffs for the third time in a row and the eighth time in the last nine years.  Along the way, they’ve added a pair of number one picks in centers Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes but the supporting cast still needs some improvement.  Over the past three years, they’ve finished no higher than 25th in goals scored and no better than 26th in goals allowed.  Upgrades are needed pretty much everywhere as a result although Mackenzie Blackwood has some promise in goal.

New Jersey has an extra first-round pick at 29th overall from the Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac trade but they only have one pick in each of the remaining six rounds.  That could limit their trade chips from there although the late first-round selection is certain to intrigue teams on draft night, especially in a draft like this which has much more uncertainty than usual.  If someone starts to slide, that pick will generate some interest.

But what they do have plenty of is cap space as they sit more than $37MM under the cap, per CapFriendly.  More importantly, there aren’t many prominent unrestricted free agents (other than defenseman Ryan Murray) while there are no pending big-ticket contracts for a restricted free agent either.  Once they take care of those, there will still be plenty of money to go around.

In an offseason where teams will be looking to move money and free agency likely to resemble the fall where big offers aren’t as prominent as usual, this should set Fitzgerald and the Devils up for a productive summer, especially now that they have the green light to spend more.

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