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Archives for July 2021

Mathieu Olivier Re-Signs In Nashville

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The Nashville Predators announced today that they’ve re-signed forward Mathieu Olivier. It’s a two-year deal with a total of $1.5MM and a cap hit of $750,000.

The 24-year-old native of Biloxi, Mississippi was an undrafted free agent who’s quickly worked his way up the organizational ranks in Nashville. Playing in 38 games over the course of the last two seasons, Olivier’s notched three goals and six points. Joining the Preds organization prior to the 2018-19 season, Olivier’s gotten looks at the NHL level because of his heart-and-soul style of play. It certainly wasn’t for his offense, as he’s scored 10 goals only once at the AHL level and was never point-per-game in his junior career.

Olivier put up very good defensive metrics in limited playing time for Nashville this season, and they’re hoping it can continue. It wouldn’t shock anyone to see him make the team out of training camp this time around, and could end up on the team’s fourth line to start the season.

Kings, Andreas Athanasiou Sign One-Year Deal

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July 29: The Kings have officially announced the contract for Athanasiou, which will be for one year and $2.7MM. The contract will take him to unrestricted free agency next summer.

July 28: Since he wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer by Edmonton last fall over fears of what an arbitration award would look like, Andreas Athanasiou was a player that wasn’t a guarantee to receive one from the Kings earlier this week.  He ultimately did and now TSN’s Darren Dreger reported (Twitter link) that the two sides were close to finalizing a new one-year deal. David Pagnotta reported that it’s a one-year contract worth $2.7MM.

The 26-year-old had to settle for a one-year, $1.2MM contract with Los Angeles in late December after longer-term offers failed to materialize in unrestricted free agency.  The investment proved to be a wise one for the Kings as Athanasiou finished tied for sixth in team scoring with 10 goals and 13 assists in 47 games; getting someone averaging close to half a point per game at that price tag is a pretty good bargain.

Athanasiou is still only two years removed from a 30-goal season with Detroit, a stat that certainly would have come up had his case gone to salary arbitration.  Accordingly, it’s fair to expect that this new deal will take that into account and that the price tag on this one will be a bit higher than what he made last season.  This contract will take Athanasiou to UFA eligibility next summer so if he’s looking to establish himself as a more viable option than he was last fall, he’ll need a big season in his second year with Los Angeles.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Dylan Sikura, Stefan Matteau

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After signing Darren Helm to help the bottom-six, the Colorado Avalanche have signed a pair of additional depth forwards. Dylan Sikura and Stefan Matteau have both inked one-year contracts for the 2021-22 season. Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that Sikura will earn $800K at the NHL level and $450K at the AHL level, while Matteau will earn $750K in the NHL and $225K in the AHL.

Matteau, 27, was selected in the first round nearly a decade ago, but has just 91 NHL games and 11 points to his name. The 6’2″ forward has embraced his role as a physical fourth-line presence in recent years though and actually played 18 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season. Whether he gets that kind of opportunity in Colorado remains to be seen, but their depth chart at forward is a little deeper with him in the mix.

Sikura too had NHL experience this season, playing six games for the Vegas Golden Knights in the regular season and even suiting up twice in the playoffs. He spent most of the year with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, scoring 22 points in 30 games, but could be an option if Colorado faces injuries this season. In 53 career NHL games, the Northeastern University star has 16 points.

The Avalanche did say goodbye to several players this summer, but the forward group remains deep and talented. With their eyes set on the Stanley Cup once again, the team may add even more of these fringe players to make sure that they have options if some of their higher-paid players are unavailable. Still, there is enough money left under the cap for Colorado to make another more expensive addition, after missing out on Philipp Grubauer. Even taking into account Tyson Jost’s expected deal, there’s a bit of wiggle room for GM Joe Sakic and the rest of the front office.

Minnesota Wild Sign Kevin Czuczman

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The Minnesota Wild have added another AHL defenseman to the mix, signing Kevin Czuczman to a one-year, two-way contract. The contract will carry an NHL salary of $750K and pay Czuczman $200K at the minor league level.

Though he has just 15 career NHL games, Czuczman will help solidify the blueline for the Iowa Wild, bringing experience and defensive ability to the minor league club. Undrafted out of Lake Superior State, he has spent the last four seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, even serving as an alternate captain. In more than 400 AHL contests, Czuczman has recorded 124 points but incredibly has made it to the playoffs just twice, never winning a round. For an Iowa team that made it to the postseason for the first time in 2019 and obviously hope to get back, he’ll hope to change that record.

Minnesota actually doesn’t have an extremely long depth chart on defense. The team has just five defensemen signed to one-way contracts for 2021-22 and now eight more on two-way deals. Two of those, Daemon Hunt and Ryan O’Rourke, would normally be ineligible for the AHL due to their age, though the latter could be allowed under the one-time exemption after suiting up 33 times last year. Either way, at this moment there aren’t a lot of names who could be called upon as injury insurance for the NHL team, meaning Czuczman may actually see a little bit of action this year.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Four Players

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The Anaheim Ducks have announced a set of minor signings, adding four players to the organization. Brogan Rafferty has signed a one-year, one-way contract, Danny O’Regan has signed a two-year, two-way contract, and Greg Pateryn and Buddy Robinson have both signed one-year, two-way contracts.

Rafferty, the only player in the bunch on a one-way deal, is expected to earn $750K on the contract according to Darren Dreger of TSN. It’s an interesting gamble for the Ducks after Rafferty reached Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer, failing to get into more than three games with the Vancouver Canucks since he signed out of Quinnipiac University. That’s despite dominating the AHL in his only year there, registering 45 points in 57 games. The right-shot defenseman could potentially get into the lineup for Anaheim, at least in a limited role.

The other three each have some NHL experience, with Pateryn even once being considered a capable shutdown option. He once signed a three-year, $6.75MM deal with the Minnesota Wild, but was in the minor leagues by the end of the deal. None of the three should be considered for serious NHL time this year, but should provide some injury insurance and a strong foundation for the San Diego Gulls.

Pontus Aberg Returns To North America, Signs With Ottawa

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Journeyman forward Pontus Aberg is returning to North America. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that Aberg’s signed a one-year, two-way deal to join the Ottawa Senators.

After spending 2020-21 with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, Aberg has decided to make a go of it again the NHL. Aberg’s played just 132 NHL games despite already suiting up for five teams. Ottawa will be his sixth. A 2012 second-round selection of the Nashville Predators, Aberg has yet to display the scoring consistency required for an everyday NHL job. He most notably showed huge flashes of promise with the Anaheim Ducks in 2018-19, scoring 19 points in 37 games, but was dealt to Minnesota at the trade deadline and couldn’t recapture his game.

Ottawa hopes to unlock whatever Anaheim was able to get out of Aberg. While not much can be expected out of him, especially as he comes in on a two-way deal, but long-term, Aberg still carries 25-30 point upside and could be a nice depth piece for an emerging Ottawa core.

Darren Helm Inks Deal With Colorado Avalanche

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Longtime Detroit Red Wings forward Darren Helm has signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche in free agency. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the deal carries a $1MM cap hit.

Come October, Helm will be playing his first NHL game outside of the Detroit Red Wings organization. After 14 seasons in Detroit, which included 744 games and a Stanley Cup ring, Helm will be departing for Denver for what could be his last season in the NHL. Helm’s dealt with constant injury issues, mainly concussions, throughout his career. He’s still managed to tally over 100 goals and 250 points over the course of his career. Last season was a career-worst for the 34-year-old, however, scoring just eight points in 47 games.

Helm carries limited upside for the Avs, but brings a gritty veteran presence to what is shaping up to be a very youthful and inexperienced bottom-six forward group. While his scoring ability is non-existent, Helm’s still been a good defensive forward on a team that hasn’t played much defense in recent seasons. He likely slots in as the team’s fourth-line center, possibly a direct replacement for Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. It looks to be a solid bet for the Avs, who gain a dependable defensive presence to aid their youth.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Michael Amadio, Brett Seney

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July 29: The Maple Leafs have officially announced the Amadio contract, but he comes with a partner. Brett Seney has also agreed to a one-year, two-way contract that will carry an NHL salary of $750K. Seney, 25, was a Group VI unrestricted free agent after playing just 53 games through his first three professional seasons. None of those came this season, as he spent the entire year with the Binghamton Devils, scoring 10 points in 30 games.

July 28: The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing in depth forward Michael Amadio. It’s a two-way, one-year deal with a cap hit of $750,000 and $400,000 in guaranteed salary.

Amadio was somewhat of a surprise as a non-qualified restricted free agent of the Ottawa Senators, having come over to the team in a trade for Christian Wolanin earlier this season. Ottawa’s loss is their rival’s gain, as Toronto signs the native of nearby Sault Ste. Marie. Amadio may not have impressed much in his short stint with the Senators, especially since he was only given five games to show what he could do. However, Amadio has previously performed with the Los Angeles Kings and could do so again in Toronto.

With that being said, even for the cap-strapped Leafs there is no guarantee that Amadio will start or even crack the roster. His minimum salary helps, but at 25 Amadio doesn’t appear to have much upside and doesn’t possess any special abilities that would give him a leg up in a competition for play time. Amadio simply appears to be a decent depth option for Toronto with some experience and modest scoring numbers.

St. Louis Blues Sign Brandon Saad

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The St. Louis Blues have come to terms with free-agent forward Brandon Saad on a five-year deal, the team announced today. The contract is worth $22.5MM and carries an average annual value of $4.5MM. Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland reports the contract breakdown is as follows:

2021-22: $4.5MM, NTC
2022-23: $4.5MM, NTC
2023-24: $5.5MM, NTC
2024-25: $4.375MM, NTC
2025-26: $3.625MM, M-NTC

Saad joins the Blues, his fourth NHL team, as a veteran of 632 regular-season games, 91 playoff games, and two Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks teams. Saad’s been one of the more consistent secondary scoring options in the entire NHL over the duration of his career, scoring at least 15 goals in every season since 2013-14. He spent last year with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche, potting 15 goals and dishing out nine assists for 24 points in 44 games playing more limited minutes on a deep squad.

The 28-year-old Pittsburgh native will likely see his ice time elevated again with the Blues, who will be moving on from Vladimir Tarasenko eventually this summer. While he’s really not the aptest defensive forward, he provides a play driving upgrade on Mike Hoffman, who departed the team yesterday to sign a deal with the Montreal Canadiens. Still a goal-scoring machine at this point, Saad’s contract looks to provide solid value over the duration of the deal given his track record.

New York Rangers Sign Filip Chytil

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The New York Rangers have taken care of a little restricted free agent business, signing Filip Chytil to a two-year contract. Chytil was not eligible for salary arbitration. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the contract will carry an average annual value of $2.3MM.

Now several years into his NHL career, Chytil has become a valuable part of the Rangers forward group even if his offensive production still hasn’t quite risen to expected levels. He registered eight goals and 22 points in 42 games this season while playing just over 13 minutes a night, mostly alongside young wingers Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. That trio, who are all 21-or-under, are an extremely important part of the future in New York but will all be expected to take a step forward this season.

In Chytil’s case specifically, the Rangers were not comfortable using him on the powerplay this season, which obviously limits his offensive potential. With Pavel Buchnevich gone, there may be more opportunity with the man-advantage, though it of course may not all go to Chytil. There is also the addition of a more traditional bottom-six option in Barclay Goodrow, one that may be able to take on heavy defensive minutes and allow players like Chytil to feast on weaker competition.

At the end of this contract Chytil will still be a restricted free agent, but will also be arbitration-eligible. If he wants to cash in on a big-money deal, he’ll have to put up improved scoring stats over the next two seasons. Still just 21, the first-round pick certainly has the talent to be a legitimate middle-six contributor. Now he just has to prove he can do it on a consistent basis.

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