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Columbus Blue Jackets Re-Sign Alexandre Texier

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The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed young forward Alexandre Texier today, the team announced. It’s a two-year deal paying a total of $3.05MM, meaning it’s got an average annual value of $1.52MM. Texier was a restricted free agent but did not have arbitration rights.

It was a little over two years ago when Texier made his debut in the NHL, bursting onto the scene after dominating the Finnish league as a teenager. He scored three points in eight games for the Blue Jackets in the 2019 playoffs and hopes were high that he would step directly into a top-six role despite his young age. Instead, Texier averaged fewer than 13 minutes in the 36 games he did get into during the 2019-20 season, moving in and out of the lineup as a fringe roster player. He finished the year with six goals and 13 points, not exactly the rookie campaign that was expected.

Unfortunately, his sophomore year didn’t go much better. The 21-year-old had just four goals and 15 points in 49 games this season for the Blue Jackets despite additional minutes and responsibility. His offensive game hasn’t translated at all, though he did get a chance to play center—rather infrequently—under head coach John Tortorella, who is notorious for not trusting young players in the middle of the ice.

Now as the team heads into a new chapter under head coach Brad Larsen and without several key veterans, it will be up to young players like Texier to take the next step in Columbus. A $1.52MM cap hit isn’t insignificant and should mean he’s in the lineup every night, but it also doesn’t guarantee much else. He’ll have to prove he can contribute more regularly at the offensive end of the rink if he wants more ice time and a bigger contract in 2023.

Boston Bruins To Sign Linus Ullmark

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With Tuukka Rask out for a good chunk of next season after major surgery and Jaroslav Halak now in Vancouver, the Boston Bruins have brought in a new goaltender. Linus Ullmark has signed with the Bruins, leaving the Buffalo Sabres after a long negotiation that stretched all the way into free agency. Ullmark’s new deal with Boston will be a four-year contract worth a total of $20MM.

Beyond the financial increase, which is significant, Ullmark gets a huge competitive upgrade in terms of the team that will be in front of him on a nightly basis. Through the first six seasons of his NHL career, he had been backstopping a Buffalo team that never once finished above .500 or made the playoffs. Despite all that losing for the Sabres in general, Ullmark’s results have actually been relatively strong, posting a 50-47-13 record in his 117 appearances. This season he was responsible for nine of the team’s 15 wins, despite only appearing in 20 games due to injury. He had a .917 during those limited outings, slightly higher than his career .912.

The gamble here by the Bruins is that behind a better structure, Ullmark will not only turn into a viable starting goaltender, but an elite one. The team has committed to a $5MM cap hit through 2024-25, actually tied the 12th-highest among goaltenders in league-wide. Robin Lehner, for instance, signed a five-year $25MM deal less than a year ago coming off two seasons where he finished in the top-6 of Vezina Trophy voting.

Lehner is actually an interesting comparison for Ullmark, because he was the Sabres goaltender that once blocked Ullmark’s path to the NHL. After posting a .916 over 133 games with Buffalo, Lehner immediately broke out after going to a stronger defensive team. He had a .930 in 2018-19 with the New York Islanders, winning the Jennings Trophy and finishing as a Vezina finalist. The numbers between the two during their time in Buffalo are eerily similar, so it makes sense that the Bruins would be hoping for a similar transformation.

Still, Lehner left Buffalo (under admittedly different circumstances) and received just one year and $1.5MM on the open market, essentially having to prove himself all over again with the Islanders. Committing this much money to Ullmark already is certainly a risk for the Bruins. It also begs the question of what will happen when Tuukka Rask is healthy enough to play again, as the assumption was that he would sign with Boston after rehabbing his hip injury. With Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman in place, the team should have enough goaltending to compete. If either one falters, the franchise icon could join the team midseason and help, but if they don’t, it’s unclear where Rask’s future lies.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Canadiens Sign Mike Hoffman

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The Montreal Canadiens are adding some serious goal-scoring to the top-nine, signing Mike Hoffman to a three-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $4.5MM.  PuckPedia reports that Hoffman will earn $3.5MM in 2021-22 and $5MM in each of the final two seasons.

Hoffman, 31, is one of the most lethal powerplay weapons in the NHL, and should immediately help Montreal with the man-advantage. Even more than that he adds another legitimate offensive weapon to a team that struggled to score goals in 2020-21. Even in a down year by his standards, Hoffman’s 17 goals would have tied him for second on the Canadiens, behind only Tyler Toffoli. His 36 points would have been behind only Toffoli and Nick Suzuki among the forwards, and more than replaces the numbers that Philipp Danault provided (though obviously not his defensive or positional abilities).

The question now is where Hoffman fits exactly, given the current makeup of the team. The Canadiens already have Toffoli, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Joel Armia and Cole Caufield on the wing, not to mention Jonathan Drouin who is expected to ready to play again at the start of the upcoming season. Hoffman will have to find fit somewhere on those top three lines, or likely won’t be able to provide enough offense to offset the hefty cap hit he just received.

Still, there’s no doubt that Hoffman can score, and that alone made him an interesting target in this year’s free agency. He ranked 12th on our list of the Top 50 UFAs, with a prediction of three years and $12MM for the Canadiens.

Ryan Getzlaf Expected To Re-Sign With Anaheim Ducks

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The Anaheim Ducks won’t lose their captain after all. Ryan Getzlaf is expected to be back on a one-year deal according to Kevin Weekes of NHL Network. Getzlaf had recently spoken about how watching former teammate Corey Perry find success elsewhere gave him a bit of an “itch” to test free agency, but he’ll stay with the organization he’s been with all along. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic confirms that the deal will be worth $4.5MM when officially filed.

Now 36, Getzlaf doesn’t really need to go Cup chasing like other veteran free agents. He already has his championship, winning with the Ducks back in 2007 before becoming the team’s captain a few years later. He already sits as the franchise leader in games played and assists, but will also pass Teemu Selanne for the franchise scoring lead this season (he sits six points behind). Getting that record and playing his entire career in Anaheim could very well mean more to Getzlaf at this point, but it’s also the $4.5MM price tag that looks like a win from the player’s perspective.

It’s hard to see how any other team in the league would be able to commit that much to a 36-year-old forward that scored just five goals and 17 points in the 2020-21 season. That was a sharp decline for Getzlaf, who hadn’t finished a season with fewer than 39 points previously. This is a legacy contract more than anything, giving him a reason to stay and continue to mentor the next wave of talent in the Ducks system.

Panthers Agree To Terms With Brandon Montour

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Florida added Brandon Montour back at the trade deadline and it appears they liked what they saw from the defenseman.  Former NHLer Shane O’Brien of the Missin Curfew podcast was the first to report (Twitter link) that the Panthers have re-signed the blueliner; Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli adds (Twitter link) that the deal will carry a $3.5MM AAV. CapFriendly reports that the structure of the deal is as follows:

2021-22: $750,000 salary + $1.75MM SB
2022-23: $750,000 salary + $3.5MM SB
2023-24: $775,000 salary + $4.475MM SB

Two years ago, the 27-year-old looked like he was going to be a core NHL defender to the point where Buffalo traded a first-round pick to get him.  However, he struggled at times during his tenure with the Sabres who had given consideration to non-tendering him back in the fall.  They ultimately did reach a new deal with him (one that actually paid $350K more than this contract) and flipped him to the Panthers for a third-rounder in April.

Between the two teams, Montour managed seven goals and 11 assists in 50 games during the regular season while averaging a little over 20 minutes per game.  His role was a little shorter in the playoffs, however, as he logged 17:06 per night while being held off the scoresheet in their six-game opening-round loss to Tampa Bay.

Nevertheless, Montour still lands a nice contract, one that was made possible with yesterday’s trade of Anton Stralman to Arizona for cap relief.  He should slot in on Florida’s second pairing behind Aaron Ekblad who will be ready to return next season after missing the end of the year plus the playoffs with a leg injury.  Florida now has a little over $10MM in cap space, per CapFriendly, with a big chunk of that slated to be earmarked for Sam Reinhart who was acquired at the draft.

Nick Foligno Signs With Boston Bruins

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The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that forward Nick Foligno will sign with the Boston Bruins, turning down a chance to play with his brother Marcus Foligno in Minnesota as was expected. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch is reporting that the deal is two years in length. Unofficially, the salary is believed to be $3.8MM.

In speaking with the media, both Foligno and Boston GM Don Sweeney acknowledged that they do not know exactly where Foligno will play in Boston. This seems to be more a case of a player and team with mutual interest and less of the team actually filling a need. Foligno stated that he has always admired the Bruins and a call from captain Patrice Bergeron sealed the deal. Foligno also has ties to the city as his daughter received life-saving surgery at the famed Boston Children’s Hospital.

So what role will Foligno have? With Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek also joining the fold today and decision still yet to be made by David Krejci, as well as rumors continuing to swirl around Jake DeBrusk, it is unclear exactly how the Bruins will look up front by opening night. However, they were missing a snarl in the corners and a strong net front presence at times this past season and Foligno can provide plenty of both. His positional versatility and ample experience also allows him to line up at any position and move up and down the lineup all while providing value. Foligno is one of those do-it-all players and Boston will have no trouble finding a use for him as they look to remain a top contender.

Mattias Janmark, Patrick Brown Re-Sign With Vegas Golden Knights

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The Vegas Golden Knights must have liked what they saw from Mattias Janmark in the playoffs. The free agent winger will be returning to the Golden Knights on a one-year, $2MM contract according to Darren Dreger of TSN. The team will also bring back Patrick Brown, who served as captain for the Henderson Silver Knights last year. PuckPedia reports that Brown’s two-year contract will carry a cap hit of $750K.

Janmark, who came over from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline last season, registered eight points in 16 playoff games. Though he averaged just under 14 minutes as the Golden Knights leaned on the big guns, he’ll be back on a not-insignificant contract. Vegas now has 14 forwards on one-way deals with Nolan Patrick still to sign, and are already over the cap despite trading away Marc-Andre Fleury. There are more moves coming from the Golden Knights, but it appears as though Janmark will be somewhere in the lineup when the season begins.

The 28-year-old forward has been an effective secondary scoring option throughout his career, recording at least 21 points in each of his five seasons. While he doesn’t bring a ton of physicality, he’s a big enough body and skates well enough to still be disruptive on the forecheck. In his short time with the Golden Knights, he was put on the powerplay and the penalty kill, hinting at a potentially significant role in 2021-22.

Brown meanwhile played just nine games for the Silver Knights, but had eight points during that short season. He’s been with the Golden Knights affiliate for two years now, adding valuable minor league depth and serving as an injury replacement for the NHL. Through parts of seven seasons, he has 55 NHL appearances including 12 games with the Golden Knights in their most recent playoff run.

Ryan Dzingel Signs With Arizona Coyotes

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The Arizona Coyotes have signed another forward to fill out the depth chart this season, inking Ryan Dzingel to a one-year, $1.1MM contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Dzingel, 29, is coming off a forgettable year in which he scored just eight goals and 13 points, splitting the season between the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators. That’s two years in a row that he’s had disappointing offensive numbers after his breakout 2018-19 campaign. That season, he scored 26 goals and 56 points, joining the Columbus Blue Jackets at the deadline for a memorable, albeit short, playoff experience. The Blue Jackets pushed all the chips to the middle by acquiring Dzingel and Matt Duchene at the deadline during the final year of Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky’s contracts. They managed to sweep the historically good Tampa Bay Lightning but then were quickly dismissed by the Boston Bruins in the second round.

In terms of value contracts, this actually might be one of the best signed today if Dzingel can even approach his previous totals. For the Coyotes, that would be a perfect storm, as they can load up his offensive opportunities only to flip him to a contender at the trade deadline. Arizona is obviously trying to collect as many future assets as possible, and Dzingel appears to just be a means to that end. On a $1.1MM cap hit, he’ll be extremely attractive at the deadline if he can play well during the first half.

Brayden Point Signs Eight-Year Extension

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The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to lock up their key players. On the first day it was possible, the Lightning have signed Brayden Point to an eight-year contract extension worth a total of $76MM. That will take him to an average annual value of $9.5MM for the 2022-23 campaign after his current deal expires. GM Julien BriseBois was clear in his praise of the young forward:

Brayden is a key contributor to the Lightning’s success and one of the most dynamic players in the NHL. To be able to agree to terms with him on a long-term contract is great news for our organization going forward. Not only is Brayden a skilled player, he is also a fierce competitor who fits in well with the pedigree of our team. Our organization looks forward to having him be a big part of this team for many years to come.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports the full breakdown of salary and signing bonuses for Point:

  • 2022-23: $3.5MM salary + $5.5MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $5.0MM salary + $6.25MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $5.0MM salary + $7.0MM signing bonus
  • 2025-26: $5.0MM salary + $7.0MM signing bonus
  • 2026-27: $4.0MM salary + $5.75MM signing bonus
  • 2027-28: $3.0MM salary + $4.6MM signing bonus
  • 2028-29: $3.0MM salary + $4.2MM signing bonus
  • 2029-30: $3.0MM salary + $4.2MM signing bonus

Point, 25, was available to every team in the NHL during the 2014 draft, but it was Tampa Bay that used the 79th overall pick on him. Two years later he would debut with the club during the 2016-17 season, scoring 18 goals and 40 points en route to finishing tenth in the Calder Trophy voting. It was an impressive rookie season, but still, no one could guess at the level of play the Lightning were about to receive from their undersized center. The following year, he recorded 32 goals and 66 points, becoming the third star forward in Tampa Bay behind Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. A 92-point campaign and then two straight Stanley Cups came after that, establishing Point as a legitimate superstar and one of the very best centers in the entire league.

Even with a $76MM deal, Point appears to be taking a discount to stay with Tampa Bay. He will match the deals signed in 2018 by Kucherov and 2019 by Andrei Vasilevskiy, tying them for the 15th highest cap hit in the NHL with players like Mark Stone, Alex Ovechkin, and Jamie Benn. That $9.5MM appears to be something of an internal limit for the Lightning, one that has allowed them to build an incredibly dominant team.

Signed through the end of the decade, Point will be in his mid-thirties by the time he reaches free agency again. That means there is at least a decent chance that he spends his entire career in Tampa Bay. If he does, Point very well could go down as one of the best players in franchise history. This core group—Point, Kucherov, Stamkos, Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman—has already won two championships but does not appear to be breaking up anytime soon. All five players are under contract for at least three more seasons.

Matt Luff Signs With Nashville Predators

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that forward Matt Luff has signed a contract with the Nashville Predators. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that it’s a one-year, two-way deal worth the league minimum of $750,000.

The 24-year-old Luff was one of the players left unqualified by the Los Angeles Kings this summer, despite playing in 13 games for the team during the 2020-21 campaign. The undrafted winger scored eight goals in 33 games as a rookie in 2018-19, but hasn’t been able to come anywhere close to that level of offensive production since. Overall, in 64 games he has ten goals and 17 points, but just one of those came this season.

For the Predators, he’ll become just another fringe roster player that could earn some fourth-line minutes or spend the majority of the season in the minor leagues. He’s eligible for waivers, but would be an unlikely claim given his lack of success in recent years.

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