Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for August 2021

Arizona Coyotes Sign Bokondji Imama For One Year

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have inked a recent trade acquisition, as the team announced a one-year deal today for forward Bokondji Imama. The deal is a two-way contract, and Craig Morgan reports that it’s worth $750,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level.

Imama is inking a deal to join this third NHL organization since being drafted. A bruising, physical winger who’s had some scoring success in the past, Imama was originally drafted in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015. He was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings organization before ever playing a pro game for Tampa, and that’s where he’s spent time before a minor-league swap of players this summer sent him to the desert. Imama’s used his four seasons in the Ontario Reign organization to slowly develop his offensive game while maintaining a physical presence, and he had a career-best 14 points in 31 games this past year.

Imama will inevitably suit up for the Tucson Roadrunners this season, but it’s not inconceivable that Imama will someday suit up for the Coyotes. His physicality could be appealing for a team that will be on the rise in a few years, and Imama could see some more scoring opportunities this year with a depleted Arizona Coyotes depth chart. Increased confidence this season and some scoring development could help ensure that he stays with the organization.

Vince Dunn Avoids Arbitration, Signs With Seattle Kraken

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Seattle Kraken have avoided arbitration with restricted free agent defenseman Vince Dunn, agreeing to a two-year contract worth $8MM. Dunn was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 14, but will no longer need it. GM Ron Francis released a short statement:

Vince is a mobile, puck-moving defenseman that can help generate offense from our blueline. He’s a smooth skater that helps drive possession and plays a physical game.

Dunn, 24, was the team’s selection from the St. Louis Blues in the expansion draft, picked over the exposed Vladimir Tarasenko and other options. The reason for it, and for this hefty raise, is the offensive upside that Dunn has demonstrated in the early part of his career. Since entering the league in 2017-18, Dunn’s 32 goals actually tie him for 27th among NHL defenders, despite averaging just over 17 minutes a night.

Even with a handful of healthy scratches this season for the Blues, that average ice time actually increased to more than 19 minutes a night as he began to earn more trust from the coaching staff. Make no mistake, Dunn can be a polarizing player and still will have his fair share of defensive lapses, but on a team like Seattle that will be looking for someone to run the top powerplay, he should find plenty of success.

In fact, there’s a good chance that Dunn leads all Kraken defensemen in scoring in their first season, given the alternatives. Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Carson Soucy are all much more defensive options, and though Mark Giordano–the 2019 Norris winner–has obvious offensive talent, he’ll also be 38 when the season starts. In that context, paying Dunn $4MM might make some sense, but it also comes with some significant risk for the Kraken.

Not only could he struggle enough defensively to offset his offense and make him a net negative, but if the team goes through some growing pains he will be much harder to trade at that number. Right now, Dunn represents a ton of untapped offensive potential. If he is given more responsibility and the numbers don’t improve, the Kraken are looking at an expensive, underperforming asset.

That gamble is one that Francis and company is willing to take, especially with the amount of cap space they have right now. Even after signing Dunn and Marcus Johansson earlier today, the team is still nearly $10MM under the cap ceiling. Dennis Cholowski, Carsen Twarynski, Kole Lind and Cale Fleury remain unsigned, but none of the four are arbitration-eligible.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the deal on Twitter

Darnell Nurse Signs Eight-Year Extension

at CDT | by 16 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers may have lost Adam Larsson to the Seattle Kraken, but won’t be letting Darnell Nurse get anywhere close to free agency. The team has signed their top defenseman to an eight-year contract extension, which, when added to the one-year he has left on his current deal, keeps him locked up through the 2029-30 season. Nurse’s average annual value will increase to $9.25MM for the 2022-23 season, giving him the fifth-highest cap hit among NHL defensemen, coming in just below the recent extensions for Zach Werenski and Seth Jones.

Nurse, 26, was the seventh-overall selection in the 2013 draft, picked three spots behind Jones and just ahead of Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen. During his 406 regular season games, he has recorded 157 points and averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time. Both of those numbers have increased dramatically recently though, with Nurse recording an outstanding 16-goal, 36-point campaign in 2020-21. That was good enough for seventh in the Norris Trophy race, the first time he had received votes for the award.

This is betting that the increased level of play Nurse showed this year will continue, but it’s also locking up a player who has never wavered in his commitment to the Oilers. The team has had trouble keeping or attracting premium free agents in the past, which Nurse would have represented had he been allowed to play out this season. He was scheduled for UFA status in the summer of 2022, where teams from all over the league likely would have offered large, long-term deals.

Still, this bet comes with a ton of risk for Edmonton. Nurse has never had very strong defensive metrics, and though he adds a lot of the things teams covet—size, skating ability, physicality and offense—it hasn’t resulted in any real success for the Oilers. He’s played just 21 postseason games during his career, 13 of those coming in the 2016-17 season and four being the qualification round from 2020. All of that has come when Nurse was making quite a bit less than he will be going forward, meaning he’ll have to improve his play to provide any real excess value for Edmonton.

Of course, there is quite a bit of money coming off the books for the Oilers next season. Mikko Koskinen’s $4.5MM cap hit will expire, as will contracts for both Kyle Turris and Kris Russell. After the 2022-23 season the team will no longer be paying Milan Lucic (retained) and Andrej Sekera (buyout) to not play for them. A deal of this magnitude doesn’t put them in cap hell, but it certainly will restrict what they can do with that extra space.

The question now is how the rest of the blueline will look in Edmonton this season, with newcomers Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci joining the fray. The team has its presumed top-four locked up through at least the 2022-23 season, though the emergence of Evan Bouchard as a difference-maker while still on his entry-level deal would certainly help.

By next season Nurse will become the second-highest paid player on the Oilers, surpassing the $8.5MM that Leon Draisaitl’s contract carries through 2024-25. That comes with plenty of expectations, especially on a team that has also has the best player in the world. With this much money being handed out, there will have to be some postseason success and it’ll have to come soon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Los Angeles Kings Sign Kale Clague

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Los Angeles Kings have reached an agreement with restricted free agent defenseman Kale Clague, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $761,250, the same number as his qualifying offer this year.

Clague, 23, was a second-round pick of the Kings in 2016, and played 18 games for the team this season. He registered six assists in those appearances by moving the puck quickly and accurately but is still looking for his first NHL goal. That could come this season if the Kings give Clague a chance to play regularly, but it’s not goal-scoring that will ever be the biggest part of his offensive contribution. Instead, it’s all about creating neutral zone turnovers and sending his teammates on a counter-attack for Clague, who relies on a quick stick defensively more than physicality.

Whether he can crack the NHL lineup on a full-time basis is still to be determined though, especially after the Kings brought in Alexander Edler in free agency. The team now has a long list of contenders for playing time, with Clague’s two-way contract likely not helping his case. One thing in his favor though? The fact that the young defenseman is now eligible for waivers, something that Tobias Bjornfot cannot claim. It’s unlikely that he would clear once the season begins, meaning if the Kings intend on slipping him through it might have to be during training camp when teams are less inclined to add to the roster.

This is an important season for Clague, who will be arbitration-eligible next summer and looking for his first one-way deal.

This article previously referenced a Kings’ press release that had Clague signing a two-year deal. 

Montreal Canadiens Avoid Arbitration With Michael McNiven

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens won’t be going to arbitration with Michael McNiven after all. The minor league goaltender has settled on a one-year, two-way contract with Montreal, which will carry an NHL salary of $750K. McNiven was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 11, but will no longer need it.

The 24-year-old McNiven would have been an interesting arbitration case, given he still hasn’t played a single game in the NHL. In fact, he has spent more time in the ECHL the last few seasons than anywhere else, splitting 22 games between the Adirondack Thunder, Jacksonville Icemen and Norfolk Admirals in 2019-20. This season he played 13 games for the Laval Rocket and went 7-3-3, even with a save percentage of just .895.

There have been clear signs of success for the undrafted netminder, but McNiven’s career has been marked by inconsistency both in his play and his assignment. He has never remained at a single level for a full season, including this year when he was routinely called up to the taxi squad when the Canadiens were dealing with injuries. The epitome of organizational depth at this point, it seems that he’ll be used just wherever Montreal needs him at the time.

In terms of an NHL future, McNiven is obviously behind the tandem of Carey Price and Jake Allen, but has also been passed on the depth chart by 21-year-old Cayden Primeau, who has six NHL appearances over the last two seasons.

Calgary Flames Sign Matthew Phillips, Luke Philp

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Calgary Flames have announced two minor signings, inking Matthew Phillips and Luke Philp to one-year, two-way deals. Both contracts will carry a $750K salary at the NHL level.

The pair of young forwards will stay in the organization on short-term deals, giving them another chance to compete for NHL playing time. Phillips, 23, actually got into one game with the Flames this season, after once again being a strong contributor in the minor leagues. The tiny, 5’7″ forward was a dominant player in the WHL, scoring 90 and 112 points his last two seasons of junior hockey, and has had no trouble continuing to produce in the AHL. During the 2019-20 season. Phillips had 15 goals and 33 points in just 38 games, earning a spot at the All-Star Game. This season he scored eight goals and 21 points in 30 games, continuing his strong minor league career.

Still, it’s hard to really believe he will ever become an impact player for the Flames. Though there are other examples of small players finding success at the highest level, the fact is that those are exceptions, not the norm. The Flames obviously believe in him enough as a valuable piece of the organization to bring him back, but there will be real hurdles to clear if he wants to be a full-time NHL forward.

For Philp, those same hurdles exist, even if he is a bit bigger than his Stockton Heat teammate. The 25-year-old went undrafted out of the WHL and actually attended the University of Alberta, since he was no longer eligible for the NCAA. On the Canadian college hockey circuit he became a star, scoring 45 points in 24 games during his junior year. That earned him an entry-level contract with the Flames, but he still hasn’t had a whiff of the NHL. In two seasons for Stockton, Philp has 48 points in 82 games. That’s good, but likely not enough to really put him on a path to the Flames given his age (26 in November) and size (5’10”, 185). He would have to take a significant step forward this season to really push for more than spot duty.

Seattle Kraken Sign Marcus Johansson

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Seattle Kraken have added another top-nine forward, signing Marcus Johansson to a one-year, $1.5MM contract. The unrestricted free agent joins the expansion team after one year with the Minnesota Wild. Kraken GM Ron Francis released a short statement:

Marcus plays a fast game and brings us another veteran presence with a significant amount of playoff experience. His speed, skill and versatility will help our forward group.

Johansson, 30, was one of the few proven players left in free agency, even if he is coming off a poor year in Minnesota. The veteran forward has played nearly 700 regular season games in the NHL and has twice broken the 20-goal mark. This season with the Wild he recorded just six goals and 14 points in 36 games, but he has been valued for his versatility and two-way play in the past.

Things haven’t gone that well since he left the Washington Capitals organization in 2017 though. Johansson was traded to the New Jersey Devils for two relatively high draft picks, and immediately ran into injury trouble. He’d play just 29 games in the 2017-18 season, redirecting 14 points. The next season was better, but he’d be flipped to the Boston Bruins at the deadline when New Jersey was out of it. It’s in Boston where he flashed his high ceiling again, recording 11 points in 22 playoff games. That postseason performance landed him a two-year, $9MM contract from the Buffalo Sabres, which–perhaps unsurprisingly because of the struggles Buffalo has endured–didn’t go well.

Now on a one-year deal at a low cost, Johansson bears all the markings of a potential bounce-back player. There will be plenty of opportunities for offensive minutes in Seattle and he’s still young enough to take advantage of them. The fact that he has experience at all three forward positions will only help head coach Dave Hakstol as he’s filling out a lineup card, which will likely always have Johansson’s name somewhere on it.

The Kraken still have plenty of cap space to spend and this is exactly the type of chance they should be taking. Even if the team struggles to put it all together in year one, players like Johansson can be easily flipped at the trade deadline for a future asset.

Adam Pelech Signs Eight-Year Contract

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The New York Islanders have announced a huge contract extension for one of their most important players. Adam Pelech has agreed to terms on an eight-year contract that will keep him manning the Islanders blueline through 2028-29. Pelech was a restricted free agent and was scheduled for the first arbitration hearing on August 11. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports the deal will carry an average annual value of $5.75MM, while CapFriendly adds that the deal includes no signing bonuses and will pay $5.75MM in salary each year.

It’s hard to overstate just how outstanding Pelech has become at the defensive end of the rink, as the lynchpin of the Islanders’ structure. The 26-year-old averaged more than 21 minutes a night this season and received Norris Trophy votes despite recording just 14 points. Absolutely punished in terms of deployment, almost always starting in his own end, Pelech and partner Ryan Pulock are perhaps the biggest reasons for the Islanders’ recent success.

The fact that the Islanders were able to lock him up at this point is a win, especially while keeping the cap hit to a reasonable number. Pelech was just a year away from unrestricted free agency, as he’ll turn 27 later this month, meaning this is buying out basically the entire set of moneymaking years for the defenseman. After 303 regular season games, he’s committed to being an Islander for most of his career.

Still, it does come with some risk for New York. The team is betting that Pelech’s defensive game will not decline as he enters his thirties, as there isn’t much offensive upside to lean on. Pelech has just 75 points in his career and is a pure shutdown option. Given that he’s now signed through his age-35 season, there is a good chance that he’s not providing the kind of value a $5.75MM cap hit demands by the end of the deal.

But the Islanders are going for it with this group, and there’s no one doubting Pelech’s ability in 2021-22. The team now has their entire defensive group signed, with only Anthony Beauvillier and Ilya Sorokin still to go. There are also a few unrestricted free agents that are expected to be in agreement with the team, meaning the $11.9MM of cap space that CapFriendly shows is a bit misleading at the moment. The team will also at some point need to work out an extension with Pulock, but given that Johnny Boychuk and Leo Komarov both come off the cap after this season, there shouldn’t be much of an issue fitting him in.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Brandon Hagel Signs With Chicago Blackhawks

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed Brandon Hagel to a three-year contract, one that will carry an average annual value of $1.5MM. Hagel was a restricted free agent and not eligible for salary arbitration. PuckPedia has the full contract breakdown:

  • 2021-22: $1.0MM
  • 2022-23: $1.45MM
  • 2023-24: $2.05MM

Hagel, 22, has come a very long way from being the 159th overall selection in 2016. That pick was made by the Buffalo Sabres, but by 2018 a contract hadn’t been worked out. The undersized forward became an unrestricted free agent but wasn’t snatched up by any other NHL team. He returned to the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL as an overager without a contract, and started to go to work on his younger opponents. By the end of October, he had 12 goals and 28 points in 15 games, enough to earn an entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.

In 2019-20, he would score 19 goals and 31 points in 59 games for the Rockford IceHogs, showing he could hang at the professional level. This year, he took that impressive performance to the NHL, scoring nine goals and 24 points in 52 games for the Blackhawks. A player that just can’t stop scoring, Hagel is now a building block for Chicago and locked up through a good chunk of his restricted free agency.

It’s a bit of a crowded field in the Blackhawks forward group, after adding names like Adam Gaudette and Henrik Borgstrom down the stretch, plus Tyler Johnson and Jujhar Khaira this summer, but Hagel should be secure in his role. The team will be able to mix and match the lines to find the right balance of veterans and youth, especially with the return of captain Jonathan Toews in the middle of the ice.

New York Rangers Sign Tim Gettinger

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The New York Rangers have signed a restricted free agent, though it’s not the one many fans are waiting for. Tim Gettinger has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level, according to PuckPedia. CapFriendly reports that it pays him $75,000 in the AHL.

Gettinger, 23, played in two games for the Rangers this season, taking his career total to eight. He still hasn’t managed to score a goal a the NHL level, but was a strong contributor for the Hartford Wolf Pack this time around. The 6’6″ forward, selected 141st overall in 2016, registered 19 points in 23 games at the AHL level this season, showing signs that he may finally be starting to use his size to full advantage.

Given the Rangers’ new focus on size and physicality in the bottom-six, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gettinger for more than two games this year. He’s not at all an enforcer, but can certainly hold his own in that type of physical role. The team went out of their way to add players like Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves this offseason, showing just how different they want the bottom of the lineup to look. If Gettinger can continue to improve offensively, it seems like a path to the NHL is right in front of him.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top