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Archives for August 2021

Los Angeles Kings Sign Austin Strand

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Austin Strand has accepted his qualifying offer and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Los Angeles Kings worth $771,750. He was not eligible for arbitration this summer.

Strand, 24, made his NHL debut this season, playing 13 games for the Kings and registering a single point. The undrafted defenseman has worked his way up through the minor leagues but will have to fight for playing time again this season. Waiver-exempt for 2020-21, he was involved in daily transactions between the minor leagues, taxi squad and NHL roster. That opportunity won’t be available this time around, meaning Strand will be at risk to the rest of the league if he fails to make the team out of camp.

The Kings already have five defensemen signed to one-way contracts, plus Michael Anderson, Tobias Bjornfot, and Christian Wolanin fighting for playing time, not to mention the unsigned Kale Clague and Jacob Moverare. There’s plenty of options for the coaching staff to work with as the Kings try to find a mix that can get them back to the playoffs, with Strand serving as valuable depth even if he’s not in the NHL lineup on a regular basis.

Washington Capitals Sign Michael Vecchione

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The Washington Capitals have added some minor league depth, signing free agent forward Michael Vecchione to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $195K.

In the spring of 2017, Vecchione was being chased by more than half the NHL following his 63-point senior season for Union College. He ended up signing with the Philadelphia Flyers and played two games for the team down the stretch, but has still not seen even a minute of NHL ice time since. Over the last four seasons, he’s been stuck in the minor leagues, posting strong—but not outstanding—numbers for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, San Antonio Rampage and Colorado Eagles.

Now 28, it’s unlikely that Vecchione will ever be an impact player at the NHL level, but he’s certainly a nice minor league piece for the Hershey Bears. Washington has always tried to provide their AHL affiliate with veteran talent, and this year is no different. Vecchione should step directly into a leading role with the team, while also serving as some injury insurance for the Capitals.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Michael Pezzetta

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The Montreal Canadiens have reached a new contract with minor league forward Michael Pezzetta. The one-year, two-way contract will pay him $750K at the NHL level and $82.5K at the AHL level.

Pezzetta, 23, is coming off his entry-level contract signed in 2018, two years after he was selected 160th overall. Over three seasons in the AHL he has scored just 10 goals and 19 points but is known much more for his fighting ability and physicality than offensive production. In his 107 career AHL games, Pezzetta has been involved in 18 fights, including four this season before a facial fracture ended his year prematurely.

Though his offensive numbers don’t suggest he should be playing in the NHL anytime soon, don’t be surprised if Pezzetta gets a few games for the Canadiens should they decide they need some added toughness in the lineup. Either way, he’ll be in the Laval Rocket lineup on a regular basis this season after signing his new deal.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Joseph Duszak

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Aug 5: The Maple Leafs have officially announced the contract, at the reported terms.

Aug 4: The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Joseph Duszak to a one-year, two-way contract according to CapFriendly. The deal will pay Duszak $750K in the NHL and $150K in the AHL.

Signed as an undrafted college free agent in 2019, Duszak was one of the country’s most productive offensive defensemen at the time. With 47 points in 37 games, the only real questionable part of Duszak’s season was the competition, given he was playing at Mercyhurst College.

Finding out whether he could continue to perform at that level in a professional league was worth it for the Maple Leafs, and Duszak hasn’t disappointed. In his first full year of pro hockey he scored 35 points in 34 games with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, while adding 18 points in 23 games with the Toronto Marlies. Those numbers dropped this season in the COVID-shortened schedule, but he still racked up 12 points in 25 games with the Marlies.

Now 24, it’s unlikely that the 5’9″ Duszak really ever makes a considerable impact at the NHL level, but at the very least he’s a strong depth option for the Toronto minor league system.

New Jersey Devils Sign Yegor Sharangovich

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The New Jersey Devils have agreed to a new contract with Yegor Sharangovich that will carry a $2MM average annual value. The two-year deal will pay Sharangovich $1.8MM in 2021-22 and $2.2MM in 2022-23.

If you weren’t paying attention to the Devils this season, you might have missed the breakout of the 23-year-old Sharangovich. Selected 141st overall back in 2018, he burst onto the NHL scene this year and scored 16 goals and 30 points in 54 games. That was good for third on the Devils roster and slotted him clearly into the team’s long-term plans.

The Belarusian forward finished tenth in Calder Trophy voting and will now receive a healthy raise on the entry-level salary he earned this year. The deal will also take him to arbitration eligibility after the 2022-23 season and in line for a $2.2MM qualifying offer. That’s some nice financial security for a late-round pick who has played just 54 games at the NHL level to this point.

The Devils of course are swimming in cap space at the moment, only just creeping over the lower limit with Sharangovich’s deal. Even with Dougie Hamilton signed long-term, the team is in good shape–P.K. Subban’s deal comes off the books next year, and only Hamilton and captain Nico Hischier are signed through 2023-24. The team does have to navigate RFA negotiations with basically the whole roster in the years to come, but will be able to pick and choose who they extend long-term. The biggest thing right now is for the team to start turning the corner towards playoff contention, something that was clearly the target when they signed Hamilton and Jonathan Bernier for more than $13MM per season.

Sharangovich will help them to that goal, though he is still in this group of somewhat interchangeable young forwards on the roster. Andreas Johnsson, 26, is the oldest of the bunch, with several spots left to fill. Even with Sharangovich’s deal, the Devils have just seven forwards signed to one-way contracts, meaning a few more depth additions could be made in the coming months.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Chase Pearson

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed Chase Pearson to a one-year contract, keeping the young restricted free agent in the organization. Pearson was actually eligible for salary arbitration this summer, but was not among the 17 players who filed a few days ago. The financial details of the contract have not yet been released.

Pearson, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Red Wings in 2015, and played three seasons at the University of Maine before turning pro. In his two-plus years with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, Pearson has recorded 46 points in 97 games. That includes a very strong 2020-21 campaign, where Pearson was one of the most reliable players on the squad, scoring 22 points in 28 games.

Without an NHL appearance to his name, Pearson will have to continue to work hard in the minor leagues and wait for his opportunity with the Red Wings. It’s hard to ask for a better situation if you want to prove yourself, as Detroit will likely be testing minor league talent at the NHL level all season long. Given the fact that he’s still waiver-exempt, Pearson could get a chance as an injury replacement this season, bouncing up and down between the two levels without being at risk.

Salary Cap Increases Expected To Be Minimal Through 2025-26

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The good news is, the salary cap could increase by $1MM for the 2022-23 season. The bad news is, significant movement of the upper limit is not expected until 2026-27. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the league is projecting a $4.8B hockey-related revenue for the 2021-22 season, which will actually mean the escrow debt that the players owe will actually increase. Seravalli expects there to be a $1MM increase in each of the next four offseasons as the revenues bounce back and players are able to pay off the $1.1B in debt.

When revenues dropped significantly last year, it caused a huge discrepancy in the normal 50-50 split between player salaries and owner revenues. Suddenly, players were being paid much more than their allotted half, meaning the difference would have been held in escrow. In the CBA negotiations that took place last year, the players and owners agreed to a salary deferral and fixed escrow rates, in exchange for a (relatively) flat cap until those debts—the ones caused by player salaries far outreaching 50% of hockey-related revenue—were paid back. Seravalli reports that the balance owed is expected to reach $1.1B after final accounting of the 2020-21 season.

If there are just $1MM increases in each of the next four offseasons, teams will have to be extremely careful how they spend money. Seven teams are already over the cap ceiling for next year, and though long-term injured reserve can help some of them, there’s just not a lot of wiggle room to work with. It also may explain why three teams are currently under the lower limit, with money still to spend to get to the cap floor of $60.2MM. Thirteen teams currently have cap commitments of less than $70MM for the 2021-22 season, giving them room to operate moving forward (while keeping costs down in the meantime).

A $1MM increase may seem like a good thing after three years at the same $81.5MM, but the squeeze is going to be apparent quickly as we move through the next few seasons without any meaningful change.

San Jose Sharks Sign Adin Hill

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Though an unsigned restricted free agent when acquired from the Arizona Coyotes, there was no question that young goaltender Adin Hill was a big part of the San Jose Sharks’ future. That became even more clear when incumbent starter Martin Jones was bought out. The Sharks have now taken their first official step toward a new status quo in net, signing Hill to a new deal. The team announced that the 25-year-old has inked a two-year deal. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that it will carry a $2.175MM cap hit, paying Hill $1.675MM in 2021-22 and $2.675MM in 2022-23.

Hill arrives in San Jose with his eye on the starting job after gradually increasing his role with the Coyotes over the past three seasons. From four NHL games and an .891 save percentage in 2017-18, Hill improved to 13 games apiece in the next two years with a combined .910 save percentage and finally to a career-best 19 games, including 17 starts, and a .913 save percentage in 2020-21. Hill’s numbers are remarkably similar to his AHL play, he has a career 2.79 GAA and .909 save percentage in the NHL and a 2.69 GAA and .909 save percentage in 138 AHL games. Often the mark of a good goaltender, Hill shows little discrepancy in his play regardless of the caliber of competition or defense in front of him.

At 6’6″, Hill is a big, positional goaltender who learned how to use his size from one of the best in the game right now, new Colorado Avalanche addition Darcy Kuemper. The Sharks hope that Hill has a ceiling like Kuemper, but will settle for any upgrade to Jones’ abysmal numbers over the past few years. With the term of his new deal coming in shorter than that of veteran free agent signing James Reimer, San Jose will not be completely left hanging if Hill does not pan over the next two years, but they would much rather be signing him to a long-term extension in 2023 than searching for a replacement.

Seattle Kraken Sign Connor Carrick

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The Seattle Kraken have added another piece to their already-deep blue line. In confirming earlier reports that they had signed RFA forward Alex True, the team also added that they had signed UFA defenseman Connor Carrick. Carrick has signed a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL salary of $800K.

Carrick, 27, is a veteran of 241 NHL games and 158 AHL games. A player often regarded as too good for the minors, where his career scoring rate is over a half-point per game, but just not quite the caliber of an NHL starter. As a result, Carrick has bounced around in his young career and multiple teams have tried to be the ones to turn the known AHL commodity into a breakout star. Through stints with the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils, Carrick has played well enough at the top level, but has failed to lock down a regular role. In eight pro seasons, only twice has he played in more than half of his team’s games – both with Toronto several years ago.

Carrick seems always on the cusp of taking on a larger role in the NHL and perhaps Seattle will finally provide a starting opportunity. On paper, the blue line looks full. Expansion Draft selections Mark Giordano, Jamie Oleksiak, Adam Larsson, Carson Soucy, Vince Dunn, Jeremy Lauzon, Haydn Fleury, Cale Fleury, Will Borgen, and Dennis Cholowski are all NHL defensemen and none of the younger players remain waivers-exempt. Even without Carrick, this defense corps seems bound to be broken up, even with Kurtis MacDermid also traded. The Kraken will have to chip that number down from ten to at least eight. How could Carrick benefit? If one of the departures is a right-hander like Cale Fleury or Borgen, suddenly Carrick is the third-highest righty defenseman on the depth chart. That won’t be enough to crack the Opening Night roster, but in the even of an injury could open the door for a long-term role. In the meantime, the well-liked veteran will be looked upon as a leader for Seattle’s AHL prospects.

Front Office Notes: Penguins, Flyers, Maple Leafs, Rangers

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Once a model organization for goaltending performance and depth, the Pittsburgh Penguins play in net has largely gone downhill since the departure of goaltending coach Mike Bales in 2017. His replacement, Mike Buckley, watched as young starters Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry suffered through struggles and was unable to right the ship. The Penguins have decided that it is time for a new voice, especially after failing thus far in free agency to add a veteran mentor for Jarry. The team has announced that Buckley has been relieved of his duties and former Pittsburgh keeper Andy Chiodo has been hired as his replacement. Though new to the job, Chiodo has been with the organization in a development role since 2018. He has also previously worked as a goalie coach in the OHL and Canadian college ranks. Chiodo was considered a high-IQ goaltender during his playing days and will look to take his knowledge of the game and use it to improve the Penguins’ young, inconsistent net.

  • Across the state, the Philadelphia Flyers have made some new additions of their own. The team announced that ten new names have joined the organization, five in hockey operations, two to the Flyers’ coaching staff, and three to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ coaching staff. The headliner of the group is veteran executive Mike O’Connell, named Senior Advisor to the General Manager. A former GM of the Boston Bruins, made infamous as the architect of the Joe Thornton trade, O’Connell has quietly made a very positive difference for the Los Angeles Kings for the past 15 year in various roles in scouting and player development. O’Connell contributed to two Stanley Cup champions and has now helped to draft and develop arguably the best prospect pipeline in the NHL. Among the other front office hires were Pro Scout Nick Beverley, who has spent the past 16 years with the Nashville Predators and Amateur Scout Matt Bardsley, a former GM of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. In Lehigh Valley, the team named two assistants to Ian Laperriere’s staff, former WHL coach Jason Smith former ECHL coach Riley Armstrong.
  • While the New York Rangers have lost some big names from their front office this off-season, they just poached a notable name for themselves. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Horsby reports that Toronto Maple Leafs Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley has decided to leave the team to become Director of Player Personnel in New York. Lilley has been with Toronto since 2006, including the past three years as leader of amateur scouting and therefore the Maple Leafs’ drafts. His new title means even more responsibility with the Rangers, though Lilley will still be in charge of amateur scouting and will run the draft. The Maple Leafs have not named a replacement.

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