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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Nolan Allan

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed first-round pick Nolan Allan to his three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will come with a cap hit of $870K and an AAV of $925K. Allan was the very last player off the board in the first round this year, selected with the Tampa Bay Lightning pick that Chicago received in the Seth Jones trade.  PuckPedia provides the full breakdown of the deal:

2021-22: $750K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $25K bonus at 5 NHL GP, $57.5K at 10 NHL GP
2022-23: $750K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $25K bonus at 5 NHL GP, $57.5K at 10 NHL GP
2023-24: $832.5K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, no games played bonuses

Allan, 18, is a very interesting pick for the simple reason that he has basically shown no offensive upside to this point. The 6’2″ defenseman has just 11 points in his 81 WHL games to this point and is known almost entirely for his contributions in his own end. That’s why it was a surprise to some when the Blackhawks picked him at the end of the first round, but there’s certainly a lot to like about his defensive game.

He very well may cap out at a third-pairing defenseman in the NHL and some will critique the Blackhawks for not shooting higher with their selection, but the team obviously believes he can be a valuable piece of the puzzle. That certainly won’t be this season, though Allan will be taking part in the team’s rookie tournament that starts later this week. In all likelihood, he’ll go back to the WHL for another season to continue his development, which will also allow his contract to slide forward a year, not burning the first season of the entry-level deal.

New York Islanders Expected To Sign Paul LaDue

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Sep 16: CapFriendly reports that the deal will be a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level, $275K in the AHL and includes a $325K minor league guarantee.

Sep 10: Free agent signings by the New York Islanders are difficult to officially pin down, given how the team refuses to announce them, but at least one more player is expected to end up there. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that Paul LaDue will sign with the Islanders, though does not give any contract details.

LaDue, 29, signed a one-way contract with the Washington Capitals for last season, but ended up spending the entire year on the practice squad or in the minor leagues. He didn’t suit up for a single NHL game, the first time that has happened since turning pro in 2016. Originally a sixth-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in 2012, LaDue played three years for the University of North Dakota, winning a national championship in 2016.

At the NHL level, he’s played in 71 total games, all with the Kings and registered 19 points. The 6’2″ defenseman is a valuable depth piece, even if he has yet to prove he can handle a full-time role. With the Islanders, it’s unclear where LaDue fits in exactly, given how uncertain their depth chart is at this point. The team could very well have other players who have agreed to contracts that will be battling for those last few spots, or perhaps things are setting up for LaDue to secure a roster spot out of camp.

Even if he doesn’t secure that roster spot, LaDue represents solid injury insurance as the team attempts to go on another long playoff run.

Andy Andreoff, Dmytro Timashov Sign With Islanders

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Official confirmation on anything New York Islanders-related is difficult to come by these days, but it appears as though two more players can be added to the unofficial organizational depth chart. Arthur Staple of The Athletic tweets that the team has signed Andy Andreoff and notes that Dmytro Timashov may also be back. CapFriendly reports that the Andreoff deal is a two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level, $275K in the AHL and includes a $325K minor league guarantee. They add that Timashov’s deal is a two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level, $160K in the AHL and includes a $205K minor league guarantee. Both are for just one year.

The 30-year-old Andreoff actually has 179 games under his belt to this point in his NHL career, though just 20 of those have come since the end of the 2017-18 season. A former full-time member of the Los Angeles Kings, he’s been forced to spend most of the last few years in the minor leagues. In 2020-21, he played in six games with the Philadelphia Flyers, going scoreless and registering nine penalty minutes.

Timashov, 24, is perhaps more exciting, given his relative youth and offensive upside. The former Toronto Maple Leafs forward spent last season with the Islanders organization on a one-year, two-way deal, but was not extended a qualifying offer this summer. Timashov would have been arbitration-eligible but became an unrestricted free agent when he failed to receive a QO. Though he played in just one game at the NHL level and has just 45 under his belt to this point, the fifth-round pick is still a somewhat intriguing option because of the scoring numbers he has put up at the minor league level.

He had 11 points in 22 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season but scored 49 in 72 the last time he played a full season in the minor leagues. A Calder Cup winner with the Toronto Marlies, he could provide some interesting bottom-six depth for the Islanders this season.

Andrew Ladd Healthy, Ready To Resume NHL Career

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You may have thought Andrew Ladd was retired. You wouldn’t be alone, but you’d be wrong. The veteran forward confirmed exactly that to Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic, explaining that not only is he still active, but he’s healthy and ready to contribute for the Arizona Coyotes this season. Ladd was acquired by the Coyotes in July as part of a salary dump by the New York Islanders, heading to the desert along with a package of draft picks in exchange for future considerations.

Even though he intends on playing, there still appears to be some doubt on how long his career can last. The conditions on the final pick included in that trade are that it only goes to Arizona if Ladd fails to play in a single professional game during the 2022-23 season or retires prior to that campaign. Yes, the 35-year-old is not only under contract for this season but also next, on the seven-year, $38.5MM deal he signed with the Islanders in 2016. He’ll carry a $5.5MM cap hit through 2022-23, though his actual salary is a bit less than that.

It’s hard to remember now, but Ladd was actually active during the 2019-20 season for the Islanders, playing 34 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers before a call-up in March. Unfortunately, that call-up was cut short when the league shut down due to the rising COVID-19 situation, but Ladd also dressed for a postseason game for the Islanders that summer. In 2020-21, he played just a single game for the Sound Tigers, but he’s ready to resume his career and go for that 1,000 regular season games played mark that so few are able to achieve.

For the Coyotes, who are clearly in a rebuild, Ladd represents lots of positive opportunities. Not only did they receive draft picks to take on his contract, but it helps them get to the cap floor and the veteran forward can provide some leadership on the ice in what will likely be a difficult season. He joins fellow 35+ players like Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Anton Stralman, and Carter Hutton on the roster, a group that will help guide the younger players in the roster along the way. Ladd, who served as captain with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets before his time in New York, has always been considered a well-respected leader in the league. He’ll have a brand new challenge this season as he looks to play out his final few years, reaching personal milestones along the way.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 09/16/21

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Prospect tournaments are underway and NHL training camp is right around the corner. Though there won’t be huge changes to the rosters at the highest level for a few weeks, minor league teams are still working to find the right mix. As always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves right here.

  • Cameron Gaunce will be in Los Angeles Kings camp on a professional tryout according to John Hoven of SiriusXM NHL, though that’s more of a showcase for the Ontario Reign than anything else. Gaunce, 31, has just 37 NHL games under his belt and just five since the end of the 2016-17 season. He is however one of the best defensemen in the minor leagues, meaning he could very well land another two-way NHL contract but spend the majority of the season in the AHL.
  • Greg Meireles, who played three games for the Syracuse Crunch last season but spent most of his time in the ECHL, has signed a one-year deal with the Manitoba Moose. The 22-year-old forward was a sixth-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2019 but became a free agent earlier this year when he failed to sign his entry-level contract. He’ll now take his talents back to Canada to play for the Moose and try to establish himself as an AHL player.

This page will be updated as further transactions are reported

Vladislav Kotkov Signs In KHL

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September 16: After seeing his contract terminated, Kotkov is headed back to the KHL as expected. The young forward has signed a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. An unrestricted free agent, if he ever wants to return to North America he will not be limited to the Sharks.

September 11: The Sharks are parting ways with one of their prospects as Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports (Twitter link) that they have placed winger Vladislav Kotkov on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination.

The 21-year-old went undrafted in 2018 but did well enough as an invite to San Jose’s development camp to earn an entry-level deal just two weeks after the draft.  He spent last season playing his final year in the QMJHL, notching nine goals and ten assists in 16 games with Saint John while chipping in with four assists in five playoff contests.  Kotkov also got into one AHL playoff game with the Barracuda.

With two years remaining on his contract, this news is a little surprising as Kotkov is still young enough to be considered a viable NHL prospect and with just two career AHL contests under his belt, it’s not as if he has played enough for San Jose to give up on him.  Speculatively, there may be an offer waiting for him back home and if San Jose, who is fairly tight to the 50-contract limit once expected slides are factored in, didn’t want to loan him to play overseas where he’d still count against the limit, then this course of action makes sense.  If Kotkov passes through unclaimed, the Sharks will be able to terminate his contract on Sunday.

League Notes: Salary Cap, Kane, Vaccine Status

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During the league’s media tour today, deputy commissioner Bill Daly spoke with several outlets including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman to answer questions and discuss several topics related to the upcoming season. One that doesn’t have a direct impact on this year’s campaign however is the expected $1MM rise in the salary cap ceiling for 2022-23, which Daly confirmed today. Though it isn’t official until revenue figures come through, this is what Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported at the beginning of August when he examined the current revenue projections.

That increase shouldn’t come as a sign everything is back to normal though. Seravalli’s report indicated that the cap ceiling would not see a significant increase until 2026-27, given the huge escrow debt the players have to pay off. While a $1MM increase gives teams a little bit of wiggle room, they are still in a relatively flat cap situation for the next few years.

  • Daly also told Friedman that the investigation into allegations that Evander Kane gambled on NHL games is still expected to conclude before training camp opens later this month. Though he explains that a report will come out, it’s still unclear whether it will be entirely available to the public. The league opened an investigation into Kane after his estranged wife, Anna Kane, posted accusations on social media claiming that the San Jose Sharks forward bet on games he was involved in; he denied those claims.
  • Speaking with Seravalli, Daly explained that the league currently projects 98% of their players will be fully vaccinated by the start of the season. The deputy commissioner expects just 10-15 total players will be unvaccinated, though that obviously depends on final roster cuts. Those players will be subject to stricter protocols this season, and could face withheld pay for games missed due to COVID-19.

New York Islanders Expected To Sign Erik Gustafsson To PTO

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The New York Islanders probably won’t announce it, but Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star reports that the team is bringing Erik Gustafsson to training camp on a professional tryout.

Gustafsson, 29, actually ranked 44th among our list of the Top 50 UFAs this offseason, but even then we projected a one-year, low-money deal for the enigmatic defenseman. It’s not often you can get a blueliner that scored 60 points in 2018-19 on a PTO, but that’s exactly how poorly the league thinks of Gustafsson’s defensive contributions. He’s a mess in his own end, but still brings enough offensive upside and puck-moving ability to be an intriguing add for a team like the Islanders.

Perhaps, if the team can shelter him in their outstanding defensive structure, he could return to the player who scored 17 goals and 60 points for the Blackhawks just a few years ago. In 250 NHL games overall, Gustafsson has registered 131 points. He even caught on as a regular with the Montreal Canadiens during their recent Stanley Cup Finals run, suiting up 16 times in the postseason.

A PTO is notably not a full contract, but it’s hard to imagine Gustafsson not catching on somewhere by the time the season begins. That could be in New York with the Islanders, or this could simply be a showcase for him to prove he can still hack it at that level, in order to sign elsewhere. Either way, it is a great opportunity for the player, especially given the uncertainty surrounding the last few spots on the Islanders’ back end. The team currently has just six defensemen signed to one-way contracts, and one of those is Thomas Hickey who will likely be sent to the minor leagues once again. Noah Dobson will be in the NHL on his entry-level deal, but other than that there isn’t a long line of young players pushing for roster spots.

Hamilton To Host 2022 NHL Heritage Classic

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Jim Balsillie finally gets his wish, the NHL is headed to Hamilton. No, a franchise isn’t relocating, but the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres will take part in the 2022 Heritage Classic at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario on March 13 of next year. The field is home to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released this statement.

We are excited to announce that we will be presenting another Tim Hortons Heritage Classic this season. When the Toronto Maple Leafs meet the Buffalo Sabres at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, we again will honor Canada’s preeminent role in the history of our game while renewing a great and longstanding NHL rivalry. In addition, by inviting the first U.S.-based team to a Heritage Classic, we will celebrate the greater Golden Horseshoe region as the home of so many fans of both the Leafs and Sabres.

The event had previously been held in NHL cities, but in 2019, the league branched out and held the Heritage Classic in Regina, Saskatchewan, where it was a huge success. This will be a similarly neutral-feeling location with the Sabres as the first U.S.-based team taking part. It will be Toronto’s fourth regular season outdoor game and first since the 2018 Stadium Series. The Sabres have been involved in two previous outdoor games, including the 2018 Winter Classic.

Tim Hortons Field is a multi-purpose stadium that hosts the Tiger-Cats and Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League, and will be the venue for the 2021 Grey Cup in December. It has a normal capacity of close to 24,000 but that can be expanded to nearly 40,000 for special events, according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, who reported last month that this game was in the works.

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