East Notes: Blue Jackets, Bishop, Holl, Niku
With the salary cap flattening out making it more difficult to up contract offers from a salary standpoint, trade protection is starting to become a little more important. However, some teams are pushing back on that front and one of those appears to be the Blue Jackets. GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link) that while he’s okay with limited protection, that’s as far as he’s willing to go in contracts now:
As long as we don’t have any no-moves I’m fine with some of the limited no-trade lists, eight teams or 10 teams, you still have 22 teams you can deal with. So I’m not as adamant as David (Poile) maybe but it’s in very limited cases that we give them and we’re not doing any no-moves anymore.’
At the moment, the only Blue Jackets player with any form of trade protection is center Sean Kuraly who has a 10-team list. Defenseman Zach Werenski has a similar 10-team list in his extension which kicks in next season.
Elsewhere in the East:
- The Maple Leafs have signed goaltender Alex Bishop to a one-day amateur tryout deal, David Alter of The Hockey News is among those reporting. The move is necessary with Petr Mrazek out with a groin injury but Toronto can’t make the money work to recall another goalie from the minors. The 24-year-old plays at the USports Level with the University of Toronto. Once they play tonight’s game, they’ll be given approval for an emergency (cap-exempt) recall. Toronto can’t send defenseman Timothy Liljegren down to make room for netminder Michael Hutchinson as he’s needed with blueliner Justin Holl unavailable due to a non-COVID-related illness; Toronto’s electing to play down a backup goalie over only dressing five defensemen.
- Canadiens defenseman Sami Niku has been given the green light to return from his concussion, relays Sportsnet’s Eric Engels (Twitter link). However, he won’t be in the lineup tonight against the Rangers. Niku had his contract terminated by Winnipeg last month and signed with Montreal soon after. The Canadiens have an open roster spot and won’t need to make any moves to activate him off IR.
Max Pacioretty To Miss Roughly Six Weeks
Thursday’s game against the Kings was a costly one for the Golden Knights. For starters, a 6-2 loss is never ideal but on top of that, their injury list is continuing to grow. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that winger Max Pacioretty is set to miss approximately six weeks with an injury; Jesse Granger of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that it’s a lower-body issue.
This is the latest in what has been a long list of injuries to start the season as the veteran joins forwards Nicolas Roy, Brett Howden, Mattias Janmark (COVID protocol), Alex Tuch, and William Carrier as those out of the lineup. Mark Stone was also injured against the Kings with Friedman noting that Vegas is still awaiting further clarity on his situation.
Pacioretty had been off to a strong start to his season with three points in their opener against Seattle and has been one of their most consistent scoring threats since coming over in a trade from Montreal back in 2018, notching at least 22 goals in each of his three seasons with the Golden Knights while eclipsing the point per game mark for the first time last season when he had 24 goals and 27 assists in 48 games. If Stone winds up missing time as well, their top two scorers from the past two seasons will both be out of commission. Vegas is basically down to just seven healthy forwards on their active roster having sent three players down yesterday and those players (plus others) will almost certainly be recalled before their next game on Wednesday.
Injuries left Vegas in a tough spot last season to the point where they had to dress fewer than 18 skaters at times but that shouldn’t be an issue here. Tuch is currently on LTIR, allowing the Golden Knights to use his $4.75MM towards replacement players and with Pacioretty set to miss the next six weeks, he’ll be eligible to be moved there as well and with a $7MM AAV, there will be more than enough cap room to recall several players to fill their lineup.
Of course, finding healthy players from their AHL affiliate in Henderson is something that’s easier said than done. After making their season debut last night, NHL.com’s Patrick Williams relays (Twitter link) that the Silver Knights are missing a total of 14 players due to injury while the team announced yesterday that head coach Manny Viveiros is taking a non-COVID medical leave of absence and is out indefinitely. It has been a tough start to the season all around in the Vegas organization.
Jack Johnson Placed In COVID Protocol
While Colorado will have head coach Jared Bednar back behind the bench tonight, they will be down a defenseman as Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now reports that Jack Johnson has been placed in COVID protocol. He’s presently asymptomatic but will be out indefinitely. The team has confirmed (Twitter link) that Johnson is in the protocol.
It has been a tough few days for the Avalanche on this front with star center Nathan MacKinnon also missing time due to a positive test; he won’t be back for tonight’s game either. With the team also without Gabriel Landeskog (suspension) plus Valeri Nichushkin and Devon Toews (injuries), Colorado’s depth is getting tested early on.
The positive test for Johnson derails what was a good first few weeks in Colorado for him. He was able to land a one-year, one-way contract off a PTO and scored in his Avalanche debut while logging nearly 19 minutes. Unfortunately for him, he’ll be out of the lineup likely for the next few games at a minimum.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Nashville Predators
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading for the 2021-22 season and beyond. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Nashville Predators
Current Cap Hit: $71,926,142 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Cody Glass (one year, $863K)
F Philip Tomasino (three years, $863K)
Potential Bonuses:
Glass: $850K
Glass was brought in as part of the three-team trade that sent Ryan Ellis to Philadelphia. His first two professional seasons haven’t gone as expected as he failed to lock down a regular spot with Vegas, eventually leading to the swap. He’ll get that chance with the Predators but it’s hard to see him doing so well to bypass a bridge contract in the process. From a bonus perspective, he’ll need to work his way into a top-six role if he wants to have a shot at hitting some of his ‘A’ bonuses. Tomasino had a great showing in the AHL last season which certainly played a role in him being slotted in as a regular going back to the summer when they moved Viktor Arvidsson. He has the potential to be an impact scorer although projecting his next deal this early in his career isn’t really possible.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Matt Benning ($1MM, UFA)
D Mark Borowiecki ($2MM, UFA)
F Nick Cousins ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Filip Forsberg ($6MM, UFA)
F Rocco Grimaldi ($2MM, UFA)
D Ben Harpur ($800K, UFA)
F Luke Kunin ($2.3MM, RFA)
G David Rittich ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Yakov Trenin ($725K, RFA)
Forsberg’s contract situation garnered some attention recently when he suggested that his intent is to play out his deal and then decide what he wants to do from there. That’s certainly within his rights but it’s not ideal for the Predators. As their franchise forward, they’re going to want to know his intentions to know whether or not they’ll be moving him in the coming months which makes his case one to keep an eye on. From a next contract standpoint, he’s in line to get a bit more than his current AAV but, barring a big 2021-22 season, it won’t be a substantial jump. Gabriel Landeskog’s deal in Colorado (eight years, $7MM AAV) feels like the type of deal Forsberg might want to target if he’s looking to do a max-term contract.
Kunin’s first season with Nashville was similar to his last one with Minnesota – there were flashes of offensive upside and others where he, like many Predators, struggled offensively. At this point, it’s unlikely the two sides could find middle ground on a long-term commitment so the likelier scenario is that this season plays out to give them a better idea of what’s to come. A one-year deal that keeps him RFA-eligible and gives him a small raise is certainly a viable option. Grimaldi wasn’t really able to duplicate his 2019-20 performance and is more of an in-and-out depth player. His next deal could be cut in half accordingly. Cousins is a steady fourth liner that can move up when needed and while there is definitely a need for that around the league, it’s a spot on the depth chart where teams are trying to save. His next contract should come around this price tag as a result. Trenin was a decent fourth liner last season and should have a similar role this year. He’s arbitration-eligible but with a limited track record, it shouldn’t play much of a role. He could crack the $1MM mark but not by much more unless he moves up the depth chart.
Borowiecki missed time last season due to a concussion as well as some mental health struggles and when he was in Nashville’s lineup, he had a very limited role. Unless he’s able to lock down some more ice time, he’ll be hard-pressed to get the same money on the open market next summer. Benning stepped in nicely on the third pairing last season with an uptick in ice time. At this point, he’s still young enough to be viewed as a late-bloomer so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get a small raise next summer even though he didn’t fare well in his first trip in free agency in 2020. Harpur cleared waivers at the start of last season and frequently bounced back and forth between the NHL roster and the taxi squad but managed to play a regular role in the second half of the season. He has bounced around so far and is better off as a depth player so it’s unlikely he’ll command much more money next summer.
Two Years Remaining
D Dante Fabbro ($2.4MM, RFA)
D Philippe Myers ($2.55MM, RFA)
F Mathieu Olivier ($750K, RFA)
Olivier brought some energy to the fourth line last season, earning this one-way deal as a result. Unless he can work his way into a regular spot though, he’s someone that should stay close to the minimum.
Myers was the centerpiece of the Ellis trade but is coming off a disappointing season with Philadelphia. He’ll have the chance to rebound while playing a significant role with the Preds. Assuming he does well in a top-four role, he’ll be in good shape to land a long-term contract in 2023 well beyond his $3.06MM qualifying offer. Fabbro’s sophomore campaign wasn’t the best either which put him squarely in bridge contract territory this summer, one that he should be able to easily outperform.
Three Years Remaining
F Eeli Tolvanen ($1.45MM, RFA)
This was one of the more surprising contracts of the summer by the fact it was this low. Granted, Tolvanen doesn’t have a lot of NHL success under his belt but as a first-round pick in 2017, there’s still some upside. Nashville wants to feature him in a bigger role this season and there’s a very good chance that this will wind up being a very team-friendly deal while still keeping him under team control at the end of it.
Predators Place David Rittich In COVID Protocol
The Predators will be without goaltender David Rittich for tonight’s game against Carolina as the team announced that they have placed him in COVID protocol. Connor Ingram has been recalled from AHL Milwaukee in his place.
Rittich is in his first season with Nashville and hasn’t yet made his regular season debut with the team, serving as the backup to Juuse Saros in their season-opening loss to Seattle. He had a 2.86 GAA along with a .901 SV% in 19 games last season between Calgary and Toronto which led the Preds to sign him to a one-year, $1.25MM contract this summer.
That meant that Ingram, who has been viewed at times as a possible backup of the future, would have to start in the minors again this season and he cleared waivers earlier this month. He was limited to just five AHL games last season after being in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program but before that, he was one of the top netminders in that league in 2017-18 and 2018-19 before being even better in AHL Milwaukee after being acquired, posting a 1.92 GAA with a .933 SV% in 33 games in 2019-20.
Central Notes: Bowness, Toews, Perron
Going into the final year of a contract as a coach is a scenario that a lot of teams like to try to avoid but that’s not the case with the Stars and bench boss Rick Bowness. Speaking with Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News regarding his expiring deal, Bowness stated “That doesn’t bother me one bit. Shouldn’t bother the players”. The 66-year-old also admitted to turning down three deals with more money and term before originally committing to Dallas so clearly, there is some comfort in going with short-term agreements. After a disappointing and injury-riddled season, many expect the Stars to bounce back this season which would bode well for his future behind the bench.
More from the Central Division:
- Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews is expected to travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip and could be cleared to play at some point in that stretch, reports Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The 27-year-old was a significant addition to Colorado’s back end last season as he logged nearly 25 minutes a night while chipping in with 31 points, the most in his career. For the time being, Colorado is carrying a minimum-sized roster (though that could change by next week) so no roster move would be needed to activated Toews.
- In a recent reader chat, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggested that he thinks Blues winger David Perron could take another team-friendly deal around the $4MM mark if he has a similar showing to last season. While he could likely garner more on the open market, the 33-year-old hasn’t hidden his desire to be in St. Louis, signing back there each time he has reached free agency. In order for him to remain there, Perron will need to take a below-market deal with St. Louis having over $72MM in commitments to just 14 players for next season, per CapFriendly, not leaving much wiggle room to fill out the rest of the roster.
Atlantic Notes: Weber, Murray, Tkachuk, Mrazek
The NHL has permitted the Canadiens to place defenseman Shea Weber on LTIR, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic in the latest Insider Trading segment. Shortly following the playoffs, Montreal announced Weber would not play at all this season and may not play again but there were reports that the league wanted to take a closer look at his case since he was able to play for the entirety of the playoffs. To that end, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told LeBrun that “We are not currently challenging that Shea Weber satisfied the CBA requirements necessary to qualify for LTI”, allowing for the possibility for them to re-evaluate the situation later on. Montreal will need to make use of Weber’s LTIR assuming goaltender Carey Price returns at some point this season.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Senators winger Brady Tkachuk has been ruled out of Saturday’s contest against Toronto, relays Postmedia’s Ken Warren. However, he’s expected to make his season debut either Sunday against Dallas or Thursday against San Jose. Tkachuk signed his seven-year deal yesterday and will need some time to get up to speed before suiting up.
- Still with Ottawa, the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve moved goaltender Matt Murray to injured reserve retroactive to October 12th. He has been dealing with a non-COVID-related illness that caused him to miss the opener and now it will keep him out through the weekend at the very least. The retroactive placement makes him eligible to be activated for Thursday’s contest.
- Given the fact that groin injuries can be longer-term than expected, Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star suggested in a recent appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link) that it’s unlikely that Maple Leafs goaltender Petr Mrazek will return in the near future. He left Thursday’s game against Ottawa due to the injury. It sounds likely that a stint on IR is forthcoming which means they will need to call a goalie up from the minors, likely veteran Michael Hutchinson.
Minor Transactions: 10/15/21
With the AHL getting going this weekend, some players are signing contracts in the minors to make sure they have a spot to play. Here’s a rundown of some of those recent moves plus an update on a Colorado player currently overseas.
- The Rangers have inked veteran forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie to an AHL tryout. The 35-year-old is no stranger to the minors, playing in 629 games over parts of 13 seasons while recording over 1,100 penalty minutes. Labrie last saw NHL action with Tampa Bay back in 2013-14 and spent the last two seasons in Germany with Eisbaren Berlin.
- The Flames aren’t ready to send Ryan Francis back to junior yet as their affiliate in Stockton announced that they’ve inked the 19-year-old to a tryout agreement. Francis was Calgary’s fifth-round pick (143rd overall) in 2019 and had 50 points in 32 games last season in the QMJHL. As he turns 20 before December 31st, Francis is eligible to play in the AHL this season.
- Vladislav Kamenev is on the move in the KHL as CSKA Moscow announced they’ve signed the winger to a one-year deal. His rights continue to be held by the Avalanche as an unsigned restricted free agent as the 25-year-old last suited up in the NHL back in 2019-20. A strong showing in Moscow could get him back on the NHL radar if he wanted to try playing in North America again.
- Tobias Rieder’s previously-rumored deal in the SHL is now official, per an announcement from Vaxjo. The 31-year-old has inked a one-year deal with the Lakers after spending last season with Buffalo where he had five goals and two assists in 44 games.
Mark Jankowski Signs AHL Contract With Buffalo
If Mark Jankowski wants to make it back to the NHL, he’ll be going through the AHL to do it as Rochester, AHL affiliate of Buffalo, announced that they’ve inked the 27-year-old to a one-year contract.
Jankowski has not been able to live up to his first-round draft billing (21st overall in 2012) and has struggled the last few seasons. After being non-tendered by Calgary in 2020, the center quickly signed with Pittsburgh, inking a one-year deal for the league minimum. The move made plenty of sense on paper as a still relatively unproven player with a bit of upside hoping that a change of scenery would get him going.
However, that didn’t really happen. Jankowski managed just 11 points (4-7-11) in 45 games last season while playing almost exclusively on the fourth line. Even though his qualifying offer was only for the minimum this season ($750K), the Penguins opted to non-tender him again, avoiding arbitration in the process. Unable to secure a guaranteed deal, Jankowski signed a training camp tryout with New Jersey but wasn’t able to land a contract with them either.
Evidently, an NHL two-way offer wasn’t available either which has led Jankowski to the AHL and the Americans. It will be his first extended action in the minors since 2016-17 when he had 27 goals and 29 assists with Stockton. This will also be Jankowski’s first real opportunity to play an offensive role in the top six since that season as well and he’s clearly banking that a good showing with Rochester will bolster his shot at landing an NHL contract somewhere either later this season or next summer.
Michael Frolik Signs In Switzerland
After attending the St. Louis Blues training camp on a professional tryout deal, veteran forward Michael Frolik has opted to continue his playing career in Switzerland. His new team, Lausanne HC, announced a two-year deal for Frolik today.
Considering Frolik will be 35 at the conclusion of this contract, it’s likely that he’s played his last game in the NHL. If that’s the case, Frolik carved out a role for himself as an extremely solid middle-six player for a good number of years at the NHL level.
Drafted tenth overall by the Florida Panthers in 2006, Frolik broke into the league in 2008-09 at age 20, finishing tenth in Calder Trophy voting with 21 goals and 45 points in 79 games. He was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2010-11 season, where he’d eventually win a Stanley Cup championship with them in 2013. He was a valuable depth player on that run, scoring 10 points in 23 games.
However, Frolik didn’t top 10 goals or 20 points either of the last two seasons. Signing a deal with the Montreal Canadiens last year, Frolik spent the majority of the season on the team’s taxi squad. When he was in the lineup he went pointless, tallying nothing in eight games.
But over his career, Frolik was a consistent bet to score 10-20 goals. He never really lived up to tenth overall pick potential or the expectation he set for himself early on in Florida, but still appeared in 858 NHL games, complementing it with 159 goals and 384 points.