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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.

Pacific Notes: Patrick, Bischoff, Larsson, Flames

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Golden Knights center Nolan Patrick remains unsigned with training camps on the horizon.  This is generally the time where talks start to pick up but Patrick’s agent, Rich Evans, told David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that there is no update on the status of contract discussions.  Patrick was acquired by Vegas in the offseason as part of a three-team deal that saw Cody Glass join Nashville.  The 2017 second-overall pick returned last season after missing all of 2019-20 with a migraine disorder but struggled, notching just nine points in 52 games which certainly limits his negotiating leverage for these discussions.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • Still with the Golden Knights, Schoen adds in a separate report (Twitter link) that defenseman Jake Bischoff is injured and isn’t expected to participate in training camp. The 27-year-old played in just seven games last season, all with AHL Chicago but also spent more than a month on the taxi squad with Vegas.
  • As part of their attempts to re-sign him, the Oilers offered defenseman Adam Larsson a fifth year, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. However, the veteran opted for a fresh start, ultimately inking a four-year, $16MM contract with the Kraken during the expansion draft negotiation window.  Matheson suggests Edmonton’s offer for Larsson likely exceeded the money he received from Seattle as well.
  • While many expected the Flames to shake up their core this summer, that didn’t exactly happen aside from the departure of defenseman Mark Giordano to Seattle in expansion. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis spoke with GM Brad Treliving who commented that a lack of viable options is what played a role in no big moves being made: “I know everybody screams for change, and we talked about that, but we can only do things that are available to you. I can’t click my heels and make things happen. You have to have a trade partner. Nobody is ever done in this business — you’re always looking for ways to improve. But it has got to make sense.”  Calgary did make some additions to get tougher this summer, adding Blake Coleman, Nikita Zadorov, and Erik Gudbranson, giving head coach Darryl Sutter a grittier roster to work with.

Golden Knights Re-Sign Dylan Coghlan

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The Golden Knights have taken care of one of their remaining restricted free agents as they announced the re-signing of defenseman Dylan Coghlan to a two-year contract.  The deal carries an AAV that’s just over the league minimum at $762.5K.

The 23-year-old made his NHL debut last season after spending the first two seasons of his professional career exclusively in the minors.  He made frequent appearances in our Taxi Squad Shuffle posts as he was sent down on 23 separate occasions.  Despite that, he still managed to get into 29 games with Vegas, recording three goals and three assists while logging a little more than 13 minutes per game.  Memorably, all three of those goals came in the same contest back in March against Minnesota, making him the third blueliner in NHL history to score their first three goals in the same game.

Now waiver-eligible, it’s less likely that Coghlan will be sent down now which made it crucial for the Golden Knights to get him signed for as close to the minimum as possible.  Vegas projects to be very tight to the cap this coming season  when Alex Tuch comes off LTIR midseason so every dollar counts as they’ll be operating right near the Upper Limit once again.  Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon still has some work to do on the contract front as offseason acquisition Nolan Patrick remains a restricted free agent and he’ll now focus on getting the center signed before training camp gets underway next week.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Pittsburgh Penguins

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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 into the 2021-22 season.  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.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Current Cap Hit: $81,378,205 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None projected to play a full-time role in the NHL this coming season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Zach Aston-Reese ($1.725MM, UFA)
F Jeff Carter ($2.636MM, UFA)*
G Casey DeSmith ($1.25MM, UFA)
D Mark Friedman ($725K, RFA)
F Danton Heinen ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Kasperi Kapanen ($3.2MM, RFA)
F Sam Lafferty ($750K, UFA)
D Kris Letang ($7.25MM, UFA)
F Evgeni Malkin ($9.5MM, UFA)
D Juuso Riikola ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Evan Rodrigues ($1MM, UFA)
D Chad Ruhwedel ($750K, UFA)
F Bryan Rust ($3.5MM, UFA)

*-Los Angeles is paying 50% of Carter’s cap hit.

Malkin had a quiet year by his standards last season as he notched 28 points in 33 games and isn’t expected to be ready to start the upcoming campaign due to knee surgery.  Now 35, Malkin’s days of being an elite producer may have come to an end which means a pay cut should be on the horizon.  Rust didn’t put up a point per game last season but still produced at a top-line level.  Showing that over a full season would have him very well-positioned for a sizable raise on his next deal.  Kapanen’s second go-round in Pittsburgh was better than his first as he established himself as a strong second-liner.  He’ll be a year away from UFA eligibility at the end of this contract so a long-term, pricier contract is heading his way.  If not, he’d be wise to just file for arbitration and head to the open market in 2023.

Carter made an immediate impact after coming over from Los Angeles, notching 13 goals in 20 games (regular season and playoffs combined).  If he even comes close to that pace this coming season, they’ll get good value on the contract and Carter, who seemed to be a candidate to retire when this deal was up, could wind up sticking around the league a little longer.  Aston-Reese couldn’t work out a long-term contract (the cap situation played a role in that) which sends him to the open market next summer.  The market for bottom-six players improved considerably this offseason which bodes quite well for his future earnings.  Heinen was non-tendered by Anaheim following a tough run with them and lands in a favorable situation where he’ll be in a better offensive environment to try to rebuild his value.  He can be controlled through a qualifying offer although salary arbitration could be a factor.  Rodrigues was a serviceable role player and got a small raise this summer but unless his offensive numbers take a step forward, he won’t get much of one next year.  Lafferty brings grit but not a lot of production which will keep his price tag close to the minimum moving forward.

While Malkin is probably heading for a smaller salary, the same can’t necessarily be said for Letang, another long-time core piece that’s set to hit the open market.  The top-end production is still there as he very quietly finished tied for third in the league for points by a defenseman last season.  With the way the cost for top-pairing blueliners has gone up, Letang could have a decent case for a small raise.  If he’s willing to take a discount to stay in Pittsburgh – a reasonable possibility – the discount may simply be signing for something close to what he’s making now.  He’ll be subject to 35-plus provisions (unless a multi-year deal has equal compensation throughout) on his next contract but Letang still should still land a multi-year commitment.  Ruhwedel and Friedman are depth defenders whose biggest value comes from their low cap hits and those will need to be low-cost slots beyond this season.

DeSmith returned to the NHL last season after being the third-stringer in 2019-20 and the results were mixed as Pittsburgh’s goaltending ran hot and cold at times but overall, he provided slightly above average numbers at a price tag well below many recent backup signings.  A repeat showing could put him in a spot to double his current AAV next summer.

Two Years Remaining

F Teddy Blueger ($2.2MM, UFA)
D Brian Dumoulin ($4.1MM, UFA)
G Tristan Jarry ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Radim Zohorna ($750K, UFA)
F Jason Zucker ($5.5MM, UFA)

At the time that Pittsburgh acquired Zucker, his contract looked more than reasonable.  He was a quality top-six winger with the expectation that joining the Penguins would help improve his production.  That hasn’t happened and he wound up being unclaimed in expansion.  All of a sudden, his deal is an overpayment relative to the production he has provided which won’t help his market value two years from now.  Blueger has become an important bottom-six piece and should have an opportunity to play a bit of a bigger role this season.  Even capable bottom-six centers can land notable contracts so he should be looking at a raise in 2023.  Zohorna held his own in his NHL debut last season but is waiver-exempt for one more year.  He’s likely to be shuffled back and forth as a result to save some money on the cap.

Dumoulin doesn’t generate a lot of buzz around the league but he has been a key cog on their back end for several years.  His limited offensive production won’t help his chances of landing top dollar in free agency but as a reliable defensive defender that can log top-pairing minutes, he’s still looking at a fairly hefty raise on his next deal.

Jarry’s first season as the undisputed number one goalie didn’t exactly go as planned.  He struggled with consistency throughout the year with a propensity for allowing untimely weak goals.  Even so, he’s still only making what a top backup does so while he was overpaid for what he did last season, it wasn’t by as much as it might seem.  Needless to say, he’ll have to be a lot better to get a contract for number one money two years from now.

Three Years Remaining

F Jake Guentzel ($6MM, UFA)

Guentzel was once again slightly above the point per game mark last season and has basically been a point per game player over the last three seasons.  Not many can say that and even fewer have an AAV that is closer to a second-liner than a top-line forward.  He’s still young enough to land close to a max-term contract in his next negotiation and it could be a pricey one if this keeps up.

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Scott Wilson Signs PTO With Seattle Kraken

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Moments after breaking the news about Tobias Rieder’s professional tryout, CapFriendly reported another veteran forward has been given a training camp invitation. Scott Wilson has signed a PTO with the Seattle Kraken, where he will compete for an NHL contract with the expansion franchise.

Wilson, 29, failed to play a single game for the Florida Panthers last season, spending more time on the taxi squad than anywhere else. He did get into eight games with the Syracuse Crunch, scoring three points, but it’s not been years since he was a regular at the NHL level.

In 2016-17, Wilson racked up 26 points with the Pittsburgh Penguins and then was a regular for the team in the postseason all the way to the Stanley Cup. Since then it has been a struggle though, with just 19 points in 90 combined games.

Even if he does earn a contract with the Kraken, it will almost certainly be a two-way deal. Unlike some other organizations thought, the Kraken have limited spots in the minor leagues because of their current situation. The team is sharing the Charlotte Checkers and are only expected to send between eight and 12 players to the AHL roster. It’s certainly not going to be an easy battle for Wilson to land a spot in Seattle, but a PTO there will showcase him to the rest of the league as well.

Tobias Rieder Signs PTO With Anaheim Ducks

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According to CapFriendly, the Anaheim Ducks have signed veteran forward Tobias Rieder to a professional tryout, adding him to the competition at training camp.

Rieder, 28, now has 478 regular season NHL games under his belt after playing 44 with the Buffalo Sabres this year. He registered just five goals and seven points in those games, however, continuing the pattern of offensive futility he has established over the last few seasons.

There was a time that Rieder could be counted on for around 15 goals and 30 points, but during a brutal goalless season with the Edmonton Oilers–one which sparked Edmonton’s then-CEO to go on an infamous rant to season ticket holders–that all seemed to change. The speedy forward had just four goals and ten points in 2019-20 with the Calgary Flames and is now fighting for a job in the NHL.

Even with his struggles, there is some upside to bringing a veteran like Rieder into camp. The Ducks have several young forwards fighting for a role on the team this season and players like Rieder will only serve to push them to work harder. He could perhaps land an NHL contract, but it’s not clear exactly how he’d fit in with the already overcrowded Anaheim roster.

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