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Latest On Kirill Kaprizov

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A few weeks ago, it seemed like things were progressing well in the contract talks between the Minnesota Wild and Kirill Kaprizov. A general structure of a five-year, $45MM contract had been tabled, and it appeared as though the high-scoring winger would be signed well before camp opens later this month. Now, without a deal announced, Wild fans are beginning to get nervous. Speaking with The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Minnesota GM Bill Guerin explained that the two sides still aren’t very far apart but that things haven’t progressed recently:

I will say this, we are at a point where we feel we’re being extremely fair. How far apart are we? Not very, but sometimes those can be the things that take a while. I mean, that’s the way I see it. You could ask Paul [Theofanous] or Kirill and they might say something very different.

Guerin continues to caution fans that this is normal with high-profile RFAs, as you can see from the ongoing negotiations around the league. Elias Pettersson, Brady Tkachuk, Rasmus Dahlin, and Quinn Hughes are all still unsigned, along with several other mid-tier free agents as well. Kaprizov’s situation is not necessarily unique from that perspective, though his work visa and travel status make it so that he’ll have to face a longer wait to join camp whenever he does officially sign.

The Wild will start their preseason schedule in 11 days, taking on the St. Louis Blues on Sept 25. Whether Kaprizov will even be in camp by then is unclear, given the stalemate that Russo suggests.

A $9MM average annual value, the terms reported previously, would tie Kaprizov with Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres for the 18th highest-paid forward in the league next season. That’s a massive commitment for a player that has just 55 regular season NHL games under his belt, but Kaprizov is also a relatively unique case because of his success in the KHL and internationally.

Artemi Panarin, for instance, who is oft used as the closest comparable to Kaprizov because of their similar path to the NHL, signed a two-year contract extension just 117 games into his own career. That deal carried just a $6MM average annual value, but also took Panarin right to unrestricted free agency where he then signed a seven-year, $81.5MM deal that made him one of the highest-paid players in the league. At the time of his extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, Panarin had 45 goals and 114 points in 117 regular season games, a 0.97 points-per-game rate. Kaprizov sat at 0.93 through his first NHL season and, like Panarin, took home the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie.

Whether Guerin cautions against it or not, Minnesota fans are certainly biting their nails waiting for the eventual decision to come down as the hopes for this season certainly rest on Kaprizov’s shoulders. The 24-year-old forward is arguably the most exciting player the franchise has ever known and is a key to their entire offensive structure.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

New Jersey Devils Announce Several PTOs

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The New Jersey Devils have added several interesting names to training camp, signing Jimmy Vesey, Mark Jankowski and Tyler Wotherspoon to professional tryout contracts. All three will be there when training camp opens for the Devils on September 22.

Vesey, 28, split last season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks, recording five goals and ten points in 50 games. The 2016 Hobey Baker award winner was given an outstanding opportunity to start the year next to John Tavares and William Nylander, but was eventually moved down in the lineup when his production sagged. By March, he was placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs as they dealt with a cap squeeze and the Canucks grabbed him, only to watch him fail to score a single goal in 20 games down the stretch.

A third-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2012, that 2016 summer made Vesey the talk of the NHL as he snubbed the Predators and Buffalo Sabres to get to unrestricted free agency. He ended up signing with the New York Rangers and had three relatively productive seasons, but his career has gone downhill since.

Jankowski, 27, brings a similar story in recent seasons. A first-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2012, he finally made it to the NHL in 2017 and actually had a very strong rookie season scoring 17 goals. His numbers have dwindled since then, however, and the big center scored just four goals and 11 points last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. His performance in Pittsburgh was so poor that the team didn’t even decide to issue him a qualifying offer because of the risk of salary arbitration, despite him making only $700K last season.

At least those two were in the NHL last season, something Wotherspoon can’t claim. The 28-year-old defenseman hasn’t seen any NHL action since the 2016-17 campaign with Calgary and has just 36 total matches under his belt. Another disappointing Flames draft pick, he never did establish himself as a legitimate option at the highest level.

Though Devils fans may not find much excitement in this group, there’s something to be said for bringing in veteran players to drive competition at training camp. New Jersey is still one of the youngest teams in the league with only one forward–Tomas Tatar–that has even reached 30. With a few extra spots still up for grabs, Vesey and Jankowski may see it as a good spot to showcase their ability and try for another NHL contract.

Tyler Bozak Signs With St. Louis Blues

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Why not return to the place where you won it all? Tyler Bozak has re-signed with the St. Louis Blues, inking a one-year contract. The deal is worth a base salary of $750K but also includes performance bonuses. Those bonuses, based on games played and playoff success, can increase Bozak’s salary to $2MM, according to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest. CapFriendly reports the deal includes a no-trade clause through March 6, 2022, and tweets the full bonus structure:

  • 10 GP: $750K
  • 41 GP: $250K
  • Winning round 1: $100K
  • Winning round 2: $150K

Bozak, 35, was actually listed 35th on our list of the Top 50 UFAs, where we predicted he would sign a one-year, bonus-laden deal. It seemed likely, given the dearth of real center options available, that Bozak would be able to secure more than the league minimum for his base salary. Perhaps he could have, had he not returned to St. Louis, where the Blues are currently tapped out when it comes to the salary cap ceiling. The team is pushing right up against the upper limit but still has Robert Thomas to sign, which will put them over for the start of the season.

Oskar Sundqvist will likely open the year on long-term injured reserve, opening some cap flexibility and a lineup spot for Bozak, who is coming in on a very reasonable deal. Though his bonuses will likely bring him higher than the league minimum of $750K, those can actually be carried to next season’s cap as an overage if necessary. His very low base salary gives the Blues as much flexibility as possible, not to mention brings back a valuable veteran centerman.

Bozak may not be the player that recorded 55 points in 2016-17, but he’s still one of the best faceoff men in the league, winning 56.8% of his draws last season. He will offer the team excellent depth down the middle as they look to rebound from a disappointing 2020-21, where they were pummeled by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. With new faces like Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad adding a new dimension to the forward group, the team has built quite the diverse lineup. Adding Bozak for a smaller cap hit (initially) than Kyle Clifford and Mackenzie MacEachern only helps things.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Givani Smith

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed their final restricted free agent, inking Givani Smith to a two-year contract. The deal, according to his agency, is a one-way contract that will carry an average annual value of $750K.

Smith, 23, seemed to make an impact whenever he made it into the lineup this season, though he finished the year with just four points in 16 games. The 2016 second-round pick will likely never be a top-six scoring threat, but the physicality and power he brings to the ice can be a valuable addition to the Red Wings bottom-six. He has averaged just over ten minutes of ice time through his 37 career NHL games and will once again be in a tough competition for playing time at training camp.

The Red Wings have brought in a few new names this offseason and have several top prospects that will be pushing for full-time NHL spots. Even though he did score nine goals and 15 points in 25 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins this year, the lack of real offensive upside for Smith limits the number of roles he can really fill at the NHL level. If the team decides to go a different way with the fourth line, he’ll be waiting for another injury to get his next chance in the Red Wings lineup.

Still, given he is now eligible for waivers, it probably won’t be quite the rollercoaster that 2020-21 turned out to be. Smith was involved in near-daily transactions, moved up and down from the active roster, taxi squad and minor leagues all season. If the Red Wings want to send him to the minors this time, he’ll be up for grabs to the rest of the NHL through waivers.

This contract also takes Smith to age-25, meaning he could end up a Group VI unrestricted free agent at its conclusion should he fail to play enough games.

Snapshots: Fantilli, Avalanche, Tocchet

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Everyone wants a piece of top 2023 NHL Draft prospect Adam Fantilli, even those who probably don’t have a reasonable shot at him. The Ontario native made his development plans clear when he spurned the OHL for the USHL and then solidified his intent by committing to the University of Michigan last month. However, at least one team back home in Ontario is still hoping that he changes his mind. The North Bay Battalion have announced that they have acquired the OHL rights to Fantilli from the Saginaw Spirit in exchange for a package of picks. While most of the selections are conditional, Saginaw will at least land a 2022 sixth-round pick outright (not to mention the 2022 compensatory first-rounder already heading their way based on Fantilli’s “defected status.) Should North Bay’s gamble pay off, the Spirit would receive a 2024 second-round pick and 2025 second-round pick if Fantilli plays an OHL game in 2023-24 and an additional 2023 third-round pick and 2024 fourth-round pick if he plays any earlier. With Fantilli expected to join the Michigan Wolverines next year, it is highly unlikely that Saginaw will receive all four conditional picks. However, if the NCAA does not go as planned or if Fantilli decides to turn pro immediately after being drafted but is reassigned to the OHL, there is a slight chance that they could land those second-rounders. In reality though, Fantilli will likely shine at the college level and either be on an NHL roster or leading Michigan for one last season in 2023-24. The big scoring center is still worth the risk for North Bay, but the odds of a payoff are low.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have revealed a coaching shake-up in the minor league ranks. Brett Clark, assistant coach for the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, will be unable to coach this season due to “new league protocols”. This implies that Clark is unvaccinated and cannot work with players during the 2021-22 campaign. In his place, Colorado has promoted Tim Branham, the head coach of their ECHL affiliate, the Utah Grizzlies, to the AHL assistant position. Branham, 40, has held the head coach as well as GM role for the Grizzlies since 2013 but will finally get a chance to show what he can do at the next level. The team release notes that Clark hopes to return to coaching as soon as possible.
  • The top free agent coach right now is very likely Rick Tocchet, who mutually parted ways with the Arizona Coyotes this off-season and was a finalist for seemingly every other vacancy across the league. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan writes that Tocchet did have at least two offers to serve as an assistant in the NHL, but decided to go in a different direction. Tocchet has joined TNT as a studio analyst, Morgan notes, and will work alongside Wayne Gretzky during the network’s weekly broadcast. That is, until another head coach position opens up. Tocchet felt that he had to stay close to the game to stay relevant as a coaching candidate, but decided that working as an analyst could accomplish that goal. “It’s an opportunity to stay in the game, learn more about the game and reinvent yourself,” Tocchet said. “I think that every year, coaches have to hit the refresh button on something. You can’t bring the same thing to the table every year. You’ve got to learn new things because the game is always changing; players are always changing.” A former standout two-way forward in addition to an experienced coach, Tocchet will bring a lot to the analyst position – for however long it lasts.

 

Injury Notes: Matthews, Holloway, Kesler

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Only fours weeks in to a “minimum” six-week recovery period following impromptu wrist surgery, Auston Matthews is hopeful that he will be at full strength to begin the regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs star tells NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that his rehab is “coming along well”, though there are still several major steps to go. Matthews remains in a splint and remains at least a couple of weeks from moving beyond that stage of his recovery to actually testing his wrist and building his strength back up. Matthews claims that the injury, which plagued him for much of last season, is not serious, but he is happy that he decided to address it this summer after the pain had returned during his early off-season workouts. Hopefully an elective surgery for a “not serious” injury doesn’t impact the start of Matthews’ season, but as of right now he does not believe that will be the case. Matthews tells Zeisberger that he plans to resume skating this week and then take his wrist rehab “day by day” as the season approaches. The Leafs open up training camp and begin preseason play within Matthews’ minimum recovery window, so that is surely to impact his preparation for the season, but if the reigning Rocket Richard winner is at least healthy by Toronto’s October 13 opener with no more lingering wrist discomfort, then the surprise surgery will have been the right choice on all accounts.

  • The Edmonton Oilers are not expecting to see much from top prospect Dylan Holloway in their upcoming rookie camp as the talented forward is still working his way back from a broken thumb. Holloway suffered the injury at the end of the collegiate regular season, but continued on with the University of Wisconsin having qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers only lasted two games, but it still delayed Holloway’s surgery into April. This was expected to still be enough time for him to be fully healed by now, but instead Holloway is still being bothered, reports The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson. Holloway had x-rays done last week and is awaiting and evaluation from the Oilers’ medical staff. He is listed on the camp roster, but unlikely to partake in much if any action. Instead, he will hope to be healed up in time for NHL camp in two weeks. Holloway’s thumb injury cost him a chance to finish out last season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and gain some pro experience, so the skilled forward may be looking at a slow start to the season in the minors anyhow before getting a look in Edmonton.
  • Though it may seem obvious by now given that he has not played in two years and now is working as a volunteer coach, Ryan Kesler is officially acknowledging that he does not expect to play in the NHL again. The veteran forward spoke with NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman and stated that he does not see his body getting back into playing condition again. “And to be honest, I’m still a far way away to even coming close,” Kesler said. Suffering through injuries to both hips, Kesler was slowed even before being sidelined. He tells Kimelman that he lost his drive and love for the game for some time as he dealt with constant pain and lacking results and he tried to keep playing. Now, with one year remaining on his contract with the Anaheim Ducks, Kesler continues to rehab and work toward getting back into a place that he is happy with, but acknowledges that he cannot be an NHL player again, nevertheless live up to his own reputation. Hopefully Kesler can get to a point that he is at least comfortable skating and can continue to be on the ice as a coach.

San Jose Sharks Sign Noah Gregor

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4:00pm: The Sharks have officially announced the deal, with GM Doug Wilson releasing a short statement:

Noah showed last season that he has the tools to be an effective player at the NHL level by utilizing his speed. We feel that he will elevate the competition among our forward group for a roster spot this season.

1:38pm: The San Jose Sharks have signed their final restricted free agent, inking Noah Gregor to a one-year, two-way contract according to Jason Gregor of TSN (his uncle). CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K, an AHL salary of $150K and a $200K minor league guarantee.

Gregor, 23, played in 30 games for the Sharks last season but still wasn’t able to contribute much offensively, recording just six points. The 2016 fourth-round pick has some upside in that department, but will be in a battle with many other forwards at training camp just to get a spot on the roster. The fact that Gregor is still waiver-exempt likely hurts him in that battle, as he’ll be able to be sent to the minor leagues without risk.

Still, there will certainly be a battle at training camp between Gregor and other signings like Nicholas Merkley or Lane Pederson, who are both eligible for waivers but could likely clear at the end of camp if necessary. How things shake out in San Jose is entirely unclear, especially with the speculation surrounding the futures of Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl.

One thing is certain and that’s the solid minor league salary that Gregor secured. He’ll be paid handsomely even if he’s not able to secure an NHL spot.

Arizona Coyotes Hire Mario Duhamel

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The Arizona Coyotes have added another assistant to their coaching staff, hiring Mario Duhamel to a multi-year contract. He joins head coach Andre Tourigny as well as assistants Phil Housley, Cory Stillman, and goaltending coach Corey Schwab. Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong released a statement on his new coach:

We are very pleased to have Mario join the Coyotes organization and Head Coach André Tourigny’s staff. He brings extensive hockey knowledge and coaching experience to our team, and we are confident that he will be a great addition. We are also pleased to have Phil, Cory and Corey return this season. They are all quality people and very good coaches.

Duhamel, 46, follows Tourigny from the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL where he served as associate coach for the last three seasons. He has years of experience in the QMJHL as both an assistant and head coach, and even served as a video coach with the Colorado Avalanche for two seasons under Patrick Roy (Tourigny was an assistant coach on that staff).

Perhaps the bigger announcement today was that Housley, Stillman and Schwab will return in their roles under Tourigny. All three served in their respective roles under Rick Tocchet, and provide a strong staff for the rookie head coach to lean on as he transitions back to the NHL. The Coyotes underwent some drastic changes this offseason in terms of on-ice personnel and have collected a huge number of draft picks to kick start a rebuild. This coaching staff will be asked to navigate what is expected to be a difficult season, given the lack of high-end talent on the roster.

Minor Transactions: 09/13/21

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Players from all across the NHL are hitting the ice for informal pre-camp workouts, but the majority of jobs have already been handed out. That’s not necessarily the case in the minor leagues, where teams are still tweaking their rosters and will be right up until the start of the season. As always, we’ll keep track of all those notable minor moves right here.

  • The Stockton Heat have announced a quartet of players, inking Westin Michaud, Ryan Olsen, Matt Greenfield and Andrew Shortridge to two-way minor league contracts. Olsen, who was a sixth-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2012, spent last season playing in the German second league and dominated, putting up 48 points in 44 regular season games and then another 15 in ten postseason contests. In all these players will likely spend a good chunk of the season with the Kansas City Mavericks, the Flames ECHL affiliate.
  • If you were impressed with Romain Loeffel’s play at this summer’s IIHF World Championship and wondered if he’d consider a shift to North America, think again. The veteran defenseman has signed a four-year contract with Bern (which starts in 2022-23) to remain in Switzerland. The 30-year-old led all defensemen in goals at the tournament and has represented his country on many occasions including the 2018 Olympic Games.
  • The San Jose Barracuda have re-signed Steenn Pasichnuk to a one-year AHL contract. The 26-year-old forward is the older brother of Sharks prospect Brinson Pasichnuk and split last season between the AHL and ECHL.

This page will be updated as further transactions are reported.

Ryan Donato Signs With Seattle

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Sep 13: The Kraken have officially announced the contract, confirming the $750K salary. GM Ron Francis released a short statement on Donato:

Ryan’s hockey sense and ability to contribute on the scoresheet are two ingredients we are excited to add to our forward group. We like his offensive potential and believe he can add scoring depth.

Sep 12: Seattle has added to their forward depth heading into their inaugural training camp as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve inked forward Ryan Donato to a one-year deal.  The one-way contract pays the league minimum salary of $750K.

The 25-year-old is coming off a disappointing season with San Jose.  He managed just six goals along with 14 assists in 50 games with the Sharks while rarely being able to make it into the top six.  That led them to not tender a $2.15MM qualifying offer earlier this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Considering that Donato has shown the ability to be a serviceable depth scorer in the past, this is a nice low-risk move for the Kraken.  He’ll give them some extra depth on the wing and actually becomes one of their younger players.  With a decent showing this season, he could also be controlled through restricted free agency although he’ll once again have salary arbitration rights.

Seattle GM Ron Francis has been active in adding forwards through free agency this summer.  Donato becomes the fifth NHL roster forward to join the Kraken via the open market, joining Jaden Schwartz, Alexander Wennberg, Marcus Johansson, and Riley Sheahan.  With nearly $7MM in cap space per CapFriendly, they have the cap room to continue to add although roster spots will be hard to come by given their depth, particularly on the back end.

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