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Toronto’s Ilya Mikheyev Asked For Trade Following 2020-21

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were forced to say goodbye to Zach Hyman this offseason when he signed a massive seven-year, $38.5MM deal. With Hyman being the team’s only legitimate top-six left-winger, you would guess that someone like Ilya Mikheyev would be excited about the opportunity that should be there in 2021-22. Perhaps not, as Mikheyev requested a trade at the end of this season according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

With Hyman’s departure though, and bargain bin replacements signed in the offseason, it makes sense why the Maple Leafs don’t want to grant Mikheyev’s request. According to Friedman, the organization has let him know they still consider him a big part of the team, even after a year that saw his average ice time drop to just 14:13. Just 12:28 of that was at even-strength, and Mikheyev ended up with 17 points in 54 games.

Heading into his final season before unrestricted free agency, it’s easy to see why Mikheyev might want a different opportunity. The 26-year-old was an undrafted free agent signing out of the KHL and unless he shows that he’s closer to the player that scored 23 points in 39 games as a rookie, it could be difficult to secure a deal worth more than the $2.19MM he’ll earn this season. The fact that fellow KHL signing Alexander Barabanov–who couldn’t even crack the Maple Leafs lineup on a regular basis–found such immediate success with the San Jose Sharks, could be a shining example of that greener grass.

Once again though, the Maple Leafs depth chart on the left side is not very imposing at the time being. The team signed Nick Ritchie and Michael Bunting, who both may get looks in the top-six, but neither are locks to establish themselves beside Auston Matthews and John Tavares. There could be a real opportunity for Mikheyev this season with Hyman (and Joe Thornton, who played a good chunk of the season on the first line) out of the picture, if he’s willing to take the organization at their word and buy-in.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports images

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Lightning

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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.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Current Cap Hit: $88,365,955 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None projected to play with some regularity at the NHL level this coming season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Brian Elliott ($900K, UFA)
F Mathieu Joseph ($737.5K, RFA)
F Pat Maroon ($900K, UFA)
F Ondrej Palat ($5.3MM, UFA)
D Jan Rutta ($1.3MM, UFA)

After a few quieter years, Palat had a strong bounce-back campaign in 2020-21, finishing second in team scoring and producing at a top-line rate for the first time in a while.  That made him a viable candidate for Seattle to pick in expansion although they opted for Yanni Gourde instead.  Palat will be 31 when he signs his next deal which means a long-term pact is likely off the table but a medium-term one around this is likely.  If he wants to stick around, GM Julien BriseBois may push for something a little lower.  Maroon has signed for cheap the last few years and as long as he has a chance to win, he’ll probably keep taking those types of contracts.  If not, that spot will be filled by someone else willing to play for close to the minimum.  Joseph stands out as a viable offer sheet candidate next summer; assuming he has a good season, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to afford to keep him and re-sign Palat.  If a team thinks he’s worthy of a bigger role and wants to pay him for it, that could put the Lightning in a bit of a bind.

Rutta has been a serviceable player on the third pairing since joining them in 2019 and if that continues, he could be in line for a small raise.  That said, this feels like a spot for Tampa to try to go a little cheaper to free up some flexibility.

Last year was a tough one for Elliott in Philadelphia which significantly hurt his value heading into free agency.  That, combined with Tampa Bay needing a cheap replacement for Curtis McElhinney, made for a good combination here.  At this stage of his career, he’ll be going year-to-year on his next contracts so how he fares this season will determine if he has a chance of getting back towards that higher echelon of backups in terms of salary.

Two Years Remaining

F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($1MM, UFA)
D Erik Cernak ($2.95MM, RFA)
F Anthony Cirelli ($4.8MM, RFA)
F Ross Colton ($1.125MM, RFA)
D Cal Foote ($850K, RFA)
F Alex Killorn ($4.45MM, UFA)
F Corey Perry ($1MM, UFA)
D Mikhail Sergachev ($4.8MM, RFA)

Things may not have looked too bad after the last group but that starts to change here with several young players expiring after this time.  Cirelli is coming off a quiet year but produced at a much better level the previous two seasons.  Even if not, his qualifying offer will check in at $5.76MM (120% of his AAV) so a raise is coming.  Killorn has been a reliable secondary scorer for several years but with the RFAs on this list, it certainly looks like their raises will squeeze him out; with prices for secondary scoring dropping a bit lately, Killorn may be looking at a small dip if he continues to hover around the 40-point mark.  Colton is in line for a bigger role next season following a strong showing in the playoffs which likely has him on a trajectory for a bigger deal as well.  Perry and Bellemare are quality veterans who can anchor the fourth line or move up in a pinch; both likely left money on the table to go to the Lightning which is something that can be said for quite a few others on their team.

Sergachev has established himself as a quality piece on the second pairing and at 23, there’s still room for growth.  He’s on the same contract as Cirelli so a higher qualifying offer will be coming in the 2023 offseason and likely a bigger deal than that.  Cernak doesn’t light up the scoresheet but as a top-four right-shot defender, he’s going to be in line for a significant raise beyond his $3.54MM qualifier as well.  If Foote is able to establish himself as a full-time player by the time his deal is up, doubling his AAV or more isn’t out of the question either.  Big raises are coming from this group.

Three Years Remaining

F Alex Barre-Boulet ($758K, UFA)
D Zach Bogosian ($850K, UFA)
D Brent Seabrook ($6.875MM, UFA)
F Steven Stamkos ($8.5MM, UFA)

Stamkos is going to be one of the more interesting contracts for Tampa Bay to handle.  He’ll be 34 when it starts so he should still have a few good years left in him but with the anticipated higher costs from their RFAs in the last group, it’s quite difficult to see them being able to afford a market-value contract for their captain unless there’s a significant contract moved out by then.  Injuries have limited his usefulness lately and if that trend continues, his value will dip considerably.  Barre-Boulet isn’t too established at the NHL level yet but he has scored in junior and in the minors and won’t need to do much to live up to a near-minimum contract.  Assuming he produces – a reasonable one to make – this could be a nice value contract for them.

Bogosian also should be a value contract but is on the opposite side of his career.  He could have gotten more elsewhere or even going year-to-year but opted for some stability with a chance to win.

Seabrook was acquired as part of the Tyler Johnson trade but his playing days are already over.  He’ll return to LTIR next season.

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West Notes: Oilers Defense, Yamamoto, Chechelev

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It has been speculated over the past few weeks that the Oilers are likely to bring a right-shot defenseman on a tryout basis for training camp.  It appears they have a couple of targets in mind as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson pegs veterans Michael Stone and Jason Demers as the likeliest candidates to sign one of those deals with Edmonton.  Stone is no stranger to the PTO route having been on one with Calgary last year before ultimately signing a two-way deal where he got into 21 games with the Flames and four more with AHL Stockton.  Demers hasn’t been in that situation before but after a tough year with Arizona that saw him dropped to a third pairing and reserve role, he may have to settle for a tryout at this stage of free agency.

More from Western Canada:

  • In an interview with 630CHED (audio link), Oilers GM Ken Holland provided a small update on negotiations for RFA winger Kailer Yamamoto. He indicated that both sides took a break from discussions for most of August but recently resumed discussions with more scheduled for early next week.  With Edmonton’s cap space being limited, a short-term bridge deal is likely all they’ll be able to afford barring a trade that opens up some extra room.
  • The Flames announced that 2020 fourth-round pick Daniil Chechelev has signed a one-year AHL deal. The 20-year-old goaltender spent last season split between the VHL and MHL in Russia, suiting up in 40 games along the way.  He joins Dustin Wolf, Adam Werner, and Tyler Parsons as those that will be battling for time with AHL Stockton next season and as a result of that battle, Chechelev may find himself with ECHL Kansas City if they want to give him ample playing time.

More On Brady Tkachuk’s Restricted Free Agency

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The Ottawa Senators announced a significant contract extension for general manager Pierre Dorion this week, but that wasn’t the news fans of the team were hoping for. No, the Senators faithful are waiting with clenched teeth as star forward Brady Tkachuk continues to sit unsigned with just a few weeks left before training camp opens. The 21-year-old winger is a restricted free agent but did not have arbitration rights that would have sped the process along, meaning technically he’s open to an offer sheet at the moment.

With one of those already signed this offseason and the Senators’ long history of watching star players leave on uncertain terms, Tkachuk’s situation will be concerning to many until an actual contract is signed. There were hints earlier this offseason that the team was hoping for an eight-year deal, with the inkling even that Tkachuk may become the team’s captain if a long-term deal like that was signed.

But that hasn’t happened yet, and now the speculation mounts. Shawn Simpson of TSN tweeted today that “confused and frustrated” are the words he has heard in regards to Tkachuk’s feelings, while adding that the player does not feel a real offer has been even made to this point. That certainly isn’t the same impression that Dorion left with Sportsnet radio earlier today when asked about the situation:

We’re not going to really talk about it too much in public. We have had really positive talks. Are we confident that he will be signed by the time camp starts? Yes. These negotiations aren’t always easy and–not that it’s not easy, they take a bit more time. Hopefully the next time you guys bring me on the show, we’ll be able to announce a Brady Tkachuk contract. 

Of the restricted free agents left to sign this summer, only Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes scored more than Tkachuk’s 36 points last season. The young forward has put up 60 goals and 125 points through three seasons, numbers that compare well to fellow 2018 draftee Andrei Svechnikov, who signed an eight-year, $62MM deal last month. The Senators meanwhile secured the services of Drake Batherson recently, inking the 23-year-old RFA to a six-year, $29.85MM deal that currently makes him the highest-paid forward on the team. Overall, Thomas Chabot’s eight-year, $64MM deal takes that spot for the Senators, signed in 2019 almost a year before his entry-level deal even expired.

The Senators will open the preseason on September 26 against the Winnipeg Jets, just over two weeks from now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Matt Stajan Hired As WHL Assistant Coach

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Matt Stajan is on his way back to Calgary. The WHL’s Calgary Hitmen have announced that Stajan will serve as an assistant coach this season, starting the next chapter in his hockey career after retiring as a player two years ago. He is replacing former assistant Joel Otto, who is dealing with a hip injury and can no longer provide on-ice instruction. Hitmen GM Jeff Chynoweth released a statement on the hire:

We are so pleased to be able to add a well-respected former player such as Matt Stajan to our coaching staff; his NHL playing experience is innumerable and will be a great asset to our club. At the same time, we want to thank Joel for his many years of service with the Hitmen.

After spending the early part of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Stajan played nine seasons with the Calgary Flames, reaching the 1,000 games played mark for his career in 2017-18. He spent one last year playing overseas, where he racked up 33 points in 52 games for EHC Munchen, but then announced his retirement in 2019.

An extremely well-respected teammate during his playing days, Stajan hit a career-high of 19 goals and 57 points in the 2009-10 season but carved out a role as a valuable two-way center for nearly a decade afterward. Now 37, he’ll start a coaching career that always seemed likely, given the way he carried himself during his days on the ice in the NHL. It is important to note that the Hitmen are actually owned by the same group as the Flames, and have been a proving ground for future Flames coaches in the past. Dave Lowry, for instance, worked his way up from assistant, to associate, to head coach of the Hitmen before making the jump back to the Flames bench in 2009. There’s obviously no guarantee that Stajan will follow the same path, but it certainly seems possible.

Minor Transactions: 09/09/21

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September keeps creeping along, inching closer to official training camps across the NHL. Minor league players are taking part in pre-camp skates and others are still finding homes for the 2021-22 season. As always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor contracts right here.

  • The Stockton Heat have signed four players to AHL contracts. Alex Gallant, Reid Perepeluk, Mark Simpson and Koletrane Wilson will all be with the club this season. Gallant, 28, played with the heat in each of the last two years, racking up 171 penalty minutes in 61 games. The undrafted forward certainly isn’t known for his offense, which has produced just 18 points in 202 AHL games, but has still been invited to Calgary Flames training camp later this month.
  • The Iowa Wild have signed Nate Sucese to a one-year AHL contract, bringing him over from the Tucson Roadrunners where he spent last season. The former Penn State standout had 13 points in 36 games during his first professional season in Tucson, but was not given a qualifying offer by the Arizona Coyotes this offseason.
  • After being non-tendered by the Kings this summer, forward Drake Rymsha has inked a one-year contract with Fort Wayne of the ECHL.  This will be Rymsha’s second stint with the Komets as he notched 17 points in 24 games with them back in 2019-20.  The 23-year-old was limited to just two games last season but one of them came with Los Angeles as he logged more than 13 minutes in their final game of the year.

This page will be updated with any further transactions.

Nikita Scherbak Signs In Slovakia

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It appears as though Nikita Scherbak’s stay in North America could be over. The free agent forward has signed with HC Banska Bystrica in Slovakia for the upcoming season after spending the last year with the Texas Stars of the AHL.

Scherbak, 25, reached 196 games played in the AHL last season, and when added with his experience in the NHL and KHL, is now classified as a veteran for the minor league. AHL teams must dress at least 13 “development players” in each game, 12 of which must have played in 260 or fewer professional games (the other must be fewer than 320). In the release from his new team, it is explained that Scherbak’s status–no longer a development player–made it more difficult for him to find a job in North America, though he did try.

It’s a rapid fall for a player who was in the NHL as recently as the 2018-19 season, though Scherbak has never lived up to the promise that made him the 26th overall pick in 2014. He played 39 games with the Montreal Canadiens, the team that selected him, before being claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Kings in late 2018. Eight more games for the Kings that season would be his last chance at the highest level, as the Kings failed to issue Scherbak a qualifying offer that offseason and he ended up signing in the KHL.

After one more kick at the can with Texas, where he scored 15 points in 28 games, the still relatively young forward is on his way back to Europe.

Snapshots: Hall Of Fame, Montoya, Rangers

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The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame has announced the class of 2021, which will include Stan Fischler, Paul Holmgren, and Peter McNab. The trio will be inducted along with the 2020 class, which included Dean Blais, Tony Granato, Jenny Potter, and Jerry York, at an event scheduled for December of this year.

The three men from the 2021 class have all had a huge impact on hockey in the United States, spending decades with the game and bringing it to fans across the country. Even without McNab’s decades as a broadcaster for the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche, his playing career likely should have been enough to enshrine him in the U.S. Hall. In 955 games, mostly with the Boston Bruins, he recorded 363 goals and 813 points, ranking 19th among all American players.

  • The Dallas Stars have hired former NHL goaltender Al Montoya as the club’s new director of community outreach, a position created to focus on helping grow the game among underrepresented fans. Montoya, 36, last played in the NHL during the 2017-18 season with the Edmonton Oilers and totaled 168 games over his full career. Originally selected by the New York Rangers with the sixth overall pick in 2004, he finished his NHL career with a 67-49-24 record and .908 save percentage.
  • New York Rangers GM Chris Drury once again indicated that the team needs a captain this season when speaking with media including Dan Rosen of NHL.com today. The front office executive is giving new head coach Gerard Gallant time to get to know the players before they make a decision, but expect someone on the team to wear a “C” this season. Rosen speculates on who the candidates would be, listing Jacob Trouba, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Adam Fox as potential options.

David Backes Signs One-Day Contract, Retires As Member Of St. Louis Blues

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The St. Louis Blues have brought David Backes home. The veteran forward has signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the team, just to announce his retirement from hockey. Backes released a long letter to the organization and the fans of St. Louis, including an explanation of just why he has chosen to hang up the skates at this point:

The game got faster and younger and I haven’t been associated with either of those adjectives in a long time.

My final goal was to play 1,000 games, but I came up 35 short.

In the end, it’s not that all these numbers don’t matter – they do, and I am damn proud of them. But the metrics that mean the most to me are the countless experiences and everlasting relationships that the game provided me.

That’s what I find is beyond measure.

Backes, 37, played a decade in St. Louis to start his career, ascending to the captaincy of the Blues by 2011. He scored 206 goals and 460 points in 727 regular season games with the team, but. was unable to find much success in the postseason. In his time there the Blues reached the Conference Finals just once, and by then he was already slowing down. In 2016 he was one of several high-profile free agents that signed expensive, long-term deals that failed to pan out as the league underwent a transformation toward youth and speed.

That second chapter of his career came in Boston, where he managed just 39 goals over 217 games, his declining footspeed slowly moving him further and further down the lineup. Always aware of his waning effectiveness, Backes decided to embrace a new role as a sort of enforcer for the Bruins by 2019, adding physicality and toughness to the fourth line.

When he was scratched more often than not during the first part of the 2019-20 season, the Bruins ended up trading Backes to the Anaheim Ducks, where he finished out his career with 21 appearances. That would take the veteran forward to 965, 35 short as he explained in his letter today. Though he failed to win any major awards, Backes was a Selke Trophy finalist in 2012 and finished in the top five for that award four years in a row. A fan favorite in St. Louis, he’ll now be able to say he finished his career where it started.

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