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Poll: Should The Canadiens Match The Jesperi Kotkaniemi Offer Sheet?

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The biggest news in the hockey world right now is the offer sheet that the Carolina Hurricanes signed with Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Montreal Canadiens have just a few more days to decide whether or not to match the one-year $6.1MM contract and keep Kotaniemi or let him go to the Hurricanes in exchange for first- and third-round picks.

The decision, some say, is an easy one—it’s the answer that many disagree on.

The Canadiens could just wave goodbye, collect their picks and go after another center, knowing that Kotkaniemi is not worth anywhere near that $6.1MM price tag this season. The deal would force either team to extend a qualifying offer of the same amount moving forward, though if the player is willing, an extension could also be worked out at a lower number. Two picks could help Montreal in a search for a different player, with many pointing to Jack Eichel as the name they could pursue with some added draft capital.

Because he has disappointed up until now, it’s easy to forget just how young and talented Kotkaniemi is. He turned 21 just last month and already has 200 NHL games under his belt. He has scored just 84 points in those games, including 12 in 29 postseason appearances, but there is obviously room to grow. Even if he was perhaps a mistake at third-overall in 2018–the existence of Brady Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes would certainly argue so–that doesn’t mean he’s a worthless asset. In fact, it seems likely that the Canadiens could have gotten at least a late-first and a third for him had they decided to trade Kotkaneimi this offseason, probably more.

But now that the Hurricanes have forced their hand, it’s one or the other. Overpay a player who has not lived up to the hype to this point and is obviously not fully trusted by the coaching staff, or take that package (and only that package) as compensation. If they do match it, Montreal can’t trade Kotkaniemi for a year, meaning there’s no sign-and-flip coming.

For whatever you think of the player, it’s not easy to watch a third-overall pick walk out the door just six weeks after his 21st birthday. There’s a very real chance that Kotkaniemi not only lives up to his billing as a top-six center, but he could still be exactly what the Canadiens are looking for as a long-term complement to Nick Suzuki down the middle.

It’s not an easy decision for Montreal GM Marc Bergevin, but perhaps it is for you! Cast your vote below and explain your thoughts in the comment section.

Should Montreal match the Kotkaniemi offer sheet?
No 83.05% (2,749 votes)
Yes 16.95% (561 votes)
Total Votes: 3,310

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 08/31/21

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It’s the last day of August and training camps are right around the corner. European, minor league and junior teams continue to finesse their rosters with an eye on opening day, meaning there are still lots of minor transactions happening daily. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable ones right here.

  • You know James van Riemsdyk and Trevor van Riemsdyk, but today another brother signed a new contract. Brendan van Riemsdyk, 25, signed a deal with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He was supposed to play for Reading in 2020-21 as well after leaving Northeastern University, but the Royals opted out of the season, leaving him playing for the Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL.
  • Matthew Wedman, a seventh-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2019, has signed a new contract with the Atlanta Gladiators for 2021-22. The Panthers never did sign him to an entry-level contract, meaning he is an unrestricted free agent after never quite taking the next step in the WHL. Last season for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he posted eight points in 34 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Chicago Blackhawks Extend Connor Murphy

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With just one year left on his current deal, Connor Murphy was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. No more, as the Chicago Blackhawks defenseman has inked a four-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2025-26 season. The deal comes with a $4.4MM cap hit. Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman explained exactly why he did the deal now:

When we acquired Connor in the summer of 2017, we had visions of him growing as both a player and leader in our organization for many years. He has transformed into a defenseman capable of matching up with the opponent’s best players and someone we trust to help us preserve a lead in the final minutes. Connor’s voice carries weight in our locker room as a veteran presence and we’re thrilled that his development and leadership will continue as a Blackhawk.

Murphy, 28, has come so far since arriving in Chicago that a $4.4MM cap hit now appears to be a bit of a discount for the Blackhawks. The former Arizona Coyotes defenseman was acquired in a deal for Niklas Hjalmarsson and was already making $3.85MM per season. That small raise is a win for Chicago given how much responsibility Murphy has taken on over the last couple of years, including averaging more than 22 minutes a game in 2020-21. He led the team in both even-strength and shorthanded ice time, being matched against the opponent’s best every night.

A four-year extension buys out his age 29-32 seasons, meaning there likely isn’t a steep decline during the contracted years, though any long-term deal does come with some obvious risk. Murphy has never been a very effective offensive player and has a career-high of just 19 points, meaning his entire value comes from his defensive ability. If that falters at all, the Blackhawks would be paying a healthy contract to a player with little impact on the game.

It seems obvious that the Chicago management team wasn’t completely sold on some of the young players that have come through the system in recent years. Henri Jokiharju and Adam Boqvist have both been traded, while this summer they brought in veterans like Seth Jones and Jake McCabe on long-term deals. Murphy will be expected to be the third member of that core group of defenseman as they look to get back into playoff contention. Those three-Murphy, Jones and McCabe–will now carry a combined cap hit of $17.9MM in each of the three seasons after this one.

Snapshots: Couturier, Oilers, Chechelev

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The eight-year, $62MM contract extension that the Flyers and center Sean Couturier agreed on last week appeared to be a bit of a bargain considering what top pivots have been getting and the scarcity of impact centers hitting the open market.  Speaking with reporters, including Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Couturier suggested that he left some money on the table, saying that he didn’t want to “break the bank”, calling it “another way to try to help the team”.  Speculatively speaking, given that GM Chuck Fletcher called the 28-year-old their best player right now, it will be worth monitoring to see if they try to make Couturier’s contract the ceiling in terms of their contract hierarchy.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The Oilers are believed to be looking for a right-shot defenseman that could split time between the NHL and AHL, suggests Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal. Edmonton has limited veteran depth when it comes to their minor league pool so having someone with some NHL experience that can play on the third pairing when needed while being able to clear waivers and worth with their prospects would certainly be beneficial.  It’s getting close to the time where PTO agreements will start to be signed and it wouldn’t be surprising to see if this is how the Oilers try to fill this spot.
  • Flames goaltending prospect Daniil Chechelev will play in North America this season, his agent Aljoša Pilko of CAA Hockey announced (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a fourth-round pick of Calgary (96th overall) back in 2020 and split last season between the VHL and MHL, playing in 40 games in total.  Calgary already has five goalies under contract for 2021-22 so Chechelev may be headed for the USHL as he was selected in the 15th round of their draft by Sioux City back in 2020.  That would give him a chance to get acclimated to the smaller North American surface before possibly signing for 2022-23.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Washington Capitals

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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.

Washington Capitals

Current Cap Hit: $80,831,260 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Connor McMichael ($863K through 2023-24)

McMichael was able to get his feet wet in the pros a year early with the OHL not playing and he made the most of it with a strong showing with AHL Hershey.  He may have to wait until injuries strike to have a shot at playing but he has enough offensive upside to make an impact when he gets his opportunity next season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Nic Dowd ($750K, UFA)
D Matt Irwin ($750K, UFA)
D Michal Kempny ($2.5MM, UFA)
G Ilya Samsonov ($2MM, RFA)
D Justin Schultz ($4MM, UFA)
F Daniel Sprong ($725K, RFA)
G Vitek Vanecek ($717K, RFA)

Sprong has been inconsistent throughout his career but his AAV being below the cap ceiling creates some excess value for Washington to the point where he was protected in expansion.  He has reached double digits in goals in two of the last three seasons and a repeat showing next season could push him towards doubling his AAV or more which could ultimately price him out of their plans.  Dowd has done a nice job as their fourth line center but while he’s deserving of a raise, the Caps will need to keep that position at that price point to be able to afford their other contracts.

Schultz’s contract with Washington was somewhat of a surprise last fall but he had a nice bounce-back season.  A big raise next summer likely isn’t in the cards but if he can pick up the points at a similar level, he could land a similarly-priced deal.  Kempny had a year to forget, tearing his Achilles’ tendon and just as he was working his way towards a return in the minors, he was struck by an ice shoveler during a break in play, ending his season in the process.  He was providing pretty good value on his contract before that and will need to get back to a similar level and show he’s healthy in order to command interest next summer.  Irwin appears to be a candidate to bounce around as the seventh defenseman and the minors (pending him clearing waivers) as a way to bank a bit of extra room as the season progresses.

Samsonov had a tough sophomore year and with their salary cap situation, Washington was forced to go with a one-year bridge contract.  He will be eligible for arbitration next summer and a strong season could allow him to double his AAV or more.  Vanecek was re-acquired from Seattle and returns as arguably the biggest value contract for goaltenders in the league as he established himself as their starter last season at a price that is the lowest in the league in terms of AAV.  Also arbitration-eligible, he’s already heading for a significant raise and it’s quite unlikely that Washington will be able to keep both netminders beyond this coming season.

Two Years Remaining

F Lars Eller ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Carl Hagelin ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Garnet Hathaway ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Nick Jensen ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Dmitry Orlov ($5.1MM, UFA)
F Conor Sheary ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($950K, UFA)

Eller has been a key part of Washington’s forward group for the past five seasons, splitting time between the second line and third line depending on their injury situation.  He’s a bit pricey on the third line but it’s a justifiable premium to pay and with the way the UFA market has been for centers, he can land a similar amount two years from now.  Hagelin has underwhelmed a little bit on this deal; he’s still an effective defensive player and a strong skater but his price tag is a bit much for someone in a limited role.  Hathaway’s physicality makes him a quality fourth liner and while he’s a bit expensive for that role, he has provided good value so far.  Sheary’s first season with Washington went well enough to land this two-year deal as a secondary scorer.  If he scores at a 20-goal pace again, this will be a nice bargain for them.

Orlov had a bit of a tough season but is still a fixture in their top four.  He’ll be 32 when his next deal kicks in and it wouldn’t be surprising if he is looking for a final contract at that time.  With the big commitments they already have on the books (more on them shortly), that may be difficult for Washington to do unless Orlov will take a discount to make that happen.  Jensen hasn’t been able to make the type of impact the Capitals hoped when they handed him this four-year deal and he’s someone they’d likely be willing to part with for cap flexibility purposes.  As for van Riemsdyk, he spent a lot of last season in the press box but is a capable depth piece at a low price tag which helped him get protected from Seattle.

Three Years Remaining

F Anthony Mantha ($5.7MM, UFA)
F Tom Wilson ($5.166MM, UFA)

Mantha was a bit of a surprising acquisition at the trade deadline with Washington paying a fairly high price to get him from Detroit (and clear out the rest of Richard Panik’s contract).  He made a good first impression but has been inconsistent for most of his career.  He will need to improve on that front if he wants a shot at a bigger contract in free agency.  When it comes to Wilson, his price tag looked excessive early on but with the way the market for power forwards has been (in part because of this deal), it holds up better now, especially since he’s frequently deployed in the top six.  But with his frequent near-misses with the Department of Player Safety, there will always be some risk when it comes to him potentially crossing the line and landing a hefty suspension that wouldn’t allow the Capitals to bring up a replacement with how tight they are to the Upper Limit.

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Matt Calvert Joins Brandon Wheat Kings Coaching Staff

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Earlier this offseason, Matt Calvert announced his retirement after injuries cut his playing career short, but that doesn’t mean he’s leaving the game of hockey. The veteran forward has been hired by the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL as a development coach. Doug Gasper, Wheat Kings GM, released a short statement:

Matt is someone that we want in our organization. He was a model Wheat King and more importantly he is a great person from a great family. It was an easy decision to have him working with our players and staff.

As you might have guessed, Calvert is from Brandon and played his minor and junior hockey careers for the Wheat Kings organization. After dominating the U18 AAA level with 83 points in 30 games, he made the jump to major junior and immediately became a difference-maker for the CHL squad. By 2008 he was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fifth round, but that was drastically underestimating his ceiling.

Quickly, Calvert became the best player for the Wheat Kings and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact at the NHL level. Over 566 regular season games, he recorded 203 points.

Now he’ll start the next chapter of his hockey journey as a coach with his hometown team, but it will be interesting to see if Calvert pursues a career behind the bench at a higher level. Only 31, he is getting a quick start on his coaching tenure just a few months after playing in the NHL.

Dylan Guenther Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Arizona Coyotes have signed Dylan Guenther to his three-year, entry-level contract. Guenther was selected ninth overall earlier this summer. Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong released a short statement on the signing:

We are very pleased to welcome Dylan to the Coyotes organization. Dylan is an extremely skilled and smart player with a great work ethic. We are confident that he will become a very good NHL player and look forward to watching his development this season.

CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry an AAV of $925K plus an additional $850K in Class ’A’ performance bonuses each season.

Guenther, 18, played just 12 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings this season, but actually led the league in points-per-game. His 24 points were an impressive total for a player that had just 59 in 58 games in 2019-20, and led to his continued rise up draft boards.

Of course, the Coyotes didn’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft when the season ended. The team had been stripped of that selection thanks to scouting violations by the previous management team, a brutal punishment for a team that was struggling to find much success on the ice. The pick that Guenther was picked with came from the Vancouver Canucks in the Oliver Ekman-Larsson deal, and represents a very important selection for the Coyotes.

The young Guenther is likely headed back to the WHL for this season, meaning the first year of his entry-level deal will not be burned. The contract will instead slide forward–unless he manages to make the NHL team–meaning he’s locked up at least through 2024-25.

Nashville Predators Sign Eeli Tolvanen

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The Nashville Predators have signed Eeli Tolvanen to a three-year contract worth $4.35MM. The deal will carry an average annual value of $1.45MM. Tolvanen was a restricted free agent and not eligible for arbitration.

Now 22, Tolvanen finally established himself as a full-time NHL player this season, playing in 40 games for the Predators. The 2017 first-round pick scored 11 goals and 22 points, but was held scoreless in the team’s short playoff run. He’ll have a good chance to increase those totals this season as he steps into a bigger role after the Predators said farewell to names like Viktor Arvidsson, Calle Jarnkrok, and Erik Haula.

These kinds of deals are the other edge of the David Poile sword. Though there have been several times his long-term contract extensions for veterans have been mistakes, he also has routinely locked up young players for a reasonable amount before a potential breakout. That’s exactly what could happen with Tolvanen, who has the potential to be a big offensive producer. If that happens in either of the next two seasons, there’s still time for this contract to be a big win.

For Tolvanen though, this is also a contract that likely guarantees him a roster spot. With just 47 regular season games to this point, he didn’t have a lot of leverage in contract talks and wouldn’t have been eligible for arbitration until next offseason.

With him signed, the Predators have now locked up all of their restricted free agents for the offseason.

Griffin Reinhart Signs In EIHL

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The Belfast Giants have landed quite a free agent, signing Griffin Reinhart for the upcoming season. The team has also signed J.J. Piccinich, making it quite the day for the EIHL team.

Reinhart, 27, was the fourth overall pick in 2012, selected by the New York Islanders just ahead of Morgan Rielly. While his professional career certainly didn’t go as planned, he still played 37 games at the NHL level and more than 300 in the AHL. The last two years have seen him lace up his skates in China with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL and then the Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL.

It’s quite the get for Belfast, who are actually the reigning league champions, though that came back in 2019. The last two seasons haven’t been played in full, with a four-team “Elite Series” taking place earlier this year instead.

Piccinich, 25, is also an NHL draft pick, selected in the fourth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014. He spent last season with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, scoring 29 points in 65 games.

Bruins Add Matt Thomas To AHL Coaching Staff

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The Boston Bruins have added an interesting coaching prospect to the organization, hiring Matt Thomas as an assistant for the Providence Bruins of the AHL. Thomas will join the staff of new head coach Ryan Mougenel, who released the following statement:

We are all thrilled to have Matt joining our staff in Providence. Matt possesses a unique combination of high energy, innovation, and a proven eye for the game. He understands today’s athlete and his focus on communication, teaching, and forming positive relationships speaks volumes about his values as a coach. Matt is a tremendous fit for our group and understands the Bruins’ philosophy and vision that Trent and I are growing. We are eager to work together and look forward to a seamless transition as we plan our collective approach for the upcoming season.

Thomas, 45, has been a head coach since 2004, when he took over the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies of the ECHL. He has also coached the Fresno Falcons, Stockton Thunder, and most recently the Cincinnati Cyclones in that league, winning the ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2019. He holds the league record for most playoff games ever coached with 108. For five seasons between 2013 and 2018, he was the head coach of the University of Alaska-Anchorage program.

A move to an assistant job with Providence is the next step toward the NHL, but this isn’t a fast track. Thomas began his coaching career in 1998 at the age of 22, just after finishing his senior season at R.I.T where he captained the team. This first AHL opportunity has been a long time coming, even though he’s still relatively young for the coaching world.

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