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Calgary Flames Sign Dillon Dube

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The Calgary Flames have signed restricted free agent forward Dillon Dube to a three-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.3MM, leaving him an arbitration-eligible RFA in 2024. Pat Steinberg of Sportnet reports that Dube will earn $2.2MM in 2021-22, $2.3MM in 2022-23 and $2.4MM in 2023-24.

It’s been a busy week for Flames GM Brad Treliving, working his way through a long list of restricted free agents in Calgary. He has now signed Juuso Valimaki, Nikita Zadorov, Justin Kirkland, Glenn Gawdin, and Dube in the last few days, leaving just Connor Mackey to negotiate with. While Kirkland and Gawdin are still depth options, the same can’t really be said about Dube, who has worked his way into a full-time role with the Flames over the last two seasons. The 23-year-old recorded 11 goals and 22 points in 51 games for the team this season, averaging 13:38 of ice time.

That’s not a huge role, but this new contract secures him as a fixture in the lineup for the next several years. Originally selected 556th overall in 2016 as a center, he never really has been given an opportunity to play in the middle for Calgary. It will be interesting to follow Flames training camp to see how the lineup shakes out under head coach Darryl Sutter given the influx of gritty, physical presences. The team added Blake Coleman, Tyler Pitlick, and Trevor Lewis to the mix, all three of whom are likely better suited in the bottom six. If Dube, who has built up his two-way game, can find a home on one of the top two lines, there’s a good chance he produces a lot more offense than a $2.3MM contract usually warrants.

Even if he doesn’t take another significant step forward offensively, a $2.3MM cap hit doesn’t pose much risk for the Flames. As long as Dube can keep himself in the lineup, providing solid defensive play, there shouldn’t be many complaints from the Calgary faithful. There’s room for upside in a deal like this, which is key for a team like the Flames that are trying to find their way in the Pacific Division.

Snapshots: Giroux, Price, Turcotte

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The Philadelphia Flyers locked up Sean Couturier today a year before he reached free agency, but they won’t be doing the same for captain Claude Giroux. When GM Chuck Fletcher spoke with the media about the contract, he indicated that he would be waiting until after the season to speak about a new deal with Giroux. He didn’t mince words when explaining why the Couturier deal happened so early:

Sean’s our best hockey player right now, and he’s the key guy. If Sean had left, that would’ve changed the direction of the franchise. To lock him up was incredibly important for the short and long term. 

Fletcher did suggest that the relationship between the Flyers and Giroux could continue beyond this season, but both sides are happy to wait and see how the year plays out before making any decisions. The 33-year-old Giroux has played his entire career to this point in Philadelphia and had 43 points in 54 games this season. His eight-year, $66.2MM contract that was signed in 2013 will expire at the end of 2021-22, making him an unrestricted free agent.

  • There was a ton of speculation about the health of Carey Price this offseason, but head coach Dominique Ducharme told the media today including Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic that the veteran goaltender will be there when the Montreal Canadiens kick off training camp next month (or at worst join just a few days into it). Price’s health was a huge topic of conversation when he was left exposed to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion process, but more important is his impact on the Canadiens lineup. When healthy and playing his best, Price is still among the top goaltenders in the world. But injury issues have been a problem in recent years and he just turned 34. Price has five seasons remaining on the eight-year, $84MM deal he signed in 2017 and will earn a total of $13MM this season through signing bonuses and salary.
  • Alex Turcotte, who is hoping to make his NHL debut this season with the Los Angeles Kings, underwent successful surgery for acute appendicitis. The young forward is still expected to be recovered in time for the start of rookie camp in a few weeks. Turcotte, 20, was the fifth-overall pick in 2019 and scored 21 points in 32 games for the Ontario Reign last season in his first taste of professional hockey.

Minor Transactions: 08/26/21

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Two huge contracts were signed today in the NHL, but there are always plenty of other minor moves that go on in European, junior, and minor leagues that are just as important to those involved. Just like always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves around the hockey world right here.

  • The Iserlohn Roosters of the German DEL have signed Nick Schilkey, who spent last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. While the 27-year-old’s departure from North America is a notable one, the team’s press release also included an interesting note on Griffin Reinhart. The 2012 fourth-overall pick spent last season with the Roosters, but the team suggests that he is now pursuing a different career path, one focused on his academic development. It’s not clear exactly what that means at this point.
  • Mario Kempe, who last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season, is staying in the KHL, this time signing with Dinamo Minsk. Kempe scored 22 points in 34 games for CSKA Moscow last season and suited up for Sweden at the World Championship. The 32-year-old has 70 NHL games in his career, but recorded just 13 points.
  • The Milwaukee Admirals have signed Bobo Carpenter to a one-year AHL contract after he failed to receive a qualifying offer from the New York Islanders. Carpenter had four goals and seven points in 19 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season, his second professional campaign after signing out of Boston University. The 25-year-old hasn’t been able to replicate the success he had in college to this point.
  • After splitting last season between Europe and North America, Jakob Stukel is on his way back overseas. The 24-year-old forward has signed with HC Pustertal of the ICEHL. Stukel played 35 games for the Bakersfield Condors in 2020-21, scoring seven points.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Philadelphia Flyers Extend Sean Couturier

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed star center Sean Couturier to an eight-year contract extension that will start in the 2022-23 season. Couturier has one more season on his current deal and would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer. The new extension will carry an average annual value of $7.75MM and runs through 2029-30. Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reports that it will include a full no-movement clause in the first seven years, and a Couturier will be required to submit a 10-team trade list in the final season. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher released a statement on the deal:

We are excited to announce Sean’s long term extension with the Flyers today. As one of the premier two-way centers in the NHL, Sean has the rare talent to shut down opposing team’s top players while also contributing at a high offensive level. Throughout his 10 year career with the Flyers, he has proven to be the ultimate teammate. He carries an enormous presence inside our dressing room due to his preparation, determination and drive to win.

CapFriendly provides the full contract breakdown:

  • 2022-23: $1.75MM salary + $6.0MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $4.0MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $4.0MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2025-26: $4.0MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2026-27: $1.75MM salary + $6.0MM signing bonus
  • 2027-28: $1.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2028-29: $1.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
  • 2029-30: $1.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus

There’s absolutely no doubt that Couturier is one of the Flyers’ most important (if not the most important) players, and every day that passed was getting him closer to unrestricted free agency. Still, this is a huge commitment for the Philadelphia front office, given that he’ll turn 30 just a few months into the first year of the extension.

Currently 28, Couturier is one of the most effective two-way centers in the entire league and took home the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive player in 2020. He has received votes for the award in nine of ten seasons and has been a finalist in the past. When his offense took a huge step forward in 2017 it turned him from a strong checking forward to a true top-line center, capable of near point-per-game production. He has hit the 30+ goal mark twice, posted a career-high of 76 points in two seasons, and registered 41 points in 45 games this year. There are only a handful of players in the league who can impact the game as much as Couturier, given how effective he is in all three zones.

Still, while this deal may be a bargain in the next few years, it’s hard to expect Couturier to keep up his level of play throughout. He’s now signed for the entire decade and already has more than 700 NHL games under his belt playing a relatively physical style of hockey. There’s no telling what his decline phase will look like, but a deal of this length could become an issue if his offensive production falters even a little bit.

That’s a problem for the future though, as the Flyers try to capitalize on this core and compete for the Stanley Cup. The team went out and revamped the defensive group, bringing in Ryan Ellis, Rasmus Ristolainen and Keith Yandle this offseason, and swapped a pair of veteran forwards by sending Jakub Voracek to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Cam Atkinson. With Claude Giroux signed for just one more season, James Van Riemsdyk under contract for just two, the time is now for the Flyers to strike.

The $7.75MM cap hit ties him with young Andrei Svechnikov, who signed a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes earlier today, for the 49th highest in the league for 2022-23. He will likely be knocked a few spots down by other extensions and contracts, but that’s likely a number that Couturier could have eclipsed on the open market, had he waited. That obviously wouldn’t have come with the eight-year term though, something that likely gives him security through the end of his career.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Andrei Svechnikov

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The Carolina Hurricanes have worked out a deal with one of their most important players. Andrei Svechnikov, a restricted free agent this summer, has signed an eight-year contract with the Hurricanes that will carry an average annual value of $7.75MM. GM Don Waddell released a statement on the deal:

Andrei is one of the cornerstones of this organization, and we are thrilled to reach a long-term commitment to keep him here. He is one of the brightest rising stars in our sport, and will play a key role in our efforts to bring the Stanley Cup to the Triangle this decade.

The contract contains a modified no-trade clause (Svechnikov will submit a list of ten teams he can be traded to) in the four unrestricted free agent years that it buys out, and the full salary breakdown is as follows:

  • 2021-22: $2.0MM salary + $4.0MM signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $7.0MM salary
  • 2023-24: $9.0MM salary
  • 2024-25: $9.0MM salary
  • 2025-26: $10.0MM salary
  • 2026-27: $7.0MM salary
  • 2027-28: $6.0MM salary
  • 2028-29: $8.0MM salary

Since being the second-overall pick in 2018, Svechnikov has done what he always does–score. The 21-year-old forward has 59 goals and 140 points in 205 career games, including a strong 42-point effort in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. His size, skill, and skating ability make him a threat all over the ice, carrying the puck through the neutral zone or battling in front of the net for space. It’s hard to find many more well-rounded wingers in the league, and Svechnikov appears to be just scratching the surface of his offensive upside.

While this may seem like a huge salary for a player coming out of his entry-level contract (and it is), the deal represents a ton of security for the Hurricanes. They now have their young star locked in through basically all of his prime years at a relatively reasonable price. Skipping a bridge deal means that they won’t get any savings over the next two or three seasons, but buying out four UFA seasons is a big win for the Hurricanes. They can now move forward knowing exactly how much their top forwards cost. Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen both have three years left on their respective deals.

Not that Svechnikov is missing out. The young forward will have the 49th highest cap hit in the NHL this season, and though that will drop down a few pegs as he moves forward and other players ink more expensive deals, he’s still being paid quite handsomely. If he does turn into the 40-goal, MVP-type that some believe he can be, it will be a steal for the Hurricanes. But more likely is that he’s paid appropriately for his impact and the team can build around him as the salary cap gets back on track.

This deal will be used as a comparable by other restricted free agents around the league, though the player agents may not be very excited about it. Brady Tkachuk, for instance, who was drafted just two spots after Svechnikov in 2018 and has similar offensive numbers through the first part of his career, is also an RFA with the Ottawa Senators.

The Hurricanes though are now finished with their RFA negotiations, meaning they have certainty over their cap situation for 2021-22. They currently project to have a little more than $4.5MM, meaning they could potentially go after another UFA or target a bigger contract in trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Senators, Slepets, Rossi

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As the Ottawa Senators look to finally move past their extended rebuild and take a step toward relevance this season, it is about time they name a leader of this next stage for the franchise. Speaking with the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators head coach D.J. Smith stated that “It’s time for someone to be the leader of this group.” Smith believes that Ottawa is ready to name a captain after a three-season hiatus and tells Garrioch that he intends to speak with owner Eugene Melnyk and GM Pierre Dorion about making a decision before the end of training camp. The last player to wear the “C” was Erik Karlsson during the 2017-18 season and the Senators have used only alternates in the years since. However, with young defenseman Thomas Chabot signed long-term and young forward Brady Tkachuk hoping to join him for years to come, the Senators have two players that can be the face of the franchise for many years and either one would be a good pick as captain. Which one will be a difficult and important decision for the young locker room, which is why the organization’s leaders have taken their time and will still wait to name a captain until closer to the beginning of the season.

  • The odds of Carolina Hurricanes prospect Kirill Slepets making the jump to North America any time soon took another hit today. Just two weeks ago, Slepets re-signed in the KHL on a one-year deal with Spartak Moscow. The move came on the heels of a poor season for Slepets in which he played exclusively in the second-tier VHL rather than the KHL and led some to believe that the 22-year-old may cross the pond to continue his development. Instead, he stayed in Russia and after today’s trade may be settling in for an extended stay. Spartak has traded Slepets to his hometown team, Amur Khabarovsk, the club announced. Going the other way was former NHL forward Andrei Loktionov, proving that Slepets still has value in the KHL despite a down year. He has even more value to Amur, who are very excited to bring the prodigal son home and could be able to convince him to stay long-term. The 2019 fifth-round pick remains an interesting project to watch for the Hurricanes, especially given the ability he flashed at the junior level, but his NHL future is more in doubt now than ever.
  • Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi has no doubt that he is ready to compete for an NHL roster spot after missing this past season due to an extensive battle with COVID-19. The 2020 No. 9 overall pick has been working out hard to get back into game shape and will get his first test this week suiting up for Austria in the Olympic qualifiers. However, he is already looking ahead to Wild training camp and is confident that he can make impact in Minnesota this year. Talking to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Rossi stated the following:

I know I haven’t played a lot of games in the last year, year and a half, but now that I can see my fitness level and my shape, I know I’m better in shape than a lot of NHL players. I see no doubt about it that I can play in the NHL. I know I can play there. I know how good I am, but I have to prove myself in training camp that I’m ready for that. I know it’s going to be up to me to show I’m ready to play right away.

Adam Fantilli Commits To The University of Michigan

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The Wolverines have done it again. The same school that saw four members of their 2021-22 roster selected in the top five of the 2021 NHL Draft has just secured another probable top-five pick. Forward Adam Fantilli of the USHL’s Chicago Steel has committed to the University of Michigan, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger. Fantilli is considered a candidate to go first overall in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Fantilli, 16, will spend one more season with Chicago and then it is off to Ann Arbor to join the Wolverines for the 2022-23 season. Fantilli, who already helped the Steel to a Clark Cup championship this past season and took home postseason MVP honors himself, would probably be ready for the NCAA ranks already were it not for his age and academic status. Fantilli will have to try to improve in the USHL this season after already posting 36 points in 49 games last year, followed by a stunning eight goals in eight playoff games. NHL teams are already convinced of his high-end ability and impressed by his growing 6’2″ frame, but now will see if he can remain consistent and driven in the USHL and then still have another season to see how he adjusts to the college game. If the rangy center can continue to score and flash immense skill while bulking up, he could be the can’t-miss prospect at the top of the 2023 draft class.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that Fantilli will get a chance to play with many of Michigan’s current star players. Owen Power (BUF, No. 1 overall in 2021), Matthew Beniers (SEA, No. 2 overall in 2021), Kent Johnson (CLB, No. 5 overall in 2021) and Johnny Beecher (BOS, No. 30 overall in 2019) are almost certain to turn pro after this season, while Luke Hughes (NJD, No. 4 overall in 2021), Brendan Brisson (VGK, No. 29 overall in 2020), and Thomas Bordeleau (SJS, No. 38 overall in 2020) could follow. However, it is a safe bet that Mackie Samoskevich (FLA, No. 24 overall in 2021), Erik Portillo (BUF, No. 67 overall in 2019), and Dylan Duke (TBL, No. 126 overall in 2020) will stick around for Fantilli’s freshman year, where he will be joined by other notable prospects like Jackson Hallum (VGK, No. 91 overall in 2020), Frank Nazar, and brother Luca Fantilli in the recruiting class. This should keep the Wolverines’ National Championship window open for at least a couple years longer as they have quickly turned into the premier program in college hockey.

Seattle Kraken Sign Gustav Olofsson

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The Seattle Kraken have added some more depth on defense, signing Gustav Olofsson to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will be worth $750K at the NHL level. Olofsson reached Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer after his most recent one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens expired. GM Ron Francis released a short statement on his newest player:

Gustav is a smart, two-way defenseman. We believe his size and willingness to play with physicality matches the style we want to play and are happy he is joining our blue line.

As we examined recently, the Kraken are in an unusual situation in regards to their NHL roster. The team has a strong depth chart on defense, but all of them are no longer waiver-exempt and many would be at risk of a claim. Adding players like Olofsson, who will likely clear waivers without issue (as he has several times in the past) gives Francis and company some insurance to stash in the minor leagues.

That’s not to say that Olofsson can’t play in the NHL in a pinch. The 26-year-old defenseman has 59 games under his belt, most of which came with the Minnesota Wild in 2017-18. His last appearance was with the Canadiens in 2019-20, as he spent the entire 2020-21 season on the taxi squad or with the Laval Rocket, racking up 12 points in 24 games.

The Kraken are now 11-deep at defense, with Dennis Cholowski still to sign. There could be more movement to change the makeup of that group, but additions like this ensure that they’ll have call-up options even if they lose a player or two in a preseason roster crunch.

Ben Thomas Signs In Sweden

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After grinding through several seasons in the minor leagues, Ben Thomas finally got his chance during the 2020-21 season. The defenseman played in five games for the Tampa Bay Lightning, finally reaching the NHL for the first time. Despite finally making it to the top, Thomas’ 25th birthday passed in May, meaning he became a Group VI unrestricted free agent when the offseason hit.

Now, Thomas is set for a new challenge. The minor league veteran is heading to Sweden to join Leksands IF in the SHL, signing a one-year contract.

Originally selected in the fourth round in 2014, Thomas suited up more than 300 times for the Syracuse Crunch, getting to the Calder Cup Finals in 2017. He had nine points in 16 games this season for Syracuse but was unable to record an NHL point in his short stint with Tampa Bay. There’s no doubt that he’s still young enough to make a return to North America at some point in the future, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll ever get another crack in the NHL.

For now, he’ll be testing himself on a whole new level, but Leksands is also hoping to continue his development and take him even further in his career.

Derick Brassard Signs With Philadelphia Flyers

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The Philadelphia Flyers have found another depth forward to add to the mix, signing Derick Brassard to a one-year deal. It will cost the team just $825K at the NHL level, meaning Brassard is making barely more than the league minimum this season as he looks to continue his career.

Brassard, 33, is certainly well known to the Philadelphia coaching staff, having played several years for Alain Vigneault with the New York Rangers. In fact, those years in New York were the best of his career, posting highs of 60 points and 27 goals. Those are numbers Brassard hasn’t come close to in recent years, including 2020-21 when he had just eight goals and 20 points in 53 games for the Arizona Coyotes.

Still, you do worse than a veteran of 905 regular season games for $825K. Brassard has more than 500 career points, has experience at both center and wing, and has suited up 117 times in the postseason. For a Flyers team hoping young players like Morgan Frost can take a step forward this season, Brassard represents a nice insurance policy.

The overall makeup of the Philadelphia roster is a lot different than a year ago. Ryan Ellis, Rasmus Ristolainen, Keith Yandle, Cam Atkinson, and now Brassard have all been added, giving the team a huge boost of experience. Whether they are actually better than a year ago remains to be seen, but GM Chuck Fletcher is certainly not sitting on his hands after a disappointing year.

For Brassard, it’s been a steady downhill ride in terms of salary since he finished his five-year, $25MM contract in 2019. He signed a one-year, $1.2MM contract in 2019-20, a $1.0MM deal in 2020-21, and now an $825K contract this season. If he has anything left, he actually could provide a nice little bit of excess value on this cheap deal. If not, there’s not much risk for the Flyers.

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