Minor Transactions: 06/16/21
The further into the summer it gets, the busier the transaction wire becomes. While the rumor mill has been heating up in recent days, there have been a fair share of confirmed moves as well that include names familiar to NHL fans and impacting NHL fans. Take a look:
- So much for the Alexander Khokhlachev comeback. The former Boston Bruins prospect whose NHL rights finally expire this off-season had previously hinted at a return to North America following five years in the KHL. When he walked away from the reigning Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk, it only added fuel to the fire. However, it was all for not. Khoklachev has returned to former KHL club Spartak Moscow, the team has announced. It is only a one-year deal, so the speculation of an NHL return for the 27-year-old scoring center return next season. Yet, if Khokhlachev was ever going to make the jump, it seemed that this was his chance given years of sustained success capped off with a title and his newfound free agency. It could be Khokhlachev simply stays in Russia for the rest of his career.
- Jori Lehtera is also not returning to North America, though it should come as no surprise. Lehtera’s production decreased continually through his NHL career and fell off immensely following a move to the Philadelphia Flyers from the St. Louis Blues in 2017. Between poor play and off-ice issues, he seemingly wore out his welcome in North America. Upon returning to Europe last season, he immediately re-discovered his scoring touch in the KHL and scored at better than a point-per-game pace for Spartak this year, leading the team. Spartak has rewarded him with a one-year extension. The 33-year-old will take that short-term commitment, especially with the likes of Khokhlachev and Vasili Ponomaryov joining him in Moscow next season to potentially make the team could be a surprise contender.
- Cole Clayton has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and while you might not know his name yet, you could soon. The big, mobile, two-way defenseman from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers led all league defensemen with nine goals and 30 points this season in just 23 games. At 6’2″, 210 lbs. but able to skate at a high level, Clayton is an impact player all over the ice and surely had some NHL interest before settling for a job with Cleveland. If his play translates to the pros, it is a safe bet that the Columbus Blue Jackets will have him signed to an entry-level deal sooner rather than later. The Monsters also announced the signings of veteran forwards Brett Gallant and Adam Helewka for next season.
New York Rangers Hire Gerard Gallant
June 16: The Rangers have officially announced the hiring of Gallant as their next head coach. The four-year deal is worth around $3.5MM a year, according to LeBrun. That puts Gallant on the higher end of the coaching spectrum, but actually comes in quite a bit lower than the league’s highest-paid bench bosses. Quinn, Gallant’s predecessor, earns $2.4MM per season on his five-year deal.
June 14: The New York Rangers have found their new head coach. Larry Brooks of the New York Post is reporting that the Rangers have reached an agreement to hire Gerard Gallant, who had been considered the favorite to land the job for some time.
It seemed like a perfect fit from the moment the Rangers fired David Quinn, but Gallant and the team both did their due diligence. The veteran head coach interviewed elsewhere, including multiple meetings with the Columbus Blue Jackets before they decided to go with Brad Larsen, while New York spoke with several other candidates while Gallant coached Team Canada in Latvia at the World Championship. The two sides obviously decided that it was the best fit in the end, with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweeting that it will be a four-year deal.
If he gets through that term, it will be the first time he lasts four years with a team. In each of Gallant’s head coaching stops, he has been fired in the middle of his third season with the team, most recently by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020. Despite taking them to the Stanley Cup Final in year one and back to the playoffs in year two, the Golden Knights replaced Gallant with Pete DeBoer last season after a so-so beginning to the regular season. Since then, the 57-year-old has been waiting for the right opportunity, while also helping Canada to a gold medal in the recent international tournament.
That opportunity is in New York, where a young, talented Rangers team is ready to take the next step. The front office was gutted earlier this year when chairman James Dolan fired both president John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton, installing Chris Drury in their place. At the time, it was clear that ownership wasn’t happy with the speed at which the rebuild was moving, meaning you can expect a few more kick-start moves this summer. One of those is Gallant, who knows how to both develop young players and get the best out of veterans at the same time.
He is responsible for the only 100+ point season in Florida Panthers history, which he achieved thanks to the performances by 20-year-old Aleksander Barkov and 43-year-old Jaromir Jagr. He managed a .601 winning percentage with the Golden Knights, despite many believing the team would be near the bottom of the standings like most expansion teams at the beginning of their existence.
He’ll now be tasked with reaching the playoffs in a tough Metropolitan Division, while also turning the likes of Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, and Vitali Kravtsov into the difference-makers they were drafted to be.
Jordan Martinook Undergoes Knee Surgery
It’s offseason cleanup time for many NHL players, with nagging injuries finally being dealt with on the surgical table. That’s the case for Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook, who has undergone a meniscal debridement on his right knee. Martinook is expected to make a full recovery in time for the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
Of course, the 28-year-old forward doesn’t actually have a contract yet for next season as his two-year, $4MM deal with Carolina expires at the end of 2020-21. He is an extension candidate because of the strong leadership role he has in the Hurricanes dressing room and the physical presence he brings to the ice, but the surgery at least complicates things a bit. For the second season in a row, Martinook recorded only 13 points and now has just six goals over his last 102 regular season games dating back to the end of 2018-19. Sure, the role he fills in bringing along and supporting the young players on the Hurricanes roster is important, but those troubling offensive numbers won’t help his case when negotiating a new deal.
It’s not like the playoffs have brought out the best in him offensively, as through 29 games over the last three seasons Martinook has scored just twice. Eventually, there will have to be a decision made on whether he’s bringing enough to the table on a nightly basis to help the Hurricanes get closer to the Stanley Cup or whether he is dragging them down.
Especially as he deals with his recovery from knee surgery and the team tries to navigate other contract negotiations, an extension can probably be put on the back burner. That said, there is a benefit from signing him in the next few weeks, as he could fill one of the required exposure slots in the upcoming expansion draft.
Finland, Sweden Announce Camp Roster For Summer Showcase
The World Junior Summer Showcase is usually a great place for prospects to start getting in front of NHL scouts. The short event, that this year will be held in July, is a battle between junior-aged players trying to make their respective national rosters ahead of the IIHF World Junior tournament that starts in December and gives some of them their first chance to test themselves against the best in their age group. This year, Canada is not expected to take part in the event, but the U.S., Sweden, and Finland will all field teams.
Yesterday, Finland revealed their roster for the event (via Corey Pronman of The Athletic):
G Joel Blomqvist (52nd overall, PIT)
G Juho Markkanen (112th overall LAK)
G Leevi Merilainen (71st overall, OTT)
D Karri Aho (undrafted)
D Valtteri Koskela (2021 draft eligible)
D Rami Maatta (undrafted)
D Topi Niemela (64th overall, TOR)
D Ville Ottavainen (undrafted)
D Kasper Puutio (153rd overall, FLA)
D Ruben Rafkin (undrafted)
D Matias Rajaniemi (183rd overall, NYI)
D Christoffer Sedoff (undrafted)
D Eemil Viro (70th overall, DET)
F Samuel Helenius (2021 draft eligible)
F Roni Hirvonen (59th overall, TOR)
F Aatu Jamsen (190th overall, LAK)
F Roby Jarventie (33rd overall, OTT)
F Oliver Kapanen (2021 draft eligible)
F Ville Koivunen (2021 draft eligible)
F Brad Lambert (2022 draft eligible)
F Eetu Liukas (2021 draft eligible)
F Juuso Maenpaa (undrafted)
F Aatu Raty (2021 draft eligible)
F Samu Salminen (2021 draft eligible)
F Kasper Simontaival (66th overall, LAK)
F Oliver Suni (undrafted)
F Iivari Sakkinen (undrafted)
F Samu Tuomaala (2021 draft eligible)
The Finns will bring a young group to the event, especially up front with a number of 17 and 18-year-olds working for a place on the roster. Still, they’ll also have WJC veterans like Niemela, who not only took part but was named the tournament’s best defenseman earlier this year. Perhaps the name to watch here is Lambert, who also has a U20 appearance under his belt already despite only turning 17 last December. He won’t be eligible to draft until 2022 but should be among those in early first-round contention at that point.
Today, Sweden followed up with their own roster (via Pronman):
G Jesper Wallstedt (2021 draft eligible)
G Calle Clang (77th overall, PIT)
G Carl Lindbom (2021 draft eligible)
D Leo Loof (88th overall, STL)
D Emil Andrae (54th overall, PHI)
D Anton Olsson (2021 draft eligible)
D Mans Forsfjall (undrafted)
D Simon Edvinsson (2021 draft eligible)
D Joel Nystrom (undrafted)
D Helge Grans (35th overall, LAK)
D William Wallinder (32nd overall, DET)
F Daniel Ljungman (154th overall, DAL)
F Jeremias Lindewall (200th overall, EDM)
F Alexander Ljungkrantz (90th overall, NYI)
F Ake Stakkestad (undrafted)
F Victor Stjernborg (2021 draft eligible)
F William Eklund (2021 draft eligible)
F Zion Nybeck (115th overall, CAR)
F Isak Rosen (2021 draft eligible)
F Elliot Ekmark (198th overall, FLA)
F Isak Garfve (undrafted)
F Simon Robertsson (2021 draft eligible)
F Theodor Niederbach (51st overall, DET)
F Oskar Olausson (2021 draft eligible)
F Daniel Torgersson (40th overall, WPG)
Sweden on the other hand is bringing an older squad, but even this group doesn’t have their most dynamic skaters. Names like Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz are missing, despite still being eligible for the World Junior tournament. Of course, there absence is just an opportunity for someone else and there are plenty of names in the Swedish group that stand out. Edvinsson actually tied for second on Bob McKenzie’s midseason draft rankings for TSN, which is created by polling active scouts around the league. The Frolunda defenseman should be off the board quite quickly later this summer.
These groups will be paired down to create the final roster for the event, which will then be taken into consideration to make the roster for the World Junior Championship later this year. If a player was not included here, that doesn’t necessarily disqualify him for competition at that tournament.
Note: “undrafted” in this case means that the player was not selected in his first year of eligibility. Many of the players in this category will be chosen this year.
Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Jason Spezza
The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought back some veteran depth while also filling one of their expansion issues. Jason Spezza has re-signed with the team for the league minimum of $750K. The one-year deal always seemed like a sure thing between the two sides, given Spezza’s desire to play in Toronto and his excellent performance this past season.
Not only does Spezza provide valuable scoring depth for the cap-strapped Maple Leafs, but the team also was facing a difficult expansion draft situation. Every team must expose at least two forwards that reach a games played requirement and are signed through next season. That was going to be tricky given so many expiring veteran contracts on the Maple Leafs roster, but Spezza will fill one of those slots. Of course, it could mean that the Kraken select him, but given the way his camp spread the idea of retirement the last time he was on waivers, Seattle would be taking a big risk.
Once thought to be on his way out of the league, Spezza has been rejuvenated in Toronto, scoring 55 points in 112 games. That production has come despite averaging fewer than 11 minutes per game, making the 38-year-old forward one of the best per-60 producers in the league. The fact that he added three goals and five points in the Maple Leafs’ series against the Montreal Canadiens only endeared him more to the hometown crowd.
The former All-Star needs just 30 points next season to reach 1,000 for his career and will also likely climb into the top-100 for games played. While there is obvious doubt that he can keep this up forever, a one-year contract for this price comes with absolutely no risk.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Colorado Avalanche Re-Sign Jayson Megna
The Colorado Avalanche will bring back Jayson Megna next season and the one after that. The pending free agent forward has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him in the Avalanche organization through the 2022-23 campaign. The financial details have not yet been released, but in all likelihood, the deal will be a two-way contract worth the league minimum of $750K at the NHL level.
Megna, 31, certainly seems to be okay with that kind of a deal, given he has never had a contract worth more in the NHL than his entry-level paid. He has gone almost year-to-year throughout his career, signing one-year deals with the Penguins, Rangers, Canucks, Capitals and Avalanche. The security of a two-year contract must seem like a huge win for the minor league veteran, who continues to provide depth for the Colorado organization.
In 2020-21, he played nearly as many games with the Avalanche as he did with the Colorado Eagles, suiting up seven times in the NHL. He registered two points during those games, but managed another seven goals and nine points in 13 minor league contests.
Despite being eligible for the expansion draft, he has not played quite enough games to fill the Avalanche forward requirements, meaning this two-year deal is more about his place in the organization than any other expansion manipulation. He’ll need to clear waivers next season to go to the Eagles, but that shouldn’t be much of an obstacle.
Morning Notes: Eichel, Hyman, Schmaltz
It was clear that teams are calling the Buffalo Sabres about captain Jack Eichel, but Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic writes that conversations are getting “more intense and serious” even though the playoffs are still going on. LeBrun lists the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers as teams that make sense, though doesn’t suggest who has reached out at this point.
In return, the Sabres appear to be focused on receiving a top draft pick in this year’s class. LeBrun mentions that a 2021 first-round pick will be in any package, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote that if Eichel or teammate Sam Reinhart are to be traded, “do not be surprised if the Sabres end up with a second high first-round selection.” The team already has first overall, but could be walking to the (virtual) podium twice if they get their way.
- One other player who may surprisingly be on the market is Zach Hyman, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward that has long been expected to re-sign with his hometown team. Not so fast, as James Mirtle of The Athletic writes that no progress has been made to this point and that it “feels downright unlikely” that an extension will be signed. Hyman very well could have played too well for the Maple Leafs, making his value more than the team will be able to afford in a flat cap world. The 29-year-old winger scored 15 goals and 33 points in 43 regular season games this year, but did suffer another knee injury and looked less than full-strength in the playoffs. Hyman’s gritty play style is one that almost every team in the league would covet, especially if he can continue to produce 20-goal seasons moving forward.
- Jordan Schmaltz is on his way to Europe, signing a one-year deal with HIFK in Finland. The 25th overall pick in 2012, Schmaltz has only played 42 NHL games to this point and is now 27. After bouncing around in the minor leagues the last few seasons, it appears as though he’ll try his hand at a new brand of hockey overseas.
Columbus Blue Jackets Announce Hockey Ops Promotions
The Columbus Blue Jackets have changed their president of hockey operations, their head coach and now will be promoting several former players to new roles. The team announced today that Rick Nash has been promoted to director of player development, Josef Boumedienne has been promoted to head of pro scouting, while Derek Dorsett and Mark Letestu have joined the organization as development coaches. Brad Thiessen has replaced Jim Corsi as goaltending development coach, while Nelson Ayotte, the former director of high performance, has retired.
Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement on the changes:
We are always looking to strengthen our hockey operations group and these moves do just that, particularly in the area of player development. In Rick, Derek, Mark and Brad, we have four former players with a combined 34 years of experience in the NHL and 17 in the AHL, as well as having played major junior and college, so they will be able to share a wealth of knowledge and experience with prospects throughout our organization. They are also passionate about the Blue Jackets, our city and what we are building here.
Nash, 37, is one of the most decorated players in franchise history and still comes to mind when you think of the Blue Jackets. Though he ended his playing career with stints in New York and Boston, it is Columbus where he forged his name as an NHL superstar. Selected first overall by the team in 2002, Nash would record his first 40-goal season in 2003-04, winning the Rocket Richard trophy in his sophomore year. He would score at least 27 goals in each of the seven seasons that followed and currently sits as the franchise leader in games played, goals, assists, points, shots, and several other categories. He rejoined the organization as a special assistant to the GM in 2019 after his playing career ended and now that he has learned the front office side, will take on a larger role.
Dorsett and Letestu also have ties to the organization from their playing days. The former started his NHL career in Columbus after working his way up from the seventh round as an enforcer but turned into a quality bottom-six option for the Blue Jackets. In 2011-12 he recorded 12 goals and 20 points while also leading the league in penalty minutes with 235. Letestu meanwhile spent the middle portion of his playing career in Columbus, recording 102 points over parts of six seasons. The undrafted center has long been lauded as one of the hardest-working players in professional hockey and will now be able to impart some of that experience to the Blue Jackets’ young talent.
Expansion Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning
Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, who will likely warrant protection, and which ones may be on the block to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing? Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4:00 PM CDT on July 17th. The full eligibility rules can be found here, while CapFriendly has an expansion tool to make your own lists.
Back in 2017, Tampa Bay made a side deal with Vegas to force them into taking defenseman Jason Garrison. The price they paid was fairly steep in Nikita Gusev plus second and fourth-round draft picks but it allowed them to retain two young blueliners in Jake Dotchin and Slater Koekkoek. With their salary cap situation, it seems quite likely that the Lightning will be making a trade with Seattle to get them to pick a specific player.
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
Alex Barre-Boulet, Anthony Cirelli, Ross Colton, Nikita Kucherov (NMC), Yanni Gourde, Tyler Johnson, Mathieu Joseph, Boris Katchouk, Alex Killorn, Pat Maroon, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, Taylor Raddysh, Otto Somppi, Steven Stamkos (NMC), Mitchell Stephens, Daniel Walcott
Defense:
Erik Cernak, Sean Day, Callan Foote, Victor Hedman (NMC), Dominik Masin, Ryan McDonagh, Jan Rutta, Mikhail Sergachev
Goalies:
Spencer Martin, Andrei Vasilevskiy
Notable Unrestricted Free Agents
Andreas Borgman, Fredrik Claesson, Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, David Savard, Luke Schenn, Gemel Smith
Notable Exemptions
G Hugo Alnefelt, F Ryan Lohin, F Jimmy Huntington, G Amir Miftakhov, F Antoine Morand
Key Decisions
There are some problems that are good to have and having too many good players is certainly one of them. Without a side deal in place, it means that Tampa Bay is going to lose a good one no matter which route they go.
Let’s look at their defense first. Hedman and Sergachev are sure-fire bets to be protected but that’s about it. McDonagh is a key cog on their back end and logged nearly 22 minutes a game during the regular season and that has gone up slightly in the playoffs. He’s a big part of the puzzle. However, he’s also 32 years old and signed through 2026 at a $6.75MM AAV. With that term and price tag, could he safely be left unprotected?
That would leave at least one opening for a younger blueliner although there are a couple of players to consider for that potential last spot in a 7/3/1 scheme. Cernak took another step forward this season, spending a lot of it inside Tampa’s top four. He’s signed on a team-friendly bridge deal for two more years at $2.95MM and making him available would be very enticing for the Kraken.
Then there’s Foote. He only made his NHL debut this season in what was a very limited role but he’s also not that far removed from being a first-round pick as he was selected 14th overall back in 2017. He’ll need waivers beginning next year so he should be a full-timer on the roster at what should be a price tag of under $1MM on a short-term contract. Given their cap situation, it would be hard to part with a cheap roster player.
That cap situation will certainly dictate their approach with their forwards as well. Kucherov and Stamkos are automatic protectees while Point and Cirelli don’t have to be protected but are safe bets to be.
Normally, finishing fourth on the team in scoring would make a player be a safe bet to be protected but that’s not the case with Gourde. The small center played at a 25-goal, 52-point pace this season which is quite good but he’s on the books for four more years at $5.167MM. That’s not a bad return on the contract but knowing that they need to free up some money, he could be left unprotected.
Palat finished second in scoring behind only Point and even that isn’t enough to make him a lock to be protected. His price tag is certainly reasonable at $5.3MM and he only has one year left so it’s not a long-term drag on Tampa Bay’s cap. But if they want to protect four defensemen, Palat could very well be squeezed out.
Killorn is another long-time Lightning veteran that could feel the squeeze. He played at a 40-plus-point pace again this season and would have gotten there had it not been for the pandemic-shortened campaign which would have been the fourth straight year of getting to that mark. At $4.45MM, he’s not overly expensive either and with only two years left, it’s certainly a manageable deal. But again, they’re facing a situation where they simply have to move money out.
Before looking into some of the other forward candidates, let’s get to the obvious veteran on this list in Johnson. Tampa Bay clearly tried to move him last fall and when they couldn’t find a taker, they put him on waivers but had no luck there either. It’s not that he’s a bad player by any stretch, he’s just too expensive for the role he provides. He’s a capable middle-six center and if he was a free agent tomorrow, there would be plenty of interest. But the 30-year-old isn’t a free agent, he has three years left at a $5MM cap hit. The expectation is that the Lightning will try to make a deal to entice Seattle to take that contract off their hands but it will have to be a sizable premium paid as there will be quality players to pick from.
Knowing they will need some cost-efficient forwards as well, there could also be an inclination to try to protect one or more of them in a 7/3/1 scheme. Barre-Boulet held his own in his first taste of NHL action this season after being a consistently high scorer in the AHL. Joseph had a dozen goals this season while primarily playing on the fourth line while Stephens was a regular for more than half of last year. Even Katchouk, who doesn’t have any NHL experience, showed a lot with AHL Syracuse this season and should be in the mix for a roster spot next year. They all have some NHL upside and are all affordable which is a combination that they need to try to hold on to. Having said that, it would be hard to see those players crack their protected list.
Projected Protection List
F Anthony Cirelli
F Nikita Kucherov (NMC)
F Brayden Point
F Steven Stamkos (NMC)
D Erik Cernak
D Callan Foote
D Victor Hedman (NMC)
D Mikhail Sergachev
Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist
When Vegas had their expansion draft, a minimum of two forwards and one defenseman had to be exposed that were under contract and played either 40 games in the most recent season or 70 over the past two combined. Due to the pandemic, those thresholds have been changed to 27 games played in 2020-21 or 54 in 2019/20 and 2020-21 combined. In creating our expansion list for each team in this series, we will ensure that these criteria are met.
Forwards (6): Yanni Gourde, Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson, Mathieu Joseph, Pat Maroon, Ondrej Palat
Defensemen (2): Ryan McDonagh, Jan Rutta
In terms of who’s available from this list, Palat would be the most tempting choice and if they can’t find a side deal to force them to take Johnson (or another similarly-priced player), they could be at risk of losing their second-leading scorer. This was put together with the assumption that they’ll want to keep Foote, who will almost certainly play a bigger role next season, in the fold but if they are okay with losing him, they would be safer flipping to the 7/3/1 scheme with Palat, Killorn, and Gourde seeming like the safest bets to be protected. Either way, with so many talented players, they’re going to lose someone of note so expect GM Julien BriseBois to be active in trying to make a side deal control which one joins Seattle.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Otto Leskinen And Kalle Kossila Sign In KHL
A pair of pending free agents have decided to not wait to test NHL free agency and have instead opted to sign overseas. Jokerit of the KHL announced today that they’ve signed defenseman Otto Leskinen and center Kalle Kossila to two-year contracts.
Leskinen signed with Montreal as an undrafted free agent back in 2019 and has spent the majority of his two seasons with them at the AHL level, only getting into six NHL games along the way. However, the 24-year-old had 17 points in just 33 games with Laval which was enough to earn a recall to their reserve squad for the playoffs. The Canadiens will be able to retain his NHL rights with a qualifying offer and considering that Leskinen won’t be UFA-eligible until 2024 (a year after this contract expires), they likely will do so.
As for Kossila, he last saw NHL action back in 2018-19 when he was with Anaheim and he has 19 career NHL contests under his belt. While he hasn’t been able to lock down an NHL job, the 28-year-old has been quite productive in the minors which was enough to earn a two-year deal from Toronto back in 2020 with this season being a one-way deal. While he led the Marlies in scoring this season, he may not have been able to command another one-way deal so he’ll instead try his hand back home with Finland’s lone KHL squad. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent late next month.