Simon Despres Signs In Austria
It’s off to Austria next on Simon Despres‘ hockey world tour, which has taken him through Slovakia, Sweden, and Germany the last few seasons. The veteran defenseman has signed a new contract with Villacher SV for the upcoming season.
Despres, 30, was originally selected 30th overall in 2009 by the Pittsburgh Penguins and quickly became a top prospect, making it to the NHL by the 2011-12 season. A few years later the Penguins would flip him to the Anaheim Ducks in order to bring back Ben Lovejoy, a move that did ultimately help them win the Stanley Cup in 2016.
It is in Anaheim where things started to go wrong for Despres, who experienced several concussions and was eventually bought out by the Ducks just a year into his new five-year $18.5MM contract. In fact, Despres played just a single NHL game under that contract and yet will still be earning a paycheck from the Ducks through 2024-25.
Since a failed comeback attempt with the Laval Rocket, Despres has been playing in various leagues around the world, including the KHL, SHL, and most recently the DEL, where he spent the last two seasons, winning the championship both years. The 6’4″ defenseman had the kind of all-around talent that is so desirable in today’s game but will go down as something of an unsolved mystery thanks to injury–at least in terms of his NHL career.
Poll: Who Does Matthew Tkachuk Get Traded To?
Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk‘s arbitration date on August 11 looms, but we know now that it’s only a matter of time before he suits up for another NHL team. Tkachuk told the Flames this week that he won’t re-sign long-term, either forcing a trade now or letting him walk for nothing as an unrestricted free agent next summer. With teams having spent a lot already during the free agency period, though, does a good Tkachuk trade exist with a team that he’s willing to stay with?
It’s a rarity that a restricted free agent is able to force a change of scenery like this, especially one of Tkachuk’s caliber. Easily one of the top wingers in the league (and top forwards in general), his unique fiery brand and 100+ point scoring potential is an incredibly valuable package. He finished the 2021-22 campaign with 42 goals, 62 points, and 104 points, all career highs, and received votes for the Hart and Selke Trophies.
He’ll be on his way out of Calgary, though, joining ex-teammate Johnny Gaudreau as marquee players to leave the team this summer. Having grown up in St. Louis, and with his father Keith still working for the team, a potential union between the Blues and Tkachuk has been a long-standing open secret. The Blues have been reported to be in talks with Calgary about Tkachuk, and it was also reported that St. Louis was on the small list of teams Tkachuk would accept a trade to.
While the report was contested and isn’t verified, Vegas, Florida, Nashville, and Dallas were also all teams that Tkachuk would sign a long-term deal with. While the cap situation for most of those teams isn’t favorable, Nashville and Dallas do have some more wiggle room than the rest in terms of tradeable assets that would head the other way.
So, PHR readers — where does Tkachuk end up to begin the 2021-22 season? Does he finally head home to St. Louis, does a dark horse team sweep him up, or is the relationship between him and Calgary somehow salvaged?
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Seattle Kraken Sign Carsen Twarynski, Kole Lind
6:37 pm: CapFriendly reports that Lind’s deal has an AHL salary of $150K with $175K guaranteed, while Twarynski’s deal has an AHL salary of $110K.
2:55 pm: The Seattle Kraken have agreed to terms with two of their restricted free agents, reaching one-year, two-way deals with Kole Lind and Carsen Twarynski. Both players were eligible for arbitration but did not file. Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press reports that Lind’s deal will carry an NHL salary of $850K, while Twarynski’s is the league minimum of $750K.
Lind, 23, was selected from the Vancouver Canucks in last year’s expansion draft and ended up playing 23 games for the Kraken. He scored eight points in those games despite limited minutes and actually is showing a bit of upside as a potential full-time option for the team moving forward. In the minor leagues, the winger scored 17 goals and 35 points in 46 games while racking up a team-leading 106 penalty minutes.
That included multiple fighting majors, as the hard-nosed winger continued to play a physical brand of hockey despite not being the biggest player on the ice. If he can continue to bring that kind of versatility, a bottom-six role seems like a realistic outcome this season if he can prove himself in camp.
Twarynski, another original Kraken, was the team’s pick from the Philadelphia Flyers in the expansion draft last year despite not showing a ton of offensive upside so far in his professional career. That continued this year with just five goals and 18 points in 71 games with the Charlotte Checkers, making him a potential non-tender candidate.
Instead, he’ll be coming back to the organization and is likely headed for the minor leagues once again, this time with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in their inaugural season. The 24-year-old forward does have 22 games of NHL experience with Philadelphia but hasn’t really shown anything other than physicality in those matches, registering just a single goal.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Keaton Middleton
24-year-old defenseman Keaton Middleton signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche today, per the team. PuckPedia reports the contract is a two-way deal paying him $750K in the NHL and $100K in the minors.
Middleton was originally drafted 101st overall in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the team elected to not sign him to an entry-level contract within two seasons, relinquishing his exclusive rights. After his junior career ended, Middleton played the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons on an AHL contract with the San Jose Barracuda alongside his older brother, Jacob Middleton.
After starting the 2020-21 season on an AHL contract with the Colorado Eagles, the younger Middleton finally received an NHL entry-level contract from the Avalanche in the middle of the season. With the deal expiring this offseason, the Avalanche issued Middleton a qualifying offer, keeping him within the organization.
Middleton did slot into three NHL games in 2020-21 after signing his deal, but he failed to register a point in those contests. He’s destined to head back to the Eagles this fall for a third straight season after the physical defenseman had 76 penalty minutes, two goals, and nine assists for 11 points in 49 games there in 2021-22.
CapFriendly was the first to report Middleton had signed a one-year deal to remain in Colorado.
Calgary Flames Sign Ben Jones
July 21: The Flames have officially announced the contract for Jones, confirming the previously reported details.
July 16: As reported on by CapFriendly, the Calgary Flames have signed unrestricted free agent forward Ben Jones. The deal has not yet been officially announced, but CapFriendly reports that the deal is a one-year, two-way contract with a $750K cap hit and $100K AHL salary. Jones became an unrestricted free agent after he was not issued a qualifying offer by the Vegas Golden Knights.
Jones, 23, was the final member of the Golden Knights’ first-ever draft class. Drafted 189th overall in 2017, Jones had a successful junior career with the Niagra IceDogs of the OHL. While Jones scored 41 goals and 102 points in his final OHL season, his adjustment to professional hockey was rocky. Jones had only seven points in 36 games for the Chicago Wolves as a rookie professional, although the caveat there is that the Wolves are notorious for, when it comes to issues of ice time, prioritizing AHL veterans who can help them win in the short term compared to their NHL affiliate’s prospects. As a result, Jones played a very limited role in the AHL in his first year in professional hockey and even saw time in the ECHL.
When the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate switched from Chicago to the new Henderson Silver Knights, Jones grew into a middle-six role and scored 16 points in 38 games. He even got time on the Silver Knights’ powerplay and some sporadic short-handed ice time as well. This past season, Jones finally became an impactful professional player. Jones earned a top-six role in Henderson and saw significant special teams ice time. Jones’ production came along as well, and he scored 25 goals and 41 points in 66 games. Jones’ strong play even earned him a call-up to the Golden Knights when they were ravaged by injuries, and he got two games in at the NHL level.
At 23 years old, Jones is a rare unrestricted free agent who still theoretically has room to grow. Jones’ breakout season with the Silver Knights gives confidence that he can be a difference-maker on the Flames’ new Calgary-based AHL affiliate, and perhaps he can get even more NHL games next season with strong performance. At a $750K cap hit, rolling the dice on Jones is not a bad way for GM Brad Treliving to add depth to his organization.
Minor Transactions: 07/21/22
Not only are there several minor transactions to cover today but the AHL also released its full schedule for the upcoming season. Of note, the Calgary Flames affiliate–which still doesn’t have a name–is playing out of the Saddledome this year and will open things up against the new Coachella Valley Firebirds franchise. While each team prepares, there are plenty of spots to fill on rosters across the league. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Colorado Eagles have signed Mitch Vande Sompel to a one-year AHL contract, after he became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. The 25-year-old has played the last four seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and recorded 18 points in 56 games this year.
- The Iowa Wild have signed Tanner Kaspick and Ty Ronning, both players that failed to receive qualifying offers from their respective NHL teams this offseason. Kaspick, who had been part of the St. Louis Blues organization, scored ten points in 45 games last season. Ronning, who had been with the New York Rangers, had 39 points in 69 games.
- Overseas, Vegas Golden Knights prospect Martins Dzierkals signed a new one-year deal in the Czech league. The Golden Knights received Dzierkal’s exclusive rights in the original Robin Lehner trade and will hold them indefinitely as he continues to play in Europe. The 25-year-old participated in the Olympics and World Championship for his country this year after putting up 30 points in 49 games for HC Plzen.
- Former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ian Scott has announced his retirement on Instagram, after going through multiple major injuries the last few years. The 23-year-old goaltender was the 110th pick in 2017 but managed just eight professional appearances in the years since.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Columbus Blue Jackets “Actively Trying To Unload Salary”
One of the biggest names that decided not to file for salary arbitration a few days ago was Columbus Blue Jackets restricted free agent Patrik Laine. While this was taken as a strong indicator that the two sides had at least some positivity in contract negotiations, Laine remains unsigned with just a day left to officially accept his qualifying offer. That offer will expire at 4pm CT tomorrow, though there is nothing stopping the two sides from agreeing on something similar further into the offseason.
Laine’s offer of $7.5MM would put the Blue Jackets in a bit of a conundrum if he decided to accept it. The 24-year-old forward is just a year away from unrestricted free agency and if he took the one-year qualifying offer, the two sides would not be able to officially file an extension until January 1, 2023. The team would also immediately go quite a bit over the cap, which is why it should come as no surprise that Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the team is “actively trying to unload salary” with the hope of signing Laine to a long-term extension before the weekend.
This cap squeeze that the Blue Jackets find themselves in was created by landing the top free agent on the market in Johnny Gaudreau, who ate up $9.75MM on his free agent payday. The team also added Erik Gudbranson at a $4MM cap hit and reached a multi-year deal with Adam Boqvist that raised his hit to $2.6MM. Now, Portzline tweets that a “perfect world” scenario for general manager Jarmo Kekalainen would be to clear $5-6MM in order to fit in the Laine extension.
There do seem to be some reasonably easy ways to clear that money from their current roster–Gustav Nyquist does not have trade protection and carries a cap hit of $5.5MM, for instance–but as Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweeted today, NHL front offices are finding it extremely difficult to move expensive contracts this summer.
Teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, and even perhaps the Calgary Flames, should Matthew Tkachuk be on the move, have enough cap space to accommodate these salary swaps if they choose. Waiting to do so will likely only increase the prices though, providing them with more assets for allowing a team to park their contracts.
The next 24 hours are important for the Blue Jackets, as the next step for Laine will guide the rest of their summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Winnipeg Jets Hire Brad Lauer, Marty Johnston
The Winnipeg Jets have finished their staff, naming Brad Lauer and Marty Johnston as the new assistants under head coach Rick Bowness and associate coach Scott Arniel. Nolan Baumgartner will be joining the Manitoba Moose as an assistant, taking over the role that Johnston held the past five seasons.
Lauer, 55, recently won the WHL championship as head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings, finishing a four-year run with the club that saw nearly unprecedented success. The Oil Kings went 154-46-23 over his tenure, as he helped top prospects like Dylan Guenther and Jake Neighbours reach entirely new heights. He returns to the NHL where he coached for seven seasons as an assistant with the Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Ducks, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 34th overall pick in 1985, the Saskatchewan native played more than 300 games in the NHL, retiring in 2002 after a short stint in the UK.
Johnston, meanwhile, is being promoted from the AHL where he served as an assistant since 2017. Before that, he was the head coach at Carleton University for seven seasons, where he led the school to a 129-49-12 record. This will be his first opportunity to coach in the NHL, a nice jump for a coach who will be one to keep an eye on in the future.
The staff will also include goaltending coach Wade Flaherty and video coach Matt Prefontaine.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Chase Pearson
July 21: The Red Wings have officially announced the contract.
July 20: Detroit Red Wings forward Chase Pearson accepted his qualifying offer today, per PuckPedia. The one-year contract is worth $917,831 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL level.
Pearson, 24, played in his first three NHL games this season without registering a point. He had just 18 points in 50 AHL games this year, too, a big step back from his 22 points in 28 games during the 2020-21 campaign.
A fifth-round pick of the team in 2015, Pearson’s had an up-and-down development path with the team. He’s shown enough promise at points, though, that the team has decided to keep him retained in the hopes that he becomes a late bloomer.
Pearson does have appealing size, standing at 6′ 3″, 203 pounds, and uses that frame to deliver clean hits as evidenced by his rather low penalty minute totals. His NHL upside will likely come in a defensive bottom-six role, and since he can play both center and wing, that does give him a bit of an edge on the organizational depth chart.
Pittsburgh Penguins Re-Sign Kasperi Kapanen
The Pittsburgh Penguins have avoided arbitration with Kasperi Kapanen, as PuckPedia reports the two sides have agreed to a two-year deal worth a total of $6.4MM. Kapanen was one of 24 players to file for salary arbitration earlier this month but will no longer need his hearing, which had yet to be scheduled.
Interestingly enough, because of the way his previous contract was designed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kapanen’s qualifying offer this summer only needed to be $840K. That’s despite a $3.2MM cap hit, the same number he will come in at on this new deal. The arbitration process would have likely yielded a deal similar to this, though the Penguins would have been able to decide whether it was a one or two-year award.
Still, there will be some who are disappointed that Kapanen remains at the same cap hit after another disappointing season. The 25-year-old has such obvious talent, with blinding speed, good puck skills, and a strong shot, but it has rarely resulted in a consistent performance. In 79 games this season he scored just 11 goals and 32 points, barely equaling his totals from 2020-21, when he played in just 40 games.
That has been the story of his career so far, and one that makes this deal relatively risky for the Penguins. Pittsburgh is in a win-now mode as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang approach the end of their careers, making $3.2MM in cap space even more valuable than it would be in some markets. If Kapanen plays the way he did in 2021-22, it will be a waste of precious resources.
Still, there is that tantalizing, immense upside with the speedster. During his first year (back) with the Penguins, that aforementioned shortened 2021-22 campaign, he scored at a 61-point pace. That kind of production would actually bring quite a bit of surplus value to the table and give Pittsburgh another legitimate force in the top nine.
As this will take him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024, there is also a possibility that the Penguins intend to trade Kapanen at some point. The deal did not buy out a single UFA year, meaning he’s now scheduled to reach the market at the age of 27 (though he will be turning 28 just a few weeks into that year’s free agent period).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images