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Archives for August 2022

2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Third Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)

While there were several quality defensemen to choose from, our readers decided to stick with what actually transpired for the Kings’ selection at second overall with nearly half of the votes going to Doughty.  Considering the type of impact that Doughty has had over his 14-year career so far, that’s not a shocker and with five years left on his contract, one that was briefly the richest for a defenseman in NHL history, he should be a core performer for Los Angeles for quite a long way to come.

Now, we move on to the third pick which was held by the Atlanta Thrashers.

They opted to make it back-to-back defensemen selected as they picked up Zach Bogosian, a promising two-way rearguard out of Peterborough of the OHL.  He also made the jump to the NHL right away as an 18-year-old and didn’t look out of place, logging over 18 minutes a game in his rookie year before reaching the ten-goal mark as a sophomore in a season that saw him jump up over 21 minutes a night.  The offensive potential was seemingly being reached while he brought plenty of physicality and shot-blocking to the table.  Early on, it looked like Bogosian was living up to his potential.

Unfortunately for Atlanta (and later Winnipeg following the move), Bogosian didn’t really progress too much more.  There was an outlier year in his first season with the Jets when he had 25 assists and 30 points but for the most part, he was more of a defensive defenseman.  That didn’t stop Winnipeg from handing him a seven-year, $36MM extension in 2013, believing he could still become that two-way defender.

That didn’t happen.  Instead, after a couple of injury-riddled seasons, he was moved to Buffalo along with Evander Kane in exchange for a package of younger players headlined by defenseman Tyler Myers and winger Drew Stafford.  With the Sabres, things more or less stayed the same for Bogosian – he was more of a defensive defender and was often injured.

With his contract making him a negative-value trade chip, Bogosian cleared waivers and eventually agreed to terminate his deal, allowing him to join Tampa Bay for their Stanley Cup run in a depth role.  From there, it was onto Toronto in a depth role before rejoining the Lightning last summer.  He still has two years left on his contract with a cap hit just above the league minimum.

All in all, Bogosian hasn’t been the impactful two-way threat he was expected to be but he does sit 16th in games played from this draft class and has been an NHL regular for 14 seasons now.

But was he the right pick for Atlanta or would they have been better off with someone else instead?  With the third pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Atlanta Thrashers select?  Cast your vote below.

(App users, click here to vote.)

Minor Transactions: 08/27/22

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Most of the moves that happen this weekend will come on the international front as players and prospects look to secure their plans for the upcoming season.  Here’s a rundown of some of the moves with NHL ties.

  • Blue Jackets prospect Nikolai Makarov has signed an extension with CSKA Moscow through the 2024-25 season, the KHL team announced. The 19-year-old defenseman split last season between all three Russian leagues but spent the bulk of his year at the junior level, picking up 14 points in 22 games.  As the NHL and Russia don’t have a signed transfer agreement in place, Columbus holds Makarov’s rights indefinitely so while they’ll have to wait quite a while to sign him, they won’t lose his rights in the meantime.
  • Coyotes goaltender Josef Korenar has been loaned to Dukla of the Czech second division, per a team announcement. The 24-year-old inked a two-year deal with Sparta Praha instead of re-signing with Arizona and it appears he’ll split time this season between the two levels.  Korenar had a save percentage of just .855 along with a 4.46 GAA in 22 AHL games last season but his limited NHL numbers have been respectable as he has a 3.10 GAA and a .901 SV% in a dozen appearances.
  • Veteran center Mark Arcobello has decided to stay overseas as HC Lugano of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve inked the 34-year-old to a one-year deal.  Arcobello played in 139 NHL games over parts of four seasons and was relatively productive with 24 goals and 29 assists but he has spent the last six seasons in Switzerland, averaging a little more than a point per game over that time.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Recent Signings Bode Well For David Pastrnak’s Next Contract

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There are times when things just seem to fall in place for a player.  Bruins winger David Pastrnak is one who has had that happen to him.  His addition to the duo of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron very quickly created one of the strongest lines in the league for years, helping him become one of the top-scoring wingers in the NHL.  Not too shabby for a late first-round pick, that’s for sure.

But Pastrnak is in line to benefit from things falling into place for a second time.  He’s a year away from unrestricted free agency and is in line for a substantial raise on the $6.67MM AAV he has on his current deal.  How much of an increase that will be remains to be seen but even though there aren’t any games being played right now, it’s certainly trending in an upwards direction.

Just a few months ago, Artemi Panarin’s seven-year contract that carries a cap hit of $11.643MM seemed like an outlier that would be unachievable.  Most of the biggest contracts in the league this coming season are for centers with veteran defensemen and a pair of goalies also up there.  But for the most part, wingers aren’t really in the mix; aside from Panarin, Mitch Marner and Patrick Kane are the only other two wingers in the top-15 in terms of cap hit for next season.

But things have started to change on that front.  Johnny Gaudreau just landed $9.75MM on a seven-year deal from Columbus.  His former teammate Matthew Tkachuk got $9.5MM per season for eight years in a sign-and-trade that saw him join Florida.  Meanwhile, one of the players he was traded for, Jonathan Huberdeau, received a $10.5MM AAV for eight seasons in Calgary.  All of a sudden, instead of it being a rarity that a winger gets a high-end contract, it’s becoming more commonplace.  That’s great news for Pastrnak when it comes to working on his next deal.

Over the past four seasons, only six wingers have recorded more points than the 301 that Pastrnak has put up.  Five of them (Kane, Huberdeau, Panarin, Marner, and Gaudreau) have contracts of at least $9.75MM in value.  If we look in terms of points per game, Pastrnak moves ahead of Gaudreau.  The other is his winger, Marchand, who has three years left on a very team-friendly deal with a $6.125MM AAV.  It’s safe to call that contract the outlier of the bunch, not the one that’s going to be used as a basis for comparison in extension discussions.

With there now being less hesitance to handing out top money to top wingers, things are lining up quite nicely for Pastrnak.  A contract between the ones that Gaudreau and Huberdeau received is a reasonable range and if he has another strong season and makes it to the open market, he could even get a bit more.  If Boston isn’t willing to pay that, someone else certainly will.

A couple of years ago, there was a hesitance to give top wingers comparable money to top centers but that’s certainly no longer the case as evidenced by these recent contracts.  Whether it’s in the coming weeks or months as an extension with Boston or next July in free agency, Pastrnak is certainly poised to benefit from this shift in philosophy with a significant raise soon coming his way.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Senators Notes: Defense, Brannstrom, Tryouts

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Senators GM Pierre Dorion spoke with TSN 1200 (audio link) on Friday to discuss the upcoming season.  While the team has been active in their additions (forwards Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat plus goalie Cam Talbot), the same can’t be said for the back end.  Dorion indicated they’re still hoping to add a top-four defenseman but are comfortable going into training camp with what they have and seeing if a youngster like Lassi Thomson or Jacob Bernard-Docker is ready after spending last season with AHL Belleville or Jake Sanderson can make the jump right from college.

To that end, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Ottawa has held trade discussions with the Coyotes regarding Jakob Chychrun.  However, the reported asking price of two first-rounders plus a top prospect is one that no one is willing to meet just yet.  Chychrun would certainly fit within the Sens’ core group in terms of age and with three years left at a below-market $4.6MM, he’d help on the financial side of things as well as their top players start to get more expensive.  Of course, that’s a big part of the reason why Arizona’s asking price is so high so Dorion will have to decide whether it’s one he’s going to be okay paying before too long.

More from Ottawa:

  • One of the remaining RFAs that they need to re-sign is blueliner Erik Brannstrom. Garrioch reports that part of the holdup has been that the youngster’s camp has been seeking a deal with some term instead of a typical bridge contract.  He has 116 career NHL contests under his belt but has also been in the AHL in each of his first four professional seasons which would make a longer-term deal a little trickier to hammer out.  The 22-year-old had 14 assists in 53 games last season while averaging just shy of 20 minutes a night of ice time.
  • While their forward group seems pretty full already (especially once RFA Alex Formenton re-signs), Dorion indicated that he has been in discussions with some agents for players that are looking to come to camp on PTO agreements but no decisions have been made on that front yet. He did, however, indicate that if one is brought in, it will be someone with a legitimate chance to make the team.  While that might sound a little obvious at first glance, teams often being veterans in on PTOs simply to ensure they can meet the veteran minimum requirements for the early preseason games to allow their own veterans to skip some early action.

Mike Babcock Retiring From Coaching

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A day after the news broke that Mike Babcock had resigned as the Head Coach of the University of Saskatchewan’s men’s hockey team, Babcock himself is providing some more clarity as to why he made that decision. In an interview today on 650 CKOM radio in Saskatchewan, Babcock discussed his decision and his future plans. When asked if he would seek an NHL opportunity if a team approached, Babcock said “[n]o, that’s sure not the plan.”

The former NHL bench boss elaborated, saying he had discussed his plans with his wife, noting that they had decided to retire when they both turned 60, and with Mike at age 59, “[b]asically, that’s what it is.” While Babcock reiterated that future opportunities for him are not in his family plans, he didn’t close the door with absolute certainty, adding “[i]f things change, I guess they change, but surely that’s not the plan.” Babcock’s tenure with Saskatchewan was brief, albeit successful, coaching the Huskies to a playoff berth. A Saskatchewan native, Babcock said the opportunity to be close to home and family was “a spectacular experience.”

Considered one of the premier head coaches of his generation, Babcock amassed a record of 700-418-19-164 over 1,301 career regular season NHL games between the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Perhaps most impressive, all but three of Babcock’s teams made it to the playoffs under his watch, leading to a 90-74 record in those playoffs, including three appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals and a championship with the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings. Babcock last coached in the NHL during the 2019-20 season before he was let go by the Maple Leafs after a 9-10-4 start to the season. As recently as the 2020 offseason, he had been a candidate of interest for available NHL head coaching positions. If this is indeed the end of the road for Babcock, Hall of Fame debates are very likely part of his near future.

Free Agent Profile: Riley Nash

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Back in 2007, the Edmonton Oilers found themselves in the enviable position of having three first-round picks: number six, number fifteen, and number twenty-one overall. With the first of those picks, they took current UFA forward Sam Gagner. With the second of those, they took defenseman Alex Plante, who played in just ten NHL games for Edmonton. With the third and final first-round selections that year, they selected BCHL star Riley Nash.

Nash, who had played just two BCHL games prior to the 2006-07 season, broke out in a big way in his first full season with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, posting 84 points in 55 games, boosting his draft stock to a first-round selection. The next season, Nash would head to Cornell University to play college hockey, becoming a powerhouse two-way forward. After three seasons at Cornell, Nash was dealt by the Oilers, without ever having played a game for them, to the Carolina Hurricanes. The forward then turned pro, spending the 2010-11 season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. He would spend the following two seasons splitting time between Charlotte in the AHL and the NHL with Carolina, becoming a full-time NHLer for the 2013-14 season.

Once Nash had become an NHL regular, he established himself as one of the league’s better bottom-six, two-way centers, spending time on the penalty kill and contributing somewhere around 25 points each season. In 2016, Nash hit the free agent market and signed with the Boston Bruins on a two-year, $1.8MM contract. The second year of that contract, 2017-18, Nash had a career-year, scoring 15 goals to go with 26 assists and 41 points, all career-highs. That performance vaulted Nash’s value heading back onto the UFA market, signing a three-year, $8.25MM contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Unfortunately, the deal didn’t work out as either side hoped, Nash averaging just 11 points per season over the three years, eventually being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the final year, where he played in just two playoff games overall. Once again, the now-veteran forward found himself a free agent and signed a one-year, $750K deal with the Winnipeg Jets. The 2021-22 season was a whirlwind to say the least, Nash starting the season with Winnipeg, then claimed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning in December. Barely a month into his tenure with the Lightning, Nash was again claimed on waivers, this time by the Arizona Coyotes, where he remained until the trade deadline, when he was traded back to Tampa Bay. The forward wouldn’t join the Lightning however, but was instead sent to the Syracuse Crunch, their AHL affiliate, finishing out the regular season. At that point it seemed as though Nash’s season was over, but with injuries mounting on the NHL club, Nash was pressed into action, playing in eight contests between the Eastern Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals.

Stats:

2021-22: 49 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 pts, -5 rating, 10 PIMs, 36 shots, 11:26 ATOI

Career: 627 GP, 63 G, 113 A, 176 pts, -11 rating, 144 PIMs, 751 shots, 13:09 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

Nash’s struggles since that 2017-18 career-year do raise some legitimate concern over an NHL team giving him a role at this level next season, as other options with a more recent track record of success are still available (names such as Tyler Motte, Evan Rodrigues, Jimmy Vesey, Alex Chiasson, among others). However, Nash, like many other players, does bring something unique that not all others do. For one, it’s almost certain that he will not only be signed at the NHL minimum if he is, but that the deal could very well be a two-way contract, something maybe not found in other viable free agent options. In addition to that, Nash is a legitimate center who can play on the wing; this versatility is not only helpful for building a lineup each night, but also for a coach to trust he can handle his position without any additional work. Finally, Nash played through plenty of adversity this year, claimed on waivers twice, traded, and finally sent to the minors, but winding up playing a role in the Stanley Cup Finals, where he didn’t necessarily shine, but wasn’t a liability either.

Given Nash’s experience, both in games played and playoffs, as well as the ups and downs of his career, he could stand to serve as a mentor to a team’s young players, making him a fit on a young team looking to give chances to its up-and-coming stars, but wanting to nonetheless surround them with veteran leaders. This could be a team like the Anaheim Ducks or the Detroit Red Wings. He could also be a fit on a cap-strapped team who needs to add role-players on a budget, especially players who have experience in the games they hope to play in, like the Cup Finals.

Projected Contract:

Nash spent the 2021-22 season on a $750K contract and if he is to secure another NHL deal, chances are it will be at this same number, which also happens to be the league minimum. The likelihood for Nash would seem to be a PTO to show teams where his specific skills currently sit. He isn’t coming off a serious injury or a long absence, but hasn’t been the same player he was in the first half of his career as he’s been in the second. He won’t need to show he’s that 41-point player when on a PTO, but instead demonstrate his ability to do the right things and hopefully capitalize when he is given an offensive chance. A successful PTO may still land him with a two-way contract, but is likely the only available path towards a one-way agreement if that is his ultimate goal.

Minor Transactions 08/26/22

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We’re inching closer to the opening of NHL training camps, and most teams have finalized their offseason work. That being said, there are still some players looking for a spot for next season, especially in minor leagues and in Europe. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • Remi Elie, a forward with 107 NHL games under his belt, has made the choice to continue his career overseas. Today reigning Swedish champions Farjestad BK announced the signing of Elie on a one-year deal. Elie played last season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, scoring 29 points in 48 games. The 27-year-old was the 40th overall pick at the 2013 draft and appeared in one NHL game last season for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
  • The 176th overall pick at the 2015 draft, Liam Dunda, is heading to Sweden to begin his pro career. Amals SK, a club in Sweden’s fourth-tier HockeyTvaan, announced the signing of Dunda today. The big 24-year-old winger most recently played for Queens University in Canadian college hockey and played for four OHL teams in his five-year major junior career.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Tampa Bay Lightning Extend Philippe Myers

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Before he’s even skated in a single game with them, the Lightning have decided to give Philippe Myers a one-year, $1.4MM contract extension. Myers was acquired by the Lightning as part of the Ryan McDonagh trade from earlier this summer. Myers’ current deal is at a $2.55MM cap hit and expires after this upcoming season.

Myers is actually an extremely interesting case going into this season, and now his situation is made even more interesting thanks to this contract extension. Once the Lightning acquired Myers, many assumed that the team would choose to buy him out. At the cost of some cap space next season, the Lightning, by buying out Myers, would actually have gotten a cap credit for this season, which is something most believed the ever cap-crunched Lightning could use this summer.

But with major extensions for Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak, and Anthony Cirelli set to kick in next summer, it seems Lightning GM Julien Brisebois has decided to prioritize saving as much cap space for next summer as possible.

That’s where this extension for Myers fits in. Myers is a smooth-skating defenseman who originally earned the relatively lucrative extension he’s currently playing on from the Philadelphia Flyers. Myers was once believed to be a core part of the team’s future on the blueline, but the hopes for Myers’ future never materialized into highly competent play. Myers, now 25, struggled to stay healthy, wasn’t as productive as many had hoped, and even had to, at times, play as a fourth-line winger to stay in the lineup.

The Lightning, though, seem to believe that they have value in Myers that no other organization has been able to unlock. That belief is evidenced not only by the fact that they didn’t take the cap credit and buy him out this summer, but also now by this contract extension before he’s even played a game for them.

The Athletic’s Joe Smith went into great detail in a story covering why the Lightning are betting on Myers. (subscription link) In essence, the Lightning believe that their track record as one of the NHL’s best developers of talent puts them in a unique position to help Myers, a player they believe has “all the tools” to become a strong NHL-er but simply hasn’t yet put those tools together.

Quite honestly, it’s very difficult to be a naysayer when the Lightning make a move like this. Tampa has appeared in each of the past three Stanley Cup Finals and has won two of them. The Lightning have developed mid-to-late-round draft picks such as Brayden Point, Cirelli, Cernak, and Nikita Kucherov into impactful NHLers. They have been a veritable talent factory for the rest of the NHL, so when they show this level of confidence in their ability to turn around a player’s career, it’s difficult not to trust them.

Still, whether this contract and Brisebois’ faith in his development process is rewarded is ultimately down to Myers himself. If he can be what the Lightning believe he can be, this contract will be a steal and this move will be seen as another stroke of genius by one of the NHL’s most savvy front offices.

If it doesn’t work, the Lightning will likely suffer next season when they are extremely hard-pressed for cap space. But even if that’s the case, this is a relatively low-risk bet and exactly the sort of move a team like the Lightning should make to maximize the value it mines from its coaching and player development staff.

Pictures courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Detroit Red Wings Sign Filip Zadina

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The Red Wings have taken care of their last remaining restricted free agent, signing winger Filip Zadina to a three-year contract. Per the team announcement, the contract carries a $1.825MM cap hit. Zadina will be a restricted free agent once again when the deal expires.

The narrative around Zadina’s career thus far has largely been centered around how he’s failed to live up to the lofty expectations that were placed on him as a prospect. Drafted sixth overall at the 2018 draft, many outlets had Zadina ranked even higher, with quite a few considering him the best prospect outside of the clearly-defined top two players, Rasmus Dahlin and Andrei Svechnikov.

Zadina was coming off of a monster draft year in the QMJHL, a season where he torched junior defenses to the tune of 44 goals and 82 points in 57 games. After he was drafted, the Red Wings made the somewhat unconventional choice to send him to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids rather than send him for another year of junior hockey. At the AHL level, Zadina impressed, scoring 16 goals and 35 points in 59 games.

Zadina scored well at the AHL level the next season, with 16 points in 21 games, but at the NHL level offensive success has eluded him. The talent is there with Zadina, he has a good shot, and he can generate some scoring chances from the wing. But the consistency NHL coaches expect on a night-to-night basis has been missing. While Zadina’s defensive issues would not be cause for issue at lower levels, at the NHL level his inability to round out his two-way game has cost him opportunities to play higher in the lineup and with more talented linemates.

If Zadina can learn to rely less on a perimeter-style offensive game and improve his two-way hockey, he can quickly make this three-year contract extension look very wise on the part of Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman. But the quality of play he’s put forth so far in the NHL has been so underwhelming that there’s a legitimate chance that he does not finish this contract in Detroit.

The Red Wings have made significant additions this offseason with the idea of moving back into the hunt for a playoff spot. With Jakub Vrana finally healthy, David Perron and Dominik Kubalik now in the fold, and a new coach to prove himself to, it’s possible that Zadina will need to play better than he ever has before in order to get prime offensive opportunities in this new-look Red Wings squad. If nothing else, his leash will likely be shorter than it has ever been before in his NHL career.

This contract gives Zadina some runway to determine who he wants to be in the NHL. Does he want to take full advantage of his tools and become an impact scorer, or does he want to remain mired in the issues that have plagued him so far as an NHLer? That’s a question only Zadina can decide, and with this contract, he’ll now have the opportunity to answer it.

Picture courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Senators RFAs, PHF, Robidas

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The Ottawa Senators still have two relatively significant names left to sign this offseason in defenseman Erik Brannstrom and Alex Formenton. In an interview today on TSN 1200, as relayed by Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators GM Pierre Dorion says that he’s “still talking” to Brannstrom and Formenton’s agents and that he expects both to be signed before training camp begins next month.

Getting both Brannstrom and Formenton under contract soon would be ideal, as teams typically don’t want outstanding contract negotiations to cast a shadow over their preparations for an upcoming season. Brannstrom, 22, is coming off of a disappointing season where, despite solid opportunities, he failed to make the major impact he was projected to make as a 2017 first-round pick. Formenton, 22, broke into the NHL last season and scored 18 goals and 32 points. The speedy Formenton is likely to get a larger deal than Brannstrom based on his production alone, but both are likely to receive entry-level deals as the Senators look to enter their first truly competitive phase since making a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017.

Now, for some other notes from around the hockey world:

  • The PHF has had a pretty significant offseason, inking a two-year broadcasting extension with ESPN and announcing the addition of an expansion franchise in the Montreal market. Now, the league looks set to announce another big move. Per Hailey Salvian of The Athletic, the PHF will add legendary American forward Brianna Decker to the league’s front office in a part-time advisory role. The PHF has been battling to establish itself as the home of the world’s best women’s hockey players, and since the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association has seen some of its top talent depart the league. Adding Decker, albeit not as a player, could go a long way in helping the PHF continue to grow their league and mend their relationship with the PWHPA.
  • Carolina Hurricanes prospect Justin Robidas, the son of former NHLer Stephane Robidas, will reportedly be traded when the QMJHL’s mid-season trade window opens, from his current QMJHL club, the Val-d’Or Foreurs to the Quebec Ramparts, according to Le Soleil de Quebec’s Mikael Lalancette. Robidas, a 2021 fifth-round pick and a player who is among the better prospects in the Hurricanes’ system will join a Quebec side that won 51 games last season but was unable to take home a championship.

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