With training camps now a little more than a month away, a lot of teams are in summer vacation mode while there’s still time. Although that has resulted in much more limited activity around the hockey world, there was still some news of note which we’ll cover in our key stories.
Schaefer Signs: The top pick in this year’s draft is now under contract as the Islanders signed defenseman Matthew Schaefer to a three-year, entry-level deal. The agreement pays him $975K per season in the NHL plus another $3.5MM in potential bonuses. Schaefer was limited to just 17 games with OHL Erie last season and was sidelined for the final few months after suffering a fractured clavicle in the second game of the World Juniors. That said, he was dominant enough in his two-plus months of action to move him up the draft rankings, making him the consensus number one selection in this year’s class. By signing now, Schaefer is no longer NCAA-eligible should he not make New York’s roster.
Vesey Heads Overseas: Veteran winger Jimmy Vesey had strong interest in free agency, just not from NHL clubs. Teams from several leagues tried to sign him and in the end, he decided to sign in Switzerland, inking a two-year deal with Geneve-Servette. The 32-year-old had a limited role with both the Rangers and Avalanche last season, notching eight points in 43 games. Originally drafted by Nashville back in 2012, he decided not to sign with them, kickstarting a rarely seen process that saw him reach August 15th free agency and meet with many teams before joining the Rangers. Overall, Vesey has played in 626 career NHL games over parts of nine seasons, tallying 101 goals and 93 assists.
Panthers Unlikely To Move Rodrigues: With Florida sitting $3.725MM over the salary cap per PuckPedia, many have been waiting for the other shoe to drop; who would be moved to get them back into compliance? The answer is, for now at least, no one, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Panthers are unlikely to move forward Evan Rodrigues, the one player they could part with to get close to being cap-compliant. Instead, it appears their intention is to start the season using LTIR with winger Matthew Tkachuk acknowledging that surgery is likely needed to fully repair the adductor injury he dealt with in the playoffs. If that happens, he’d be expected to miss multiple months, allowing Florida to keep the rest of the group intact for at least a little while longer though they’d have to get compliant whenever Tkachuk was cleared to return.
Winger Signings: While Vesey signed overseas, two other UFA wingers found NHL contracts. First, the Avalanche agreed to a one-year, $1.25MM deal with Joel Kiviranta. The 29-year-old had a surprising 16 goals with Colorado last season after his previous career high in points in a single season was 11. The deal gives Kiviranta a well-deserved raise while still being a reasonable enough price tag should his production drop back to normal levels. Meanwhile, the Stars dipped their toes into the market as well, signing Nathan Bastian to a one-year, $775K contract. The 27-year-old had 10 points and 138 hits in 59 games with New Jersey last season. He’ll battle for a spot on the fourth line in training camp.
Varlamov To Resume Skating: Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov didn’t play at all last season after November due to a lingering knee injury. They felt it was necessary to add some insurance in free agency when they signed David Rittich to a one-year deal. However, it appears that Varlamov could be ready for training camp as he’s expected to resume skating in the near future. The 37-year-old still has two years left on his contract at a $2.75MM AAV and while he’s coming off a down (injury-riddled) year, he has been one of the better backups in recent years. Getting him back to form would be a nice boost heading into the season.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol-Imagn Images.