Free Agent Focus: Buffalo Sabres
Free agency is now just a few days away and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. The Buffalo Sabres, now that they have inked Jeff Skinner to an eight-year, $72MM deal earlier this month, don’t have as much to worry about as the team has neither many important restricted or unrestricted free agents they need to worry about.
Key Restricted Free Agent: G Linus Ullmark – The Sabres may not have gotten the season they were hoping for from free agent goaltender Carter Hutton, but they also had high hopes for Ullmark to take t
he next step and establish himself as a solid backup to the veteran. However, whether that will be the case is another question. While Ullmark looked early on in the season like the answer as the team’s backup, his play started to slip as the year wore on and he struggled especially late in the season, eventually finishing with a 3.11 GAA and a .905 save percentage. However, with no other young goalie particularly close to being ready to challenge him, it’s likely the Sabres will give Ullmark another year to develop his body for the long-haul for the season.
F Zemgus Girgensons – While hardly an impact player, the Sabres have been using the 25-year-old as a bottom-line depth option for six years already as he provides the team with some size and grit that the team needs at the bottom of their line-up. While he hasn’t broken the 10-goal mark since the 2014-15 season (he scored five last year), he did finish with 144 hits last season, his highest numbers since his rookie season. The question is whether the team sees him as a long-term option as he is one year away from becoming a unrestricted free-agent.
F Evan Rodrigues – The team has like what it has seen from Rodrigues, who signed with Buffalo after four years at Boston University and has since worked his way through the AHL and finally saw a full season in Buffalo this year. While his numbers were quite pedestrian as he finished the year with nine goals and 29 points, he has seen increased playing time and the team hopes he can still provide some middle-six depth for the team, although he should receive a slight raise from the $650K that he made last season.
Other RFAs: F Remi Elie, F Johan Larsson, D Jake McCabe, F C.J. Smith
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Jason Pominville – He has played 11 seasons for Buffalo over the course of his career and despite hitting 36 years of age, the team may consider bringing back the veteran as an inexpensive depth option. After all, he posted 16 goals last season, while playing a career-low 12:28 last season. While he certainly wasn’t worth the $5.6MM he was making last season, he would be worth a low-cost deal, who could provide the team’s youth with a veteran presence.
Other UFAs: F Eric Cornel, F Kyle Criscuolo, D Jack Dougherty, F Taylor Leier, F Sean Malone, D Brycen Martin, F Matt Moulson, F Daniel O’Regan; D Matt Tennyson, G Scott Wedgewood, G Adam Wilcox
Projected Cap Space: The Sabres currently sit a little more than $15MM under the cap ceiling, according to CapFriendly, and should have some cap room to try to find some offense to help out their struggling second line. With the recent addition of defenseman Colin Miller from Vegas, the team should be in good shape with their defense, but the team’s biggest problem was putting the puck in the net, which the team hopes that it can improve on with the right roster moves.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Pittsburgh Penguins Trade Phil Kessel To Arizona Coyotes
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have traded forward Phil Kessel to the Arizona Coyotes, finally ending a long saga in which Pittsburgh has been trying to unload the unhappy veteran. The Penguins will send Kessel, prospect Dane Birks and a 2021 fourth-round pick to Arizona for forward Alex Galchenyuk and prospect Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
“First and foremost, I want to thank Phil Kessel for his contributions to the Penguins. He was a key component to our success in winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. We couldn’t have done it without him, and for that, we are grateful,” said Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford. “With that being said, we are excited to welcome a young, skilled player in Alex, and add depth to our defense with first-round draft pick Pierre-Olivier Joseph.”
Kessel’s name has been in the news all offseason as the team is interested in moving the veteran forward and the three years remaining on his deal at $6.8MM and with some bad blood between Kessel and the Penguins, general manager Jim Rutherford was looking to move him. Rutherford said that Kessel requested to be traded several times during last season and then changed his mind, although Kessel denies that, according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. The Penguins attempted to trade Kessel to Minnesota in May in a package that included Jason Zucker, but Kessel, who has a modified no-trade clause where he can pick eight teams that he can be traded to, rejected the deal as he had no interest in going to Minnesota. However, Kessel would be interested in going to Arizona as he has a great relationship with their coach, Rick Tocchet, who was an assistant coach in Pittsburgh before he took the Coyotes’ job. Tocchet was, in fact, known in Pittsburgh as the “Phil Kessel Whisperer,” and is considered the one coach who can get the most out of the veteran.
The 31-year-old Kessel is coming off a solid season in which he scored 27 goals and 82 points, which would have been tops on Arizona’s squad by 35 points as the team’s points leader was Clayton Keller, who put up 14 goals and 47 points. Kessel provides the Coyotes with a proven veteran scorer, something that was desperately needed as no one in Arizona got to 20 goals last season. In fact, Kessel has scored 291 goals in the last 10 seasons, which is only behind a handful of top players in the league, including Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and Joe Pavelski. Kessel’s contract will be the second-biggest on the team behind defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Kessel also should provide some stability in the lineup as Arizona was ravaged by injuries last year. Kessel has gone nine straight seasons without having missed a regular-season game. While Kessel isn’t known for his defensive play, it evens out as Galchenyuk is considered to be just as weak defensively.
In Galchenyuk, the Penguins would still get a solid top-six forward, but at both a cheaper price tag and with less term. Galchenyuk has just one year remaining on his deal at $4.9MM, which gives the Penguins some much-needed cap room to attempt to add to a team that got swept in the first-round of the playoffs last year and have a limited time to make a Stanley Cup run as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin aren’t getting any younger. The 25-year-old Galchenyuk put up 19 goals and 41 points in 72 games last season, his first in Arizona after being acquired last offseason via trade from Montreal and should become a solid winger on one of Pittsburgh’s top two lines.
The Penguins also added some young defensive depth as Joseph was Arizona’s first-round pick in 2017 and is ready to turn pro, although he will likely need at least one year in the AHL. The 19-year-old posted nine goals and 42 points for two junior squads last year. Birks is likely to even out the trade as the 23-year-old spent all of last season in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers.
TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report the trade.
Carolina Hurricanes, Mike Vellucci Part Ways
The Carolina Hurricanes are losing an important part of their development system, announcing today that they have mutually agreed to part ways with Mike Vellucci. Vellucci served as an assistant general manager, director of hockey operations and head coach of the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, leading the team to a Calder Cup in 2019. In a statement, the coach notes that he has “been presented with an exciting opportunity” that he will be pursuing. A few hours later, it was announced that Vellucci will be the next head coach of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, replacing the outgoing Clark Donatelli.
Vellucci has been with the Hurricanes organization for five years, coincidentally joining the franchise as his new boss in Pittsburgh, Jim Rutherford, was stepping down in Carolina. The two have worked together far longer than that however, going back to his days with the Plymouth Whalers. He took the head coaching position with the Checkers two years ago. In that time he posted a 97-43-12 record in the AHL and established the Checkers as one of the stingiest defensive teams in the league. A former NHL defenseman himself, Vellucci’s teams have long been known for their commitment in the defensive zone. That commitment has brought plenty of success, including past championships in the OHL and NAHL.
Prior to joining the Hurricanes Vellucci had coached the Whalers for more than a decade, helping develop dozens of NHL players including names like Tyler Seguin, James Neal, Rickard Rakell, Tom Wilson and J.T. Miller. It’s hard to imagine another AHL coach that would have been in more demand around the league.
Alex Nedeljkovic Re-Signs With Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes may not have new deals in place with Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney, but that doesn’t mean they’re without goaltending altogether. Alex Nedeljkovic, fresh off a Calder Cup and AHL Most Outstanding Goaltender award, has re-signed with the team for the next two seasons. The deal is a two-way contract in 2019-20 worth $725K at the NHL level, and a one-way contract in 2020-21 that carries a $750K salary. GM Don Waddell released a statement on the young goaltender:
Alex had an outstanding season in Charlotte last year and was a major part of the Checkers’ success. We expect him to contend for a roster spot with the Hurricanes in training camp.
If it started right now, Nedeljkovic wouldn’t have much to contend with at training camp. The Hurricanes currently have just three other goaltenders in the organization and the only one with NHL experience is likely going to be bought out. That lack of depth will likely be dealt with in free agency next week, but there are obviously no guarantees when it comes to signing players on the open market.
That’s why the 23-year old Nedeljkovic is so important to the Carolina organization, and why he will likely get every chance in the coming years to prove he can be an NHL starting goaltender. In 100 regular season appearances with the Charlotte Checkers the last two seasons he has recorded a 65-26-3 record including nine shutouts, and was a huge part in taking home the first Calder Cup in franchise history earlier this month. His development since the team selected him 37th overall in 2014 has been exceptional, though it seems unlikely that the team is ready to hand the keys over completely for the 2019-20 season.
Still, getting him on a two-year contract at this point sets the Hurricanes up for success. Even if he doesn’t establish himself as an NHL starter by then he will still be a restricted free agent when the deal expires, unless of course he fails to play in 26 more NHL games and becomes a Group VI unrestricted free agent. That seems quite unlikely, but will depend on what the Hurricanes do on Monday in free agency.
Pacific Notes: Heed, Coyotes, Gennaro
Defenseman Tim Heed is an impending unrestricted free agent that has received little media attention so far, and it sounds like he won’t be getting much more outside of his current market. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that Heed is expected to re-sign with the San Jose Sharks rather than test the market. Initially looking like the odd man out on San Jose’s blue line, the team has since traded Justin Braun and opted not to extend a qualifying offer to Joakim Ryan, opening up space for Heed’s return. The Sharks already have $66.7MM committed to just 15 players next season, with new contracts in store for RFA’s Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, and Dylan Gambrell and decisions to make on UFA’s Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, and more. Heed would be an affordable addition who is already familiar with the team and can act as a capable bottom-pair defender. Kurz points out that the right-shot Heed would be an ideal replacement in old spot. After playing in a career-high 37 games last year, Heed has likely earned the trust of the San Jose staff to at least begin the year as a starter while a number of promising blue line prospects continue to develop.
- The Arizona Coyotes have announced several changes to their front office, the most notable of which is poaching Scott Walker from the division rival Vancouver Canucks. Walker, a former OHL coach, spent the past four years as the Canucks’ Director of Player Development, but has now been hired by Arizona as Special Assistant to the General Manager. Internally, three other executives have been promoted: Jake Goldberg has been named Assistant to the General Manager; Phil McRae has been named the Director of North American Amateur Scouting; and Bryan Stewart has been named the Coyotes’ Director of Pro Scouting.
- The ‘Yotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tuscon Roadrunners, have re-signed forward Matteo Gennaro to a one-year contract. Gennaro, a former Winnipeg Jets prospect, just wrapped up his first pro season with Tuscon. The 22-year-old center was a force in his junior days in the WHL, but got off to a slow start to the next stage of his career with just 12 points in 58 games. However, Gennaro has always been considered a raw prospect and should continue to grow and round out at the pro level. The Roadrunners hope Gennaro can get closer to the 80-point seasons he put up at the end of his junior career, but they’ll settle for steady improvement in his sophomore season.
Seattle Ownership Group Proposes AHL Expansion Team In Palm Springs
It seems one major arena construction project isn’t enough for the ownership group of the future Seattle NHL franchise. A report out of NBC Palm Springs in California states that the group has submitted a bid and $5MM application fee, along with their partners, the Oak View Group, to the AHL for an expansion franchise in the city. The Palm Springs team would be the 32nd member of the AHL, like Seattle will be to the NHL, and would have their arena ready for a 2021-22 debut, just like their parent club.
According to NBC, the Oak View Group is one of several partners working to bring a state-of-the-art arena complex to Palm Springs. The main draw will be the 10,000-seat arena, which the Seattle group hopes to call home for their AHL affiliate. It will also play host to a number of musical performances through partner Live Nation. Additionally, the complex will also have an attached convention hall, as well as a proposed training facility for the Palm Springs team.
An entirely privately-funded venture that requires no action from taxpayers, nor the NHL or AHL, the facility is likely to be completed, regardless of the decision. However, it seems to be an easy call for the AHL, who would otherwise be outnumbered by NHL teams once Seattle enters the league. With several other teams in California as is – San Diego, Ontario, Bakersfield, San Jose, and Stockton – the geography also makes sense. Assuming the bid outlines a sound plan and proper financial backing for the arena, it seems likely that Palm Springs will have its first pro hockey team come 2021.
Stefan Elliott Signs With KHL’s Dinamo Minsk
Stefan Elliott surprised many when he left North America as a restricted free agent 2016 and signed with the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan. The Canadian defenseman had just finished a season in which he played in 21 NHL games, the second most of his career, and looked like he might be a fit as a depth option for the Nashville Predators after they had acquired him mid-season from the Arizona Coyotes. This time around, coming off a return home that yielded just three NHL appearances, it comes as less of a shock that Dinamo Minsk of the KHL has announced that they have signed Elliott to a one-year contract.
Elliott, 28, was an impending unrestricted free agent with his one-year deal signed last summer with the Pittsburgh Penguins expired. After two years abroad, in Russia and Sweden respectively, the Penguins brought Elliott in as a potential minor league leader and deep blue line depth option. A 2009 second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche, Elliott had always been very successful in the AHL and Pittsburgh hoped for the same and possibly more. Instead, Elliott got off to a slow start with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and was traded to the Ottawa Senators in a swap of minor pieces. Elliott got to play in three games with Ottawa and also put up strong numbers with AHL Belleville.
Regardless, even with the Senators there did not seem to be long-term opportunity for Elliott to play a significant role, so a move back to Europe seemed like a strong possibility. The ongoing UFA discussion window likely confirmed Elliott’s doubts of finding a suitable NHL offer. He thus returns to the KHL, where he recorded 11 points in 31 games a few years ago, but joins a new team in Minsk. The club is excited about the addition, but so too should be Elliott, who could very likely be the team’s top player next season. Teemu Pulkkinen, Quinton Howden, and Patrick Wiercioch have departed and the aging Kostitsyn brothers, Sergei Kostitsyn and Andrei Kostitsyn, and former collegiate and minor leauge defender Oleg Yevenko are the only other notable players on the roster. As the go-to guy, Elliott could be in for a productive season that once again sparks interest back in North America.
Tomas Hyka, Brooks Macek Sign In KHL
June 25: Hyka’s two-year deal in the KHL is now official, and he’ll be joined overseas by Chicago Wolves teammate Brooks Macek.
May 27: While Tomas Hyka is busy dominating the AHL playoffs, he may have already made some future plans. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Hyka has agreed to terms with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, despite being just one win away from the Calder Cup Final with the Chicago Wolves. Hyka is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer after his one-year two-way contract expires.
If the report is true and Hyka leaves North America, it would be a blow to the Vegas Golden Knights who are going to need inexpensive contributors over the next several seasons. Hyka has only recorded seven points in his 27 games with the Golden Knights over the last two seasons, but is a near point-per-game performer in the minor leagues and has earned himself a bigger opportunity at the NHL level. Originally a sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012, he never signed with the team and instead joined the Golden Knights as the organization’s third player after Reid Duke and Vadim Shipachyov.
The 26-year old Hyka has 14 points in 16 playoff games with the Wolves and could earn a berth in the Calder Cup Final with a win tonight. If he does join the KHL it would be his first stint in the Russian league, after playing previously in Sweden and his home of the Czech Republic. The Golden Knights can retain his exclusive rights temporarily by issuing him a qualifying offer.
Carolina Hurricanes “Leaning Toward” Scott Darling Buyout
June 25: The start of the buyout period came and went without Darling’s name on waivers, but today Carolina GM Don Waddell told reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that he is “leaning toward” buying out the veteran goaltender. He would not rule out a trade, but it still sounds like Darling’s time in Carolina is over.
May 19: The Carolina Hurricanes felt they were finally getting the starting goaltender it needed to take the team into the playoffs in 2017 when they traded for immediately signed the Chicago Blackhawks’ backup goalie Scott Darling to a four-year, $16.6MM contract. After two long and disappointing years, it looks like the Hurricanes are ready to pull the plug on the deal as David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reports that Carolina intends to buy out the netminder when the buyout period opens.
If the Hurricanes do follow through with a buyout, the buyout cap hit would break down like this (according to CapFriendly):
2019-20: $1.233MM
2020-21: $2.333MM
2021-22: $1.183MM
2022-23: $1.183MM
Darling, who was the backup to Corey Crawford during the Blackhawks’ successful playoff runs, was acquired for a third-round pick in 2017. In his final season in Chicago, he posted a 2.37 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 32 games played, but had never served as a starting goalie. However, nothing went right once Darling hit the ice in Carolina. He struggled in his initial season in 2017-18 when he 3.18 GAA and a .888 save percentage in a career-high 43 games. Despite talk during the summer that Darling was committed to conditioning and getting back on track, the Hurricanes choose to claim goaltender Curtis McElhinney off waivers, giving them three goaltenders alongside Darling and Petr Mrazek. The three played in tandem, but Darling only made eight appearances, struggling even more. He finished with a 3.34 GAA and a .884 save percentage, eventually being placed on waivers and sent to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL in hopes of him regaining his confidence. Instead, he continued to struggle, putting up a 3.40 GAA and a .882 save percentage in 14 appearances there, prompting the goaltender to take a leave of absence in which he never returned.
If the Hurricanes do buyout Darling, it will have to sign another goaltender before July 1 as teams need to have three goaltenders under contract, according to the CBA. At the moment, the team only has two goaltenders under contract, including Jeremy Helvig and Callum Booth, neither of which are in their 2018-19 plans. McElhinney and Mrazek are both slated to become unrestricted free agents, while AHL star Alex Nedeljkovic will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Ottawa Senators Re-Sign Cody Goloubef
The Ottawa Senators have re-signed defenseman Cody Goloubef to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay him $800K at the NHL level and $425K in the AHL. Goloubef was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but will now remain with the team through the 2019-20 season.
Goloubef, 29, has experienced what it’s like to be a professional hockey journeyman the last few seasons, playing for seven different NHL or AHL teams since the start of the 2016-17 season. Last year he suited up 16 times for the Providence Bruins before a trade took him to Ottawa in early January in exchange for Paul Carey. With the Senators organization Goloubef still spent the majority of the time in the minor leagues, but got a taste at the NHL level and could be used as an injury replacement again next season.
While his 134 NHL games are something to be proud of, Goloubef received the opportunity of a lifetime when he suited up for Team Canada at the 2018 Olympics. With the NHL not participating, players like him were able to represent their country on the highest stage. Goloubef and Canada took home a bronze medal at the tournament, something he’ll never forget.