Cam Fowler, Ducks Set To Resume Contract Talks
After being eliminated by the Nashville Predators, the Anaheim Ducks are set to start up talks with Cam Fowler regarding a possible extension again, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN. LeBrun tweets that “all signs point toward an extension” at this point. Just recently Elliotte Friedman was on NHL Network to discuss the possibility of Fowler hitting the open market in the summer of 2018, saying that he could earn as much as $56MM should he reach unrestricted free agency. 
Fowler wouldn’t technically be able to sign an extension until July 1st when there is just one year remaining on his deal at $4MM, but the two sides could certainly come to an agreement of sorts prior to that. Just a year removed from a ton of trade speculation surrounding the young defender, the team now seems ready to commit long-term. Fowler had an outstanding year, scoring 11 goals and registering 39 points in almost 25 minutes a night. He was used in all situations as a #1 defender, paired mostly with Sami Vatanen (though the Ducks shuffled their pairings often).
While Friedman’s report does sound a little high—$8MM per season would put him behind just P.K. Subban and Brent Burns in terms of cap-hit among defenders—Fowler would be hitting the open market a year from now at just 26 with an eight-year track record of success. His youth, consistency and offensive upside would make him one of the most sought-after free agents on the marketplace (perhaps only behind John Tavares).
His extension talks obviously impacts what the Ducks will do prior to the expansion draft, as they don’t want to lose Josh Manson (who currently projects as the odd man out) for nothing. Forcing a Vatanan or Manson trade only to see Fowler walk out the door in a year would devastate the Ducks defense group, even with the promising young starts of Brandon Montour, Shea Theodore and Jacob Larsson. There are just a few weeks to go before the draft, and time is running out for the Ducks to make a decision, provided they haven’t already worked out a deal with Vegas to select a different player.
An extension for Fowler isn’t the easiest thing to fit into the Ducks salary structure though. Even as Kevin Bieksa and Clayton Stoner come off the books next summer, both Montour and Theodore will need new deals as they exit their entry-level contracts, while Manson will be arbitration eligible for the first time. What it would do though, is provide some certainty that the left-handed duo of Fowler and Lindholm are locked in long-term, allowing you to pick and choose the other four pieces around them. Simon Despres, who resumed skating with the team in the playoffs but is still out indefinitely is a wildcard in the whole scenario who still holds a long-term deal that pays him $3.7MM per season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
The Ducks’ Defensive Situation
Coming off a Game 6 loss to the Nashville Predators, the Anaheim Ducks will now turn their attention to what should be an interesting off-season.
Former NHL player and TSN insider Ray Ferraro appeared on TSN 1260 on Wednesday afternoon; he called the Ducks’ loss “bitterly disappointing” considering the teams that were left. Ferraro believes that the Ducks’ window of contention is closed, saying “this was their year” to win.
Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler will count for $23.75MM per season until 2021 (Kesler until 2022). All three men are 32, on the precipice of slowing down. Perry had a poor year this season, scoring just 19 goals in the regular season and four in the playoffs while shooting well-below his career average. ESPN’s Craig Custance suggested the Ducks explore trading Perry this summer. While the “nuclear option” could be difficult because of Perry’s high salary, he believes that teams would still be interested due to his experience and the expectation that he should score 30-plus goals next season.
The Ducks’ defense is much younger, however. The Ducks top-six defensemen are all under the age of 25. Despite Kevin Bieksa drawing back in the lineup over Shea Theodore late in the playoffs, the 35-year-old Bieksa is clearly the odd-man out in Anaheim. The Ducks will need to do something about the veteran, who has a $4MM price tag and a no-move clause. At the very minimum, he’ll need to be convinced to waive his NMC ahead of the expansion draft.
Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler are locks for protection, while Brandon Montour and Theodore are exempt. The Ducks will need to choose between Sami Vatanen and Josh Manson to protect with their third spot, provided they go 7-3-1. GM Bob Murray will look to make a trade to avoid losing a very good player for nothing. The team has six forwards that they want to protect, so a defenseman-for-forward swap would make a lot of sense. Custance suggests Jonathan Drouin as a potential target, as there have been reports that Tampa Bay is interested in moving him for a right-handed defenseman. Vatanen’s no-trade clause doesn’t kick in for another two years, which gives the Ducks some freedom.
Speaking of Fowler, he’s a year away from unrestricted free agency and will need to be extended. It’s a big change from last summer, where it was widely expected that he would be traded for offensive help. The venerable Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet appeared on the NHL Network (transcribed by Chris Nichols of FanRag), and said a few NHL GMs that he spoke to believe Fowler would get seven years at $8MM. In that case, the Ducks have two choices: trade him, or try to get him to take a discount. Fowler has no clauses in his contract, so the Ducks would have free reign to trade him if it came to that. The latter option is very likely more appealing to Anaheim.
The Ducks’ young, skilled defense will give them options to boost their aging forward core; Murray will have to make some moves to keep his team’s Cup contention window open.
Cam Fowler Could Earn Up To $56MM On Open Market
- In a Tuesday hit with the NHL Network, Elliotte Friedman reported that GMs around the league have told him they think Cam Fowler would command a $56MM price tag should he get to free agency in 2018. That would pay him $8MM per season over seven years, a number which only two defensemen—P.K. Subban and the newly extended Brent Burns—currently hit. Perhaps Friedman meant that he would earn $7MM over eight years, but the only team who can sign him that long is currently the Ducks (though his rights could be traded like Keith Yandle last summer). Still, it is a huge number that would put him in the top-10 in salaries among defensemen. He’s eligible for extension on July 1st as he heads into the final year of his current contract.
Western Conference Final Injury Updates
Game 6 of the Western Conference Final between the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks is underway at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, but neither team is fielding a full-strength roster for this one. Fans were well aware of the serious condition of Predators center Ryan Johansen, but many other key players were still considered day-to-day heading into tonight’s game. With lineups announced, nearly all in question remain out.
For the home team, looking to put an end to this series tonight and clinch their first ever Stanley Cup Final berth, the Predators will have to do so without captain Mike Fisher and bruising forward Craig Smith. Fisher missed Game 5 as well with an undisclosed injury, but given the minimal amount of attention the team had given his condition, many expected Fisher to be back for Game 6. That is not the case, as he misses his second straight contest. Smith was a game-time decision and even took part in warm-ups, but made the call himself that he was not healthy enough to play. Nashville avoided another major loss in the first period tonight, as Viktor Arvidsson was the victim of a game misconduct-worthy boarding by the Ducks’ Nick Ritchie and left the game. However, he returned mere minutes later.
The loss of Ritchie is the least of Anaheim’s concerns, as the major injury issue of the game is the absence of starting goaltender John Gibson. Gibson had played every minute of every Ducks postseason game thus far until getting injured in Game 5 with a lower body injury. However, many believed that Gibson would be ready to go for an elimination game. Instead, Gibson did not even suit up for Game 6, leaving Jonathan Bernier to make his first career playoff start, backed up by Jhonas Enroth. Bernier allowed two goals on the first three shots he faced as the Predators jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Also missing from the Anaheim lineup (still) is Patrick Eaves and, more surprisingly, Rickard Rakell. Rakell missed Game 5 with a lower body injury, but he too was expected to suit up tonight. Instead, Rakell did not even make the trip to Nashville. For Gibson, Eaves, and Rakell, their injuries may mean that they have played their last games of the 2016-17 season.
Without AHL Team, Blues Face Disadvantage
When the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliation with the Chicago Wolves was officially terminated on Wednesday in favor of partnership with Las Vegas, an important aspect of the deal was overlooked by many around the league. The St. Louis Blues will still provide players to the Wolves, but only their best players are likely to see action, as the Golden Knights hold primary ownership. Given the Knights’ situation, why play borderline prospects of an outside organization, who you are still technically competing with? They will need warm bodies for years to come, but Knights prospects will always be valued higher.
This association may not seem like a huge deal, considering that NHL teams have used AHL partnerships in years past. However, St. Louis will be the only team dealing with this handicap in the upcoming season, and it’s not a situation that will help their organization gain advantage over a tough Central division. A team hasn’t dealt with this sort of turmoil in the minors since the 2009-10 season when the Anaheim Ducks had no affiliate whatsoever. The Ducks that year? They finished 11th in the conference and missed the playoffs.
Although Vegas, without an abundance of pro-ready prospects, may appreciate this arrangement for AHL competitiveness reasons, it can only mean a step back for St. Louis. There is no tangible benefit to having your third and fourth line hopefuls lose valuable playing time to outside players. One need only look to the role players of this year’s playoff teams to realize that having a deep bench in case of injuries is always worthwhile. The Penguins for example, have Carter Rowney, Josh Archibald, and currently injured Tom Kuhnhackl performing important spot-duty. Derrick Pouliot even has an outside shot of seeing playing time this series. If any of these had played on a split-squad in the AHL, there is a strong probability they would not have the requisite experience to be inserted into NHL playoff hockey.
GM Doug Armstrong says he has a “comfort level” with Las Vegas GM George McPhee, and that eases his mind about the situation. Regardless of comfort, Blues ownership failed the team and its prospects by not securing a primary home for their players. The Blues need to have a solid farm system, which they had seemingly started to build with a dominant 1st-overall performance this past season. The likes of Jordan Schmaltz, Magnus Paajarvi, and Ivan Barbashev all benefited from a successful AHL outing. Going forward, securing a stable location for all of its players is a must for St. Louis. It’s a disadvantage from the beginning of summer until the end of the season.
Injury Notes: Aberg, Gibson, Johansen
Nashville fans can breathe a thankful sigh after seeing Pontus Aberg land face-first on a shift well before his diving goal in Game 5. He was ushered off of the bench by officials only after he had been allowed to score the eventual game winner, fearful that the previous impact may have caused a concussion. Although no official word has come, Aberg seems to be fine and obviously in good spirits. “I…lost my tooth, but it didn’t hurt my head.” Obviously, execution of concussion protocol is still less than ideal, but in this one instance Nashville fans aren’t complaining.
Aberg has been an unsung hero for these Predators, this being his first goal of these playoffs. The 23 year-old winger has played the bulk of the past three seasons with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, but with the injury bug biting the team, he has taken a spot which he hasn’t relinquished. Especially in light of the injuries to Ryan Johansen and Mike Fisher, the need for a role player to provide some offense was necessary.
- NBC Sports has surmised from the post-game interview of Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle that goaltender John Gibson is hopeful to recover to start Game 6. Jonathan Bernier needed to fill in as relief in last night’s Game 5 loss due to an unknown lower-body injury and conceded two goals. Going into an elimination game with your backup goaltender is not the ideal scenario, especially considering how solid Gibson has been. Boudreau did caution that Gibson would need to be evaluated again by medical officials before being given leave to play. Notably, Rickard Rakell was also referred to as day-to-day. Rakell has been one of the Ducks’ most creative offensive players, and would be a welcome return to a team that has struggled at times against red-hot goaltender Pekka Rinne.
- Ryan Johansen was actually in far worse shape than previously believed. Disclosed by Jon Morosi, the young Predator appears to have suffered Acute Compartment Syndrome, which prevents oxygen from getting to muscles. Built-up pressure and the side effects from reduced blood flow can actually result in loss of limbs or death if left untreated. Johansen had to undergo thigh surgery on Friday and therefore was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. Thankfully his doctors caught the issue and rectified it quickly, as Johansen is expected to make a full recovery.
Revision: The article had cited Bruce Boudreau instead of Randy Carlyle.
Gibson Doesn’t Return After Period 1 Of Game 5
8:23 CT: The Ducks have confirmed that Gibson is questionable to return with a lower-body injury. Bernier saved 10 of 11 shots in the second period.
7:43 CT: Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson did not return to the ice after the first period of their Game 5 matchup with the Nashville Predators. No word yet, although it is assumed that it’s an injury. Jonathan Bernier takes over in net for the Ducks, who last played on May 7 in a mop-up role against the Edmonton Oilers. Veteran Jhonas Enroth is the emergency backup for the Ducks.
Snapshots: Olympics, Johansen, Rakell
The Pyeongchang Olympics organizing committee president Lee Hee-beom stated that he is still willing to negotiate with the NHL to get them involved with the Olympics. He stated that he didn’t believe the NHL was being “greedy,” and was still open to working out a deal to allow NHL players to play during the Olympics for the 2018 Olympic Games.
The Sporting News writes that Lee stated that he is willing to be flexible and while he doesn’t know what the NHL wants in order to make a deal, “but whatever they ask – if it is acceptable for us – we will do our best.”
The International Ice Hockey Federation has also been willing to discuss options, but it is believed that a “game-changer offer” is needed in order to get the NHL owners to agree to stop the season for three weeks for the Olympics. The IIHF has already agreed to pay players’ travel and insurance costs, but balked at the NHL’s demand for a share of marketing rights to a commercial league.
- Nashville Predators’ Ryan Johansen was reportedly diagnosed with acute compartment syndrome, according to NHL Network’s Jon Morosi. The team has not confirmed this. He is expected to fully recover. As reported yesterday, Johansen was knocked out of Game 4 against the Ducks and had immediate surgery and was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. He was their No. 1 option on offense after putting up 61 points this season. Ian McLaren of theScore writes that captain Mike Fisher will also be out for Game 5 tonight with an undisclosed injury.
- The Predators may have mounting injuries, but the Ducks are suffering as well. Already without veteran Patrick Eaves, now The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan tweets that the Ducks will be without Rickard Rakell for Game 5 tonight with a lower body injury. The 24-year-old center broke out with 33 goals during the regular season and had seven goals and 13 points during the playoffs.
Nashville Notes: Hockey Hotbed, Preds’ Speed
USA Today’s Kevin Allen is one of many writing about hockey mad Nashville as the Predators continue their quest to hoist the Stanley Cup. Qualifying for its first conference final in franchise history, the organization that once sweated out season tickets find itself one of the hottest draws in town. From Allen:
Ten years ago, people were holding rallies to save the franchise, and now the Predators are the hottest ticket in town. On eBay on Thursday, someone was selling two tickets for Game 4, 15 rows from the Plexiglass, for $10,000.
“When they started winning, everyone went crazy,” said fan Dan Harrell, a retiree and a Nashville-area resident since 1967.
Allen adds that the Predators dominate talk radio, and have brought a unique angle to the sport, showing that the game can truly catch on in a non-traditional hockey market. Additionally, the National Anthem has become its own spectacle, with different stars taking their turns singing while the opportunity to smash a car with the colors of opposing playoff teams have become a favorite.
The Tennessean’s Jason Gonzalez caught up with the fan who heaved a skinned duck onto the ice after Nashville notched the game winning goal Tuesday evening. Sure he would be thrown out, the duck landed on the ice without a security guard batting an eye.
- ESPN’s Andrew Knoll writes that the Predators speed certainly has the Ducks on their heels. And according to former star Bernie Nicholls, he doesn’t think the Ducks can handle it. Knoll reports that as the series continues on, it favors Nashville and Nicholls believes that the Predators have the speed and tenacity that propelled the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup. Knoll warns, however, that the Ducks have the propensity to storm back after being down in a series. Anaheim Left Wing Jakob Silfverberg believes that success will follow if the Ducks show “more confidence” in their game.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Josh Mahura To Three-Year Contract
The Anaheim Ducks front office is still working hard while their team fights for the Stanley Cup, today signing third-round pick Josh Mahura to a three-year entry-level deal. No financials have been released. Mahura’s season ended on Sunday, when the Regina Pats lost the WHL Championship series to the Seattle Thunderbirds despite a goal and assist in the deciding game from the 19-year old defenseman.
Mahura registered 53 points this season split between the Pats and Red Deer Rebels, but turned up his game in the playoffs. His 21 points ranked third in playoff scoring from defensemen, behind only Ethan Bear (Edmonton) and teammate Connor Hobbs (Washington). Both of those two are (around) a year older than Mahura, making his performance even more impressive.
The Ducks have developed a number of excellent defenders in recent years, and continue to impress in the draft with players taken outside of the first round. When they selected Mahura, he was coming off an MCL injury that robbed him of his entire draft year, though he returned just in time for the playoffs for Red Deer in 2016. That risk looked to pay off this year, as he put together an excellent season and has a chance to make an impact at the professional level down the line. At just 19, and with the Ducks loaded with defensive talent, he’ll head back to the WHL to try to win a championship next season. Regina also will host the Memorial Cup in 2018, meaning Mahura will get a chance regardless of the Pats’ finish. That tournament will be quite interesting to the Ducks as Sam Steel, their (second) first-round pick from last summer was the leading scorer for the Pats and the whole WHL this season.