New York Rangers To Sign Brandon Pirri
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the New York Rangers are set to sign goal-scoring winger Brandon Pirri to a one-year deal. Friedman indicates the pact will have an approximate value of $1.1MM.
Over the last three seasons, Pirri has scored 0.95 G/60 at even-strength. Last year only 40 forwards who saw at least 500 5-on-5 minutes of ice time had a better goal-scoring rate. Clearly, Pirri knows how to put the puck in the net and for a relatively minimal investment, this looks like a free agent bargain.
Despite his ability to score, Anaheim declined to extend a qualifying offer after the season making Pirri an UFA. The decision came just months after the Ducks acquired Pirri from Florida for nothing more than a sixth-round draft choice. PHR profiled Pirri’s free agent market, examining why a skilled goal-scorer remained on the open market well into the summer and why two teams already essentially walked away from him for little to no compensation in return.
Less than a week after the team added coveted college free agent winger Jimmy Vesey, the Rangers continue to stockpile quality forward depth. With Pirri on board, the Rangers now have as many as 15 NHL-caliber forwards on the roster. The signing likely will led to additional speculation that the Rangers may entertain dealing from a position of strength – veteran scoring forward – to address a position of weakness – quality blue liners.
The Rangers have been linked to defense help much of the summer with one oft-rumored target being Kevin Shattenkirk of St. Louis. It’s at least possible, given the recent additions of Vesey and Pirri, that the Rangers would feel comfortable enough with their forward unit to part with a proven scorer to upgrade the defense corps though they may find it easier to do so closer to the trade deadline.
World Cup Roster Changes: Keith, Bouwmeester, Kronwall, Lindholm
Earlier today Hockey Canada added St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to its World Cup team to replace Chicago blue liner Duncan Keith. Keith is still not 100% as he continues to rehab from a right knee injury suffered last season. Blackhawks team physician, Dr. Michael Terry, had this to say about Keith’s recovery:
“As Duncan continues offseason rehabilitation on the right knee injury that he sustained last season, we understand his decision not to participate in next month’s World Cup of Hockey. We believe it is in his best interests to focus on getting stronger and not risk further injury.”
Bouwmeester joins Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jake Muzzin as the only left-handed shooters on Canada’s blue line. That’s likely the primary reason Bouwmeester was chosen over right-handed options such as Kris Letang and P.K. Subban. It was also somewhat surprising that Bouwmeester was added over Mark Giordano of the Flames.
Giordano tallied 21 goals and 56 points while playing a full slate of games for Calgary. He has developed into one of the league’s best offensive defenseman over the last three seasons and like Bouweester, is a left-handed shot.
Bouwmeester, conversely, recorded just 19 points and was had a plus-minus rating of -4 in 72 games for the Blues. In all probability, Hockey Canada favored Bouwmeester’s extensive experience representing his home country. He was a part of the 2004 World Cup-winning team and also won a gold with Team Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
This is the second change in as many days to Team Canada’s roster. Yesterday, Logan Couture was added to replace Jamie Benn.
Team Canada is obviously still going to be one of the tournament’s favorites but if there is a weakness, it may well be the team’s blue line.
Elsehwere, Anaheim Ducks defender Hampus Lindholm, currently a RFA, has been named to Team Sweden to replace Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall is still recovering from knee surgery performed in January.
Lindholm, 22, scored 10 goals and 28 points last season for the Ducks and is considered one of the up-and-coming young defensemen in the league. He’ll join an excellent blue line group anchored by Erik Karlsson from Ottawa and Victor Hedman of Tampa Bay.
Sweden is expected, along with Team USA, to be one of the biggest threats to Canada’s chances in this tournament. In addition to an excellent defense corps, Sweden will have Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes. Up front they have plenty of skill led by the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, Filip Forsberg and Nicklas Backstrom. Obviously Sweden boasts a formidable roster with plenty of talent.
Tim Jackman Retires From NHL
According to Elite Prospects, long-time journeyman Tim Jackman has decided to hang up his skates and retire from professional hockey. Jackman played 483 games across parts of twelve seasons, suiting up for the Blue Jackets, Coyotes, Kings, Islanders, Flames and Ducks along the way.
Now 34-years old, Jackman was originally picked in the second round of the 2001 draft, and would contribute 75 points and over 800 penalty minutes across his career. The North Dakota native got into nine playoff games in 2014-15 with the Ducks, his first taste of NHL postseason.
Playing with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL last season, Jackman put up two points (1-1) and 33 penalty minutes in 22 games. Don’t be surprised to see Jackman’s name in a coaching staff in the future, as often tough guys and journeymen find success behind the bench after their playing days are over.
Pacific Division: Remaining RFAs
We’re now in the dying days of August, less than a month away from the start of the World Cup and training camps. However, there are still 15 restricted free agents remaining, and many of them are not who you would expect to be unsigned at this point. Two NHL teams’ leading scorers, four top-four defensemen, and several other high quality players are still looking for new deals.
Let’s break down the remaining RFAs by division, starting out west in the Pacific Division:
Anaheim Ducks – $7.52MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The Ducks have mostly stood pat this summer after bringing back Randy Carlyle to replace the fired Bruce Boudreau. However, the budget-bound Ducks still have some work to do – their best defenseman, Hampus Lindholm, and World Cup-bound center Rickard Rakell still need new contracts. Lindholm logged the most minutes on the Ducks and put up 28 points as a dependable two-way force. Rakell is behind Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler on the center depth chart, but finished fourth on the Ducks in points with 43. The Ducks would like to get both signed long term, but will need to get creative to fit it all under their self-imposed budget. Cam Fowler has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the summer as the Ducks ready themselves for these two contracts and next summer’s expansion draft.
Arizona Coyotes – $7.85MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – Arizona has been locked in tough negotiations with Tobias Rieder all summer. It’s believed the talented scorer and reliable two-way winger is looking for a contract similar to new Coyotes forward Jamie McGinn, who signed a three-year, $10MM contract. However, new GM John Chayka isn’t budging, and Rieder has threatened to head to the KHL if the two sides can’t come to an agreement.
Calgary Flames – $8.59MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The Flames have been in an unenviable situation this summer, with their two top forwards needing new contracts. GM Brad Treliving locked up center Sean Monahan to a seven-year, $44.625MM contract last week, but has yet to sign the team’s leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau has said he won’t negotiate during the upcoming World Cup, where he’ll suit up for Team North America. Their camp starts on the long weekend, so there’s just two weeks remaining for Gaudreau and the Flames to put pen to paper. The Flames also have to sign Freddie Hamilton, minor league center and brother of Dougie. Hamilton played four NHL games last season, potting a goal and an assist.
Week In Review: 8/15/16 – 8/21/16
Less than a month away from the start of rookie camps, the NHL free agency period has slowed down nearly to a halt. However, there were a few notable things happening this past week as some noteworthy college players became unrestricted free agents. Here’s your recap of the week that was:
Notable Signings
Antoine Vermette (Ducks) – After being bought out by the Coyotes in early August, Vermette signed a two-year, $3.5MM contract with their division rivals, the Anaheim Ducks.
Radim Vrbata (Coyotes) – The former Coyote returned to the desert after a two year stint in Vancouver, where he had one very good year (31 goals and 63 points) and one very poor year (13 goals and 27 points). Vrbata signed for one season at $1MM, with a possible total of $3.25MM including performance bonuses.
Matt Cullen (Penguins) – The defending Stanley Cup Champions re-signed Cullen to a one-year, $1MM contract. Despite the cheap signing, the Penguins are still $3.9MM over the $73MM salary cap.
Sean Monahan (Flames) – The restricted free agent center signed a seven-year, $44.625MM contract. The Flames now have $8.6MM of cap space to sign their leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau.
Notable Entry-Level Contracts
John Gilmour (Rangers) – The Rangers made an early splash in the college free agent market, which would soon be overshadowed. Gilmour, the Flames seventh round pick in 2013, posted 65 points in 141 games at Providence College. Pro Hockey Rumor’s third ranked college free agent signed for two seasons worth $1.85MM.
Thomas DiPauli (Penguins) – The Penguins signed PHR’s second ranked college free agent to a two-year, $1.85MM entry-level contract. DiPauli was Capitals fourth round pick in 2012, and posted 78 points in 145 games with the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Jimmy Vesey (Rangers) – By far the highest sought-after college free agent, Vesey surprised many and signed with the Rangers. The subject of much speculation this summer, Vesey was the Predators third round pick back in 2012 but was traded to Buffalo this spring when it was clear he wasn’t going to sign. Vesey is expected to step straight into the NHL and produce at a second or third line rate.
Logan Brown (Senators) – In non-college free agent news, the Senators signed their 11th overall pick to a three-year, $4.9MM entry-level contract. The 6’6, 220 lb center has 117 points in 115 career OHL games.
West Notes: Rakell, Rattie, Gaudreau
With the World Cup of Hockey fast approaching, another unsigned restricted free agent is headed to Toronto. According to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (who we interviewed just yesterday on PHR) Rickard Rakell will join the Swedish club replacing the injured Alexander Steen. Steen had surgery in June on his shoulder, and is still trying to be ready for the opening of the regular season.
Rakell will be rewarded for last season’s breakout that saw him score 20 goals and 43 points in his second full season. Rakell remains one of the Ducks priorities this summer, along with fellow unsigned RFA Hampus Lindholm. The team, with only $6.6MM in cap space at the moment, may not have enough to sign both to long-term deals and may have to settle for the player-friendly bridge deal.
- Among the news at Pro Hockey Talk’s St. Louis Blues day is that Ty Rattie will be given a real chance to stick with the big club this season. Adam Gretz writes that with the team losing veteran forwards like David Backes, Steve Ott and Troy Brouwer to free agency, there is plenty of opportunities for young players like Rattie. This is in line with a similar article on NHL.com today, that quoted GM Doug Armstrong: “I think the game is getting faster, and youth is being served. I think we were going to transfer to this (youth movement) regardless.” Rattie has suited up for just 26 NHL games, but has proven his scoring ability at the AHL level with three straight 40+ point seasons.
- After signing Sean Monahan earlier today to a seven-year deal, the Calgary Flames will now turn their attention to Johnny Gaudreau. Craig Custance of ESPN thinks that his deal will come in very close to Monahan’s, as the team views the situation as similar to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in Chicago. The Blackhawk stars signed identical $84MM deals in July of 2014, despite Kane having more career points (493 vs. 440). Monahan also has a full season more of NHL duty under his belt than Gaudreau, despite being more than a year younger than him. If the Flames can get both on long-term deals under $7MM, they’ll be set up nicely for the future with two underpaid superstars.
Minnesota Wild Notes: Boudreau, Staal, Tuch
Pro Hockey Talk continues their run through the NHL, each day covering a different team. Today the Minnesota Wild are in the cross-hairs as Joey Alfieri of NBC Sports reviews Minnesota’s summer and previews the upcoming campaign for the Wild.
Alfieri highlights the hiring of former Washington Capital and Anaheim Duck head coach Bruce Boudreau to replace John Torchetti behind the Minnesota bench. He cites Boudreau’s past regular season success and suggests establishing a “winning culture” is the first order of business for the new coach.
Despite his postseason failures, the primary reason he was relieved of his duties in Anaheim, Boudreau is still an excellent coach and is well respected throughout the league. His teams generally excel in the puck possession department and have always played a solid two-way style. The Ducks got off to a slow start last season and it was rumored the team was considering making a mid-season change behind the bench before Boudreau was able to right the ship. Ultimately the Ducks would come all the way back to win the Pacific Division regular season crown but were eliminated by Nashville in the first round of the playoffs. It marked the second, first-round playoff exit in Boudreu’s four full seasons at the helm in Anaheim.
Minnesota is an interesting team in that they have enough talent to be considered a solid contender to qualify for the postseason, yet maybe not enough to realistically challenge for a Cup. They are also not bad enough to miss the playoffs altogether. Consequently they don’t have the resources to dramatically improve the roster to compete today but are also not in a position to add high impact young talent through the draft to build for the future. Hiring Boudreau has an excellent chance of paying off in the short term as he should be able to guide the team to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive campaign. Once the postseason begins, though, all bets are off.
- The biggest offseason player acquisition for Minnesota came in the form of free agent signee Eric Staal. Alfieri calls the three-year, $10.5MM deal Staal received from Minnesota “team friendly,” and while it was expected he would receive more lucrative offers on the open market, it’s important to note the veteran pivot posted his worst season since his rookie campaign back in 2003-04. Staal scored just 13 goals and 39 points while playing 83 regular season games – 63 with Carolina and 20 for the New York Rangers. He is still expected to center a scoring line for Minnesota and even if $3.5MM annually is a relatively small sum for a top-six forward, the Wild will need more production out of Staal if they wish to compete in the Central Division.
- In a separate post for Pro Hockey Talk, Jason Brough identifies young RW Alex Tuch as one of the team’s few top prospects and a player who could compete for a roster spot this season. Tuch, 20, is listed at 6’4″ and 220 pounds and was the Wild’s first round selection (18th overall) in the 2014 draft. He played two seasons with Boston College and scored 32 goals in 77 NCAA games skating for the Eagles. Brough believes Tuch is most likely destined to open the season playing for Iowa in the AHL but he also notes the big winger could conceivably make the team with a strong camp. The club did sign a similar player in Chris Stewart, to a two-year contract which should make him a presumptive favorite to beat out Tuch for a roster spot should it come down to a competition between the two.
Off-Season To Date: Pacific Division
The NHL has entered its seasonal lull where teams are done signing free agents and will wait until training camp to make major roster moves. We have already documented the off-season moves of the Atlantic Division, Metropolitan Division, and Central Division teams. Now we take a quick look at the Pacific Division.
Anaheim Ducks
Key Additions: Jared Boll, Antoine Vermette, Jonathan Bernier, Mason Raymond
Key Departures: Jamie McGinn, David Perron, Brandon Pirri, Frederik Andersen, Mike Santorelli, Chris Stewart, Anton Khudobin
Unsigned RFAs: Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm
Cap Space: $6,657,500
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: The Ducks traded Frederik Andersen away and are going with John Gibson as their number one starter. They have yet to sign Lindholm but have ample cap space to do so. The team experienced some decent turnover from last season, including firing Coach Bruce Boudreau and hiring former Ducks and Leafs coach Randy Carlyle.
Arizona Coyotes
Key Additions: Jamie McGinn, Ryan White, Alex Goligoski, Luke Schenn, Anthony DeAngelo
Key Departures: Antoine Vermette, Alex Tanguay, Boyd Gordon, Sergei Plotnikov, Anders Lindback, Joe Vitale
Unsigned RFAs: Tobias Rieder
Cap Space: $8,847,875
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: The Coyotes picked up a trio of forwards to surround their young prospects, and signed Goligoski to beef up their defense. Arizona also took on Pavel Datysuk‘s contract to move up in the first round of the NHL Draft. All that remains is to sign RFA Tobias Rieder, but recent reports says that both camps are far apart. New GM John Chayka is an analytics proponent, so his moves will garner extra scrutiny as the season progresses. Finally, at time of writing Vrbata is close to signing a one-year deal with Arizona, but nothing has been finalized yet.
Calgary Flames
Key Additions: Troy Brouwer, Alex Chiasson, Linden Vey, Brian Elliott, Chad Johnson
Key Departures: Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, Jonas Hiller, Niklas Backstrom, Kevin Poulin, Joe Colborne, Josh Jooris, Mason Raymond
Unsigned RFAs: Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan
Cap Space: $14,969,600
Projected Roster Size: 20
Notes: The Flames’ offseason is noteworthy for two reasons. One, they completely switched out their goaltending, bringing in St. Louis starter Brian Elliot and Buffalo semi-starter Chad Johnson, and letting Ramo, Ortio, Hiller, and Backstrom walk. Elliot represents a significant upgrade over last year’s goaltending-by-committee. The second noteworthy event—or non-event—is that Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are still unsigned. The top two Flames scorers last year are playing on Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey, and impressive performances could raise the RFAs’ asking prices.
Edmonton Oilers
Key Additions: Milan Lucic, Adam Larsson, Jonas Gustavsson
Key Departures: Taylor Hall, Rob Klinkhammer, Adam Cracknell, Lauri Korpikoski
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $9,238,833
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Oilers made two big splashes this offseason. First, they traded away Taylor Hall to New Jersey for defenseman Adam Larsson. Hall was one of the Oilers’ best players since he was drafted, but the Oilers desperately needed a top-notch defenseman. Whether Larsson is or becomes that defenseman, however, is up in the air. They then signed top free agent Milan Lucic to a seven-year deal worth $6MM a year. Lucic will add both grit and offense to a team mired in a perpetual rebuild.
Los Angeles Kings
Key Additions: Teddy Purcell, Tom Gilbert, Jeff Zatkoff, Jack Campbell
Key Departures: Milan Lucic, Kris Versteeg, Luke Schenn, Jhonas Enroth
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $1,154,773
Projected Roster Size: 25
Notes: The Kings stayed relatively pat this offseason, swapping backup goaltenders and letting Milan Lucic walk. The team was constrained by their cap, which at just over $1M gave them little wiggle room. The team is banking on their core to step up and improve over last season’s first-round exit.
San Jose Sharks
Key Additions: Mikkel Boedker, David Schlemko
Key Departures: Nick Spaling, Dainius Zubrus, Roman Polak, James Reimer
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $995,832
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: After the Sharks finally made the Stanley Cup Finals, their offseason was uneventful. They took a flyer on Boedker, and will most likely find a backup goalie within the organization. The Sharks are tight against the cap this season, but face an onslaught of UFAs and the end of the year. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Brett Burns are all UFAs next summer, and the Sharks need to evaluate who they want to keep.
Vancouver Canucks
Key Additions: Loui Eriksson, Erik Gudbranson
Key Departures: Radim Vrbata, Linden Vey, Chris Higgins, Brandon Prust, Dan Hamhuis, Matt Bartkowski, Yannick Weber
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $2,771,250
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Canucks had an odd offseason, signing Eriksson and trading for Gudbranson. More trades were expected—but of a rebuilding variety. The Canucks have one more year of Ryan Miller and two more years of the Sedins, so its possible that they want to try to rebuild on the fly while they still have elite talent. Their defense took a hit by losing Hamhuis, and while Gudbranson was a highly touted prospect, he hasn’t evolved into the player scouts predicted.
Snapshots: Alzner, Vermette, Girgensons
After undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia in June, Karl Alzner reports (via Tarik El-Bashir of NBC) that everything is going according to plan and he should be ready when training camp opens. Because the hernia came alongside a groin injury, Alzner is not quite ready to write himself a clean bill of health:
I was working out after the first week [following the procedure], which was fast. The hernia is going to be fine. The only thing is the groin; I’m still waiting for that to be 100-percent.
Alzner is currently the active NHL leader in consecutive regular season games played, with 458 (also a Captials’ record) after only missing playoff games last season. He’ll look to continue that streak as a big part of the Captials defense.
- The Anaheim Ducks added a veteran forward today when they signed Antoine Vermette to a two-year contract, bringing in the recently bought-out center for $1.75MM per season. The Ducks released some of his thoughts on the matter today in a series of tweets, with Vermette discussing their rough play-style: “You play the Ducks, you know you’re in for a tough game. They’re skilled and big. I’m glad to be on their side.” Another tweet from Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register had Vermette saying that he didn’t expect the buyout, and that “at no point” did Arizona bring it up with him.
- It seems as though almost half the teams in the NHL have now been linked to Jimmy Vesey prior to him becoming a free agent at midnight tonight. While once again reporting that Buffalo is still in the hunt, Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News gives us an interesting tidbit at the end of his latest column. Harrington thinks it’s possible that the team would move Zemgus Girgensons if they were to be able to sign Vesey. Girgensons is currently a restricted free agent, and is coming off a down year in which he only scored 18 points. The former 14th-overall pick had a much better year in 2014-15 though, when he scored 15 goals and 30 points in just 61 games, leading some to believe he could be a key piece going forward for any rebuilding club.
Anaheim Signs Antoine Vermette
The Anaheim Ducks have added some depth to their bottom six, announcing that they have inked Antoine Vermette to a two year contract. TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports the deal carries a cap hit of $1.75MM.
Vermette was bought out of the final year of his contract by Arizona earlier this month despite collecting 17 goals and 21 assists to go along with a 55.9% success rate at the faceoff dot in 76 games with the Coyotes last season. As a result of doing so, Vermette will also collect $1.25MM from his former team for each of the next two years. That means instead of being guaranteed $3.75MM for 2015-16 and being unrestricted afterwards (his original contract), he is now guaranteed $6MM over the next two seasons so being bought out certainly worked out in his favor.
This will mark Vermette’s fifth team in his career as he has also suited up with Ottawa, Columbus, and Chicago. Overall, he has played in 910 career NHL contests, scoring 211 goals while adding 260 assists. He also has been a strong player on faceoffs throughout his career as he has won over 56% of the greater than 12,000 draws he has taken.
Vermette should likely slot in as the third or fourth center for the Ducks and also has played the left wing at times throughout his career, giving Anaheim some much needed flexibility inside their bottom six. He joins Mason Raymond and Jared Boll as new acquisitions up front for Anaheim this summer.
[Related: Updated Ducks’ Depth Chart]
The Ducks now have a little over $6.65MM in cap space to work with this offseason according to Cap Friendly. They have two of the 20 remaining restricted free agents in defenseman Hampus Lindholm and center Rickard Rakell.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.