Minor Signings
Here’s the latest on minor free agent signings, and one player to accept a tryout:
- James Mirtle reports that defenseman Stu Bickel, 29, has agreed to a tryout with the Anaheim Ducks. Bickel has no goals, but 10 assists in 76 career NHL games for the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild. He last appeared in the NHL in 2015. Bickel was originally signed by the Ducks as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
- General Fanager tweets that forward Danny Kristo has re-signed with the St. Louis Blues. It will be a one-year, two-way contract. Kristo’s salary will come in at $575K in the NHL, and $175K in the AHL. At 26, he’s never played a game in the NHL, despite being a secound round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2008. Kristo spent last year with the Blues’ AHL affiliates, the Chicago Wolves.
- Gold Star Sports Management say their client Roman Dyukov has signed a one-year contract with the Calgary Flames. The 20 year old Belarussian defenseman scored eight points in 32 games for Yunior Minsk last year, and played at the IIHF World Championships.
Minor Transactions: 8/1/16
Here is where we’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions:
- Former NHL’er Sergei Kostitsyn, who was seeking an NHL deal this summer, has signed a contract with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL, the Russian team announced (link in Russian). This marks the fourth different KHL squad in as many years for the 29 year old Belarusian. Kostitsyn spent time with both Nashville and Montreal from 2007-08 to 2012-13, picking up 67 goals and 109 assists in 353 games.
- New Jersey UFA defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani is also joining Dynamo Minsk on a one year deal, the team announced (link in Russian). Gragnani spent most of last year with the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Albany, collecting a goal and 30 assists in 57 games. He also skated in four games with New Jersey, being held pointless while averaging 14:22 per game. Gragnani has played in 78 career NHL contests with the Sabres, Canucks, Hurricanes, and Devils, scoring three goals and 15 assists.
- Former NHL blueliner Andrej Meszaros has signed a one year deal with Bratislava of the KHL, the Slovak team announced (link in Slovak). Meszaros played last season with Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL but before that, he spent parts of ten seasons in the NHL. He has 238 points (63 goals and 175 assists) in 645 career NHL contests with Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Boston, and Buffalo.
- Linus Omark, who last played in the NHL with Buffalo in 2014, has inked a two year extension with Salavat Yulaev of the KHL, the Russian team announced (link in Russian). Omark has long been thought of as one of the more talented players outside the NHL but has failed to produce in a couple of different NHL stints. He finished fifth in KHL scoring last season with 57 points in 60 games.
- Group 6 Free Agent Danny Kristo agreed to terms with the St. Louis Blues, inking a one year, two-way contrack worth $575K (NHL) / $175K (AHL). The American forward scored 25G and 23A in 75 games for the AHL Chicago Wolves.
- Stu Bickel agreed to a Professional Tryout with the Anaheim Ducks, according to Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle. Bickel spent last season with Anaheim’s AHL Affiliate San Diego Gulls, scoring 1G and 6A in 59 games.
- Arizona Coyotes’ first round draft pick Jakob Chychrun’s contract details were released today. The defenseman will receive the league maximum $925K a year for the length of his ELC, and up to $425K in Schedule A bonuses. The Coyotes moved up in the draft to select Chychrun with the 16th overall selection by taking on Pavel Datysuk’s contract from Detroit in exchange for the higher draft pick.
Anaheim Ducks’ Defense Crunch
When the Anaheim Ducks were eliminated this spring by the Nashville Predators in seven games, many pointed fingers at the poor performance of some of the top offensive options. Corey Perry had not scored a single goal, registering a -7 rating in the series, completely erased by a stifling Predator defense group. The Ducks’ defense, even in losing, were just as spectacular, keeping the Predators to only 14 goals in the series and moving the puck with relative ease from their end.
It’s this defense group though, that may be giving the Ducks’ front office the most headaches this summer, as there are furiously tough decisions to make in the coming months. Currently, it has seven men deserving of NHL spots, to say nothing of up-and-comers Shea Theodore and Brandon Montour, and NCAA transplant Andy Welinski.
The group consists of Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, Kevin Bieksa, Clayton Stoner, Josh Manson, Simon Despres and Hampus Lindholm all solid NHLers, with contracts to prove it. The group, led by Vatanen, is set to earn $20.65MM next season, not even including Lindholm’s yet-to-be-signed deal that could push $6MM AAV.
While every team needs depth on the blueline, not many can afford to put millions of dollars in the press box every night, waiting for an injury to happen. While Fowler’s name has been bandied about since the Ducks were eliminated, nothing concrete has come out about Anaheim’s true desire to move him. Indeed, it would be a tough decision to move any member of the group, as each comes with their own strengths.
With Lindholm and Rickard Rakell still to sign, and under $8.5MM to do it, the Ducks will be tight to the cap if they head into the season with all seven blueliners under contract. They also risk losing one of their prized defensemen next offseason, when the Las Vegas TBAs get to pluck unprotected players from unsuspecting clubs in the expansion draft. Bieksa has a no-movement clause, and will therefor be automatically protected, leaving just two more defense slots (or three, if the Ducks choose to go with the eight-skater option and leave a young forward unprotected).
Fowler still seems like the most likely candidate for trade, but there is little doubt that teams would be more interested in the extremely cheap Josh Manson who, while earning only $825K per season, rates well at both ends of the rink and could become a building block for a new team on the right side.
With the pipeline that Anaheim has created, they would do well to leverage it into some help up front. Their current group is getting older, headlined by Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler who will all turn 32 in the next calendar year and are already starting to see cracks form in their production. Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg form a dynamic young duo, but represent the only two threats at forward under 26 years of age for the Ducks going forward.
The Latest On Rickard Rakell’s Contract Talks
As we head towards August, the Anaheim Ducks still have two key restricted free agents to re-sign. One of those is forward Rickard Rakell, who is coming off a career year.
Rakell’s agent, Peter Wallen spoke with Eric Stephens of the OC Register regarding negotiations and said that “We are talking and I think we will find common ground for a solid agreement as I feel both parties seem to want that to happen very much”.
Rakell is coming off his entry-level contract and did not have any arbitration rights this offseason. He played in 72 games with the Ducks last season, collecting 20 goals and 23 assists, setting career highs in both categories. He also saw a significant increase in ice time from 12:34 per game in 2014-15 to 16:04 last year.
Anaheim currently has just over $8.4MM in cap space according to Cap Friendly but also still have defenseman Hampus Lindholm to re-sign. There may not enough space to sign both to long-term contracts so one of the two may be forced into taking a shorter-term bridge deal as a result.
If they opt for a long-term deal, Rakell is comparable to Hurricanes forward Victor Rask, who inked a six year, $24MM contract earlier this offseason. A deal like that would buy out all of the remaining RFA years plus a pair of UFA-eligible seasons. If they go the bridge route though, his stats the last couple of seasons are similar to San Jose’s Tomas Hertl, who signed a two year, $6MM pact late last month. Going that route would likely allow them to be able to sign Lindholm on a long-term contract this summer but would likely result in Rakell receiving a higher AAV down the road.
The preseason is still nearly two months away so there’s no rush to get something done with Rakell or Lindholm but if GM Bob Murray wants to make any more moves this offseason, he’ll likely need to get contracts done with both players to see how much cap and budget space he has left to work with.
Unresolved Off-Season Stories
Most of the focus of the off-season is on the top unrestricted free agents. Most of them are off the board by now, but there are still plenty of pressing plotlines left to be explored. Whether it’s extension talks, possible trades, or area of needs for a particular team, there’s still plenty left to do. Here are some of the biggest issues that are yet to be resolved.
- Kevin Shattenkirk: The Blues’ defenseman has been subject to trade rumors all summer, and for much of his career, with various sources linking him to the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. Several sources reported that the Oilers could have had him in exchange for Taylor Hall, and balked because he remained unsigned, had no intention of re-signing, and prefers to play on the east coast. Shattenkirk grew up in Westchester, and given their tendency to sign big name free agents, one may wonder if “east coast” mostly means the New York Rangers. This late into the summer, the Blues may have decided to hold onto him, given how close they were to last year’s finals.
- Rangers’ Cap: The Rangers managed to clear some space trading Derick Brassard to the Ottawa Senators for fellow center Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers have a lot of work to do, after falling off from a hot start, being unceremoniously dumped out of the first round of the playoffs by the eventual champion Pittburgh Penguins, and once again relying heavily on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who turned 34 in March. The Rangers also had several expensive players disappoint last year, including Marc Staal (signed until 2021), Dan Girardi (2020), and Rick Nash (2018). If they are to make a move for Shattenkirk, or make many improvements at all, they’ll have to clear cap space. Their second buyout window may tempt them into cutting their losses with Girardi, and there’s been trade speculation surround Nash for a while now.
- Stars’ Goaltending: No playoff team allowed more goals than the Dallas Stars this year, and in the entire league, only the Calgary Flames had a lower team save percentage. Two of the top available goaltenders, former Blue Brian Elliott, now of the Flames, and former Duck Frederik Andersen, now of the Maple Leafs, are off the market. There’s been a lot of talk about Tampa Bay’s Ben Bishop, given his pending free agent status, the Lightning’s cap situation, and the percieved promise of backup Andrei Vasilevskiy, who turns 22 on Monday. Still, a Stanley Cup contender in Tampa Bay may not be keen on moving an established star in Bishop, the runner up for this year’s Vezina trophy, to run with someone unproven. There aren’t a lot of other option out there, though there’s been trade talk surrounding the Penguins’ Marc-Andre Fleury, and they may end up having to wait until mid-season to get a goaltender. Incumbents Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen are under contract at $10.4MM combined per year in the mean time.
- Ducks’ Budget: The Ducks don’t really have a lot of work to do this offseason. They never did, having won their division, and clearly deciding that coaching was the problem, rather than their core of players. Still, they’re a budget team, with just under $65MM in budgetary commitments, though some of that will be eased by the Maple Leafs, having already paid half of the newly acquired Jonathan Bernier‘s salary in his July signing bonus. But they still have to sign restricted free agents Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm, and the betting was on the Ducks moving one of their young defensemen this off-season. The Ducks would probably do just about anything possible to keep Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, or Josh Manson, but they’ve displayed a willingness to move Cam Fowler for the right price. It’s difficult to say what exactly they’ll do now, given that the market clearly isn’t paying the Ducks’ asking price for Fowler, but it’s more likely they’ll lower their price for him than let someone like Lindholm go.
Ducks Re-Sign Stefan Noesen
The Ducks have reportedly re-signed one of their remaining free agents as General Fanager reports that they have inked right winger Stefan Noesen to a one year, two-way contract. Noesen will earn $600K at the NHL and $75K at the AHL level. There is also an additional $20K in guaranteed money meaning that he will receive a minimum of $95K.
Noesen is coming off his second full pro campaign (he missed all but two games of his first professional season due to injury) and spent most of last season with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego. He suited up in 65 games for the Gulls, recording 10 goals and 22 assists with 56 PIMS. Noesen also got into a single game with Anaheim for the second straight year, being held pointless.
Noesen was a first round pick of the Senators (21st overall) back in 2011. He was dealt to Anaheim in July of 2013 as part of the Bobby Ryan trade; Anaheim also landed Jakob Silfverberg and the draft pick used to select Nick Ritchie in that deal.
The Ducks still have a pair of restricted free agents to re-sign this offseason in C/RW Rickard Rakell and defenseman Hampus Lindholm. Neither player is on the arbitration docket. Anaheim has just over $8.4MM in cap space according to Cap Friendly which should be enough to get both players under contract for next season.
[Related: Ducks’ Depth Chart]
Snapshots: Bernier, Weber, Benn, Tavares, Patrick
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the Maple Leafs compensation for trading netminder Jonathan Bernier is contingent on a number of scenarios. According to Johnston, the only way the Leafs receive a draft pick is if the Ducks advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Johnston writes that there were four conditions placed on the trade.
The conditions, word for word from Johnston, are the following:
- If Bernier starts half of Anaheim’s playoff games next spring and the Ducks lose in the Stanley Cup Final, Toronto receives the Ducks’ 2017 third-round pick. (If Anaheim doesn’t still own that selection, it will transfer its next available third-rounder from a future year.)
- Should Anaheim trade Bernier to a team that starts him in half of its playoff games next spring and wins the Stanley Cup, Toronto receives the Ducks’ second-round pick.
- Should Anaheim trade Bernier to a team that starts him in half of its playoff games next spring and loses in the Stanley Cup Final, Toronto receives the Ducks’ third-round pick.
Failure to meet any of these conditions means Toronto misses out on a draft pick.
In other news around the league:
- The Shea Weber–P.K. Subban trade is still being talked about weeks after the trigger was pulled. The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell reports that fired analytics guru Matt Pfeffer called Weber “average,” but added that average players are “worth a heck of a lot.” Pfeffer, according to numerous reports, provided Canadiens management with a detailed report on the potential trade of Weber for Subban. His contract was not renewed. Campbell writes that Pfeffer believes the “eye test” still rules in NHL scouting circles, and that analytics have not been fully embraced throughout the league. Pfeffer also indicates that he holds no ill-will toward the Canadiens because they “gave him a shot.” Pfeffer knows that the maturation of analytics will take time, and that NHL teams use a number of different resources to make the final call on trades.
- Puck Daddy’s Ryan Lambert writes that Jamie Benn‘s rich new deal with the Stars can only mean good things for Islanders captain John Tavares. Lambert reports that Tavares has been the bargain of a lifetime for the Isles in terms of price, and knowing that he does similar, if not better work than Benn, a handsome payday should be in store. Lambert shows that without Tavares, the Isles depth chart gets pretty thin, and that the captain is also two years younger than Benn, only increasing his value. Tavares, he says, would have gotten paid no matter what. But he now has a better bargaining chip after Benn’s $9.5AAV deal.
- As many eyes turn to the 2017 NHL Draft, projected #1 pick Nolan Patrick is expected to play in training camp despite a sports hernia injury that will keep him out of Canada’s National Junior Development camp. The report from NHL.com says that Patrick should be ready for the Brandon Wheat Kings training camp which is slated for late August. Patrick paced the Wheat Kings to a WHL title, and was named the top playoff performer.
Snapshots: Trades, Cullen, Hall, Callahan
USA Today’s Kevin Allen writes today on eight teams he expects to be active in the trade market going forward, the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. While there are still several useful players left on the unrestricted free agent market, Allen suggests several teams are looking to either move out salary, or upgrade their teams via trade.
Allen suggests the Blues and Ducks would both like to add forwards, and could dangle defensemen to get it done. The Ducks have long been rumored to be willing to move Cam Fowler in exchange for forward help, and the Blues may be willing to move Kevin Shattenkirk, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017. All of the Oilers, Bruins, and Red Wings are said to be seeking defensemen, and the Oilers in particular have excess forwards who could be moved. Allen also suggessts defensemen Tyson Barrie of the Avalanche, Matt Dumba of the Wild, and Kevin Klein and Marc Staal of the Rangers may be shopped this summer. In the case of Klein and Staal, it would likely be in an effort to clear cap space, and it’s also possible the Rangers move forward Rick Nash, but his $7.8MM cap hit may make that difficult.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Recently acquired Devils forward Taylor Hall will switch from wearing the number four to the number nine, reports Scott Lewis at Sportsnet.ca. Hall had previously worn four for his entire NHL career, but it’s retired in New Jersey for former Devils’ captain Scott Stevens. There had been a previous controversy when Hall was given the number four in Edmonton, which had been retired for former defenseman and then Oilers’ President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe.
- Puck Daddy’s Josh Cooper reports today on deliberations over who will replace injured Lightning forward Ryan Callahan on the American team for the World Cup of Hockey. Cooper lists Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson, Buffalo’s Kyle Okposo, Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel, and New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri as potential replacements.
- Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford was quoted on Twitter by the Pittsburgh Tribune’s Bill West, saying they do have an offer out on center Matt Cullen, but suggests the money is less than his play last year would justify. Cullen, who turns 40 in November, had 16 goals and 16 assists in 82 games last year, helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup.
NHL Notes: RFA Defensemen
As we mentioned earlier this week, there are several very talented Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) who have yet to sign contracts for next season. Of the 24 RFA defensemen who played in the NHL last season, 15 of them averaged more than 15 minutes per game (minimum 25 GP). Despite the high value of young capable defensemen (see Larsson, Adam), it is the their teams who appear to have the upper hand in negotiations.
Let’s take a look at the top five unsigned defensemen:
1. Hampus Lindholm – Anaheim Ducks – The Ducks number one defenseman, Lindholm averaged 22:00 minutes per night last season with superior possession numbers. His 28 points were 54th among defensemen, but Lindholm is still a bona fide top-pairing option. Lindholm is likely looking for a long-term contract in the $5-6MM range, similar to the Morgan Rielly ($5MM, Seth Jones ($5.4MM), and Nick Leddy ($5.5MM). The Ducks would probably prefer something lower, in the Travis Hamonic ($3.86MM), Oscar Klefbom ($4.17MM), and Justin Faulk ($4.83MM) range. Anaheim is a budget team, and is already only $8.4MM away from the cap ceiling with Lindholm and Rickard Rakell still to sign. Lindholm is not eligible for arbitration, and an offer sheet seems unlikely given the current NHL climate.
2. Tyson Barrie – Colorado Avalanche – Barrie seems to be constantly featured in trade rumors, mainly due to his high-end offensive ability (49 points last season) and coach Patrick Roy’s apparent lack of confidence in him. It doesn’t help that the Avalanche have just $8.3MM in cap space before Barrie and Mikhail Grigorenko‘s arbitration hearings in late July. Barrie and his agent don’t need to look any further than teammate Eric Johnson‘s $6MM salary for a starting point; Barrie outscored Johnson by 22 points in similar time-on-ice.
3. Rasmus Ristolainen – Buffalo Sabres – Ristolainen lead the Sabres in ice-time by just under 500 minutes. He was also fourth in team scoring with 41 points. He’s also extremely big at 6’4, 207 lbs and mobile. Ristolainen is already the Sabres best defenseman, and he’ll only be 22 in October. The Sabres will look to sign him long-term somewhere in the Faulk to Rielly range. The Sabres have approximately $11MM in cap space and still need to lock up Marcus Foligno and Zemgus Girgensons.
4. Jacob Trouba – Winnipeg Jets – Trouba is in an interesting situation in Winnipeg: he’s considered a future top-pairing player, and is big, mobile, and right-handed. However, he’s blocked from playing top-four minutes by fellow right-handers Dustin Byfulgien and Tyler Myers. Trouba has played the left side before, but like most players performs better on his natural side. There seems to be two options for Trouba; he can sign a bridge-deal and earn a big payday in two seasons when Mark Stuart and Toby Enstrom are free agents, or he can holdout for the big payday now. There was some talk last month about the Bruins looking at Trouba as an offer sheet candidate, but that seems to have passed. He’s not eligible for arbitration, so the ball is in Winnipeg’s court.
5. Danny DeKeyser – Detroit Red Wings – With Niklas Kronwall turning 35 last season, DeKeyser appears poised to be the next big man on the Red Wings blueline. The two defensemen lead the team in ice time, and DeKeyser will likely pass Krowall in that regard next season. The 25-year-old DeKeyser put up just 20 points last season, however Mike Green was the only defenseman who scored more. DeKeyser is scheduled for arbitration on July 28, but could very likely come to a longer agreement with the Red Wings before then.
Free Agent Profile: Brandon Pirri
Now that Shane Doan is officially off the market – although no one really expected the veteran winger to leave the desert – there are few options remaining for teams looking to add offense to their lineups. Yesterday we profiled five of the top forwards remaining in free agency that could conceivably fit the bill. One of those players, Brandon Pirri, noticably stuck out on that list due to his relative youth compared to his unemployed peers.
It’s not usually surprising that aging veterans whose best seasons are clearly in the rear view mirror might linger on the market well into the summer. In fact, many will either be forced to accept training camp invites or face the prospect of retirement. However, it’s exceedingly rare for one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers – based on rate stats – and who is still just 25-years-old, to be waiting for his next contract into the middle of July.
Pirri tallied 14 goals and 29 points last year in 61 games, splitting the season between Florida and Anaheim. The Ducks had acquired the 6-foot, 183-pound forward from the Panthers at the trade deadline in exchange for a sixth-round draft choice. The year prior, Pirri netted 22 goals in 61 contests, albeit with an amazingly low 2 assists, for the Panthers.
Over the last three seasons, Pirri has averaged 0.95 goals for every 60 minutes of ice time he sees at five-on-five play. That rate places him 30th in the NHL among all forwards who have suited up for a minimum of 120 games during that span. In terms of even-strength goal scoring prowess, Pirri is certainly among the best in the game.
Based on overall point-production, however, Pirri ranks just 203rd over the past three seasons in points-per-hour, due in large part to his 2014-15 tally of just two helpers. That ranking would seem to place him outside of a top-six role when it comes to offensive contributions.
Goal scoring is typically sought after and usually rewarded in free agency. Pirri’s continued presence on the open market is a bit of a mystery. It’s possible teams are scared off due to his low assists total from two seasons ago. Though it should be noted, if we remove that outlier from his career numbers, Pirri actually has two more assists than goals scored in his career and typically teams don’t pay as much attention to extreme statistical outliers.
Whatever the reason, it seems clear teams are hesitant about employing Pirri. He’s suited up for three NHL clubs over the last three campaigns and despite quality offensive numbers at the time of the trade, the Ducks obtained him from Florida for the lowly cost of a sixth-round draft pick. After the season, Anaheim elected not to qualify Pirri, a move that may have struck some as a bit surprising. He was eligible for arbitration and goals tend to be given extra weight when arbitrators decide on a player’s salary. It’s possible the Ducks wanted to avoid that process altogether. Nonetheless Pirri is free to sign with any team willing to give him a chance to show off his goal scoring acumen.
Potential Fits
New Jersey – The Devils finished last in the NHL in scoring this past season but have already added top-line LW Taylor Hall to the mix and expect their best returning offensive player, Mike Cammalleri, to be healthy at the outset of the upcoming campaign. A look at the club’s depth chart, courtesy of our partner site, Roster Resource, indicates the Devils have plenty of forward options so their interest in Pirri would likely be tepid at best.
Edmonton – Even though the Oilers have filled the hole they created when shipping the aforementioned Hall to Jersey by signing Milan Lucic, they could still use an upgrade over Mark Letestu at the third-line pivot position. Edmonton finished 25th in scoring and didn’t necessarily improve in that department by swapping out Hall for Lucic.
Columbus – If the Blue Jackets are ever able to offload winger Scott Hartnell they could be in the market for another goal scorer. But it’s possible the team would rather reinvest any savings from a Hartnell move into their defense as they have a number of quality forward prospects ready to make the jump to Columbus.
Los Angeles – Currently the Kings list Dwight King, Kyle Clifford and Dustin Brown as top-nine wingers. King’s career best in the goal socring department is 15 while Clifford has never tallied more than seven in any single season. Meanwhile, Brown’s days as a productive player capable of adequately manning a top-nine role may well be over. On a cheap contract the Kings could make sense for Pirri.
Expected Contract
Considering Anaheim passed on qualifying Pirri at just more than $1MM annually and given how late in the free agent season it is now, it’s not likely Pirri is going to find a deal representing much of a raise over the $925K he earned this past season. As such, a team like the Kings might be a terrific fit for Pirri on a one-year, make good deal at right around $1MM.