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Edmonton Oilers Sign Stuart Skinner

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed Stuart Skinner to a new two-year, two-way contract. The deal comes with a $750K average annual value at the NHL level. Skinner was a restricted free agent but did not qualify for salary arbitration.

For a team like the Oilers, who have several aging goalies at the NHL level, a prospect like Skinner is very important. The 22-year-old netminder had a strong season for the Bakersfield Condors in 2020-21, posting a 20-9-1 record with a .914 save percentage in 31 games. That minor league success is promising and hopefully points to a future with the Oilers down the road.

While that NHL future may not be this season, having a homegrown talent take over in net at some point would be a huge win for the Edmonton front office. Since the cap era started in 2005-06, the team has constantly cycled through veteran after veteran, while failing to really develop many of their own draft picks. Devan Dubnyk was the exception to that, but he’s been gone for years now and experienced his best years elsewhere.

With a group that includes Mike Smith, Mikko Koskinen and Alex Stalock signed for this season, there may not be much room for Skinner. But two of those goaltenders are unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2021-22 season, which could potentially open a spot for a young backup. The fact that Skinner is still waiver-exempt helps this year, but that designation will end after the upcoming season. A two-year contract opens up the chance that he could be a league-minimum option for them in 2022-23.

New York Rangers Sign Ty Ronning

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The New York Rangers announced three contracts today, two of which had already been reported. The one-year deals for Tim Gettinger and Adam Huska are now official; joining them is Ty Ronning who has also agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Ronning was a restricted free agent and not eligible for arbitration. Ronning’s deal is worth the league-minimum $750,000 with $75,000 in minor-league pay, per CapFriendly.

Originally a seventh-round pick in 2016, likely more to do with his name–he’s the son of long-time NHL forward Cliff Ronning–than his play, the 23-year-old forward has developed into a legitimate scoring threat in the minor leagues. Ronning had 10 goals and 18 points in 18 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack this season, continuing what has been a pattern to this point. In the 2017-18 season he scored 61 goals for the Vancouver Giants, and then for two seasons was nearly a point-per-game player in the ECHL.

None of the three should be impact players on the Rangers this year, but do offer real value to the AHL club. The undersized Ronning has always found a way to contribute offensively and he should find no trouble in that task for Hartford.

Vince Dunn Avoids Arbitration, Signs With Seattle Kraken

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The Seattle Kraken have avoided arbitration with restricted free agent defenseman Vince Dunn, agreeing to a two-year contract worth $8MM. Dunn was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 14, but will no longer need it. GM Ron Francis released a short statement:

Vince is a mobile, puck-moving defenseman that can help generate offense from our blueline. He’s a smooth skater that helps drive possession and plays a physical game.

Dunn, 24, was the team’s selection from the St. Louis Blues in the expansion draft, picked over the exposed Vladimir Tarasenko and other options. The reason for it, and for this hefty raise, is the offensive upside that Dunn has demonstrated in the early part of his career. Since entering the league in 2017-18, Dunn’s 32 goals actually tie him for 27th among NHL defenders, despite averaging just over 17 minutes a night.

Even with a handful of healthy scratches this season for the Blues, that average ice time actually increased to more than 19 minutes a night as he began to earn more trust from the coaching staff. Make no mistake, Dunn can be a polarizing player and still will have his fair share of defensive lapses, but on a team like Seattle that will be looking for someone to run the top powerplay, he should find plenty of success.

In fact, there’s a good chance that Dunn leads all Kraken defensemen in scoring in their first season, given the alternatives. Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Carson Soucy are all much more defensive options, and though Mark Giordano–the 2019 Norris winner–has obvious offensive talent, he’ll also be 38 when the season starts. In that context, paying Dunn $4MM might make some sense, but it also comes with some significant risk for the Kraken.

Not only could he struggle enough defensively to offset his offense and make him a net negative, but if the team goes through some growing pains he will be much harder to trade at that number. Right now, Dunn represents a ton of untapped offensive potential. If he is given more responsibility and the numbers don’t improve, the Kraken are looking at an expensive, underperforming asset.

That gamble is one that Francis and company is willing to take, especially with the amount of cap space they have right now. Even after signing Dunn and Marcus Johansson earlier today, the team is still nearly $10MM under the cap ceiling. Dennis Cholowski, Carsen Twarynski, Kole Lind and Cale Fleury remain unsigned, but none of the four are arbitration-eligible.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the deal on Twitter

Montreal Canadiens Avoid Arbitration With Michael McNiven

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The Montreal Canadiens won’t be going to arbitration with Michael McNiven after all. The minor league goaltender has settled on a one-year, two-way contract with Montreal, which will carry an NHL salary of $750K. McNiven was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 11, but will no longer need it.

The 24-year-old McNiven would have been an interesting arbitration case, given he still hasn’t played a single game in the NHL. In fact, he has spent more time in the ECHL the last few seasons than anywhere else, splitting 22 games between the Adirondack Thunder, Jacksonville Icemen and Norfolk Admirals in 2019-20. This season he played 13 games for the Laval Rocket and went 7-3-3, even with a save percentage of just .895.

There have been clear signs of success for the undrafted netminder, but McNiven’s career has been marked by inconsistency both in his play and his assignment. He has never remained at a single level for a full season, including this year when he was routinely called up to the taxi squad when the Canadiens were dealing with injuries. The epitome of organizational depth at this point, it seems that he’ll be used just wherever Montreal needs him at the time.

In terms of an NHL future, McNiven is obviously behind the tandem of Carey Price and Jake Allen, but has also been passed on the depth chart by 21-year-old Cayden Primeau, who has six NHL appearances over the last two seasons.

Brandon Hagel Signs With Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed Brandon Hagel to a three-year contract, one that will carry an average annual value of $1.5MM. Hagel was a restricted free agent and not eligible for salary arbitration. PuckPedia has the full contract breakdown:

  • 2021-22: $1.0MM
  • 2022-23: $1.45MM
  • 2023-24: $2.05MM

Hagel, 22, has come a very long way from being the 159th overall selection in 2016. That pick was made by the Buffalo Sabres, but by 2018 a contract hadn’t been worked out. The undersized forward became an unrestricted free agent but wasn’t snatched up by any other NHL team. He returned to the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL as an overager without a contract, and started to go to work on his younger opponents. By the end of October, he had 12 goals and 28 points in 15 games, enough to earn an entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.

In 2019-20, he would score 19 goals and 31 points in 59 games for the Rockford IceHogs, showing he could hang at the professional level. This year, he took that impressive performance to the NHL, scoring nine goals and 24 points in 52 games for the Blackhawks. A player that just can’t stop scoring, Hagel is now a building block for Chicago and locked up through a good chunk of his restricted free agency.

It’s a bit of a crowded field in the Blackhawks forward group, after adding names like Adam Gaudette and Henrik Borgstrom down the stretch, plus Tyler Johnson and Jujhar Khaira this summer, but Hagel should be secure in his role. The team will be able to mix and match the lines to find the right balance of veterans and youth, especially with the return of captain Jonathan Toews in the middle of the ice.

Chase Priskie Signs With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers have re-signed Chase Priskie, bringing him back on a one-year, two-way contract. Priskie was eligible for salary arbitration but decided not to file. The financial details have not yet been released.

Priskie, 25, will be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency next summer, unless he somehow secures a full-time spot on the Panthers blueline. That’s unlikely given he hasn’t played a single game above the AHL to this point, but he can still represent some valuable depth for the upcoming season.

Signed by the Carolina Hurricanes after deciding to test free agency in the summer of 2019, Priskie was actually the top college player available when draft rights expired that August. He was seen as a player that could potentially push for an NHL roster spot quickly, given his success at the college level, but the Hurricanes put him in the minor leagues with the Charlotte Checkers given their already full defensive group. In Charlotte, he recorded 31 points in 52 games, but was included in a deadline trade to acquire Vincent Trocheck.

In Florida, he still hasn’t cracked the NHL, and given he is still waiver-exempt for another year, might have to wait for an injury (or several) to get his chance.

Nashville Predators Sign Dante Fabbro

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The Nashville Predators have locked up a young defenseman, signing Dante Fabbro to a two-year contract. The deal will carry a salary of $2.4MM in both years, and means that the two sides will no longer need their arbitration hearing scheduled for August 20.

Fabbro, 23, has become everything the Predators hoped for when they selected him 17th overall in 2016, stepping into a top-four role on the team the last two seasons. He averaged more than 19 minutes a night through 40 appearances this year, registering 12 points. That role is only expected to increase now that Ryan Ellis was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, leaving Fabbro as the team’s top right-handed defenseman. There are others who will fight for those minutes, but Fabbro likely has the inside track on that open spot next to captain Roman Josi.

Even if he doesn’t end up on that pairing, there will be a big chance for Fabbro to show some more offensive upside for the Predators as well. At Boston University in 2018-19, Fabbro was dynamic with the puck on his stick, racking up 33 points in 38 games. While he’ll likely never become a true powerplay quarterback, the team will need him to add a little more offense moving forward.

If he does, it could be a big payday for the young defenseman two years from now. For now, this contract leaves the team with plenty of cap space, though at least a good chunk of it will be eaten up by restricted free agent Juuse Saros. The 26-year-old goaltender is going to get a huge raise after his Vezina-caliber season, but still, the Predators could have been even more aggressive during free agency. Perhaps GM David Poile is looking at a salary cap that isn’t expected to see any significant movement for several years and isn’t willing to overspend, but the team currently sits with more than $17.6MM in room as the season approaches.

In Fabbro’s case specifically, the team has set themselves up for massive excess value if he can take another step forward and become a top-pairing player. That alone would make this a win for the Predators, even if their overall strategy this offseason—moving on from key players like Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson while re-signing Mikael Granlund to a $20MM contract—has left some questioning whether they’re trying to contend or rebuild.

Pittsburgh Penguins Avoid Arbitration With Zach Aston-Reese

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Another player has avoided the dreaded arbitration hearing, as Zach Aston-Reese signs a one-year, $1.725MM contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Aston-Reese’s hearing was scheduled for August 23, but will no longer be required. GM Ron Hextall released a short statement on the deal:

Zach is a versatile forward that brings energy and edge to our lineup. He is a responsible, two-way player and we’re glad we were able to re-sign him.

One of 17 players to file for salary arbitration, Aston-Reese is already the fourth to settle before a hearing happens. The arbitration process is not a rewarding one, so teams and players almost often try to avoid it if possible. In this case, Aston-Reese is settling for a raise of just $725K over the salary he’s earned in each of the last two seasons.

An undrafted free agent signing out of Northeastern University, the 26-year-old Aston-Reese has proven to be a versatile player for the Penguins, moving up and down the lineup as needed. He’s not a top scoring threat by any means but did still chip in nine goals in 45 games this season. In 161 games overall, he has 27 goals and 51 points. Those numbers wouldn’t have helped him much in arbitration, which often focuses on counting stats over other contributions.

Still, he gets a slight raise and will now walk directly into unrestricted free agency next summer. Aston-Reese will turn 27 in just a few days and still figures into the Penguins lineup, though where exactly he fits isn’t clear. The team now has 13 forwards on one-way contracts, including nine being paid more than his $1.725MM. Even though the team lost Jared McCann and Brandon Tanev through the expansion process, things are still pretty crowded for the Penguins upfront.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff broke the news on Twitter

Ottawa Senators Avoid Arbitration With Victor Mete

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The Ottawa Senators have reached an agreement with Victor Mete, avoiding arbitration with a one-year contract at $1.2MM. Mete was one of the 17 players who filed for salary arbitration earlier this week, but won’t need it with this new contract. GM Pierre Dorion released a short statement explaining the deal:

Victor was a really solid addition to our defence corps over the last month of the season last year. He’s mobile, poised and defensively aware. We’re looking forward to seeing his progression in our lineup in 2021-22.

The 23-year-old Mete was buried down the Montreal Canadiens depth chart to start the 2020-21 season, not even seeing a single game until his agent made some noise in the media. A few months later, he found himself on waivers and quickly snatched up by the rebuilding Senators.

In 14 games with the Senators down the stretch, the young defenseman saw increased minutes and was actually given a more defensive deployment. He contributed to the penalty kill and even saw a bit of time on the powerplay, suggesting the Senators saw a bright future for the fourth-round pick.

Now with this new contract, Mete will continue to be a regular part of the Senators blueline, but certainly isn’t guaranteed a big role. Five other defensemen are on one-way contracts worth more, and he’s tied with Josh Brown at $1.2MM. Still, for a rebuilding club, there’s a good chance that Mete could provide some excess value and set himself up for a bigger payday next summer.

St. Louis Blues Sign Zach Sanford

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The St. Louis Blues have agreed to terms with Zach Sanford on a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration with the young restricted free agent. The deal will carry a salary of $2MM. Sanford was one of 17 players who elected salary arbitration earlier this week.

With a $2MM Sanford in tow, the Blues now have just about $1.5MM in cap space with Robert Thomas still to sign. That number can be finessed a bit by dropping the number of players on the roster, but realistically will need a Vladimir Tarasenko trade if the Blues want to sign Thomas to a long-term deal. Otherwise, they could go short-term with him as well, just as they have with Sanford and Jordan Kyrou, who recently inked a two-year deal.

This contract for Sanford is interesting though, because it will walk the 26-year-old forward right to unrestricted free agency next summer. The 6’4″ forward is coming off a disappointing season which ended with just 16 points in 52 games. That’s a big step backward from his 2019-20 campaign that included 16 goals and 30 points in 58 games.

With that in mind, this is kind of a “prove it” deal for Sanford, to establish himself as a valuable secondary scoring threat or simply a bottom-six depth player. If he can do more than just contribute at the defensive end of the rink, he’ll could be one of the most sought-after free agents next summer. If those scoring totals don’t come up though, there’s no guarantee he even gets more than the $2MM St. Louis is comitting to him this time around.

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