Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Arbitration

Alex Nedeljkovic To Avoid Group VI Unrestricted Free Agency

at CDT | by 1 Comment

At the beginning of the season, Alex Nedeljkovic seemed like his time in the Carolina Hurricanes organization was running out. Despite being the 37th overall pick in 2014 and having lots of success at the minor league level, the undersized goaltender hadn’t really ever been given a chance in the NHL. It seemed the Hurricanes were ready to move on when they claimed Anton Forsberg off waivers and then exposed the 25-year-old Nedeljkovic to the rest of the league, but when he went unclaimed, plans changed. He could then be put on the taxi squad, meaning Forsberg was suddenly expendable.

But still, a split between the Hurricanes and Nedeljkovic was fast approaching. Given his age and minimal NHL experience, he was a prime candidate to be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. He would be able to sign with whatever team he wanted and the Hurricanes would essentially lose him a few years early. Unless, of course, they found 20 games for him somehow in this shortened 56-game schedule. That seemed impossible with Petr Mrazek and James Reimer both on the roster, given he’d only played in six NHL games previously.

The impossible has happened, as Nedeljkovic was given an opportunity to run with the starting job when Mrazek suffered a long-term injury. Now 12-4-3 on the season with an eye-popping .930 save percentage, Nedeljkovic will start his 20th game tonight, meaning he is no longer eligible for Group VI UFA status (provided he makes it through 30 minutes of this evening’s match). Instead, he will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and one of the most interesting cases to watch this offseason.

Carolina hasn’t committed yet to any goaltender for the 2021-22 season, as both Reimer and Mrazek are on expiring contracts. Both of the veterans will be unrestricted free agents. Nedelkjovic meanwhile could potentially have stolen the job long-term, if the front office believes this performance is indicative of his true talent level (or close to it). There’s a good argument to be made that he should be in consideration for the Calder and Vezina trophies as he currently leads the league in save percentage and goals-against average. He hasn’t played as much as some of the leaders—Juuse Saros, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Marc-Andre Fleury have all started at least 30 games—but as head coach Rod Brind’Amour continues to give him starts, he’s inching towards his totals being “enough” for voters to take notice.

For a goaltender who was available for nothing at the start of the season, it’s been quite the turnaround for Nedeljkovic. It’s about to pay off handsomely in the offseason, even if he will be now be restricted.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Expansion Draft Issues: Several Teams Have Moves To Make Before July 17

at CDT | by 26 Comments

The trade deadline may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be any more trades over the courses of the remainder of the league year. The NHL Expansion Draft is right around the corner, with protection lists due on July 17, ahead of the draft on July 21. By that time, all 30 participating teams must be able to submit a protection list that complies with the exposure requirements of the draft. As a reminder, teams may protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and a goalie or eight skaters and a goalie. However, they must also expose two forwards and one defenseman signed beyond this season and who have played in 27 NHL games this season or 54 games over the past two seasons, as well as a goaltender under team control beyond this season.

For many teams, this is easier said than done though. Long-term forwards and defensemen with considerable games played who are also deemed expendable are not all that common. With the trade deadline completed, teams are stuck with the group that they have unless they decide to make a trade in the time between their regular season end or postseason elimination and the week of the draft. Some can solve their problems internally, while others may be more hard pressed. Based on their most likely protection scheme, here are the teams with work to do:

Calgary Flames

Problem Area: Forward

Internal Solutions: The Flames may be having a difficult season, but they have a talented top-six who are all signed long-term. Except, that’s where the term forwards end. If Calgary cannot convince Milan Lucic to waive his No-Movement Clause, the team will be missing both of their required forwards for exposure by protecting Looch and the top-six. Even if Lucic does waive, the team will need to make another forward available to Seattle. RFA Dillon Dube meets the games played criteria, but the team is likely to protect the young forward or, if not, will not do anything to make him more attractive to the Kraken. That leaves fellow RFA Dominik Simon and impending UFA’s Derek Ryan, Josh Leivo, and Joakim Nordstrom, as well as Brett Ritchie with six more games played, as other names who could earn extensions due to otherwise meeting the exposure criteria.

Likelihood of a Trade: Medium. With so many affordable, bottom-six role players that the team could hand new one-year deals, the Flames have options. However, if Lucic does not waive and the team feels pressured to re-sign two of those players, they may look for outside help rather than bring back too much of a forward corps that has underachieved this year.

Colorado Avalanche

Problem Area: Forward

Internal Solutions: As one of the top scoring team’s in the NHL, the Avalanche will want to keep as much of their forward corps as they can and with the likes of Gabriel Landeskog and Brandon Saad heading to free agency and not in need of protection, the team can do just that. However, if Colorado does protect their top nine scoring forwards minus Landeskog and Saad, that leaves them with, at best, one forward to expose and zero if they choose to protect both Valeri Nichushkin and J.T. Compher. If the Avs do choose to protect the duo, that should leave RFA Tyson Jost unprotected, who they could extend in order to meet the exposure requirement. However, Jost has arbitration rights and may not rush into a new deal. Other candidates to re-sign would be UFA’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Carl Soderberg, or Matt Calvert. Fortunately, the Avalanche have an even easier internal fix and that is simply playing Logan O’Connor five more times before the end of the season.

Likelihood of a Trade: Low. Between playing O’Connor and exposing one of Nichushkin or Compher, Colorado may not have to make any move at all. If they do, they have options. Who wouldn’t want to re-sign in Colorado right now, even if its only for the purpose of being expansion draft fodder.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Problem Area: Forward

Internal Solutions: It’s easy to guess six forwards that the Blue Jackets will protect, but the seventh is a bit trickier. Do they expose star Gustav Nyquist, who has missed the whole season due to injury and is on a substantial contract and on the wrong side of 30? Or do they expose Eric Robinson, who has been a hard-working depth presence this season but has limited upside? Well, if they choose to protect either one, it only leave the other as meeting exposure criteria. Only if both are exposed is Columbus good to go and that scenario seems unlikely. However, the only forward currently meeting the requirements other than term is RFA Kevin Stenlund, though UFA Mikhail Grigorenko requires only two more games played (and a new contract).

Likelihood of a Trade: High. The Blue Jackets surely want to bring Stenlund back, but he has arbitration rights and may not be keen to sign quickly just to help with expansion requirements. If a Stenlund deal can’t be reached sooner rather than later, Columbus may not have a choice but to bring someone in from the outside. A Grigorenko extension seems unlikely, as does exposing both Nyquist and Robinson.

Dallas Stars

Problem Area: Forward

Internal Solutions: The Stars’ protection scheme at forward is fairly obvious, as they have seven core forwards who stand out above the rest. However, those seven are also the only regular forwards with term on their contracts. Of all other expansion-draft eligible forwards for Dallas, only Joel L’Esperance has additional time on his current deal and he cannot reach the games played requirement. As a result, the Stars must find two forwards to expose, whereas most of these other problematic teams can at least scrounge up one forward. Among the options to re-sign are veteran UFA’s Blake Comeau and Andrew Cogliano or younger UFA’s Tanner Kero and Justin Dowling. However, it may be easier to re-up an RFA like Jason Dickinson or, with three more games, Nicholas Caamano. 

Likelihood of a Trade: Medium. The Stars have a number of options, many of whom will likely re-sign at some point anyhow or else Dallas will have to rebuild their bottom-six from scratch. However, with two slots to fill there is always a chance that acquiring a player could be easier than negotiating a pair of early extensions.

New Jersey Devils

Problem Area: Forward

Internal Options: A rebuilding Devils team has a number of regular forwards who are ineligible for the draft and many others, protected or not, who are restricted free agents. What they lack is many term forwards, especially of the the expendable variety. While New Jersey could go in a few different direction with their protected list, the reality is simply that they have only five draft-eligible forwards who are signed beyond this season and at least four of those are locks to be protected. The x-factor is Andreas Johnsson. The first-year Devil has fallen well short of expectations and it would not be a surprise to see him exposed, leaving the team with just one spot to fill to meet the quota. However, if they are determined to give Johnsson a second chance and not lose him for nothing, then that becomes two slots that must be filled. The other problem in New Jersey is that the team doesn’t want to give Seattle any added incentive to steal some of their promising young players. Michael McLeod, Janne Kuokkanen, Yegor Sharangovich, and Nathan Bastian would all meet the exposure criteria if extended, but it’s safe to assume that the Devils will protect two or three of that group and may not be too excited to lose any of the others. Nick Merkley, who requires seven more games played and a new deal, could be seen as more expendable and may be okay with accepting a quick extension, even if it just for expansion purposes.

Likelihood of a Trade: High. With the possibility that New Jersey could protect Johnsson and, in any scenario, will want to steer the Kraken away from their young forwards if at all possible, the Devils seem like a prime candidate to bring in some outside help with meeting exposure criteria.

San Jose Sharks

Problem Area: Forward

Internal Options: Much like the Stars, the Sharks are not an elite team right now, but possess a solid group of top-six forwards who will all be protected. Also like Dallas though, the team has complete lack of long-term commitment to any forward outside of that group. The only other eligible forward signed beyond this season is Jayden Halbgewachs, who has not played a single NHL game, nevertheless enough to meet the requirement. There is not a great list of internal options to re-sign either. Of the players who would meet exposure criteria with an extension, Patrick Marleau is likely to retire, Marcus Sorensen seems to need a fresh start in free agency, and one of Rudolfs Balcers and Dylan Gambrell is likely to be the seventh forward protected. That really leaves UFA Matt Nieto as the lynchpin. If the Sharks can re-up Nieto and whoever they don’t protect between Balcers and Gambrell, they are good to go. If Nieto isn’t keen to re-sign and if Balcers or Gambrell wish to pursue arbitration, the Sharks will be stuck without any forwards to expose.

Likelihood of a Trade: High. The Sharks are in as tough a position as any team on this list. If left exposed, Washington native Gambrell seems like a very likely pick by Seattle, but San Jose needs to meet the exposure quota all the same. That could involve bringing in one if not two forwards before the draft. There simply aren’t many other options on the roster.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Problem Area: Forward OR Defense (Scheme-Dependent)

Internal Options: It should come as no surprise that a team build entirely on a small, expensive core group and veterans on affordable, one-year deals is not well-prepared for the expansion draft. Of the ten Toronto skaters who currently meet the exposure criteria, four are forwards that will be protected in any scenario and three are defensemen that will be protected in any scenario. This leaves Alex Kerfoot at forward and Justin Holl on defense(with Pierre Engvall as the odd man out will likely be exposed regardless); only one can be protected and the other is the most likely Leaf to be selected. If the Maple Leafs value Holl more than Kerfoot, they will go with eight skaters in their protection list. In this scenario, they will not have any defensemen who meet the exposure criteria. Fortunately, any of RFA Travis Dermott or UFA’s Zach Bogosian or Ben Hutton could re-sign and fill that role. Alternatively, if the team values Kerfoot more than Holl, they will go with the standard 7-3 protection scheme. This would allow them to protect Kerfoot as well as extend and protect others like Zach Hyman, Joe Thornton, or Jason Spezza. Those three would all meet exposure requirements as well with a new deal, but Toronto will not offer them up to Seattle. Wayne Simmonds, Riley Nash, or Alex Galchenyuk could be more likely though. Unfortunately, these are all unrestricted free agents and not as easy to re-sign before the off-season as a restricted free agent. The Leafs could find themselves in a bind as a result.

Likelihood of a Trade: Low. There is still so much to be determined about the Leafs’ approach to the draft and they have options either way and player who would likely be eager to re-sign. It’s not a straightforward situation by any means, but they should be able to figure it out without taking the risk of adding salary that they can’t spare by making a trade.

Winnipeg Jets

Problem Area: Forward

Internal Options: The Jets are known for their depth at forward and eight of their top-nine meet the exposure criteria as a result, with RFA Andrew Copp not fitting the bill but almost certain to be protected anyway. The decision for the seventh and final protection slot is likely between the recently-extended Adam Lowry and upstart Mason Appleton. Whoever isn’t protected fills one of the two exposure roles. However, no one else is currently eligible. Extension candidates include UFA’s Mathieu Perreault, Trevor Lewis, and Nate Thompson, but Winnipeg may not necessarily want to commit further to any of those three. The solution: Jansen Harkins is signed through next season and requires just four more games to meet exposure level.

Likelihood of Trade: Low. Just play Harkins and move on. The list of teams in trouble is already long enough.

 

Latest On Nikita Zadorov, Chicago Blackhawks

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Chicago Blackhawks were reportedly listening to offers for defenseman Nikita Zadorov at the NHL Trade Deadline, but ultimately decided not to move him. However, that doesn’t mean that the two sides will stay together for much longer. As Ben Pope writes for the Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks have dropped some hints that they are not content with the big blue liner and time is running out for him to prove himself.

Zadorov, 25, is in his first season in Chicago after coming over from the Colorado Avalanche in the Brandon Saad trade this past off-season. The Blackhawks hoped that Zadorov would step into a lineup that was missing many difference-makers on the back end and would transform into a bona fide top pair defenseman. While Zadorov has still been impressive as a physical force and solid defender, there has not been much else to praise about Zadorov’s game this season. He has been firmly entrenched as a second-pair defender in terms of time on ice, is fifth in defensive scoring and even lower in per-game production, and is on pace for a career-high in giveaways, even in a shortened season. Zadorov has merely continued to play the same role in Chicago as he did in Colorado, that of a complementary stay-at-home defenseman. While that is not without value, it isn’t what was expected of the 2013 first-round pick and may not be worth the cost to the Blackhawks. The team has not-so-subtly expressed their frustration recently, acquiring a younger and similar style of defender in Riley Stillman and then making Zadorov a healthy scratch on deadline day after discussing him with other teams beforehand.

This off-season, Zadorov presents a number of challenges to Chicago. The impending restricted free agent will need a new contract, which at a minimum will require a $3.2MM qualifying offer. However, despite his underwhelming effort this season, Zadorov can probably argue for making more than that and has the option to file for arbitration to support that claim. The problem for the Blackhawks is that they have very few contracts coming off the books this off-season and are projected to have limited cap flexibility to make other moves. Retaining Zadorov at a higher number even further reduces that cap space without making a material change to their roster, which is only a fringe playoff team this season. A potential arbitration case makes using their cap space even more problematic. If the relatively young blue liner demands a long-term deal as well, that becomes an issue with a number of young players already pushing for play time. Beyond the actual contract, the only way that Chicago can ensure that they even retain Zadorov’s RFA rights beyond July 21 is to protect him in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft. With Duncan Keith and Connor Murphy as virtual locks to be protecting, adding Zadorov to that group would mean exposing valuable veteran Calvin de Haan and the recently-acquired Stillman. Yet, if they don’t protect Zadorov he could very easily be selected and lost for nothing.

In order to avoid a difficult expansion decision and possible contract battle and arbitration case, the Blackhawks may decide to re-ignite trade talks for Zadorov once their season has come to an end. Until then, Pope notes that Zadorov will be given every chance to prove that he is worthy of a longer look in Chicago. With de Haan and Adam Boqvist currently injured and the Blackhawks fighting for a playoff spot, Zadorov has the chance to step up and finally show that he can be a complete top-four defenseman. If he succeeds, perhaps all of the off-season issues fall by the wayside in favor of keeping a rare physical specimen and good young defender at all costs. However, if he falters then the partnership between the Blackhawks and Zadorov could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Trade Deadline Primer: Dallas Stars

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Although we’re just two months into the season, the trade deadline is already less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Dallas Stars.

The simple truth is that the Dallas Stars cannot be true buyers at the deadline. Yes, the team currently has $4MM in unused LTIR space, but that will disappear when starting goalie Ben Bishop returns to action. Without any cap space, any trade that the team makes will have to be a hockey deal with a salary going out in order to bring a salary in. With those types of deals more unlikely this season than in most years, the Stars might not have much choice at the deadline.

True, they are within reach of a playoff spot and could certainly stand to improve their roster. However, this is a team that just won the Western Conference last season and hopes to have Tyler Seguin and Bishop back this year. Those internal additions may be enough to get them to the postseason and make them a potential threat. Even then, the Stars likely face a Stanley Cup rematch with the Tampa Bay Lightning right away. There simply isn’t enough upside to be buyers, even if there was flexibility.

Could they be sellers? Possibly, but they don’t have much to offer. The team would likely gain more from keeping their roster together in hopes of making the playoffs and even re-signing some of their impending free agents rather than dealing them for minor returns. Again, Dallas could try to peddle some of their impending UFA’s in order to clear space for an addition, but most teams aren’t looking to add salary this year unless it is attached to a top quality player. Those are in short supply among the Stars’ expiring contracts.

They likely won’t touch their term contracts, either. This is a team that found success in the postseason last year and returned virtually the same roster this year and will be back together again next year. Injuries and a start slowed by COVID Protocol has impacted Dallas this season and, while their team isn’t perfect, they could be an off-season piece or two away from getting back to Stanley Cup Final in no time.

So for now, they should probably just stand pat.

Record

9-9-7, .500, 4th in Central Division

Deadline Status

Stand Pat

Deadline Cap Space

$0MM in full-season space (LTIR), 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 3rd, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th
2022: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 3rd, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th

Trade Chips

In deciding whether or not to move players off of their current roster, the Stars have options but lack upside. With only a handful of impending free agents, most of whom are merely bottom of the lineup players at best, Dallas may be better off keeping their group together and hoping to sneak into the playoffs.

If Dallas does decide to sell, their most valuable piece will be defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. A big, physical defender – the team’s current hits leader – who skates well and can play big minutes, Oleksiak is a solid addition to any team looking to stabilize their blue line with a strong defensive presence. In a rental market that is severely lacking in defensive talent, Oleksiak could return a nice package, especially given his reasonable price tag. The caveat though is that Dallas has traded Oleksiak once before, only to bring him back and have both sides realize that he is a great fit as a reliable defensive complement to the Stars’ offensive-minded blue line. If there is mutual interest in an extension and Dallas remains close to a playoff spot, they likely hold on to Oleksiak.

Versatile defenseman Mark Pysyk makes more sense to move. In his first season in Dallas on a one-year “show me” deal, Pysyk has failed to do just that. The Stars’ No. 6 defenseman spot has been split between Pysyk and Hanley this season, with neither doing enough to seize the consistent role. Both have been unproductive on offensive and largely invisible on defense while playing minimal minutes. Pysyk at least brings more experience playing in a regular role and has also experimented with lining up at forward, which could be especially valuable to teams down the stretch and in the postseason who want to avoid depth issues caused by possible COVID-19 restrictions. At $750K, Pysyk is affordable in cap terms and should be cheap to acquire as well.

Up front, the Stars may be willing to part with veterans Andrew Cogliano and Blake Comeau, but there may not be much interest in the duo. Both have been consistent and dependable two-way players throughout their careers, but their play this season has lacked offensive upside. The pair have totaled just four goals and 13 points in 46 combined games. In a cap-strapped climate, Cogliano’s $3.25MM and even Comeau’s $2.4MM may be too rich for players that would have to fight for top-nine jobs on a contender. They are more likely to move if Dallas is just swapping contracts to bring in new blood for the stretch run.

Given that Dallas was a Stanley Cup finalist just last year, the team is unlikely to make any drastic moves this season with their core players, all of whom have term remaining on their respective comments. Names like John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov are occasionally bandied about, but trading either in-season is both unlikely and ill-advised for the Stars. If they were to make a surprise move, it could be in goal. With young Jake Oettinger holding his own in net, the Stars could decide to move current starter Anton Khudobin if actual starter Bishop is healthy before the deadline. Khudobin is set to be exposed in this summer’s Expansion Draft and should be a strong candidate for selection. With both Landon Bow and Colton Point satisfying the goalie exposure requirement, the Stars could instead trade Khudobin to a team with needs in net this season rather than potentially lose him for nothing in expansion. A healthy Bishop backed up by Oettinger should be enough for the Stars the rest of the way this season and moving forward.

Others to Watch For: D Joel Hanley ($700K, UFA), D Taylor Fedun ($737.5K, UFA), F Tanner Kero ($762.5K, UFA), F Justin Dowling ($750K, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Defenseman – If the Stars can find a way to move contracts around and open up cap space, it will likely leave room for just one acquisition. While they are only middle-of-the-road when it comes to scoring and could use a spark up front, that might come in the form of a healthy Seguin. There is no one coming to take over their No. 6 defenseman role, a spot where Dallas has received no production from this season. A reliable blue liner to improve the starting defensive corps would be a key addition. If they can find a defenseman with some offensive upside and power play experience, that would be even better.

2) Term Forward – While it would again require shuffling salaries, which may make it a more likely move in the early off-season, the Stars at some point could look to add a forward who they can expose in the upcoming Expansion Draft. Currently, with the assumed protection scheme, the Stars are short both forwards that meet the games played and term requirements that the expansion quota demands. Their options to fill those spots internally are to re-sign UFA’s Cogliano and Comeau (unlikely) or RFA Jason Dickinson. RFA Nick Caamano will also be eligible with eight more games played. However, extending Dickinson or Caamano will only make them more attractive to the Seattle Kraken. Either of the players, the arbitration-eligible Dickinson specifically, may also not want to rush into an extension before the drat. As a result, the Stars could choose instead to add another eligible forward to expose.

Vancouver Canucks Re-Sign Justin Bailey

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks have signed another one of their restricted free agents, inking Justin Bailey to a new one-year, two-way contract. Bailey was eligible for salary arbitration this offseason but did not file. Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports that the deal will pay Bailey $750K at the NHL level and $225K in the AHL.

Though Drance also reports that Bailey had been holding out hope for a one-way deal, he’ll have to settle for a two-way deal in this depressed financial climate. A veteran of 65 NHL games, the 25-year-old power forward lit up the minor leagues last season, scoring 28 goals and 47 points in just 53 games for the Utica Comets. Standing 6’4″ and with a nose for the net, there’s a lot to like about Bailey’s game.

Given his relative lack of NHL experience, Bailey could qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency after this season if he fails to play in 15 games with the Canucks. It will be interesting to see how they handle him to start the year, as Bailey could be the perfect candidate for an NHL taxi squad, given he’s already proven himself in the minor leagues.

With the deal, the Canucks have now signed all of their eligible restricted free agents and are ready for the season to begin.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Jake DeBrusk

at CDT | by 17 Comments

The Boston Bruins have finally signed Jake DeBrusk, inking the restricted free agent forward to a two-year deal. The new contract will carry an average annual value of $3.675MM. DeBrusk was not eligible for salary arbitration. PuckPedia reports the salary breakdown:

  • 2020-21: $2.5MM
  • 2021-22: $4.85MM

It’s hard to know exactly what DeBrusk is for this Boston team. Is he the fourth musketeer behind David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand, able to elevate a second line and provide enough secondary scoring to make the Bruins perennial Stanley Cup contenders? Or is he the inconsistent winger that scored just 35 points last season and bounced all over the lineup? After his 27-goal output in just 68 games during the 2018-19 season many may have answered the former, but this bridge deal proves that it is not yet decided.

Now 24, DeBrusk is a scouts dream, armed with speed, skill, and an in-your-face attitude that can knock opponents off their game (or into the press box). He has all the tools to be a top scoring threat in the NHL but is still frustratingly inconsistent and disappears too often. There’s no doubt that he can be an asset to any team, especially one like the Bruins who can usually (at least in recent times) look ahead to the playoffs before the season even begins. The postseason is where DeBrusk should thrive and he has shown he can be a difference-maker there, scoring 14 goals and 23 points in 49 games.

But the idea of signing him to a long-term, big-money deal still seems risky for the Bruins. This two-year bridge deal will give DeBrusk a chance to prove exactly what he is in the NHL and give Boston a better idea of how their financial situation will look down the road. Brandon Carlo will need a new contract after the upcoming season and Charlie McAvoy’s will now expire at the same time as DeBrusk—who, notably, will still be an RFA at the end of this deal. With Bergeron now firmly in his mid-thirties, David Krejci on the final year of his deal, and Zdeno Chara not even re-signed this fall, the veteran core of the Bruins could look very different by the time the team negotiates another contract with DeBrusk. If he has taken another step forward, perhaps he can be a part of the new core that takes over.

Of course, if there was any thought of moving on from the inconsistent winger this offseason, it probably went out the window when the Bruins received injury updates on Pastrnak and Marchand. Both players are expected to miss the beginning of the season after undergoing major surgery, meaning DeBrusk may actually get a chance to play next to Bergeron on the top line. At the very least he should receive increased minutes and a chance to prove he can produce at the very top of a lineup.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

St. Louis Blues Agree To Terms With Jake Walman

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues have finished one of their final few negotiations, agreeing to terms with Jake Walman. The restricted free agent defenseman will sign a two-year contract that is two-way in the first year and one-way in 2021-22. Eligible for arbitration, Walman decided not to file. CapFriendly reports that the deal is worth the league minimum in both years – $700K next season ($100K salary in the AHL) and $750K in 2021-22.

Walman, 24, made his NHL debut this year when he suited up for a game in January, playing just over 11 minutes of action in an overtime loss. That was the only action he’d see in a Blues uniform, but that doesn’t mean it will be his last.

With a new two-year deal in hand, Walman will continue to be one of the first names called up by the Blues when they face injury issues to their regulars. Unfortunately, perhaps, he is no longer waiver-exempt, meaning he’ll have to clear before going to the minors after training camp.

That is of course if there is a minor league season to go along with the NHL campaign and it becomes possible to transition players between the two leagues without quarantine periods. Walman is exactly the type of player that might be included in an NHL “taxi squad,” traveling around with the team in case of injury (or infection) despite not actually being on the roster. A distinct rule like this has not yet been announced, though some believe it could, depending on what happens with the AHL.

In the case of the Blues, for instance, the organization recently announced a partnership with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. St. Louis is expected to be part of a Central Division in the reworked NHL schedule, playing in a regional bubble of sorts with their closest geographic opponents. Springfield is not central at all, meaning travel between the two teams could be complicated and restricted if the Thunderbirds continue to play in the northeast. This is just one of the logistical problems the leagues will have to work out before hockey starts, with players like Walman greatly affected.

2020 Arbitration Tracker

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Originally published on Oct 13

The dates for the upcoming arbitration hearings have been set, with the first three being held on October 20. Hearings will continue through November 8. It is important to remember that this offseason, once a hearing begins, teams are no longer allowed to negotiate with the player in question while the arbitrator deliberates.

The full schedule is:

October 20

Andrew Mangiapane – Settled, 2 years $2.43MM AAV
Anthony DeAngelo – Settled, 2 years $4.8MM AAV
Matt Grzelcyk – Settled, 4 years, $3.69MM AAV

October 21

Ilya Mikheyev – Settled, 2 years $1.65MM AAV

October 22

Connor Brown – Settled, 3 years, $3.6MM AAV

October 25

Tyler Bertuzzi – Player filing: $4.25MM – Team filing: $3.15MM – Awarded: $3.5MM

October 26

Linus Ullmark – Settled, 1 year, $2.6MM AAV

October 27

Sam Reinhart – Settled, 1 year, $5.2MM AAV

October 28

Jake Virtanen* – Settled, 2 years, $2.55MM AAV

October 30

Joshua Ho-Sang – Settled, 1 year, $700K AAV (two-way)

October 31

Devon Toews – Settled, 4 years, $4.1MM AAV
Alexandar Georgiev – Settled, 2 years, $2.43MM AAV

November 1

Nick Paul – Settled, 2 years, $1.35MM AAV

November 2

Gustav Forsling  – Settled, 1 year, $700K AAV (two-way)

November 4

Victor Olofsson – Settled, 2 years, $3.05MM AAV
Warren Foegele – Settled, 1 year, $2.14MM AAV

November 5

Ryan Strome – Player filing: $5.7MM, Team Filing: 3.6MM – Settled: 2 years, $4.5MM AAV

November 6

Brendan Lemieux – Player filing: $2MM, Team Filing: 2 years, $1.0125MM AAV – Settled: 2 years, $1.55MM AAV
Ryan Pulock – Settled, 2 years, $5.0MM AAV

November 7

Christian Jaros – Settled, 1 year, $750K (two-way)

November 8

Chris Tierney – Settled, 2 years, $3.5MM AAV
MacKenzie Weegar – Settled, 3 years $3.25MM AAV
Haydn Fleury – Settled, 2 years, $1.3MM AAV

*Virtanen was not included in the NHLPA’s announcement, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports he will have a hearing on the 28th. 

MacKenzie Weegar Signs With Florida Panthers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The arbitration process for 2020 is now over as MacKenzie Weegar, the final player with a hearing scheduled for this weekend has signed a new contract with the Florida Panthers. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Weegar will sign a three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.25MM. The full breakdown is as follows:

  • 2020-21: $2.0MM
  • 2021-22: $3.0MM
  • 2022-23: $4.75MM

Weegar was scheduled for a hearing on Sunday, the final day of arbitration, and would have had to exchange filings with the team today. That hearing will obviously no longer be necessary.

The 26-year-old has turned into one of the more underrated defensive defensemen in the league over the last few seasons, spending a good amount of his ice time alongside Aaron Ekblad in Florida. Though he doesn’t give you much offensively—Weegar has just 41 points in 172 career games—Weegar has consistently posted strong possession numbers and is a staple on the penalty kill.

Standing just 6’0″ and without exceptional speed, Weegar does a little bit of everything on the ice. He’ll hit when needed, but will never lead the league in that category and isn’t going to blind you with any 100-foot stretch passes. But he can quietly shut down rushes with strong position and an active stick, making life easier on his partner.

That might be why so many teams were linked to him this offseason as a potential trade candidate. Now that he has a contract, perhaps that talk will resume (teams rarely like to trade for a player with an arbitration case on the schedule) but if not, he’ll slot in behind Ekblad, Keith Yandle, and Anton Stralman as a rock-solid fourth option in Florida.

Brendan Lemieux Avoids Arbitration

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The New York Rangers won’t need their arbitration hearing for Brendan Lemieux, as the two sides have come to a new agreement. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Rangers have signed Lemieux to a two-year contract that carries an average annual value of $1.55MM. The young forward’s hearing had been scheduled for today, with Lemieux filing for $2MM and the Rangers looking for a two-year contract with an AAV just over 1.01MM. This falls almost right in the middle, where arbitration likely would have landed anyway.

Lemieux, 24, scored 18 points in 59 games last season but was among the league leaders in penalty minutes, racking up 111 of them as an in-your-face pest every night. He won’t play a scoring role with the Rangers but doesn’t kill you at even strength and provides some bite to the bottom of the lineup.

With the new contract signed, the Rangers now have about $4.8MM in cap space and all of their players locked up. If they want to spend a little on free agency they have that ability, though with some big extensions coming up in the next few years it may be wise to only take on short-term money.

Speaking of money, the Rangers will now receive a second buyout window on Sunday where they could potentially free up even more cash. Brendan Smith is really the only candidate left, though at this point it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. A buyout would only save them a little more than $1.5MM in cap space this season, not a lot more than they would get by burying Smith in the minor leagues again. Taking on the buyout penalty in 2021-22 that would come along doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Instead, the Rangers may just look ahead with their roster set and next season representing a new chance. Loaded with young talent all over the roster, New York should be considered a playoff contender.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top