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Arbitration

Ryan Strome Signs With New York Rangers

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The New York Rangers have reached an agreement with restricted free agent forward Ryan Strome ahead of his arbitration hearing, signing him to a two-year contract worth a total of $9MM according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Strome’s hearing had been scheduled for later today, with his camp filing for $5.7MM and the Rangers filing for $3.6MM. This deal’s AAV comes down in the middle of those two numbers, but also importantly buys out an extra year of unrestricted free agency.

Strome, 27, could only have received a one-year contract from the arbitration process as he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. The fifth-overall pick from 2011, he has already played in 491 NHL games in his career. Those haven’t all been successful outings, but Strome did seem to find his footing again after landing in New York in 2018. With 59 points in 70 games last season he was the team’s best offensive weapon behind the super-pair of Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, though that isn’t expected to continue. The Rangers have a number of blue-chip prospects ready to make an impact including 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere.

What Strome does still represent is a solid middle-six center for a team that suddenly looks like they will compete for a playoff spot. Their offense is young, skilled, and deep, while the crease is safe in the hands of two young netminders. Tony DeAngelo was re-signed to a two-year deal, and Adam Fox looks like a future star.

Even if they decide that Strome isn’t the player they want to sign a long-term UFA deal with, the Rangers will have two cracks at it with him on this new deal, one that certainly doesn’t impede their ability to add even more. Only Brendan Lemieux remains unsigned and the team has more than $6.3MM in cap space.

Ottawa Senators Extend Christian Jaros

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Nov 4: The Senators have officially announced the Jaros contract, confirming the details reported yesterday. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a statement on the young defenseman:

Despite being limited by injury last season, Christian proved to be a reliable defensive defenceman. He’s a big body who’s rangy and who skates well. With his considerable professional experience, we’ll look for him to challenge for a roster spot in Ottawa when camp begins.

Nov 3: The Ottawa Senators have wrapped up their RFA class, coming to terms on a new contract with defenseman Christian Jaros. CapFriendly reports that Jaros has signed a one-year, two-way extension to avoid an arbitration hearing that had been scheduled for Saturday. The deal carries a $750K NHL salary and a $250K AHL salary.

Jaros, 24, may not have landed the one-way deal he might have hoped to land in arbitration, but accepted an offer that works out nicely for both sides. Coming off an entry-level deal that carried an $802K AAV including performance bonuses, Jaros takes a slight pay cut at the NHL level, but a major raise in the AHL. Whether he cracks the NHL roster or ends up spending the majority of the season in the AHL as he did last season, Jaros will walk away with a greater paycheck in 2020-21.

There is a path for Jaros to be a regular for the Senators this season. The club has only six defensemen signed to one-way deals, so there is at least one if not two positions open for their two-way players. Jaros has the most experience of that group, having played 76 NHL games, including 61 in 2018-19. With that said, top prospect Erik Brannstrom will certainly challenge for an NHL gig, while KHL import Artem Zub will also be expecting a chance at a spot in Ottawa.

Brendan Lemieux, New York Rangers Exchange Arbitration Figures

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The New York Rangers have a pair of arbitration cases set to go down over the next few days, including tomorrow’s hearing for Ryan Strome. On Friday, Brendan Lemieux will have his, and today the two sides exchanged figures. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Rangers have filed for a two-year contract that would pay the young forward $950K in 2020-21 and $1.075MM in 2021-22, while Lemieux filed for a $2MM AAV.

It is important to remember that in the NHL, the arbitrator does not need to choose one filing or the other and usually instead awards a contract somewhere in the middle. The two sides can also come to an agreement in the coming days, though this year once the hearing begins they must wait for the reward and cannot settle while the arbitrator deliberates. The Rangers are able to choose the term of the deal (one or two years) because it was Lemieux who filed for arbitration.

In this case, the player’s ask is not above the $4,538,938 “walk away” threshold, meaning that the Rangers will have to sign Lemieux to whatever the arbitrator awards should the hearing begin.

Lemieux, 24, scored 18 points in 59 games for the Rangers last season while racking up a whopping 111 penalty minutes. That actually put him second in the league in that category behind only Evander Kane’s 122. The feisty, much-like-his-dad forward is a super pest for the Rangers but has also shown the ability to chip in offensively now and again. His deal will likely come in somewhere around $1.5MM per season, a reasonable amount for a player that is unlikely to advance past the bottom-six.

New York Islanders Sign Ryan Pulock

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The New York Islanders have signed restricted free agent defenseman Ryan Pulock to a new two-year contract. The deal, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, will carry an average annual value of $5MM. Pulock had a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for later this week, which will no longer be necessary. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic provides the full breakdown:

  • 2020-21: $2.26MM salary + $740K signing bonus
  • 2021-22: $5.16MM salary + $1.5MM signing bonus

Because he is an unassuming piece of the Islanders defensive puzzle, you may not realize just how good Pulock has been over the last several years. Over the last three seasons, Pulock ranks 33rd in scoring among NHL defensemen with 104 points in 218 games, 21st in goals with 23. That already puts him in the upper-echelon of offensive blueliners, but given he also brings a steady defensive stick and physical presence it’s hard not to wonder why he gets so little league-wide praise.

With a $5MM price tag, perhaps he’ll start getting his due as one of the better defensemen in the league and a leader on the Islanders back end. The concerning part for New York fans, is how long he’ll stay a part of that Islanders back end.

A two-year contract means that Pulock will reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2022 when he is just 27 years old. If he’s not re-signed by then, he’ll be one of the youngest free agents on the market and likely able to command a huge, long-term offer. Should his offensive production continue, there’s a chance he even would be one of the very best free agents available at any position.

Still, for now he can provide strong play for a reasonable price and fits into an Islanders financial situation that will have a chance to reset itself in a few years. Pulock, Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy and Thomas Hickey are now all on contracts that expire following the 2021-22 season, meaning the team will have the option to build their defense around a different—and likely younger—core.

Because Pulock was the Islanders final arbitration case, they will now receive a 24-hour buyout window that will open on Friday. They can only buy out players that have a cap hit of at least $4MM.

Ryan Strome, New York Rangers Exchange Arbitration Figures

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The next arbitration hearing is set for Thursday, with Ryan Strome and the New York Rangers sitting down (virtually) to make their case for a new contract. Today, they exchanged filings. Strome has filed for $5.7MM, while the Rangers have filed for $3.6MM, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It is important to remember that in the NHL, the arbitrator does not need to choose one filing or the other and usually instead awards a contract somewhere in the middle. The two sides can also come to an agreement in the coming days, though this year once the hearing begins they must wait for the reward and cannot settle while the arbitrator deliberates.

In this case, the player’s ask is above the $4,538,938 “walk away” threshold, meaning that if the award comes in above that number the Rangers would have the option to release Strome to unrestricted free agency instead. If they choose to do that, Strome would actually have an opportunity to take the initial $3.6MM team filing instead of testing the market—a tougher decision in today’s flat-cap world.

Already 27, Strome is only eligible for a one-year contract and would become a UFA next offseason. The fifth-overall pick from 2011 has had a very up-and-down career, finding his footing early with the Islanders only to struggle for several years afterward. Following an unsuccessful stint with the Edmonton Oilers, Strome has found a new home in New York, recording 18 goals and 59 points last season.

The savvy, playmaking center still doesn’t have the greatest foot speed or elite raw skills but has proven he can be a capable middle-six pivot in the right situation. With the Rangers suddenly looking extremely dangerous at forward, perhaps they would be willing to pay up for a season of Strome to see what this group can do in the standings. A long-term deal is still obviously possible, if unlikely, especially if it would cost the Rangers upwards of $5MM per season. The team has several young players to get under contract in the coming years and may not be able to afford a contract like that for Strome.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Mason Marchment Re-Signs With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers have come to a new agreement with one of their young restricted free agents, re-signing Mason Marchment to a one-year, two-way contract. Marchment was acquired by the Panthers last season and was actually arbitration-eligible, though he decided not to file.

A big, rangy forward with more than a little of his father, Bryan Marchment’s, bite, the 25-year-old forward came over to the Panthers in exchange for Denis Malgin. He played just six games in the Florida minor league system before the season was halted, scoring two points. But there’s more offense in the undrafted Marchement, who was a project player for the Maple Leafs that they turned into a fringe NHL talent. He scored 13 goals and 18 points in 24 games for the Toronto Marlies last season, also getting into his first four NHL contests.

Whether the new regime in Florida believes he can play in the NHL or not, Marchment will be at the very least a valuable depth piece for the Charlotte Checkers as they begin a new affiliation with Florida.

Negotiation Notes: Ekman-Larsson, Bertuzzi, Gushchin

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While the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade rumors dominated the pre-free agency headlines, the Arizona Coyotes’ star defenseman ultimately stayed put. Now, the ’Yotes captain tells AZ Central’s Jose Romero that this was the result that he had hoped for:

I have a clause in my contract, a no-trade, no-move clause. At the same time, I did not want to stand in the way if the organization felt otherwise. That’s how I am as a person. It was more that if they wanted to remove me, I set up the two clubs as an alternative, but, as I said, I wanted nothing better than to continue in Arizona so it feels good that it turned out the way it did.

Ekman-Larsson didn’t stand in the Coyotes’ way of making a trade per say, but the longest-tenured Coyote provided as little flexibility as he could while seeming open to a deal. Ekman-Larsson provided Arizona with just two teams he would accept a trade to, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, and also set a deadline of October 9 for a deal to be completed. While the team reportedly had talks with both Boston and Vancouver, no deal could be reached in time and Ekman-Larsson stayed put. While he admits that even being available on his own terms was uncomfortable, Ekman-Larsson feels happy to still be a Coyote and has moved past the whole situation. Arizona meanwhile will have to find another way to solve their current salary cap crisis.

  • While there is a negative correlation between reaching a salary arbitration hearing and the number of seasons that player spends with his team after the fact, Tyler Bertuzzi remains on good terms with the Detroit Red Wings, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Bertuzzi tells James that all is well, even after the player was critically examined by his own team in front of an arbitrator, who seemingly agreed with an award closer to where the Red Wings filed. Bertuzzi went so far as to say the process “went smoothly” and stated that it was “nothing personal at all.” Congratulations are due to Detroit and GM Steve Yzerman on not only winning the arbitration battle, but maintaining such good terms with the subject. Bertuzzi’s experience with an arbitration hearing is far from the norm.
  • Daniil Gushchin, selected in the third round by the San Jose Sharks earlier this month, had previously signed with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs this summer after the team picked him fourth overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft. This seemingly marked the end of his consideration of going the collegiate route as well as his time in the USHL. Yet, with the OHL season delayed, Gushchin’s USHL club, the Muskegon Lumberjacks, have revealed that their star forward is still very much in the mix for the 2020-21. It is possible that the Ice Dogs have negotiated a loan of Gushchin to the Lumberjacks until OHL training camps open, but it also may be that the skilled forward has simply found himself a place to play. So long as Gushchin stays in the USHL this season and does not suit up in the OHL, he would maintain his NCAA eligibility and could still wind up joining a college program, many of whom had interest before he committed to Niagara.

Colton White Re-Signs With New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Colton White to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry a $700K salary in the NHL, paying White just $90K in the AHL. The 23-year-old was not eligible for salary arbitration.

After the additions of Ryan Murray and Dmitry Kulikov this offseason, White may find himself a little further down the organizational depth chart than expected. The 2015 fourth-round pick has actually played in a handful of NHL games the last two seasons, even receiving more than 20 minutes of ice time in a February game against the St. Louis Blues. It’s going to be tough to find those minutes this year, meaning he’ll probably have to settle for a role on the Binghamton Devils of the AHL once again.

Still looking for his first NHL point, White does have 51 in 163 career AHL games, a fine total for a mid-round pick still trying to find his way. If his game continues to improve, perhaps an opportunity will come about next season when Murray, Kulikov and Connor Carrick are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency. If not, he’s still a valuable piece to have in the minor leagues in case of injury.

Buffalo Sabres Avoid Arbitration With Victor Olofsson

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One of the most intriguing arbitration cases scheduled for the next few days was Victor Olofsson, the Buffalo Sabres sniper who has scored 22 goals and 46 points in his 60-game NHL career. Despite being a relative newcomer to the NHL, Olofsson is already 25 and is a lot closer to unrestricted free agency than some of his rookie counterparts. His hearing was scheduled for November 4, but it appears as though it will not be necessary. The Sabres have signed Olofsson to a two-year contract that carries an average annual value of $3.05MM. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that it will pay Olofsson $2.85MM in 2020-21 and $3.25MM in 2021-22.

Not only does a two-year deal limit the cap hit and provides a very real chance for the Sabres to receive excess value out of the young forward, but it also leaves him a restricted free agent in 2022. While he has already turned 25, Olofsson’s birthday comes after the normal start of free agency meaning this deal does not walk him right to the UFA market. At its expiry, the two sides will have a chance to work out a long-term deal should his outstanding goal production continue.

Even though he has real 30-goal potential, there are some things to consider about Olofsson’s production so far. Only nine of his 22 career goals have come at even-strength, and this year he scored on 15.7% of his shots. If used properly he can be a game-changing presence on the powerplay, but he has still yet to prove that he can jump over the boards and produce at even-strength on a regular basis.

Still, there’s a lot to like about a deal that pays him about half of what the Sabres owe Kyle Okposo in each of the next three seasons, or what they could have found on the free agent market. Olofsson will join a top-six that suddenly looks quite impressive, after the offseason additions of Taylor Hall and Eric Staal. The team also has top prospect Dylan Cozens coming and still have Jack Eichel in the middle of it all, providing all-world production.

At the end of this deal, Olofsson will be arbitration-eligible once again and could potentially get himself to unrestricted free agency by taking that one-year award. He’ll also be owed a hefty qualifying offer of $3.25MM, something he could fall back on if his production dips but the Sabres still want to keep him around.

Because this was their final arbitration case, Buffalo will now receive a short buyout window starting two days from now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Ryan MacInnis

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed restricted free agent Ryan MacInnis to a one-year, two-way contract for 2020-21. MacInnis had actually been eligible for salary arbitration but decided not to file. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the deal is worth $700K at the NHL level and $105K at the AHL level, suggesting that MacInnis expects to spend most of the year in the minor leagues. The young forward’s qualifying offer would have had a higher NHL salary but would have paid him just $70K in the AHL.

Spending most of the season at the AHL level is likely for a player that has just ten NHL games under his belt. MacInnis, a second-round pick from 2014 has spent almost his entire career in the minors to this point. In 2019-20 he recorded 30 points in 45 games for the Cleveland Monsters, his best offensive season so far.

With additions like Mikko Koivu, Max Domi, and Mikhail Grigorenko lengthening out the NHL roster, players like MacInnis will find it extremely difficult to secure any playing time in Columbus this season. With this deal, he has guaranteed he’ll get a nice little payday for the Monsters, while also setting himself up to be a Group VI unrestricted free agent next offseason.

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