Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Arbitration

Calgary Flames Sign Sam Bennett

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Calgary Flames have avoided arbitration with Sam Bennett, inking the young forward to a two-year deal. The contract will carry an average annual value of $2.55MM. Bennett had an arbitration hearing scheduled for Saturday. He will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal.

Already four full seasons into his NHL career, the 23-year old Bennett still hasn’t become quite the offensive player the Flames had hoped for when they selected him fourth overall. That doesn’t mean he’s not a valuable part of the organization though as a two-way player with a physical edge. He has routinely been one of the team’s best players in the postseason, including a point-per-game performance in 2019. It also doesn’t mean he won’t find a breakout season at some point down the road still, given his youth and raw tools.

Even without that breakout though, a $2.55MM contract is more than reasonable for the role Bennett plays. It represents just a $600K increase over his last deal and could have even more positive ramifications for the Flames. The team was in a tough financial situation this summer with several restricted free agents to sign. The most important of those names is obviously Matthew Tkachuk, who could be looking for a huge contract after his 77-point breakout season. If Bennett had reached arbitration it’s very possible he could have secured a bigger deal, further tightening the salary situation for the team.

As it stands, the team has locked up a key part of their forward group for the next two seasons at a good price and can now turn their attention to opening enough room for Tkachuk. They have another arbitration hearing set for July 29 with David Rittich, after which will come a short buyout window that they could potentially take advantage of. There is still work to do in Calgary, but getting Bennett signed is a nice step in the right direction.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Christian Djoos Receives Arbitration Decision

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Another player has been awarded an arbitration decision, as Christian Djoos was given a one-year, $1.25MM contract today. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reports that the team had filed for $800K and Djoos filed for $1.9MM. An award of this amount will put the Washington Capitals in a tricky cap situation as they prepare for next season. The defenseman will be a restricted free agent again next summer.

With another arbitration hearing scheduled for August 1st with Chandler Stephenson, the Capitals have some work to do before the start of the season to become cap compliant. They currently sit just over the $81.5MM cap ceiling with a projected roster of 22, though that includes Jonas Siegenthaler who can be sent down to open the year. The team has dealt with this kind of situation in each of the last several years, using paper transactions on off days to try and bank cap space throughout the season. Unfortunately, in order to do that the team will have to risk waivers with some of their depth players unless another move is made before October.

The $1.25MM represents quite a substantial raise for Djoos, who made just $650K last season on his first one-way deal. The 24-year old defenseman ended up playing in 48 total games for the Capitals and now has 133 under his belt at the NHL level. For a seventh-round pick that may already seem like a success, but the young Djoos could have an even bigger impact moving forward given the success he has experienced at the minor league level.

In 2016-17 Djoos broke out offensively, recording 58 points in 66 games for the Hershey Bears. In his limited NHL experience he has actually been quite productive, recording 24 points in 108 regular season contests despite averaging fewer than 14 minutes a night and seeing no powerplay time. The question now becomes whether he is worth keeping around at $1.25MM given Siegenthaler’s emergence last season. The younger defenseman basically leapfrogged Djoos on the depth chart and gives the team more flexibility because of his waiver-exempt status. They obviously would like to carry seven (or eight) defensemen if possible, but at least early in the season could use some extra cap room.

With this decision already two players have been awarded contracts through arbitration, and Evan Rodrigues has already had his hearing. Just four cases made it to arbitration hearings last year, and zero the year before that.

Arbitration Awards Andrew Copp Two-Year Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Andrew Copp is the first player to earn an arbitration ruling this year, following his hearing on Sunday. The arbitrator has awarded a two-year contract carrying an average annual value of $2.28MM. The Winnipeg Jets decided on the length and were looking for a $1.5MM AAV, while Copp filed for $2.9MM. Read our breakdown of the case right here. Copp will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal.

While the deal is a reasonable amount for the 25-year old Copp, it takes just another chunk out of a Winnipeg payroll that has to find a way to fit in new contracts for Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. They’re now sitting at just under $17.6MM in cap space for a roster of 17 players, which means long-term deals may not be possible depending on the asking price of their star RFAs. That cap crunch limited their ability to spend in free agency, meaning Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot have all departed their blue line without many replacements coming in. Neal Pionk, Sami Niku and others will have to fill those roles.

This decision is also the final arbitration case that the Jets had, meaning a short buyout window will open in three days. The team could potentially buyout a player that has a cap hit of more than $3.45MM and was on their reserve list at the most recent trade deadline. There aren’t any names that stand out as candidates, though the team may obviously have different plans. Other names like Mathieu Perreault have been bandied about in trade speculation, though Kevin Cheveldayoff is one of the league’s most infrequent traders, completing just 36 in the near eight years he has been on the job.

Colton Sissons Signs Seven-Year Deal

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The Nashville Predators and Colton Sissons have avoided arbitration, and will be together for a long time. The two sides have agreed on a seven-year, $20MM contract. That means Sissons’ cap hit is just under $2.86MM moving forward, and the hearing scheduled for July 26 is no longer necessary. CapFriendly has the full breakdown:

  • 2019-20: $3.45MM
  • 2020-21: $2.5MM
  • 2021-22: $3.65MM
  • 2022-23: $2.775MM
  • 2023-24: $3.5MM
  • 2024-25: $2.3MM
  • 2025-26: $1.825MM

While a contract of this length is still surprising to see, it’s not like Predators GM David Poile hasn’t done it before. In 2016 he signed a 24-year old Calle Jarnkrok to a six-year, $12MM deal to secure one of his bottom-six forwards for a reasonable price and hope for a breakout. Jarnkrok had just completed a 16-goal, 30-point season for the Predators, both easily career highs. Those totals line up well with the 15 goals and 30 points that Sissons just had, also career highs. Knowing that he will likely provide at least that, Poile is betting on a potential breakout while mitigating his risk with a relatively low cap hit.

That’s not to say that Sissons is guaranteed to score 15 goals in every year of the deal. The 25-year old needed a 13.6% shooting percentage to do it in 2018-19, though there are many other factors to take into account. One of them is how often he starts his shifts in the defensive zone, almost never given the chance to take a faceoff in the opponent’s end. Even if that production does dip a bit, he’s a valuable penalty killer and defensive center that has proven he can step into a larger role if forced. With Ryan Johansen, Matt Duchene, Kyle Turris and Nick Bonino still on the roster though, it seems unlikely that will be necessary.

The other thing to consider when it comes to Sissons is his off-ice influence on the Predators. The young forward has been known as a pure leader for quite some time, first serving as captain for the Kelowna Rockets before being named the youngest captain in Milwaukee Admirals history when he was just 21. That kind of presence is exactly what the Predators are hoping to lock up.

Like usual for the Predators, the deal includes no signing bonuses or trade protection. It will buy out five years of unrestricted free agency, taking Sissons to the age of 32.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke news of the signing on Twitter.

Arbitration Breakdown: Evan Rodrigues

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Salary arbitration season is underway, as hearings were scheduled to begin on July 20th and extend through August 4th. While arbitration awards are very infrequent, with most cases settling beforehand, occasionally a binding decision is handed down by the arbitrator. What goes on behind closed doors before that point? The players, aided by their representation and the NHLPA, and their respective teams, aided by a select group of lawyers, each file at a certain salary over a one- or two-year term. The arbitrator may decide on any salary at or between those two points, based on the arguments in each sides’ written brief and oral presentation. While both sides will have themes to base their arguments on, rather than debate only the merits of the player, the bulk of the conversation in an arbitration hearing instead centers around comparable players. Each side will use a tailored group of statistical ranges, both career and platform year numbers, to show how the player compares to similar recent arbitration-eligible players. All statistics are available to use, but their persuasiveness is the key. The player side will look to show that the player is superior to a group of players at a salary lower than their filing number, while the team side will look to show that player is inferior to a group of players above their filing number. Whoever makes the most convincing argument will land the favorable decision.

Already, two players have gone to hearing and are awaiting an arbitrator’s decision: the Winnipeg Jets’ Andrew Copp and the Washington Capitals’ Christian Djoos. The next possibility is Buffalo Sabres forward Evan Rodrigues, whose hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Rodrigues really only has a season and half of experience as a regular player, but after an outstanding second half on 2017-18, he has established himself as a bona fide NHL talent and has plenty of ammunition ready for an arbitration battle. Here is a closer look at his case:

The Case of Evan Rodrigues

Career Statistics: 154 games played, 21 goals, 41 assists, 62 points, -22 rating
Platform Statistics: 74 games played, 9 goals, 20 assists, 29 points, -7 rating

Filing Numbers: Rodrigues – One year, $2.65MM, Sabres – One year, $1.5MM (midpoint: $2.075MM)

Player Side

Themes:

  • Top-Six Forward: among top six Sabres forwards in points and assists per game and points and assists total in platform season; fourth among Sabres forwards in ATOI in platform season; fourth in total shots and shots per game in platform season (victim of abnormally low shooting percentage)
  • Dependable Player: regular role on power play and penalty kill in platform season; third in face-offs taken in platform season; 59% defensive zone starts in platform season

Potential Comparable Players:

Melker Karlsson (2017)
Career Statistics: 185 games played, 34 goals, 31 assists, 65 points, +9 rating
Platform Statistics: 67 games played, 11 goals, 11 assists, 22 points, +7 rating
Salary: $2MM

  • Player’s argument: Rodrigues has better career points per game; Rodrigues has better points per game in platform season; Rodrigues is a center – deserves a premium
  • Team’s counter: Karlsson is better career goal scorer; Karlsson did not have same opportunity in platform season – ATOI, power play ATOI, line mate talent; Karlsson is better defensive player – plus/minus, hits, blocked shots, shorthanded ATOI

Alex Iafallo (2019)
Career Statistics: 157 games played, 24 goals, 34 assists, 58 points, -7 rating
Platform Statistics: 82 games played, 15 goals, 18 assists, 33 points, -17 rating
Salary: $2.425MM

  • Player’s argument: very similar offensive totals and per game numbers in platform season and career (over very similar NHL experience); Rodrigues with slightly better career points per game in less ATOI career; Rodrigues is a center – deserves a premium
  • Team’s counter: Iafallo has two full seasons of NHL experience and top-six minutes; Iafallo has better goal scoring numbers in platform season and career; Iafallo is more physical player

Team Side

Themes:

  • Not a Top-Six Forward: offensive numbers do not match up with top-six production league wide – role is product of thin Sabres roster last season; outside top six Sabres forwards in goal scoring, power plat ATOI
  • Limited Upside: regression in platform season – .52 points per game to .39 points per game; not a goal scorer – low career goal totals, shooting percentage; poor face-off numbers; limited experience at advanced age

Potential Comparable Players:

Bryan Rust (2018)
Career Statistics: 181 games, 33 goals, 46 assists, 79 points, +13 rating
Platform Statistics: 69 games, 13 goals, 25 assists, 38 points, +11 rating
Salary: $3.5MM

  • Team’s argument: Rust has better career offensive totals an per game numbers; Rust has far better offensive totals and per game numbers in platform season; Rust is better defensive player – plus/minus, hits, blocked shots, shorthanded ATOI; Rust has considerable postseason experience, production, and achievement
  • Player’s counter: Rust’s AAV is considerably higher than midpoint; Rodrigues’ career-high games played is higher than Rust’s – more dependable player; Rodrigues is a center – deserves a premium

J.T. Compher (2019)
Career Statistics:  156 games played, 32 goals, 28 assists, 60 points, -37 rating
Platform Statistics: 66 games played, 16 goals, 16 assists, 32 points, -7 rating
Salary: $3.5MM

  • Team’s argument: Compher had far better per game offensive numbers in platform season; Compher has better career goal-scoring numbers; Compher is better defensive player – hits, blocked shots, face-off success, shorthanded ATOI; Compher is considerably younger
  • Player’s counter: very similar career offensive totals and per game numbers

Prediction

This is not an exhaustive list of possible comparable players, but based on the player side and team side filing numbers and the resulting midpoint, Rodrigues has a pretty good chance in this case. Although Rodrigues’ numbers may very well be a product of a top-six role that he will no longer have moving forward, the Sabres can’t show that in a hearing and thus must deal with the fact that they needed him in that capacity over the last season and a half. There is a strong argument to be made that each of these comparable players is better than Rodrigues, but the fact that their cap numbers are at or above the midpoint, Rust and Compher substantially so, is a major benefit to the player side. Even if Buffalo can hammer home the point that Rust and Compher are much better players with far superior platform seasons, they will likely struggle to drive the price too far past Iafallo’s $2.425MM. He and Rodrigues are incredibly similar. Unless the Sabres get really creative with other comparable players, expect a potential decision to land in that range, between $2.3-2.5MM.

Mirco Mueller Avoids Arbitration

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The New Jersey Devils have avoided an arbitration hearing with Mirco Mueller, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal instead. The contract will carry a salary of $1.4MM, and render a hearing date of July 28th unnecessary.

Mueller, 24, will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal and could file for salary arbitration again in 2020. He may have an even better case then if he is given the kind of opportunity he finally received last season. After being pulled up and down for years between the AHL and NHL with the San Jose Sharks, Mueller finally found himself on the move to a new organization in the summer of 2017. That didn’t change his situation very much though, as he played just 28 games for the Devils in his first season with the club. That changed in 2018-19 however, as the Swiss defenseman set career highs in games played (53), assists (10) and points (11) while getting a good amount of ice time.

There isn’t a lot of offensive upside in the 2013 first round pick, but Mueller is a capable defender that can handle himself against good players and contribute short-handed. That’s a valuable player for a team that now has several offensive weapons on the blue line in the form of P.K. Subban, Damon Severson and Will Butcher. The question will be if Mueller can get himself into the lineup on a regular basis with the addition of Subban to the group pushing everyone down a peg. Butcher is actually still a restricted free agent and has an arbitration hearing of his own scheduled for August 2nd.

While this deal gives Mueller some security for next season, it will be interesting to see if he earns himself another qualifying offer in 2020. The Devils have top prospect Ty Smith who will likely be pushing for a roster spot at some point, plus cap concerns of their own coming down the pipe. Though the team has tons of room right now, extensions for Taylor Hall, Sami Vatanen, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt—who are all scheduled for free agency next summer—could eat up quite a huge chunk of money. If he can establish himself as an everyday option on the third pairing there should be room for him on the team, but arbitration for a part-time player may be too pricey.

Zach Aston-Reese Re-Signs With Pittsburgh Penguins

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t need to wait on an arbitrator’s decision with regards to Zach Aston-Reese. The young forward has re-signed with the team, inking a two-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $1MM. Aston-Reese was scheduled for an arbitration hearing today. GM Jim Rutherford released a short statement on the signing:

Zach is a responsible player who plays a solid two-way game. He has a heavy style of play that is especially effective on the forecheck and penalty kill.

The deal leaves the 24-year old Aston-Reese a restricted free agent again in 2021, as long as he participates in 21 more NHL games before then. That seems extremely likely, as the former Northeastern University standout has developed into a nice depth option for the team that can play in several different situations. Signing with the Penguins after a 63-point senior season at Northeastern, the undrafted Aston-Reese made a great impression on the organization by recording eight points in ten games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He made his NHL debut the following season, and ended up playing 43 regular season games (and four playoff contests) with the team in 2018-19.

One thing that stood out in Aston-Reese’s senior season at Northeastern was his net-front ability, as he was routinely able to find loose pucks in tight and put them in the back of the net. That same nose around the net has actually led to 12 goals in 59 NHL games, a solid rate for a young player with varying levels of opportunity. He has averaged just over 13 minutes a night over those games, but played as much as 18:30 and as little as 8:00 depending on where he’s slotted into the lineup.

That kind of versatility—Aston-Reese has lined up beside everyone from Sidney Crosby to Matt Cullen at different times—makes him a nice piece for the Penguins as they try to find a little different roster construction heading into 2019-20. With Phil Kessel gone and several new faces on board, it’s not clear at all how the lines will shake out at this point. At the very worst, Aston-Reese is likely ticketed for a depth role on the NHL roster this season, given he would need to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL.

With Marcus Pettersson still to sign however, the Penguins now project to be just over the $81.5MM cap ceiling for next season. Though that could be dealt with by carrying fewer than 23 players at the start of the year, it seems much more likely that Rutherford will find another trade to clear some room over the next few months. If that deal sends a forward out of town, the opportunity for Aston-Reese should only increase.

St. Louis Blues Sign Oskar Sundqvist To Four-Year Deal

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The St. Louis Blues announced they have avoided arbitration with restricted free agent forward Oskar Sundqvist and signed the 24-year-old to a four-year, $11MM deal with an AAV of $2.75MM. The two sides were supposed to meet with an arbitrator on Wednesday.  Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest reports that the deal breaks down as follows:

2019-20: $2.25MM
2020-21: $2.25MM
2021-22: $3.5MM
2022-23: $2.0MM

Sundqvist is coming off an impressive season for the Stanley Cup Champion Blues, putting up career highs in almost every category. He scored 14 goals and 31 points for St. Louis, including 101 hits, but saw his value rise, especially in the playoffs. In 25 playoff games, Sundqvist scored four goals and nine points, while registering 74 hits and saw his playing time increase by more than two minutes per game (16:08 ATOI in playoffs compared to 13:49 in the regular season).

The signing will give the Blues approximately $4.37MM in projected salary cap space this summer and the team still has two restricted free agents it needs to sign, including forward Ivan Barbashev and defenseman Joel Edmundson. While Barbashev isn’t eligible for arbitration, Edmundson is expected to have a hearing on Aug. 4. However, the team will be forced to make a move to clear up some cap space, especially to sign Edmundson who made $3MM last season and is likely to garner quite a significant raise.

Evan Rodrigues, Buffalo Sabres Exchange Arbitration Figures

at CDT | by 3 Comments

In a strange twist, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Buffalo Sabres and RFA forward Evan Rodrigues have exchanged arbitration figures ahead of their scheduled Tuesday hearing. The timeline is actually appropriate for both sides, but oddly the information comes out while the three cases scheduled for Monday – Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar, Pittsburgh’s Zach Aston-Reese, and Washington’s Christian Djoos – have yet to have their filing numbers leaked. Regardless, the numbers are in for Buffalo and Rodrigues. The player side has filed at $2.65MM and the team side has filed at $1.5MM. The resulting midpoint for the case is $2.075MM.  It is important to remember that not only can the two sides still negotiate a different deal in the time remaining (and even for a short period after the hearing), the arbitration decision also does not need to be one figure or the other. The award can (and usually does) fall somewhere in the middle of the submitted salaries.

Rodrigues, who turns 26 next week, has been a project player for the Sabres that has panned out over the past two seasons. A highly productive college player at Boston University, who put up a whopping 61 points in 41 games skating alongside Jack Eichel in his senior year, Rodrigues was a no-brainer as an undrafted free agent signing for Buffalo in 2015. However, he played in only two NHL games as a first-year pro and was very quiet through 30 NHL games in year two. In total, he notched only eight points in his first 32 NHL games. That all changed in 2017-18, when Rodrigues took advantage of a mid-season call-up to record 25 points in 48 games to finish among the Sabres’ top six forwards in per game production. Handed a regular role this season, Rodrigues continued to impress with a career-high nine goals and 29 points in 74 games.

The debate moving forward – which is difficult in arbitration, where projections are not allowed – is what Rodrigues’ ceiling will be. Although his total points increased in 2018-19, it was a modest gain considering he played in 26 more games. However, Rodrigues’ side can point to an unusually low 5.4% shooting percentage, though the argument may not carry much weight. Instead, the real benefit to the player side is that Rodrigues proved he can be a regular contributor. The slick center skated in almost 16 minutes per night, fourth-most among Buffalo forwards, was third in face-offs taken (although he was not very successful), and again finished among the top six scoring forwards.

It’s hard to argue that Rodrigues is not a useful forward, but the Sabres can make a strong argument that his usage was a function of a thin roster up front and his production given his minutes and role are not exactly stunning. He failed to show that his 2017-18 breakout was a level of output that he was capable of continuing. Instead, Rodrigues is likely a bottom-six forward for most NHL teams rather than the top-six forward he has been for Buffalo over the past season and a half. The team will try to make the case that he should be paid as such. Given their additions of Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Vesey this summer, the Sabres may very well have plans to move Rodrigues further down in the lineup, but again that is not an argument they can make at hearing. It’s a curious case that could make for a fascinating back-and-forth in front of the arbitrator.

Arbitration Breakdown: Andrew Copp

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Salary arbitration season is underway, as hearings were scheduled to begin on July 20th and extend through August 4th. While arbitration awards are very infrequent, with most cases settling beforehand, occasionally a binding decision is handed down by the arbitrator. What goes on behind closed doors before that point? The players, aided by their representation and the NHLPA, and their respective teams, aided by a select group of lawyers, each file at a certain salary over a one- or two-year term. The arbitrator may decide on any salary at or between those two points, based on the arguments in each sides’ written brief and oral presentation. While both sides will have themes to base their arguments on, rather than debate only the merits of the player, the bulk of the conversation in an arbitration hearing instead centers around comparable players. Each side will use a tailored group of statistical ranges, both career and platform year numbers, to show how the player compares to similar recent arbitration-eligible players. All statistics are available to use, but their persuasiveness is the key. The player side will look to show that the player is superior to a group of players at a salary lower than their filing number, while the team side will look to show that player is inferior to a group of players above their filing number. Whoever makes the most convincing argument will land the favorable decision.

After the Carolina Hurricanes and Brock McGinn settled this morning, just before their scheduled hearing, the Winnipeg Jets’ Andrew Copp became next in line. Ironically, he and McGinn are very similar players with very similar filing number midpoints in their cases. The Jets and Copp are farther apart than were the ’Canes and McGinn, and Copp’s agent has been open about intending to settle that dispute through arbitration, so a hearing is more likely than not. A Copp hearing would be very similar to what a McGinn hearing would have been, including many shared comparable players, now including McGinn. Here is a closer look at his case:

The Case of Andrew Copp

Career Statistics: 293 games played, 36 goals, 48 assists, 84 points, +55 rating
Platform Statistics: 69 games played, 11 goals, 14 assists, 25 points, +20 rating

Filing Numbers: Copp – One year, $2.9MM, Jets – Two years, $1.5MM (midpoint: $2.2MM)

Player Side

Themes:

  • Top-Nine Forward: among top nine Jets forwards in goals per game, assists per game, points per game, and total points in platform season; consistent improvement in scoring numbers every season
  • Key Defensive Player: led Jets forwards in plus/minus by wide margin; regular shorthanded role; strong face-off numbers

Potential Comparable Players:

Brock McGinn (2019)
Career Statistics: 240 games played, 36 goals, 40 assists, 76 points, -27 rating
Platform Statistics: 82 games played, 10 goals, 16 assists, 26 points, +10 rating
Salary: $2.1MM

  • Player’s argument: very similar career offensive totals; Copp had better per game offensive numbers in the platform season; Copp has more experience; Copp has far superior career plus/minus; Copp is a center, valued more than winger
  • Team’s counter: McGinn has better career per-game scoring; McGinn has better defensive numbers – hits, blocked shots, takeaways, shorthanded ATOI

Johan Larsson (2019)
Career Statistics: 331 games played, 32 goals, 47 assists, 79 points, -49 rating
Platform Statistics: 73 games played, 6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points, -8 rating
Salary: $1.55MM

  • Player’s argument: Copp has far better offensive totals and per game numbers in platform season; Copp has better career offensive totals and per game numbers; Copp has far better career and platform plus/minus
  • Team’s counter: Larsson’s salary is considerably below midpoint; Larsson has more experience; Larsson has better defensive numbers – hits, blocked shots, takeaways, shorthanded ATOI

Team Side

Themes:

  • Not a Reliable Player: two seasons out of four with less than 70 games played due to injury; drop-off in ATOI in platform season; no role on power play, second penalty kill unit; scores in bunches, suffers droughts
  • Not a Key Defensive Player: outside top five Jets forwards in hits, blocked shots, and takeaways; fourth in total face-offs taken; one of seven Jets forwards with at least one minute of shorthanded ATOI; prone to turnovers

Potential Comparable Players:

Joel Armia (2019)
Career Statistics: 237 games, 39 goals, 42 assists, 81 points, -3 rating
Platform Statistics: 57 games, 13 goals, 10 assists, 23 points, even rating
Salary: $2.6MM

  • Team’s argument: Armia has far better career per game offensive numbers; Armia had far better per game offensive numbers in platform; similar defensive numbers; Armia creates turnovers, Copp prone to turning puck over
  • Player’s counter: Copp has more experience and more consistent games played; Copp is a center, valued more than a winger

Scott Laughton (2019)
Career Statistics: 272 games played, 31 goals, 48 assists, 79 points, -24 rating
Platform Statistics: 82 games played, 12 goals, 20 assists, 32 points, -11 rating
Salary: $2.3MM

  • Team’s argument: Laughton had better platform season; Laughton is better defensive player – more face-offs, hits, blocked shots, shorthanded ATOI ; Laughton has been more consistent contributor
  • Player’s counter: very similar career offensive totals and per game numbers; Copp is superior goal scorer; Copp has far superior plus/minus; very similar age and size; same position and shot side

Prediction

This is not an exhaustive list of possible comparable players, but based on the player side and team side filing numbers and the resulting midpoint, this case is dead even. As similar as Copp is to McGinn, his side should be able to make a solid case that he is the better offensive player. In fact, Copp and Laughton are extremely similar offensive players and both sides could wind up using Laughton as a comparable player. That situation would greatly benefit Copp, as Laughton’s $2.3MM salary is on his side of the midpoint and there’s a fair case to be made that Copp is better goal-scorer than Laughton. Where Copp’s side could fall short is in emphasizing his defensive prowess, as he falls short against most comparable and several teammates. It’s hard to see Copp far surpassing Laughton or falling well below McGinn, so expect him to land a deal in the $2-2.35MM range.

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

scroll to top