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Arbitration

Patrik Nemeth Avoids Arbitration With Colorado Avalanche

August 2, 2018 at 8:01 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche were one of the final teams with an arbitration hearing on the books, due to meet in Toronto on Saturday with defenseman Patrik Nemeth. That won’t be necessary now, as the team has signed Nemeth to a one-year $2.5MM contract. Nemeth will be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the contract. GM Joe Sakic released a statement about his newest signing:

Patrik is a big, physical defenseman who is an important piece of our D-corps. He plays a significant role on our penalty kill, he blocks shots, and we’re happy to have him back this season.

Nemeth came to the Avalanche last October when the Dallas Stars placed him on waivers just before the season began, and became a key part of the Colorado defense. In 68 games he was finally given a reasonable opportunity to show what he could do at the NHL level, logging more than 19 minutes a night and anchoring a penalty kill unit. Though Nemeth doesn’t have a ton of offensive upside, he still recorded 15 points for the Avalanche and easily led the club with a +27 rating. He was also first on the team in blocked shots with 185, which put him fifth in the entire NHL.

Even with the surprise performance in 2017-18, there’s no guarantee that Nemeth has a long future in Colorado. With Erik Johnson still under contract for the next five years, Ian Cole signed to a new three-year deal, and Samuel Girard just starting out what looks to be a very promising career there aren’t going to be that many spots on the blue line going forward. Those spots may end up going to other young players like Cale Makar and Conor Timmins before long, and there is always still a chance that Nikita Zadorov reaches his full potential and demands more than 20 minutes a night as a shutdown option. For Nemeth—and even Tyson Barrie, who has two years left on his current deal—there may not be a lot of opportunity in Colorado.

That said, a one-year $2.5MM contract gives Nemeth the chance to prove he deserves a long-term deal. Whether that deal comes with Colorado or someone else on the open market, another solid penalty killing performance this season could make him an intriguing option. Still young enough to contribute for several years, and likely still demanding a reasonable price, Nemeth could be a solid third-pairing addition to many clubs around the league. That hinges on his 2018-19, meaning he’ll have to continue to work hard and prove he is a reliable NHL defenseman.

 Adrian Dater of BSN Denver was first to report on the contract, while CapFriendly provided the financial details.

Arbitration| Colorado Avalanche Patrik Nemeth

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Negotiation Notes: Arbitration Hearings, Nylander, Islanders

August 1, 2018 at 8:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

Two more players sat down for arbitration hearings today, as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that neither the Ottawa Senators and Cody Ceci nor the Dallas Stars and Gemel Smith were able to come to terms beforehand. Both situations bear watching over the next 48 hours, as they must agree to a deal in that window or else get stuck with the arbitrator’s award. Ceci’s case is similar to that of the Winnipeg Jets’ Jacob Trouba, which went through to a decision earlier this off-season. Both Ceci and Trouba filed at a number that shares few reasonable comparisons – Trouba at $7MM and Ceci at $6MM. While Trouba’s side likely tried to use several recent cases of offensive-minded defenseman who settled for $5.5MM and then argue that he is the superior defensive player, Ceci does not have the comparable offense to make as strong a case. As such, he is unlikely to get the $5.5MM award that Trouba landed, the midpoint of his case. Instead, look for Ceci to get somewhere in the $4-4.5MM range. Smith’s is a much different scenario, similar to another previously decided case this summer, that of Calgary Flames defenseman Brett Kulak. In both cases, the team offered only a minimum, two-way contract while the player filed at a higher value for a one-way deal –  Kulak at $1.15MM and Smith at $900K. While Kulak was able to land a $850K one-way deal from the arbitrator, he also played in 71 games in the platform year, while Smith only suited up for 46. Smith faces a far tougher argument that he is a bona fide NHL player at this point in his career.

  • Restricted free agent William Nylander continues to negotiate with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the explosive young forward is not interested in a short-term bridge deal. Sportsnet’s Luke Fox suggests that Nylander is only talking about a long-term deal right now. While the Leafs might be trying to play it safe, with both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner also in need of extensions next summer (along with the majority of their roster), Nylander doesn’t seem willing to take a bridge deal only to watch his fellow budding stars sign long-term contracts instead. Nylander may have hit restricted free agency earlier than Matthews and Marner, but the trio all have similar games played and points since Nylander only played in 22 games with Toronto in his first season before the other two joined the squad. All three have been remarkably consistent early on and, given their similarities, it is hard to blame Nylander for wanting a long-term deal when he knows that Matthews and Marner are likely to get them.
  • While it makes sense that the New York Islanders have focused on adding forwards and a new goaltender this season, after losing superstar center John Tavares and starting goalie Jaroslav Halak to free agency, Newsday’s Andrew Gross thinks it’s strange that the team has not added to the blue line at all. The team re-signed Thomas Hickey and Ryan Pulock, but have added no one else while losing Calvin de Haan and opting not to bring back Brandon Davidson and Dennis Seidenberg. Gross notes that recently re-signed center Brock Nelson, an impending free agent, could be used as a trade chip to add to a blue line that struggled greatly last season. There are certainly teams out there with a plethora of defensemen who could use Nelson up front. The Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, and Winnipeg Jets are clubs that fit the bill, but Nelson would not be nearly enough to land a Justin Faulk, Torey Krug, or Jacob Trouba and an expendable piece that he might fetch, like a Trevor van Riemsdyk, Adam McQuaid, or Tucker Poolman might not be enough to fix the Islanders blue line. New York may have to up the ante beyond Nelson to land a difference-maker on the back end.

Arbitration| Boston Bruins| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Dallas Stars| Free Agency| New York Islanders| Ottawa Senators| Players| Toronto Maple Leafs| Winnipeg Jets Adam McQuaid| Auston Matthews| Brandon Davidson| Brett Kulak| Brock Nelson| Calvin de Haan| Cody Ceci| Dennis Seidenberg| Gemel Smith| Jacob Trouba| Jaroslav Halak| John Tavares| Justin Faulk| Mitch Marner

2 comments

Snapshots: Doan, Karlsson, Nemeth

August 1, 2018 at 1:48 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes will retire the first number in the history of their franchise when they raise Shane Doan’s #19 sweater to the rafters this season. The ceremony will take place on February 24th, fittingly against the Winnipeg Jets where Doan started his career. Doan’s Jets turned into the Coyotes after just one season in Winnipeg, and he would spend the next two decades growing the game of hockey in an extremely non-traditional market.

His influence on the Coyotes was obvious, recording 972 points in 1,540 career games and serving as captain for more than a dozen seasons, but his legacy may best be remembered by the players that come after him. Auston Matthews is already a star in the NHL, and credits Doan as one of the biggest reasons he wanted to become a hockey player in the first place.

  • Craig Custance of The Athletic tweets that there is no contract imminent between the Vegas Golden Knights and restricted free agent William Karlsson, meaning his August 4th arbitration hearing is still scheduled. Karlsson is an incredibly difficult case to handicap, after exploding for 43 goals and 78 points this season despite scoring just 15 and 45 over his first two NHL seasons. The Golden Knights have already handed out several long-term contracts to players they deem core pieces, and could still work something out with Karlsson over the next few days.
  • Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports (subscription required) that the Colorado Avalanche will announce a settlement with Patrik Nemeth today, avoiding his arbitration hearing on Saturday. Nemeth was one of just three players left with a hearing on the books after Cody Ceci and Gemel Smith met with the arbitrator today, though was still outside the period where a salary ask was required to be submitted. After finding himself in an increased role with the Avalanche this season, Nemeth recorded 15 points in 68 games and was a key part of their penalty kill.

Arbitration| Colorado Avalanche| Snapshots| Utah Mammoth| Vegas Golden Knights| Winnipeg Jets Patrik Nemeth| Shane Doan

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Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators Exchange Arbitration Numbers

August 1, 2018 at 8:31 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The Ottawa Senators have an arbitration hearing today with Cody Ceci to decide on a contract for next season, but the offseason doesn’t end there for them. Mark Stone, who is scheduled for a hearing of his own on Friday, has exchanged arbitration filings with the team. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Stone has asked for $9MM while the team has countered with $5MM. As always, the decision will likely come somewhere in the middle of the two numbers, though as Friedman points out that could still make this a record-breaking case. Shea Weber’s $7.5MM award in 2011 is currently the highest ever given through arbitration.

Stone, 26, can only be awarded a one-year deal in arbitration as he is just a single season away from becoming an unrestricted free agent. That freedom could be enticing to a player who has developed into one of the best two-way wingers in the league, and is coming off a season in which he scored at better than a point-per-game pace. His 62 points in 58 games for the Senators tied him with Erik Karlsson for the team lead, while recording his fourth consecutive 20+ goal campaign. Stone also possesses an almost unmatched ability to create turnovers and strip opposing players of the puck, which has led to Selke votes in each of his four full seasons.

Even accounting for the normal arbitration practice of asking for much more than you expect to be awarded, the $9MM figure will shock some people. Only nine forwards in the entire NHL will have a cap hit of $9MM or greater for the 2018-19 season, and though an exceptional player Stone is still not in the upper echelon of NHL stars. Even if the decision lands right in the middle at $7MM, he’ll vault into the top-30 highest paid forwards in the league and set himself up for a huge contract next summer. Whether that contract comes with the Senators isn’t clear.

Last month we asked whether the Senators should trade Stone, given that he is just a year away from unrestricted free agency and the team looks like it may struggle this season. Our readership was split 55-45 in favor of a move, which may be indicative of the hesitation GM Pierre Dorion would feel. Stone can be a leader in whatever turnaround is coming in Ottawa, and is still young enough to have several prime seasons remaining after 2018-19. If the team could work out a long-term extension with him in the next few days, perhaps there would be a little bit of hope for the Senators this season. If not, a one-year award would also bring with it restrictions on negotiating extensions. Players on one-year contracts cannot discuss or sign an extension until January, at which point Stone would be just a few months away from testing the open market. The trade deadline would also be right around the corner, forcing the Senators to make a quick decision on whether they had a real shot at retaining their talented winger.

Arbitration| Ottawa Senators Elliotte Friedman| Mark Stone

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The Contract Each Team Would Most Like To Trade: Part III

July 31, 2018 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

Nearly every team has one of those players: a top talent they were excited to sign and never thought could do anything but help them. In hindsight, history shows that more often than not, expensive, long-term free agent contracts don’t work out. It may look good at first (or it may look bad right away to the outside observer), but players struggle to make their value last throughout a lengthy contract. Those contracts come back to bite teams and are hard to get rid of. As teams begin to finalize their rosters at this point in the off-season, many are struggling to make everyone fit under the salary cap and are regretting these past signings that exasperate a cap crunch that can be tough for even a mistake-free club. We already took a look at the first third and second third of the league; here are the contracts that each of the final ten teams would most like to trade, from Philadelphia to Winnipeg:

Philadelphia Flyers: Andrew MacDonald – two years, $10MM remaining

Based purely on salary versus what he brings to the table, Jori Lehtera’s $4.7MM contract is the worst on the Flyers. However, Philadelphia is far from cap trouble this season, currently among the five lightest payrolls in the league, and Lehtera’s deal expires after this season. However, next year the Flyers will need to re-sign or replace Wayne Simmonds, hand new deals to Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny, and likely find a new starting goalie. The cap crunch will be much more real and the over-inflated $5MM contract of Andrew MacDonald will hurt. MacDonald’s six-year, $30MM contract was immediately panned by the public and it wasn’t long after that he was buried in the minors for cap relief and to keep him out of the lineup. MacDonald simply is not the player he was with the New York Islanders earlier in his career when he could eat major minutes, was stellar in man-to-man defense, and could block shots with the best. What he is being paid now is far beyond what he is actually worth. Some would say that Radko Gudas is worse, but that is an argument that suffers from recency bias. Combining the past two seasons, Gudas actually has the same amount of points as MacDonald in fewer games and less ice time, a better plus/minus rating, far more shots, and of course infinitely more hits. At $3.35MM for the next two years, Gudas is a far better deal.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Carl Hagelin – one year, $4MM remaining

The real answer is that GM Jim Rutherford would not like to trade any more players. He already ditched two of his worst contracts by sending Matt Hunwick and Conor Sheary to the Buffalo Sabres and he isn’t eager to make another salary dump. However, the reality is that Rutherford is going to find it hard to manipulate his roster this season with just over $1MM in cap space. As such, it is likely that another Penguin could be on the move. An outside observer could easily point to the Jack Johnson contract as one that stands little chance of maintaining its value over the term and the same argument could be made for Patric Hornqvist as well. However, Rutherford just signed those deals and wouldn’t move them even if he could. That leaves a short list of players who could be moved and the only one that sticks out as being overpriced is Carl Hagelin. Hagelin has played an important part of the Penguins’ reign over the past few years, but at $4MM he has not cracked 40 points in any of the three seasons and can go cold for weeks at a time. Rutherford won’t make a move unless it can benefit the team, but if he can get another scoring winger in exchange for a package that dumps Hagelin’s salary, he’ll do it.

San Jose Sharks: None

Mikkel Boedker, Joel Ward, and Paul Martin are all gone. Two top forwards, the two best defensemen, and the starting goalie are all locked up long-term at a reasonable rate. The Sharks have almost $4.5MM in cap space this season, giving them room to add. Congratulations to GM Doug Wilson and his staff. This roster is the epitome of cap compliance mixed with depth and talent. There is not one contract that the team would be interested in dumping.

St. Louis Blues: Alexander Steen – three years, $17.25MM remaining

The Blues currently have all but $285K of their cap space committed to 24 players. The team may send Chris Thorburn or Jordan Nolan down to the AHL, but will only gain marginal space. Something else has to give. If they could target any player to move to alleviate some pressure, it would be Alexander Steen. With just seven forwards and three defensemen (as of now) signed beyond next season and the majority of players in line for raises or free agent replacements, these cap woes aren’t going away anytime soon and an expensive long-term deal needs to be shipped out. Understandably, St. Louis is all in this season and wouldn’t be eager to ship out an important top-six piece. However, Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn, and Jaden Schwartz are the new young core up front now and paying 34-year-old Steen $5.75MM for three more years for declining production just doesn’t make sense. The Blues could potentially land some nice pieces from another contender for Steen as well. Admittedly, the Tyler Bozak contract looks even worse than Steen’s, but the Blues won’t be looking to trade a player they just signed.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Ryan Callahan – two years, $11.6MM remaining

The long-term implications of several other deals aside, the Lightning’s Stanley Cup window is wide open and their focus is on the here and now. The one player really impeding their ability to add freely to the roster is Ryan Callahan. While GM Steve Yzerman has excelled at extending most of his core below market value, the six-year, $34.8MM contract for Callahan was a mistake. Injuries limited Callahan to just 18 games in 2016-17, but last year he played in 67 games yet he only managed to score 18 points. Callahan’s days as an impact player are over, but he is still being paid like one at $5.8MM. While Tampa Bay can manage this season with close to $3MM in cap space, they would have more to work with without him. However, Callahan’s contract will really present a major road block next summer, when the Bolts need to re-sign Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde, Anton Stralman, and more. There is no doubt that Yzerman will look to unload Callahan’s contract before it comes to that point.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Nikita Zaitsev – six years, $27MM remaining

The Maple Leafs severely jumped the gun when they rewarded Nikita Zaitsev with a seven-year deal after his rookie season in 2016-17. Although Zaitsev was an import, making his NHL debut at 25 years old, his situation epitomizes why bridge deals exist. Toronto sought to lock him up long term and gave him nearly a maximum term at $4.5MM, just $500K less per year than top defender Morgan Rielly. In his encore performance last season, he showed that he is not worthy of the salary nor length of that contract, dropping from 36 points to 13 points for the year, turning the puck over at an alarming rate, and eventually becoming a healthy scratch. This team simply can’t afford the type of long-term mistake that they made with Zaitsev. While it’s nice that they have Reilly, John Tavares, and Nazem Kadri signed long-term, it’s Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander they need to worry about. The Maple Leafs will have to balance multiple expensive, long-term deals moving forward and would love for Zaitsev’s to not be one of them.

Vancouver Canucks: Loui Eriksson – four years, $24MM remaining

It seems unlikely that the recently-signed deals for Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel will work out well, but they at least deserve some time. Loui Eriksson has had his time and has done nothing with it. While the Canucks aren’t under any cap pressure, they can’t enjoy seeing Eriksson’s $6MM cap hit – the highest on the team – on the books for four more years, especially when the bulk of his front-loaded salary has already been paid out. Eriksson was brought in with an expectation that he would be the ultimate fit with Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Instead, he has scored just 47 points combined over two seasons, less than his final season total with the Boston Bruins. The Sedins are now gone, the team is trying to get both younger and more physical and defensive-minded, and Eriksson is simply an expensive poor fit. There’s not much more to say about a player who desperately needs a change of scenery and a team that wants him gone.

Vegas Golden Knights: None

The Golden Knights are riding high after an outrageously successful first season in the NHL. It is highly unlikely that they see anything wrong with their current contracts, almost all of which were either hand-picked or signed by GM George McPhee. Give it some time and that could change. Reilly Smith is notorious for a significant drop in production in his second year with a team, but is signed for four more years at $5MM. Paul Stastny for three years at $6.5MM per seems like a solid deal, but he has always produced better surrounded by equal talent. Does Vegas have enough to justify his signing? A $2.775MM cap hit for Ryan Reaves doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. Finally, there’s the three-year, $21MM extension for heroic goalie but also 33-year-old well-worn vet Marc-Andre Fleury, which could end poorly. And this isn’t even counting what could be a massive reactionary contract for one-year breakout star William Karlsson. The Knights don’t see any problems right now after finding immediate success, but if they slide significantly in year two, things could get ugly.

Washington Capitals: T.J. Oshie – seven years, $40.25MM remaining

No, it’s not Tom Wilson. The call of the question is which contract each team wants to trade, not which is objectively the worst. Wilson’s contract does seem excessive, but he is just 24 and could grow into that salary (doubtful but possible). Plus, the organization loves what he brings to the team. T.J. Oshie on the other hand is heading in the wrong direction. Oshie has done what he was brought in to do: help the Capitals win the Stanley Cup. It took a max eight-year term to keep Oshie off the market last summer and now Washington has their Cup but also has a 31-year-old with diminishing returns signed for seven more years. Oshie could absolutely still help the Capitals over the next few years, but it’s doubtful that he will be back in 60-point range in that time. He also will be nothing more than a cap space vacuum when he’s in his late thirties making $5.75MM. Oshie is a great player and one of the more likeable guys in the league, but this contract has little upside left. The Capitals would at the very least consider trading Oshie now, which can’t be said for most of their other core players.

Winnipeg Jets: Jacob Trouba – one year, $5.5MM remaining

The list ends with a tricky one. Is $5.5MM a fair value for Trouba? An arbitrator thinks so and the Jets would likely agree. However, Trouba’s contract has been a nightmare for the team. The young defenseman clearly does not want to be in Winnipeg and has set himself up for yet another arbitration clash next summer, after which he will bolt in free agency. The Jets have no long-term security with Trouba and that meddles with their future planning. With Blake Wheeler, Tyler Myers, and several others also in need of new contracts next summer, the Jets don’t need another Trouba arbitration award cutting into their cap space just so that he can walk after the season. The team will definitely look to get maximum value in a trade for Trouba over the next season.

Arbitration| Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Doug Wilson| Free Agency| George McPhee| Jim Rutherford| New York Islanders| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| San Jose Sharks| St. Louis Blues| Steve Yzerman| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals| Winnipeg Jets Alexander Steen| Andrew MacDonald| Antoine Roussel| Anton Stralman| Auston Matthews| Blake Wheeler| Brayden Point| Brayden Schenn| Carl Hagelin| Conor Sheary| Daniel Sedin| Henrik Sedin| Ivan Provorov| Jack Johnson| Jacob Trouba| Jaden Schwartz| Jay Beagle| Joel Ward| John Tavares| Jordan Nolan| Jori Lehtera| Loui Eriksson| Marc-Andre Fleury| Matt Hunwick| Mikkel Boedker| Mitch Marner| Nazem Kadri| Nikita Zaitsev| Patric Hornqvist| Paul Martin| Paul Stastny| Salary Cap

5 comments

Ryan Spooner Signs Two-Year Contract With New York Rangers

July 31, 2018 at 3:23 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The New York Rangers have avoided arbitration once again, this time signing Ryan Spooner to a two-year contract. Spooner was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Saturday August 4th. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the deal will carry an average annual value of $4MM.

Spooner, 26, had just one year of restricted free agency remaining meaning that the Rangers have bought out one of his UFA seasons. That’s a different tact than was taken with Kevin Hayes, who signed for just one season and immediately became the target of trade speculation. Spooner, who only came to the Rangers a few months ago as part of the package exchanged for Rick Nash, actually fit into the lineup quite well and registered 16 points in 20 games down the stretch. While part of that is due to the increased role he was given on a team out of the playoff race, there has always been good offensive potential in Spooner just waiting to really be taken advantage of.

Even with the added year, Spooner will continue to be a trade possibility for the Rangers. As the team continues to try and get younger and faster, his pending unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020 makes him a prime target as a deadline acquisition in February. Teams often like to get an extra year of control, but at $4MM we’ll have to wait and see what kind of market develops. Spooner isn’t recognized as a defensively responsible forward, though that may be overlooked with enough offensive production this season. If he’s given prime powerplay opportunities and is lined up at the wing in New York’s top-six, there is a very real chance he could surpass his career high of 49 points.

For New York, that would be a dream scenario as they look to cash in on as many assets as possible. Spooner, Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Vladislav Namestnikov and Jimmy Vesey could all be valuable to the right buyer, and aren’t signed past the 2019-20 season. In fact, no forward on the roster except for Mika Zibanejad has a contract that extends for more than two years—not counting young players like Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, who haven’t guaranteed themselves a spot just yet—meaning the Rangers are almost completely free of long-term commitments. That’s a key part of what could be a quick rebuild in New York, as they hope for the next generation of prospects to lead them back to the playoffs in short order.

With Spooner’s arbitration case resolved, the Rangers will receive a second buyout window in which they could potentially create even more cap flexibility by ridding themselves of Brendan Smith or Marc Staal. Both defensemen have declined rapidly in recent years, but are tough buyout candidates given their front-loaded contracts. More likely the Rangers will just ride out the next few years with them and hope they can attract a buyer near the end of their contracts (though both hold trade protection). While the team doesn’t expect to contend this season, the 2020-21 season may be a different story.

Arbitration| New York Rangers| Schedule Ryan Spooner

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New York Rangers Sign Kevin Hayes To One-Year Deal

July 30, 2018 at 4:34 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The New York Rangers have settled with Kevin Hayes prior to his arbitration hearing, but it’s not for a long-term deal. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Hayes has signed a one-year contract worth just over $5MM, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer. Larry Brooks of the New York Post gives a bit of detail, reporting the deal is worth $5.125MM. Hayes was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 2nd, which only could have resulted in a one-year contract for the 26-year old.

Hayes is coming off a season in which he traded some point production for more goals, scoring a career-high 25 times but only registering 44 points. A very useful player for the team who can line up at wing or center, there was already plenty of reason to believe that the Rangers could be interested in trading him for the right price. The team has committed to getting younger and faster over the last year, and it wasn’t clear that Hayes really fit into that plan going forward. The team also has several interesting center prospects ready to take on bigger roles, and Mika Zibanejad still signed for another four years.

A deal of this sort gives Hayes a chance to impress early in the season with improved performance, but also puts him squarely in the crosshairs for a February trade. A player many teams would love to have for a late-season playoff push, if there’s no chance of a long-term deal the Rangers would be making a mistake by not moving him for a return as they recently did with Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden. The team isn’t expected to really contend for the Stanley Cup again next season, but are building an incredible prospect pipeline in short order.

At a little over $5MM, Hayes is certainly an affordable target for teams at the deadline, especially if any of the salary has been given out as a signing bonus. With teams struggling to find center depth and willing to pay a premium for it when in a playoff race, the Rangers may have just secured themselves another nice package with very little risk. That’s assuming that the team doesn’t re-open extension talks in 2019, when the two sides will be able to negotiate. For now, all contract talks have to be put on hold until January since it is just a one-year deal.

With the earlier signing of Miikka Salomaki with the Nashville Predators, that leaves just six restricted free agents still scheduled for arbitration. One of those is Rangers’ forward Ryan Spooner, who is also only eligible for a one-year award given his age. The team, meanwhile, has quite a bit of cap space remaining even after adding Hayes big deal, and could take on some excess salary in trade if they are given the opportunity. For a team trying to complete a quick rebuild, getting assets by flexing their financial muscle is an easy way to speed up the process.

Arbitration| New York Rangers Elliotte Friedman| Kevin Hayes

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Gemel Smith, Dallas Stars Submit Arbitration Figures

July 30, 2018 at 1:34 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Dallas Stars risked losing Gemel Smith on waivers last week in order to establish his value around the league, and today filed their arbitration figure for the hearing scheduled on Wednesday. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that the Stars have filed for a two-way contract, while Smith submitted a one-way $900K contract request. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports that Smith’s two-way qualifying offer is worth $715K.

Brett Kulak, who was also put through the waiver process before his arbitration hearing, and offered a $650K two-way deal by the Calgary Flames, was eventually awarded a $900K contract after filing for $1.15MM. Smith will likely land somewhere in between the two filings, provided he doesn’t settle with the Stars in the next few days. He and Cody Ceci are scheduled to have their hearings on Wednesday.

Smith will be in tough this season as he tries to carve out a bottom-six role on the Stars, and a two-way offer only strengthens the idea that he could find himself behind players like Remi Elie and Jason Dickinson on the depth chart. The additions of Blake Comeau and Valeri Nichushkin have given the Stars more secondary scoring options and left fewer minutes available. Smith will have to show he can contribute in those limited minutes, or face another assignment to the minor leagues. The fact that he’s already cleared waivers recently doesn’t guarantee that he would make it through the process unclaimed in September, but does make it easier for the Stars to risk him if he can’t crack the roster out of training camp.

Arbitration| Dallas Stars| Waivers Gemel Smith

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Miikka Salomaki Signs Two-Year Contract With Nashville Predators

July 30, 2018 at 10:11 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Teams aren’t waiting around for their arbitration hearings, as the Nashville Predators have joined Calgary this morning in signing one of their restricted free agents. Miikka Salomaki, who was scheduled for a hearing on August 2nd, has signed a two-year contract worth a total of $1.5MM.

Salomaki, 25, is one of several forwards who will be battling for playing time at the bottom of the Nashville roster. The Predators signed several veterans like Zac Rinaldo, Connor Brickley and Rocco Grimaldi, while still having plenty of youth in players like Eeli Tolvanen and Ryan Hartman. While his playing time isn’t guaranteed, Salomaki does give the team another inexpensive option to soak up fourth-line minutes while the Predators dish out big money to other parts of their roster. Amazingly, the team still has around $7.6MM in cap space for this season even after inking their final restricted free agent. The team looks ready to compete for the Stanley Cup again in 2018-19, and has plenty of room to make an in-season addition if necessariy.

Through 58 games with the team last season Salomaki recorded just eight points, but was used for his high energy and physical play. Ready to go into the corners against any defender, he won’t hurt you on the scoreboard despite not contributing much offensively either. That’s enough for a team like the Predators, who have plenty of offensive weapons to carry them through the game. That responsible defensive presence actually still may bring about a role for Salomaki on the team this season, especially given Tolvanen’s inexperience. At the very least he’ll be a reliable 13th forward on the club for almost league minimum.

Arbitration| Nashville Predators| Schedule Miikka Salomaki

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Cody Ceci, Ottawa Senators Exchange Arbitration Filings

July 30, 2018 at 9:16 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

With Garnet Hathaway re-signing this morning, the next player scheduled for an arbitration hearing is Cody Ceci of the Ottawa Senators. That meeting is on the books for Wednesday in Toronto, and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports on the filings from both sides. The Senators have filed a $3.35MM ask, while Ceci is looking for $6.0MM. As usual, the ruling will likely come down somewhere in the middle of those two numbers should they not come to an agreement in the next few days.

Ceci, 24, is a player that has drawn quite a lot of attention over the years due to his continual inclusion in trade negotiations. In almost every discussion about the Senators and their pursuit of a high-end player, Ceci has been part of a potential return. That inclusion has been derided by the analytical community at times given Ceci’s poor possession numbers, but he continues to be an extremely valued piece of the Ottawa blue line. In fact, he may be the team’s top option should Erik Karlsson be traded before the season begins. That would put an incredible amount of pressure on the young right-handed defenseman, who has failed to put up big offensive numbers despite obvious ability and huge opportunity over the past few years.

Logging more than 23 minutes a night in each of the past two seasons, Ceci has been deployed in a defensive role (usually alongside Dion Phaneuf, who is now part of the Los Angeles Kings organization) to balance some of the offensive starts given to Karlsson. Though that is certainly a limiting factor in Ceci’s offensive numbers, there are other warts in his game that hinder his impact for the team and keep him from really reaching the top echelon of defensemen in the NHL. Those numbers should also lead an arbitrator to rule for much less than the $6.0MM ask, though probably well above the team’s filing as well. Ceci earned just $2.8MM last season, and should get a nice raise either way.

The Senators will almost certainly choose a one-year contract for their young defenseman, as he is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency after the 2019-20 season. Leaving with just a one-year deal will allow them to continue to negotiate with him as a restricted free agent next summer, and try to get him to re-sign long-term. Otherwise, he could hit the open market as a 26-year old and really cash in as a right-handed option. Even with his poor possession numbers, there are still many who see Ceci as a key defender for the Senators and one who could step into top-four minutes for many teams around the league.

Arbitration| Ottawa Senators| Schedule Cody Ceci| Elliotte Friedman

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