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Flyers Sign RFA’s Taylor Leier And Tyrell Goulbourne

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The Philadelphia Flyers have had a busy morning, announcing new one-year contracts for both Taylor Leier and Tyrell Goulbourne and confirming the signing of Danick Martel, also to a one-year deal which had been previously reported. While Martel simply accepted his qualifying offer, the other two contracts were negotiated. No salary terms were revealed by the team, but CapFriendly reports that Leier will make $720K on a one-way deal, while Goulbourne will likely play on a two-way deal similar to Martel’s.

Leier’s contract is interesting for many reasons. The first, and most pressing, is that it negates an August 3rd arbitration hearing date. Leier had filed for salary arbitration after spending the entire 2017-18 season in Philadelphia. While Leier only played in 39 games, it is easy to see why he might not be agreeable to a two-way deal after avoiding the AHL for an entire campaign. However, Leier’s qualifying offer was of a two-way nature. Rather than agree to that deal, the two sides worked out a contract that actually comes in below the qualifying offer value, but with a one-way status. Leier, 24, collected five points last season and will be looking to improve his production in the coming season.

Goulbourne finally cracked the NHL last season after his first two pro years were spent entirely in the minors, including half a season in the ECHL. The 24-year-old managed to get into nine games with the Flyers, though he was held scoreless and saw under six minutes of ice time per night in a fill-in role. Goulbourne wasn’t super productive with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms either, recording just 19 points in 63 games. Although Goulbourne is a more defensive-minded forward, he’ll need to show a more well-rounded offensive game if he wants to earn another long stay in Philadelphia.

With these three forwards locked up, Philadelphia has just two more restricted free agents to deal with. Defenseman Robert Hagg, who was very reliable in 70 games as a rookie on the Flyers’ blue line, is a interesting case to follow, as the team needs to be careful about the length and value of the contracts they hand out to their many promising young defenseman, as setting a bad precedent could bury them. The situation with goaltender Anthony Stolarz is also curious, as the young keeper missed most of last season due to injury after previously looking like a future star in seven starts with Philly in 2016-17. He now has to compete with Alex Lyon and Carter Hart for the honor of “heir apparent” and the Flyers might be wondering if that is one goalie too many to compete or at least how much they are willing to pay to keep another young backstop around.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Teddy Blueger To One-Year Contract

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Teddy Blueger was eligible for salary arbitration but didn’t file when the deadline came and went earlier this month, but he hasn’t had to wait long for some future certainty. The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Blueger to a one-year two-way contract worth $650K at the NHL level according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Blueger will still be a restricted free agent when this deal expires in 2019.

Selected in the second round six years ago, Blueger has still yet to make his NHL debut. After four successful seasons in the NCAA, he jumped to the AHL where again he produced at a relatively good pace. Still, a team that has been desperate to find valuable, cheap, offensive players over the last few years hasn’t given him a chance at the highest level, instead bypassing him for other players like Dominik Simon and Zach Aston-Reese. That isn’t a good sign for his NHL future, given that Blueger will turn 24 this summer and hasn’t even received a sniff so far.

It’s not like Blueger hasn’t been able to show what he can do. A veteran at the international level already, the 23-year old forward competed in three World Junior tournaments for Latvia and has now represented his birth country at back-to-back World Championships. He’s still waiver-exempt, meaning that he could be used as an injury replacement this season, popping up and down without risk of being claimed by another team. But the Penguins have more than enough centers already given their signing of Matt Cullen and will be likely promoting winger Daniel Sprong full-time despite his struggles to crack the lineup. Blueger doesn’t have a clear path to the league, but with the Penguins every young player has to be ready as even a small chance can result in playing time with some of the best in the world.

Devin Shore Re-Signs With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars have avoided arbitration with one of their restricted free agents, inking Devin Shore to a two-year contract that carries a $2.3MM average annual value. Shore was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 20th, but will instead re-sign with the Stars for a substantial raise on his expiring entry-level contract.

The biggest question with Shore is how does he fit into the Stars forward group long-term? Drafted and developed as a center, he was mostly moved away from the position during the 2016-17 season and struggled to produce much even-strength offense last year. With just 19 of his 32 points coming in that situation, the Stars will need more from him now that he’s carrying a much larger cap hit. He does have value on the powerplay and penalty kill, but after posting poor possession statistics and a team-worst -30 rating (Martin Hanzal was the next lowest at -14) he’ll need to perform better in the bulk of his minutes.

That improvement might come with the new coaching staff, as Shore was obviously one of the players who struggled under Ken Hitchcock’s system. Jim Montgomery, who comes in with no previous NHL coaching experience, will need to get the most out of players like Shore if he has any chance of turning things around for the Stars. It’s not clear if Shore will move back to the middle of the ice, but with Blake Comeau and Valeri Nichushkin coming in to add some depth on the wings it seems a distinct possibility.

Shore will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal, and will turn 24 in a few days. There is more than enough time for him to grow into a force for the team, but he’ll have to do it in a hurry to remain in their long-term plans and set himself up for a big contract in the summer of 2020. For now we’ll have to wait and see how Montgomery tries to utilize him, before deciding whether this contract is worth it for the former University of Maine standout.

Los Angeles Kings Re-Sign Paul LaDue

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Paul LaDue decided not to file for arbitration this summer, and perhaps it’s because he knew he would reach a deal anyway. The Los Angeles Kings have announced a two-year contract for the 25-year old defenseman that will carry an $825K cap hit. LaDue will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal.

The Los Angeles defense corps is one of the hardest groups in the league to break into, but LaDue will try again to get some playing time this season. He suited up on just 12 occasions for the Kings in 2017-18 and 34 times during his short career, despite his successful run at the University of North Dakota and in the minor leagues with the Ontario Reign. LaDue is a skilled puck-moving defenseman that doesn’t sacrifice size on the blue line. Standing 6’2″ he plays well enough in his own end—though not overly physical—to command some more minutes, but is still buried on the depth chart in Los Angeles.

The Kings of course have Drew Doughty eating up a ton of minutes on the right side, but also Alec Martinez who despite shooting left often plays on his off-side. If LaDue can work his way onto the bottom pairing with any regularity, he may find some success and a growing role. If not, this may just be a depth signing that continues to play little impact on the Kings on-ice product.

Washington Capitals Re-Sign Liam O’Brien

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Another restricted free agent has avoided arbitration, as the Washington Capitals today announced that Liam O’Brien has signed a one-year two-way contract worth $650K at the NHL level. O’Brien was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on July 23rd, but will no longer require it. He will still be a restricted free agent at the end of this contract.

O’Brien, 23, has never been known for his scoring ability, but instead as one of the hardest working players on the ice every night. Even in junior he seemed to never take a shift off, and would engage physically at every chance he had. Since joining the Capitals as an undrafted free agent in 2014, he’s continued to work and develop as something other than a bruising option and scored a career-high 17 goals last season for the Hershey Bears. He also recorded the fewest penalty minutes of his professional career as the AHL continues to move further away from fights and enforcers, and model itself after the increasingly quick and skilled game found at the highest level.

To keep his career moving forward in that skilled world, O’Brien has continued to work on his puck skills and speed and is now a valued offensive component of the Hershey attack. He finished second on the team in goals last season, and could be relied upon even more now that Chris Bourque has moved on to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. If the Capitals face injuries he could also be a short-term replacement in the bottom-six, and try to follow in the footsteps of Tom Wilson who plays a similarly physical game, albeit with a touch more skill and success.

Joel Armia Signs One-Year Contract With Montreal Canadiens

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The Montreal Canadiens have avoided arbitration with Joel Armia, signing the restricted free agent to a one-year deal worth $1.85MM. Armia was scheduled for a hearing on July 25th, but will no longer need to travel to Toronto to negotiate with his new team. Armia was acquired earlier this offseason along with Steve Mason from the Winnipeg Jets, and will get an opportunity to prove himself with the Canadiens in 2018-19.

Armia, 25, was originally selected in the first round by the Buffalo Sabres in 2011 but only just finished his first season as a full-time player. In 79 games for the Jets last season he scored 29 points despite playing fewer than 13 minutes a night, and just ten of those were at even-strength. The big winger can contribute on the powerplay and penalty kill, and in Montreal could get an even bigger opportunity to show off his offensive skills. The Canadiens could be without both Paul Byron and Andrew Shaw to start the year, leaving ice time for other players like Armia to step into a brighter spotlight. A potential Max Pacioretty trade would only push the offensive burden even further down the lineup.

Whether Armia can handle an increased offensive role isn’t clear. Though he did perform well in Finland even as a junior-aged player in the highest league, he failed to post outstanding numbers in the minor leagues and has just 58 points in 180 NHL games. Luckily, Montreal isn’t paying him enough to demand huge offensive numbers, making a bottom-six role more than reasonable. There is obvious reward here if the 6’3″ forward can develop into a top-six option, but the risk is extremely minimal. Armia will also still be a restricted free agent at the end of the contract, keeping him under Montreal control for another year.

Penguins Re-Sign Jamie Oleksiak

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The Pittsburgh Penguins had one arbitration hearing on the books this off-season and it can now be canceled. The team announced that they have agreed to terms on a new contract with defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. It is a three-year extension that carries a cap hit of approximately $2.14MM.

Oleksiak, 25, flourished in 2017-18 after a mid-season trade from the Dallas Stars. The 6’7″, 255-lb. bruiser had always been a difficulty to play against, but his offensive game developed nicely when he was given increased ice time and responsibility on the Pittsburgh blue line. In 47 regular season games with the Penguins, Oleksiak recorded 14 points; he had only managed to score 22 total points prior in 140 games with Dallas. He also took far more shots and carried the puck more often following the trade. Not only did this offensive uptick not come at the cost of defense, but Oleksiak actually improved his physical game with 138 hits with Pittsburgh – more than double his previous career high in any season with the Stars.

Oleksiak set career marks across the board with Pittsburgh and looked at home with his new team. Both sides are likely very happy with the term of this contract, while the salary is a nice bump for Oleksiak after six seasons coming in at under $1MM. The Penguins now have the bulk of their top six – Oleksiak, Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Jack Johnson, and Olli Maatta – signed through 2020-21. The deal does move Pittsburgh ever closer to the cap though; the team is currently projected to enter the upcoming season with just $745K in space with their current 23-man roster. The Penguins likely aren’t done making moves this off-season.

Salary Cap Floor Should Not Pose Problems For Any Team In 2018-19

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The purpose of the salary cap in the NHL is to maintain a sense of competitive balance across the league. That means both limiting how much a team can spend, the salary cap ceiling, but also ensuring that every team is competitive with a minimum expenditure, the salary cap floor. Some teams, generally those in smaller markets or undergoing rebuilds, tend to try to toe the line of the salary cap floor, paying as close to the minimum as possible for their roster. In years past, some teams have even struggled to hit that mark, taking on injured players or overpaying players in order to pass the floor. It’s unlikely that any of the 31 franchises will face that problem in 2018-19.

This season, with a corresponding jump in the salary cap ceiling, the floor moved to $58.8MM. With the bulk of unrestricted free agency accounted for, just three teams currently sit below that mark: the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets. However, both the Rangers and Jets can immediately be crossed off as a salary floor concern. The pair are perhaps the two teams with the most potential salary tied up in salary arbitration this off-season.

The Jets currently have the lowest projected payroll in the league, with a 16-man roster that accounts for approximately $52.7MM. However, Winnipeg’s list of restricted free agents who have filed for arbitration include Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck, defenseman Jacob Trouba, and forwards Adam Lowry, Chris Tanev, and Marko Dano, as well as defenseman Tucker Poolman who did not file. Those six players could easily combine for more than $20MM in combined salary when all is said and done, putting the Jets well clear of the floor and closer to the ceiling. Defenseman Josh Morrissey, who is not arbitration eligible also needs a new contract. Winnipeg is far from a floor concern.

In New York, the Rangers sit at $55.8MM in projected cap committed to 16 players, just $3MM shy of the floor. They also need to re-sign a majority of their young core, with forwards Kevin Hayes, Ryan Spooner, and Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Brady Skjei having filed for arbitration. The Rangers could pass the floor by extending just one of those players, nevertheless all four. New deals for those three forwards still leaves New York one or two shy of a full roster as well, meaning more salary will come into the fold via promotion or an additional acquisition.

As for the Devils, New Jersey is already close to the floor at a projected $56.4MM for 19 players. Forwards Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen have filed for arbitration and the deals for both could be enough to push the Devils to where they need to be. Even if it doesn’t, the team will still need to sign non-arbitration eligible RFA’s Miles Wood and Steve Santini, whose deals should definitely be enough. New Jersey will likely be a team that hovers close to the floor next season; that didn’t stop them from making the playoffs in 2017-18, though.

Perhaps the only team who should be legitimately concerned about the salary cap floor next season in Ottawa. The Senators and owner Eugene Melnyk have made it no secret that they are trying to shed salary and come in as close to the minimum as possible. Right now, the team sits just $3MM above the floor at a projected $61.8MM roster for 20 players. However, that isn’t including the arbitration resolutions for both defenseman Cody Ceci and forward Mark Stone. Those two deals will put Ottawa well above the floor. Even if the team was to trade star defenseman Erik Karlsson, they should remain above the floor, especially with additional salaries likely to be added in the trade return. The one scenario in which Melnyk could succeed in dropping significant salary would be if both Karlsson and Bobby Ryan were to be traded away. The resulting $13.75MM loss in payable salary would more than offset the contracts for Stone and Ceci and likely the contracts of those players coming back as well, potentially dropping the team below $58.8MM. Yet, even in that case, the Senators’ efforts to fill out their roster after losing Karlsson and Ryan – either by promotion or acquisition – could easily be used to get back to that mark.

The salary cap floor was never intended to be used as a target for teams to hover above and spend as little as possible. The goal of the NHL is have each and every team be competitive, not simply trying to maximize profits. As such, the 2018-19 season has some parity promise as seemingly no team will struggle to get over the floor or have to use contracts for the old and injured to get there. For the first time in years, every team seems set to be competitive and comfortably over the minimum cap hit.

All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.com.

Snapshots: Ducks, Arbitration, Panarin

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The Anaheim Ducks will retire two numbers this season, honoring Paul Kariya’s #9 and Scott Niedermayer’s #27 at two different ceremonies. Both players have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame following outstanding playing careers, and were huge parts of a franchise that has had quite a bit of success over its first 25 years in existence.

Kariya, the team’s very first draft pick, recorded 669 points in 606 games for the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and was named captain just a few years into his career. His dynamic offensive skill and speed brought the team international attention, and when paired with Teemu Selanne formed one of the most exciting young duos to watch in the NHL. He won just about everything he could in his career except for a Stanley Cup, including Olympic, World Junior and World Championship gold medals, an NCAA title and a pair of Lady Byng trophies.

Niedermayer had a different path to success in Anaheim, coming as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2005. The superstar defenseman brought championship experience to the Ducks, and quickly led them to a Stanley Cup of their own in 2007. That was the team’s first and only NHL championship, and Niedermayer’s Conn Smythe-winning performance was good enough to cement him in their history forever. Another three seasons at an elite level only confirmed his designation as one of the greatest players to ever suit up in Anaheim.

  • A few arbitration dates have already been set, as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Mathew Dumba and Jason Zucker of the Minnesota Wild have hearings on July 23 and 28th respectively. Members of the Washington Capitals will also be in Toronto on one of those days, as Liam O’Brien has a hearing set for the 23rd. It’s important to note that teams can sign these players to contracts at any time before an arbitrator actually makes a decision, and only a few (if any) of those who filed for player-elected salary arbitration will even make it that far. For Zucker, an arbitrator could only grant a one-year contract since the Minnesota forward is already 26 and is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019.
  • Rumors have been swirling for some time about the status of Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Artemi Panarin, given that he isn’t willing to open negotiations with the team regarding his upcoming free agency. Panarin is scheduled to hit the open market next summer, and agent Dan Milstein spoke with The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) to make it clear that his client holds no grudge or animosity towards his current team. Quite the contrary, Milstein explains that the Blue Jackets have been an outstanding organization for Panarin, but that the 26-year old forward simply hasn’t make a decision on his future. Panarin is one of the league’s very best offensive talents, but the Blue Jackets would have to consider trading him if there is a clear indication that he won’t entertain a long-term extension at some point.

Ross Johnston To Sign Four-Year Contract With New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders have come to terms with Ross Johnston on a four-year contract, which explains why the big forward didn’t file for arbitration when the deadline passed earlier this month. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that the deal will carry a $1MM average annual value.

Johnston, 24, is the latest in a series of moves that has added depth to the Islanders forward group. Leo Komarov, Valtteri Filppula, Tom Kuhnhackl and Matt Martin were already added in the first few days of free agency, and Jan Kovar was signed earlier today out of the KHL. That group will be tasked with giving the team a more balanced attack this season, and perhaps being more responsible defensively after allowing 293 goals last season. Johnston doesn’t come with a tremendous amount of experience, but gives the team another big body to fill out the bottom six.

Undrafted, the 6’5″ 235-lbs Johnston has been in the Islanders system since signing his entry-level contract in 2015. The big bruising winger scored 11 points in 33 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL last season, but was also given an opportunity in the second half with New York. Scoring six points in 24 games including his first three NHL goals, Johnston actually looked more comfortable than many would have believed given his pedestrian numbers in the minor leagues. Where he fits into the roster going forward isn’t clear, but the team apparently felt strongly enough about his play to give him a multi-year contract.

It’s not just Johnston’s spot that isn’t clear in New York. The team now has 14 NHL forwards under contract for next season and an arbitration case pending with Brock Nelson, and still young players like Joshua Ho-Sang ready to make an impact. There are obviously some tough decisions coming this summer and in training camp, though injuries could obviously solve any depth problem before the season begins.

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