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Arbitration

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Austin Czarnik

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Tuesday: The team has officially announced the signing.

Monday: A day after extending young goalies Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban, the Boston Bruins have come to terms with another one their restricted free agents. According to CapFriendly, two-way forward Austin Czarnik has re-signed with the Bruins on a one-year, two-way deal. Czarnik will make just $675K at the NHL level, which may end up being a bargain for GM Don Sweeney and company after a solid rookie season.

Czarnik, the former captain of the Miami University RedHawks and a highly sought-after college free agent in 2015, has found success in all aspects of the game so far in his pro career. In 2015-16, Czarnik, alongside Boston’s Frank Vatrano and former Bruin Seth Griffith, had a breakout campaign in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, scoring 61 points in 68 games in his first pro season. Czarnik led all AHL rookies in points, and that offensive production earned him an NHL shot last season. The small, shifty center took on an important bottom-six role for the first half of the season, recording 13 points in 49 games and leading the team’s third penalty kill unit. While Czarnik did not show the same offensive explosion, he proved that he had the intelligence, composure, and versatility to be an NHL player. Czarnik was eventually returned to Providence for much of the second half and the postseason, where he again was an offensive juggernaut with 23 points in 22 games, but has earned another shot in Boston in the near future. Czarnik is one of many young forwards who will fight for a roster spot this season, including fellow two-way forwards Noel Acciari and college teammate Sean Kuraly, veteran minor leaguers Tim Schaller and Kenny Agostino, and promising prospect scorers Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Zach Senyshyn, Jake DeBrusk, Anders Bjork, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen. Czarnik may need some luck to hold off a plethora of NHL-ready talent, but has the advantage of NHL experience on his side.

With Czarnik signed, the Bruins’ only two remaining restricted free agents are a couple of notable names: 21-year-old star winger David Pastrnak and play-making third-line center Ryan Spooner. While Boston is high on Czarnik and other young forwards, with more than enough competition as is, many also believe that they could stand to add another veteran winger into the mix as well. However, such a move will likely come after the extensions for Pastrnak and Spooner are over with. Negotiations with Pastrnak have been ongoing for a while now and Spooner has his arbitration date set for July 26th, so it’s only a matter of time before the Bruins have more news to announce. Re-upping Czarnik is another step in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done in Boston.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Martin Frk

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The Detroit Red Wings have come to a one-year agreement with forward Martin Frk, signing the restricted free agent for the 2017-18 season. The deal is a two-way contract worth $650K in the NHL. Frk was not eligible for salary arbitration this summer.

Frk is coming off a Calder Cup victory with the Grand Rapids Griffins that saw him continue his excellent scoring performance throughout the playoffs. With a combined 65 points in 81 games, Frk was one of the most reliable options for the Griffins for most of the season. There was a period during the year when Frk was actually claimed by Carolina and suited up for two NHL games before making his way back to the Detroit organization.

Selected in the second round of the 2012 draft, Frk has come slowly through the Red Wings development system to become a genuine NHL option for next season. With back to back 27-goal seasons in the AHL, he’s shown a nose for the net and an ability to contribute on special teams. Detroit, looking for any help they can get up front could take a long look at Frk in training camp this season.

Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues Exchange Arbitration Figures With RFAs

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Arbitration is coming fast and furious later this week, with the hearings kicking off on Thursday with Colton Parayko and Tomas Tatar. Before that happens, teams and players need to exchange figures for the arbitrator to rule on. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that the St. Louis Blues have submitted a two-year offer for $7MM (total), while Parayko wants a one-year deal worth $4.85MM. Friedman also reports that the Detroit Red Wings have offered Tatar $4.1MM, while the forward has asked for $5.3MM.

Unlike baseball, the arbitrator does not need to decide with one side or the other and can find a “middle-ground” salary for the player. Both of these teams would have walk-away rights from a potential decision, though it would be hard to see either of them allowing Parayko or Tatar to hit the open market. As always, a deal before the hearing is still likely between both sides as cases rarely actually reach arbitration.

Parayko, 24, is known as a budding superstar around the league but doesn’t have the experience or huge point totals to give him much leverage in the process. That said, there is leeway for an “intangibles” component which can use things like leadership and public appeal to sway the decision. Parayko is extremely popular in St. Louis as the team and fans see him as a building block for any future contender.

Tatar, 26, on the other hand has a much longer track record of success in the NHL after completing his fourth full season, but cannot be awarded a two-year deal because of his proximity to unrestricted free agent. It seems likely that the two sides will either take the one-year deal and part ways next summer, or somehow find a long-term deal that works. It was recently reported that Tatar turned down a five-year, $25MM deal and it’s clear that he values himself much higher than that.

Winnipeg Jets Sign J.C. Lipon

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed another young restricted free agent, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract with J.C. Lipon for the 2017-18 season. The contract will pay Lipon the minimum $650K while in the NHL. Lipon was eligible for salary arbitration this season, but decided not to file for it.

Lipon, 24, spent the entire season in the AHL last year and registered 30 points in 71 games. A third-round selection in 2013, Lipon has always had a physical aspect to his game but also has shown the ability to produce offensively. Last year some of that playmaking ability disappeared and it resulted in him not earning a single game in the NHL. If he’s to make an impact at the next level it will have to come soon, as next year he will likely be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency and could slip out of any future plans.

This signing leaves the Jets with just Connor Hellebuyck to sign, and Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun believes a bridge deal will come down for the goaltender before his arbitration hearing on August 1st. The team has plenty of cap space, but after signing Steve Mason for $4.1MM per season it’s clear they need more from Hellebuyck before committing to him as the answer in net long-term.

Remaining Arbitration Dates

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While the league continues to try and lock up their young players, several arbitration dates remain on the docket for the next few weeks. Starting on Thursday, teams and players will head to hearings to determine their salary for the upcoming season (or seasons). For more information on how the arbitration process works, check out Mike Furlano’s two part breakdown of the system from last summer.

The remaining arbitration dates are as follows:

July 20 – Colton Parayko (St. Louis), Tomas Tatar (Detroit)

Originally scheduled: Tyler Johnson (Tampa Bay) who signed a seven-year, $35MM contract.

July 21 – Ryan Dzingel (Ottawa)

Originally scheduled: Michael Chaput (Vancouver) who signed a one-year, $688K contract

July 22 – Viktor Arvidsson (Nashville)

Originally scheduled: Micheal Ferland (Calgary) who signed a two-year, $3.5MM contract.

July 24 – Austin Watson (Nashville), Brian Dumoulin (Pittsburgh)

July 25 – Mika Zibanejad (NY Rangers)

Originally scheduled: Joey LaLeggia (Edmonton) who signed a one-year, two-way, $700K contract and Ondrej Palat (Tampa Bay) who signed a five-year, $26.5MM contract.

July 26 – Ryan Spooner (Boston)

Originally scheduled: Jordan Martinook (Arizona) who signed a two-year, $3.6MM contract.

July 27 – Robin Lehner (Buffal0)

Originally scheduled: Marek Mazanec (Nashville) who signed a one-year, two-way, $650K contract.

July 28 – (none)

Originally scheduled: Jean-Gabriel Pageau (Ottawa) who signed a three-year, $9.3MM contract.

July 31 – Matt Nieto (Colorado)

August 1 – Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg), Reid Boucher (Vancouver)

August 2 – Calvin de Haan (NY Islanders)

Originally scheduled: Kevin Gravel (Los Angeles) who signed a one-year, two-way, $650K contract. 

August 3 – Nate Schmidt (Vegas), Nino Niederreiter (Minnesota)

August 4 – Mikael Granlund (Minnesota), Conor Sheary (Pittsburgh), Nathan Beaulieu (Buffalo)

Jean-Gabriel Pageau Signs Three-Year Contract

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The Ottawa Senators have locked up one of their playoff heroes, signing Jean-Gabriel Pageau to a three-year, $9.3MM contract. The deal, which will allow the two sides to avoid arbitration, will be structured as follows: Jean-Gabriel Pageau

  • 2017-18: $2.6MM
  • 2018-19: $3.3MM
  • 2019-20: $3.4MM

Pageau was scheduled to have a hearing on July 28th after filing for player-elected salary arbitration, but will instead sign a three-year deal that will take him to unrestricted free agency at 27. That expiry date could prove huge for Pageau, as at 24 he has already developed into a solid role player for the Senators.

Over the past two years, Pageau has played in all 164 games and registered 76 points giving Ottawa a solid third center option behind Kyle Turris and Derick Brassard (or Mika Zibanejad in 2015-16). Deployed in a somewhat defensive role, he’s received Selke votes in both seasons as one of the best defensive forwards in the league and has improved every season in the faceoff circle, winning a team-leading 54.8% of his draws last year.

In the playoffs he showed he could be a top performer, recording 10 points in 19 games including a four-goal performance in Game 2 against the New York Rangers, an overtime win that saw him skate over 28 minutes.

A $3.1MM cap hit is a nice raise for Pageau, who was coming off just $900K per season on his second contract. That number is a fine price to pay for him as a player, but does add to the increasing salary tied up at center for the Senators. With Brassard ($5MM), Turris ($3.5MM), Zack Smith ($3.25MM) all in the fold, it will be interesting to see how things play out. The Senators also have Colin White, a natural center, knocking down the door for a chance at the NHL, while they brought in a depth option in Nate Thompson this offseason on a two-year deal. Several of these players have experience at the wing, though who will shift off the middle is still unclear.

With the Senators now having just $7.6MM in cap space, the team still has Ryan Dzingel to sign as a restricted free agent. Other than that it’s unlikely that they do anything further to add salary, as the team normally operates under an internal budget that is below the cap ceiling. That may have changed slightly with the long playoff run in 2016-17, but with attendance issues even in the postseason it wouldn’t be surprising to see them shedding salary instead of adding it before the season begins.

Craig Morgan of AZ Sports was first to report the two sides had settled on a contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Detroit’s Contract Pitfalls

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Detroit is currently dealing with one of the more contentious RFA negotiations in recent memory, as Tomas Tatar has refused a multi-year deal and is not happy with the franchise’s perception of him. The team also needs to negotiate a new contract for Andreas Athanasiou, a speedy center with flashy hands and a lot of upside. The major problem, however, is the cap space with which GM Ken Holland has to operate.

Detroit’s perilous situation is bizarre primarily because it has been largely self-inflicted, and unnecessarily so. The team already has an under-performing and vastly overpaid defensive group, but decided to bring in declining veteran Trevor Daley to a $3.17 MM, three-year deal. This places the team with $2.28 MM left in cap space while still needing to lock up Athanasiou and Tatar. It should be noted that 37 year-old Johan Franzen has been on long-term injured reserve since 2015, so they should be able to allocate his $3.95 MM salary to that reserve upon resumption of the season. Considering the apparently lax interpretation of the off-season rules, this effectively allows Holland $6.23 MM left to sign his two players. Theoretically, it could be enough, but in reality money will need to move out.

Tatar turned down a 5-year deal worth $5 MM per season, according to Michigan Live’s Ansar Khan. If that AAV isn’t enough, which it appears not to be, Holland is in a bit of a bind. Tatar was their only player to break 20 goals (25), and finished third on the team in points behind only Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. His offensive capabilities are pretty essential to a team hurting so badly for consistent production. Tatar wants his $6 MM, and there’s a good chance he’ll get it. Holland could try to deal Tatar before his arbitration date, but the return might not be as productive as Holland would like. If the parties do go to arbitration, Tatar will only need to sign for one season, which would almost assure his eventual departure.

Athanasiou will come cheaper and likely on a shorter term. If Holland can secure the player for under $2 MM, it would be a boon. The wiser move would be to try to extend the player on a longer deal in hopes that he becomes a bargain in the near future. Unfortunately, with the Tatar situation taking precedence, it seems an unlikely scenario. Even still, his measly $2 MM would put the Wings over the cap ceiling, even with Franzen on LTIR. So who would be on the outs?

Petr Mrazek was almost lost to the Vegas Golden Knights through the expansion draft, and with Jared Coreau playing stellar in the Grand Rapids, he seems the most likely candidate to move. He only costs $4 MM and after his down season, Holland would like to give Jimmy Howard the reigns back. Unfortunately, the Mrazek “attitude” rumors may have lessened his trade value. Perhaps even more importantly, the goaltending carousel has ground to a halt, with essentially every team securing a starter for the coming year.

Justin Abdelkader is on a really poor contract, complete with a no-trade clause, worth $4.25 MM AAV for the next six seasons. After a seven goal season, however, there won’t be many teams chomping at the bit for his services. Darren Helm didn’t fare much better offensively, but with a $3.85 MM contract and only four years on his deal, he’s not entirely unmovable. Again, he has a no-trade clause to complicate matters. There are the defensemen, such as Jonathan Ericsson, but with three years left and already declining at 33, he would also net little in return. Luke Glendening is an interesting option, as he is the cheapest of this group. Despite his two-way prowess, a forward with 3 goals in a season, even at a mere $1.8 MM, will still be a tough sell.

Ultimately, the Wings have overpaid a number of players and the contracts are for far too long. The amount of no-trade clauses handed out is an absurd hindrance when a team is trying to rebuild or retool. With 8 players on the roster with some sort of movement-limiting clause, Holland has few options to give himself relief. The worst case scenario would be to lose Tatar, but the team has truly painted itself into a corner regardless of who is shipped out. With an aging defense and an uninspiring offense, the Wings’ return to relevance will only be delayed from here on in.

Minor Moves: Gravel, Gibson, Gustafsson

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The Los Angeles Kings have come to an agreement with another one of their restricted free agents, signing Kevin Gravel to a one-year two-way contract worth $650K. Interestingly, Gravel had elected arbitration and was scheduled for a hearing on August 2nd, but instead took the league minimum on a one-year deal. The team did not release the guaranteed or AHL salary, likely part of why he settled.

Gravel played 49 games for the Kings last season in his first extended look with the team, registering seven points in just over 14 minutes a night. With the departure of Brayden McNabb to the Vegas Golden Knights, Gravel will likely be asked to play a bigger role and could even find himself in a full-time gig. He is still waivers exempt however, giving the team options if they think someone else is a better option on the bottom pairing.

  • The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Christopher Gibson to a one-year two-way deal, bringing him back to battle with new acquisition Kristers Gudlevskis for an AHL role. In just seven games last season Gibson recorded a .912 save percentage but hasn’t been able to show the potential that made him a second-round pick in 2011. Just 24 he’s still developing as a netminder, but will have to make big strides soon if he wants to make an impact at the NHL level.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed Erik Gustafsson to a one-year deal, a contract that will send him to unrestricted free agency next summer should he not get into 39 games in the NHL this year. After playing 41 contests in 2015-16 with the Blackhawks and recording a solid 14 points, Gustafsson spent the entire season in the AHL in 2016-17. While he again showed off his offensive upside while there, scoring 30 points in 68 games, it was a disappointing year for him to not make it back to the NHL. Now with Niklas Hjalmarsson in Arizona and Brian Campbell still unsigned, there could be an opportunity for him to step up and fill a full-time role. With depth options like Michal Rozsival not being an ideal option on a full-time basis, the Blackhawks could look to newcomer Jan Rutta along with Gustafsson and Ville Pokka as potential options.

Flames Re-Sign Micheal Ferland To Two-Year Deal

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7:19 PM: The Flames have officially announced the two-year contract worth a total of $3.5MM.

4:36PM: The Calgary Flames and Micheal Ferland are working on a two-year deal that would pay the restricted free agent $3.5MM total according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. With his arbitration hearing set for July 22nd, the two sides have just over a week to work something out or have to live with an arbitrator’s decision.

A two-year deal would take the 25-year old Ferland to unrestricted free agency, which is why the team can keep the cap hit so low. Though he doesn’t have much of a track record, Ferland found some solid success last season in his limited chances with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, scoring 15 goals and 25 points despite playing less than 12 minutes a night.

That success comes with an added physical presence and a good amount of defensive awareness, making him an interesting option that can play up and down the lineup. With the Flames still having plenty of wing options for the top six, and bringing Kris Versteeg back, Ferland can again slot in as a depth option and play to his strengths away from top competition.

The team still has to make decisions on Sam Bennett and Curtis Lazar, both of whom are ineligible for arbitration this summer. If they want to lock up Bennett long-term, it would eat up a fair bit of their cap space even coming off a down season. The former fourth-overall pick still has plenty of potential, and buying out free agent years wouldn’t come cheap.

That said, Ferland’s deal leaves them with enough room to sign both RFAs and even make another addition if they so chose. After acquiring Travis Hamonic, Mike Smith and Eddie Lack and re-signing Versteeg and Michael Stone the Flames are poised to take a long run at the Stanley Cup this season. Players like Ferland are integral to any contending team, able to move up the lineup if injuries happen and grind out long playoff series with their in-your-face style.

East Notes: Dumoulin, Sheary, Stafford, Patrick

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The Penguins have made no progress in discussions with restricted free agents Brian Dumoulin and Conor Sheary, GM Jim Rutherford told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  He added that he expects both to “probably” go through the arbitration process.  Both players are coming off contracts that paid them below $1MM and will likely at least triple their previous contracts when they sign their next deal.  Pittsburgh has money to work with still as they have a little more than $10MM in cap space per CapFriendly at the moment.

Other notes from around the East:

  • While the expectation is that the Bruins are waiting to re-sign RFA David Pastrnak before seeking a deal with unrestricted free agent Drew Stafford, CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty suggests that the fact that there hasn’t much talk about a new contract suggests that Boston isn’t all that interested in keeping him. Haggerty thinks they won’t offer him much more than a PTO deal given their prospects that are on the cusp of making the big club and what is a perceived lack of interest elsewhere around the league.  The 31-year-old slotted 21st in our free agent rankings last month with a projected two-year, $4.5MM deal.
  • Nolan Patrick will not be participating in the upcoming World Junior Summer Showcase (which opens up on July 28th), the Flyers confirmed to NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman (Twitter link). The second overall pick from last month is once again dealing with a sports hernia, the same injury that cost him a big chunk of the season, but he is expected to be fully ready in time for training camp in September.

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