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Snapshots: Krug, Maroon, Patera

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With Andrej Sekera once again out long-term following surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston notes that the Oilers showed interest in Bruins blueliner Torey Krug last season and wonders if the injury could help re-spark the talks.  Boston doesn’t necessarily want to move Krug but given their depth on the back end, it could make sense for them to use him as a trade chip to get some top-six help up front.

However, with Krug checking in at a $5.25MM cap hit, Edmonton would need to unload a similarly-priced contract as they still have to re-sign blueliner Darnell Nurse and long-term injury reserve would only help until Sekera is ready to return; they will have to be back in cap compliance before they can activate him later in the season.  The team only has a handful of forwards near that price range in Milan Lucic and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.  It’s doubtful that Boston would want Lucic and the five years left on his contract so unless the Oilers are comfortable with moving Nugent-Hopkins (something that has seemingly become less and less likely compared to a year ago), there may not be a great trade fit at this time between the two teams.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Winger Patrick Maroon – who signed with the Blues last month – is showing no ill effects from the surgery to repair a herniated disc back in May, reports NHL.com’s Lou Korac. He resumed skating last month and has been training fully for the last few weeks.  Getting off to a strong start to the season will be critical for Maroon as he inked just a one-year deal with the hope that he would be able to parlay that into a multi-year extension with his hometown team.  That extension can’t be worked out until January 1st.
  • Golden Knights goaltending prospect Jiri Patera has signed with Brandon of the WHL, the junior team announced. The netminder was selected in the CHL Import Draft back in June after spending last season with Cedar Rapids of the USHL.  The Wheat Kings have the rights to a pair of NHL first-round picks as well in defenseman Erik Brannstrom (also a Vegas prospect) and winger Martin Kaut; teams can only have two import players on their active roster so if all three were to make it there, they would have an issue.  However, it’s possible that one of Brannstrom or Kaut could start at the AHL level next season which would allow Patera to suit up in Brandon.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New Jersey Devils

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New Jersey Devils

Current Cap Hit: $61,343,333 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Joey Anderson (two years, $925K)
F Jesper Bratt (two years, $749K)
D Will Butcher (one year, $925K)
F Nico Hischier (two years, $925K)
F Pavel Zacha (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Bratt: $93K
Butcher: $2.85MM
Hischier: $2.85MM

Total: $6.63MM

Hischier wasn’t among the rookie scoring leaders when all was said and done but the number one pick in 2017 still made his mark by finishing second in team scoring while ascending to a top-six role as a center quickly instead of being eased in as a winger.  That should have him in line to potentially max out his Schedule ‘B’ bonuses ($850K) but he’ll have a hard time locking down the loftier Schedule ‘A’ one.  He’ll be eligible for a contract extension next summer and it will be interesting to see if the Devils look to lock him up early or let him play out his contract and wait until the 2020 offseason to work something out.

Bratt was a big surprise last season.  Only one year removed from being a sixth-round pick, he wasn’t even on the radar to make the team but wound up playing over 15 minutes a night while providing strong secondary scoring.  A repeat performance could make him an early extension candidate as well.  Zacha has disappointed over his first two NHL seasons as he has to make much of an impact offensively.  He has the size and skills to carve out a big role but has yet to do so thus far.  Even if he rebounds next season, he’s a strong candidate for a bridge deal.  Anderson has yet to play in the pros but New Jersey thinks highly enough of him that they burned the first year of his entry-level deal in mid-April without him playing even a single game.  With that in mind, it’s reasonable to think they expect him to make an impact fairly quickly.

As for Butcher, he made a strong impact coming over in free agency after declining to sign with Colorado.  While he was sheltered (as many rookie blueliners often are), he made an immediate impact at the offensive end and is poised to take on a bigger role in 2018-19.  He should hit at least some of his ‘B’ bonuses (also $850K in total) but the ‘A’ one is going to be out of reach.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Brian Boyle ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Marcus Johansson ($4.583MM, UFA)
G Keith Kinkaid ($1.25MM, UFA)
D Ben Lovejoy ($2.67MM, UFA)
D Mirco Mueller ($850K, RFA)
F Stefan Noesen ($1.725MM, RFA)

Johansson was New Jersey’s big acquisition last summer but concussion trouble limited him to just 29 games.  When healthy, he is still a quality top-six forward capable of playing all three positions and a full season could help him land a nice raise on the open market.  However, another injury-filled campaign could have him settling for a one-year deal next summer.  Boyle’s start with the Devils got off to a rough start after being diagnosed with leukemia but he made an immediate impact upon his return and scored 13 times for the third straight year while winning the Masterton Trophy.  It’s hard to see him really boosting his pay on his next deal, however, as he’ll be 34 and some teams are starting to look for cheaper role players now.  Noesen had a career year last season which earned him a $1.125MM raise but if he takes a step backwards next season, he could become a non-tender candidate.

Lovejoy was a regular in his first season with the Devils but was more of a depth player at times for them last year, spending a lot of time as a healthy scratch.  That appears likely to continue as their back end remains intact which means that he will be taking a considerable pay cut on his next deal.  Mueller missed over 30 games with a fractured clavicle and was also scratched at times which resulted in what’s basically a one-year bridge deal.  If he’s in a similar role for 2018-19, he will be in line for another deal like that next offseason.

Kinkaid’s case is particularly interesting.  He re-signed last summer as someone without too much of an NHL track record.  That changed last season as he got into 41 games, took over the number one job briefly, and posted numbers around the league average.  That may not sound too exciting but a similar performance next year will still have him well-positioned for a sizable pay increase.

Two Years Remaining

D Andy Greene ($5MM, UFA)
F Taylor Hall ($6MM, UFA)
D Sami Vatanen ($4.875MM, UFA)

Hall’s stellar showing last season has been well documented.  The Hart Trophy winner shattered his career highs across the board and was a huge factor in them getting to the postseason.  Even if he takes a step back next season, he’ll still be in line for a notable raise on an early extension.  If he has a comparable performance in 2018-19 though, it’ll likely take putting him close to the league leaders in salary to get him to forego free agency.

Vatanen wasn’t quite as productive as expected after being acquired from Anaheim but he was still able to step up and play a number one role.  With the state of their back end, that’s going to be the case again next season which will be helping to make a case for his next deal starting with a six or a seven to be more in line with top-pairing players.  Greene has become more of a shutdown player compared to a few years ago which makes his deal a little bit of a premium.  Between that and his age (he’ll be 36 next summer), there’s a very good chance that he’ll be asked to take a pay cut on his next contract.

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Hurricanes Have Started Extension Discussions With Sebastian Aho

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The Hurricanes have started discussions on a contract extension for forward Sebastian Aho, notes NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.  Aho acknowledged that he’s hopeful that his agent Gerry Johansson can get a long-term deal done but that he has “nothing to say yet”.

The 21-year-old is coming off of a very strong sophomore campaign that saw him improve his point total from his rookie season by 16.  His 65 points on the year led all Carolina players and he followed that up with a stellar showing at the World Championships where he finished second in the tournament in scoring with 18 points in just eight contests.

Aho could also be in line for a position change for next season.  After finishing the year as a center, new head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted that they will consider moving him back to the wing.  Despite losing both Elias Lindholm (trade) and Derek Ryan (free agency), Carolina still has some good options down the middle in Jordan Staal, Victor Rask, as well as youngster Martin Necas who is expected to be a regular in 2018-19.

Aho is already signed through the upcoming campaign with a $925K cap hit plus another $850K in Schedule ‘B’ bonuses that he should have a strong chance at achieving.  It’s safe to say that his next deal, whenever it’s signed, will vastly surpass that amount.  Fortunately for Carolina, they have plenty of room to work with under the salary cap so they shouldn’t have to move anyone out to accommodate his eventual new salary.

West Notes: Schmaltz, Peeters, Talbot

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The five-year, $30.5MM contract that the Red Wings gave center Dylan Larkin last week could serve as a template for the Blackhawks when it comes to their dealings with fellow pivot Nick Schmaltz next summer, suggests Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago.  Both players were picked in the middle of the first round back in 2014 and have put up comparable point production while largely playing a similar role.  They also happen to be represented by the same agent in Kurt Overhardt.

Chicago has been fairly quiet this offseason even after unloading the remainder of Marian Hossa’s contract to Arizona.  With Schmaltz and winger Alex DeBrincat both in need of new contracts following next season, it certainly seems like GM Stan Bowman is shying away from adding any more money to their books beyond then knowing that they will be adding a significant amount to their books in the not-too-distant future.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Still with the Blackhawks, goaltending prospect Wouter Peeters will not be returning to USHL Youngstown next season, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required). The 20-year-old made the trek to North America for 2017-18 after spending his post-draft year in Jokerit’s junior program.  Powers notes that Peeters could still wind up with another USHL squad or head back overseas but that Chicago’s preference would likely be to keep him stateside where the player development staff can work with him more often.
  • The Oilers face a bit of a conundrum regarding goalie Cam Talbot, notes NBC Sports’ Scott Billeck. The veteran is coming off of a substandard season and the team is certainly going to be counting on him to help get them back into contention.  However, he’s entering the final year of his contract and a top-notch campaign could very well result in Talbot pricing himself out of what Edmonton can afford given all of the money on their books long-term.  For now, they’ll certainly hope that he can get back to his 2016-17 form but they will have to get even more creative with their cap room if they want him to be their netminder for the long-term.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Pittsburgh Penguins

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Current Cap Hit: $78,480,000 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Jake Guentzel (one year, $734K)

Potential Bonuses:

Guentzel: $133K

Guentzel’s first full NHL season was a strong one as he finished sixth on the team in scoring while showing he could play well in a top-six role.  That type of success has him poised to land a considerable raise on his next contract.  His situation somewhat mirrors that of Conor Sheary, who also largely came out of nowhere to show some chemistry with Sidney Crosby and be productive.  He landed $3MM per year on his second deal and that’s going to represent the floor for a new contract for Guentzel.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Derick Brassard $3MM, UFA*)
F Matt Cullen ($650K, UFA)
G Casey DeSmith ($675K, UFA)
F Derek Grant ($650K, UFA)
F Carl Hagelin ($4MM, UFA)
F Jimmy Hayes ($650K, UFA)
D Chad Ruhwedel ($650K, UFA)
F Riley Sheahan ($2.1MM, UFA)

* – Vegas is retaining an additional $2MM on Brassard’s deal

Pittsburgh paid a notable price to bring in Brassard late last season and the move didn’t exactly pay immediate dividends.  While he certainly gives them even more enviable depth down the middle, they’ve kicked around the idea of making him a top-six winger as well.  At either rate, Brassard should be able to command something slightly above the $5MM he’s currently making when he hits free agency which is going to probably make him too pricey to keep around.  Even if he plays at the wing next season, there will be plenty of teams that view him as a center and with the demand for that position only getting stronger, he will have plenty of suitors on the open market.

Hagelin’s addition (one that cost them David Perron and Adam Clendening) is one that the Penguins would probably like back in hindsight.  His speed is a real weapon but he has produced more like a third liner than a top-six forward.  Given how tight they are to the cap, they can’t have too many inefficiencies like that on their books.  Unless he’s willing to take a big pay cut, he likely won’t be back.  Sheahan fit in nicely after being acquired early on from Detroit.  He’ll slot in as the fourth line center (unless Brassard moves to the wing) which will limit his potential for a raise on his next contract.  DeSmith will hold down the fort as the backup while allowing Tristan Jarry to take advantage of his waiver exemption and play a starting role in the minors and then will likely cede his spot to Jarry for 2019-20.

As for the other four, none project to have a particularly notable role for the upcoming season and are basically just cheap roster fillers.  They’ll either be retained around that rate for next year or be replaced by someone else that’s willing to play for the league minimum (which moves to $700K in 2019-20).

Two Years Remaining

G Matt Murray ($3.75MM, RFA)
D Justin Schultz ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Dominik Simon ($750K, RFA)
F Daniel Sprong ($750K, RFA)

Murray’s first full season as the undisputed starter for Pittsburgh didn’t quite go as well as anticipated.  He struggled to stay healthy and wasn’t quite as effective as he was the year before.  If that continues, his next contract wouldn’t be for much more than his current one.  However, if he establishes himself as a high-end number one starter within the next two years, he could double his current deal (and potentially then some).  Needless to say, he’ll have a lot on the line over the next 24 months.

Schultz wasn’t able to come close to repeating his performance from the year before, the one that earned him his current contract.  They’ll be counting on him to rebound next season and if that doesn’t happen, he’ll start to be involved in trade speculation before too long.  Simon and Sprong are both youngsters that will be looking to establish themselves as full-time NHL players.  Assuming that happens over the next two seasons, they should be in line for a decent raise; Sprong has the higher-end earning potential if he can lock down a top-six spot over that stretch.

Three Years Remaining

D Jamie Oleksiak ($2.138MM, UFA)

Oleksiak fit in nicely after being acquired in a midseason deal from Dallas.  He’ll slot in on their third pairing and while that cap hit may be a little high for someone that’s likely to be a number six defender, they’ll certainly be pleased with having a bit more stability in that role after rotating a few different players through that spot in recent years.

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Minor Transactions: 8/13/18

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It was relatively quiet today on the NHL transaction front but a pair of former NHL centers find themselves in the news.

  • Capitals UFA center Zach Sill has signed a one-year contract with Sparta Praha, the Czech Extraliga team announced (link in Czech). The 30-year-old was largely an NHL regular back in 2014-15 with Pittsburgh and Toronto but has spent the bulk of his time in the minors since then.  Last season, Sill suited up in all 76 games with Hershey of the AHL, recording 22 points and 60 penalty minutes.
  • Roman Lyubimov, who remains property of the Flyers, was released by CSKA Moscow, per an announcement by the KHL (link in Russian). The 26-year-old center played in 47 games for Philadelphia back in 2016-17 but opted to go back home following the season but they still tendered him a qualifying offer to retain his rights.  Lyubimov will likely now look to land elsewhere in the KHL but if the Flyers have any interest in bringing him back to North America, they will probably be in touch with him as well.

Five Key Stories: 8/6/18 – 8/12/18

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While the activity around the league has slowed down as we’re well into the summer, there was still some notable news in recent days.  Here’s a rundown of the top stories from the past week.

Six Years For Dvorak: The Coyotes typically don’t hand out too many long-term contracts but they made an exception with youngster Christian Dvorak as they inked the center to a six-year, $26.7MM contract.  The 22-year-old followed up a strong rookie season with a very similar sophomore campaign as he collected 15 goals and 22 assists in 37 games.  Giving someone with those types of numbers a $4.45MM AAV has raised some eyebrows but it’s clear that GM John Chayka believes that Dvorak has another level to his game and that the asking price would have higher if they waited until after next season to get a deal done.

Tkachuk To Forego Remaining NCAA Eligibility: Brady Tkachuk had set a deadline to make a decision about whether he would sign with Ottawa or return for his sophomore year at Boston College.  The fourth overall pick has opted to sign with the Sens which eliminates his remaining college eligibility.  The question now becomes where the winger will play in 2018-19.  While he could potentially play regularly with the Senators, they could also opt to assign him to their AHL affiliate in Belleville or to the London Knights of the OHL who have his junior rights.

Wild To Wait On Staal Extension: While several teams are looking to lock up their prominent potential unrestricted free agents a year early, Minnesota will be taking a different approach when it comes to center Eric Staal.  The team plans to shelve any thought of a new deal until the season gets underway where new GM Paul Fenton can evaluate if he’s still going to be part of their plans moving forward while also hedging against a regression from his 42-goal, 76-point 2017-18 campaign.  Staal has been a major bargain on his current contract which pays $3.5MM per year, well below market value for someone producing like a top pivot.

Larkin Locked Up: Detroit got their top remaining restricted free agent locked up by signing center Dylan Larkin to a five-year, $30.5MM contract.  The deal gets their top point getter from last season signed at a good rate but the term is a little curious as it only buys out one season of UFA eligibility.  Larkin will be eligible to hit the open market at 27 which should have him well-positioned for an even bigger deal at that time.  For the time being, the Red Wings now project to be about $3.2MM over the salary cap but that could be alleviated and then some if center Henrik Zetterberg is unable to play next season.  GM Ken Holland acknowledged that their captain has been dealing with continued back problems which makes his status uncertain for October.  If he winds up on LTIR along with Johan Franzen, Detroit will wind up being well under the cap to start 2018-19.

Mikita Passes Away: Long-time Blackhawk and Hall of Fame winger Stan Mikita passed away at the age of 78.  He ranks 14th all-time in scoring with 1,467 career points in 1,397 career games and won a pair of Hart Trophies as well as a  Stanley Cup title back in 1961.  He still holds several records in Chicago including assists, points, games played, and plus/minus while sitting second in goals.  Mikita’s presence is still being felt today as he was one of the first to use a curved blade on his stick, something that is now commonplace today.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Prospect Notes: Aston-Reese, Loewen, Jaillet

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Penguins winger Zach Aston-Reese has fully recovered from the broken jaw and concussion he sustained on a hit in the second round of the postseason, notes NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman.  Prior to the injury, he had played a regular role for Pittsburgh in the playoffs and should get a chance to push for a full-time spot on the wing in training camp after the team dealt Conor Sheary to Buffalo while non-tendering Tom Kuhnhackl back in June.  However, with a cap hit ($925K) that’s higher than some of the other veterans on the depth chart, there’s a chance that the team could still opt to start him in the minors to keep a bit more cap space available for midseason movement as well; the 24-year-old still has one year of waiver exemption remaining.

More prospect notes from around the hockey world:

  • While Stars prospect Jermaine Loewen is eligible to turn pro for the upcoming season, Player Development Coordinator Rich Peverley told NHL.com’s Jeff Miller that the current plan is for the winger to return to Kamloops of the WHL next season. Loewen, who was selected 199th overall back in June, is the first ever Jamaican-born player to be drafted into the NHL and led the Blazers in goals (36) and points (64) last season.  The 20-year-old has not signed his entry-level deal as of yet and likely won’t do so until next year at the earliest as his deal would not be eligible to slide a year unlike many players picked from this draft class.
  • Tanner Jaillet was one of the top goalies in college hockey last season after posting a 1.88 GAA and a .928 SV% at the University of Denver in his senior year which landed him on our list of top college goalie free agents back in March. Despite that, he wasn’t able to land an NHL contract and has instead inked a tryout with Wolfsburg, the DEL team announced (link in German).  A lack of size clearly worked against the back-to-back NCHC Goalie of the Year winner as he stands just 5’11 but it appears he’ll have to prove himself overseas before landing an NHL deal.

PHR Originals: 8/6/18 – 8/12/18

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Here is a rundown of some of the original content here at PHR over the past seven days.

The Devils tend to be one of the more overlooked teams in the Metropolitan Division but Gavin examined how they are slowly putting the pieces together to get themselves into contention.  Meanwhile, after a very quiet summer thus far, I looked at why that’s not going to be the case for them next offseason.

The next wave of college free agency is set to open up on the 16th (players’ rights remain with their draft teams through the 15th).  Zach provided an overview of the players that are set to hit the open market and projects which ones will be able to land NHL contracts in the weeks to come.

Gavin reviewed Edmonton’s offseason activity so far.  After the disappointing year they had in 2017-18, some were expecting them to make a bigger move but that hasn’t happened.  They still have some work to do in the coming weeks as defenseman Darnell Nurse remains in need of a new contract.  Unless they find a way to free up some cap space though, he’ll almost assuredly be looking at a bridge deal.

Larger rosters are the norm in international hockey and now the NCAA as well but in the NHL, just 18 skaters get to dress each night.  Zach made the case for the NHL to follow the same path and allow one extra skater to suit up per game.

Our Salary Cap Deep Dive series continued with a long look at the Metropolitan Division.  I went over the situations for the Flyers, Hurricanes, and Islanders while Holger did the same for the Rangers and Blue Jackets.

Some teams will be heading to training camp next month with most of the roster set.  Gavin noted that this won’t be the case for Anaheim who will have quite a few players battling for the final spots as several of their prospects are nearly NHL ready.

While most teams are set between the pipes, there is still bound to be some activity on the goalie market in the weeks to come.  I broke down the current state of the market including the top free agent options available, potential players that could be in play to be dealt, and which teams may still be interested in adding to their stable of netminders.

Next Summer Should Be Busy For New Jersey

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It has been a very quiet offseason for the Devils.  After they were a surprise entrant into the playoffs last season, New Jersey hasn’t made a single acquisition of note while letting late-season pickups in wingers Michael Grabner and Patrick Maroon go.  While part of that could be attributable to the team opting to simply stay the course if they couldn’t land the specific free agents they wanted (such as Maroon and winger James van Riemsdyk), their caution may also be due to what could be on the horizon next summer.

Looking ahead to next offseason, quite a few notable players will be in need of new contracts.  Goalie Keith Kinkaid, who took over as the starter late in the year, is a pending unrestricted free agent as is forward Marcus Johansson, their key acquisition last summer.  Veteran center Brian Boyle and blueliner Ben Lovejoy are also pending UFAs.  On the RFA side, defenseman Will Butcher had a strong rookie year and if he follows that up with a similar sophomore campaign, he’ll be in line for a considerable raise.  If center Pavel Zacha takes a step forward in 2018-19, he’ll land himself a nice bump in pay as well.

On top of that group, three of their top players will be in line for extensions next summer as well, headlined by MVP winger Taylor Hall.  It’s going to cost considerably more than the $6MM he’s currently getting to lock him up long-term and forego testing the open market.  His linemate in 2017 first-overall pick Nico Hischier will also be within a year of restricted free agency and will undoubtedly make a whole lot more than his $925K base salary, the maximum for players on entry-level deals.  Defenseman Sami Vatanen, who took over as New Jersey’s top rearguard upon being acquired from Anaheim, is also going to be in the same boat as Hall and will be looking at a multi-million per year raise.

That’s a lot of players who will need to be addressed in the next dozen or so months so keeping lots of flexibility isn’t necessarily a bad way to go.  No team has more cap room than the Devils at the moment so they have the ability to add if someone comes available at the right price or they can stand pat and hope for continued progression for their young players with the intention of being in the mix for a playoff spot once again.  Whichever route they take, the Devils are going to go from one of the most inactive teams this summer to one of the more active ones next offseason.

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