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Avalanche Signs Five Players To Two-Way Deals

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Earlier today, Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland indicated that there were “a few depth deals in the hopper”.  Those deals are now in place as the team announced the signings of defensemen Jack Ahcan and Corey Schueneman, forward Riley Tufte and Chris Wagner, and goaltender Arvid Holm to two-way contracts.  Ahcan’s deal is a two-year agreement while the other four are one-year pacts.  Financial deals for most of the deals aren’t yet known but PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that Schueneman’s deal is for $775K in the NHL, $400K in the minors, and has a guarantee of $450K. CapFriendly later reported Tufte’s deal is worth $775K in the NHL and $375K in the minors, with $425K guaranteed.

Speaking of Schueneman, he comes over to Colorado after spending the past three seasons in Montreal’s system.  Last season, the 27-year-old spent the bulk of the year with AHL Laval, picking up 23 points in 62 games.  He also got into seven games with the Canadiens, tallying an assist.  Schueneman did play in 24 games with Montreal in 2021-22 while logging over 16 minutes per game.  As a result, he’s likely to position himself to be one of the top recalls from the Eagles next season and could push for the seventh spot on the back end in training camp.

As for Ahcan, the 26-year-old picked up 36 points in 68 games with AHL Providence last season, good for second on their team among blueliners.  He has nine career NHL appearances under his belt with Boston between 2020-21 and 2021-22.  He also could push to be in the mix to be an early recall from the Eagles in 2023-24.

Up front, Tufte spent most of last year with AHL Texas, recording 19 goals and 16 assists in 63 games.  The 25-year-old also got into three games with Dallas, logging just under eight minutes per game.  Tufte has a total of 13 NHL appearances under his belt with one goal to his name.  The 6’6 winger figures to be a recall option for a fourth line spot at some point next season.

As for Wagner, the 32-year-old has spent the last five seasons in Boston’s organization with a good chunk of that time coming at the NHL level.  However, over the past two seasons, Wagner has mostly been relegated to time in the minors.  Last season, he had 19 goals and 12 assists in 62 games with Providence.  For his career, the veteran has 63 points and over 1,000 hits in 360 career NHL appearances.  While he has spent most of the last two years in the minors, at least part of that was for cap reasons as he carried a $1.35MM AAV on his last deal.  Now being at or close to the minimum, Wagner could push for a spot on the fourth line in training camp.

Holm, meanwhile, has yet to see any NHL action and has spent the past two seasons with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate in Manitoba.  The 24-year-old had a successful season in 2022-23 with the Moose, recording a 2.67 GAA along with a .911 SV% in 35 games but was non-tendered yesterday by the Jets.  He’ll likely serve as the backup to Justus Annunen with the Eagles next season.

Red Wings Sign Christian Fischer

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July 2nd: Detroit has officially announced the signing, as it will be a one-year, $1.125MM deal for Fischer.

July 1st: The Red Wings have been active in filling out their roster today and they’re set to make another addition up front.  Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports (Twitter link) that Detroit is set to sign winger Christian Fischer to a one-year contract.  Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

Fischer was among the many players non-tendered yesterday to avoid the risk of a higher-than-desired salary arbitration award.  The 26-year-old is coming off a bounce-back season offensively, picking up 13 goals and 14 assists in 80 games with Arizona last season.  For context, he had just 30 points in the previous three seasons combined, spanning 161 contests.

Assuming a deal is eventually finalized, Fischer should add some grit to Detroit’s bottom six as he’s averaging just under 1.9 hits per game over his seven-year career, spanning 398 games.  Fischer’s qualifying offer with Arizona was for just over $1.125MM and considering the fact that he’s coming off the second-best offensive season of his career, it stands to reason that he’ll be landing a nice raise on that amount.

Blue Jackets Sign Adam Fantilli

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Today is the first day that teams can sign their newly-drafted players to NHL contracts.  The Blue Jackets aren’t wasting any time with their top pick, as they’ve signed Adam Fantilli to a three-year, entry-level contract.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal carries an AAV of $4.15MM with bonuses, breaking down as follows:

2023-24: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $82.5K AHL salary, $1MM in ’A’ bonuses, $2.2MM in ’B’ bonuses
2024-25: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $82.5K AHL salary, $1MM in ’A’ bonuses, $2.2MM in ’B’ bonuses
2025-26: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $82.5K AHL salary, $1MM in ’A’ bonuses, $2.2MM in ’B’ bonuses

Fantilli was widely expected to be off the board by the time Columbus picked with the third-overall selection.  However, Anaheim, who picked second, opted to not take Fantilli and instead selected Leo Carlsson.

The 18-year-old had a dominant year with Michigan.  He led the NCAA in scoring this season with 30 goals and 35 assists in 36 games, collecting at least a point in all but three of his appearances.  That helped him be named National Rookie of the Year along with the Hobey Baker Award for the best player in college hockey.

Fantilli also had a good showing internationally last season.  He picked up five points in seven contests at the World Juniors and also saw action at the World Championship as one of only five draft-eligible players participating; Fantilli had a goal and two assists in ten contests at that event.

Last month, Fantilli expressed an openness to remaining with the Wolverines for another season but after Columbus picked him, GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated that he’d like to see Fantilli turn pro.  He’s clearly getting his wish.

While it will take some time for him to live up to his potential, the Blue Jackets believe that Fantilli has a chance to become the legitimate top-line center that they have been seeking for quite some time now.  If that happens, Columbus will finally have that particular much-needed franchise pillar in place.

Devils Expected To Re-Sign Nathan Bastian

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Yesterday, the Devils opted to non-tender several players, including winger Nathan Bastian, to avoid the risk of them filing for salary arbitration.  It appears as least one of them will be sticking around as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that all signs point to Bastian remaining with New Jersey. PuckPedia reports he’s signed a two-year deal worth $1.35MM per season.

The 25-year-old dealt with a shoulder injury last season that limited him to just 43 games.  However, Bastian still managed to have his second-best season offensively, notching six goals and nine assists.  In the playoffs, he picked up a goal and an assist in 12 contests.

Of course, Bastian is more known for his physicality.  After putting up nearly 200 hits in 2021-22, he managed 99 more last season despite missing nearly half the year.  Between that and a serviceable offensive ability, Bastian has carved out a role for himself as a capable fourth liner in the NHL.

Bastian’s qualifying offer was just under $920K and it seems reasonable to expect that he will get more than that from New Jersey, assuming this deal becomes finalized.  But with 163 games under his belt, he’d have been in line to potentially double that qualifier in arbitration, a price point that the Devils can’t really afford in their cap structure.  We should soon see what middle ground they were able to find.

Sharks Expected To Sign Mackenzie Blackwood

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Some eyebrows were raised yesterday the Sharks opted to non-tender goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood just days after trading for him.  However, in the end, he will be suiting up in San Jose as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports (Twitter link) that Blackwood will be signing a two-year deal with San Jose.  Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that the contract is expected to carry a $2.35MM AAV.

As has been the case with several players that have re-signed already today, the Sharks didn’t want to run the risk of Blackwood filing for salary arbitration and going to a hearing.  As a result, they opted to not tender him the $3.36MM qualifying offer and are now getting him for an amount that’s considerably lower.

Things have not gone well for Blackwood in recent seasons as he has consistently battled injury issues and has battled inconsistency when he has been in the lineup.  He has started just 79 games in the three seasons, posting just a .897 SV% and a 3.19 GAA.  Last season, he wound up losing his backup spot to Akira Schmid late in the year and wasn’t dressing for their playoff games, a clear sign that he wouldn’t be back for 2023-24.

Blackwood will now form a tandem with returning netminder Kaapo Kahkonen, a duo that will be among the cheaper duos in the NHL with a combined cap hit of just $5.25MM.  It will also be one of the younger duos as both goalies are just 26.  For a San Jose team that doesn’t have a true goalie of the future in the system, this coming season should serve as a tryout for both of them to prove that they’re worthy of a long-term look with the Sharks or elsewhere.  It’s a tandem with some upside if both play to their perceived potential but if recent struggles repeat themselves, it could be a tough year for an already rebuilding San Jose franchise.

Metropolitan Notes: Mayfield, Devils, Kane

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While veteran defenseman Scott Mayfield is officially set to hit the open market today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that one potential team with interest in him already believes he has agreed to terms on a new deal with the Islanders.  In recent years, GM Lou Lamoriello has been a proponent of not announcing contracts when they’re agreed upon, waiting until closer to training camp to make them all official.  If that is indeed the case here, we might be waiting a while to see what type of raise the 30-year-old will be getting.  Mayfield is rated 17th on our Top 50 UFA list following a career year that saw him collect 24 points while logging over 21 minutes a night for the first time.

More from the Metropolitan Division:

  • While the Devils have shown some interest in trading for Connor Hellebuyck, TSN’s Darren Dreger suggests (Twitter link) that they’ll go a different route. Instead of trading for him, he expects New Jersey to target a goalie that is set to play closer to 30-35 games, one that will cost a lot less on their books.  In that scenario, Vitek Vanecek would remain the starter while Akira Schmid, who took over as the starter during the playoffs, would likely return to AHL Utica to start next season; he still is waiver-exempt.  Alternatively, if they don’t find the right free agent fit, they can run with the tandem they currently have, one that would be among the cheapest in the NHL at just over $4.25MM combined.
  • While the Rangers found a way to make the money work to acquire Patrick Kane at the deadline, it doesn’t appear like that will be happening again this summer. The veteran’s agent Pat Brisson confirmed to Larry Brooks of the New York Post that there have been no discussions between the two sides about a contract for next season.  Kane, who is currently recovering from hip-resurfacing surgery that will keep him out of the lineup for at least the start of 2023-24, doesn’t appear to be a candidate to sign early in free agency and is instead expected to wait things out and see how things go with his recovery.

Cam Talbot Expected To Sign With Kings

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It appears that the Kings have their backup goalie.  Early this morning, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported there was a chance Cam Talbot would wind up with Los Angeles and it appears that will be the case as ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that the veteran will sign a one-year deal with the Kings.  Friedman also reports the deal is worth $1MM plus performance bonuses. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun clarifies the base salary is $775K, plus a $225K signing bonus and a $1MM bonus if Talbot plays 10 games.

The 35-year-old spent last season with Ottawa after indicating he wasn’t thrilled about the possibility of playing in a timeshare situation with Marc-Andre Fleury.  Unfortunately for Talbot and the Sens, things simply did not go well for him.  He battled injuries throughout the season and when he was healthy, he didn’t put up his best numbers, posting a 2.93 GAA along with a .898 SV%, numbers that are considerably worse than his career averages of 2.65 and .914 respectively.  When the Senators acquired Talbot, they hoped it could be the beginning of a longer-term relationship but after early extension talks went nowhere, they eventually declined to offer him a contract after the season.

Despite the poor showing last season, there’s reason for optimism for Los Angeles as Talbot posted a save percentage no lower than .911 in the previous three campaigns.  Accordingly, they feel that this could be just a blip on the radar.

They will be counting on Talbot to play a bigger role than he has had in recent years.  At the moment, Pheonix Copley is the incumbent backup after signing a one-year, $1.5MM deal back in February.  However, Copley’s career high in NHL games played in a single year is 37, set last season.  For most of his career, he has been a backup or even a third-string option.  As a result, the Kings will be counting on Talbot to be the strong-side option of their platoon.

While Talbot has long wanted to be a true starter, that opportunity hasn’t come along too often since leaving Edmonton back in the 2018-19 campaign.  Since then, he has only reached Copley’s 37-game mark once.  Barring another NHL goalie being signed, Talbot will have the opportunity to push for the true number one job in the hopes of creating a strong market for himself next summer.  At a minimum, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Kings add a veteran third-string option to play the role that they originally envisioned for Copley last season, giving them an experienced third netminder to turn to if need be.

In the meantime, this pushes Joonas Korpisalo, who played a key role for them down the stretch and in the playoffs, to the open market where he’ll be one of the top options on the board.

Blue Jackets Officially Name Mike Babcock As Their Head Coach

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The final NHL head coaching vacancy has officially been filled.  Prior to the opening of free agency today, the Blue Jackets announced that they have named Mike Babcock as their new head coach, signing him to a two-year deal.  Earlier this week, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported (subscription link) that the contract will pay Babcock $4MM per season.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen released the following statement:

Our goal at the outset of this process was to find a coach to give our players the best chance to succeed through structure, discipline and experience as we continue to build a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup championship. After a very thorough and lengthy process we are pleased to welcome Mike Babcock as the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It was reported last month that Babcock was set to take over as the new bench boss for Columbus.  However, since he was still under contract with Toronto until yesterday, the team waited until today to make the hire to ensure that the Maple Leafs alone were the only team paying out the remainder of his record-breaking eight-year, $50MM contract.

Babcock hasn’t been behind an NHL bench for a while as he last coached during the 2019-20 campaign before being let go by Toronto after an underwhelming 9-10-4 start to their season.  Since then, his coaching experience has been limited to one season as a volunteer coach at the University of Saskatchewan.  However, the Blue Jackets believe that he’s the right fit to turn things around after they finished dead last in the Eastern Conference last season.

Babcock has a 700-418-183 record over parts of 17 NHL seasons between Anaheim, Detroit, and Toronto.  Internationally, he is the only member of the ’Triple Gold’ club among coaches (Olympics, World Championships, and a Stanley Cup).  That experience comes in stark contrast to former head coach Brad Larsen who was a first-time NHL bench boss before being let go after the season.

Columbus has certainly been active this offseason already, looking to augment its roster.  On the back end, they’ve acquired Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, giving them two proven top-four pieces to help take some of the pressure off Zach Werenski who should be ready to go after missing most of last season due to injury.  Up front, they picked up Adam Fantilli in the draft this week and are encouraging him to turn pro right away; TSN’s Darren Dreger suggests (Twitter link) that his signing could occur today.  With nearly $5MM in cap space, per CapFriendly, they could still try to add another piece or two in free agency or on the trade front.

Kekalainen clearly believes last year’s showing was an aberration with the hiring of Babcock, a win-now coach, and his defensive upgrades.  The Blue Jackets play in a tight Metropolitan Division that has only one team (Philadelphia) looking to bottom out so even with these moves, their work to get back to the playoffs is going to be cut out for them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Red Wings Re-Sign Matt Luff

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Detroit’s busy free agent morning continues.  After agreeing to new deals with Klim Kostin and Gustav Lindstrom, the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve re-signed winger Matt Luff to a one-year, two-way contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that Luff will make $775K in the NHL and $400K in the AHL, while the contract has a guaranteed payout of $450K.

The Red Wings opted to non-tender the 26-year-old yesterday, taking away the potential that he could file for salary arbitration and potentially wind up with an award that’s worth more than they were comfortable paying.  Quietly, Luff has seen NHL action in each of the last five seasons, spanning a little more than 100 games which could have presented enough of a case for him to be awarded more than the minimum.  Clearly, the two sides were able to find common ground soon after.

Luff split last season between Detroit and AHL Grand Rapids.  He got into 19 games with the Red Wings, picking up two goals and two assists while logging just under ten minutes a night of playing time.  Meanwhile, with the Griffins, Luff was much more productive, notching eight goals and 17 helpers in just 28 contests.

It’s likely that Luff will have a similar role next season, one that sees him start the year as a key scorer for Grand Rapids but when injuries arise, he becomes one of their first recalls.

Senators Re-Sign Erik Brannstrom

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Saturday: The Senators announced that they’ve signed Brannstrom to a one-year, $2MM contract.  GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement:

Erik took a big step forward last season. Over the year’s second half of games especially, he demonstrated a strong ability to raise his game to the level where he’s using his confidence as an asset. We’re happy to have him under contract for another year.

Friday: Earlier today, the Senators tendered defenseman Erik Brannstrom a qualifying offer to retain his rights.  While that makes him a restricted free agent, he might not be one for long as Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets and TSN reports (Twitter link) that the two sides are making progress on a new deal.

The 23-year-old was acquired by Ottawa as one of the centerpieces of the Mark Stone trade back in 2019 with the hopes that he’d be able to become an impact offensive defender in the NHL.  That hasn’t exactly played out as planned, however, as Brannstrom had just two goals and 21 points over his first 116 career games as of the end of 2021-22.  Unsurprisingly, that yielded a low-cost one-year bridge deal worth $900K back in September.

However, things went a little better for Brannstrom this past season.  He played in a career-high 74 games with the Sens, picking up a career-best 18 points along the way while averaging just over 16 minutes a night.  Clearly, it’s not the type of production they were hoping for when they got him a few years ago but he has at least now shown he can handle a full-time workload which is an important step for a young blueliner to take.

Brannstrom’s qualifier checked in at $945K but he should be able to land more than that this summer.  He’s eligible for arbitration for the first time and the fact that he has nearly 200 NHL appearances under his belt now along with 49 points should be enough to get at least a small raise from an arbitrator if it was to come to that.  Based on this report, however, it’s unlikely to get to that point.

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