Devils Expected To Re-Sign Nathan Bastian
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Maple Leafs Expected To Sign Ryan Reaves
It appears that the Maple Leafs will be adding some toughness to their roster once the UFA market opens up in less than three hours. Last night, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported (Twitter link) that Toronto will be signing rugged winger Ryan Reaves to a multi-year contract. Today, TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (Twitter link) that the AAV for that deal should be around $1.3MM and that it remains to be seen if it will be a two-year agreement or a three-year one.
The 36-year-old started the season with the Rangers but asked to be moved early on after having a very limited role in New York. He got his wish and was moved to Minnesota in late November, becoming a regular in the lineup for the Wild for the rest of the way. Reaves was relatively productive in his role, collecting five goals and ten assists in 61 contests with his new team; his 15 points matched the second-best point total of his career.
Of course, Toronto isn’t bringing in Reaves for his point-producing ability. He has been one of the more physical wingers in the league for more than a decade and while he doesn’t drop the gloves often anymore, that ability remains part of his game. New GM Brad Treliving evidently would like to see his club get a little more physical up front and bringing in Reaves will certainly help to make his fourth line that much tougher.
Red Wings Re-Sign Gustav Lindstrom
For the second time in less than an hour, the Red Wings have re-signed one of their non-tendered players. This time, it’s defenseman Gustav Lindstrom as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed him to a one-year, $950K contract.
Detroit opted not to tender the 24-year-old an offer of just under $1MM yesterday that also would have given him salary arbitration eligibility. That proved to be a wise move considering they were able to get him for less than the qualifier by matching the salary he received last season. Lindstrom will once again be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent next summer.
Lindstrom played in just 36 games last season, dealing with a couple of injuries while also spending time as a healthy scratch. He picked up a goal and seven assists in those appearances but saw his ice time dip to a career-low 14:10 per night.
At the moment, Detroit has just five blueliners under contract for next season but with more than $27MM in cap space at their disposal per CapFriendly, that’s likely to change before too long. Assuming they add a capable veteran or two, it’s likely that Lindstrom will remain in a depth role for 2023-24.
Red Wings Sign Klim Kostin
A day after non-tendering him, the Red Wings have agreed to terms with winger Klim Kostin, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve signed him to a two-year contract. The deal will carry an AAV of $2MM.
The 24-year-old was acquired at the draft from Edmonton along with Kailer Yamamoto (who was later bought out) in exchange for future considerations. The move allowed Detroit to get a head start on contract negotiations and while it might have taken a little longer than they would have liked, they were able to get a deal in place. By non-tendering Kostin, the Red Wings eliminated the risk of a higher-than-desired salary arbitration award.
Last season was an interesting one for the 24-year-old. After failing to crack St. Louis’s roster in training camp, Kostin was placed on waivers and went unclaimed, allowing him to be sent to the minors. That actually upped his trade value and the next day, Edmonton moved blueliner Dmitri Samorukov (who had also just gone unclaimed) to the Blues to pick up Kostin.
It took a month before Kostin got his first NHL opportunity but when he did, he didn’t look back. He wound up being a capable bottom-six winger for Edmonton, notching 11 goals and 10 assists in 57 games while averaging a little under three hits per game in just over ten minutes a night. Kostin also was a good contributor in limited playoff playing time, recording five points despite seeing ATOI dip to less than eight minutes per contest.
While Edmonton certainly would have liked to keep Kostin for themselves, the threat of salary arbitration was too much for them to take the chance, resulting in them giving him away to Detroit. Clearly, with this contract, the Red Wings feel that Kostin will be capable of playing at least a bigger role for them next season and if he has a performance similar to his 2022-23 campaign, they should get at least a decent return on this deal.