Coyotes Acquire Sean Durzi
The Coyotes are expected to be buyers this summer, looking to add pieces that might be around for a few years. They’ve found one of those players as they have acquired defenseman Sean Durzi from the Kings. Los Angeles receives a 2024 second-round pick (Montreal’s) in return. Arizona GM Bill Armstrong released the following statement about the move:
Sean is a reliable two-way defenseman who has good vision and contributes offensively. He will be a very good addition to our blue line and we look forward to having him on our roster this season.
The 24-year-old had a strong sophomore season in 2022-23, picking up nine goals and 29 assists in 72 games for the Kings while logging just shy of 20 minutes a night. That was good enough to finish second on Los Angeles in scoring by a defenseman behind only Drew Doughty. His production, however, dipped in their opening-round loss to Edmonton as he scored just once while seeing his ATOI drop by nearly four minutes.
Durzi has one year left on his contract with a more than reasonable $1.7MM AAV. On top of that, he has two more seasons of team control after next year, meaning that he will be under Arizona’s control through the 2025-26 campaign. He will immediately become the Coyotes’ top-paid blueliner, a sign of how much change their back end has undergone recently. A right-shot defender, Durzi could be counted on to play on Arizona’s top pairing next season, depending on what else they accomplish in the coming weeks. That should give him a chance to have a bigger role offensively which could set him up quite nicely for a significant raise on his current contract. Getting a player in that role for a future second-rounder is certainly a nice piece of business for Armstrong, especially since they still have eight second-rounders over the next three drafts. Even after the move, Arizona has some work to do to get to the cap floor let alone coming anywhere close to next year’s projected Upper Limit of $83.5MM.
As for the Kings, GM Rob Blake is dealing from a strong spot as Los Angeles has some promising offensive blueliners in their system. Jordan Spence had a dominant year at AHL Ontario with 45 points in 56 games and could be ready to make the full-time jump to the NHL. Meanwhile, Brandt Clarke, who spent the first few months of this past season with the Kings, finished up strong with OHL Barrie and could push for a full-time role in 2023-24. Both players are on entry-level contracts at about half of Durzi’s cost, meaning the move not only lands them what projects to be a decent second-rounder a year from now but also frees up some cap flexibility. With the swap, they now have a little over $9MM in cap space, per CapFriendly, with at least four roster spots to fill including a starting goaltender.
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to report (Twitter links) both that Durzi was going to Arizona and the draft pick return.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
PHR Mailbag: Keller, Salary Cap, Free Agents, Josi, Konecny, Draft, Rulebook
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include a discussion about the impending spending frenzy, Roman Josi’s future in Nashville, next week’s draft, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag. We also have one more to run from the most recent call for questions so it might be in there too.
jason830: Is Clayton Keller an option for the Blackhawks to trade for if he is available? Also, would pick 19 plus some prospects entice the Coyotes to trade him?
It’s fair to wonder if Arizona might be inclined to move Keller. GM Bill Armstrong has said previously that he envisions the team being about halfway through the rebuild. In other words, they’re a few years away from trying to contend. Keller has five years left on his contract so three more non-playoff seasons would mean they’d be holding onto him for two years of hopeful contention. Logically, you could sway me on moving him for someone that better fits their timeline.
That said, they wouldn’t be looking for draft picks to trade for him. If they were, I expect they’d be aiming considerably higher. Remember the Alex DeBrincat move from the draft last year? I fully expect they’d be asking for more than that if they were moving Keller.
Chicago isn’t at the point yet where it’s time for them to start moving draft picks and trying to contend. That’s the time for them to go after someone like Keller. Arizona, meanwhile, is probably looking for players more than picks so I don’t think there’s a mutual fit for a trade.
NSco1996: Do you think the NHL will address the LTIR/No Salary Cap loophole to add better quality/more expensive depth at the deadline for the future playoffs? As a Blackhawks fan, it more notably seemed to have started with them in 2015 with Kane, 2021 Kucherov and Stamkos, 2023 Mark Stone. All three teams added good quality depth that they otherwise couldn’t afford with their high-price star not counting against the cap.
First, this isn’t just an NHL decision. The salary cap and the rules that pertain to it are collectively bargained between the league and the NHLPA so any changes would need joint approval. At first glance, I don’t think this a topic that’s going to be remotely near the top of the list for new Executive Director Marty Walsh to look at. Frankly, I don’t think they’re upset about the loophole either as it allows players to go to a Cup contender that wouldn’t be able to otherwise which some would be quite happy about.
I also don’t think there’s much of an appetite from the teams to do something about it. Yes, it’s a tiny loophole (which isn’t so small now as it has been exploited enough that you can drive an 18-wheeler through it) but at a time when many teams are cap-strapped, they’re probably not going to want to close something that they might need to rely on depending how their injury situation goes. So if the league isn’t getting pushed to look at it and the NHLPA isn’t inclined to change it, it’s not going to get addressed.
For fun, though, let’s say they’re open to the idea. How do you do it? Do you put a rule in that says if a player is on LTIR after the trade deadline, they have to miss a certain number of playoff games? That might seem like the easiest way to do it but what about the player who legitimately suffers a two-month injury right before the trade deadline, lining them up for a first-round return? Such a rule might help eliminate some of the more overt exploitation but it might punish the teams who are legitimately in that situation with a valid injury timeline that matches the start of the postseason. That probably isn’t going to get the support from NHL teams at the least. As far as fixing it goes, it’s easier said than done.
WilfPaiement: Why do GMs continue to be their own worst enemy when it comes to a player’s worth? The latest example would potentially be Tyler Bertuzzi who reportedly is looking for term and $7 million a season. His resume thus far tells me he would be 3 at 3 at best. Anything after that is just plain dumb!!!!! Don Waddell recently stated he’s not against bringing back Pacioretty, just ridiculous. What kind of bad money will they throw at Toews and Kane?
This is pretty commonplace around professional sports. Managers want to improve their team and when you have the same teams bidding for the same impact players, dumb moves are going to happen. Add that to the expectation of a higher salary cap in the near future and it’s a guarantee that there are bad signings on their way next weekend.
As for Bertuzzi, your valuation of him would actually represent a cut in pay compared to what he has made in the past three seasons. That’s probably not going to happen. Yes, injuries are a valid concern and that will probably prevent him from getting what he’s asking. But he’s asking for a contract that’s high enough to justify him not seeing what’s on the open market (where he’ll be one of the more sought-after players, no less). He’s not taking himself off the free agent list for an underpayment; he might not even do it for a fair-market deal. I don’t think there’s any chance he gets $7MM and I’m skeptical that he gets max term. But right now, why not see if Boston is willing to play ball on one of those ends? There isn’t much risk to doing so.
I have no problem with Waddell saying he’d be open to bringing back Max Pacioretty. He didn’t say he’s open to bringing him back at $7MM again, just that they won’t close the door. If Pacioretty winds up signing a one-year, bonus-laden contract, Carolina is a team that makes a lot of sense for him with the short-term cap space they have before so many regulars are up heading into 2023-24. For the right price, that might be worth pursuing.
I don’t expect Toews to get a big-ticket contract. If he decides to play next season, I think it will be a situational choice, one that allows him to play closer to home or try to chase one more Stanley Cup. Those situations lend themselves toward a cheaper contract. As for Kane, we’re in the middle of finalizing our upcoming Top 50 UFA list and while I won’t spoil the final number, I suspect you’ll find it above the value you think he should get.
GBear: If the Preds are going in a rebuild phase, doesn’t it make sense to move Josi? He’ll be on the downside of his career once the team becomes above average again, so why waste his prime years in a rebuild when you could get a huge return for him now?
Not every rebuild has to be a strip-it-down one with an extended buildup after that. Going the route of trading Roman Josi would be the Predators tearing it down and starting a long-term rebuild. Is that really what Barry Trotz signed up for when he takes over as GM next weekend? I don’t know about that. I’m not even certain that today’s trade is a sign in that direction; they might just be opening up flexibility to make a splash on the trade front at their hometown draft.
I’m also not convinced that the return would be as high as you might think it would be. Look at San Jose and Erik Karlsson. They’re the same age (born one day apart), are the top-scoring blueliners from the last two seasons, and are on long-term contracts. And yet, what is the scuttlebutt around Karlsson? To move him, the Sharks will need to retain a significant chunk of the deal and probably settle for an underwhelming return.
Yes, Karlsson makes roughly $2.5MM more but Josi has one more year left on his contract which doesn’t help his trade value. If Nashville was going to consider seriously moving him, they’d be asked to retain a sizable chunk. Even at $2MM per, that’s $10MM they’re paying for him not to play for the Preds. Are they going to want to do that and tie up another retention slot long-term? I’m not sure about that. Even if they were, I think they’d get better offers than San Jose is for Karlsson but this is not a cap environment to move big money for big value.
If you’re moving big-ticket contracts right now, the cap space is a big part of the return, likely bigger than the asset value you’re getting back. And if that’s all you’re going to get for Josi, holding onto him might be the smarter play. There are only so many teams that can afford to be in on Karlsson and when goes, that list will get even smaller. Accordingly, this might not be the best spot to move him.
Schwa: With speculation of Konecny being moved by Flyers, and it seeming like they are willing to retain salary, could you see the Rangers making an offer here/the teams working out an in-division move? Konecny plays a scrappy two-way game and is a solidified top-6 RW. Seems to fit Rangers’ needs if he can be had for the right price. 1st and a prospect for Konecny with 30% retained by PHI? Thanks!
I don’t think Philadelphia is in a spot to turn down better offers just to avoid moving him to a division rival, especially if they’re looking to bottom out for the remaining term of Travis Konecny’s contract. If the Rangers were to make an offer and it was the best one, they’d do it.
Having said that, I’m not sure that New York would make a legitimate offer for him. They have around $11.7MM to work with right now, per CapFriendly. With that, they need to re-sign Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller, sign a backup goalie, and probably another defenseman and at least three more forwards. As it is, they probably need to try to offload Barclay Goodrow just to accomplish that, let alone add Konecny, even at a reduced rate. (And no, putting Goodrow into the trade won’t solve that problem as the Rangers would need to incentivize the Flyers to take that deal on.)
As for your proposal, it depends on the prospect. From Philadelphia’s perspective, if they’re retaining 30% for two years, it better be an ‘A’ player, one of New York’s best. Otherwise, they’re probably going to pass on an offer like that in search of a stronger one.
Free Agent Notes: Toews, Compher, Predators
There will be many free agents that sign within the opening few hours of free agency next Saturday if things play out as they usually do. However, don’t expect Jonathan Toews to be one of them. His agent Pat Brisson told Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli that the veteran will not be among those signing when the market opens up as he has yet to decide if he’ll continue playing. Toews, a veteran of 15 seasons with Chicago, has battled Chronic Immune Response Syndrome in recent years, missing all of 2020-21 plus another extended IR stint this past season. It was announced previously that he won’t be back with the Blackhawks so Toews will need to decide if he wants to stick it out and try to go somewhere where he’ll have a shot at winning a Stanley Cup or if the time is right to call it a career. That choice won’t come in the next week.
More free agent news and notes:
- Even though the Avalanche picked up Ryan Johansen earlier today, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that they haven’t closed the door on re-signing J.T. Compher just yet. The 28-year-old had a career season, picking up 52 points while logging over 20 minutes a night which has him well-positioned to earn a nice raise on the $3.5MM he made on his set-to-expire contract. The Avs have some flexibility to try to bring him back but if he’s looking for top dollar, it might not make much sense for Colorado to re-sign Compher, especially knowing that Devon Toews is a year away from needing a significant raise of his own.
- In a recent appearance on 102.5 The Game (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relayed that none of Nashville’s pending restricted free agents appear to be on the front burner right now. Center Cody Glass and defenseman Alexandre Carrier are the two notable ones for the Predators that have arbitration rights and the filing deadline is July 5th. Accordingly, while incoming GM Barry Trotz might not be focusing on those two just yet, some discussions for those players will need to be held relatively soon.
Offseason Checklist: Dallas Stars
The offseason is now fully underway after Vegas took home the Stanley Cup which means that it’s time to examine what each team will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Dallas.
2022-23 was a season of considerable improvement for the Stars. They picked up an extra ten points during the regular season, moving them from a Wild Card seed to having home ice in the first round. In the postseason, they won a pair of series and gave the Golden Knights a decent challenge in the Western Conference Final. As a result, GM Jim Nill doesn’t have a particularly long list of things to try to accomplish this summer but here are some items on their to-do list over the coming weeks.
Add Defensive Help
This is the big one for Dallas this summer. With Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell in the fold, the Stars have quality blueliners in the fold. However, things start to unravel from there. Ryan Suter shouldn’t be logging heavy minutes at this stage of his career but played more than 20 a night in the regular season; that number jumped to more than 23 in the playoffs. The bigger workload was problematic for him but the options behind him on the depth chart weren’t any better.
Colin Miller was brought in as a reclamation piece last summer and while he did well in a limited role, he’s not a top-four option. Neither is the rugged Jani Hakanpaa. Nill paid a high price to acquire Nils Lundkvist from the Rangers but he, too, was only able to hold down a limited role during the regular season but was out of the lineup in the playoffs. Thomas Harley has shown some promise but he’s not ready for top-four duty either while Joel Hanley is more of a seventh defender than an every-game one.
All but Hanley are signed for next season but while this group was good enough to have some success, the playoffs showed that another top-four option is needed for them to take that next step. Fitting one in cap-wise could be a challenge as they have around $7MM to work with, per CapFriendly, and several forward spots to try to fill. It might take some creativity to fill this opening as a result but one more impact defender would put the Stars in much better shape for next season.
Re-Sign Or Replace Domi
Dallas wasn’t overly active at the trade deadline but they did make a late move to add Max Domi as a rental from Chicago. There weren’t immediate dividends as he managed just seven points in 20 games down the stretch but was more productive in the playoffs, picking up 13 points in 19 contests. The lineup was deeper with Domi in there and finding a way to keep him would extend that boost over a full season.
Of course, this is again easier said than done, especially if they opt to prioritize adding on the back end. On top of that, Domi is set to benefit from what is a very thin free agent center market. Taking out Boston’s two veterans that are likely to either re-sign or retire, Domi is one of the top few middlemen available. In a position that is always in short supply and high demand, the 28-year-old is well-positioned to land a raise on the $3MM he made this past season. Perhaps more importantly, Domi should finally be able to land some long-desired stability; he hasn’t signed a contract longer than two seasons since his entry-level deal.
It will take more than half of Dallas’ existing cap space to get something done. But if they can’t land a defenseman and shore up a weakness, shoring up a strong spot is the next best thing. Keeping Domi around to deepen the attack – or signing someone else to take that spot – is certainly a workable Plan B.
Bridge Deal For Dellandrea
Dallas only has one regular player set to reach restricted free agency this summer, forward Ty Dellandrea. The 22-year-old played his first full NHL campaign in 2022-23 and acquitted himself well, picking up 28 points in 82 games while getting into 15 of their playoff contests where he notched three goals. Certainly not a bad first taste of full-time action for the 2018 first-round pick.
However, with his games this past season comprising the bulk of his experience thus far, Dellandrea certainly isn’t in a position to command a long-term contract. Nor should the Stars be inclined to hand him one. As a result, he’s a lock to sign a short-term bridge deal.
Dellandrea isn’t eligible for salary arbitration and it’s post-entry-level players that often take time to sign but he shouldn’t be in that situation. Instead, a two-year deal around $1.5MM should be workable for both sides. Getting that deal done sooner than later would also be beneficial, allowing Nill to know exactly what he’ll have to work with this summer rather than working off a range estimate. It’s not a top priority necessarily but it’d help if they could get this done over the next week or so.
Rebuild Forward Depth
On top of Domi, Dallas has three more forwards heading for unrestricted free agency – wingers Evgenii Dadonov and Joel Kiviranta plus center Luke Glendening. If those players aren’t re-signed, they’re going to have to be replaced which is also going to cut into that $7MM in cap flexibility.
If the Stars want to fill internally, they could look to wingers Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven. Bourque, a 2020 first-round pick, was actually up with Dallas late in the playoffs although he didn’t see any game action. The 21-year-old had 47 points in 70 games with AHL Texas and could hold down a bottom-six spot next season. As for Stankoven, a 2021 second-rounder, he averaged more than two points per game during the regular season with WHL Kamloops (and somehow bested that in the playoffs). If he’s ready to make the jump like Wyatt Johnston was this past season, he could give the offense a boost and perhaps fill the role Domi held. Most importantly, Bourque and Stankoven have cap hits under $900K; their presence on the opening roster would give Nill a bit more wiggle room to work with.
While Glendening doesn’t provide much offensively, he can kill penalties and win faceoffs at a well above-average rate so Dallas will need to find a player to fill that role while Kiviranta provided some physicality from the fourth line. These are spots that can be filled in free agency but they’ll be shopping at the bargain bin like many other teams. With that many veterans possibly leaving on the open market, Nill will be rebuilding the bottom end of his forward group over the next few weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Predators Trade Ryan Johansen To Avalanche
The Avalanche have made a move to add to their forward group as they’ve acquired center Ryan Johansen from the Predators in exchange for the rights to pending free agent forward Alex Galchenyuk. As part of the deal, Nashville will be retaining 50% of Johansen’s contract, one that carries an $8MM cap charge through 2024-25, meaning Colorado will add Johansen on their books at a $4MM price tag. Incoming Predators GM Barry Trotz released the following statement about Johansen’s departure:
“On behalf of the Predators organization, we want to thank Ryan for his contributions to our team and community over the last seven-plus years. He played a large role in our franchise’s accomplishments since arriving in January 2016, helping lead us to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, the 2018 Presidents’ Trophy, back-to-back Central Division titles in 2018 and 2019 and several postseason appearances. Ryan also dedicated a considerable amount of time to the Predators Foundation and helped us grow the game in Middle Tennessee, including his work with youth hockey in our community. We wish Ryan all the best in Colorado.”
Johansen has spent the last eight seasons with the Predators after they moved Seth Jones to acquire him back in 2016. The hope at the time was that they were moving a top young defenseman for a top young center, one that could emerge as their top option down the middle. Things got off to a reasonable start on that front as he had 95 points in his first 124 games with the Preds, helping him earn his eight-year, $64MM contract. However, after that, his output largely cooled off as he managed just 60 points once in the following four years, never surpassing the 15-goal mark in the process.
In 2021-22, it looked like Johansen had turned a corner as he notched a career-high 26 goals while recording 63 points. Those numbers weren’t exactly worth an $8MM price tag but for the time being, he and Matt Duchene were giving Nashville at least decent production up the middle. Unfortunately, that didn’t carry over to this past season as the 30-year-old managed just 28 points in 55 games before undergoing emergency leg surgery in February, ending his campaign prematurely.
For Colorado, this is a relatively low-risk gamble that Johansen can rediscover his offensive touch. They never truly replaced Nazem Kadri who left in free agency last summer, opting instead to largely go with internal options including J.T. Compher. Compher had a career year in 2022-23, picking up a career-high 52 points but he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next month and will likely land a contract that’s worth more than what the Avs will be covering on Johansen’s deal. At $4MM, as long as Johansen can put up around 40 points while continuing to be above-average at the faceoff dot, he’ll provide ample value for Colorado and with the firepower they have, an uptick in production is certainly a possibility.
With this swap, the Avalanche have around $8.5MM in cap room, per CapFriendly with at least six players to sign with that money. However, that doesn’t account for Gabriel Landeskog‘s injury that will cause him to miss the entire 2023-24 campaign so GM Chris MacFarland has roughly $15.5MM still at his disposal over the coming weeks.
As for Nashville, this is an underwhelming return, to put it lightly, for someone that just a few years ago was one of the focal points of their attack. But the Predators are clearly embarking on at least a partial rebuild after jettisoning several veterans at the trade deadline and in a flat salary cap environment, getting full value for Johansen would have been next to impossible. The move now gives them a little over $19.5MM in cap room to work with, per CapFriendly, so if they want to be active in free agency to try to make it a quick retool, they’ll have the flexibility to do so. Alternatively, if they want to take on a bad contract or two to add more assets, that will also be a viable option for them.
Notably, this swap now encumbers two of Nashville’s three allowable retention slots through the 2024-25 campaign as one is also being used on Mattias Ekholm. These retentions plus the buyout to Kyle Turris give the Preds $6.25MM in dead cap for the upcoming season.
Galchenyuk’s inclusion in this trade is almost certainly just for contract-matching purposes. Even though he’s a pending free agent, he still counts as under contract until July 1st as do all pending free agents. For the time being, Nashville has 47 contracts on their books while Colorado sits at 45 so both franchises have some wiggle room in the coming weeks on that front.
Galchenyuk played in just 11 games with the Avs this past season, being held off the scoresheet in the process. The 2012 third-overall pick spend most of the year with AHL Colorado and was productive with them, picking up 42 points in as many games. He’ll almost certainly be heading for another two-way contract next season if he opts to stay in North America but after clearing waivers twice in the last two seasons, it’s possible that the 29-year-old looks to try his hand at playing overseas.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Flames Shopping Dan Vladar
In recent days, there have been several reports that key veterans are looking to leave the Flames. But those players might not be the only ones on the move as Pierre LeBrun, Michael Russo, and Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic report (subscription link) that Calgary is shopping goaltender Dan Vladar around the league.
The 25-year-old is coming off his second season as being the backup to Jacob Markstrom. His numbers dipped a bit this season as Calgary struggled, posting a 2.87 GAA with a .894 SV%, 12 points lower than his mark from 2021-22. That said, the drop-off in performance isn’t shocking with the Flames going from winning the Pacific Division a year ago to missing the playoffs this past season.
Vladar will be entering the first season of a two-year contract that he signed back in October, one that carries an AAV of $2.2MM. As far as backup goaltenders go, that’s still on the lower scale. However, with the Flames having Dustin Wolf in their system with a cap hit that’s less than $50K above the league minimum, making that goalie swap would free up some much-needed cap space; Calgary currently sits with just $1.25MM in room per CapFriendly with multiple roster spots to fill.
However, with Vladar’s contract being on the lower end for a second-stringer, it’s one that should carry some value around the league. LeBrun, Russo, and Duhatschek note that the Flames expect to at least get a second-round pick for the netminder which would be an improvement on the third-rounder they parted with to get him back in 2021.
The free agent market for goaltenders is relatively thin this summer which has resulted in some speculation surrounding netminders on the trade front. It appears that Vladar is now a part of that list, joining veterans Connor Hellebuyck, John Gibson, and Chris Driedger who have all come up in trade speculation in recent weeks. If a team is looking to get a jump start on shoring up their backup situation, there’s a good chance they’ll be calling up new GM Craig Conroy in the near future if they haven’t done so already.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Metropolitan Notes: Pesce, Penguins, Kuznetsov
Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce is one to keep an eye on this summer. With his recent change and contracts to comparable players given out recently, Cory Lavalette speculates in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that Pesce could be pushing for a max-term contract around a $6.5MM AAV. Carolina has ample cap room for 2024-25 but also needs to re-sign blueliner Brady Skjei, centers Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas (RFA), and winger Teuvo Teravainen. Doing all of that will be difficult and it wouldn’t be shocking if at least one has to go. Accordingly, if the Hurricanes could work an extension out with Skjei quickly and find Pesce’s price point too high for their liking, he could become a trade candidate in the coming weeks. In a free agent market that doesn’t exactly have a lot of impact right-shot defenders out there, many teams will be watching this situation closely.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Speaking to reporters yesterday including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Penguins president Kyle Dubas indicated that he might be open to taking on a contract from a team needing to open up cap space this summer. Pittsburgh has around $20MM in cap room this summer per CapFriendly and while some of that will need to go toward re-signing or replacing goaltender Tristan Jarry, defenseman Brian Dumoulin, and winger Jason Zucker, they could have enough flexibility left to take on a pricey but capable player, giving them a boost as they look to get back to the playoffs.
- There has been some speculation that Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov might welcome a change of scenery. However, Russian player agent Alexei Dementiev told RB Sport in Russia that Kuznetsov’s discontent has been around a lack of offensive freedom. It’s worth noting that Dementiev is not Kuznetsov’s agent (that would be Newport’s Craig Oster) but he suggested that if new coach Spencer Carbery is willing to give the 31-year-old some more room to try to create offensively, the relationship between him and the team could be repaired. Kuznetsov is coming off a 55-point season but is only a year removed from a 78-point campaign. Getting him back in form would certainly go a long way toward trying to get Washington back into the postseason picture.
West Notes: Coyotes, Canucks Free Agents, Pearson, Zhigalov
The Coyotes enter next week’s draft loaded with picks, to put it lightly. The team currently has nine second-round selections and nine third-rounders over the next three years. Accordingly, Chris Johnston reports in TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment (video link) that Arizona is looking to deal from some of that future draft capital. Instead of being a dumping ground for bad contracts as they have been in recent years, it appears as if their focus has turned to trying to acquire better pieces who could be moved because the other team is forced into making a move to get into compliance. Accordingly, instead of receiving picks for taking on the player the other team wants to get rid of as they’ve done several times before, they’re flipping that plan around.
Elsewhere in the West:
- With Ethan Bear needing shoulder surgery, it is no longer a guarantee that the Canucks will tender the blueliner a qualifying offer next week, reports CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal (Twitter link). Bear is owed a $2.3MM qualifier but is set to miss at least the first couple of months of the season. With cap space still at somewhat of a premium for Vancouver, that might be too high of a price tag for their liking. Meanwhile, Dhaliwal adds that the Canucks are working on a new contract for pending UFA defenseman Noah Juulsen and have reached out with an offer to pending UFA rearguard Kyle Burroughs. As for goalie Collin Delia, the door isn’t closed on a return but the odds of him re-signing appear to be dropping.
- Also from Dhaliwal (Twitter link), he recently updated Tanner Pearson’s situation. The winger has now undergone seven surgeries as a result of his wrist injury and it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to return to the ice. The NHLPA indicated back in January that they were looking into how Pearson’s injury was handled and the continued uncertainty can’t be helping things. Pearson has one year left on his deal which carries a $3.25MM AAV. At this point, it looks like he’ll at least be starting next season on LTIR.
- Avalanche prospect Ivan Zhigalov is heading home next season as Yunost Minsk in Belarus announced that they’ve signed the netminder to a one-year contract. The 20-year-old was the final pick in the draft last June with the 225th selection and spent this past season with OHL Kingston, posting a save percentage of .889 with a 3.59 GAA in 45 games. Since Zhigalov was selected out of major junior, Colorado only holds his NHL rights through next season.
Offseason Checklist: Edmonton Oilers
The offseason is now fully underway after Vegas took home the Stanley Cup which means that it’s time to examine what each team will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Edmonton.
As expected, the Oilers featured a high-powered offense this past season but goaltending concerns once again crept up at an inopportune time which played a role in their exit at the hands of the Golden Knights in the second round. GM Ken Holland has two years left with both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl under contract which could represent the remaining length of their competitive window. However, while they would certainly love to add, their salary cap situation will see them needing to take away from their roster; this is a key element of their checklist this summer as a result.
Yamamoto Decision
We took a closer look at Yamamoto’s specific situation over the weekend which basically amounts to Edmonton having some less-than-desirable options when it comes to their 2017 first-round pick.
The 24-year-old made a big impact early in his career, picking up 26 points in 27 games after being a late-season recall in 2019-20 before stalling out briefly. Then, it looked as if he was back on track following a 20-goal campaign in 2021-22, earning himself a two-year, $6.2MM contract, but again, he stalled out this past season. At the moment, the Oilers have around $5MM to spend, per CapFriendly, with their pending restricted free agents set to cost considerably more than that. Someone has to go.
Yamamoto is young enough that his buyout would only cost one-third instead of the standard two-thirds. That means that if they went that route, they’d free up over $2.6MM for next season while adding $533K in dead cap for 2024-25. That could give them enough flexibility to re-sign their pending restricted free agents.
Alternatively, they could see if there’s a trade market for Yamamoto. There are a handful of teams that are willing to take on money this summer, perhaps one would be interested in a younger player with the hope of trying to rebuild his value. But those teams might prefer the incentives they’d receive for taking on a pricier veteran. If Edmonton is able to move him this way, they’ll save a bit more cap space but the return is almost certain to be underwhelming.
The buyout deadline is June 30th so there is a fixed timeline for a decision to be made on what they’re doing with Yamamoto unless they can find a way to keep him around. Assuming that doesn’t happen, they’ll be adding a cheap middle-six winger to their shopping list in the coming weeks.
Move Mid-Tier Money
It probably isn’t just Yamamoto that Holland will be making available around the league. In an effort to open up cap space but not take away from their core pieces, they will likely look to move at least one other middle-tier player. On the Oilers, those players would be winger Warren Foegele (one year, $2.75MM) plus defensemen Brett Kulak (three years, $2.75MM) and Cody Ceci (two years, $3.25MM).
It’s not that Edmonton should be particularly displeased with how any of these players performed this past season. However, on the back end, Phillip Broberg is ready for full-time duty and is on a contract less than $100K above the league minimum. Moving one of Ceci or Kulak would open up more ice time for the promising youngster while opening up more cap flexibility. Similarly, while the Oilers like Foegele’s energy in the bottom six, would they be better off moving him, bringing back someone like Nick Bjugstad for less, and pocketing the savings?
Of course, this particular concept isn’t unique to the Oilers; more than half the league will be trying to do exactly something like this over the next couple of weeks. As a result, they’re unlikely going to land a sizable return for any of these players. But a move like that is necessary to give themselves a chance at keeping their restricted free agents while trying to add a piece or two to give them a boost (or at least replace Yamamoto).
Re-Sign Bouchard
When the Oilers acquired Mattias Ekholm from Nashville at the trade deadline, the veteran defender really helped to shore up Edmonton’s back end. But the swap had another benefit as Evan Bouchard took a huge step forward. Partnered with the steady Ekholm, Bouchard’s confidence soared. And with power play specialist Tyson Barrie going the other way in the swap, the chance to load up the points was there for the taking.
Let’s just say he took advantage of it. Following the trade, Bouchard picked up an impressive 19 points in 21 games, heading into the playoffs on a high note. The 23-year-old then found another gear in the postseason, notching 17 points in a dozen games, leading all blueliners in playoff points despite only playing in two rounds. That’s one way to hit restricted free agency on a high note.
Bouchard’s entry-level contract is set to come to an end on July 1st. He won’t have arbitration eligibility but he’ll still be in line for a significant raise. He has two full NHL seasons under his belt, both of them generating at least 40 points which should push a two-year bridge deal past the $3MM mark. A one-year deal might get it a bit lower but would hand him arbitration eligibility the following summer. That doesn’t seem like a wise move for the Oilers. On the other hand, locking in long-term probably isn’t a wise move for Bouchard’s camp, nor is it an option that Edmonton can reasonably afford as things stand.
If you’re a fan of strategic offer sheets, this is a spot for one. If a team got Bouchard to sign a one-year, $4.29MM offer sheet, the compensation would only be a second-round pick. Edmonton would surely match but that price point would be problematic from a roster-building standpoint while, again, it gives him arbitration rights the following year. Is such a scenario likely? Probably not, especially in an era where offer sheets are few and far between. But if Holland thinks a team might try it just to mess up their cap structure, it would behoove him to try to get Bouchard’s two-year bridge pact locked in sooner than later.
Avoid Arbitration
The Oilers have indicated that they will be qualifying all but one of their restricted free agents. Among those that will be (or have been) tendered offers are forwards Klim Kostin and Ryan McLeod. Both players had nice seasons, notching 11 goals in 57 games apiece. McLeod worked his way into a more prominent spot on the depth chart as the season went on while Kostin, who started in the minors after clearing waivers, was mostly on the fourth line, delivering strong results.
However, both players are eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. By tendering them their qualifiers, both McLeod and Kostin have the right to file for a hearing. That’s the scenario that Edmonton would like to avoid.
Would either player break the bank? Probably not but there are plenty of comparable players that would be in their favor which could help push their awards higher than Edmonton wants to pay. They also won’t have a walkaway option on either player as PuckPedia reported last week (Twitter link) that the threshold for that remains where it has been since 2019-20 at $4.539MM. Neither player is coming close to that; combined, they might not even get there.
But it’s certainly in Edmonton’s best interest to try to get these contracts done quickly. They’ll both be short-term agreements again to keep the cap hit down. Kostin’s should come in around $1.25MM or so while McLeod’s should be about $500K higher. Getting those locked in over running the risk of an award adding a few extra hundred thousand per player would help from a flexibility standpoint.
Perhaps more importantly, it would also give them some certainty about what they can do this summer. This whole column has been about internal focuses over external ones because of their cap situation. They want to add but to do that, they need to move out roster players, creating more holes in the process while needing to leave room to re-sign Bouchard, Kostin, and McLeod (and perhaps try to keep Bjugstad).
Getting as many of these done as possible before July 1st becomes quite important as a result so they know what they can, or can’t afford to do on the open market. While some teams will be doing their heavy lifting once free agency opens up, Edmonton should be hoping that most of theirs will already be done by then.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Hoffman, Power, Gauthier
The Canadiens appear to be open to moving winger Mike Hoffman for no return, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The 33-year-old signed with Montreal two years ago in the hopes of adding some offense and pop to their power play. However, his goal-per-game outputs the last two years were the lowest of his career while their success rate with the man advantage remains near the bottom of the league. Hoffman has one year left on his contract with a $4.5MM AAV and it seems that the Canadiens are simply hoping that someone will take a flyer on someone whose longer-term track record as a sniper has been strong. However, with so many other teams either wanting or needing to make a move like that, they may not be able to make a move like that. Seravalli adds that Montreal isn’t willing to buy him out.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News examined some possible comparable contracts for defenseman Owen Power who is eligible to sign an extension in July. If the two sides want to work out a max-term contract, the deals for Florida blueliner Aaron Ekblad or Dallas rearguard Miro Heiskanen could be the range. Ekblad checks in at $7.5MM while Heiskanen’s deal, signed just last summer, is $8.45MM. Meanwhile, if the two sides want to do a bridge contract, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams doesn’t have to look very far as teammate Rasmus Dahlin’s current deal (three years, $6MM AAV) should stand as a rough barometer for what a short-term deal for Power would cost. Dahlin is also extension-eligible this summer and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Adams take a run at getting them both locked up early.
- Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that the Senators are undecided about qualifying winger Julien Gauthier later this month. The 25-year-old was acquired late in the season as part of the Tyler Motte trade and held his own down the stretch, notching five points in 17 games. Owed a tender of just $840K, the hesitance would seem to revolve around his arbitration eligibility. While his career numbers wouldn’t land him a significant raise by any stretch, it could push his price tag higher than Ottawa is comfortable paying.