Salary Cap Deep Dive: New Jersey Devils
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid 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 2022-23 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on 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: $82,426,625 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Alexander Holtz (three years, $894K)
F Dawson Mercer (two years, $894K)
D Simon Nemec (three years, $950K)
Potential Bonuses
Holtz: $850K
Mercer: $400K
Nemec: $3.25MM
Total: $4.475MM
Mercer’s rookie season was a strong one as he finished fourth in freshman scoring with 42 points while grabbing hold of a spot in their top six. Assuming he stays there and boosts his production, he could be a candidate to skip a bridge deal and do a long-term pact as they’ve done with some of their other core pieces. Holtz may be up and down at times this season for cap purposes but when he’s in the NHL, he should be in the top six, allowing for some point production. If he winds up being up for the bulk of the season, he could hit several of his ‘A’ bonuses which is noteworthy with how tight the Devils are to the cap ceiling.
Nemec is another player that could be up and down at times this season. The second-overall pick from July is eligible to go to the AHL since he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL and shuffling him back and forth would allow them to manage his minutes in New Jersey and then get him to play bigger roles in the minors. If he surprises in training camp and lands a top-four spot, however, then he’ll have a good chance at reaching some of his ‘A’ bonuses as well.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Nathan Bastian ($825K, RFA)
G Jonathan Bernier ($4.125MM, UFA)
G Mackenzie Blackwood ($2.8MM, RFA)
F Jesper Boqvist ($874K, RFA)
F Jesper Bratt ($5.45MM, RFA)
D Ryan Graves ($3.167MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.375MM, UFA)
F Andreas Johnsson ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Michael McLeod ($950K, RFA)
D Damon Severson ($4.167MM, UFA)
F Yegor Sharangovich ($2MM, RFA)
F Tomas Tatar ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Miles Wood ($3.2MM, UFA)
Let’s start with the pending UFA forwards. Tatar continues to be a strong possession player but his production has dropped the last couple of seasons. He’s a placeholder for someone like Holtz and while waiting out the market worked relatively well for him last summer, he’ll be hard-pressed to get this on his next contract. Johnsson had a much better showing last season compared to his first year in New Jersey and considering he’ll be 28 in free agency, he could get a contract that’s somewhat close to this rate assuming he produces at a similar rate next season.
Wood played just three games last season as he worked his way back from hip surgery so this deal was largely based on his past production. If healthy, he’s an effective middle-six winger that can contribute in a few different ways. But if the injury woes persist or he struggles, he’s a candidate for a one-year deal closer to the $2MM range. Haula came over in a trade from Boston for Pavel Zacha and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He won’t get as much top-six time with the Devils but even if his production goes closer to the 30-point mark (compared to 44 in 2021-22), he should be able to get at least a small raise on this contract.
Bratt has been through a couple of long negotiations already and the one-year settlement they reached last month only kicked the can down the road. This is clearly a prove-it contract after leading the team in scoring last season. A repeat performance could push him towards the $7.5MM range on a long-term agreement when he’ll have the hammer next summer in his final season of RFA eligibility. Sharangovich didn’t improve much on his per-game rates as a rookie but he has certainly shown that he’s a top-six winger for the Devils. His qualifying offer is $2.2MM and right now, his next deal could be in the $3.5MM range if he plays at a similar level next season.
McLeod’s offensive production hasn’t come around compared to his days in junior but he has been a strong middleman on the fourth line the last couple of seasons. With Zacha gone, he could get more of an offensive chance although Haula will cut into those chances as well. He should land a bit more than his $1MM qualifying offer next summer and a one-year deal might be an option if he has a similar offensive showing this season. Boqvist is now waiver-eligible so he shouldn’t see any time with Utica this season. He took his qualifying offer this summer and will have arbitration eligibility next offseason where, if he can produce at a similar rate as he did in 2021-22, he could push for something in the $1.75MM range. Bastian returned after being claimed back on waivers from Seattle and provided decent production from the fourth line. His qualifier is just under $920K but with teams trying to stay cheap on their depth players, he might have a hard time getting much more than that unless he can crack the double-digit mark in goals again.
Onto the defensemen. Severson has been on a team-friendly deal for a while now and with his jump in production last season, his contract looks even better for the Devils now. He’ll be 29 when his next contract kicks in and has logged top-pairing minutes for the last few seasons. He could find himself with a long-term deal worth more than $6MM per year at this time in 2023. Graves has become a quality option on the second pairing over the past four seasons and he’ll only be 28 next summer. He won’t produce enough to command the type of money that Severson will but he could push his way into the $4.5MM range a year from now.
Bernier was signed to platoon with Blackwood but hip troubles ended his season early and will delay the start of this one. Between that and the fact he’ll be 35 next summer, he’ll be looking at a one-year deal if he’s able to play at all and it should be considerably cheaper than this one. Blackwood is coming off a tough year and his numbers have dipped in each of the last three seasons. His qualifying offer is $3.36MM next summer and if he’s once again on the weak side of the platoon, he could be a non-tender candidate. On the flip side, he’s still young enough to potentially establish himself as at least a medium-term solution beyond 2022-23.
Signed Through 2023-24
D Brendan Smith ($1.1MM, UFA)
Smith has been a serviceable and versatile veteran at the end of the roster for the last few seasons with an ability to play up front when needed as well. He’s likely to have a depth role with New Jersey which will likely have him in line for a similar contract a couple of years from now.
Signed Through 2024-25
G Vitek Vanecek ($3.4MM, UFA)
With Blackwood’s struggles and Bernier’s injury concerns, GM Tom Fitzgerald elected to bring in another goaltender and quickly inked Vanecek to this three-year deal. He has been part of the platoon in Washington for the past two seasons, posting a .908 SV% each time. He’s probably still going to be a platoon option with Blackwood but he gives New Jersey some medium-term depth with the other two on expiring contracts with prospects like Nico Daws and Akira Schmid needing more AHL time.
Coyotes Re-Sign Barrett Hayton
With training camps almost underway, the Coyotes have finally taken care of their last restricted free agent, announcing the signing of center Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract. While the team didn’t release the financial details, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports (Twitter link) that the deal will carry an AAV of $1.775MM while CapFriendly provides (Twitter link) the breakdown:
2022-23: $1.42MM
2023-24: $2.13MM
The 22-year-old was the fifth-overall selection by Arizona back in 2018 and while he has shown some improvement since then, it’s safe to say that he hasn’t yet lived up to that draft billing. Last season, Hayton spent most of the season with the Coyotes, recording 10 goals and 14 assists in 60 games while averaging over 16 minutes per game; all of those numbers were career-highs. He also got into four games with AHL Tucson where he only managed a single assist.
Injuries have limited Hayton as well in the early going as he only has 94 career NHL appearances under his belt over his three professional seasons, notching 13 goals and 18 assists. His numbers haven’t been much better in the minors either as he has managed just seven goals and nine assists in 35 AHL contests. But he’s still young enough to believe that his best days are still ahead of him.
This bridge contract allows both sides a little more time to assess Hayton’s long-term future. His days of waiver exemption are now over so he’ll be up with Arizona for the entire season for the first time and he’ll likely have a spot in their top six again in 2022-23. If he can take some strides offensively over the next couple of years, he’ll put himself in line for a nice raise in 2024 and cement himself as part of their long-term plans. He’ll be owed a qualifying offer of $2.13MM in 2024 to retain his rights as a restricted free agent, this time with arbitration eligibility.
Injury Updates: Gardiner, Silfverberg, Farabee
Hurricanes defenseman Jake Gardiner was not on their training camp invite list that was released earlier today. As Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer points out (Twitter link), the veteran is likely to land back on LTIR this season. Gardiner spent all of 2021-22 on there after undergoing back and hip surgeries but GM Don Waddell had indicated this summer that the 32-year-old had recovered and was expected to be ready for the season so it appears there has been a setback of some sort. Gardiner is entering the final year of his contract that carries a $4.05MM AAV and he’ll join newly-acquired winger Max Pacioretty as players heading for LTIR to start the season which means that they’ll have plenty of short-term wiggle room available from a cap perspective.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Typically, players aren’t activated off injured reserve in the days leading up to training camp but CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the Ducks activated winger Jakob Silfverberg from IR today. He was placed there back in early March with a blood clot in his leg which ended his season early but this activation suggests that he’ll be good to go for training camp. Silfverberg had a run of six straight seasons with a point total between 39 and 43 but has slowed down the last couple of years and is coming off a 21-point performance last season in 53 games.
- It has been a tough stretch on the injury front for the Flyers with Sean Couturier out to start the season and Ryan Ellis not ready to return either. However, it appears they’ll have winger Joel Farabee available on opening night or soon after, notes Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now. The 22-year-old underwent disc replacement surgery back in June with the procedure carrying a recovery period of three to four months so it appears he’s on track. Farabee had 17 goals and 17 assists in 63 games last season and could be in line for a bigger role once he’s ready to return.
West Notes: Flames, Blues, Pettersson
The Flames have had a busy summer up front with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri coming in to help replace Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. Even with that type of turnover at the top of their roster, GM Brad Treliving told Thomas Drance of The Athletic (subscription link) that the team is still looking to add to their forward group for next season. Calgary is one of the few teams that still has a bit of salary cap flexibility with a little over $2MM in space, per CapFriendly with RFA center Adam Ruzicka still to re-sign and Cody Eakin already in on a tryout. While Treliving won’t be able to add an impact forward with what space he has left, an upgrade to their bottom six should be on the table.
More from the Western Conference:
- Blues GM Doug Armstrong has acted quickly to extend Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou but don’t expect that to be the case for any other of their pending free agents. As NHL.com’s Lou Korac relays (Twitter link), the current plan is to let the season play out and then see what they can do on the extension front. Veterans Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko highlight their list of pending unrestricted free agents but with the raises for Thomas and Kyrou a year away from coming into effect, they’re going to have a hard team keeping their veteran core intact.
- The Canucks are leaning towards using Elias Pettersson back at center this season instead of keeping him on the left wing, notes Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre. Head coach Bruce Boudreau feels that Vancouver’s additions up front – including wingers Ilya Mikheyev and Andrei Kuzmenko – give them the potential for three scoring lines. If Pettersson does indeed shift back down the middle, that will only boost his value heading into extension talks next summer as centers often cost a premium to sign long-term.
Finding A Match For A Nils Lundkvist Trade
With Rangers prospect Nils Lundkvist’s trade request now well-known, efforts continue to find the youngster a new home for the upcoming season. If the belief that he won’t attend training camp in New York holds true, that could be a trigger point for GM Chris Drury to avoid any distractions heading into camp while getting a chance to integrate whichever player or prospect they get for the rearguard at training camp.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the potential suitors for Lundkvist. Since he’s looking for a team that will have a chance to give him an NHL opportunity in the short-term, the focus will be on those squads although there undoubtedly will be others that will kick the tires. Los Angeles is a team that has been speculated as a landing spot with their deep prospect pool but they don’t really have an opening on the right side of their back end for him to slide into so they don’t appear among the teams below.
Detroit: The Red Wings have two right-side rearguards in place in Calder winner Moritz Seider and young veteran Filip Hronek. There are questions behind those two, however. Gustav Lindstrom has yet to establish himself as a full-time player while Mark Pysyk will miss the first half of the season after undergoing surgery in July to repair a torn Achilles tendon. If Lundkvist was to go there and do well, it could free them up to move Hronek who is the type of blueliner that could yield a nice return for the Red Wings.
Detroit has a couple of young centers that the Rangers would likely show some interest in. One is Joe Veleno who is close to being ready for full-time duty while Jonatan Berggren, who was picked just five spots after Lundkvist in 2018, had a very promising first season in North America in 2021-22. They also have an extra second-round pick at their disposal if New York ultimately decides that a draft pick is the right return. Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported a few days ago (subscription link) that at least one team had a second-rounder on the table in an offer for the blueliner.
Montreal: At the moment, the right side of the back end for the Canadiens is David Savard, Justin Barron, and Chris Wideman. The only established full-time player out of that group is Savard. Montreal is likely to use several prospects throughout the season (Jordan Harris and Kaiden Guhle among them) but those are left-shot options, not righties like Lundkvist. It’s plausible that Lundkvist could jump into their lineup right away. Jeff Gorton, who was GM at the time Lundkvist was drafted, now works in Montreal’s front office.
While the Rangers wouldn’t be likely to get a return that could help them right away, Montreal’s prospect pool is one of the deeper ones around the league with recent center picks like Jan Mysak, Owen Beck, and Riley Kidney potentially being of interest. They could also deal from the left side of their defensive pool if New York would prefer a defenseman in return with Harris, Mattias Norlinder, and prospect Jayden Struble being possible options.
San Jose: The only established must-play right-shot defender on their roster is Erik Karlsson. Matthew Benning got a four-year deal but could bounce in and out of the lineup while Ryan Merkley could stand to spend more time in the minors before becoming an everyday regular. With Brent Burns not really being replaced after his trade to Carolina, there’s a definite need for a second defenseman to help shoulder the offensive load. Worth noting, one of New York’s former top scouts, Chris Morehouse, is now heading up San Jose’s amateur scouting ranks. He wasn’t there when Lundkvist was drafted but he’ll have some extra familiarity with the blueliner.
Center Thomas Bordeleau didn’t look out of place in his brief NHL stint late last season and acquitted himself well at the World Championship as well and is the type of young center that might entice the Rangers. Merkley himself could be an option if Drury decides to look for a similar player, one that will be more amenable to being in the minors to start the season. The Sharks don’t have an extra second-round pick but the one that they do have projects to be a good one based on the state of their roster heading into training camp.
Seattle: While the addition of Justin Schultz lessens their need for an extra offensive defenseman, the third RD spot is far from secure with William Borgen spending a lot of time as a healthy scratch last season. That’s a spot that Lundkvist could conceivably battle for or least position himself to be the first one recalled.
The Kraken don’t have the deepest of prospect pools to work with since they’ve only been around for two drafts but they do have three second-rounders for the 2023 draft. Parting with one for a potentially near-ready young defenseman would be a defensible move for the second-year squad.
Vancouver: The Canucks have been busy this summer when it comes to their forward group but nothing has been done with their back end yet and it’s not for a lack of trying. Vancouver already has an offensive weapon in Quinn Hughes but someone like Lundkvist could potentially help run a second power play group and perhaps take some minutes from veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson who is getting near the point where he will need to be managed more carefully. With Tucker Poolman’s availability uncertain for training camp, there’s a spot on the right side of their back end up for grabs.
As for possible trade options, Linus Karlsson is coming off a strong SHL season and shouldn’t be too far away from being NHL-ready which would give New York another option down the middle. Alternatively, winger Nils Hoglander is someone that, on the surface, might be on the fringes of making Vancouver’s roster with their additions on the wing. Perhaps there’s a trade to be made featuring those two?
Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list and other teams will inquire but if Lundkvist and agent Claude Lemieux’s intention is to have him start the upcoming season in the NHL, that does limit the number of viable opportunities for a trade if the Rangers decide to move him before training camp.
They don’t have to move Lundkvist, however. He’s still waiver-exempt and even if he doesn’t want to report to the minors, they can send him there and suspend him for not reporting. If it’s going to be more of a drawn-out process, a loan overseas (as they did last year with Vitali Kravtsov) is also on the table. There are certainly non-trade options they’ll want to consider but if they do decide to go ahead with a trade, they’ll have some viable teams to consider.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Chara, O’Brien, Dach
With training camps set to start in just a few days, we’re seeing plenty of veterans ink PTO deals. Meanwhile, another veteran free agent, defenseman Zdeno Chara, remains undecided on whether or not to play next season, notes Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link). The 45-year-old spent last season with the Islanders where he averaged nearly 19 minutes a night in 72 games but was not offered a deal to return. Chara’s agent Matt Keator indicated that he plans to meet with his client this weekend so perhaps some news on his intentions for 2022-23 will trickle out over the coming days.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Flyers prospect Jay O’Brien has fully recovered from the hip injury that has bothered him for the last two seasons, relays Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. The 22-year-old was the 19th overall pick back in 2018 and has still managed to average nearly a point per game over his two seasons at Boston College. With those injury issues behind him, he could be in line for a big year which could help O’Brien earn his entry-level deal with Philadelphia.
- The Blackhawks have placed prospect Colton Dach in concussion protocol, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 19-year-old played in the first period of yesterday’s rookie tournament game against Minnesota but didn’t return for the rest of the night. Dach is coming off an impressive season with WHL Kelowna where he had 79 points in 60 games and while he wasn’t expected to push for a roster spot with Chicago, this placement could take away any chances of seeing preseason action and perhaps delay the start of his final junior season.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid 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 2022-23 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Current Cap Hit: $82,083.333 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Yegor Chinakhov (one year, $925K)
F Kent Johnson (two years, $925K)
F Cole Sillinger (two years, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Chinakhov: $700K
Johnson: $925K
Sillinger: $850K
Total: $2.475MM
Sillinger was the lone player from the 2021 draft class to spend the full season in the NHL and he acquitted himself well with 31 points in a middle-six role. If he can secure a top-six role for the next two seasons, he’s a candidate to bypass a bridge deal but it’s still too early to forecast his second contract. It’s possible that he hits one or two of his ‘A’ bonuses worth $212.5K as well. Johnson burned the first season of his entry-level pact with a nine-game stint down the stretch where he didn’t look out of place. He should be able to push for a regular spot in 2022-23 but unless he steps into a dominant role quickly, a shorter-term second contract is likely coming his way. The same can be said for Chinakhov. He fared okay in a limited role last season but players in lower roles rarely get long-term second contracts. If he stays in the bottom six, a one-year deal worth around $1MM or a two-year pact closer to $1.5MM are his likely outcomes.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
D Gavin Bayreuther ($750K, UFA)
D Vladislav Gavrikov ($2.8MM, UFA)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($1.3MM, UFA))
F Gustav Nyquist ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Mathieu Olivier ($750K, RFA)
D Andrew Peeke ($788K, RFA)
After missing all of 2020-21 due to injury, Nyquist played in every game last season and put up a respectable 53 points. He’ll need a better showing next season to have a shot at making more on his next deal. Otherwise, at 34, he’ll be looking at a shorter-term deal closer to the $4MM range. Olivier was brought in from Nashville to give the Blue Jackets a bit of grit up front but unless he can secure a regular spot, he’ll be signed for the minimum or close to it a year from now.
Gavrikov took a big step forward last season and really established himself as one of their top blueliners; he sat second on the team in ATOI. Getting someone that spends a fair bit of time on the top pairing for money that’s usually reserved for fourth or fifth defenders is quite good. He’ll be 27 next summer when a long-term deal worth around double his current AAV might await him. Peeke is also in line for a sizable raise after showing that he’s capable of playing on the second pairing in a stay-at-home type of role. With arbitration rights next summer, he could jump into the $3MM range or even a bit higher on a contract that buys out multiple UFA years. Bayreuther should be on the fringes of the lineup this season so he’s unlikely to command much more than the minimum next summer.
Korpisalo had a tough year, one that saw him miss nearly half the games due to injury or illness and when he was between the pipes, he struggled mightily. Knowing his market wouldn’t have been strong in free agency, he opted to take a considerable pay cut to try to rebuild his value this season. If he can, he could get back to the $2.5MM to $3MM range next summer.
Signed Through 2023-24
D Jake Bean ($2.33MM, RFA)
F Emil Bemstrom ($900K, RFA)
D Nick Blankenburg ($825K, RFA)
F Justin Danforth ($975K, UFA)
F Eric Robinson ($1.6MM, UFA)
F Jack Roslovic ($4MM, UFA)
F Alexandre Texier ($1.525MM, RFA)
F Jakub Voracek ($8.25MM, UFA)
Voracek was brought back for a second stint with the Blue Jackets last summer in a move to shake up the core with Philadelphia. On the one hand, he led the team in points with 62 points. On the other hand, only six of those were goals. Players making that much money should be expected to score more than six times but they have to be pleased with the assist total. He is already showing signs of slowing down and the fact he’ll be 35 in 2024 won’t help either. A contract closer to half of his current price might be where his market falls at that time unless he starts to show a lot more of a scoring touch over these next two years.
Roslovic had a career season with 45 points but somewhat surprisingly, the Blue Jackets weren’t able to work out a deal to extend their team control, instead opting for a second bridge that walks him right to free agency. Assuming he can at least remain as a second-line center between now and then, he will land a bigger contract at that time. Robinson has become a capable bottom-six checker that produces fairly well at even strength which pushed him over the $1MM mark for the first time. If he can find another level and get to the 35-point mark or so, he could make a case to add another million on the open market.
Texier technically only has one year left on his contract but since he won’t play this season under suspension (which allowed him to play closer to home for family reasons), his deal won’t expire until 2024. He was showing signs of breaking out in limited action last season and if he plays at that level if and when he returns for 2023-24, he could land closer to double his $1.75MM qualifying offer. Bemstrom and Danforth had limited roles last season and will first need to secure a full-time lineup spot before they can hope to earn any sort of significant raise on their next deals.
Bean was hoping to get an expanded role after being acquired from Carolina and that’s exactly what happened as his ATOI jumped up by more than six minutes per game while moving into their top four. He’s a bargain at this price tag and if he can hold that role for two more years, he’ll earn considerably more than his $2.8MM qualifying offer. Blankenburg signed as an undrafted college free agent down the stretch, burning his one-year deal in the span of a few weeks. He’s waiver-exempt and could see some time in the minors but if he’s a regular by the end of this contract, he’ll push past the $1MM mark.
Signed Through 2024-25
D Adam Boqvist ($2.6MM, RFA)
F Sean Kuraly ($2.5MM, UFA)
G Daniil Tarasov ($1.05MM, RFA)
Kuraly signed with his hometown team last summer and got a bit of a bigger role than he had with Boston. He responded with the best offensive season of his career with 14 goals and 30 points in 77 games while leading all Columbus forwards in shorthanded ice time per game. This deal looked like a bit of an overpayment at the time but if he keeps up that type of production, the Blue Jackets will get decent value from it.
Boqvist was a key part of the return from Chicago in the Seth Jones trade last summer and showed some promise when he was healthy, notching 11 goals in just 52 games. That was enough for GM Jarmo Kekalainen to award him with this three-year bridge deal, one that carries a $3.12MM qualifying offer. If he can establish himself in their top four and provide above-average production, he could be looking at a sizable raise of his own in 2025.
Tarasov is waiver-exempt this coming season and is likely to be in the minors. However, with a one-way and three-year commitment, it’s clear that the Blue Jackets view him as the backup heading into 2023-24 so it’s safe to slot him into Korpisalo’s spot on the roster a year from now. Even as a second-stringer, two good seasons from him could more than double his current cost.
Metropolitan Notes: Staal, Capitals, Mayfield
Back in June, Hurricanes center Jordan Staal indicated that he wasn’t interested in pursuing an early extension and that they’d look at his contract after the upcoming season. However, it appears his stance has changed since then as the 34-year-old told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that there have been a few discussions about a new deal this summer and expressed his desire to stick around:
I want to be in the Hurricanes organization for as long as I can, and I’m sure whether it’s an extension now or they re-up me at the end of the year or if they’re done with me, it will happen.
Staal is entering his 11th season with Carolina and his fourth as team captain. He remains one of the stronger defensive middlemen in the league and even as his ice time has dipped a bit lately, he still managed to put up 17 goals and 19 assists last season. Those numbers won’t be enough to earn him a raise on the $6MM AAV that he currently has but a multi-year agreement at a bit of a lower rate is something that could be hashed out by both sides whether it’s in the coming days or closer to next summer.
More from the Metropolitan:
- The Capitals are believed to be among the teams that have shown some interest in free agent winger Jake Virtanen, reports 630 CHED’s Bob Stauffer (audio link). The 26-year-old had his contract bought out by Vancouver last summer following accusations of sexual assault. That went to trial and six weeks ago, he was found not guilty. Virtanen spent last season in the KHL and has 100 points over 317 career NHL contests. At this point, it seems likely that he’ll land a PTO or a contract near the league minimum over the coming days.
- Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield has no lingering issues from the lower-body injury that caused him to miss more than a month at the end of the season, relays Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). Accordingly, he’ll be ready to go when training camp gets underway next week. Mayfield has been an unheralded part of the back end for the Isles for several seasons now and he’ll likely be once again counted on to play upwards of 20 minutes per game. Notably, the 29-year-old is entering the final season of a contract that has turned out to be a bargain at a $1.45MM AAV.
Atlantic Notes: Caufield, Marchand, Greig
Canadiens winger Cole Caufield is entering the final season of his entry-level contract and after a strong finish to his season that saw him put up 20 goals and 13 assists in his final 34 games, some have wondered if he might receive an early extension. However, the 21-year-old told Postmedia’s Stu Cowan that there have yet to be any discussions on a new deal so far. Caufield only has 97 career NHL appearances under his belt (including the playoffs) so it’s possible that Montreal GM Kent Hughes wants to see if Caufield’s strong second half is a sign of things to come or if his production will dip a bit. A long-term deal for Caufield at this point could be in the $7MM range even with the limited experience but also could go up if he picks up where he left off last season.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Bruins winger Brad Marchand skated today for the first time since undergoing double hip surgery back in May, relays Matt Porter of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). However, his timeline for a return isn’t likely to be escalated at this point as his expected return date continues to be around late November. The 34-year-old put up his sixth straight season of over a point per game in 2021-22 and Boston’s attack will certainly be weakened over the first six weeks with him unavailable.
- The Senators are expected to hold prospect Ridly Greig out of all three rookie tournament games, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 20-year-old suffered a shoulder injury at the World Juniors and Ottawa is expected to be cautious with him with training camps fast approaching. He had six points in five events for Canada at the tournament and could battle for a spot in the bottom six in the preseason although some time with AHL Belleville in a more prominent role might be the best move from a development perspective.
2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Eleventh Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)
3rd Overall: Roman Josi, Atlanta Thrashers (38)
4th Overall: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues (4)
5th Overall: Erik Karlsson, Toronto Maple Leafs (15)
6th Overall: John Carlson, Columbus Blue Jackets (27)
7th Overall: Jacob Markstrom, Nashville Predators (31)
8th Overall: Braden Holtby, Phoenix Coyotes (93)
9th Overall: Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders (22)
10th Overall: Jared Spurgeon, Vancouver Canucks (156)
2008 was quite a year for defensemen as Spurgeon becomes the sixth blueliner to go in the top ten in our redraft. He takes the place of Cody Hodgson who was the original pick of the Canucks.
The Islanders did quite well in drafting Spurgeon early in the sixth round. If you’re thinking to yourself that you don’t remember the blueliner being with New York, there’s a good reason for that. They opted not to sign him despite two strong seasons with Spokane, making him an unrestricted free agent. Minnesota invited him to rookie camp and liked what they saw, quickly signing him to an entry-level contract in 2010.
That decision certainly worked out well for the Wild as he made his NHL debut that season and never looked back from there. He has played in a dozen NHL seasons, all with Minnesota and he sits second in franchise history in points by a defenseman. He’s 24 behind Ryan Suter for that distinction and assuming he stays healthy, he should get there at some point this upcoming season.
Spurgeon was named Minnesota’s captain in January 2021 and has five seasons left on his contract. Along the way, he should pass former captain Mikko Koivu for their all-time games played mark. Not too shabby for a player that the Islanders opted not to sign.
Now, we move on to pick number eleven which was held by the Chicago Blackhawks. They selected center Kyle Beach from the WHL, a true power forward that put up plenty of points and plenty of penalty minutes. He signed his entry-level deal in 2009, making his pro debut soon after with Rockford. Unfortunately for him and Chicago, he wasn’t able to duplicate the offensive success he had in junior and in 2013, he was traded to the Rangers for winger Brandon Mashinter.
It also must be noted that in 2010 when he served as a Black Ace for the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup run, he was sexually assaulted by then-video coach Brad Aldrich. While he was identified as John Doe during the course of the NHL’s investigation into the incident and lawsuit which concluded last year, he revealed himself to be the victim in an interview with TSN’s Rick Westhead in October. Stan Bowman was let go soon after while Joel Quenneville resigned his position as head coach of the Panthers following the results of the investigation being made public.
Since the 2013-14 season, Beach has played overseas, spending time in Sweden, Austria, Germany, and Slovakia. He spent the last two years in the German third division, averaging over a point and a half per game. He is not currently under contract for the upcoming season.
With what transpired back in 2010, there will be a lingering question of ‘what if’ when it comes to Beach but it’s also clear that there were better choices for them at that time. As we continue our hindsight draft, who should the Blackhawks have selected? Make your selection in the poll below.
2008 Redraft: Eleventh Overall
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Cam Atkinson 36% (262)
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T.J. Brodie 10% (72)
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Adam Henrique 9% (67)
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Josh Bailey 9% (64)
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Derek Stepan 5% (38)
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Tyler Myers 5% (37)
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Gustav Nyquist 5% (35)
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Jake Allen 5% (33)
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Zach Bogosian 3% (21)
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Travis Hamonic 2% (18)
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Justin Schultz 2% (13)
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Jake Gardiner 2% (11)
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Luke Schenn 1% (9)
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Jason Demers 1% (9)
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Tyler Ennis 1% (9)
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Marco Scandella 1% (8)
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Michael Del Zotto 1% (7)
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Matt Martin 1% (6)
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Mikkel Boedker 1% (6)
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Colin Wilson 1% (4)
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Matt Calvert 0% (3)
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Zack Smith 0% (1)
Total votes: 733
App users, click here to vote.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.