Canucks Nearing Contract For Quinn Hughes
Shortly after multiple reports surfaced that Vancouver was making progress on deals for their remaining restricted free agents, the Canucks appear to be closing in on a new contract for defenseman Quinn Hughes. Sportsnet’s Satiar Shah is among those reporting (Twitter link) that the blueliner is nearing a six-year contract with an AAV of around $7.75MM. If the agreement winds up being made official at those terms, it will be the richest contract handed out by Canucks GM Jim Benning.
Hughes, the seventh-overall pick in 2018, has quickly emerged as one of the bigger offensive threats from the back end around the NHL. He has recorded 94 points in 124 games over his two seasons, good for a tie with Colorado’s Cale Makar for fourth among blueliners league-wide. Makar, by comparison, inked a six-year deal of his own this summer, with an AAV of $9MM. His play in his own end is still more of a work in progress but at 21, there is still plenty of time for improvement on that front.
The contract would buy out Hughes’ five remaining RFA-eligible seasons plus his first year of UFA eligibility so Vancouver doesn’t gain a lot of team control with this contract but ensures that their biggest offensive threat defensively will be ready to go for the start of the season where he will battle with newcomer Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the top spot on the left side of Vancouver’s defense. Worth noting is that only the final year of his contract will be eligible for trade protection because it is the only UFA year.
With Vancouver having a little under $14MM in cap room per CapFriendly (before accounting for Micheal Ferland who is likely LTIR-bound again), it will likely push them in the direction of a bridge contract for RFA forward Elias Pettersson. To that end, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that a three-year deal worth around $7.7MM could be on the table. With both players being represented by CAA Sports, the deals have basically been worked on together and it wouldn’t be surprising if an announcement from the team will come when both players have officially agreed to terms. That won’t happen tonight, reports Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre (Twitter link).
Latest On Vancouver’s Restricted Free Agents
There are two notable absentees from Vancouver’s training camp in defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Elias Pettersson who remain unsigned. However, it appears contract talks between the Canucks and their representatives at CAA are starting to improve as Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that some progress was made on both fronts today while Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that Hughes’ deal is closer to be being completed out of the two though they are being done together. In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment (video link), TSN’s Darren Dreger mentions that the state of discussions could be classified as “grinding” so there is clearly some work still to be done.
While the Canucks would undoubtedly like to get long-term deals done with both players, they may not have the cap space to do so and keep wiggle room for in-season movement – roughly $17MM per CapFriendly if Micheal Ferland returns to LTIR. Hughes would likely be seeking a deal similar to Cale Makar’s in Colorado ($9MM AAV for six years) while Pettersson’s comparables on a long-term pact could push him over the $9MM mark as well.
One potential factor here is the status of defenseman Travis Hamonic who remains unvaccinated with the deadline to opt out of the season coming up on Friday. If that happens, he would come off the salary cap some of his $3MM AAV could be redirected towards Hughes and Pettersson although some would need to be earmarked to a replacement blueliner as well.
At the very least, it appears as if discussions are heading in the right direction. And until Hamonic’s situation is finalized on Friday, they may have to wait a little longer until they officially know how much they’ll have available to spend on their young stars.
Maple Leafs Agree To Two-Year Extension With Sheldon Keefe
Teams generally don’t like when their coaches are in the final year of their contracts and the Maple Leafs were set to be in that situation with Sheldon Keefe. However, that won’t be the case anymore as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Toronto has inked their bench boss to a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season.
The 41-year-old was promoted to Toronto’s head coaching role back in 2019 following the firing of Mike Babcock (whose contract runs through 2022-23) but hasn’t yet had a full 82-game season with the Maple Leafs and is in the middle of his first regular training camp with the team.
Toronto has had plenty of regular season success with Keefe at the helm with the team posting a .660 point percentage with young stars like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner immediately seeing their ice time and production improve. However, that hasn’t materialized into playoff success as they were upset in the bubble in 2020 by Columbus in the play-in series and last spring by Montreal in the opening round of the postseason.
Accordingly, this short-term pact makes sense from Toronto’s perspective. With Keefe barely having 100 games under his belt behind the bench plus their early ousters, he wasn’t in a position to command a lucrative long-term deal but their regular season success has shown enough to suggest he’s worth keeping around. This contract is a commitment from GM Kyle Dubas to stick with the process – one Dubas made this summer by not significantly shaking up the core – but is short enough that it shouldn’t be an impediment if it’s decided that a change has to be made.
Five Key Stories: 9/20/21 – 9/26/21
The start of training camp often brings about a small flurry of transactions and this time was no exception as several notable moves highlight the top stories of the week.
Goalie Extensions: With Columbus set to have both Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo entering the final year of their contracts before being eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, it felt like only a matter of time before one of them was extended. That’s what happened as Merzlikins inked a five-year, $27MM extension, his $5.4MM AAV representing a small raise on his current $4MM deal. Merzlikins has played in just 61 career regular season games but he has played well for the Blue Jackets over his two NHL campaigns. With his deal now done, Korpisalo is likely to be involved in plenty of trade speculation over the next few months unless he’s able to agree to a new deal of his own as well.
Meanwhile, the Kings also signed netminder Cal Petersen to a three-year, $15MM extension, ensuring he’ll be sticking around beyond the upcoming year. The 26-year-old has just 54 career appearances in the NHL, the bulk of which came last season. It’s a high price tag for someone that isn’t all that proven but with Jonathan Quick now 35 and not a true starter anymore, this move allows Los Angeles to keep their goalie tandem intact a little longer while being short enough to not cripple their cap situation if they have to go in a different direction later on.
Calling It A Career: Veteran center Travis Zajac has decided to retire but wanted to do so as a member of the Devils. He did just that, signing a one-day contract before officially hanging up his skates. Zajac played in over 1,000 games with New Jersey over his 15-year career with his only time away from them coming near the 2021 trade deadline when he was moved to the Islanders to help in their playoff run. Overall, he sits third in Devils history in games played and points while making more than $60MM in career earnings.
Kaprizov Signs: It took a lot longer than the Wild had hoped for but they eventually were able to sign top winger Kirill Kaprizov to a five-year, $45MM contract. It’s a significant sum for someone with just one NHL season under his belt – a pandemic-shortened one at that. However, Minnesota is clearly banking on the hope that the 24-year-old, who led the team in scoring last season, still has some room to improve and that he’ll be the focal point of their attack for the next five seasons. Kaprizov received a full no-move clause in the final two seasons of the deal; those were the only ones he was eligible to receive trade protection for as those were the UFA-eligible years.
Two Months For Malkin: When Penguins center Evgeni Malkin underwent knee surgery this summer, there was no firm timeline for his return, only an indication that an update would be coming at training camp. That update has arrived and the news isn’t great for Pittsburgh as it was revealed that Malkin will miss the first two months of the season as he continues his recovery. This comes on the heels of Sidney Crosby having wrist surgery that will see him missing some time to start the season as well. The Penguins will turn to veteran Jeff Carter in the top center role for the time being.
Bridge For Dahlin: While the Sabres weren’t able to sign Rasmus Dahlin to a long-term contract, they did manage to get a bridge deal in place, signing the 2018 top pick to a three-year, $18MM pact. Dahlin struggled considerably last season which certainly didn’t help his bargaining power in negotiations but over his first three NHL campaigns, he has shown flashes of a strong offensive game. The term of the deal means that the 21-year-old will be a restricted free agent at its expiration, giving the two sides another shot at working out a long-term agreement. His qualifying offer at that time will be $7.2MM.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Injury Notes: Varlamov, Allison, Scott, Jarvis
The start of training camps usually results in a fairly long list of injuries as teams are extra cautious with their players early on. Not surprisingly, this is the case once again this season. Here’s a rundown of some of the recent injury news around the league:
- Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov hasn’t skated yet in training camp due to an undisclosed injury, relays Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran is expected to split starts with Ilya Sorokin this season but there is no timetable for when he’ll be able to hit the ice.
- Earlier this week, the Flyers announced several injuries including one for winger Wade Allison and he was ruled out for the start of the season. It appears as if he’ll be out considerably longer than that as Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the high-ankle sprain is believed to be quite serious and that it could be months before he was able to return. The 23-year-old had four goals and three assists in 14 games with Philadelphia last season – his first NHL action – and looked to be a candidate to push for a regular spot in training camp. Now it appears that it’ll be a while before he gets that next opportunity.
- Maple Leafs goalie prospect Ian Scott suffered a groin injury early in the third period in Saturday’s victory over Montreal, notes TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). He had hip surgery two years ago and while he’s in the third and final year of his entry-level contract, Scott has played in just seven career professional contests. Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that the netminder is expected to miss some time.
- Hurricanes winger prospect Seth Jarvis is day-to-day with a tweak, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal. The 19-year-old had 11 points in nine games with AHL Chicago and 27 more in 24 contests with WHL Portland last season and has a legitimate chance to break camp with the big club. If that doesn’t happen, he will have to return to the junior level.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators
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 2021-22 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.
Ottawa Senators
Current Cap Hit: $59,048,333 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit and minimum cap threshold)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Erik Brannstrom (one year, $863K)
F Alex Formenton (one year, $748K)
F Joshua Norris (one year, $925K)
F Shane Pinto (two years, $925K)
F Tim Stutzle (two years, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Brannstrom: $450K
Formenton: $107.5K
Norris: $850K
Pinto: $600K
Stutzle: $2.5MM
Total: $4.508MM
Norris is going to be the next big contract on the horizon for the Senators. He was one of the top rookies in the league last season and should spend all of the upcoming season in a top-six role at the very least. Impact centers get paid quickly and if they move to sign him to a long-term deal, he could jump into the $7MM range assuming he has a strong sophomore season. Stutzle, another long-term building block, had some ups and downs in his rookie campaign but the high-end potential is certainly there. If he progresses as expected, he could also be looking at a similar price tag on his next deal. Pinto certainly didn’t look out of place late in the season and should see extended NHL action this year. How he fares in that should determine if he’s heading for a long-term deal of his own or something shorter. As for Formenton, the speedster split last season between Ottawa and AHL Belleville. He should be able to lock down more of a regular spot in 2021-22 but is likely heading for a short-term second contract.
Brannstrom was the centerpiece of the Mark Stone trade back in 2019 although he hasn’t yet been able to lock down a full-time NHL role let alone show signs of the offensive upside he has displayed in the minors. He should push for a regular spot this season but he’s also waiver-exempt which could make him the odd one out in training camp. In either scenario, a bridge deal makes more sense for him. Considering the bigger contracts they have on the horizon for Norris and Stutzle, they’ll need some shorter-term deals to balance those out anyway.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Josh Brown ($1.2MM, UFA)
G Anton Forsberg ($900K, UFA)
D Nick Holden ($1.7MM, UFA)
D Victor Mete ($1.2MM, RFA)
F Nick Paul ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Zach Sanford ($2MM, UFA)
F Chris Tierney ($3.5MM, UFA)
Tierney has been in trade speculation dating back to last season and that won’t change anytime soon as he’s unlikely to be in Ottawa’s long-term plans. He’s a serviceable middle-six center who is probably better off on the third line but players like that have landed similar contracts to the one he has recently. A big raise is unlikely but neither is a big dip this summer. Sanford, acquired in the Logan Brown trade, has been a capable bottom-six winger but unless he has an uptick in production with his new team, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to get much more than his current price tag on the open market. Paul hasn’t been able to make the most of his increased playing time the last couple of years but as a physical player that can play both the wing and down the middle, he’s someone that’s probably going to garner a fair bit of interest which could push his next AAV past the $2MM range.
Holden was acquired as a salary offset in the Evgenii Dadonov trade this summer and is likely to have a similarly limited role with the Senators as he did with the Golden Knights. Barring a surprisingly strong season, he’s someone that is more of a candidate to land a PTO than a raise. Brown also is expected to play a depth role which doesn’t bode well for his first chance in unrestricted free agency. That said, he’ll only be 28 next summer so he should be able to land a guaranteed deal but at this point, it probably won’t be more than this one. Mete impressed after coming over from Montreal on waivers and will be looking to earn a top-four role for the first time since his rookie season. That will determine if he can potentially double his AAV in that situation or whether he’ll be a non-tender candidate with him having arbitration eligibility again.
Forsberg was claimed off waivers three times last season but held his own when called upon down the stretch with Ottawa, earning this new deal. If he can establish himself as a quality backup, he could double his price tag or more but having been more of a third-stringer in his career, the likelier scenario is that he winds up in a similar spot next season which would come with a bit of a dip in pay.
Two Years Remaining
F Connor Brown ($3.6MM, UFA)
D Michael Del Zotto ($2MM, UFA)
F Austin Watson ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Artem Zub ($2.5MM, UFA)
Brown’s offensive output has increased with Ottawa as he has been used in a bigger role than he was with Toronto but it hasn’t come at the expense of his defensive play. All of a sudden, he has become a strong two-way player. His ice time may dip as younger players move up the depth chart but for the time being, his deal is a nice bargain and the longer he plays at that level, the more expensive he’s going to be two summers from now. Watson makes perhaps a bit much for someone that’s primarily on the fourth line but it certainly isn’t a big overpayment and with the cap space they have, it’s one that they can certainly afford. It’s hard to see him getting more on his next deal, however.
Zub had to wait a bit to get into the lineup but when he did, he quickly became an important part of their back end which earned him this two-year extension. Given that he only has 47 career NHL games under his belt, pegging his value on his next contract will be tough; it’ll go up if he can stay in the top four but if he winds up settling in as more of a third-pairing option, he might be in tough to land a raise. Del Zotto’s contract came as a surprise to many for someone that has had to settle for discount deals the last two seasons but the Sens believe he can be a capable veteran to hold down a spot while their prospects develop. He’ll be 33 when his next deal gets signed and it’s hard to imagine he’ll get more than this.
Three Years Remaining
G Matt Murray ($6.25MM, UFA)
When Ottawa acquired Murray early on the second day of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, they were hoping that they found not only their goalie of the present but also potentially their goalie of the future. But things didn’t go swimmingly for him as he followed up the lowest save percentage of his career with an even lower one in his first year with Ottawa. Yes, the Senators weren’t a great team but his struggles certainly contributed to that. In terms of AAV, only five goalies have a higher one than Murray but so far, he hasn’t provided an adequate level of goaltending let alone a high-end showing for someone making more than most starters do.
Blues Agree On Five-Year Extension With GM Doug Armstrong
5:15pm: St. Louis has officially announced a five-year extension for Armstrong. The extended term begins at the end of the current season and will see Armstrong become the longest-tenured GM for St. Louis. A member of the Blues since 2008 and the top executive since 2010, Armstrong is carving out a special place for himself in the history of the franchise.
2pm: The Blues have called a press conference for 5:00 PM CT today for what they’re describing as a “major announcement”. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic and ESPN’s Kevin Weekes report (Twitter links) that the announcement will be a multi-year contract extension for general manager Doug Armstrong.
Armstrong has been working in an NHL front office for close to three decades now after starting out with Minnesota as their assistant back in 1992-93 before the franchise moved to Dallas. He stayed with them until being let go partway through the 2007-08 season but caught on with the Blues soon after, starting as their Director of Player Personnel in 2008-09 and being promoted to GM two years later, a role he has held ever since, making him the fifth-longest-tenured GM in the league at the moment.
Armstrong has brought in several core players to the Blues in recent years including centers Ryan O’Reilly and Brayden Schenn plus defenseman Justin Faulk through trades while inking blueliner Torey Krug and winger Brandon Saad over the last two offseasons in free agency. St. Louis has made the playoffs in all but two seasons with Armstrong at the helm with their best performance coming in 2019.
Rutherford notes that Armstrong was signed through this season with an option for the 2022-23 campaign. It appears that option will be exercised with more years tacked on or torn up entirely as part of this new agreement.
West Notes: Hertl, Wild, Turris, Delia
While Sharks center Tomas Hertl is a highly-speculated candidate to be traded this season, San Jose GM Doug Wilson has other plans. Speaking with reporters including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, Wilson indicated that extension talks are well underway:
I’ve had several conversations with his agent. And when you have conversations with agents, they’re always kept in confidence. The rhythm of the negotiation, the time and place of it. Tomas knows how we feel about him.
However, as Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News points out, the Sharks may not be able to afford to carry another long-term deal on their books with over $48MM tied up in just seven players for 2023-24 and a salary cap that’s not expected to go up much in the next few years. Hertl has said he’s open to the idea of taking a bit less to stay in a winning environment but San Jose will have to quickly turn things around to have a chance at him signing a slightly lower deal.
More from the Western Conference:
- The Wild announced that they have named defenseman Matt Dumba and winger Marcus Foligno as alternate captains. They take the place of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise who were both bought out this summer. Dumba, who had been in trade speculation for the past couple of years before Suter’s departure, is heading into his ninth NHL season, all with Minnesota while Foligno is entering his 11th NHL campaign and fifth with the Wild.
- With Edmonton adding Derek Ryan this summer as their presumptive third center plus Ryan McLeod being a strong candidate to make the roster, the Oilers have shifted long-time middleman Kyle Turris to the right wing, notes Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. Last season was a tough one for Turris who started as the third center and finished as a frequent healthy scratch while spending time on the taxi squad. He’s entering the final year of his deal with a $1.65MM AAV. Nearly 70% of that could come off Edmonton’s cap if he’s waived and sent to the minors so he’ll need a strong camp to make the team and not be eyed as a possible avenue to free up some wiggle room on the cap.
- The Blackhawks announced that goaltender Collin Delia was not available to practice with the team today due to a non-COVID-19-related illness. The 27-year-old got into six games with Chicago last season but will likely be on the outside looking in at a roster spot for this season following the acquisition of Marc-Andre Fleury and the return of Kevin Lankinen.
Maple Leafs Sign William Villeneuve
The Maple Leafs have signed one of their prospects, announcing that they’ve inked defenseman William Villeneuve to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 19-year-old was drafted back in 2020 following an impressive QMJHL season with Saint John that saw him lead all blueliners in scoring with 58 points in 64 games. However, despite that strong showing, Villeneuve had to wait a while for his name to be called as he was a fourth-round pick (122nd overall) that year. Last season, he suited up in 33 regular season games with the Sea Dogs, collecting 20 points while adding six more in as many postseason contests before joining the AHLs Marlies for two games down the stretch.
Villeneuve is expected to soon be loaned back to Saint John for their upcoming season which will be a long one as they are hosting the Memorial Cup which will take place in early June. Unless he plays in more than 10 games with Toronto this season, his contract will slide for 2021-22 and still have three years left on it in 2022-23.
Blues Acquire Logan Brown
Logan Brown‘s desire for a fresh start is well-known and he has gotten his wish. The Senators have sent the center along with a conditional fourth-round pick in 2022 to St. Louis in exchange for winger Zach Sanford. The draft pick will not transfer if Brown plays in 30 regular season games with the Blues this season. Both teams have confirmed the deal.
Brown was a first-round pick of Ottawa (11th overall) in 2016 but despite showing flashes of upside in the minors, he has yet to establish himself in the NHL. He had nine points in 13 AHL contests with Belleville last season but only got into one game with the Senators in 2020-21 and has just 30 career NHL appearances over his three professional campaigns. The 23-year-old recently re-signed a one-year, two-way contract worth the league minimum of $750K and will be a restricted free agent against next summer.
As for Sanford, he has been a capable depth scorer for the Blues over the last few seasons, notching at least eight goals in each of his three full seasons in St. Louis. Injuries to other forwards allowed him to play a bigger role in 2020-21 as he logged nearly 15 minutes per game in ice time (a career high) while collecting ten goals and six assists in 52 contests. The 26-year-old is in the final year of his contract that carries a $2MM AAV and Sanford will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The key to the trade from St. Louis’ perspective is the cap space. The move allows them to get back into salary cap compliance as they were projected to be over the $81.5MM Upper Limit before the swap. If Brown pans out, he will be a cheap roster piece for the Blues and if he can’t crack the roster, they’ll get the fourth-rounder for Sanford’s services. As for the Sens, Sanford should be a nice addition to their bottom six forward group. As they look to get back into the playoff picture this season, he’ll be a useful veteran on a young team and if they’re out of the mix by the trade deadline, Sanford is someone that could be flipped to a playoff contender.
Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch was the first to report that the two teams were finalizing a trade for Brown.