Several College Prospects Become Free Agents
The middle of August is usually not a significant one on the prospect front but each year, some college prospects who have exhausted their eligibility become unrestricted free agents starting August 16 if they don’t sign an entry-level contract. Here is this year’s list plus their original affiliation and where they’ve signed, if applicable:
F Kasper Kotkansalo (DET, 71st in 2017) – signed in Finland
D J.D. Greenway (TOR, 72nd in 2016) – AHL contract with Boston
D Matthew Cairns (EDM, 84th in 2016)
G Keith Petruzzelli (DET, 88th in 2017)
F Todd Burgess (OTT, 103rd in 2016) – AHL contract with Winnipeg
F Bryce Misley (MIN, 116th in 2017) – AHL contract with Minnesota
F Kale Howarth (CBJ, 148th in 2017)
F Aapeli Rasanen (EDM, 153rd in 2016) – signed in Finland
G Kris Oldham (TB, 153rd in 2015)
F Patrick Holway (DET, 170th in 2015)
G Garrett Metcalf (ANA, 179th in 2015)
D Croix Evingson (WPG, 211th in 2017)
D Matthew Hellickson (NJ, 214th in 2017)
If the list seems a little smaller than usual, there’s a reason for that. With the pandemic adding an extra year of eligibility, some players that would have been on this list have instead opted to go back to college for a fifth season and their rights will be retained longer as a result. In Petruzzelli’s case, he’s expected to be going back to college as well but was removed from Detroit’s reserve list along with the other players above.
Free Agent Profile: Derick Brassard
For the third straight year, veteran center Derick Brassard finds himself still looking for a contract well after the free agent market opened up. Not much has changed for him over that stretch and he remains a depth offensive option for teams to consider in the coming weeks.
Last season, the 33-year-old caught on with the Coyotes just as training camps were on the horizon, inking a one-year, $1MM contract. Brassard spent the majority of the campaign in a middle-six role, mostly on the third line but moving up to the second when needed. It’s basically the role he has held for the past few years and the results were pretty much the same.
Brassard’s per game output dipped a bit compared to his 2019-20 showing but still managed to pick up 20 points, putting him in a tie for the player with the most points still standing on the free agent market (Kyle Palmieri had more but is believed to have an agreement with the Islanders). He has even chipped in on the power play (seven goals over the last two years) and has won nearly 54% of his faceoffs over that stretch.
So why is he once again looking for a contract? Brassard’s defensive zone play has never been a strong point and while that was okay earlier in his career when he was putting up 40 or more points, teams aren’t as willing to give him playing time with him producing less. His own-zone performance isn’t going to suddenly improve so these year-to-year deals are likely what it’s going to continue to be for Brassard.
Stats
2020-21: 53 GP, 8-12-20, -10 rating, 12 PIMS, 67 shots, 50.0 CF%, 14:48 ATOI
Career: 905 GP, 194-309-503, -35 rating, 419 PIMS, 1,781 shots, 50.2 CF%, 16:05 ATOI
Potential Suitors
There are a couple of possible types of suitors for Brassard at this stage. The first is a team that is looking for a bit more depth down the middle and doesn’t want to pay up for someone like Tyler Bozak. The other is a team with some young centers that wants either an insurance policy or to bring him in to allow one of those pivots to spend more time in the minors.
In the first group, Seattle is down their top center for the first few months with Yanni Gourde out following shoulder surgery and while they signed Marcus Johansson who can fill in down the middle, Brassard, a natural center, could be a better fit. Montreal lost Phillip Danault with the only replacement down the middle being Cedric Paquette who spent most of last season as a winger. With an inexperienced group at center, Brassard could replace someone like Eric Staal who was acquired midseason from Buffalo. Minnesota still doesn’t have a particularly strong group at center, particularly when it comes to offensive upside and Brassard would give them another option without breaking the bank for the eventual Kirill Kaprizov contract.
The second group features teams that aren’t likely to make the playoffs. Columbus, where his career started after they made him the sixth-overall pick 15 years ago, is firmly in a rebuild and are banking on some unproven players making the jump. Brassard would be an insurance policy and with Max Domi out to start the year, he could have a lineup spot at the start. Anaheim has forced some of their younger players in when they haven’t been ready which hasn’t worked particularly from a development standpoint. Brassard’s presence could allow someone to spend more time with AHL San Diego. As for Ottawa, they’re believed to be sniffing around for a veteran forward and with Chris Tierney being in trade speculation dating back to last season and entering the final year of his deal, Brassard would be a low-cost option to carry in case they wind up moving Tierney at some point.
Projected Contract
Brassard has made our Top 50 UFA list in the past but didn’t this time around. He made $1MM last season and $1.2MM the year before. Another small dip at this stage is likely and a one-year deal for the veteran should check in somewhere around $900K. At a price tag that could be buried entirely in the minors, he’ll be a low-risk pickup for whoever winds up signing him in the coming weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Five Key Stories: 8/9/21 – 8/15/21
With the UFA market slowing down, the majority of the top news of the week came from the RFA side as players managed to avoid getting to an arbitration hearing.
Big Money For Goalies: Monday was a good day for goaltenders. First, Flyers netminder Carter Hart signed a three-year, $11.937MM contract, a payday that certainly reflected his performance over his first two years in the NHL over his struggles in 2020-21 that saw him post a 3.67 GAA with a .877 SV% in 27 games. Later that day, Rangers starter Igor Shesterkin landed a bigger deal, a record-breaking one even as his four-year, $22.6MM contract is the richest payday for a goalie coming off his first contract. Shesterkin has just 47 career NHL contests under his belt but has long been viewed as New York’s goalie of the future. With this deal, he’s certainly the goalie of the present as well. Shesterkin’s contract bought out two years of UFA eligibility while Hart will be RFA-eligible one final time in 2024.
Vrana Avoids Arbitration: Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana was the first to get to the point of actually having to make an arbitration submission but it never got to that point as he and the Red Wings were able to agree on a three-year, $15.75MM contract the day before the hearing was scheduled to occur. The 25-year-old was acquired from Washington at the trade deadline and had a strong finish to his year, picking up eight goals and three assists in 11 games which certainly didn’t hurt his negotiating position for this deal. The contract takes care of his two remaining RFA years plus one season of UFA eligibility.
Jets Re-Sign Two: There were questions about whether or not Winnipeg would be able to afford to re-sign both of their prominent restricted free agents and stay cap-compliant. They were able to accomplish that in the end, albeit barely. First, defenseman Neal Pionk inked a four-year, $23.5MM contract, buying out his final two RFA years plus two seasons of UFA eligibility. He nearly doubled his previous AAV in the process but deservedly so as he has put up 77 points in 125 games since joining the Jets two years ago. That meant that Andrew Copp had to settle for a one-year deal to keep his price tag as low as possible and he was able to do so at $3.64MM. If Winnipeg carries a 22-player roster instead of the maximum of 23, they should be able to stay under the cap.
Surgery For Matthews: Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews played through most of last season with a wrist injury, still managing to lead the league in goals with 41 in 52 games in spite of that. However, the rest and rehab approach wasn’t fixing the problem and after reporting some discomfort as he increased his off-ice training, it was decided that surgery was the best approach. Matthews has gone under the knife and will be out for at least the next six weeks. It’s still early enough in the summer that Matthews shouldn’t miss any regular season action (barring any setbacks) but it’s likely he will be very limited in training camp and the preseason.
Panthers Sign A Pair: The Panthers inked a pair of forwards, one in the prime of his career and the other not so much. First, they avoided arbitration with Sam Reinhart, inking their key summer acquisition to a three-year, $19.5MM contract, buying out two UFA-eligible years in the process. The 25-year-old has put up at least 40 points in each of his six full NHL seasons and has tallied between 22 and 25 goals in the last four campaigns. They then added some veteran depth with the signing of Joe Thornton to a one-year, $750K contract. The 42-year-old has seen his production dip sharply in recent years but he still managed 20 points in 44 games with Toronto last season though the bulk of that came early in the year. He’ll serve as a veteran mentor while giving them some extra depth in the bottom six.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Profile: Nikita Gusev
A few years ago, Nikita Gusev’s stock was at an all-time high. After his third straight dominant season in the KHL, Vegas (who acquired his rights from Tampa Bay in an expansion-related trade) was finally able to bring him over to North America by burning the only year of his entry-level deal without him playing a single game. Months later, they realized they wouldn’t be able to afford him and flipped him to New Jersey for second and third-round selections.
The Devils promptly handed him a two-year, $9MM contract, a sizable commitment for someone who had never played in the NHL before. Still, it seemed like a reasonable move as they had openings in their top six so he’d have a chance to be an impact player right away. His first season was pretty good with 44 points in 66 games and while there were some bumps along the way, that’s legitimate second-line production.
Things didn’t go as well last season, however. Gusev’s role lessened to the point where he was scratched at times and after he cleared waivers and no trade partner materialized, he accepted a contract termination and signed for less money with Florida to get an opportunity down the stretch. He did well with that, notching five points in 11 games but in the playoffs, he was scratched once again.
At 29, Gusev is certainly still young enough to play in the NHL for several more years and his first season with New Jersey showed that he has the ability to produce in the NHL. That makes him an intriguing option among those still looking for a place to play in 2021-22.
Stats
2020-21: 31 GP, 4-6-10, -12 rating, 2 PIMS, 72 shots, 57.9 CF%, 14:21 ATOI
Career: 97 GP, 17-37-54, -27 rating, 14 PIMS, 230 shots, 51.5 CF%, 14:35 ATOI
Potential Suitors
Gusev could go a few different ways here, changing the potentially interested teams in the process. If he’s looking to maximize money, the options will be limited. But if he’s open to a one-year deal around the $1MM mark (similar to what he did with Florida), he becomes a low-risk option for some cap-strapped teams that are looking to make an incremental gain offensively.
In the first scenario, Buffalo makes some sense as a fit. There would be an opportunity for Gusev to play an important role, potentially in their top six where he’d have a chance to put up a level of production closer to his first season. Detroit could use him although he’d be a little lower on the depth chart; the same could be said for Nashville who could certainly benefit from an influx of offense as could San Jose. In each of these scenarios, a one-year deal would also create the possibility of trying to move him at the trade deadline. It didn’t work for New Jersey last season but with a better showing and a cheaper contract, the odds of a trade happening would be better by the 2022 deadline.
If he’s willing to sign a cheaper contract, Colorado stands out as an appealing option. The Avs are typically a high-scoring team and Gusev would add some firepower to a forward group that lost Brandon Saad (free agency) and Joonas Donskoi (expansion) this summer. Philadelphia has a shot at deploying four lines with decent offensive upside and someone like Gusev would further push them in that direction.
Projected Contract
Gusev ranked 41st on our Top 50 UFA list with a projected one-year, $2MM contract. That type of contract could be on the table closer to training camp if he wants to sign with a rebuilding team but if he wants to play on a playoff-bound team, he may need to come in closer to half of that. At that price tag, he could wind up being quite a bargain.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Senators Notes: RFAs, Brannstrom, Strome
While many teams have been active in re-signing their restricted free agents, the Senators still have a lot of work to do on that front. They have a total of six RFAs in need of new deals, headlined by winger Brady Tkachuk. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that Ottawa has exchanged several different term and salary ideas with Tkachuk’s camp which suggests they’re not necessarily fixated on working out only a short-term or long-term deal. Matthew Tkachuk’s three-year, $21MM pact has long been speculated as a possible price tag for a bridge deal while one that buys out some UFA eligibility would be more expensive than that.
Another RFA still needing a new deal is center Logan Brown. Garrioch reports that GM Pierre Dorion is still trying to move the 23-year-old who was limited to just 14 games last season (only one of which was in Ottawa) due to injury. The 2016 first-rounder could certainly benefit from a change of scenery but Garrioch adds that the Sens are looking to make a hockey deal and not just give him away. In that context, it would appear as if they’re looking for a similar prospect that could benefit from a fresh start with another organization.
More from Garrioch’s column on the Sens:
- The team would like to add an impact forward still, likely a winger and with the free agent market pretty much bereft of those now once the Islanders make their expected signings official, Garrioch suggests that defenseman Erik Brannstrom could be dangled in trade talks. The 21-year-old was the centerpiece of the Mark Stone trade back in 2019 after being the 15th overall pick by Vegas two years earlier but has yet to really establish himself at the NHL level. Last season, he played in 30 games with Ottawa, recording two goals and 11 assists.
- The Senators are believed to be among the teams that have inquired about Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome. The 24-year-old has been a speculative trade candidate for the better part of a year now and is coming off a tough year that saw him put up 17 points in 40 games while spending time between center and the wing. Strome is young enough to still fit in as part of Ottawa’s core and his $3MM cap hit ($3.6MM salary) should keep the acquisition cost low.
Snapshots: NHLPA, Copp, Jagr
The NHLPA has strongly encouraged its players to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and warned of the potential for loss of pay for those who don’t do so, reports Michael Russo and Katie Strang of The Athletic (subscription link). The main scenario where this could happen is flying into Canada where border travel is facing heightened restrictions; commercial travelers will require proof of vaccination by the end of October and while NHL teams fly charter, they could be subjected to that same policy and not allowed into the country. In that situation, teams could have the ability to withhold salaries for the players not allowed in. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly noted that over 85% of NHL players have been fully vaccinated already so this wouldn’t necessarily affect many players but it’s a scenario the NHLPA wants to prepare its membership for.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Jets forward Andrew Copp acknowledged to reporters, including Postmedia’s Paul Friesen, that his preference was to sign a long-term deal. However, Winnipeg’s cap situation after some of their additions on the back end basically forced their hand and the two sides settled on a one-year, $3.64MM pact that will walk the 27-year-old to unrestricted free agency next summer. With roughly $63.5MM tied up in a dozen players for 2022-23 per CapFriendly (excluding Bryan Little’s LTIR-bound contract), a strong showing next season could result in Copp playing his way out of Winnipeg entirely.
- Veteran winger Jaromir Jagr will turn 50 late in the 2021-22 season and the future Hall of Famer will spend it playing with his hometown team in Kladno in the Czech Extraliga. The overwhelming majority of players hang up their skates by that age but in an interview with Pavel Barta of The Hockey News, the veteran indicated that he’s continuing to play out of obligation more than anything else. Jagr happens to be the owner of the team and is worried about a loss of sponsorship that could put the team in jeopardy if he decided to call it a career. While he isn’t the top scorer he once was, Jagr had a dozen points in 19 games last season to help lead Kladno back to the top level.
Islanders Sign Aatu Raty
The Islanders may be holding off on announcing most of their free agent contracts but they aren’t delaying signing their prospects as they announced the signing of Aatu Raty to a three-year, entry-level deal. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
The 18-year-old was once viewed as a top prospect for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft but his stock slipped throughout the season, allowing New York to grab him with the 51st overall selection. Raty spent the majority of last season with Karpat of the SM-liiga, notching three goals and three assists in 35 games while averaging 11:38 per contest. He was more productive against his age group as he picked up eight points in seven contests in Finland’s junior level.
Raty is under contract with Karpat for next season already and while the Isles could bring him over and give him a chance at making the NHL roster (he won’t be eligible for the AHL because of his existing contract) but the likelier scenario is that he remains in Finland and takes aim at a bigger role with Karpat. If that happens, his deal will slide and will have three years remaining on it next summer.
Flyers Sign Samu Tuomaala
The Flyers have signed one of their picks from the 2021 draft class, announcing that they’ve inked winger Samu Tuomaala to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 18-year-old was the 46th-overall pick last month and is the first player from Philadelphia’s draft class to sign. Tuomaala spent most of last season in Karpat’s junior league, notching 15 goals and 16 assists in 30 games although he did get into five games at the top level as well. He also boosted his draft stock with a strong showing at the Under-18s, leading Finland in scoring with five goals and six assists in seven games, good for a tie for fifth in tournament scoring.
Tuomaala is already signed in Finland for next season and since he wasn’t a first-round selection, Philadelphia will have to either keep him on their NHL roster or send him back. Where that will be remains to be seen as he could go to Karpat or to OHL Sudbury who drafted him in the CHL Import Draft. The loan is almost certain to happen in which case his entry-level deal will slide a year meaning that Tuomaala will still have three years left on his contract this time next year.
PHR Mailbag: Devils, Kraken, Bruins Centers, Standings, Kuznetsov, Predictions, Chinakhov
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag including New Jersey’s summer movement, Seattle’s possible opening night lineup, Boston’s center situation, picking playoff teams, Evgeny Kuznetsov’s future with Washington, player predictions, and inserting the most surprising pick from the 2020 draft into the 2021 draft. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back for it in last weekend’s mailbag.
SpeakOfTheDevil: Did the Devils do enough this offseason to actually end this rebuild? Do you see them doing anything else this offseason?
Just so it’s mentioned, not long after this question was asked, New Jersey went out and added Tomas Tatar which is another notable move. More on him shortly.
What’s the definition of ending the rebuild? If it’s making the playoffs, the answer is no. For me, this is the summer that starts the end of the rebuild. Dougie Hamilton instantly gives them the high-impact defenseman they’ve lacked for a long time. That’s a long-term building block in place that isn’t under the age of 23. Ryan Graves is an effective blueliner that’s young enough to be part of the long-term core if things go well. Tatar is a great fit for them; he’ll provide some veteran insulation for one of Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier and should raise the floor of that line. His defensive skills are also understated given how effective of a two-way line he was on with Montreal. He isn’t a long-term piece but he should elevate one of those two pivots which helps to end the rebuild. Jonathan Bernier is a good fit to be the veteran mentor for Mackenzie Blackwood in the role that Corey Crawford was supposed to fill last year. They won’t have elite goaltending but there shouldn’t be many off nights either.
I think they’re pretty much done this summer. They still want to keep plenty of lineup spots for their younger players to give them more time to develop, another sign that the rebuild isn’t done just yet. Once they can determine which ones will be part of the core and which are expendable, then it’ll be time for another round of veteran additions to further raise the floor. That will be the signal that the intention will shift from the future to the present.
YzerPlan19: What does the Kraken opening night roster look like? Do they make any surprise additions before then? Who is the next William Karlsson breakout candidate?
I wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t another move or two by the start of the season but I’m thinking more in terms of moving a surplus defenseman and maybe taking on an expensive expiring contract but it wouldn’t be a player that would have a big role. So with the roster as it currently stands, my attempt at an opening night lineup:
Jaden Schwartz – Alexander Wennberg – Jordan Eberle
Marcus Johansson – Jared McCann – Joonas Donskoi
Brandon Tanev – Calle Jarnkrok – Mason Appleton
Colin Blackwell – Morgan Geekie – Nathan Bastian
Yanni Gourde won’t be ready to start the year after recent shoulder surgery which creates a hole down the middle. It has been a few years since Jarnkrok played regularly down the middle but I like him on that ‘checking’ line more than someone like Johansson (who struggles at center) or Geekie (not yet ready for that role). I also expect Matthew Beniers to play in college next season.
Mark Giordano – Adam Larsson
Vince Dunn – Jamie Oleksiak
Carson Soucy – Jeremy Lauzon
Philipp Grubauer
Chris Driedger
In terms of a breakout candidate, McCann feels like the only one that fits. He has shown flashes of living up to his offensive upside in the past but a bigger and more consistent role could be the key to him showing that skill level more consistently.
sovietcanuckistanian: Not 100% surprised by Krejci uprooting for his home, but it does sting. My query is; as much as I’d love to see an internal candidate pick up his mantle or one of the signings made by the front office pan out in that regard… I’m not going to hold my breath. What/who are realistic options to now plug a rather large hole in the lineup? In the event of a trade, besides DeBrusk going the other way, who would also be prime pickings to be dealt – should a decent trade option present itself?
VonBrewski: Sweeney’s comments of “2nd line center by committee” are absolutely shocking to me. He let Krejci paint him into a corner. I appreciate what Krejci did for the club but doesn’t it seem that with Krejci’s timing and Sweeney not having a backup plan that they both screwed the Bruins? Sweeney does not impress me as a GM at all.
Let’s combine the Krejci questions together.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news here but I don’t see much in the way of viable options for a top-six center to take David Krejci’s position on the roster. There weren’t many in free agency and in terms of ones they can afford on the cap (in other words, not Jack Eichel or Evgeny Kuznetsov), pickings are pretty slim. They’ve been speculatively linked to Arizona’s Christian Dvorak which certainly makes sense. I just don’t think they have the pieces to make it work for the Coyotes. With the 25-year-old carrying a $4.45MM AAV for four more years, the asking price is going to be high. Speculatively, I’d expect something in the equivalent of two first-rounders – one pick and one prospect worth that. They’d want more than that to take on Jake DeBrusk coming off the year he had and his salary too. I think someone like Fabian Lysell would be a prospect that would fit one hole but with Boston being a team that’s expected to contend for a top-three seed, their projected 2022 first-rounder may be worse than what other teams are offering. Dvorak would be a great fit but I’m not sure a trade lines up. If Calgary winds up adding a center via trade, someone like Sean Monahan would make some sense as well although matching money would be a bit tougher.
Beyond that, I’m going to take Sweeney at his word and say it will be filled internally by committee. Charlie Coyle is going to get the first chance and is the logical choice. I think Nick Foligno will be an option at some point; he played down the middle frequently with Columbus when there were injuries. I really liked the Erik Haula signing; he works well as a third center but at times, he has played well enough to be in the top six. I’m not saying it won’t be an issue but as far as internal options go, they’re not particularly bad.
That’s not absolving GM Don Sweeney entirely, however. This is something that they haven’t really planned for well over the past few years other than the Coyle acquisition since he had played down the middle with Minnesota at times. But it’s not all his fault either. When you’re picking at the back of the first round (or not at all in the first round having traded picks for win-now help), this is what happens. There’s a reason that impact centers – even second-liners – are hard to come by. Alexander Wennberg just got $4.5MM per season less than a calendar year after Columbus bought him out. At best, he’s a second-liner. Impact centers are the hardest piece to acquire and for a long time, Boston had two of them. Yes, Sweeney failed in terms of not having a proven backup plan but that’s hardly a problem unique to the Bruins; many teams are or have been in the same situation.
As for Krejci, he earned the right to make the decision when he did and it sounds like he had at least informed Boston that he was leaning in that direction. I don’t think there’s much blame for him in this. And Sweeney certainly hasn’t closed the door on him returning at some point either although that’s easier said than done in terms of making it work on the salary cap.
mikedickinson: Major wave of free agency done… Give me your top eight in the East and top eight in the West after the additions and subtractions of players.
Subject to change as I don’t think all of the notable moves on the trade front are all done just yet, here’s a quick guess at the playoff teams as things stand (in no particular order).
Atlantic: Tampa Bay, Boston, Florida
Metropolitan: Carolina, Washington, NY Islanders
East Wild Cards: Toronto, Philadelphia
Central: Colorado, Winnipeg, St. Louis
Pacific: Vegas, Edmonton, Vancouver
West Wild Cards: Dallas, Chicago
2012orioles: Capitals have taken back the idea of trading Kuznetsov. Is this just a tactic to get a better return? Or will he truly be a Capital opening night?
I don’t think it’s a tactic. As much as there is some negativity surrounding Evgeny Kuznetsov, he’s still a legitimate top-six center and when he’s on, he’s still a top-liner. They can’t afford to give away that type of talent at a steep discount with an aging Nicklas Backstrom and Lars Eller (who is much better on the third line than the second) in the wings; Connor McMichael isn’t ready yet.
On the flip side, other teams aren’t going to want to pay top dollar with how last year went, especially with a $7.8MM price tag for four more years which looks like above-market value at this point. There’s definitely a market for Kuznetsov but it’s more a swap of big contracts in the hopes that the change of scenery gets them going. Is that the type of deal that they should really be doing? I don’t think so.
They’ve found a way to get cap compliant for next season so they’re not in a spot where they have to move him. If they don’t get fair value, they can simply hold on to him. I don’t think he’d fetch fair value in a trade so I don’t think this is a tactic by any stretch. I expect Kuznetsov will be in a Washington uniform for their opener.
Atlantic Notes: Campbell, Foligno, Walleye
Toronto goaltender Jack Campbell is now in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer but James Mirtle of The Athletic cautions (subscription link) that an extension at this point is unlikely. Despite taking over as the starter for the Maple Leafs down the stretch and in the playoffs, the 29-year-old still has less than 100 career NHL appearances under his belt (including the postseason) which makes finding the right price tag a little more difficult than usual. Instead, the smarter play for both sides may be to wait until closer to midseason to see if he’s able to beat out newcomer Petr Mrazek for the 1A role to get a better sense of whether his strong play late last season is a sign of things to come or not. Even if he doesn’t accomplish that, he’s still in line for a decent-sized raise on his current $1.65MM AAV.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Still with the Maple Leafs, they showed interest in re-signing winger Nick Foligno this summer but in a much more limited role than he wanted, notes Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. Toronto viewed Foligno as a veteran mentor with an emphasis on helping off the ice while the Bruins, who ultimately signed the 33-year-old, had a bigger role in mind for him. Foligno is coming off a quiet year with just 20 points in 49 games but had three straight years of more than 30 points before that and if he lands a top-six role, he could get back to that level of production.
- The Red Wings are keeping their ECHL affiliate with Toledo as the Walleye recently announced that they’ve extended their affiliation agreement for three more seasons. The two organizations have partnered up for the last 11 years with 19 players moving on from there to play in at least one NHL game. Ten of those saw action with Detroit at some point over the years including Petr Mrazek, Luke Glendening, and Nick Jensen.