Red Wings Re-Sign Tyler Bertuzzi
The Red Wings have taken care of one of their top restricted free agents, announcing that they’ve signed winger Tyler Bertuzzi to a two-year contract. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal carries a $4.75MM AAV and will pay him $4.25MM next season and $5.25MM in 2022-23.
The 26-year-old was limited to just nine games last season due to a back injury that required surgery at the end of April. Bertuzzi was still productive in his short stint, however, as he still notched five goals and two assists in those contests. Prior to 2020-21, he had two straight seasons of 21 goals and had established himself as an important part of their top line.
Despite the limited action, Bertuzzi still landed a nice raise on the $3.5MM salary he made last season. Part of the reason for that is that the contract buys out his first year of UFA eligibility while also covering his final year of arbitration eligibility. It’s a deal that doesn’t carry much risk for either side as it’s a short-term commitment for Detroit while allowing Bertuzzi a couple of seasons to show he can stay healthy and that the back injury is behind him before entering the UFA market at the age of 28.
GM Steve Yzerman still has plenty of work to do with his restricted free agents as defenseman Filip Hronek plus wingers Adam Erne and Jakub Vrana are still in need of new contracts. Hronek isn’t arbitration-eligible but has been a consistent point producer over his three NHL seasons, Erne is coming off a career-high in goals with 11, and Vrana made an immediate impact after being acquired at the trade deadline and will be eligible for arbitration for the first time after scoring 68 goals over the past three seasons.
Jack Eichel’s Agents: “The Process Is Not Working”
For months now, there has been an expectation that the Sabres and Jack Eichel would be parting ways. The center was shut down in early March due to neck issues with the two sides disagreeing on the best course of action. Eichel’s camp wanted an artificial disk replacement which is something that hasn’t been done on an NHL player, a request Buffalo’s doctors balked at. Instead, they recommended a 12-week conservative treatment. That has come and gone and the issue hasn’t gone away.
There hasn’t been any progress made in terms of a new plan to fix the problem while Eichel remains with the Sabres. Late Friday, his agents Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli released the following statement to various reporters and outlets including Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News:
The process is not working. As previously stated, we fully anticipated a trade by the start of the NHL free agency period. After the agreed upon and prescribed period for conservative rehabilitation lapsed in early June 2021, it was determined by the Sabres medical staff that a surgical procedure was required. The recommendation by Jack’s independent neurosurgeon, other spine specialists consulted, and the surgery Jack feels most comfortable having in order to correct a herniated disk in his neck is to proceed with artificial disk replacement surgery. A further point of concern is that our camp was initially under the impression that the Sabres specialist was in agreement with the artificial disk replacement surgery until that was no longer the case.
What is being left out of the discussion is that Jack would be able to play in the NHL for the start of the season pending medical clearance if he were allowed to have the surgery he desires even as of this date. Repeated requests have been made to the Sabres since early June to no avail. This process is stopping Jack from playing in the NHL and it is not working.
While this was clearly done to try to expedite the trade process along, the claim that Buffalo’s staff is in agreement that surgery is needed is also noteworthy even if there remains a disagreement on what that procedure needs to be. While Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is right to put a high price tag on his franchise forward, the fact that surgery is needed should, in theory, help to get a move done as if the process continues to drag out, he could miss time next season which is a scenario that’s not ideal for any side.
For his part, Adams has been firm in his assertion that they’re in any rush to get things done, telling reporters that in a press conference on the opening day of free agency (video link):
I think what’s critically important to make sure is clear is that we’re in control of this process, we have a player under contract, we don’t feel any pressure. If there’s a deal out there that we feel is the right thing for the Buffalo Sabres, that we feel is going to help us improve, whether that’s improve right away or improve down the road – those are all the things we weigh – we’d be open to it.
Eichel has five years remaining on his contract with a $10MM AAV but the perceived pressure point was next summer when his no-move clause kicks in. However, this disagreement over how to deal with his neck injury has seemingly escalated that timeline. At this point, it feels like only a matter of when a deal gets done and for Eichel’s agents at least, they believe the wait has already been too long.
Maple Leafs Sign Nick Ritchie
For the second straight day, the Maple Leafs have added a former Bruin winger to their team, announcing the signing of Nick Ritchie to a two-year contract. The deal will carry a cap hit of $2.5MM.
The 25-year-old was the tenth-overall pick back in 2014 with Anaheim hoping he’d become an impact power forward but that didn’t really happen; while he brought plenty of physicality, his offensive production was hot and cold. That made him expendable and in 2020, Ritchie was flipped to Boston in exchange for Danton Heinen with the hopes that the Bruins could help unlock that offensive consistency.
To his credit, Ritchie did manage a career-high 15 goals last season despite the shortened schedule while chipping in with four points in 11 playoff contests but the Bruins opted to not tender him a $2MM qualifying offer earlier this week which made him an unrestricted free agent; Heinen suffered the same fate with Anaheim. Ritchie did pretty well on the open market, landing more than that offer would have been for from Toronto while getting a second year.
With the Maple Leafs, Ritchie should have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the top six with both Zach Hyman and Nick Foligno moving on in free agency. He’s someone that both head coach Sheldon Keefe and GM Kyle Dubas are somewhat familiar with from their days with OHL Sault Ste. Marie as Ritchie spent a partial season there to wrap up his major junior career.
This may very well be it for signings from the Maple Leafs; CapFriendly now has Toronto at roughly $1.4MM over the $81.5MM Upper Limit of the salary cap. However, that’s with a projected full 23-man roster and as we saw last season, they’re likely to carry closer to the minimum of 20 skaters. Even after removing some potentially AHL-bound players (pending waivers), they’ll still basically be in a spot where they will be just about at the cap ceiling so any other moves to add to their roster from here on out will require offsetting money.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the signing.
Kings, Andreas Athanasiou Sign One-Year Deal
July 29: The Kings have officially announced the contract for Athanasiou, which will be for one year and $2.7MM. The contract will take him to unrestricted free agency next summer.
July 28: Since he wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer by Edmonton last fall over fears of what an arbitration award would look like, Andreas Athanasiou was a player that wasn’t a guarantee to receive one from the Kings earlier this week. He ultimately did and now TSN’s Darren Dreger reported (Twitter link) that the two sides were close to finalizing a new one-year deal. David Pagnotta reported that it’s a one-year contract worth $2.7MM.
The 26-year-old had to settle for a one-year, $1.2MM contract with Los Angeles in late December after longer-term offers failed to materialize in unrestricted free agency. The investment proved to be a wise one for the Kings as Athanasiou finished tied for sixth in team scoring with 10 goals and 13 assists in 47 games; getting someone averaging close to half a point per game at that price tag is a pretty good bargain.
Athanasiou is still only two years removed from a 30-goal season with Detroit, a stat that certainly would have come up had his case gone to salary arbitration. Accordingly, it’s fair to expect that this new deal will take that into account and that the price tag on this one will be a bit higher than what he made last season. This contract will take Athanasiou to UFA eligibility next summer so if he’s looking to establish himself as a more viable option than he was last fall, he’ll need a big season in his second year with Los Angeles.
Panthers Sign Maxim Mamin
The Panthers have brought forward Maxim Mamin back to North America as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that Florida is close to signing the 26-year-old to a one-year contract with an AAV below $1MM. The team later made it official, announcing they’ve signed Mamin to a one-year deal worth $975,000.
Mamin was a sixth-round pick of Florida (175th overall) back in 2016 and signed his entry-level deal a year later, leaving CSKA Moscow of the KHL to do so. He played in 33 NHL games with the Panthers during that stretch but opted to go back to CSKA once it was finished where he spent the last three seasons.
Mamin is coming off a strong season back home, one that saw him notch 15 goals and 20 assists in 55 games, both career highs while chipping in with a dozen points in 22 playoff contests. That is enough for GM Bill Zito to want to bring him back to Florida to give him a chance at earning a regular spot in the lineup. It’s a low-risk move for both sides as a contract at this price tag won’t have a significant effect on their cap situation while allowing Mamin to test unrestricted free agency a year from now.
Panthers Agree To Terms With Brandon Montour
Florida added Brandon Montour back at the trade deadline and it appears they liked what they saw from the defenseman. Former NHLer Shane O’Brien of the Missin Curfew podcast was the first to report (Twitter link) that the Panthers have re-signed the blueliner; Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli adds (Twitter link) that the deal will carry a $3.5MM AAV. CapFriendly reports that the structure of the deal is as follows:
2021-22: $750,000 salary + $1.75MM SB
2022-23: $750,000 salary + $3.5MM SB
2023-24: $775,000 salary + $4.475MM SB
Two years ago, the 27-year-old looked like he was going to be a core NHL defender to the point where Buffalo traded a first-round pick to get him. However, he struggled at times during his tenure with the Sabres who had given consideration to non-tendering him back in the fall. They ultimately did reach a new deal with him (one that actually paid $350K more than this contract) and flipped him to the Panthers for a third-rounder in April.
Between the two teams, Montour managed seven goals and 11 assists in 50 games during the regular season while averaging a little over 20 minutes per game. His role was a little shorter in the playoffs, however, as he logged 17:06 per night while being held off the scoresheet in their six-game opening-round loss to Tampa Bay.
Nevertheless, Montour still lands a nice contract, one that was made possible with yesterday’s trade of Anton Stralman to Arizona for cap relief. He should slot in on Florida’s second pairing behind Aaron Ekblad who will be ready to return next season after missing the end of the year plus the playoffs with a leg injury. Florida now has a little over $10MM in cap space, per CapFriendly, with a big chunk of that slated to be earmarked for Sam Reinhart who was acquired at the draft.
Panthers, Carter Verhaeghe Sign Contract Extension
12:35pm: The three-year contract has been officially announced by the team. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $4.167MM. GM Bill Zito released a short statement on the deal:
Carter emerged as one of the best possession forwards in hockey last season, elevating his game to fill an important role on our team. His effort, speed and creativity are infectious on and off the ice.
6:45am: Carter Verhaeghe‘s first season with the Panthers was a successful one and he’s about to be rewarded for his efforts. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the two sides are closing in on a three-year extension worth a little over $4MM per season.
The 25-year-old signed with Florida back in the fall after playing a limited role with Tampa Bay in his first NHL season. As a result, the Panthers were able to sign Verhaeghe for $1MM per year on a two-year contract. That deal has certainly turned into quite the bargain since then.
Last season, Verhaeghe got an opportunity to play in the top six and made the most of it as he very quietly finished third on the team in goals (18) and points (36) despite not seeing a lot of time on Florida’s top power play unit. He also logged 17:44 per game, a number that jumped slightly higher in the playoffs during their first-round loss to Tampa Bay. All that for a price tag of $1MM made him one of the better bargains in the league last season.
They’ll get to benefit from that low price tag for next year as well before that deal kicks in. This reported new contract will buy out the remaining two years of arbitration rights and his first season of UFA eligibility. It almost works like a bridge deal as this price tag could still wind up being below market if Verhaeghe can maintain this level of production over the life of the contract while allowing him to reach the open market in his prime earning years.
Golden Knights To Acquire Evgenii Dadonov
The Golden Knights freed up plenty of cap space yesterday with the trade of Marc-Andre Fleury to Chicago. A good chunk of that money will be used on winger Evgenii Dadonov as ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that Vegas is acquiring the veteran from the Senators in exchange for defenseman Nick Holden and a 2022 third-round draft pick. The Senators have confirmed the deal.
Dadonov, 32, was a surprising signing by the Senators last off-season, as the rebuilding club landed one of the top veteran forwards on the open market. The results were underwhelming, as Dadonov’s streak of three straight seasons of 25+ goals was snapped with just 13 tallies this year, a 19-goal full season pace. Dadonov was exposed by Ottawa in the Expansion Draft, but the Seattle Kraken opted to take affordable third-string goalie Joey Daccord instead. It seems that the team moved forward in their efforts to move on from Dadonov and have found a trade partner in the suddenly-flexible Golden Knights.
Vegas has now used up much of their cap space though, adding Dadonov’s $5MM AAV without any retention from the Senators and only shipping out veteran defenseman Nick Holden, who spent much of last season buried in the AHL at a minimal cap hit. In need of a backup goalie, depth on defense, and a new contract for RFA center Nolan Patrick, the Knights currently have just over $2.5MM in cap space. Nevertheless, Dadonov does address the team’s need for more offense and should shine on the veteran roster.
Ottawa meanwhile lands a solid veteran defenseman in Holden to help develop their young blue line as well as a valuable draft pick. They make good use of a contract that they no longer wanted on the books, especially without having to eat any salary.
Hurricanes Expected To Sign Antti Raanta
It appears it will be a new goaltending tandem in Carolina this season. Already linked to Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes are also set to sign veteran Antti Raanta, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link). Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the two-year contract will be worth $2MM per season.
Raanta has spent the past four seasons with Arizona in somewhat of a roller coaster ride. At times, he has played well enough to be a legitimate starting goalie while at others, he has struggled considerably. In between, he has had frequent stints on injured reserve, including last season, where he was only able to play in a dozen games where he posted a 3.36 GAA with a .905 SV%, numbers that were much worse than his career averages.
Still, Raanta’s track record is strong enough to make him a viable buy-low candidate for Carolina. His career .919 SV% is well above-average and if he can come somewhat close to that, he will provide solid value for the Hurricanes. However, with both Raanta and Andersen having some injury trouble last year, it’s also a risk for GM Don Waddell; accordingly, he would be wise to look for a veteran third-stringer with all of their AHL goaltenders being 23 or younger with no NHL experience.
Meanwhile, Arizona may need to add a goalie of their own. Adin Hill was moved to San Jose to avoid losing him in expansion so there is no proven option behind starter Darcy Kuemper. Ivan Prosvetov and Josef Korenar are among the internal options they have but a more proven backup would give them some insurance, especially with Kuemper being limited to just 27 games last season and the fact he’s about to enter the final year of his contract.
Stars Nearing Contract With Ryan Suter
It appears that Ryan Suter has found his next team as ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that the Stars are closing in on a multi-year contract with the veteran. TSN’s Darren Dreger clarifies (via Twitter) that it will be a four-year deal with an AAV around the mid-$3MM range; Sportsnet’s Eric Engels pegs the specific price tag (Twitter link) at $3.625MM.
The 36-year-old was bought out of the final four years of his contract by Minnesota earlier this month and will be paid $833K over the next eight years not to play for them. As a result of the buyout, he was free to openly negotiate with teams over the past few days although no agreement could be made official until the opening of the free agent period. And with the structure of his original deal being heavily front-loaded, he will wind up making more money than he would have by sticking with the Wild which isn’t typically the case for players that get bought out.
In his prime, Suter was a legitimate number one defenseman but he has slowed down over the past couple of seasons. His offensive output dipped from 48 points to just 19 last season while his average ice time dropped by nearly two and a half minutes per game to 22:11 per game. Having said that, that type of production and ice time is still worthy of a top-four spot on the back end for many teams. It’s an ideal landing spot for Suter in that sense as Miro Heiskanen is locked into the top-pairing spot on the left side which allows Suter to slot comfortably onto that second pairing alongside one of Esa Lindell or John Klingberg.
Dallas had less than $6MM in cap room heading into the day, per CapFriendly, with Joel Kiviranta needing a new deal as a restricted free agent. Accordingly, unless they can free up some money in a trade, this may be their only big move of the day.