Canucks Expected To Sign Jaroslav Halak And Brad Hunt
The Canucks appear to have found their replacement for Braden Holtby who will officially be bought out later today. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that Jaroslav Halak is expected to sign a one-year, $1.5MM deal with Vancouver; the contract will also contain $1.5MM in performance bonuses. Meanwhile, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal adds (via Twitter) that they will be signing defenseman Brad Hunt.
Halak had spent the past three seasons with Boston but had decided earlier this month that he’d be moving on. The 36-year-old suited up in 19 games with the Bruins last season, posting a 2.52 GAA with a .905 SV% but had been relegated to third-string status with Jeremy Swayman impressing down the stretch. He will be tasked with serving as a veteran mentor for Thatcher Demko but his track record is strong enough to push for playing time should Demko falter as well. The inclusion of bonuses in the deal will give Vancouver a bit more short-term flexibility as they could use the bonus cushion and ultimately defer some of the costs to next season.
As for Hunt, he has been a role player with the Wild for the past three seasons. He had an impressive campaign offensively in 2019-20 with eight goals and 11 assists in 59 games but he was limited to just a dozen appearances with Minnesota last season. The 32-year-old will likely have a similar role as he did with the Wild, serving as a reserve defender that can step in when injuries arise or when the power play needs a boost.
Maple Leafs Expected To Sign Petr Mrazek
With Frederik Andersen appearing to be headed to Carolina, it created an opening between the pipes for the Maple Leafs. It appears that vacancy will be filled by the goalie that Andersen is replacing with the Hurricanes as ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that Petr Mrazek is expected to sign a three-year deal with Toronto. TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (Twitter link) the deal will carry a $3.8MM AAV.
Mrazek, 29, has been a strong performer for the Hurricanes over the last three seasons, but certainly isn’t the model of consistency. His career is one of alternating good and bad years, and after posting a .923 in just 12 games, it’s not really clear what he’s bringing to Toronto. There’s no doubt he has the talent to play at a high level in the NHL, but his .910 career save percentage should be a bit concerning for a team that intends to contend in 2021-22.
That inconsistency is perhaps exactly why the Hurricanes are moving on from the netminder, but at least in Toronto he’ll have a capable partner to rely on. The Maple Leafs already have Jack Campbell in place for just $1.65MM, meaning they’ll be spending a combined 5.45MM on goaltending this season. That’s actually less than they have the last several seasons with Andersen and whoever was backing him up at the time and should figure to be a more reliable tandem than anything they had during that period.
Of course, that would be contingent on Campbell and Mrazek staying healthy, not something either has done recently. It’s been several years since Mrazek started more than 40 games in a season and Campbell has never even been a full-time starter, meaning if something goes wrong, the goaltending position could quickly become an issue once again for the Maple Leafs.
Sharks Expected To Sign Nick Bonino
It appears that the Sharks will be landing one of the top centers on the open market as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that San Jose is set to sign veteran Nick Bonino. The terms of the expected agreement were not disclosed.
It’s a return to California for the Connecticut-born Bonino, who played the first several seasons of his career with the Anaheim Ducks. One of the best defensive centers in the league, Bonino scored 26 points in 55 games in his one season with the Minnesota Wild. While that’s not going to be the top of any leaderboards, the 33-year-old can still be a valuable two-way piece for the middle of the lineup. Not only does he come with a long consistent resume, but he also won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins. One of those wins came over the Sharks, meaning the fans in San Jose will be very familiar with what Bonino can bring in the playoffs.
Make no mistake, that’s what the Sharks are trying to accomplish this season as they continue to pay a veteran core. They’ve switched out the struggling Martin Jones for a younger Adin Hill, but simply will live or die by the performance of their defense. Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic take up more than $26MM in cap space.
Still, adding Bonino certainly helps the team’s forward depth, which has been one of its weakest points over the last few seasons. Players like Rudolfs Balcers and Alexander Barkov have even sometimes jumped ahead of some of the more highly paid players that have been inconsistent. Bonino brings nothing but consistency to the ice, and hopefully will allow the team to build some stable lines moving forward.
Calgary Flames Acquire Nikita Zadorov
The Flames have added to their back end, acquiring defenseman Nikita Zadorov from Chicago in exchange for Toronto’s third-round pick in 2022 (previously acquired at the trade deadline for David Rittich).
Zadorov was one of the tough qualifying offer decisions that needed to be made earlier this week with Chicago believed to be fearing what an arbitration award could look like. They ultimately did tender the $3.2MM offer although they won’t be the one signing him to his next deal by the looks of it.
The 26-year-old was acquired from Colorado last offseason in the trade that saw Brandon Saad head to Colorado. He was his usual physical self, notching 190 hits in 55 games but recorded just a goal and seven assists while logging 19:12 per game. Zadorov, who stands 6’6, is someone whose size always intrigues teams but his playing style limits him to more of a depth role. Each time he becomes arbitration-eligible, that price tag has only gone up and it appears it is at the point where it’s too expensive for them to afford, especially with the recent acquisitions of Marc-Andre Fleury and Tyler Johnson.
Meanwhile, Calgary has a big hole to fill on their back end with veteran Mark Giordano and his $6.75MM price tag gone to Seattle in expansion. It’s possible that Zadorov will step into that vacated spot in the top four and will be able to do so at a lower price tag than Giordano so they will have some money to spend towards filling another need as well. He’s one year away from UFA eligibility so Calgary will need to work fairly quickly to get a new deal done with arbitration hearings only a few weeks away. As for the Blackhawks, they have been linked to Jake McCabe so it’s quite possible that Zadorov’s replacement will be signing within the next couple of hours.
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston was the first to report that Zadorov was going to Calgary. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the specific draft pick being included
Red Wings Re-Sign Sam Gagner And Calvin Pickard
The Red Wings are bringing back a pair of veterans, announcing (Twitter links) that they’ve re-signed Sam Gagner and Calvin Pickard to one-year contracts. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that Gagner’s deal is for $850K.
The 31-year-old Gagner was acquired by Detroit back at the 2019 trade deadline for salary matching purposes in the trade that brought Andreas Athanasiou to Edmonton. He did well enough in his brief stint with the Red Wings to earn a one-year deal last summer, albeit at a significant pay cut as he went from a $3.15MM AAV to just $850K in the process. He played in 42 games with Detroit last season, notching seven goals and eight assists and should once again fill a depth role.
As for Pickard, he spent most of the year on Detroit’s taxi squad as their third-string option. He wound up getting in just six games with the Red Wings, posting a 3.16 GAA with a .874 SV% while suiting up only three times with AHL Grand Rapids. He’ll be expected to play much more with the Griffins next season with Alex Nedeljkovic and Thomas Greiss comprising Detroit’s goaltending tandem with the 29-year-old Pickard serving as veteran depth once again.
Hurricanes Expected To Sign Frederik Andersen
After trading Alex Nedeljkovic to Detroit, the Hurricanes only had three pending unrestricted free agent goaltenders on their roster. They haven’t been able to sign any of them so they’ll be turning to the open market to find their new tandem. One of those is Frederik Andersen. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Andersen is receiving a two-year deal at $4.5MM per season.
Last season was a tough one for the 31-year-old as injuries and general ineffectiveness limited him to just 24 appearances with Toronto while posting a 2.95 GAA along with a .895 SV%, career worsts in both categories. However, before 2020-21, he had played in at least 52 games in four straight seasons, showing the ability to carry a number one workload. That makes him an intriguing bounce-back candidate and the Hurricanes have certainly had some success with underperforming veterans in recent years with both Petr Mrazek and James Reimer improving after being acquired.
While the start of Andersen’s career came in Anaheim, he was actually drafted by Carolina back in 2010 in the seventh round. However, he opted to re-enter the draft two years later and was selected 100 spots higher by the Ducks at 87th overall. While it took more than a decade, it appears that Andersen will now sign with the Hurricanes after all.
Oilers Nearing New Contract With Tyson Barrie
After Adam Larsson opted not to stay with Edmonton and instead signed with Seattle as their expansion pick, the Oilers quickly turned their focus towards retaining Tyson Barrie. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (Twitter link) that the two sides are nearing an agreement on a new three-year contract. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug adds (Twitter link) that the deal is expected to carry an AAV of $4.5MM.
The 30-year-old entered the free agent market a year ago coming off a disappointing season with Toronto and wasn’t able to get the money or term he was seeking. Instead, he opted to take a one-year pillow contract in the hopes of rebuilding his value. Barrie picked the Oilers as the team for that contract, a logical decision with the potential to pile up the assists setting up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It was a wise choice.
Barrie led all NHL defensemen in scoring this season with 48 points in 56 games, helping earn him the fifth slot in our Top 50 UFA list. It was the fifth time in the past seven years that he had at least that many points, making him one of the best and most consistent threats from the back end in the offensive zone in the league. However, his defensive struggles have been well-documented as he basically gives back some of the goals he helps produce in the form of poor mistakes that land in the back of the net.
Nevertheless, having a prominent offensive weapon is never a bad thing to have and with the term being limited to three years, there shouldn’t be a considerable drop in effectiveness over the life of the contract. Edmonton’s power play should continue to be lethal for the foreseeable future as a result of this contract.
Meanwhile, assuming this deal gets finalized along with the long-expected signing of Zach Hyman, the bulk of the heavy lifting will be done for GM Ken Holland as those two contracts will take up most of the rest of their projected $13.7MM in cap space, per CapFriendly. However, with Oscar Klefbom‘s playing future remaining in doubt, he looks like a candidate for LTIR once again which would give Edmonton a bit more flexibility to try to add another piece in the coming days.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
USA Hockey Names Mike Sullivan Head Coach For The 2022 Olympics
In a move that has been expected for several weeks, USA Hockey has made it official, announcing that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan will be the head coach for the USA’s entry into next year’s Winter Olympics. This is assuming that an agreement is reached for NHL players to participate in the event.
Sullivan is no stranger to coaching at the international level as has served on the staff for multiple other national teams over the years. In 2006, he was an assistant for their Olympic team, he was the bench boss at the 2007 Worlds, and served as an assistant in that tournament the following year as well. There haven’t been many opportunities for him to coach internationally since then as his teams have spent a lot of time in the playoffs.
Sullivan has been behind the bench for Pittsburgh since December 12, 2015 with the Penguins winning 251 regular season games during that stretch, the third-most in the NHL. They’ve made the playoffs in each of his six seasons behind the bench, winning two Stanley Cups along the way in 2016 and 2017. He’ll now have a shot at adding an Olympic medal to that collection.
Meanwhile, USA Hockey also announced that Joel Johnson (who will be the head coach at next month’s World Championships) has been named head coach for the women’s entry into the Olympics while David Hoff will be heading up the sled hockey team at the Paralympics.
Jets Re-Sign Eric Comrie
The Jets have agreed to terms with one of their pending unrestricted free agents as they announced that they’ve re-signed goaltender Eric Comrie to a one-year contract. The one-way deal will pay him the league minimum of $750K.
The 26-year-old has certainly bounced around over the past two seasons. Between October of 2019 and mid-February of this year, he was claimed off waivers four times and traded once. Despite that, he played all of four NHL games in that stretch. While several teams wanted him, they preferred him solely as an insurance policy over someone that could be a regular backup goaltender.
Two of those waiver claims came this year and between that and the taxi squad, Comrie was limited to just five total appearances – one with New Jersey and four with AHL Manitoba where he posted a 1.23 GAA and a .947 SV%, numbers that were much better than his AHL career averages of 2.82 and .911, respectively.
Comrie has just five career NHL games under his belt but could very well be slotted in as Winnipeg’s backup goaltender behind Connor Hellebuyck next season. Laurent Brossoit is set to test the open market tomorrow while the recent acquisitions of Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon have cut into their cap space while they still have several restricted free agents to re-sign headed up by Neal Pionk. One way to save money is to have a cheap backup goalie which could work in Comrie’s favor. Otherwise, Comrie will at least have a one-way deal under his belt before seeing if he’ll bounce around the league again or make it back to the minors with the Moose.
TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report that Comrie had re-signed.
Offseason Checklist: Montreal Canadiens
The offseason is in full flight with free agency almost here. We continue our series which examines what each team needs to accomplish over the coming weeks and months. Next up is a look at Montreal.
The 2020-21 season was a strange one for the Canadiens. They were one of the top teams early on before things started to go off the rails. The end result was head coach Claude Julien, associate coach Kirk Muller, and goalie coach Stephane Waite being let go with Dominique Ducharme taking over on an interim basis. They continued to struggle in the second half but once the playoffs came, they were much better, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final despite only winning 24 of 56 games during the regular season. Ducharme had his interim tag quickly removed but GM Marc Bergevin has plenty of other work to do this summer.
Add Scoring Help
Last fall, the Canadiens added Tyler Toffoli in free agency and he responded with the best season of his career with 28 goals in 52 games. They added Josh Anderson in a trade with Columbus and he was second on the team in goals. They signed Cole Caufield late in the season and he gave their attack a boost down the stretch.
And yet, even with those moves, Montreal is still not a particularly strong offensive team. They were hovering near four goals a game early on but by the end of the year, they were in the bottom half of the league and were struggling to score more than two per night late in the season. A lack of reliable scoring also hurt them in the Final against Tampa Bay. They’re about to lose one of their better regular season offensive players in Tomas Tatar to free agency and Shea Weber, one of the bigger offensive threats from the back end, is done for at least the year and his career may very well be over.
Even with a full season of Caufield who is an early Calder Trophy candidate, this is an attack that remains decidedly mediocre. While they hope the return of Jonathan Drouin will help, he only scored twice in 44 games so they can’t count on him to be a difference-maker at this point. While there are other holes to fill, Bergevin will be looking for a top-six piece to deepen his attack.
Replace Weber
This is one of those tasks that sounds simple enough on paper but is going to be quite difficult to accomplish. While Montreal’s captain was undoubtedly starting to decline compared to his level of play in his prime, he was still a key cog on their back end last season. Weber logged nearly 23 minutes per game and was only two seconds behind Jeff Petry for the team lead in ATOI, finished tied for third in power play goals, played more than anyone shorthanded, and was his usual physical presence. Finding a player that can check off all of those boxes is a nearly impossible task for Bergevin; even if he was to sign the top UFA defenseman in Dougie Hamilton, there are elements that Weber provides that he can’t (and vice-versa).
It appears that the Canadiens will instead have to try to fill that void by committee. They’ve been linked to David Savard and Chris Wideman as potential free agent signings and each of them could replace a part of what Weber has given them – Savard can play a physical shutdown role while Wideman is coming off a strong season offensively in the KHL and it appears their hope is that he could help on the offensive side of things.
Is there room for another impact addition? Montreal’s back end wasn’t the most mobile to begin with and bringing Savard or a similar player in for Weber doesn’t really change that. How much can Wideman be relied on considering he has been out of the NHL the last two years? If the Canadiens are opting to replace Weber with a by-committee approach, the committee coming in to replace him is going to need to be a big one. Weber will be eligible for LTIR, giving them up to $7.857MM in space to work with to replace him.
Center Decisions
This one is three-fold. First, Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a restricted free agent this summer and will need a new contract. The third-overall pick in 2018 has shown flashes of top-six upside but has been inconsistent as well to the point where he was a healthy scratch at both the start and the end of their playoff run. While they’re still hoping that he can be a core player for them down the road, he isn’t quite there yet and accordingly, a short-term bridge contract makes sense for both sides.
The second pertains to their other young center in Nick Suzuki. He is eligible to sign a contract extension as of Wednesday and while Kotkaniemi’s development has been spotty, that isn’t the case for Suzuki. He played well during the regular season and stepped up in the playoffs for the second straight year while showing some chemistry with their top prospect in Caufield. If Bergevin believes the best is yet to come from the 21-year-old, working to get a contract extension done now before it gets more expensive would be a wise course of action.
The final element pertains to Phillip Danault. He has been a fixture down the middle for them for the past five seasons and has become one of the stronger defensive forwards in the league along the way. He’s coming off a strong playoff showing in terms of shutting down top opponents (though he only scored once in 22 games) and between that and his age (28), he’s likely to be the most sought-after center on the open market. A long-term extension was rejected last offseason and there have been no contract talks since. Assuming he’s leaving, how will they replace him? Jake Evans and Ryan Poehling are both young pivots but are they ready to step into a bigger role? If not, Bergevin will have to add a veteran center to his shopping list as well.
The Canadiens are coming off an improbable playoff run but as it stands, the roster will look quite a bit different next season. Finding the right mix of returnees and newcomers will be the key task for Bergevin this summer as Montreal moves back into the Atlantic Division.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.