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Calgary Flames Re-Sign Andrew Mangiapane

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August 3: PuckPedia reports that Mangiapane is paid his $5.8MM cap hit evenly across each of the three seasons, but he’ll receive a $4.8MM salary and $1MM signing bonus in year one of the contract. The rest of the deal is paid in full in base salary.

CapFriendly reports that Mangiapane’s deal carries an eight-team no-trade list for the final two seasons it runs.

August 2: The Calgary Flames were up to some late-evening business, announcing that they have re-signed forward Andrew Mangiapane to a three-year deal, avoiding arbitration. The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported the contract carries a $5.8MM AAV, bringing the total value to $17.4MM. The forward’s arbitration hearing was scheduled for this Friday, August 5th. By avoiding arbitration, Calgary now has access to the second buyout window, which will likely begin on Saturday, says Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. According to CapFriendly, the Flames are now left with just over $1.26MM in available cap space.

By signing Mangiapane, Calgary is effectively buying out two years of unrestricted free agency, the 26-year-old set to hit the open market next summer. After having star forward Johnny Gaudreau leave via free agency and Matthew Tkachuk announce that he would not re-sign in Calgary after next season, forcing a trade, having some certainty with one of their other key forwards and goal scorers is surely a relief for the Flames. Although the signing leaves them with very little cap space, it completes all pending arbitration cases, meaning their offseason work is likely complete.

For the player, this signing gives Mangiapane a large raise over his previous $2.425MM cap hit that he had over the past two seasons at a reasonably fair rate in the market. As CapFriendly cites, Mangiapane’s comparable players include Jakub Vrana ($5.25MM AAV over three years), Anthony Mantha ($5.7MM over four years), and Pavel Buchnevich ($5.8MM over four years). Prior to the 2021-22 season, Mangiapane had made a career as a solid secondary scoring option, tallying as many as 18 goals in a season, coming in 56 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. This year, however, Mangiapane broke out in a big way, scoring 35 goals to go with 20 assists.

In addition to scoring, Mangiapane brings durability and stability to the Flames lineup, having not missed a game in either of the previous two seasons, as well as 68 of their 70 games in 2019-20. Finally, with the departures of Gaudreau and Tkachuk, Mangiapane does figure to see additional opportunities offensively and on the powerplay along with newly-acquired superstar Jonathan Huberdeau, which could stand to increase his value and production going forward.

Free Agent Profile: Tyler Motte

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With their sights set on a Stanley Cup, the New York Rangers found themselves active buyers at last year’s trade deadline. Though the team made a few additions, forward Andrew Copp, who the team acquired from the Winnipeg Jets, stole most of the attention. However, the team would have one of the more underrated deadline pickups, bringing in two-way energy forward Tyler Motte from the Vancouver Canucks. While it was the likes of Copp, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin that drove the Rangers offense up front, Motte showed through his complete game just how valuable he was to a team that was able to make a deeper playoff run than many had anticipated.

At age 27, Motte is a veteran of six NHL seasons, spending time with the Rangers and Canucks, as well as the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks, who originally drafted him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He debuted in 2016-17 with Chicago, but was dealt that offseason alongside Panarin to the Blue Jackets. Columbus dealt him just a few months later in the trade that brought Thomas Vanek the other way from Vancouver. Motte spent parts of five seasons in Vancouver prior to this season’s trade to the Rangers, where he would interestingly be teammates with Panarin on the third different team in as many seasons played together.

Never known much for his offensive game, Motte has made a career for himself out of being a high-energy and defensively reliable forward who can play in all situations. This season represented arguably his best, putting up seven goals and eight assists in 58 games, all of those coming in the 49 games he played for Vancouver. His highest point total came in 2018-19, where he had 16, however that came over 74 games. Where Motte becomes increasingly valuable is his ability to contribute on the penalty kill and to play in his own zone, which most notably includes a career 71% defensive zone starts percentage versus 29% in the offensive zone. In other words, Motte is capable and trusted to play important shifts of defensive hockey for his teams.

This summer is Motte’s first on the open market, coming off a two-year, $2.45MM contract that featured a $1.225MM AAV, having previously been an RFA. Although news has been quiet in regards to his free agency, there was plenty of chatter surrounding the veteran ahead of the market opening up, having impressed with his overall game and his poise in the Rangers playoff run, where he contributed two goals in 15 games. Despite the lack of interest, Motte’s game, and presumably lower price tag, will be enticing to clubs looking to add a smart, veteran winger to their bottom-six with a playoff run in mind.

Stats:

2021-22: 58 GP, 7-8-15, +2 rating, 22 PIMs, 101 shots, 39.9 CF%, 67.9% dZS%, 14:01 ATOI

Career: 269 GP, 35-27-62, -22 rating, 76 PIMs, 403 shots, 39.4 CF%, 71.0 dZS%, 12:56 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

Motte’s game is one that could suit any one of the NHL’s 32 teams, from playoff teams and Cup-contenders looking to add a smart, hard-worker that knows what he’s doing, to young up-and-coming teams that could add a veteran to help their inexperienced talent take another step, to rebuilders who are looking to add a spark that will help the rest of the team play the right way. Still, while there is likely no shortage of good fits, many teams are facing a cap crunch or a roster crunch, and adding a player like Motte, who as good as he is in his own zone, doesn’t bring much offensively, is a tough sell.

Some had wondered if a reunion with the Rangers could be in the cards for Motte. The fit is right, especially after his stint with the club, but with just over $1MM in salary cap space, bringing the forward back could be tough. Speaking of reunions, the Blackhawks could be an interesting option, as the team has stripped down many of its key parts, looking to start over with a more extensive rebuild. The organization has brought in several veterans in free agency including Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou both on one-year deals and could look to do the same, perhaps retrieving an asset at this year’s deadline for what could be a popular rental.

The Minnesota Wild, who are actively looking for another forward could be an option, with ample cap space to accommodate Motte. However, it’s unclear what kind of player they would want, the team losing 85 points in the departure of Kevin Fiala and though there’s no option readily available to replace that production, there are other options out there that could provide more offensively than Motte can.

Projected Contract:

Motte came in 37th on PHR’s 2022 Top 50 UFAs list, predicting a landing spot with the Nashville Predators on a projected contract of four-years and $7MM, an AAV of $1.75MM. That contract would have represented a relatively significant raise for Motte and a doubling of term from his previous contract. At this point in free agency, with many teams spending all they had allotted on the free agent market, it’s unlikely Motte will be able to secure a contract of that length or salary. Still, Motte has proven he is worthy of a guaranteed one-way contract and there are more than a handful of teams remaining with salary cap space and a roster spot to offer. There is plenty of time until training camps open up and a couple of notable pieces remaining on the free agent market, chief among them being Nazem Kadri. As teams continue to gain clarity with additional signings and possibly miss out on a target they still have, Motte could see his own market gain some traction, even if it is not for the contract he might have hoped for or that we predicted for him.

Seattle Kraken Name Jeff Tambellini Director Of Player Development

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The Seattle Kraken announced this evening that they have hired former NHL veteran Jeff Tambellini to be their Director of Player Development. With the expansion of their young prospect pool as a new franchise, the organization made the decision to bring on Tambellini in order to facilitate player growth and development and to “optimize” their resources. The team has also hired Matt Larke as a Skills Development Consultant and added that former Seattle goaltending coach Andrew Allen will remain with the team as a scout evaluating goalies.

The newest member of Seattle’s front office had this to say on his hiring:

“It’s a big, big step going from junior hockey to college hockey into the American [Hockey] League and then to the National Hockey League. It’s my job along with our whole staff to help these players navigate that transition, make them better players. To make them stronger off the ice, set up their training schedules and teach the details of what goes into being a pro.”

Tambellini has plenty of experience in his own right that should help him to help Seattle’s young players. The 38-year-old was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2004, attending the University of Michigan. He played parts of six NHL seasons, totaling 63 points in 242 games, a majority of those as a member of the New York Islanders. Tambellini’s last NHL action came as a member of the Vancouver Canucks in 2010-11, where he appeared in four games in that year’s Stanley Cup Finals. Following his retirement from playing in 2017, Tambellini spent a season as an assistant coach at Michigan before becoming General Manager and Head Coach of the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

As for Larke, who will support Tambellini in his new role, he said the opportunity to work for an NHL franchise is “a dream come true.” Larke previously worked in a similar role for Team USA’s National Team Development Program. Allen also expressed excitement for his new role, one he had had prior to the team’s expansion draft last July.

Free Agent Profile: Evan Rodrigues

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As he was enjoying a breakout season at the age of 28, many believed Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues had put himself in perfect position to hit the open market this summer. A center who was good in his own end, Rodrigues finally found offensive success making him a true two-way forward and a perfect fit in almost any team’s middle-six. Given the Penguins cap situation and needing to re-sign Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Rickard Rakell, it appeared that Rodrigues would be too rich of an asset to remain with the club and could move on with a payday elsewhere. However, more than two weeks after the start of free agency, Rodrigues remains unsigned, with very little buzz around his name. After a season with 19 goals and 24 assists, shattering previous bests, it’s interesting to find Rodrigues still without any bites, at least that we are aware of.

Prior to this season, Rodrigues’ previous career best in points had been 25, which had come in 48 games with the Buffalo Sabres in 2017-18, a similar points-per-game pace to this season. That season was the forward’s first of a two-year contract that carried a $650K AAV. In 2018-19, Rodrigues took a step back, hitting what was then a career-high 29 points, but doing so in 74 games. An RFA, Rodrigues was awarded a $2MM salary via arbitration for the 2019-20 season. After that summer of 2019 arbitration award, Rodrigues struggled to rebound, recording just 24 points in 80 games between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins over the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. This year, however, Rodrigues was able to show he is capable of being the player he was in 2017-18 with his 43-point breakout performance.

So, the question remains: what is holding Rodrigues’ market back? Of course, he’s not exactly teammate Sidney Crosby, but he has shown he has plenty to offer. One concern would be that, over six seasons with regular NHL games played, the veteran has only ever matched his 2021-22 production once, back in that 2017-18 season. Another concern is consistency. Looking closer at this season, Rodrigues was a borderline All-Star-caliber player, recording 32 of his 43 points in just 46 games prior to the All Star break. A dominant first-half indeed, he regressed to only 11 points in 36 games after the break.

Rodrigues’ pros and cons provide a basis for a negotiation, but still don’t get to the answer of why he’s still on the market? The answer may lie in the fact that Rodrigues recently turned 29 years of age and is coming off of his best season to date. He could very well view this as his best chance to secure a contract with very attractive term and salary, and is not willing to settle on either front. From a front office perspective, Rodrigues has shown flashes of being a 40-point, or maybe even 50-point player, but absent certain stellar stretches, he’s mostly been a 25-30 point player. Given the cap crunch all 32 teams are facing and having potentially found more statistically consistent players on the free agent and trade markets already, teams are weary of giving Rodrigues what he’d want (term and salary) without knowing which kind of player he really is.

Stats:

2021-22: 82 GP, 19-24-43, +3 rating, 14 PIMs, 243 shots, 59.8 CF%, 15:50 ATOI

Career: 316 GP, 53-76-159, -30 rating, 77 PIMs, 701 shots, 53.7 CF%, 14:24 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

Even if the market is slow and he doesn’t wind up with the contract he was hoping for, Rodrigues shouldn’t have an issue actually finding a suitor when he and teams are ready. The player Rodrigues was in the first half of this year was intriguing, but the player he has been for a majority of his career, that of a reliable two-way, bottom-six center that could give flashes of offense is always in demand, from Cup contenders to middle of the pack teams to rebuilders.

What exactly the veteran’s contract expectations are and how much, if at all, he is willing to compromise, will dictate what teams are able to be in the market for him. His poise and ability to play for a perennial contender like the Penguins, alongside the likes of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang stands to show that Rodrigues can handle the bright lights and the pressure that playoff and playoff-implicating games bring. Competitive teams who could use another forward for their middle or bottom-six, such as the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, or even a reunion with the Penguins, make sense, but these teams are all close to, if not over, the salary cap.

Teams that are trying to get over or away from the salary cap floor, like the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, and Chicago Blackhawks, could be options for Rodrigues, all of whom not only can pay, but may want to pay for their own reasons. Maybe not some of the most attractive options, they could give Rodrigues an expanded role, valuing his leadership and providing more opportunities to repeat his offensive production. The Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, and Calgary Flames, who could use another secondary-scoring option and have the cap space to make a solid offer along with an opportunity to be competitive may also be very strong options for Rodrigues, who could have the best of both worlds in terms of contract and competitiveness in those destinations.

Projected Contract:

Rodrigues came in 24th on our Top 50 UFAs list in early July. There, we projected a three-year, $3MM AAV contract with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild could very well be in the mix for Rodrigues, but at this point, it’s unlikely the forward will find the contract we had projected for him with a competitive team like the Wild, Islanders, Flames, Oilers, Rangers, or Penguins, all of whom are mentioned above. But, if a contract along those lines is a sticking point, it might not be out of the realm of possibility that a team like the Ducks, Coyotes, or Blackhawks could make the offer, betting on Rodrigues’ production and his value as an asset down the road. Ultimately, given his career track record, it’s still unlikely at this point in time that the 29-year-old is headed towards a PTO in training camp, even if it does mean taking what might be seen as an underwhelming offer.

Alexander Nikishin, Fyodor Svechkov, Nikita Chibrikov Traded In The KHL

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In what has been a quiet day for North American hockey so far, a blockbuster trade went down over in the KHL, involving Alexander Nikishin, one of the Carolina Hurricanes’ top prospects. In exchange for sending the young defenseman to SKA St. Petersburg, Spartak Moscow receives forwards Fyodor Svechkov, Nikita Chibrikov, Pavel Kukshtel, and Maxim Krovyakov, defenseman Nikita Sedov, as well as the KHL rights to forwards Mikhail Maltsev, German Rubtsov, Ivan Morozov, and Kirill Marchenko. The deal was announced by Spartak Moscow on Twitter, and confirmed in North America by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, who adds that its expected Nikishin will sign an extension with SKA.

Though the trade does not contain any one superstar player in the KHL, it’s a trade of plenty of young talent for one very talented young player. Outside of Sedov, Moscow is receiving players with little to no KHL experience, but mostly all standouts in the lower VHL and MHL levels in Russia. Sedov, on the other hand, does have KHL experience, getting into 67 games at the KHL level over the past two seasons between SKA and Sochi, but like the rest of the players in this trade, is quite young, at just 21 years of age. One thing worth considering when looking at the size of the haul that Spartak is receiving, is that some of these players, like Svechkov and Chibrikov, have very real NHL futures and could head to North America when their contracts expire. Thus, while Spartak receives a bevy of young talent, it’s a group they will have to comb through to see who will be their building blocks. Regardless, they will be able to hold onto their KHL rights should the players leave for another league. By making this trade, SKA parts with a lot of talent, but receives a reliable young defenseman who is expected to sign an extension, which should give some predictability for the organization.

From an NHL perspective, the players of note include Nikishin, Svechkov and Chibrikov – very real NHL prospects under contracts in Russia. A third-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2020, Nikishin has spent parts of the past three seasons at the KHL level with Spartak, totaling nine goals and 11 assists in 95 games as a defenseman, and even appeared in six games on Russia’s Olympic team this winter. Signing an extension overseas does complicate things for Carolina, but doesn’t foreclose any possibility of the young blueliner ever coming to North America. If anything, playing regularly for one of the better teams in Russia’s top league should greatly assist in his development.

Svechkov was the Nashville Predators first-round selection, 19th overall in 2021. The forward made his KHL debut in 2021-22, getting in four games, but was primarily a dynamic playmaker for SKA’s VHL team, where he had nine goals and 22 assists in 30 games. The 50th overall selection in 2021, to the Winnipeg Jets, Chibrikov is another dynamic forward who spent time at the KHL, VHL, and MHL levels this season with SKA. The majority of his time was also spent with Svechkov in the VHL, where he had an impressive 15 goals and 16 assists in 28 games.

The amount of talent in this transaction is surely eye-popping and does have NHL impact, not only with these three but also with the players who’s KHL rights were traded. What the exact impacts on these players and their respective NHL clubs winds up being is yet to be determined, but does provide an interesting wrinkle in their development.

Alexander Khovanov Clears Unconditional Waivers

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July 27: Khovanov’s contract has been terminated and he will play with the Ak Bars program this season, starting in the VHL.

July 24: The Minnesota Wild announced that they have placed forward Alexander Khovanov on unconditional waivers today. A third-round pick of the Wild in 2018, Khovanov made his North American professional debut in 2021-22, but struggled to make a real impact, putting up six points in eight games with the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL and just five points in 22 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. Khovanov had one year remaining on the ELC he signed with Minnesota in the spring of 2019.

Once an intriguing prospect for the Wild as a dynamic offensive weapon, Khovanov hasn’t lived up to the promise he had shown in the junior levels in both Canada and Russia. A standout in the Ak Bars development program, Khovanov came to North America prior to the 2017-18 season, spending three seasons with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL. Khovanov’s best performance came in 2019-20, where he scored 32 goals to go with 67 assists in just 51 games for Moncton. With questions about who would play and when due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Khovanov headed home for the 2020-21 season, once again playing in the Ak Bars organization. The forward spent the majority of that season in the VHL where he again impressed with 24 points in 30 games and was even able to finally make his KHL debut, getting into seven games.

After the 2020-21 season, Khovanov announced he was heading back to North America, splitting this season between the AHL and ECHL in the Wild organization. It’s unclear what the plan is for Khovanov now that he has been placed on unconditional waivers, though a return to the KHL could be likely given his production in the VHL and Ak Bars’ willingness to have him play games at the KHL level just two years ago.

Snapshots: Sharks Coach, Tavares, Top Prospects

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As their rebuild continues, the San Jose Sharks unexpectedly had to address a gaping hole in that of their GM position after former GM Doug Wilson stepped down. The organization took its time to find the perfect candidate, eventually hiring former Sharks player Mike Grier. The team was also tasked with finding another head coach after they fired previous head coach Bob Boughner. Like the GM position, the Sharks have taken their time to find their newest hire.

It appears though that the search is over, based on a series of Tweets from the Sharks, which in effect announced that the team will name its new head coach tomorrow at 11:00 am PT/2:00 pm ET. The team did not formally announce who it is that they are hiring to fill the position, but several sources indicated late last week that the Sharks were “zeroing in on” David Quinn, formerly the head coach of the New York Rangers. Quinn, who was let go after the shortened 2020-21 season, spent three seasons as the bench boss in Manhattan, his only three as a head coach in the NHL, compiling a record of 96-87-25 for a Rangers team that was working its way out of a rebuild. If it is in fact Quinn that gets the job, he will be placed in a rather similar situation to what he had with the Rangers: bring the team through and out of the rebuild.

  • Working with very limited cap space, the Toronto Maple Leafs have done their best to improve this offseason, changing out their entire goaltending duo for a new one and adding a few pieces, most notably headlined by winger Calle Jarnkrok, who signed a four-year deal with Toronto in free agency. To improve further, Toronto will have to look in-house for certain players to step up and one of those is captain John Tavares. In a recent interview, the veteran center told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star that he has spent this summer training with Maple Leafs development staff, working to be a quicker skater. As Tavares said, “For me, obviously just trying to be a little quicker, a little lighter on my feet. I think that’s really important.” Tavares’ skating has certainly never been revered as his best asset, however the soon-to-be 32-year-old will need to at the least maintain his skating ability to continue to produce at the elite level that is expected of him and his $11MM cap hit that he carries for three more seasons.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has released the latest edition of the NHL’s Top 50 prospects, now incorporating players from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft into the list (subscription required). Interestingly, number one overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky comes in at number ten on the list, behind fellow 2022 draftees Matthew Savoie (No. 9), Logan Cooley (No. 5), Simon Nemec (No. 4), and Shane Wright (No. 3). The list might be most appealing to fans of the New Jersey Devils, who have Nemec as well as Alexander Holtz (No. 17) and Luke Hughes (No. 2). Taking the top spot on Wheeler’s list was last year’s number one overall pick, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power.

Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois

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Very few players have had as much discussion surrounding them this offseason than Pierre-Luc Dubois. Even after accepting the one-year, $6MM qualifying-offer the Winnipeg Jets made him, the discussion around Dubois has not quieted down. Recently, The Athletic’s Murat Ates and Arpon Basu had a chance to sit down with Dubois and discuss where he lies with his contract, rumors of a trade request, and his status as an impending UFA in the summer of 2024 (subscription required).

Notably, when asked about his decision to accept the qualifying-offer and his plans for free agency in two years, Dubois explained that this one-year contract at the $6MM rate was what he and his agent, Pat Brisson, believed to be the best fit for him at this point in his career. When asked specifically about his willingness to sign long-term in Winnipeg, the Jets star said that was something to be decided at the conclusion of his current contract.

On attending the draft in Montreal with the expectation that he would be traded to the Montreal Canadiens that night, as reported by Radio-Canada Sports’ Martin Leclerc and confirmed by The Athletic, which has since been walked-back, Dubois contended that he did so because his bank had invited him and he lived close to the area. Lastly, Dubois made it clear that he did not request a trade from the Jets, telling Ates and Basu “If I wanted out, I would have asked for a trade. I didn’t ask for a trade.”

Sitting down for the interview with The Athletic shows Dubois is intent on tidying up what could be seen as a divisive and difficult situation. Regardless of what he and his representatives do and don’t want, the forward is obligated to spend the next two years in Winnipeg if the Jets choose, so keeping the situation as amicable as possible, even if he does not have his heart in Winnipeg would be wise. Dubois’ answers were also rather to the point and not very elaborative, not necessarily clearing all that much up on the situation, outside of making his formal position clear.

Still, the decision to make his position clear, and his views, taken as true, represent a move in good faith to put speculation to bed. With a contract in place, Dubois and the Jets can focus on the season ahead as the team tries to rebound from a disappointing 2021-22 that saw them finish sixth in the Central Division. On top of helping Winnipeg succeed, Dubois will also have the opportunity to build on his 28 goal, 32 assist campaign and build value towards his next contract, as well as his looming free agency. For now, it appears the Dubois rumors will quiet down as the 24-year-old appears intent on going into next season as a cornerstone member of the Jets.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Ryan Dzingel

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The Carolina Hurricanes have added to their depth with an experienced NHL veteran, signing forward Ryan Dzingel to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2022-23 season, the team announced. The deal will pay Dzingel $750K at the NHL level and $150K in the minors, guaranteeing $200K. This will mark the veteran’s second stint with the Hurricanes, spending parts of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons in Carolina. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell had this to say on the signing:

“We are obviously familiar with Ryan from his previous time in Carolina. He is a skilled player who can provide an offensive boost to our forward group, and we are excited to have him back in the organization.”

When Dzingel is on, he can absolutely provide an offensive boost, one that is not just depth but true secondary scoring, having tallied as many as 26 goals in a season as a member of the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets. Since his trade out of Ottawa however, Dzingel has been unable to replicate his success, failing to score more than eight goals in a season since. The forward was eventually traded back to Ottawa in February of 2021 and signed with the Arizona Coyotes last summer. Looking to add to their scoring depth, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Dzingel this season, but lost him on waivers to the San Jose Sharks, where Dzingel would finish this season.

With the signing, Carolina figures to have a low-risk, but certainly high-reward option that they can swing between the NHL and AHL and slot up and down the lineup when he does play. The Hurricanes had recently been rumored to be looking at additional pieces and had even been connected to Nino Niederreiter, who had hit the market after parts of four seasons with the Hurricanes. Though Dzingel does not provide the same caliber of offensive Niederreiter does, if he can return to the player he was for Ottawa from 2016 to 2019, he could pose a similar threat. Either way, Dzingel’s two-way contract is far more cost-controlled than the two-year, $4MM AAV contract Niederreiter signed with the Nashville Predators.

Seattle Kraken To Re-Sign Morgan Geekie

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According to PuckPedia, the Seattle Kraken and RFA forward Morgan Geekie have reached an agreement on a one-year, $1.4MM contract, thus avoiding arbitration (link). Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also believes the deal to be in place (link). Geekie had been one of the 24 players who had elected salary arbitration ahead of last Sunday’s deadline to do so (link), and was scheduled for an August 11th hearing on the matter (link). After the acquisition of forward Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Geekie contract, Seattle is left with just over $2.2MM in available salary cap space.

A third-round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017, Geekie was an offensive force in the WHL, tallying as much as 90 and 84 points as a member of the Tri-City Americans. After turning pro for the 2019-20 season, Geekie again impressed with his offensive output, recording 46 points in 73 games in his pro debut as a member of the Charlotte Checkers. Geekie also made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes, scoring three goals with an assist in just two games in the regular season and was even trusted to play eight playoff games as well. The forward failed to take a meaningful step forward in 2020-21, however, with just nine points in 36 NHL games.

Despite not being able to continue the breakout, geekie was still rather valuable, at least enough for the Kraken to select him from the Hurricanes in their expansion draft. The brand new Kraken gave Geekie the full NHL experience in 2021-22, having him play 73 games. Still not exactly his AHL or WHL production, Geekie did take a small step forward with 22 points this season. Now giving him a raise from his previous $750K cap hit, Seattle will hope Geekie can tap into some of his prior success as the organization looks to keep climbing the standings.

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