Free Agent Profile: Sam Gagner
The 2007 NHL Draft ended up bringing many superstars into the league, most namely Patrick Kane, Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban, Ryan McDonagh, and others, but one forgotten name from that class is Sam Gagner. After a 15-year NHL career that’s included 967 games and 505 points, the journeyman forward finds himself without a team for the 2022-23 NHL season.
Gagner never quite reached his sixth-overall billing, hitting the 50-point mark only once, but he’s been nothing if not serviceable depth for a long time in this league. With a bit of a reduced role in Detroit last season, he actually produced his best offensive numbers since the mid-2010s. In a fourth-line role on a rebuilding team, Gagner still managed solid possession results all things considered, and there are certainly worse options to have in the faceoff circle in a pinch. It’s probably not a great bet to expect anything more than 10 goals and 25 points out of him, but on the league-minimum salary that he’ll undoubtedly cost, again, there are worse options.
33 years old now, Gagner presents a case for one of the more dependable, versatile options on the open market for low-risk veteran forwards. Whether anyone actually takes a swing on the former top-ten pick remains to be seen.
Stats
2021-22: 81 GP, 13 G, 18 A, 31 PTS, -4 rating, 32 PIMs, 132 shots, 13:37 ATOI
Career: 967 GP, 184 G, 321 A, 505 PTS, -133 rating, 427 PIMs, 1982 shots, 15:57 ATOI
Potential Suitors
The Winnipeg Jets jump out as a team with playoff aspirations that not only have ample cap space, but a clear roster need for depth forwards as well. While money won’t be a concern with accommodating Gagner, Winnipeg lacks forward depth with NHL experience at the bottom of the lineup. While Gagner may not be able to repeat last year’s production, he’s probably a safer bet to be an everyday NHL player than a player like Kristian Reichel or Morgan Barron.
Another Canadian team in a similar position, although maybe not with as much need, is the Ottawa Senators. Gagner could provide some competition at the bottom of the lineup for players like Parker Kelly, and he’d certainly provide more offensive upside than other veterans in the organization like Scott Sabourin and Jayce Hawryluk.
If Gagner does sign with a new team this offseason, it’ll be his seventh since entering the league.
Contract Projection
A player in Gagner’s position likely wouldn’t earn more than the $750K league minimum on a one-year deal. It’s also entirely possible that Gagner, similarly to players in years past like James Neal, has to settle for a professional tryout contract (PTO) to keep his NHL career (and dream of hitting 1,000 NHL games) alive.
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Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Martin Necas
Per a team release, the Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed forward Martin Necas to a two-year contract worth $6MM, or $3MM per season. Necas will earn $2.5MM in 2022-23 and $3.5MM in 2023-24.
Speaking on the transaction, Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell called Necas a “dynamic young playmaker,” saying “he has an elite combination of speed and skill and we think he’ll only continue to improve.”
After a career-best season in 2020-21, Necas wasn’t able to maintain his level of production and consistency in 2021-22. Necas finished the year with 14 goals and 40 points in 78 games, while he had similar production in just 56 games the season prior. The concern with Necas, though, is what role he’ll actually have with the team next season. With the team acquiring Max Pacioretty and youngster Seth Jarvis earning a good deal of minutes last season, Necas may lose out on a top-six spot if he doesn’t outperform Jarvis in training camp.
$3MM is still somewhat of a discount for a player who’s received top-six minutes in each of the last two seasons and boasts 40+ point upside. It was a necessary one for Carolina, though, as CapFriendly now projects the Hurricanes as being roughly $1.1MM over the $82.5MM Upper Limit. With defenseman Jake Gardiner likely healthy for next season, Carolina will need to make a trade to clear cap space prior to next season.
When Necas’ contract expires in 2024, he’ll remain a restricted free agent (with arbitration rights) and will be due a $3.5MM qualifying offer, per PuckPedia. He will have two years of RFA eligibility remaining at that time.
Free Agent Profile: Paul Stastny
When the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup this year, they did so without a player who many thought a decade ago would be a long-term franchise cornerstone. That player is Paul Stastny, who, now 36 years old, remains a free agent almost a month after the signing period opened this offseason. After falling to the second round in the 2005 NHL Draft, Stastny blew the doors off the Avalanche franchise with three out of four 70-point seasons to begin his NHL career in 2007, 2008, and 2010.
While he never replicated that offensive success, largely due to a variety of injuries, Stastny remained a capable top-six two-way center for years to come. Now a veteran of over 1,000 games, though, Stastny is coming off his second full season with the Winnipeg Jets and remains without a Stanley Cup. He may be somewhat of a forgotten name as his best seasons are behind him, but Stastny’s still managed 74 points in 127 games over the last two seasons while averaging over 17 minutes per game. It’s fair to say that while the end of the road for Stastny may be near, it’s not here yet.
Stastny’s 16-year resume with Winnipeg and Colorado in addition to time with the St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights still make him a valuable asset to teams looking to add cohesiveness in their locker room as they vie for a championship. He hasn’t been a name that’s popped up in many rumors, but he should certainly be on the radar of teams as the offseason slogs on.
Stats
2021-22: 71 GP, 21G, 24A, 45 pts, +14 rating, 14 PIMs, 141 shots, 17:47 ATOI
Career: 1072 GP, 284G, 516A, 800 pts, +50 rating, 484 PIMs, 2246 shots, 18:53 ATOI
Potential Suitors
Poetically enough, a reunion with the team that drafted him shouldn’t be out of the question. If the Avalanche can’t manage to re-sign Nazem Kadri this late in the game, they have more than enough cap space to accommodate a reasonable one-year deal for Stastny. Providing a little more offensive upside than J.T. Compher and more experience than Alex Newhook, Stastny could be a strong short-term solution to Colorado’s open spot at center on the second line.
Another team that could look to acquire Stastny to fill the same role to shelter a younger player is the Carolina Hurricanes. While Jesperi Kotkaniemi will get paid a decent chunk of change next year, he hasn’t really done much to earn that dollar value with his performance. With a team like Carolina that’s so close to winning, Stastny could be a desirable veteran backup to Sebastian Aho, and, with Carolina’s depth on the wing, he’d have a lot of offensive support. The team would likely need to shed cap to make room for him, however.
Projected Contract
Stastny is coming off a one-year $3.75MM contract with Winnipeg. With a decent performance last season, too, there will be a team out there able and willing to pay him more than the league minimum. While he likely won’t replicate that dollar value, a contract in the $1.75MM-$2.5MM range could be there for Stastny in the coming days.
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Vegas Golden Knights Sign Nicolas Roy
As announced rather inconspicuously on their TikTok, the Vegas Golden Knights have signed restricted free agent forward Nicolas Roy to a five-year extension. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports the contract carries an average annual value of $3MM. PuckPedia reports the full contract breakdown is as follows:
2022-23: $3.5MM
2023-24: $3.5MM
2024-25: $3MM
2024-25: $2.5MM
2025-26: $2.5MM
The 25-year-old Roy had a career year in 2021-22, cementing his place as a full-time NHLer. Originally a fourth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015, Roy played just seven games with the franchise before he was traded to the Golden Knights in 2019 in exchange for Erik Haula.
Roy’s career year saw him set career highs in games played (78), goals (15), assists (24), points (39), and average time on ice (16:15). He’s certainly stronger defensively on the penalty kill than he is at even strength, but Roy manages to create a lot of offense for him and his teammates when he’s on the ice. It seems like a fair deal for a player who could easily continue to develop more as he’s a season or two away from his prime.
With defenseman Nicolas Hague still in need of a new contract, the Golden Knights are pushing dangerously close to their salary cap limit, even with Shea Weber on long-term injured reserve. After Roy’s signing, CapFriendly projects Vegas with roughly -$5.8MM in cap space, roughly just $2MM away from the maximum potential relief of Weber’s contract.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Mason Appleton, Avoid Arbitration
Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Winnipeg Jets have avoided an arbitration hearing with forward Mason Appleton. He’s signed a three-year deal with the Jets worth a cap hit of $2.167MM. He’ll be paid $2MM in 2022-23 and receive $2.25MM in the following two seasons.
The Jets already lost Appleton once, and they don’t seem intent on having it happen again. Left unprotected in the last offseason’s expansion draft, Appleton was an inaugural member of the Seattle Kraken before Winnipeg re-acquired him at the Trade Deadline. Across 68 games with Seattle and Winnipeg in 2021-22, Appleton scored eight goals, 13 assists (tying a career-high), and 21 points.
Appleton’s point production may not jump off the page, but he’s posted decent defensive analytics throughout his 206-game NHL career. 26 years old now, Appleton has produced a nice NHL career for a sixth-round pick. The native of Green Bay, Wisconsin will try to continue to prove his worth as a valuable bottom-six forward over the next three seasons in Manitoba.
For Winnipeg, their only remaining restricted free agent is 22-year-old David Gustafsson, who appeared in just two games for them last season.
Logan Cooley Planning On Honoring College Commitment Next Season
As he prepares to represent the United States at the 2022 World Junior Championships this week, Arizona Coyotes 2022 third overall pick Logan Cooley confirmed he’ll be playing at the University of Minnesota next season after committing there earlier this year.
After attending Coyotes development camp earlier this summer, Cooley said that “a year in college could really help. Just keep developing, and then I think I’ll be ready.”
He also expressed a desire to turn pro as quickly as possible, though, assuming he has a strong freshman season in Minnesota as expected. Cooley could absolutely still make his NHL debut in 2021-22, just at the tail end of the campaign after his college season concludes.
Cooley’s sentiments are music to the ears of Minnesota fans. Their program, while it’ll still be highlighted by the returns of defensemen Brock Faber, Jackson LaCombe, and Ryan Johnson, as well as forward Matthew Knies, will have to replace the holes left by senior standouts Ben Meyers and Samuel Walker. They’ll also be dealing with the departures of a pair of NHL-affiliated prospects in Chaz Lucius and Tristan Broz.
Vegas Golden Knights, Keegan Kolesar Agree To Terms
Per a team release, the Vegas Golden Knights have agreed to terms with winger Keegan Kolesar on a three-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.4MM.
Kolesar, while not an expansion draft selection, is effectively an original Golden Knight. Drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round in 2015, Columbus traded Kolesar to Vegas in exchange for a 2017 second-round pick just days after the expansion draft. That pick, 45th overall, originally belonged to the Tampa Bay Lightning — a pick Vegas received as part of expansion draft considerations. Columbus then selected Alexandre Texier with the pick.
While Texier may be the better player out of that deal so far, Kolesar made a name for himself with multiple Golden Knights suffering injuries this season. Kolesar is certainly a rough-and-tumble kind of player, but he’s had a decent offensive output as well. In 77 games in 2021-22, he set career highs with 77 games played, seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points. He’s a candidate to play a bigger role yet again next season as salary cap constraints have decimated some of Vegas’ forward depth.
With the signing, the Golden Knights and Kolesar avoid an arbitration hearing, which was set for August 10. Kolesar will become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
Latest on MacKenzie Weegar
While the Calgary Flames may have lost two superstars this offseason, they at least got one in return, and they spent last night locking up to a long-term deal. With Jonathan Huberdeau now set to be in a Flames uniform for the next nine seasons, many eyes are glancing towards the pending UFA status of the other big piece of the Matthew Tkachuk trade: defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.
TSN Calgary’s Salim Nadim Valji reports that sources tell him Weegar has “a strong, genuine desire” to stay in Calgary and that he and the Flames will engage next week about an extension for the 28-year-old defenseman.
After a pair of seasons in which Weegar received Norris votes, his stock is at an all-time high. There’s good reason for that, though. A dominant two-way defender, Weegar had emerged as the most underrated important part of the Panthers team that’s been on a meteoric rise the past few seasons. Now bringing his talents to Calgary, he adds to one of the best defense cores in the Western Conference, at least for next season.
But looking at Calgary’s future, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be too challenging to get an extension done with Weegar. The two albatross contracts weighing down Calgary’s salary cap picture for the upcoming season, Milan Lucic and Sean Monahan, both expire at the end of 2022-23. With more than $11MM coming off the books in the form of those two deals, the Flames will have upwards of $15MM in space to work with next offseason, per CapFriendly, with few other big contracts to sign.
It’s the 2024 offseason where things get tricky. The majority of their core, including Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Tyler Toffoli, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Oliver Kylington all hit the UFA market then, and with the salary cap only expected to increase a further $1MM to $84.5MM, things might get tricky with a solid few of those players at least due significant raises.
In the immediate future, though, a long-term extension for Weegar shouldn’t pose any problems for the Flames.
Yakov Trenin Contract Settled Via Arbitration
After their arbitration hearing on Tuesday, an arbitrator has awarded Nashville Predators forward Yakov Trenin a two-year contract with a cap hit of $1.7MM, per Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Trenin will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 on expiry.
The cap hit comes in just below the midpoint of the two filings. The Predators filed at a two-year deal worth $1.35MM per season, while Trenin filed at a one-year deal worth $2.4MM.
In his second full NHL season, Trenin set career-highs in pretty much everything. His 80 games played, 17 goals, seven assists, 24 points, +7 rating, and 14:40 average ice time all game in close to or well above his previous marks.
At 25 years old, Nashville’s 55th overall selection in 2015 is turning into an important player in their bottom six. A respected hitter and solid penalty killer, Trenin does have some solid shooting upside too and contributes at both ends of the ice. Alongside players like Zach Sanford, Colton Sissons, and Tanner Jeannot, he forms a pretty tenacious and aggressive bottom-six forward group in Nashville.
Arbitration hearing decisions will be quiet for the next few days. The next unsettled decisions come after August 8, when Arizona’s Lawson Crouse has his hearing.
Free Agent Profile: Anton Stralman
At the peak of his game, defenseman Anton Stralman was possibly the most underrated two-way defenseman in the league. In his late 20s, his first few seasons in a Tampa Bay Lightning uniform were his best, receiving some Norris votes and flourishing in a top-four role on an emerging Tampa team looking to win. Since signing a well-paid free-agent deal with the Florida Panthers in 2019, though, his point production and his defensive play have declined severely.
Fresh off his 36th birthday at the beginning of the month, Stralman is still looking for an NHL contract next season. Spending the final season of that three-year contract signed with Florida with the Arizona Coyotes, Stralman did have his highest point total since 2015-16. It also came with an increase in ice time, though, which saw his defensive game decline even further from where it had in Florida.
Stralman still carries value in his leadership and experience, and given he’s 70 games away from 1,000 in the NHL, it’s a fair bet to assume he still has the drive to play in the NHL. On a contending team, though, he’s likely not more than a sixth or seventh defenseman at this stage. He does have the added value of being a right-shot defenseman, which some teams could surely use some added depth at. His play-driving ability, at least offensively, is still strong, but would likely need a sound two-way partner to have a lot of effectiveness.
Stats
2021-22: 74 GP, 8-15-23, -16 rating, 12 PIMs, 95 shots, 44.4 CF%, 21:20 ATOI
Career: 930 GP, 63-230-293, +49 rating, 285 PIMs, 1314 shots, 51.3 CF%, 20:00 ATOI
Potential Suitors
One team looking to make the next step that needs some added security at right D is the Vancouver Canucks. A bottom-pairing role could be a good fit for Stralman here alongside a solid, young two-way partner in Travis Dermott. It’s a win-win, allowing Dermott to benefit from Stralman’s leadership, and Stralman’s play on its own is likely an upgrade over that of Kyle Burroughs or Tucker Poolman. The Canucks already have a lot of depth defensemen in the organization, though, and with Jack Rathbone fighting for NHL ice time, it might be too much for the organization to add to at this point.
The Edmonton Oilers are also a team without much defensive depth outside of their top six, which is fairly locked in at this point. With no great options to carry around as an extra on the NHL roster, Stralman could look to head to Alberta for a chance to win his first Stanley Cup.
With the Florida Panthers losing both MacKenzie Weegar and Ben Chiarot this summer, a return to the Sunshine State may also be a good fit for Stralman, who could join a depth contingent there that includes Marc Staal and Lucas Carlsson.
Projected Contract
At this stage, unless he’s joining a team not expected to make a huge playoff bid, Stralman’s contract would likely be a one-year deal close to, if not exactly, the league minimum $750K. All of the above-mentioned suitors are teams right up against their salary cap limits, and fitting Stralman in would be a tough ask if he’s not on the cheap.
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