St. Louis Blues Sign Brandon Saad
The St. Louis Blues have come to terms with free-agent forward Brandon Saad on a five-year deal, the team announced today. The contract is worth $22.5MM and carries an average annual value of $4.5MM. Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland reports the contract breakdown is as follows:
2021-22: $4.5MM, NTC
2022-23: $4.5MM, NTC
2023-24: $5.5MM, NTC
2024-25: $4.375MM, NTC
2025-26: $3.625MM, M-NTC
Saad joins the Blues, his fourth NHL team, as a veteran of 632 regular-season games, 91 playoff games, and two Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks teams. Saad’s been one of the more consistent secondary scoring options in the entire NHL over the duration of his career, scoring at least 15 goals in every season since 2013-14. He spent last year with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche, potting 15 goals and dishing out nine assists for 24 points in 44 games playing more limited minutes on a deep squad.
The 28-year-old Pittsburgh native will likely see his ice time elevated again with the Blues, who will be moving on from Vladimir Tarasenko eventually this summer. While he’s really not the aptest defensive forward, he provides a play driving upgrade on Mike Hoffman, who departed the team yesterday to sign a deal with the Montreal Canadiens. Still a goal-scoring machine at this point, Saad’s contract looks to provide solid value over the duration of the deal given his track record.
Corey Perry Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning have bolstered their depth, signing veteran forward Corey Perry to a two-year contract. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was the first to report the signing. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports the contract carries an average annual value of $1MM.
The old adage of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” stands strong here. Perry joins the Lightning after losing to the team in two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals (with Dallas in 2020, Montreal in 2021). Now 36 years old, the former Rocket Richard winner and league MVP has seen somewhat of a career renaissance after a messy end to his time with the Anaheim Ducks. After being bought out at the end of the 2018-19 season due to a combination of injuries and declining play, Perry’s scored 14 goals and 42 points in 106 games over the past two seasons. He’s kept up that same rate of production in the playoffs – nine goals and 19 points in a whopping 49 playoff contests since leaving Anaheim.
Perry is still a reliable bottom-six talent, and he’ll add to what should be a rotating cast of bottom-six wingers for the Lightning. After losing their entire checking line of Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde, and Barclay Goodrow due to salary cap restraints, the team’s bottom six will take on a fresh look next season. They’ve already added one veteran presence, signing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare yesterday. Bellemare and Perry will provide competition for a cast of young Tampa forwards that include Ross Colton, Alex Barre-Boulet, Mathieu Joseph, and Mitchell Stephens. When three-time Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon is added to that list, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s no guarantee Perry plays every night for the Lightning. However, a healthy and well-rested Perry is still an important piece of a three-peat puzzle for Tampa, especially come playoff time.
Derek Ryan Signs With Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have added some center depth, signing Derek Ryan to a two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $1.25MM.
Ryan, 34, is just taking a quick trip up Highway 2, leaving one side of the Battle of Alberta for the other. He spent the last three seasons with the Calgary Flames, providing strong defensive play from the bottom-six and even chipping in some offense now and again. In 43 games this season he scored just two goals and 13 points, but is still a valuable enough player because of the position he fills.
For Edmonton, he’ll essentially be replacing Jujhar Khaira, who signed a similar two-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks today. The team has some elite center options at the top of the lineup, but has struggled to find consistent play out of the bottom two spots. Leon Draisaitl was also the only strong player in the faceoff circle for the Oilers, something Ryan has excelled at his entire career. He has won 55.4% of his ~3,500 NHL draws, with a huge chunk of them coming in the defensive zone or on the penalty kill.
GM Ken Holland has always targeted role players like that to fill the bottom-six, and Ryan fits right into that mold as someone who might not play a ton but can do specific things well. The fact that he also had a career-high 38 points in 2018-19 doesn’t hurt.
Dougie Hamilton Signs With New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils have landed today’s biggest prize, signing Dougie Hamilton. It’s a seven-year deal paying a total of $63MM, meaning an average annual value of $9MM for the free agent defenseman. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald released a lengthy statement about how excited the front office is to land a player of Hamilton’s caliber:
We are thrilled to welcome Dougie and his family to the New Jersey Devils organization. As a player and person, he has consistently shown a commitment to excellence and will play a leading role in our franchise’s return to an elite level in the League. We believe that the magnitude of his contributions on the ice will be equal to his impact on our culture as we continue to position ourselves for long-term success. I am proud of the work our entire staff did to promote the amazing attributes of this organization and to bring aboard one of the most sought-after free agents this year.
There’s no doubt about it, this is a huge win for a Devils team that has struggled to attract key free agents in the past. In fact, before today, only a single player on the active roster was acquired via free agency. That was Scott Wedgewood, who also just so happened to be drafted by the Devils back in 2010 and returned years later. Otherwise, the entire team was built through the draft or trade, something that Hamilton and new goaltender Jonathan Bernier change with their hefty deals today.
Hamilton, 28, will now be tied with teammate P.K. Subban and Colorado superstar Cale Makar for the fourth-highest cap hit among NHL defensemen next season, only behind Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty and Roman Josi. Seth Jones will join that group when his $9.5MM extension kicks in for 2022-23, but Subban’s contract will fall off the list as it expires. For that much money, Hamilton will have to perform at an elite level for the Devils if this contract is to be worth the risk.
So far in his career, that hasn’t been a problem. Norris Trophy finishes the last five years: 9th, 14th, 14th, 7th, 4th. The right-shot Hamilton has been one of the most consistent offensive defensemen in the league for seven seasons now, scoring at least ten goals and 39 points in each year since 2014-15. That includes 40+ point performances even in the last two shortened seasons. Equally effective on the powerplay or at even-strength, Hamilton’s puck-moving and playmaking ability far outweigh the defensive deficiencies he may have. Even those are sometimes overblown given how much he has the puck, though he won’t have quite the same quality of teammate in New Jersey.
Still, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t continue to put up elite offensive numbers for the next few seasons, if not the whole contract. There’s no one to challenge him for the top powerplay spot and Hamilton’s potential partners should only improve moving forward. Ty Smith or Ryan Graves figure to line up next to him in 2021-22, but either one could be keeping the spot warm for top prospect Luke Hughes, selected fourth overall over the weekend. Hughes is off to the University of Michigan for the time being, but projects as a top-pairing defenseman with elite skating ability.
Even if that young talent is coming, the Devils will still be battling just to make for the playoffs next season. Hamilton is taking a significant step back from the Stanley Cup contender in Carolina and could potentially have some lean years. The entire Devils forward group is 26 or under, and only he, Subban, Bernier and Wedgewood are older than that. It’s a reason for excitement in New Jersey, but success may not come right away.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Columbus Blue Jackets Re-Sign Alexandre Texier
The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed young forward Alexandre Texier today, the team announced. It’s a two-year deal paying a total of $3.05MM, meaning it’s got an average annual value of $1.52MM. Texier was a restricted free agent but did not have arbitration rights.
It was a little over two years ago when Texier made his debut in the NHL, bursting onto the scene after dominating the Finnish league as a teenager. He scored three points in eight games for the Blue Jackets in the 2019 playoffs and hopes were high that he would step directly into a top-six role despite his young age. Instead, Texier averaged fewer than 13 minutes in the 36 games he did get into during the 2019-20 season, moving in and out of the lineup as a fringe roster player. He finished the year with six goals and 13 points, not exactly the rookie campaign that was expected.
Unfortunately, his sophomore year didn’t go much better. The 21-year-old had just four goals and 15 points in 49 games this season for the Blue Jackets despite additional minutes and responsibility. His offensive game hasn’t translated at all, though he did get a chance to play center—rather infrequently—under head coach John Tortorella, who is notorious for not trusting young players in the middle of the ice.
Now as the team heads into a new chapter under head coach Brad Larsen and without several key veterans, it will be up to young players like Texier to take the next step in Columbus. A $1.52MM cap hit isn’t insignificant and should mean he’s in the lineup every night, but it also doesn’t guarantee much else. He’ll have to prove he can contribute more regularly at the offensive end of the rink if he wants more ice time and a bigger contract in 2023.
Nick Foligno Signs With Boston Bruins
The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that forward Nick Foligno will sign with the Boston Bruins, turning down a chance to play with his brother Marcus Foligno in Minnesota as was expected. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch is reporting that the deal is two years in length. Unofficially, the salary is believed to be $3.8MM.
In speaking with the media, both Foligno and Boston GM Don Sweeney acknowledged that they do not know exactly where Foligno will play in Boston. This seems to be more a case of a player and team with mutual interest and less of the team actually filling a need. Foligno stated that he has always admired the Bruins and a call from captain Patrice Bergeron sealed the deal. Foligno also has ties to the city as his daughter received life-saving surgery at the famed Boston Children’s Hospital.
So what role will Foligno have? With Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek also joining the fold today and decision still yet to be made by David Krejci, as well as rumors continuing to swirl around Jake DeBrusk, it is unclear exactly how the Bruins will look up front by opening night. However, they were missing a snarl in the corners and a strong net front presence at times this past season and Foligno can provide plenty of both. His positional versatility and ample experience also allows him to line up at any position and move up and down the lineup all while providing value. Foligno is one of those do-it-all players and Boston will have no trouble finding a use for him as they look to remain a top contender.
Matt Luff Signs With Nashville Predators
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that forward Matt Luff has signed a contract with the Nashville Predators. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that it’s a one-year, two-way deal worth the league minimum of $750,000.
The 24-year-old Luff was one of the players left unqualified by the Los Angeles Kings this summer, despite playing in 13 games for the team during the 2020-21 campaign. The undrafted winger scored eight goals in 33 games as a rookie in 2018-19, but hasn’t been able to come anywhere close to that level of offensive production since. Overall, in 64 games he has ten goals and 17 points, but just one of those came this season.
For the Predators, he’ll become just another fringe roster player that could earn some fourth-line minutes or spend the majority of the season in the minor leagues. He’s eligible for waivers, but would be an unlikely claim given his lack of success in recent years.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Ryan Murphy To One-Year Deal
The Detroit Red Wings announced today that they’ve signed defender Ryan Murphy to a one-year contract. The financial details have yet to be released.
Murphy, 28, is an interesting story. The 12th overall pick in 2011, he never reached the expectations many had for him a decade ago, but he also didn’t ever flame out of professional hockey. Instead, he has just continually signed NHL contracts, bouncing up and down between the minor leagues and filling in whenever needed. The majority of his games played game early in his career, but he was still playing in the NHL as recently as 2018-19.
Then, in 2019, he decided to head to the KHL, where he scored 23 points in 56 games. That seemed to get his offensive game right back on track, as he returned this year and led all AHL defensemen in scoring with 27 points in 37 games for the Henderson Silver Knights. That earned him the Eddie Shore Award as the best defenseman in the AHL and a place on the Pacific Division All-Star team.
With 175 NHL games over his career, he’ll join the Red Wings depth chart and could add to that total. He’s still just 28 and could get another opportunity to show what he can do, especially if the team moves some of their veteran options at the trade deadline. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll likely give the Grand Rapids Griffins an All-Star performance, helping develop some of the organization’s young prospects.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Alex Edler
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the Los Angeles Kings have shored up their defense today, signing veteran defenseman Alexander Edler. The deal is for one year, per Pierre LeBrun, and carries a cap hit of $3.5MM.
Edler, 35, is joining just the second NHL team of his career after spending 925 games and parts of 15 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Once a star two-way defender who could log more than 24 minutes a night against the other team’s best, racking up 30-point season after 30-point season, it’s obvious that Edler is no longer going to change the look of a defensive group. Instead, he should be able to provide some experienced depth to a unit in Los Angeles that doesn’t have much of it.
Take out Drew Doughty and you have a defense corps for the Kings where 26-year-old Olli Maatta is the grizzled veteran, he of 468 NHL games. The others are either young or inexperienced (or both), meaning Edler should be an important member this season if they have their sights set on a playoff spot. While $3.5MM might be a little pricey for the player he is now, a one-year deal offers almost no risk for the Kings, unless you consider the opportunity cost of the roster spot. There will still be plenty of minutes for the young guns though, and if the team falls out of the race, Edler makes a nice deadline chip to flip for a mid-round pick.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Phillip Danault
The Los Angeles Kings have signed Phillip Danault, the team said today. It’s a six-year contract worth $5.5MM per season.
The 28-year-old Danault enters the Los Angeles organization after a successful stint with the Montreal Canadiens. Finishing top-10 in Selke Trophy voting for the past three seasons, Danault has cemented himself as a truly elite defensive centerman who can play top-six minutes. While he’ll never break the bank offensively, nor should he see power-play time, Danault still carries 40-50 point upside with incredible solid possession numbers. He’s coming off a 24-point season in which he shot a near-career-low 6.8 percent, so some increased goal totals for next season should be expected.
Danault currently slots in as the Kings’ second-line center behind Anze Kopitar, but how long he holds that title remains to be seen. Danault’s strength in the faceoff dot likely cements him at the center position, so it’s reasonable to surmise that he could serve as the team’s third-line pivot by the end of the deal. The Kings have many young centers, especially Gabriel Vilardi and Quinton Byfield, who look to be consistent top-six contributors within the next few seasons. However Danault gets used, though, he’ll bring a strong impact to a team who’s struggled mightily defensively in recent years.