Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Brock McGinn
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Brock McGinn to a four-year deal, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. It carries a cap hit of $2.75MM per season.
McGinn enters the Pittsburgh organization after nine years in the Carolina Hurricanes organization. A veteran of six NHL seasons now, McGinn tallied his 50th goal and 100th point in the NHL and also has a series-winning overtime goal under his belt. A reliable third-line winger, McGinn’s coming off a good year with 13 points in 37 games, more importantly, in a season that saw his defensive impacts skyrocket. He’ll likely slot in a third-line position again in Pittsburgh and could form part of a formidable two-way shutdown line if centered by Teddy Blueger.
What’s important in this deal is cost certainty for the Penguins. Signed through 2024-25 at a cap hit under $3.0MM, McGinn projects as being able to provide consistent performance for that dollar amount as he’ll enter his 30s at the end of the deal. It’s a solid deal for a dependable player and should help Pittsburgh navigate some uncertain salary-cap waters.
Nashville Predators Sign David Rittich
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Nashville Predators have signed netminder David Rittich to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $1.25MM, a drop-off of over 50% from Rittich’s previous deal. The netminder hopes the “show me” pact will lead to a more lucrative contract next summer, while the Predators hope the former Flames starter can be an affordable and more importantly effective backup to Juuse Saros in the post-Pekka Rinne era.
Rittich, 28, is not long removed from looking like the long-term starter in Calgary. A well-regarded prospect that blossomed into a competent pro, Rittich seized the Flames starting job in 2018-19 with a .911 save percentage and 2.61 GAA in 45 games – not elite but enough to get the job done. However, when his numbers declined the following season, the Flames decided to sign Jacob Markstrom and Rittich’s future became muddied. A trade to Toronto this season didn’t help his stock, as he struggled in four games with the team. Rittich entered the free agent market as one of more intriguing and unpredictable netminders available.
The Predators watched as a number of other teams with vacancies in net through substantial contracts at goalies, some of whom are older and had worse numbers than Rittich. The team likely believes they got a steal then for Rittich at $1.25MM. If he does return to form, it will be a great deal indeed. If he doesn’t, the team has a great faith in Saros as a workhorse and has a strong fallback option in AHLer Connor Ingram. The deal seems like a win-win from Nashville’s perspective.
Ottawa Senators Ink Deal With Michael Del Zotto
The Ottawa Senators announced today that they’ve signed defenseman Michael Del Zotto to a two-year deal. The contract is worth $4MM and pays him $2MM per season. Per CapFriendly, the contract is as follows:
2021-22: $1.75MM
2022-23: $2.25MM
Del Zotto turned a PTO with the Columbus Blue Jackets last fall into a contract and then quietly enjoyed a solid season as a physical presence and occasional offensive contributor for Columbus, outplaying his minimum contract. Now he’s cashed in this off-season, inking a multi-year deal and a decent pay raise with Ottawa. Just when it seemed like the days of “MDZ” being a well-compensated, top-four defenseman were over after over a decade as a reliable defender in the league, the Senators swooped in to reward him for a job well done.
While Ottawa was surely impressed by Del Zotto’s return to relevance last season, the most important piece for the rebuilding team may very well be his leadership and experience. It is the same reason why the Senators targeted Nick Holden in a trade today as well. The blue line suffered from a lack of veteran presence this past season and star Thomas Chabot could use some more support with a number of young defenseman in the mix. Del Zotto is a well-liked and well-respected defender who can help to lead and develop the Senators blue line over the next two years.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Josh Leivo
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Josh Leivo, the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports. It is a minimum $750K on a one-year deal, adds TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
Leivo, 28, will be on his third new team in less than four years, jumping from Toronto to Vancouver to Calgary and now to Carolina. The winger has managed to play exclusively in the NHL, but not as a full-time player. The same fate likely awaits him in Raleigh, where a deep Hurricanes lineup could make him an extra man, especially since Leivo’s game does not lend itself to a checking line role.
With that said, Leivo showed two years ago that he can still have a sizeable impact in limited time. In 36 games with the Canucks in 2019-20, he recorded seven goals and 19 points – a full-season pace of 43 points. While he was unable to replicate those results in 38 games with the Flames this season, the team also did not give him much top-nine opportunity. Should the Hurricanes afford Leivo the chance to play with other skilled forwards, they could be happy with the results, especially at a minimum salary cost.
Minnesota Wild Sign Frederick Gaudreau
The Minnesota Wild announced today that they’ve signed free agent center Frederick Gaudreau. It’s a two-year contract for the former Pittsburgh Penguin, paying him $1.2MM per season.
After years in Nashville without making much of an impact, Gaudreau broke out in Pittsburgh – as much as he could in 19 games. Gaudreau recorded 10 points, was strong at the face-off dot, and played 13:04 per game, far more than in year prior. Even in a limited sample size, it was enough to impress many around the league, including the Wild it seems.
Gaudreau, 28, works hard and is especially skilled at winning puck battles and stripping the puck from the opposition. He also showed this season that his offensive ability is more than it might have seemed. The Wild gave Gaudreau a nice raise from his previous minimal deals, but could still get nice value out of a player who showed this past season that he has a lot to offer.
Nate Thompson Signs With Philadelphia Flyers
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the Philadelphia Flyers are signing free-agent forward Nate Thompson. CapFriendly reports that is it a one-year, one-way deal worth $800K.
This will be Thompson’s second stint with the Flyers after he wrapped up the 2019-20 season with the team before joining the Winnipeg Jets last year. A veteran of over 800 games with nine different teams, the journeyman center doesn’t offer much in the way of offense but is a good two-way forward. Thompson is especially adept at the face-off dot and on the forecheck.
With that said, it will be interesting to see how the Flyers choose to utilize the 36-year-old. Thompson played less than 10 minutes per game with Winnipeg last season and failed to produce shots on goal. Philadelphia is deep up front and Thompson may struggle to break the starting lineup, especially if he is limited in how many minutes he is able to play. Thompson may end up being a veteran presence and part-time player, but at $800K could still prove to be a valuable asset.
Dallas Stars Bring In Alexander Petrovic
The Dallas Stars tweeted today that they’ve signed defenseman Alexander Petrovic to a one-year, two-way deal. CapFriendly reports that the contract will pay Petrovic the minimum $750K in the NHL and $325K in the AHL.
Petrovic, 29, has not played in an NHL game since 2018-19, though he has produced in the AHL in the meantime. Once a highly-regarded defenseman with the Florida Panthers, Petrovic combines size, skating, and offensive ability, but not to the level of an everyday NHL defenseman. The Stars likely see him as a strong AHL depth option should they suffer a streak of injuries.
Dallas is deep on defense, especially after the addition of Ryan Suter, and has no shortage of size or skill. However, where they are weak is on the right side. On paper, Petrovic would technically be the second-best right-handed defenseman on the roster behind John Klingberg.
Chris Wideman Returns To NHL, Signs With Montreal Canadiens
TVA’s Renaud Lavoie has reported that the Montreal Canadiens inked defenseman Chris Wideman to a one-year deal. It’s a league-minimum contract at a $750,000 cap hit. Wideman returns to the NHL after a season abroad in the KHL.
Wideman is one of the lucky few who left the NHL hoping that his accomplishments in Europe would earn him a second look back home, only for it to work out exactly that way. After two solid seasons with the Ottawa Senators to begin his pro career, Wideman had lost his footing in the NHL, bouncing around to several clubs – including the AHL – without much success. He turned to Russia this past season, signing on with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod for one year, and made the most of it. Wideman recorded 41 points in 59 games, leading the entire KHL in defensive scoring. The Canadiens, and surely others, took notice and now Wideman is back in North America.
While Wideman will likely still have to battle for starts, if not a roster spot, his scoring prowess last season showed that he is capable of making a difference. The 31-year-old brings experience to the table as well with 181 NHL games and 280 AHL games. This should position him to be one of the top options to replace any Habs defenders in case of injury or slump.
New York Rangers Sign Jarred Tinordi
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the New York Rangers have signed defenseman Jarred Tinordi. The former Canadien, Predator, and Bruin was signed to a two-year deal making $900,000 per season.
Tinordi has long been a depth defender at the NHL level. He has never been deemed good enough for a regular role, having maxed at out at 28 games in a season as his career high to date. However, he has also been too good to clear waivers, as Nashville found out last season when he was claimed by Boston. The Rangers likely see Tinordi as a veteran No. 7 or 8 who can provide some guidance to the young blue line and some snarl as a spot starter, much in the way that the departed Brendan Smith did.
Tinordi is not an offensive threat and his skating leaves a lot to be desired. However, he positions himself well in the defensive end, is an effective and punishing checker, and is not afraid to drop the gloves. Tinordi is the type of stay-at-home checking threat that can be nice to have in a tight, physical game. It’s a value that is worth about what the Rangers gave him.
San Jose Sharks Sign James Reimer
The San Jose Sharks have brought back a familiar face to their goalie situation. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that they’ve inked former netminder James Reimer to serve with new acquisition Adin Hill. It’s a three-year deal paying him $2.25MM per season.
Just like that, it’s a new day in net for the Sharks. Gone are the days of struggling starter Martin Jones and a series of backups unable to push him. The goal now belongs to young Hill and reliable veteran backup Reimer. Reimer will push for starts against the former Coyote, who himself has only even been a backup. The competition, which has been missing in San Jose of later, could spur both keepers to play at the top of their games.
For those who have forgotten, Reimer was nothing short of amazing in his first stint with the Sharks, recording a .938 save percentage and 1.62 GAA in 2015-16 after coming over from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline. Considerable time has passed since then, but Reimer has been a very solid backup for the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes in the years since, playing far more than a typical backup as well, and should continue to provide reliable play in San Jose.