Luke Glendening Heading To The Dallas Stars
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Dallas Stars have signed forward Luke Glendening to a two-year deal. The contract comes in at a $1.5MM cap hit and takes him through the 2022-23 season.
It’s the end of an era in Michigan, as Glendening wraps up a nine-year stint with the Detroit Red Wings to begin his NHL career, which was preceded by four seasons at the University of Michigan. The 32-year-old Grand Rapids native has only played in 30 games for teams outside the state since high school, both on minor league loans. Yet, all good things come to an end. Despite holding on to Glendening at the trade deadline, this season and last, despite considerable interest, the Red Wings were unable to retain the veteran.
The Dallas Stars were hoping to improve their team defense this summer and did just that in adding Glendening, one of the most technical, defensive-minded centers in the NHL. Elite at the face-off dot (60.9% this year) and on the penalty kill, Glendening may not play big minutes, but he makes a major impact when he is on the ice. Given his defensive ability, it is surprising that the Stars were able to sign Glendening at such a low number. It is a deal that should be a much-appreciated bargain for the cap-strapped team.
Tucker Poolman Signs With Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are bringing in defenseman Tucker Poolman. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Poolman has signed a four-year, $10MM deal with the club, moving on after four seasons with the Winnipeg Jets to begin his NHL career.
This may be one of the more surprising contracts of the day thus far, as Poolman has been viewed as little more than a depth option in his short pro career. A standout at the University of North Dakota, Poolman was a major point producer in the NCAA but it helped that he played until he was 24. In four years since, he has just 19 points in 120 games and struggled to earn an elevated role in Winnipeg. He spent an entire season exclusively in the AHL and has never played more than 57 NHL games in a season.
The Canucks see something in the 28-year-old though. Poolman has good size and contributes in all three zones, but to this point has not excelled at any one aspect. The team seems willing to commit long term and put him in a concrete starting role in hopes that he can take than next step given more responsibility.
Seattle Kraken Expected To Sign Alexander Wennberg
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the Seattle Kraken are expected to sign free-agent center Alexander Wennberg when the market opens. The contract is coming in at three years with a cap hit of $4.5MM.
Wennberg revitalized his career on a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers this past season, but this contract may still surprise some. After all, Wennberg was bought out of a contract with a similar remaining term and AAV by the Columbus Blue Jackets just last year after several years of failing to meet expectations. He recovered in Sunrise with 29 points in 56 games, but even this was only a full season pace of 42 points. The Kraken will expect him to do more with less based on his AAV.
Wennberg does fill an important role for the expansion team, which was lacking depth down the middle. Wennberg will also be a contributor to both special teams units. At 26, there is still room for growth from the big forward and he will be asked to take on a larger role in Seattle than he ever has before. It will be sink or swim for the newest Kraken.
Jordan Martinook Re-Signs With The Carolina Hurricanes
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that versatile forward Jordan Martinook will be staying in Carolina. The deal is reported to be three years at $1.8MM. Per PuckPedia, the deal’s structure is as follows:
2021-22: $900,000
2022-23: $1,800,000
2023-24: $2,700,000
The move comes as somewhat of a surprise after it was believed that the Hurricanes and Martinook would be parting ways. However, with the departure of Warren Foegele, it seems that Carolina has reversed course. Martinook is a considered a glue guy in the locker room and with plenty of turnover already in Raleigh this off-season, it will benefit team morale to keep him around, especially on a mult-year deal.
On the ice, Martinook is likely to make that $1.8MM AAV look like a value as well. The two-way forward recorded 25 points in his first (and only) full season with Carolina and in the past two shortened seasons has scored at a similar rate. Add in his work ethic and defensive ability and you have a reliable bottom-six player making a relatively small amount. As the ‘Canes continue to push for a Cup, they will likely be happy that they kept Martinook in the fold.
Brandon Sutter Expected To Re-Sign In Vancouver
Per TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Vancouver Canucks forward Brandon Sutter is expected to re-sign with the team when free agency opens. McKenzie expects a one-year deal for the veteran forward. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports that the deal is worth $1.125MM.
Sutter’s a seasoned veteran, but he’s seriously struggled to stay healthy. The last time Sutter played a full season was 2016-17 where he played in 81 contests. Since that season, Sutter’s topped 10 goals and 20 points just once in a single season. He had a bit of a goal-scoring rebound last season, potting nine markers in 43 games, but tallied only three assists for 12 points. He’s also seen his ice time steadily deteriorate over recent years, now largely serving in a third- or fourth-line role.
A veteran of 770 NHL games, Sutter will return to a Vancouver Canucks forward core that’s been rejuvenated this offseason. With some free agent turnover in depth spots, both Conor Garland and Jason Dickinson will be injected into the Canucks’ offense. And with Dickinson’s acquisition, Sutter will either serve as a right-winger for Dickinson on the third line or as the team’s fourth-line center. Sutter’s health could be a rather key piece for a Canucks roster that’s fighting to get back into the playoff picture.
Zach Hyman Has Agreement In Place With Edmonton Oilers
July 28: Per PuckPedia, the breakdown of the deal is as follows:
2021-22: $1.55MM salary, $1MM signing bonus
2022-23: $5.1MM salary
2023-24: $7.65MM salary
2024-25: $7.7MM salary
2025-26: $5.425MM salary, $1MM signing bonus
2026-27: $2.175MM salary, $3MM signing bonus
2027-28: $2.65MM salary, $1.25MM signing bonus
The deal contains a full no-move clause in the first five seasons and a 21-team no-trade clause in the final two years.
July 24: The Oilers and Maple Leafs could not reach an agreement, according to Darren Dreger of TSN, so Hyman will wait to sign his contract when free agency opens on Wednesday. That limits the deal to seven years in length. Dreger also reports that the cap hit on a seven-year deal is $5.5MM.
July 23: After weeks of speculation, The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan reports that the Edmonton Oilers have a contract agreement in place with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman. Whether or not the deal is a sign-and-trade or just an acquisition of rights remains to be seen, but it’s extremely likely at this point that the Oilers will be acquiring Hyman via trade prior to free agency opening July 28th.
Recent rumors would suggest that when all is said and done, Hyman will be signing a seven- or eight-year deal in Edmonton. Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reported yesterday that the cap hits on both deals would come in at around $5MM. Hyman has displayed the ability over the past few seasons to be one of the best complementary players in the NHL, something that could work wonders for their secondary scoring. Potentially playing on Edmonton’s top line with Connor McDavid and Jesse Puljujarvi has to be an extremely exciting prospect for Hyman, who’s likely getting more term and money in Edmonton than Toronto was ever prepared to offer him.
Toronto’s search to find a new top-six-caliber left-winger begins now if it hasn’t already. They’ve been linked in past weeks to Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who’d come much cheaper to the team than Hyman realistically ever would have. There’s also the long-shot big name in Gabriel Landeskog, who’s becoming estranged from the Colorado Avalanche in contract talks and could be looking for a new home. Regardless, the Maple Leafs have to look forward without Hyman, who’s been a core part of this team’s rise to regular-season success over the past half-decade.
Seth Jones Traded To Chicago Blackhawks
July 27: The Jones extension has been officially announced. The full breakdown is as follows:
- 2022-23: $750K salary + $9.25MM signing bonus
- 2023-24: $7.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $7.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2025-26: $5.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2026-27: $7.0MM salary + $1.0MM signing bonus
- 2027-28: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2028-29: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2029-30: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
The deal includes a full no-movement clause as well.
July 23: The Columbus Blue Jackets have dealt Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that defenseman Adam Boqvist is part of the return to Columbus. TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that the Blackhawks are also signing Jones to an eight-year extension worth $9.5MM per season. Elliotte Friedman reports that the full deal is Jones heading to Chicago along with the 32nd overall tonight and a 2022 sixth-round pick, with Boqvist, 11th overall, a second-round pick, and a 2022 first-round pick coming in return.
It’s a new beginning for Jones, who’s coming off one of the worst seasons in his career. Scoring 28 points in 56 games, Jones was unusually suspect defensively, and his regression was a decently large reason that Columbus suffered the way they did this season. It remains to be seen how Jones will fit in Columbus, but if he can get back to his former performance, he could help solidify an evolving defense core in Chicago. After Chicago acquired Seth’s brother, Caleb Jones, from the Edmonton Oilers in the Duncan Keith trade, it’s possible that the two brothers could form a pairing in Chicago’s top four along with Calvin de Haan and Connor Murphy.
Columbus is getting a decent haul of assets here too. They’ll now be selecting twice in the top 15 picks of tonight’s 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and they’ll be selecting three times in the first round overall. Boqvist is also an extremely important young addition to the Columbus blueline. It’s likely that Boqvist, who’s seen his advanced metrics skyrocket since his rookie season, will be ready for more responsibility with Columbus next season. He put up nice offensive numbers with 16 points in 35 games this season, and could replace Jones as Zach Werenski‘s partner on Columbus’ top pairing.
Minnesota Signs Kyle Rau, Andrew Hammond To Extensions
July 27: Rau’s deal has been officially announced by the Wild, confirming the terms reported yesterday.
July 26: The Athletic’s Michael Russo is reporting that the Minnesota Wild have re-signed forward Kyle Rau to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The deal carries the league minimum average annual value of $750,000 and will pay him $300,000 per year at the minor-league level with $350,000 in guaranteed money. CapFriendly is also reporting that they’ve re-signed netminder Andrew Hammond to a one-year/two-way deal, paying the ‘Hamburglar’ $200,000 at the minor-league level with $250,000 in guaranteed money.
Rau’s been the definition of “good solider” ever since joining the Wild organization ahead of the 2017-18 campaign. After being drafted 91st overall by the Florida Panthers in 2011, Rau signed with the Wild in free agency after not being issued a qualifying offer by the Panthers. A former captain at the University of Minnesota, Rau’s been one of the best players for Minnesota’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. With depth stretched thin this past season, though, Rau spent the entirety of the year up with the Wild, either in the lineup or on the team’s taxi squad. He mustered just two assists in 14 contests, however, and will likely return to a scoring role in Iowa next season.
For Hammond, this contract extension gives him a chance to play his first game as a member of the Minnesota Wild organization. He was signed prior to 2020-21 to serve as the team’s taxi squad netminder after Alex Stalock was placed on LTIR. After Kaapo Kahkonen cemented himself in the NHL and Stalock became healthy, Stalock was claimed on waivers by the Edmonton Oilers, meaning that Hammond would stay on the taxi squad without getting the chance to play in Iowa. And since Kahkonen and Cam Talbot maintained their health throughout the season, Hammond never got game action with the big club, either. While the days of him stealing games at the NHL level are long gone, Hammond still remains as a viable starting option in the AHL with the option for some fringe starts in case of injury with Minnesota next year.
Brenden Dillon Dealt To Winnipeg Jets
TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that the Washington Capitals have dealt defenseman Brenden Dillon to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for second-round picks in 2022 and 2023.
Dillon enters the Jets lineup immediately as one of their better and most experienced defensemen. A veteran of over 650 NHL contests, Dillon arrives in Winnipeg via Washington, who signed him to a deal with a $3.9MM cap hit at two years remaining. With this trade, it appears that Winnipeg may finally be getting Josh Morrissey some relief on the back-end. Dillon has experience playing 19 to 20 minutes a night and could play on either the top or second pairing in Manitoba. If it’s any help to Morrissey, it’ll be appreciated. Since Morrissey’s been entrusted with added responsibility after the departure of Dustin Byfuglien, his defensive play has really struggled. Some additional defensive help and some easier matchups may make Morrissey a more effective asset. Regardless of that, they’re still getting an excellent defensive defenseman in Dillon, who’s done well against good, but not great competition over the past few seasons.
It does raise one question, as there’s now just one spot remaining on Winnipeg’s left side. Which one of Ville Heinola or Logan Stanley won’t be cracking next year’s lineup, and could there be an additional deal that moves one of them out? It’s a good problem to have for the Jets, who now look in much better shape defensively than last season.
For Washington, the clearing of Dillon’s $3.9MM cap hit is crucial to their success this offseason. With captain Alex Ovechkin likely commanding a double-digit deal, questions about Washington’s ability to continue to build a contender have loomed large due to the flat salary cap. With Dillon’s departure, it opens the door for Michal Kempny to reclaim a spot in the lineup after he missed the entirety of 2020-21 with injury. If Kempny is at 100%, he’s shown the ability to be a capable top-four defenseman in the past and could be the perfect in-house replacement for Dillon.
All salary cap figures courtesy of CapFriendly
Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Paul Stastny
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the Winnipeg Jets have re-signed forward Paul Stastny. It’s a one-year deal that carries a $3.75MM cap hit.
Stastny, now 35 years of age, will look to spend his second-straight full season in a Winnipeg uniform with a bit more offensive success. The four-time 60-point scorer has had a rougher go of it in recent years with injury catching up to him and has seen his ice time reduced as well. He’s posted back-to-back seasons under 40 points for the first time in his career, but he’s still a capable top-six talent who brings veteran leadership.
It’s certainly an efficient gamble on a one-year deal for the Jets and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. While Stastny’s finishing ability isn’t what it used to be, he’s still one of the best offensive chance generators in the league. He could do well playing with a talent like Blake Wheeler or Pierre-Luc Dubois, both big-name players who struggled offensively in Winnipeg last season. Stastny also still brings one of the better complete games in the league, maintaining his role as an above-average defensive center with penalty-killing capabilities.
It remains to be seen whether this one-year pact could be Stastny’s last go of it in the league, but what’s for certain is that he’s taking a team-friendly deal. Taking a pay cut of almost $3MM to stay with the team, they’ll likely use the added space to make an addition to the defense corps in front of goalie Connor Hellebuyck. A more well-rounded team could bring great success to the Jets this season as they still look to capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.