Will Borgen Agrees To Terms With Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken have agreed to terms with one of the players they selected in the expansion draft and will sign Will Borgen to a two-year deal. The contract will carry an average annual value of $900K. Borgen was the team’s choice from the Buffalo Sabres at last month’s draft. Kraken GM Ron Francis released a short statement:
Will is a responsible, defensive defenseman who’s size and physical style of play can add a spark to a lineup. He’s still young and developing. We believe in his upside.
Borgen, 24, ended up being left unprotected by the Sabres in order to secure the substantial return they received for Rasmus Ristolainen a few days later. Even with Jeff Skinner waiving his no-movement clause, the team decided to protect seven forwards and three defensemen, leaving the inexperienced blueliner on the outside. The Kraken snapped him up and now have him signed through 2022-23 for a very reasonable amount.
Of course, it would have been hard for Borgen to negotiate much more, given he’s played just 14 NHL games and doesn’t have a single point to his name. The 6’3″ defenseman was a fourth-round pick by the Sabres in 2015 and is only just emerging as an NHL option. Whether he gets regular playing time in Seattle isn’t even clear, given how many other defensemen the team still has under contract. The Kraken already had six defensemen on one-way contracts, plus Vince Dunn, Cale Fleury and Dennis Cholowski still to sign as restricted free agents. They brought in Connor Carrick yesterday as well, meaning things are quite crowded on the Seattle back end.
That long defensive depth chart actually suggests that the Kraken will have to make a move or two before the start of the season, given that none of them are waiver-exempt. Whether that will be Borgen or someone else isn’t clear, but an acquiring team would at least know what to expect in terms of his contract now.
AHL Announces Expanded Playoff Format
In 2022, 23 of 31 teams will qualify for the AHL playoffs as the league announced its revamped postseason structure today. The minor league will play five rounds to award the Calder Cup, including a best-of-three divisional series. AHL CEO Scott Howson released a short statement:
Our clubs and their National Hockey League partners recognize the importance of playoff races and postseason experience on overall player development. Expanding the Calder Cup Playoff field will allow some 150 additional players to play more meaningful games in pursuit of a championship.
All but two teams in each division will qualify for the postseason, meaning six Atlantic, five North, five Central and seven Pacific teams will be in the playoffs in 2022. The top two teams in the Atlantic, the top three in the North and Central, and the first-place team in the Pacific will all receive byes through the first round. That round will be a best-of-three between divisional opponents. The following round, which will include 16 re-seeded teams, will be a best-of-five, as will the third round. The Conference Finals and Calder Cup Finals will both be best-of-seven series to crown an AHL champion.
The AHL playoffs will start after the regular season concludes on April 24 and are expected to finish by June 23. The Calder Cup hasn’t been handed out since 2019, when the Charlotte Checkers took home the league championship.
Chase Priskie Signs With Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have re-signed Chase Priskie, bringing him back on a one-year, two-way contract. Priskie was eligible for salary arbitration but decided not to file. The financial details have not yet been released.
Priskie, 25, will be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency next summer, unless he somehow secures a full-time spot on the Panthers blueline. That’s unlikely given he hasn’t played a single game above the AHL to this point, but he can still represent some valuable depth for the upcoming season.
Signed by the Carolina Hurricanes after deciding to test free agency in the summer of 2019, Priskie was actually the top college player available when draft rights expired that August. He was seen as a player that could potentially push for an NHL roster spot quickly, given his success at the college level, but the Hurricanes put him in the minor leagues with the Charlotte Checkers given their already full defensive group. In Charlotte, he recorded 31 points in 52 games, but was included in a deadline trade to acquire Vincent Trocheck.
In Florida, he still hasn’t cracked the NHL, and given he is still waiver-exempt for another year, might have to wait for an injury (or several) to get his chance.
Nashville Predators Sign Dante Fabbro
The Nashville Predators have locked up a young defenseman, signing Dante Fabbro to a two-year contract. The deal will carry a salary of $2.4MM in both years, and means that the two sides will no longer need their arbitration hearing scheduled for August 20.
Fabbro, 23, has become everything the Predators hoped for when they selected him 17th overall in 2016, stepping into a top-four role on the team the last two seasons. He averaged more than 19 minutes a night through 40 appearances this year, registering 12 points. That role is only expected to increase now that Ryan Ellis was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, leaving Fabbro as the team’s top right-handed defenseman. There are others who will fight for those minutes, but Fabbro likely has the inside track on that open spot next to captain Roman Josi.
Even if he doesn’t end up on that pairing, there will be a big chance for Fabbro to show some more offensive upside for the Predators as well. At Boston University in 2018-19, Fabbro was dynamic with the puck on his stick, racking up 33 points in 38 games. While he’ll likely never become a true powerplay quarterback, the team will need him to add a little more offense moving forward.
If he does, it could be a big payday for the young defenseman two years from now. For now, this contract leaves the team with plenty of cap space, though at least a good chunk of it will be eaten up by restricted free agent Juuse Saros. The 26-year-old goaltender is going to get a huge raise after his Vezina-caliber season, but still, the Predators could have been even more aggressive during free agency. Perhaps GM David Poile is looking at a salary cap that isn’t expected to see any significant movement for several years and isn’t willing to overspend, but the team currently sits with more than $17.6MM in room as the season approaches.
In Fabbro’s case specifically, the team has set themselves up for massive excess value if he can take another step forward and become a top-pairing player. That alone would make this a win for the Predators, even if their overall strategy this offseason—moving on from key players like Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson while re-signing Mikael Granlund to a $20MM contract—has left some questioning whether they’re trying to contend or rebuild.
New Jersey Devils Sign Tomas Tatar
The New Jersey Devils have added another one of the top free agents available, this time signing Tomas Tatar to a two-year contract. The deal will come with an average annual value of $4.5MM, paying Tatar $3.75MM in 2021-22 and $5.25MM in 2022-23.
Tatar joins Dougie Hamilton and Jonathan Bernier as the three big veteran signings for the Devils this season, adding some experience to an incredibly young group. The 30-year-old Tatar is now the oldest forward signed to a one-way deal, nearly four years the senior of Andreas Johnsson, the second-oldest.
Even though he found himself on the outside of the playoff lineup in Montreal, Tatar is still a consistent offensive presence that should add a different dimension to the Devils forward group. In 50 games this season he registered 30 points and led the Canadiens in scoring during the 2019-20 season. That year he had a career-high 61 points in just 68 games, showing just how effective he can be in the right situation.
There are some doubts about how he affects the game in the defensive end, but there’s no doubt that he can help the Devils score next year. That’s something they had immense trouble accomplishing this year, as Pavel Zacha led the team with just 35 points. Tatar could represent an option on the wing of either Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes, giving them a little more experience and playmaking ability than they’re used to.
In fact, this looks like a bit of a steal by the Devils, jumping on a player whose market is a bit depressed from recent events. Tatar has been an incredibly consistent scoring threat over his career, breaking the 20-goal mark in six straight seasons before 2020-21. While his time in Montreal had obviously run out, his next chapter in New Jersey could be even more productive, given how much ice time–both at even-strength and on the powerplay–he’s likely to receive.
For the Devils, they could have paid Tatar $10MM this season and it wouldn’t have made much of an impact on their cap situation. The team has plenty to work with, and though there are several RFA deals to negotiate next summer, P.K. Subban‘s $9MM is coming off the books. For a team with no cap issues, taking a shot on a player like Tatar is a no-brainer, given the fact they could just flip him down the road for more assets if the team is still not in a competitive window.
PuckPedia was first to report the contract details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Pittsburgh Penguins Avoid Arbitration With Zach Aston-Reese
Another player has avoided the dreaded arbitration hearing, as Zach Aston-Reese signs a one-year, $1.725MM contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Aston-Reese’s hearing was scheduled for August 23, but will no longer be required. GM Ron Hextall released a short statement on the deal:
Zach is a versatile forward that brings energy and edge to our lineup. He is a responsible, two-way player and we’re glad we were able to re-sign him.
One of 17 players to file for salary arbitration, Aston-Reese is already the fourth to settle before a hearing happens. The arbitration process is not a rewarding one, so teams and players almost often try to avoid it if possible. In this case, Aston-Reese is settling for a raise of just $725K over the salary he’s earned in each of the last two seasons.
An undrafted free agent signing out of Northeastern University, the 26-year-old Aston-Reese has proven to be a versatile player for the Penguins, moving up and down the lineup as needed. He’s not a top scoring threat by any means but did still chip in nine goals in 45 games this season. In 161 games overall, he has 27 goals and 51 points. Those numbers wouldn’t have helped him much in arbitration, which often focuses on counting stats over other contributions.
Still, he gets a slight raise and will now walk directly into unrestricted free agency next summer. Aston-Reese will turn 27 in just a few days and still figures into the Penguins lineup, though where exactly he fits isn’t clear. The team now has 13 forwards on one-way contracts, including nine being paid more than his $1.725MM. Even though the team lost Jared McCann and Brandon Tanev through the expansion process, things are still pretty crowded for the Penguins upfront.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff broke the news on Twitter
Los Angeles Kings Sign Austin Strand
Austin Strand has accepted his qualifying offer and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Los Angeles Kings worth $771,750. He was not eligible for arbitration this summer.
Strand, 24, made his NHL debut this season, playing 13 games for the Kings and registering a single point. The undrafted defenseman has worked his way up through the minor leagues but will have to fight for playing time again this season. Waiver-exempt for 2020-21, he was involved in daily transactions between the minor leagues, taxi squad and NHL roster. That opportunity won’t be available this time around, meaning Strand will be at risk to the rest of the league if he fails to make the team out of camp.
The Kings already have five defensemen signed to one-way contracts, plus Michael Anderson, Tobias Bjornfot, and Christian Wolanin fighting for playing time, not to mention the unsigned Kale Clague and Jacob Moverare. There’s plenty of options for the coaching staff to work with as the Kings try to find a mix that can get them back to the playoffs, with Strand serving as valuable depth even if he’s not in the NHL lineup on a regular basis.
Washington Capitals Sign Michael Vecchione
The Washington Capitals have added some minor league depth, signing free agent forward Michael Vecchione to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $195K.
In the spring of 2017, Vecchione was being chased by more than half the NHL following his 63-point senior season for Union College. He ended up signing with the Philadelphia Flyers and played two games for the team down the stretch, but has still not seen even a minute of NHL ice time since. Over the last four seasons, he’s been stuck in the minor leagues, posting strong—but not outstanding—numbers for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, San Antonio Rampage and Colorado Eagles.
Now 28, it’s unlikely that Vecchione will ever be an impact player at the NHL level, but he’s certainly a nice minor league piece for the Hershey Bears. Washington has always tried to provide their AHL affiliate with veteran talent, and this year is no different. Vecchione should step directly into a leading role with the team, while also serving as some injury insurance for the Capitals.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Michael Pezzetta
The Montreal Canadiens have reached a new contract with minor league forward Michael Pezzetta. The one-year, two-way contract will pay him $750K at the NHL level and $82.5K at the AHL level.
Pezzetta, 23, is coming off his entry-level contract signed in 2018, two years after he was selected 160th overall. Over three seasons in the AHL he has scored just 10 goals and 19 points but is known much more for his fighting ability and physicality than offensive production. In his 107 career AHL games, Pezzetta has been involved in 18 fights, including four this season before a facial fracture ended his year prematurely.
Though his offensive numbers don’t suggest he should be playing in the NHL anytime soon, don’t be surprised if Pezzetta gets a few games for the Canadiens should they decide they need some added toughness in the lineup. Either way, he’ll be in the Laval Rocket lineup on a regular basis this season after signing his new deal.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Joseph Duszak
Aug 5: The Maple Leafs have officially announced the contract, at the reported terms.
Aug 4: The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Joseph Duszak to a one-year, two-way contract according to CapFriendly. The deal will pay Duszak $750K in the NHL and $150K in the AHL.
Signed as an undrafted college free agent in 2019, Duszak was one of the country’s most productive offensive defensemen at the time. With 47 points in 37 games, the only real questionable part of Duszak’s season was the competition, given he was playing at Mercyhurst College.
Finding out whether he could continue to perform at that level in a professional league was worth it for the Maple Leafs, and Duszak hasn’t disappointed. In his first full year of pro hockey he scored 35 points in 34 games with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, while adding 18 points in 23 games with the Toronto Marlies. Those numbers dropped this season in the COVID-shortened schedule, but he still racked up 12 points in 25 games with the Marlies.
Now 24, it’s unlikely that the 5’9″ Duszak really ever makes a considerable impact at the NHL level, but at the very least he’s a strong depth option for the Toronto minor league system.