Colorado Avalanche Sign Dylan Sikura, Stefan Matteau
After signing Darren Helm to help the bottom-six, the Colorado Avalanche have signed a pair of additional depth forwards. Dylan Sikura and Stefan Matteau have both inked one-year contracts for the 2021-22 season. Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that Sikura will earn $800K at the NHL level and $450K at the AHL level, while Matteau will earn $750K in the NHL and $225K in the AHL.
Matteau, 27, was selected in the first round nearly a decade ago, but has just 91 NHL games and 11 points to his name. The 6’2″ forward has embraced his role as a physical fourth-line presence in recent years though and actually played 18 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season. Whether he gets that kind of opportunity in Colorado remains to be seen, but their depth chart at forward is a little deeper with him in the mix.
Sikura too had NHL experience this season, playing six games for the Vegas Golden Knights in the regular season and even suiting up twice in the playoffs. He spent most of the year with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, scoring 22 points in 30 games, but could be an option if Colorado faces injuries this season. In 53 career NHL games, the Northeastern University star has 16 points.
The Avalanche did say goodbye to several players this summer, but the forward group remains deep and talented. With their eyes set on the Stanley Cup once again, the team may add even more of these fringe players to make sure that they have options if some of their higher-paid players are unavailable. Still, there is enough money left under the cap for Colorado to make another more expensive addition, after missing out on Philipp Grubauer. Even taking into account Tyson Jost‘s expected deal, there’s a bit of wiggle room for GM Joe Sakic and the rest of the front office.
Minnesota Wild Sign Kevin Czuczman
The Minnesota Wild have added another AHL defenseman to the mix, signing Kevin Czuczman to a one-year, two-way contract. The contract will carry an NHL salary of $750K and pay Czuczman $200K at the minor league level.
Though he has just 15 career NHL games, Czuczman will help solidify the blueline for the Iowa Wild, bringing experience and defensive ability to the minor league club. Undrafted out of Lake Superior State, he has spent the last four seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, even serving as an alternate captain. In more than 400 AHL contests, Czuczman has recorded 124 points but incredibly has made it to the playoffs just twice, never winning a round. For an Iowa team that made it to the postseason for the first time in 2019 and obviously hope to get back, he’ll hope to change that record.
Minnesota actually doesn’t have an extremely long depth chart on defense. The team has just five defensemen signed to one-way contracts for 2021-22 and now eight more on two-way deals. Two of those, Daemon Hunt and Ryan O’Rourke, would normally be ineligible for the AHL due to their age, though the latter could be allowed under the one-time exemption after suiting up 33 times last year. Either way, at this moment there aren’t a lot of names who could be called upon as injury insurance for the NHL team, meaning Czuczman may actually see a little bit of action this year.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Four Players
The Anaheim Ducks have announced a set of minor signings, adding four players to the organization. Brogan Rafferty has signed a one-year, one-way contract, Danny O’Regan has signed a two-year, two-way contract, and Greg Pateryn and Buddy Robinson have both signed one-year, two-way contracts.
Rafferty, the only player in the bunch on a one-way deal, is expected to earn $750K on the contract according to Darren Dreger of TSN. It’s an interesting gamble for the Ducks after Rafferty reached Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer, failing to get into more than three games with the Vancouver Canucks since he signed out of Quinnipiac University. That’s despite dominating the AHL in his only year there, registering 45 points in 57 games. The right-shot defenseman could potentially get into the lineup for Anaheim, at least in a limited role.
The other three each have some NHL experience, with Pateryn even once being considered a capable shutdown option. He once signed a three-year, $6.75MM deal with the Minnesota Wild, but was in the minor leagues by the end of the deal. None of the three should be considered for serious NHL time this year, but should provide some injury insurance and a strong foundation for the San Diego Gulls.
New York Rangers Sign Filip Chytil
The New York Rangers have taken care of a little restricted free agent business, signing Filip Chytil to a two-year contract. Chytil was not eligible for salary arbitration. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the contract will carry an average annual value of $2.3MM.
Now several years into his NHL career, Chytil has become a valuable part of the Rangers forward group even if his offensive production still hasn’t quite risen to expected levels. He registered eight goals and 22 points in 42 games this season while playing just over 13 minutes a night, mostly alongside young wingers Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. That trio, who are all 21-or-under, are an extremely important part of the future in New York but will all be expected to take a step forward this season.
In Chytil’s case specifically, the Rangers were not comfortable using him on the powerplay this season, which obviously limits his offensive potential. With Pavel Buchnevich gone, there may be more opportunity with the man-advantage, though it of course may not all go to Chytil. There is also the addition of a more traditional bottom-six option in Barclay Goodrow, one that may be able to take on heavy defensive minutes and allow players like Chytil to feast on weaker competition.
At the end of this contract Chytil will still be a restricted free agent, but will also be arbitration-eligible. If he wants to cash in on a big-money deal, he’ll have to put up improved scoring stats over the next two seasons. Still just 21, the first-round pick certainly has the talent to be a legitimate middle-six contributor. Now he just has to prove he can do it on a consistent basis.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
St. Louis Blues Sign Three Players
The St. Louis Blues have announced three minor signings, adding some depth to the organization. Matthew Peca, Nathan Todd and Charlie Lindgren have all agreed to one-year, two-way contracts.
Peca, 28, spent most of this season playing with the Belleville Senators, but does have 78 NHL games under his belt. A seventh-round pick of the Lightning in 2011, he has shown a strong offensive ability at the college and AHL level. Even in his limited NHL time the 5’8″ forward has 20 points, but likely won’t get much of an opportunity to play at that level in St. Louis.
Instead, Peca and Todd are likely ticketed for the AHL, where they can provide some scoring depth for the Springfield Thunderbirds. Todd hasn’t ever played in the NHL, but did score 32 points in 36 games for the Manitoba Moose last season.
The interesting name of the bunch is Lindgren, if only because the Blues’ goaltending depth chart isn’t very deep. The team appears to be going into next season with the sam Jordan Binnington–Ville Husso duo they had this year, but beyond that, only two 20-year-old prospects are under contract. That would mean Lindgren is coming in as the third-string option after spending nearly the entire 2020-21 campaign on the taxi squad.
Now 27, the undrafted Lindgren has appeared in 24 NHL games over the years and has a .907 save percentage. His numbers in the AHL during that same stretch have actually been worse, but he’s it appears as though he could be in line for some more NHL action if the Blues run into any injuries. At the very least, he’ll give the team an experienced option in the minor leagues.
Buffalo Sabres Expected To Sign John Hayden
The Buffalo Sabres have made several moves to shore up the depth of the organization, and it appears another one is coming. Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider reports that the Sabres are expected to sign John Hayden to a one-year contract. The team announced that the contract is worth a league-minimum $750,000.
Hayden, 26, played in 29 games for the Arizona Coyotes last season, registering five points and 37 penalty minutes. The 6’3″ forward has 185 games in his NHL career, most of which came with the Chicago Blackhawks. One of the assistant coaches during his time in Chicago was Don Granato, who is now behind the bench in Buffalo.
Selected in the third round in 2013, Hayden never has developed much offensive upside. What he does represent is a solid defensive option for the fourth line who also has some experience penalty killing and will engage physically when needed. With the Sabres lineup looking like it won’t be competitive this season, the team will need these structured depth pieces to help insulate the development of young forwards like Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt in more offensive situations.
Dallas Stars Sign Jani Hakanpaa, Michael Raffl
The Dallas Stars are bringing in some size on defense, signing Jani Hakanpaa to a three-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $1.5MM. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff tweets that there was something of a bidding war for Hakanpaa, but he chose Dallas to play with the strong core of Finnish players already in place. GM Jim Nill released a short statement on his newest defenseman:
Jani is a big, physical defenseman that sees the ice well and skates at a high level for a man of his size. He is a reliable penalty killer and will help balance out our backend.
If you missed Hakanpaa’s rookie season and didn’t even realize he was on the market, you probably wouldn’t be alone. That’s never-noticed attribute is the calling card of the 29-year-old defenseman, who quietly had a pretty successful season. He played 42 games with the Anaheim Ducks, registering just a single point but racking up 168 hits, before being acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes at the deadline. While his offensive production exploded in Carolina—three points in 15 games!—he won’t be asked to do any of that in Dallas.
Instead, Hakanpaa offers a huge, intimidating frame that punishes forecheckers and net-front players. He can skate well enough to keep up with today’s game even at a hulking 6’5″, and will replace some of the size that Dallas lost when Jamie Oleksiak left in the expansion process.
That won’t be the only physical presence the Stars will add today though, as they have also signed Michael Raffl to a one-year deal. Raffl’s new contract will carry an NHL salary of $1.1MM. Nill released a short statement:
Michael is a solid two-way forward with good hockey sense, allowing him to play in a variety of situations. He has a strong, physical presence on the ice and will add veteran savvy and depth to our lineup.
Not only did the Stars lose Oleksiak on the back end, but with Andrew Cogliano signing in San Jose, they also lost a big part of their bottom-six. Raffl will help fill that gap as a two-way winger who can chip in offensively when needed. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers before a trade took him to the Washington Capitals for last year’s playoff push. In 44 total games, he scored 11 points.
Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News broke the news on Twitter
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Michael Chaput
The Pittsburgh Penguins have added a depth forward, signing Michael Chaput to a one-year contract. The two-way deal will carry an average annual value of $750K.
Chaput, 29, has bounced around the NHL over his professional career, mostly suiting up in the minor leagues. His 182 games have come with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens and most recently the Arizona Coyotes, for who he played 13 matches this season. He has just 22 points during those 182 games, despite strong production at the minor league level, but does bring a big body for the fourth line.
The Penguins are notorious for bringing in fringe players and giving them a chance in the top-six, but that seems unlikely in Chaput’s case. With 11 forwards already under one-way contracts, two more restricted free agents to sign, and some other NHL depth options in the system, he seems destined to spend a good chunk of the year in the AHL once again. The last time he was there, he scored 16 goals in 47 games for the Tucson Roadrunners.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Ethan Prow
The Buffalo Sabres have added some more defensive depth, signing Ethan Prow to a one-year, $750K contract. Prow was an unrestricted free agent after spending last season overseas.
Undrafted, the 28-year-old Prow has been an interesting player to follow the last few seasons. He seemed to turn a corner in 2018-19, scoring 18 goals and 50 points in 74 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, finally getting substantial playing time without the threat of being sent to the ECHL. He followed it up with another excellent season for the Springfield Thunderbirds, before taking his talents to Germany last season.
In 26 games for Munich EHC, he racked up 20 points, once again showing he could contribute at both ends of the rink. Whether he’ll get a chance to show that in Buffalo isn’t clear, but he couldn’t have picked a better depth chart to join if he’s looking for NHL action. The Sabres have just three defensemen under one-way contracts at the moment and all of them are potential trade chips that could be flipped before next year’s deadline.
He’ll also be coming to the organization with a familiar face. Jimmy Schuldt, who the Sabres signed yesterday, was a teammate–and sometimes partner–of Prow at St. Cloud State. Unfortunately, one of their other college teammates Will Borgen was selected by the Seattle Kraken in this month’s expansion draft.
Free Agent Frenzy 2021: Day 1 Signings By Team
The 2021 offseason saw an incredible amount of player movement before the gates opened in free agency, and it didn’t slow down once players were allowed to sign new contracts. Nearly $800MM in contract dollars were dolled out on day one, with more than 160 players inking new deals. Here are all of the signings from day one of the free agent frenzy, broken down by team. All dollar amounts represent the average annual value at the NHL level.
Anaheim Ducks:
F Ryan Getzlaf – One year, $4.5MM
D Brogan Rafferty – One year, $750K
Arizona Coyotes:
F Dmitrij Jaskin – One year, $3.2MM
F Ryan Dzingel – One year, $1.1MM
G Carter Hutton – One year, $750K
F Liam O’Brien – One year, $750K
Boston Bruins:
F Nick Foligno – Two years, $3.8MM
F Erik Haula – Two years, $2.375MM
F Tomas Nosek – Two years, $1.75MM
D Derek Forbort – Three years, $3.0MM
G Linus Ullmark – Four years, $5.0MM
F Samuel Asselin – Two years, $750K
F Steven Fogarty – One year, $750K
D Tyler Lewington – One year, $750K
G Troy Grosenick – One year, $750K
Buffalo Sabres:
G Craig Anderson – One year, $750K
F Vinnie Hinostroza – One year, $1.05MM
F/D Mark Pysyk – One year, $900K
F Sean Malone – One year, $750K
D Jimmy Schuldt – One year, $750K
D Brandon Davidson – One year, $750K
G Aaron Dell – One year, $750K
Calgary Flames:
F Blake Coleman – Six years, $4.9MM
F Trevor Lewis – One year, $800K
D Kevin Gravel – One year, $750K
D Nick DeSimone – One year, $750K
G Adam Werner – One year, $750K
Carolina Hurricanes:
F Jordan Martinook – Three years, $1.8MM
F Josh Leivo – One year, $750K
D Ian Cole – One year, $2.9MM
D Anthony DeAngelo – One year, $1.0MM
G Frederik Andersen – Two years, $4.5MM
G Antti Raanta – Two years, $2.0MM
F C.J. Smith – One year, $750K
Chicago Blackhawks:
F Jujhar Khaira – Two years, $975K
D Seth Jones – Eight years, $9.5MM*
D Jake McCabe – Four years, $4.0MM
Colorado Avalanche:
D Roland McKeown – One year, $750K
Columbus Blue Jackets:
F Patrik Laine – One year, $7.5MM
F Boone Jenner – Four years, $3.75MM*
F Sean Kuraly – Four years, $2.5MM
F Eric Robinson – Two years, $1.6MM*
F Alexandre Texier – Two years, $1.525MM
F Tyler Sikura – One year, $750K
D Gavin Bayreuther – Two years, $750K
Dallas Stars:
F Luke Glendening – Two years, $1.5MM
D Ryan Suter – Four years, $3.65MM
G Braden Holtby – One year, $2.0MM
D Alex Petrovic – One year, $750K
D Andreas Borgman – One year, $750K
Detroit Red Wings:
F Pius Suter – Two years, $3.25MM
F Jordan Oesterle – Two years, $1.35MM
F Sam Gagner – One year, $850K
G Calvin Pickard – One year, $800K
Edmonton Oilers:
F Zach Hyman – Seven years, $5.5MM
F Derek Ryan – Two years, $1.25MM
D Tyson Barrie – Three years, $4.5MM
D Cody Ceci – Four years, $3.25MM
Florida Panthers:
F Carter Verhaeghe – Three years, $4.17MM*
F Maxim Mamin – One year, $975K
F Juho Lammikko – One year, $750K
G Christopher Gibson – One year, $750K
Los Angeles Kings:
F Phillip Danault – Six years, $5.5MM
F Andreas Athanasiou – One year, $2.7MM
D Alexander Edler – One year, $3.5MM
F T.J. Tynan – One year, $750K
G Garrett Sparks – One year, $750K
Minnesota Wild:
F Frederick Gaudreau – Two years, $1.2MM
D Alex Goligoski – One year, $5.0MM
D Dmitry Kulikov – Two years, $2.25MM
F Dominic Turgeon – One year, $750K
D Jon Lizotte – One year, $750K
D Joe Hicketts – Two years, $750K
Montreal Canadiens:
F Mike Hoffman – Three years, $4.5MM
F Cedric Paquette – One year, $950K
D David Savard – Four years, $3.5MM
D Chris Wideman – One year, $750K
F Jean-Sebastien Dea – One year, $750K
D Louis Belpedio – One year, $750K
Nashville Predators:
F Mikael Granlund – Four years, $5.0MM
G David Rittich – One year, $1.25MM
F Zachary L’Heureaux – Three years, $925K**
F Michael McCarron – Two years, $750K
F Anthony Richard – One year, $750K
F Matt Luff – One year, $750K
D Matt Tennyson – Two years, $750K
New Jersey Devils:
D Dougie Hamilton – Seven years, $9.0MM
G Jonathan Bernier – Two years, $4.125MM
F Brian Flynn – One year, $750K
F Chase De Leo – One year, $750K
New York Islanders:
(None)
New York Rangers:
D Patrik Nemeth – Three years, $2.5MM
D Jarred Tinordi – Two years, $900K
F Dryden Hunt – Two years, $763K
F Greg McKegg – One year, $750K
Ottawa Senators:
D Michael Del Zotto – Two years, $2.0MM
F Andrew Agozzino – On year, $800K
Philadelphia Flyers:
F Nate Thompson – One year, $800K
D Keith Yandle – One year, $900K
G Martin Jones – One year, $2.0MM
F Ryan Fitzgerald – One year, $750K
F Gerald Mayhew – One year, $800K
D Cooper Zech – Two years, $838K**
D Adam Clendening – One year, $750K
D Nick Seeler – One year, $750K
Pittsburgh Penguins:
F Brock McGinn – Four years, $2.75MM
F Evan Rodrigues – One year, $1.0MM
F Dominik Simon – One year, $750K
D Taylor Fedun – One year, $750K
G Filip Lindberg – Two years, $925K**
San Jose Sharks:
F Nick Bonino – Two years, $2.05MM
F Andrew Cogliano – One year, $1.0MM
G James Reimer – Two years, $2.25MM
F Lane Pederson – Two years, $750K
F Nick Merkley – One year, $750K
D Jaycob Megna – One year, $750K
Seattle Kraken:
F Jaden Schwartz – Five years, $5.5MM
F Alexander Wennberg – Three years, $4.5MM
G Philipp Grubauer – Six years, $5.9MM
St. Louis Blues:
(None)
Tampa Bay Lightning:
F Brayden Point – Eight years, $9.5MM*
F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Two years, $1.0MM
D Zach Bogosian – Three years, $850K
G Brian Elliott – One year, $900K
F Gabriel Dumont – One year, $750K
F Remi Elie – One year, $750K
F Charles Hudon – One year, $750K
D Darren Raddysh – One year, $750K
D Andrej Sustr – One year, $750K
G Maxime Lagace – One year, $750K
Toronto Maple Leafs:
F David Kampf – Two years, $1.5MM
F Michael Bunting – Two years, $950K
F Kurtis Gabriel – One year, $750K
G Petr Mrazek – Three years, $3.8MM
F Michael Amadio – One year, $750K
D Carl Dahlstrom – One year, $750K
D Alex Biega – One year, $750K
Vancouver Canucks:
F Brandon Sutter – One year, $1.125MM
F Justin Dowling – Two years, $750K
D Travis Hamonic – Two years, $3.0MM
D Tucker Poolman – Four years, $2.5MM
D Luke Schenn – Two years, $850K
D Brad Hunt – One year, $800K
D Brady Keeper – Two years, $763K
G Jaroslav Halak – One year, $1.5MM (+$1.5MM performance bonuses)
F Danila Klimovich – Three years, $887K**
F Justin Bailey – One year, $750K
F Sheldon Dries – One year, $750K
F Phillip Di Giuseppe – One year, $750K
F Nicolas Petan – One year, $750K
D Kyle Burroughs – Two years, $750K
D Devante Stephens – One year, $750K
Vegas Golden Knights:
F Mattias Janmark – One year, $2.0MM
F Patrick Brown – Two years, $750K
D Alec Martinez – Three years, $5.25MM
G Laurent Brossoit – Two years, $2.325MM
F Sven Baertschi – One year, $750K
F Gage Quinney – One year, $750K
Washington Capitals:
D Dylan McIlrath – Two years, $750K
D Lucas Johansen – One year, $750K
D Matt Irwin – One year, $750K
G Hunter Shepard – Two years, $750K
Winnipeg Jets:
F Michael Eyssimont – Two years, $750K
F Luke Johnson – One year, $750K
*Extension starting in 2022-23
**Entry-level contract
Indicates two-way deal