Detroit Red Wings Sign Anthony Mantha
The Detroit Red Wings have reached an agreement with Anthony Mantha on a new four-year contract. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the deal is worth an average annual value of $5.7MM. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic provides the full breakdown:
- 2020-21: $4.5MM
- 2021-22: $5.3MM
- 2022-23: $6.5MM
- 2023-24: $6.5MM
This multi-year contract locks up a core piece of the Red Wings forward group and actually becomes the longest deal on the books for GM Steve Yzerman. Mantha is the only player in the organization currently signed through the 2023-24 season, with even Dylan Larkin expiring a year earlier. That term and security likely bought Detroit some cap savings on the deal, given how effective Mantha has been in his last few seasons.
A first-round pick in 2013, it took a few years for the power forward to fill out and reach the NHL. When he did though, he brought the instant goal scoring that he had provided at every other step of the way, scoring 17 in his first full season in Detroit. Mantha followed that up with 24 goals in his sophomore campaign and 25 in just 67 games in 2018-19, showing how easily he would be able to reach the 30-goal threshold at some point.
Unfortunately, after scoring 12 goals and 24 points in his first 29 games of 2019-20, Mantha was injured when he was tossed to the ground by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin. He would miss more than six weeks of the season, making his return to the lineup in mid-February. Perhaps even more effective down the stretch, Mantha put up 14 more points in 14 games before the season was halted, bringing his totals to 16 goals and 38 points in just 43 games this year.
That kind of per-game production, especially for a player that is still squarely in his prime, is usually rewarded with even more money than Detroit committed here. The deal buys out two years of unrestricted free agency and could look like a steal if Mantha can get healthy enough to play every night, finally reaching that 30-goal mark.
For the Red Wings, who are still in their rebuilding phase, this represents a relatively low-risk investment in a core player. Without any other long-term commitments, the team has ample cap space over the next few years to develop and sign their young talent. Names like Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula, Luke Glendening, Marc Staal, Patrik Nemeth, and Jonathan Bernier are all on contracts that expire after this season, opening up the playbook for Yzerman to build the squad as he sees fit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Ryan Strome, New York Rangers Exchange Arbitration Figures
The next arbitration hearing is set for Thursday, with Ryan Strome and the New York Rangers sitting down (virtually) to make their case for a new contract. Today, they exchanged filings. Strome has filed for $5.7MM, while the Rangers have filed for $3.6MM, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
It is important to remember that in the NHL, the arbitrator does not need to choose one filing or the other and usually instead awards a contract somewhere in the middle. The two sides can also come to an agreement in the coming days, though this year once the hearing begins they must wait for the reward and cannot settle while the arbitrator deliberates.
In this case, the player’s ask is above the $4,538,938 “walk away” threshold, meaning that if the award comes in above that number the Rangers would have the option to release Strome to unrestricted free agency instead. If they choose to do that, Strome would actually have an opportunity to take the initial $3.6MM team filing instead of testing the market—a tougher decision in today’s flat-cap world.
Already 27, Strome is only eligible for a one-year contract and would become a UFA next offseason. The fifth-overall pick from 2011 has had a very up-and-down career, finding his footing early with the Islanders only to struggle for several years afterward. Following an unsuccessful stint with the Edmonton Oilers, Strome has found a new home in New York, recording 18 goals and 59 points last season.
The savvy, playmaking center still doesn’t have the greatest foot speed or elite raw skills but has proven he can be a capable middle-six pivot in the right situation. With the Rangers suddenly looking extremely dangerous at forward, perhaps they would be willing to pay up for a season of Strome to see what this group can do in the standings. A long-term deal is still obviously possible, if unlikely, especially if it would cost the Rangers upwards of $5MM per season. The team has several young players to get under contract in the coming years and may not be able to afford a contract like that for Strome.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Mason Marchment Re-Signs With Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have come to a new agreement with one of their young restricted free agents, re-signing Mason Marchment to a one-year, two-way contract. Marchment was acquired by the Panthers last season and was actually arbitration-eligible, though he decided not to file.
A big, rangy forward with more than a little of his father, Bryan Marchment’s, bite, the 25-year-old forward came over to the Panthers in exchange for Denis Malgin. He played just six games in the Florida minor league system before the season was halted, scoring two points. But there’s more offense in the undrafted Marchement, who was a project player for the Maple Leafs that they turned into a fringe NHL talent. He scored 13 goals and 18 points in 24 games for the Toronto Marlies last season, also getting into his first four NHL contests.
Whether the new regime in Florida believes he can play in the NHL or not, Marchment will be at the very least a valuable depth piece for the Charlotte Checkers as they begin a new affiliation with Florida.
Kurtis Gabriel Signs With San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have added a little toughness to the organization, signing Kurtis Gabriel to a one-year contract. PuckPedia reports the deal is a two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level and $175K in the minor leagues. Gabriel spent last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and was an unrestricted free agent. Sharks GM Doug Wilson released a short statement on the signing:
Kurtis provides valuable depth to the organization, having experience at both the NHL and AHL level. He is a great teammate who brings an extremely competitive, hard working attitude on the ice. We are happy to have him join our organization.
Gabriel, 27, was a third-round pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2013, but he certainly wasn’t drafted for his offensive upside. The 6’3″ 220-lbs winger has 11 fights in his 38 career NHL games and 51 in a much longer AHL career. Over that same period, he has scored five points in the NHL and 63 in the minors.
In San Jose, he’ll most likely be headed to the Barracuda, his fourth AHL team since 2018. He suited up 53 times for the Phantoms this season, scoring nine points and registering 92 penalty minutes.
Importantly, Gabriel’s contract becomes the 48th on the books for the Sharks, just two under the limit of 50. That doesn’t leave them much flexibility to sign other players, including restricted free agents Jonathan Dahlen and Tony Sund. Both players are signed overseas for this year, but the Sharks do still retain their rights and could potentially sign them after their European seasons are complete. While it’s not an immediate issue, it is something to keep an eye on with regards to San Jose.
Florida Panthers Add To Hockey Operations Staff
The Florida Panthers have announced two new hires to their front office, naming Paul Krepelka assistant general manager and Tom Bark assistant to the general manager. New GM Bill Zito released a statement on the hires:
Paul and Tom are crucial additions to our Hockey Operations Staff. Paul joins the Florida Panthers with a wealth of experience from his time in the NHL, ECHL and on the agent side of the hockey business. As for Tom, I know him well from our time together in Columbus where he provided exceptional insight on the scouting and evaluation side of the game. I am thrilled to have them both on our team as we prepare for the upcoming season.
The Panthers have revamped their entire management group since the end of the season, bringing Zito over from the Columbus Blue Jackets and surrounding him with experienced pieces from around the league. Krepelka is another one, coming over from the Carolina Hurricanes after serving as their VP of hockey operations the last two seasons.
Bark meanwhile has experience with Zito from Columbus, where he served in several roles including a similar assistant to the GM title.
Jared McIsaac Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Deja vu all over again. Detroit Red Wings prospect Jared McIssac underwent left shoulder surgery after suffering an injury while playing in Finland. The recovery period is expected to be between five and six months, something McIsaac is very familiar with after undergoing a similar procedure on his right shoulder just prior to the 2019-20 season.
Selected with the 36th overall pick in 2018, McIssac was a steal for the Red Wings in the second round given his ranking by almost every scouting service. This was a player who had taken home the defensive rookie of the year award in 2017 after being picked second in the QMJHL draft, won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament, and looked like a future top-four NHL defenseman. Unfortunately, that development has been stalled by two major injuries now, which certainly raises questions about his future.
Still, after the last surgery, McIssac still returned in time to suit up for Team Canada at the most recent World Junior Championship, starring for the team and taking home a gold medal. He ended up playing in 28 games at the QMJHL level, recording 19 points.
If he can complete a similar rehab and get back on the ice by the end of this season, the Red Wings will be able to see what they have. At just 20 years old there is still plenty of time for him to get his development back on track, but we won’t see him in a Detroit sweater for a while.
Minor Transactions: 11/02/20
The offseason has slowed to a crawl with just a few arbitration hearings to come and a handful of free agents to sign. With the news that the AHL and some junior leagues are targeting February as a start date, however, things will likely pick up in the way of minor signings. We’ll keep track of the notable ones right here:
- Kyle Wood, who finished the 2019-20 season in the Detroit Red Wings organization, has signed in the German second league. Wood, 24, was a third-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2014 but hasn’t actually played a single game in the NHL. It’s not every day that you find a 6’5″ defenseman that can record 43 points in 68 games, but that’s exactly what Wood did as a rookie in the AHL.
- Yuri Terao is headed back to Japan after his dynamic rookie season in the ECHL, at least until the minor league gets back underway. Terao is playing with his hometown Nikko Icebucks of the Asia League, but is expected to return to North America when the ECHL season starts. For the Utah Grizzlies last year, Terao scored 18 goals and 40 points in 61 games.
- Chicago Blackhawks forward Pius Suter, who had been on loan with the GCK Lions in the Swiss second tier, has been re-assigned to the ZSC Lions in the first tier. That’s certainly nothing to worry about for Suter, who spent the last five seasons with Zurich and won the league MVP in 2019-20.
- Jaycob Megna has signed a one-year AHL contract with the San Jose Barracuda, giving the team a veteran defenseman for the lineup next season. Megna, 27, has played 43 NHL games but spent the entire 2019-20 season with the Chicago Wolves, scoring three goals and ten points.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Dillon Heatherington Signs In KHL
After spending the entire 2019-20 season in the AHL, Dillon Heatherington has decided to look elsewhere for his hockey employment. Heatherington has signed a one-year contract with Barys Nur-Sultan in the KHL.
The 25-year-old defenseman was originally a second-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013 but ended up traded to the Dallas Stars organization before ever playing a game in the NHL. With the Stars, he ended up becoming a core member of their AHL team, reaching the Calder Cup Finals in 2018 and wearing a letter as alternate captain the following year. He also played in 12 games for Dallas during his time there, including a playoff game in 2019.
Now heading to the KHL, Heatherington is certainly not off the radar of NHL teams down the line. Still young enough to develop further and big enough to make scouts believe he could play a role, it seems likely that you’ll hear his name again down the line as a potential free agent signing in North America.
Poll: Which Of The Eliminated Seven Will Return To The Postseason In 2021?
When the NHL convinced the NHLPA to return in a bubble this summer, part of the agreement was for an expanded postseason. Just seven teams were actually eliminated, finishing their seasons in early March with no chance at the Stanley Cup.
For many of the players on the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres, it has already been almost eight months since they last played a competitive hockey game. While those squads may receive some sort of extended training camp, it’s going to be a battle to get back into the postseason in 2021.
Even though it’s tough, that doesn’t mean they won’t give it a try. Many of the seven teams have made major additions this offseason, with some even completing sweeping changes to their roster.
The Ducks, who finished 29-33-9 in 2019-20, had almost no financial flexibility to do anything on the free agent market. Kevin Shattenkirk and Derek Grant were their UFA additions, both coming on three-year deals. They do however have a wave of young talent working its way up the depth chart, which could at any point propel them to success. The same could be said about the Kings, who spent even less in free agency. Los Angeles is just at the start of their rebuild and will hope that top pick Quinton Byfield can make an NHL impact quickly.
The Sharks were one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season, winning just 29 of their 70 games. This was a team that had just gone to the Western Conference Finals in 2019 and was still loaded with household names like Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Logan Couture. Goaltending was a huge part of the problem for the Sharks, but bringing in Devan Dubnyk certainly doesn’t guarantee an improvement.
New Jersey had plenty of hype after landing the first-overall pick in 2019 and surrounding him with expensive players like Nikita Gusev and P.K. Subban. When Hughes didn’t immediately set the league on fire, the team couldn’t really compete in a tough Metropolitan Division. This offseason the Devils have landed a proven middle-six winger in Andreas Johnsson, a capable defenseman in Ryan Murray, and a Stanley Cup champion in Corey Crawford to help them get over the hump. Development from Hughes is likely the most important factor here.
The same could be said about the Senators, who have taken an extremely young roster and added veteran pieces all over the ice. Evgenii Dadonov and Matt Murray highlight the additions, though the draft was really where the Senators believe their offseason earned its stripes. It’ll be tough for Ottawa this year, but they’re obviously on the track towards postseason contention.
Detroit is only really a year into their full rebuild and has stripped their roster of any long-term contracts. Sure, they added veterans like Vladislav Namestnikov and Bobby Ryan in free agency, but those both seem more like trade chips than core pieces.
In Buffalo, it’s playoffs-or-bust at this point. The team signed free agent superstar Taylor Hall to a one-year deal, brought Eric Staal away from his home in Minnesota, and added depth up front with pieces like Cody Eakin. New GM Kevyn Adams isn’t focused on a rebuild, he’s focused on getting the Sabres back to for the first time in a decade.
But who actually has the best chance at making the postseason? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments!
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Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Joey Anderson
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed their final restricted free agent, inking Joey Anderson to a three-year contract. The deal is two-way in the first two years and one-way in the third while carrying an average annual value of $750K at the NHL level. Anderson was acquired recently by Toronto in a trade that saw Andreas Johnsson head to the New Jersey Devils.
Though the Johnsson deal was more about clearing some salary cap room for the Maple Leafs, they targeted Anderson as a potential return because he still possesses some NHL upside. The 22-year-old forward was a third-round pick in 2016 and has played in 52 NHL games with the Devils, scoring eight goals and 13 points in limited minutes. Once the captain of Team USA at the World Juniors, he brings a hard-nosed work ethic to win puck battles in the corner and in front of the net.
While Anderson may not possess high-end puck skills like many of the other Maple Leafs forwards, his playstyle could be a potential replacement for Zach Hyman, whose contract expires at the end of this season. Hyman, a Toronto native, has turned himself from mid-round afterthought with the Florida Panthers to multiple 20-goal scorer with the Maple Leafs despite not having outstanding offensive skill or playmaking ability. Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, he’ll be the success story that the coaching staff can point to when working with Anderson.
The three-year term may come as a bit of a surprise for a player who likely isn’t going to see full-time NHL action this season, but Anderson was obviously willing to take the security of a multi-year deal. Of course, it’s not only Hyman that is on an expiring contract. The Maple Leafs, in their attempt to make the flat cap work around their huge star contracts, have signed five players—Wayne Simmonds, Jimmy Vesey, Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza and Travis Boyd—to one-year deals. Unless they can repeat that next offseason, they’ll need players like Anderson to step in at league-minimum costs.