New Jersey Devils Sign Dmitry Kulikov
The New Jersey Devils have signed one of the remaining free agent defensemen, inking Dmitry Kulikov to a one-year contract worth $1.15MM. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald released a statement:
Kulikov is an experienced, physical left-shot defenseman who skates well. His ability to play both the right and left side brings value to our defense corps.
In a year that saw the Winnipeg Jets use teenaged rookies because they lost so many defensemen at one time, Kulikov ended up averaging more than twenty minutes a night over 51 games. He recorded just ten points during that time, but won’t be asked to score much in New Jersey.
Instead, he’ll be used as a physical depth option that can fill in should the team run into injury trouble. The Devils already had five NHL defensemen after acquiring Ryan Murray and have top prospects Ty Smith, Kevin Bahl and Reilly Walsh all pushing for playing time.
It’s unlikely that Kulikov stands in anyone’s way, but does give the team another veteran option to deploy in case they aren’t ready for NHL action.
NHL Postpones 2021 Winter Classic, All-Star Weekend
The NHL has officially postponed both the 2021 Winter Classic and 2021 All-Star Weekend due to the lack of fan participation and attendance that will be possible. The league has not changed their previous target of January 1 as a potential start date for the upcoming season, though that is obviously still not confirmed at this point.
The Winter Classic was scheduled to be held at Target Field in Minneapolis and was to feature the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. The Florida Panthers were set to host the All-Star Weekend at the end of January. The league intends to return to both locations for the respective events “in the near future” and lists 2022 as a target.
In the release, they included this statement from NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer:
Fan participation, both in arenas and stadiums as well as in the ancillary venues and events that we stage around the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend, is integral to the success of our signature events. Because of the uncertainty as to when we will be able to welcome our fans back to our games, we felt that the prudent decision at this time was to postpone these celebrations until 2022 when our fans should be able to enjoy and celebrate these tentpole events in-person, as they were always intended. We are also considering several new and creative events that will allow our fans to engage with our games and teams during this upcoming season.
It was always very unlikely that either event would be able to proceed as planned given the delayed start and condensed schedule that next season will have to work under.
Dallas Stars Sign Denis Gurianov
The Dallas Stars have reached an agreement with young restricted free agent Denis Gurianov, signing him to a two-year contract according to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News. DeFranks reports that the contract will carry an average annual value of $2.55MM. Gurianov was not eligible for arbitration.
There was a time not too long ago that Gurianov was one of the most disappointing prospects in the Dallas system. He was even made a healthy scratch in the minor leagues at one point, and seemed like he would never live up to the 12th-overall pick the team used on him in 2015. That had all changed by the 2020 playoffs, when the 6’3″ forward became a legitimate star for the team, scoring nine goals and 17 points in 27 bubble matches.
Gurianov had only 29 points during the regular season, but 20 of those were goals, leading the entire Dallas team. His quick-strike capacity and ability to get behind defenders resulted in a player that could change a game at a moment’s notice, and at 23 years old he still has time to polish the rest of his offensive game.
A two-year contract isn’t the long-term extension that some were expecting for Gurianov, but it does keep him in the organization and leaves him a restricted free agent when the deal expires. He’ll be arbitration-eligible at that point and will likely have a lot of leverage should his growth continue, but for now he represents a ton of excess value for the Stars.
The team still has Roope Hintz to sign, but the Stars have more than $4MM in cap space even while paying Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin close to $10MM each. That’s thanks to the strong contributions of young, inexpensive players like Gurianov and superstar defenseman Miro Heiskanen (who will need a new deal next offseason).
That leaves them a little bit of room for another addition if they choose, or they can continue to roll with basically the same group that got all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Calgary Flames Sign Dominik Simon
The Calgary Flames have added another option for their forward group, signing Dominik Simon to a one-year, $700K contract. Simon did not receive a qualifying offer from the Pittsburgh Penguins, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Simon, 26, is another example of a mid-round pick turning into a useful piece for the Penguins, even if he never quite did excel offensively. The fifth-round selection from 2015 has played 173 games in his NHL career, scoring 19 goals and 64 points. The usefulness came more from his versatility, as Simon bounced all over the lineup, even spending time next to Sidney Crosby for a period.
Though he isn’t likely to be a difference-maker in the Flames top-six, he is a valuable addition to a team that hasn’t been able to get over the playoff hump. Simon didn’t participate in the Stanley Cup run in 2017 but was part of the Penguins “Black Aces” that saw exactly what was required to win.
For Calgary, this gives them a 12th NHL forward (including Dillon Dube, who is still on his entry-level deal) and only increases the competition for minutes in the bottom-six. The team still has to sign restricted free agent Oliver Kylington but could even make another one of these depth moves with their remaining cap space. With the free agent market standing still, players like Simon will likely be happy just to get a job, even if it does pay the league minimum.
Buffalo Sabres Re-Sign Casey Nelson
The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed Casey Nelson to a one-year contract worth $700K. The veteran defenseman has played his entire career in the Buffalo organization but became an unrestricted free agent earlier this month.
Nelson, 28, was an undrafted free agent signing by the Sabres in 2016 out of Minnesota State-Mankato and has been in the system ever since. He has played 93 games at the NHL level but was actually limited to AHL-only appearances in 2019-20.
Even if that’s where he will eventually end up, it’s nice for the Sabres to have a player with that much NHL experience at the ready for what will likely be a gruelling, condensed 2020-21 campaign. His familiarity with the organization and inexpensive contract will come in handy when injuries strike.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Jake Virtanen
The Vancouver Canucks have avoided arbitration with Jake Virtanen, signing the restricted free agent forward to a two-year contract worth a total of $5.1MM ($2.55MM AAV). Virtanen had an arbitration hearing scheduled for October 28 that will no longer be required. PuckPedia reports that the deal pays $1.7MM next season and $3.4MM in 2021-22 ($3MM salary, $400K signing bonus) which means his qualifying offer in 2022 will be $3MM.
While the other arbitration cases that have settled in recent days may not have a chain reaction across the rest of the roster, Virtanen’s new deal has the potential for one. The contract moves the Canucks over the salary cap ceiling of $81.5MM (to about $83MM with a 23-man roster) while also opening a 24-hour buyout window for them (starting two days from now). As always, Loui Eriksson‘s name will be brought up in regards to a buyout, given he is still the highest-paid forward on the team.
The problem, as it always has been, with an Eriksson buyout is that it only reduces his 2020-21 cap hit by $333,333. While the team will save a pretty penny a year from now, it wouldn’t be the answer for their current roster.
Instead, the team seems more likely to complete a trade or go with a smaller roster for the beginning of the season. Virtanen himself has been involved in trade speculation over the summer and with a new contract perhaps that smoke will begin to rise out of Vancouver once again. Teams rarely want to acquire a player with an arbitration hearing scheduled, since they would have to take it over without a ton of time to prepare.
If he stays in Vancouver, a $2.55MM cap hit is certainly not prohibitive given Virtanen did score 18 goals for the team this year. After that improvement in the regular season they expected a lot from the powerful forward in the playoffs, where it seemed his game should be well suited. Instead, he disappointed GM Jim Benning with just two goals and three points in 16 games.
Selected sixth overall in 2014, it’s not the first time that Virtanen has disappointed. Even his post-draft year in 2014-15 was sort of a flop, with the Calgary Hitmen star producing only 26 goals in 64 WHL games. For a player drafted that high (and one that had scored 45 the year before), it wasn’t quite the production expected. Still, Virtanen jumped straight into the NHL the following season and played 55 games, scoring seven goals and holding his own. When that next step was expected, he once again faltered and ended up playing in the AHL for most of 2016-17.
It’s frustrating, given the obvious raw skill, speed and power that Virtanen possesses. In 295 career NHL games he has scored 52 goals and 98 points, a far cry from some of the forwards picked just a few selections after him. At 24 there is still time for him to mature into an impact NHL option, but it will be interesting to see if it happens in Vancouver.
Virtanen will still be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights when the contract expires.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Joyce, Colorado, Payment
The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to hire Eric Joyce as their new director of hockey strategy, according to Frank Seravalli of TSN. Joyce had been with the Florida Panthers since 2013, most recently as the senior vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager. With new leadership in the Florida front office, there was bound to be additional departures.
More from around the league:
- The Colorado Avalanche won’t be playing at the Pepsi Center next season. No, that rink will now be called the Ball Arena after a new partnership with the organization. Ball Corporation and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which own the Avalanche, announced a “first-of-its-kind global partnership across three marquee venues” to advance a goal of waste control and sustainability in sports and entertainment.
- Seravalli also reports that players that have a contract for 2020-21 and were frozen on an NHL roster at the time of the league pause, will be paid 8.1% of their upcoming salary by October 31. John Shannon adds on Twitter that this will be the only payment players will receive before the next season begins. This payment is important to remember when evaluating trades starting next month, as the remaining salary will be lessened even further even though games have yet to start.
Antoine Bibeau Signs With Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have added depth to the organization’s goaltending position, signing Antoine Bibeau to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level. Bibeau was injured for almost all of last season, but GM Don Waddell explained today that he is fully healthy and ready to help the Hurricanes in 2020-21.
Now 26, Bibeau was originally a selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013 and actually made his NHL debut for that organization during the 2016-17 season. A stop in San Jose resulted only in time in the minor leagues before Bibeau joined Colorado for the 2019-20 season.
He actually played in two NHL games before his hip injury put him out of commission, taking his total to four in his career. It’s unclear exactly where he fits into the depth chart, but given that the 2020-21 season could be condensed quite significantly and have regional bubbles, travelling with a third goaltender may become the norm.
Connor Brown Avoids Arbitration
The Ottawa Senators have avoided arbitration with Connor Brown, settling on a three-year contract just hours ahead of his scheduled hearing. The new contract will carry an average annual value of $3.6MM and keeps Brown under contract through the 2022-23 season. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement:
We’re very happy to have Connor back under contract. He brings a veteran presence to our lineup and is a player who can play in different situations. He’s durable, has a strong work ethic with great practice habits and is regarded as a leader by his teammates. His ability to play up and down the lineup while producing offensively is especially valuable to us as we continue our transition towards being a consistent winner.
Brown was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing later today. That would have resulted in a one-year contract that would have taken the 26-year-old right to unrestricted free agency, but he’ll stay in the organization a little longer with this three-year deal. Brown had filed for $4.8MM while the team had filed for just $2.25MM.
All five of this week’s arbitration hearings were settled prior to taking place. The next one on the schedule is Tyler Bertuzzi on Sunday.
Brown scored a career-high 43 points this season with the Senators, while averaging more than 20 minutes a night to lead their entire forward group. That included a huge amount of penalty killing responsibility, along with a good amount of powerplay time as well. That versatility is key to why Brown is so well-liked on any team he plays for, and a big reason why the Senators have decided to keep him around.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Kris Russell To One-Year Extension
The Edmonton Oilers have worked out an extension for veteran defenseman Kris Russell, who is heading into the final season of the four-year, $16MM deal he signed in 2017. Carrying a cap hit of $4MM for 2020-21, Russell has signed a new one-year extension for 2021-22 that will pay him $1.25MM.
Russell, 33, has played in 273 regular season games for the Oilers over the last four years, but saw his role on the team diminished quite significantly in 2019-20. He averaged just under 17 minutes a night through 55 games and saw that number drop even further in the team’s short qualification round. One of the leaders in blocked shots every year, Russell is used extensively on the penalty kill but has turned into something of a liability at even-strength.
Still, at a reduced salary, he is still a useful piece for an Oilers team that is hoping to go on long playoff runs in each of the next two postseasons.
The real reason for a contract like this, however, may lie in the upcoming expansion draft. The team previously had only a single defenseman—Darnell Nurse—that would fulfill the exposure requirements. Oscar Klefbom is just four games away from meeting them, but he is expected to be out long-term with a shoulder injury and may not be able to play those. Neither of those two would be left exposed anyway, meaning the team needed someone signed through the 2021-22 season that also met the games played requirement that they could leave unprotected.
Russell is likely that player now, though that certainly doesn’t mean he’ll be a Seattle Kraken pick.
PuckPedia was first to break the news of the pending extension, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported it would be for one year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images