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The frenzy of free agency has slowed considerably in the last several days as teams try to figure out how all the pieces fit together. Alex Pietrangelo is headed to the strip, while Torey Krug takes his place in St. Louis. There are still several difference-makers available on the open market, but who knows when they’ll actually decide on a place to play next season. Months remain before training camps even open, with no expectation of games before the end of the year.
With that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR mailbag.
If you missed our last one before the offseason began, it was split into two parts you can read here and here. In the first, Brian gave some predictions for some of the Western Conference contenders, while also giving his thoughts on the state of officiating in the NHL. In the second, he correctly predicted that Nikita Zadorov would be elsewhere when the 2020-21 season began, before discussing the future of the NHL and the potential of having a full season with no fans in the buildings.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. We’ll try to get to everything when the mailbag runs this weekend.
Snapshots: Bedard, Seattle, McCarthy
Move over Alexis, a new Canadian prospect is here. Connor Bedard, the first player to be granted exceptional status in the WHL, suited up for HV71 in the Swedish under-20 league today. Bedard only turned 15 a few months ago and was picked by the Regina Pats first overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, but is getting his first taste of play this season overseas.
The incredibly shifty, talented forward from Vancouver is eligible for the 2023 NHL draft but is already wowing scouts all over the world. His development is obviously extremely important, but a move like this to play overseas only highlights how difficult this season could be for many other prospects that are waiting on their WHL and OHL schedules to begin. Not everyone is Bedard, receiving a prime opportunity to play with a strong European organization.
- The Seattle Kraken have hired seven new people for their organization, including former NHL forward Gary Roberts, who will receive the title of sports science and performance consultant. The other names, which include Michael Booi, Nate Brookreson, Jeff Camelio, and Tim Ohashi all seem to be strong hires with long successful resumes of their own. Roberts though will get the headlines, thanks to his yearly offseason strength and conditioning work with players like Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid. Roberts of course is a former teammate of Kraken GM Ron Francis in both Carolina and Toronto.
- The Washington Capitals have hired Kevin McCarthy as an assistant coach, joining Peter Laviolette‘s new staff. McCarthy will work with the team’s defensemen and has worked with Laviolette for years, in Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina. He joins a staff that also includes Scott Arniel, Blaine Forsythe and Scott Murray.
Kristian Vesalainen Loaned To HPK
The Winnipeg Jets have sent Kristian Vesalainen to HPK in Finland for the time being, loaning him overseas until the 2020-21 season begins. The young forward still has two years remaining on his entry-level contract.
Vesalainen, 21, has had an interesting development path, to say the least. Selected 24th overall in 2017 he stayed in Finland with HPK for the following season, dominating Liiga to the tune of 39 points in 44 games before a late-season trade to Karpat for the playoffs. He ended up helping that team win the league title and starred at the World Juniors, but his first year in the Winnipeg organization didn’t go quite as well.
The young forward started in the NHL but after being sent down to the minor leagues used his European Assignment Clause to go to the KHL. After playing a few months in the KHL and being eliminated quickly in the playoffs, he returned to the AHL to play for the Manitoba Moose again.
That’s where he spent all of 2019-20, scoring 12 goals and 30 points in 60 games. The big winger still has a good chunk of development left before he becomes a real impact player at the NHL level, but he’ll get an early start on his season in a league he has already dominated. Hopefully that gives him the confidence and preparation needed to battle for a roster spot in Jets camp.
Zach Senyshyn Re-Signs With Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins have signed restricted free agent forward Zachary Senyshyn to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level. Senyshyn was not eligible for arbitration.
Senyshyn, 23, has still yet to establish himself as a true NHL option for the Bruins, five years removed from being the 15th overall selection. In 2019-20 he played in four games for Boston, recording two assists while averaging a little over eight minutes a night. Even his minor league numbers haven’t grown to the level that was expected, with Senyshyn scoring just seven goals and 16 points in 42 games for Providence this year.
The idea of the former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds star becoming an impact top-six winger for the Bruins is pretty much dead at this point, but perhaps he can still carve out a role at the NHL level. The team brought in Craig Smith to give them another option on the right side but will likely be missing David Pastrnak for the beginning of the season after recent surgery.
Even without much production, it wasn’t time for the Bruins to give up on the young forward. He’ll join a growing group of prospects that will battle for roster spots at training camp (whenever that is) and have to wait patiently for his next opportunity.
Scott Wilson Signs With Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have added some depth to their forward group, agreeing to terms with Scott Wilson on a one-year, two-way contract. Wilson has spent the last few seasons in the Buffalo Sabres organization, playing mostly at the minor league level.
Now 28, Wilson has carved out a long professional career after being the 209th overall selection in 2011. After three seasons at UMass-Lowell, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014 and has suited up in more than 200 NHL games in the years since. Between 2016-2018 he was a regular in the league, even scoring 26 points in 78 games with the Penguins before helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2017. In Buffalo, things haven’t gone as smoothly, with Wilson playing more at the AHL level over the past two seasons.
There is certainly a chance that he can find a full-time roster position in Florida, though it seems more likely that Wilson will hit the waiver wire again before the season begins and spend most of his time in the AHL. That is of course if the AHL has a season, which isn’t certain at this point.
If it doesn’t, Wilson is exactly the type of player that can be kept around in a taxi squad of sorts, ready to jump into the lineup in case of injury.
Latest On Mike Hoffman
The free agent frenzy has died down considerably in the last few days, but one big name still remains on the open market. Mike Hoffman, the player ranked fourth on our Top 50 UFA board and second among forwards behind only Taylor Hall, is still a free agent more than ten days into the process. Today, Adam Vingan of The Athletic published a piece with several quotes from Hoffman’s agent which indicates there is still a strong market for his client.
Robert Hooper of Octagon Hockey told Vingan that 13 teams have reached out, with five or six “serious” contenders. He also indicated that Hoffman may be willing to take a one-year deal similar to the one Hall signed in Buffalo, though noted that “you want to put yourself in a good situation” if you go that route.
It’s hard to find many teams that couldn’t use Hoffman’s consistent offense in the lineup. Over six years that he has been a regular NHL player, the 30-year-old forward ranks 16th in goals across the entire NHL. The players above him are basically the NHL’s elite and are almost all working on expensive, long-term deals. It hasn’t come from a few outlying seasons either. Hoffman has scored at least 26 goals in five of those six seasons, with his worst output being a 22-goal campaign in 2017-18. He reached a new career-high of 36 in 2018-19, before racking up 29 in a shortened season this year.
Armed with one of the most dangerous shots in the NHL, he could help most of the powerplays in the league and become a valuable mercenary on a one-year deal. That is of course if he actually goes that route and tries to build up his value for another free agent run in 2021.
Former Florida Panthers teammate Evgenii Dadonov—who is a similarly regarded offensive weapon, if a little older and with a shorter track record—decided to take a three-year, $15MM deal with the Ottawa Senators in this depressed free agent market. He’ll get big minutes on an up-and-coming team, but it does seem unlikely that the Senators will be ready to really contend for the Stanley Cup before Dadonov’s contract comes to an end. If Hoffman is seeking a winner, it will be hard to land a long-term deal given the tight cap crunches almost every contender is dealing with.
Even Hall, the top free agent forward on the market and a former Hart Trophy winner, had to settle for his one-year, $8MM contract in Buffalo, where the Sabres haven’t played a playoff game since 2011. Sure, there is the connection to head coach Ralph Krueger and a chance to play alongside Jack Eichel, but it’s not like Hall was chasing a perennial contender.
Hoffman’s market may be strong, according to his agent, but it’s still extremely complicated. A lot of the available money around the league has already been spent, meaning a trade may have to happen to really open up an attractive landing spot for the soon to be 31-year-old.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Chicago Blackhawks Issue Letter To Fans
The Chicago Blackhawks have taken a page from the New York Rangers, issuing a letter to fans explaining their recent moves and their commitment to a rebuild. The letter reads:
We recently said goodbye to a pair of popular, two-time champions and acquired some new players via trade and free agency. We understand it was tough to see those respected veterans go and realize you may have some questions about our direction. We’d like to adress that direction and share why we’re hopeful for the future of Blackhawks hockey.
We’re committed to developing young players and rebuilding our roster. We want more than another window to win; we want to reach the summit again, and stay there–an effort that will require a stockpile of emerging talent to complement our top players. The influx of youth and their progression will provide roster flexibility and depth throughout our lineup.
We were already the youngest team in the 2020 playoffs and several Blackhawks experienced that intensity for the first time; this will help to further establish a culture that embraces the grind of improvement driven by competitors who are relentless, engaged and motivated by a team-first mentality to win.
As our young players develop and learn how to win consistently, they’ll make some mistakes. Inevitably, we’ll miss the mark sometimes, too, but we’ll communicate openly with you on this journey together. We know that what comes next must be more than just words, and that inspires us.
Chicago recently allowed Corey Crawford to leave in free agency and traded Brandon Saad to the Colorado Avalanche. The team is moving forward with an extremely inexperienced tandem in goal and a forward group highlighted by young players like Kirby Dach.
In 2018, the Rangers issued a similar letter to their fans after moving on from core players like Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello. Two and a half years later and the Rangers now have two top picks in the system and a large number of young, talented players ready to take them to the next level.
The Blackhawks obviously are hoping for a similar short turnaround, though there is lots of work to be done in order to get their organization back to contending for the Stanley Cup every year.
Minor Transactions: 10/20/20
While NHL teams continue to fill out their rosters and prepare for the 2020-21 season, minor and European leagues also are working on new contracts. We’ll keep track of some of the newsworthy minor transactions right here:
- Shane Starrett has been signed by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to an AHL contract after becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent. Starrett’s last two contracts were with the Edmonton Oilers, who he joined in 2017 after staring for the Air Force Falcons. The undrafted goaltender had an .874 save percentage in 14 appearances this season.
- Nail Yakupov is on the move, though it’s not back to North America. The 2012 first overall pick has been traded in the KHL from Amur Khabarovsk to Avangard Omsk, in exchange for monetary compensation. Yakupov had just one goal and seven points in 15 games for Amur.
Kaiden Guhle Signs Entry-Level Contract
The Montreal Canadiens have signed their top draft pick, inking Kaiden Guhle to a three-year entry-level contract. Guhle was selected with the 16th pick in the draft earlier this month and plays for the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. The contract will have an average annual value of $925K and includes Schedule “A” performance bonuses up to a maximum of $420K in each year.
Guhle, 18, scored 40 points in 64 games for the Raiders this season, but actually is much more known for his play on the defensive side of the puck. The 6’2″ defenseman uses his brilliant mobility and active stick to shut down rushes quickly and effectively before moving the puck to his forwards instead of carrying it into the offensive zone himself. He can play both special teams but once again excels more in the penalty-killing role and could become a true shutdown defender in the NHL.
Obviously, that goal will need some development time, something that is very up in the air at this point. It’s not clear when the WHL will return for the 2020-21 season, meaning Guhle’s development may have to come somewhere else. First on his schedule could be the World Juniors, where he could be a big piece of Team Canada. He was included in the virtual camp this summer and has a history with the national team, winning silver at the most recent Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
Connor Brown, Ottawa Senators Exchange Arbitration Figures
The second scheduled arbitration hearing this offseason will be Connor Brown of the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, meaning today was the day they needed to exchange filings. According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Brown’s camp has filed for $4.8MM, while the Senators have filed for $2.25MM. Because of his age, the contract can only be a maximum of one year in length.
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 Brown’s case, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic suggests that a contract similar to the one Kevin Labanc just signed with the San Jose Sharks could potentially be a comparable should the two sides settle before arbitration. Labanc signed a four-year deal that carries a $4.725MM cap hit, though LeBrun suggests $4.35MM “isn’t crazy to think” about for Brown.
A 20-goal scorer in 2016-17 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brown hasn’t yet reached that mark again in his four-year NHL career. He did see his point totals balloon in Ottawa though, recording a career-high 43 points this season while averaging more than 20 minutes a night. He was easily the teams most-used forward, especially on the penalty kill where he logged more than two and a half minutes a night.
It’s obvious that Brown has the coaching staff’s trust, and on a roster that will be made up mostly of prospect forwards, he is actually one of the most experienced at the age of 26.
Notably, if Brown does go through the arbitration process and receive a one-year contract, he will walk into unrestricted free agency next offseason at 27. Should he receive an award over $4,538,938, the team could also choose to walk away and make him a UFA this offseason instead.