Florida Panthers Acquire Markus Nutivaara
Bill Zito has grabbed one of his old players, making a trade with his former boss. The Florida Panthers have acquired Markus Nutivaara from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Cliff Pu. No other pieces are included in the deal.
In their second cap-clearing measure since acquiring and signing Max Domi, the Blue Jackets will walk away from the $2.7MM charge that Nutivaara carries over the next two seasons in what is essentially a salary dump. While Pu was once considered a top prospect, he is now 22 and played in just 14 games last season, splitting time between the AHL and ECHL. In fact, it was the second season in a row that Pu spent time in the ECHL, despite his selection in the third round back in 2016. While his career isn’t over, he’ll have to make substantial strides in the final year of his entry-level contract to even warrant a qualifying offer next offseason.
No, this is more about clearing room for the Blue Jackets, who lose a perfectly capable player in Nutivaara in order to shore up their financial situation. The 26-year-old defenseman has played in 244 games over the last four years for the Blue Jackets, recording 60 points and averaging just under 16 minutes a night. While he won’t be stepping into Florida’s top pair, Nutivaara will certainly play games for them next season. Zito knows exactly what he has here from his time with the Blue Jackets, and obviously knew he could get him for cheap as Columbus reshapes their roster.
In Florida, it certainly feels like even more changes are coming on defense after a dreadful season in their own end. Mike Matheson and Joshua Brown have already been shipped out of town in other trades, but there is still work to be done if things are to look drastically different when the 2020-21 season begins. Keith Yandle and Anton Stralman are now both 34 and on expensive deals, while the team only actually has five four defensemen on one-way contracts. With plenty of cap space to work with, Zito will be able to put his stamp on this team quickly.
Minnesota Wild Re-Sign Matt Bartkowski, Kyle Rau
The Minnesota Wild have re-signed two of their depth players, inking Kyle Rau and Matt Bartkowski to new one-year deals. Both contracts are two-way and worth $700K at the NHL level, though Bartkowski will earn a bit more in the minor leagues ($325K to Rau’s $275K salary).
Bartkwoski, 32, has 255 NHL games under his belt but has spent almost the entire last two seasons in the minor leagues with the Iowa Wild. The veteran defenseman scored 18 points in 55 games with Iowa this season after helping the team to their first playoff berth a year ago. That minor league veteran role is likely where he’ll spend all of 2020-21, unless the Minnesota roster is ravaged by injury.
Rau is in much the same boat, despite being nearly five years younger than Bartkowski. The undersized forward has been an excellent offensive weapon for Iowa since arriving in 2017 and scored 43 points in 51 games this season. Though he does have a little bit of NHL experience, his bread is buttered in the AHL where he has developed into one of the league’s most consistent scoring threats.
Neither player should figure much into the Minnesota roster next season, but are valuable depth piece in case of emergency.
Chicago Blackhawks Will Not Re-Sign Corey Crawford
It’s the end of an era in Chicago, as Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has announced that the team will not re-sign Corey Crawford. Bowman explained it was an emotional decision and suggested that Crawford should be recognized with the great Chicago goaltenders like Glenn Hall and Tony Esposito after winning two Stanley Cups with the organization. Crawford will become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow. While Bowman confirmed Malcolm Subban was not given a qualifying offer (along with Slater Koekkoek, Drake Caggiula and others), the team is hoping to re-sign him to a different contract.
Crawford, 35, will leave the Blackhawks after 497 games in the Chicago crease and one of the most consistent goaltenders of his generation. He has posted a 260-162-53 record over his decade-plus with the team, recording a .918 regular season save percentage in the process. His postseason performances were even better, with two magical runs to the Stanley Cup championship in 2013 and 2015. He was a Vezina candidate on three different occasions, took home the Jennings twice and was named to the All-Rookie team in 2011. There is little that Crawford hasn’t accomplished during his time in Chicago.
If he wants to keep playing (which he does), then he’ll have to try and take that magic somewhere else. After returning from serious concussion issues this season he managed to post a .917 in 40 appearances, creating an excellent tandem with Robin Lehner. Lehner was moved at the deadline and then re-signed by the Vegas Golden Knights, meaning if it’s not Crawford, the Blackhawks will have to look elsewhere for their 2020-21 starter. Collin Delia is still in the organization and under contract, but neither he or Subban are legitimate starting options if the team has plans on returning to the playoffs.
It’s the long list of free agent options that may have cost Crawford an opportunity to return, since the Blackhawks can bet on signing someone else when the market opens on Friday. That doesn’t mean his career is over though, as long as he’s willing to take a backup or tandem role somewhere else. Perhaps even Vegas and a reunion with Lehner would be of interest to him if the Golden Knights can find a way to get rid of Marc-Andre Fleury‘s contract.
At any rate, Crawford will bid farewell to the only professional franchise he’s ever known. It was a good run.
Dallas Stars Announce Playoff Injuries, Remove Interim Coaching Tag
Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill has finally spoken to the media about the injuries their team suffered through the return to play, and it is quite the list. From Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, captain Jamie Benn was playing through a shoulder injury. Blake Comeau suffered a separated shoulder, Jason Dickinson suffered foot and ankle injuries. Radek Faksa broke his wrist, while Roope Hintz suffered an injured hip and fractured ankle. Esa Lindell and John Klingberg were playing through hand and shoulder injuries, respectively, while Ben Bishop had undergone knee surgery in May. Tyler Seguin, who perhaps took the most criticism for his play in the postseason, suffered a torn labrum in his hip and will be out for the next four months. Anton Khudobin, who played throughout and was the team’s playoff MVP, had surgery to relieve numbness in his hands because of a nerve issue.
Nill also announced that Rick Bowness will return as head coach and removed his interim tag. Bowness took over when Jim Montgomery left the Stars midseason and took the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals despite this long injury list. He’ll return to try again, though it’ll have to be without his postseason star.
Khudobin, 34, will test free agency according to Nill, who explained that their cap situation couldn’t handle bringing him back at the price he is going to command. More than just your average backup, Khudobin proved that he can be the perfect 1B for a contending team looking for elite goaltending, even if he may not be able to handle the full load of a starter. In 30 regular season games he posted a pristine .930 save percentage and would likely have won the Conn Smythe trophy if the Stars had been able to find a way to win the Stanley Cup.
New Jersey Devils To Buy Out Cory Schneider
The New Jersey Devils will the last day of the window to buy out goaltender Cory Schneider, according to several reports including Brian Lawton of NHL Network. Because Schneider has two years remaining on his current contract, the Devils will incur a cap charge of $2MM in each of the next four seasons. Schneider was carrying a $6MM cap hit.
Schneider, 34, wants to keep playing according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, but it might be a tough sell at this point. The 34-year-old hasn’t been an effective goaltender in several years, posting save percentages below .910 in every season since the 2015-16 campaign. He spent more time in the AHL than the NHL this past year, recording just an .887 in 13 appearances for New Jersey.
If he’s healthy and can somehow prove there is still game left, Schneider may be able to fit in as a backup around the league thanks to a long history of success in the past. But at this point it’s hard to see any team bringing him in to compete for a starting role or even guaranteeing him an NHL paycheck. With more goaltenders available than most years, this may be extremely poor timing for the veteran.
New Jersey meanwhile will move on quickly with Mackenzie Blackwood, who proved to be quite the up-and-coming netminder last season. They need to get him signed to a new contract however and will now be on the lookout for another NHL option to serve as the backup or second part of a tandem.
Columbus Blue Jackets To Buy Out Alexander Wennberg
After getting their new second-line center locked up yesterday, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be clearing some room today. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic and Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch are both reporting that the Blue Jackets will place Alexander Wennberg on waivers today for the purpose of a contract buyout. This is the final day a team can use the buyout system in the current window. Because Wennberg has three years remaining on his current contract, meaning the Blue Jackets will incur cap charges for the next six seasons. However, given his age, the Blue Jackets will only be responsible for paying 1/3 of the remaining salary, drastically reducing their cap charges moving forward. Those charges will be:
- 2020-21 $441,667
- 2021-22: $441,667
- 2022-23: $441,667
- 2023-24: $891,667
- 2024-25: $891,667
- 2025-26: $891,667
Saving nearly $4.5MM of cap space over the next three seasons is obviously worth more to the Blue Jackets than Wennberg, who after an outstanding 2016-17 season has been disappointing in each of the last three. A capable defensive center, he has always struggled to score at the NHL level and even his above-average playmaking ability has waned. With just 15 goals and 82 points over his last 198 games, Wennberg’s $4.9MM price tag was simply too high for the Blue Jackets to keep and since he turned 26 last month, this was the last chance they had to buy out his contract at the 1/3rd rate.
Still, this hardly means that Wennberg’s time in the NHL is over. While some buyout candidates are nearing the end of their professional careers, the 26-year-old center will immediately become a sought after asset on the free agent market instead. Again, even though his offensive production has been underwhelming, Wennberg is still a strong two-way option when played in the right circumstances. He saw his best production when used as a catalyst on the Columbus powerplay and regularly posts strong possession numbers regardless of linemates. Though his faceoff statistics are not strong, he does provide solid play at the center position and has penalty killing experience.
The Blue Jackets acquired Max Domi to slot in behind Pierre-Luc Dubois as a much stronger offensive weapon, and still have several other options for the bottom-six center positions. Boone Jenner and Riley Nash are both still under contract at lower prices than Wennberg, while newcomer Mikhail Grigorenko could potentially give a different look after several successful years in the KHL.
Detroit Red Wings Complete Loans, Sign Free Agents
The Detroit Red Wings have been checking several boxes on their offseason to-do list today. First, the team has officially assigned Joe Veleno to Malmo of the SHL and have changed Moritz Seider‘s loan from Mannheim of the DEL to Rogle of the SHL. These changes are important, as they signify full-season loans of two of the team’s top prospects. Veleno and Seider are expected to spend the entire 2020-21 season overseas, though the SHL season does usually end in March.
In a rebuilding year for the Red Wings, getting Veleno and Seider playing right away should be considered a benefit for their development. There is no clear schedule for the AHL at this point, and given that the NHL is targeting a January start date that should be considered the very earliest a minor league season could be held. The two first-round picks will instead get to play immediately and will have a full season in one of the best leagues in the world.
The team has also reached agreements with two of their restricted free agents, signing Adam Erne and Taro Hirose to one-year contracts. Both players were not included in yesterday’s qualifying offers, and now we know why. Erne and Hirose will both be back in the organization for at least one more year.
Hirose, 24, was signed out of Michigan State University in 2019 and made an impact down the stretch for the Red Wings, scoring seven points in 10 games. That level of production wasn’t carried into this year, but the entire Red Wings team was brutal and Hirose still did register plenty of offense at the minor league level. With an improved club and higher level of play, perhaps Hirose can still become an impact player for the team.
Erne on the other hand will likely never provide much offense at the NHL level, but can still serve a role as a depth option for the Red Wings this season. In 170 career games he has just 32 points, most coming with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman knows Erne well from their time together with the Lightning and obviously feels he can still play a role in the organization.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Noah Juulsen
The Montreal Canadiens have taken care of one of their restricted free agents (though not the one some are hoping for). Noah Juulsen has signed a new one-year, two-way contract with the team worth $700K in the NHL.
Juulsen, 23, was a first-round pick of the Canadiens back in 2015 but has hand incredibly bad injury luck over his short professional career. In 2017, just a few weeks after GM Marc Bergevin called him “very close” to being NHL ready, Juulsen suffered a broken foot in an exhibition game. Your first taste of professional is hard enough without having a six-week recovery period keeping you off the ice at the beginning of the season. Juulsen would play 23 games for the Canadiens and 31 for the Laval Rocket, but clearly had more to give.
A year later, in November of 2018, Juulsen’s terrible luck reared its ugly head once again. While playing in the NHL with the Canadiens, Juulsen had slowly worked his way up the lineup and even logged more than 20 minutes of ice time in a win against the Vancouver Canucks. He looked ready to contribute on a nightly basis, playing top-four minutes for the Canadiens and fulfilling his first-round pick status. Then, in a game against the Washington Capitals, he was struck in the face with the puck on two occasions and was forced to leave.
Ruled out indefinitely, Juulsen actually did make a return to play a few games with both the Canadiens and the Laval Rocket of the AHL. In February however, he was shut down due to a “vision-related issue.” In September 2019 he was still suffering from headaches, though just a month later he was cleared for action once again. He ended up departing the team in November to see a specialist, and the 13 games he had played for Laval to that point remained his total for the rest of the season.
With a new deal and a clean bill of health, Juulsen will attempt to make a comeback even at the age of 23. He has played just 93 professional games over parts of four seasons, but still possesses all the skills to be a regular in the Montreal lineup. He’ll have to prove it, but if he is truly healthy Montreal could still have a valuable asset on their hands.
Vegas Golden Knights Re-Sign Chandler Stephenson
6:05 PM: The team officially announced the signing, confirming the four-year, $11MM terms.
2:07 PM: The Vegas Golden Knights have reached a new contract with restricted free agent Chandler Stephenson according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The new four-year deal will carry an average annual value of $2.75MM. PuckPedia reports the full breakdown:
- 2020-21: $1.625MM
- 2021-22: $3.025MM
- 2022-23: $3.125MM
- 2023-24: $3.225MM
Stephenson, 26, ended up in Vegas last December through a trade with the Washington Capitals and cost the team just a fifth-round pick. Despite winning a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, Stephenson still hadn’t really shown his full potential. That’s exactly what happened in Vegas though, as he finally got a chance to line up at center on a regular basis and ended up scoring eight goals and 22 points in just 41 games.
This contract keeps him in the lineup at a reasonable cost, but the Golden Knights do have some cap issues to deal with in the coming days. The team is trying hard to move Marc-Andre Fleury, but are well over the $81.5MM cap with spots on the roster to fill and improvements to be made.
List Of Players Not Receiving A 2020 Qualifying Offer
The deadline to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents has come and gone, making any player who has not received one eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. It does not stop them from re-signing with the team for a different amount. Below are the players who will not be issued a qualifying offer:
(this list will be updated as reports continue to come in)
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Vinnie Hinostroza, Dane Birks, Jalen Smereck
Boston Bruins
Brendan Gaunce, Brett Ritchie, Wiley Sherman
Buffalo Sabres
Dominik Kahun, Remi Elie, Matthew Spencer, Brandon Hickey
Calgary Flames
Mark Jankowski, Andrew Nielsen, Nick Schneider