Dallas Stars Issue Qualifying Offers
The Dallas Stars have issued qualifying offers to Radek Faksa, Denis Gurianov, Roope Hintz and Joel L’Esperance, keeping their rights in the organization. The team decided not to qualify Landon Bow, Tony Calderone and Josh Melnick, making them unrestricted free agents on Friday.
The four qualified players shouldn’t surprise at all, given their huge impacts on the team this season. Perhaps L’Esperance is the name that will be less known, but he has been so dominant for the Texas Stars of the AHL that he was always going to be retained. The 25-year-old undrafted forward has 55 goals in his last 112 AHL contests while also playing 21 games in the NHL over the last two seasons.
Bow, 25, is probably the biggest surprise among the unqualified, though only because of the lack of other options in the system. The undrafted goaltender has been a full-time member of Texas for the last three seasons but posted just an .895 save percentage this year. Colton Point will be ready to take over some of the load at the AHL level but unless the Stars add another NHL goaltender and leave Jake Oettinger in the minors, they’ll need to fill out their depth chart with someone. Perhaps Bow can be brought back on an AHL deal after the dust settles.
New Jersey Devils Issue Qualifying Offers
The New Jersey Devils have issued qualifying offers to Mackenzie Blackwood, Jesper Bratt, Joey Anderson, Nick Merkley and Colton White, keeping them in the organization. The team did not qualify John Hayden or Mirco Mueller, meaning both players will become unrestricted free agents on Friday.
The five that were qualified don’t come as much of a surprise, but figuring out contract extensions with Blackwood and Bratt should be a priority for GM Tom Fitzgerald this offseason. The 23-year-old Blackwood has established himself as the team’s starting goaltender after posting a .916 save percentage across his first 70 appearances. Bratt meanwhile scored 16 goals this season, trailing only Kyle Palmieri and the departed Blake Coleman for the team lead.
It’s Hayden and Mueller that may raise some eyebrows, as both were regulars for the Devils this year. Hayden, a third-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, suited up 43 times for the Devils this year but scored just three goals. He was arbitration-eligible and could have secured a bigger deal than his qualifying offer, but with only 11 goals and 26 points in 156 games it is not like he was going to break the bank.
Mueller meanwhile was a first-round pick back in 2013 by the San Jose Sharks and has spent the last three seasons with the Devils. In 2019-20 he played 50 games for the team on a one-year $1.4MM contract, meaning his qualifying offer would have cost them the same amount.
Perhaps the team is just ready to move on, or perhaps this is another example of finances playing a part in the team’s decisions this offseason. Most have expected a few extra names to go unqualified, adding to a big free agent pool.
Tampa Bay Lighting Sign Mitchell Stephens, Gemel Smith
The Tampa Bay Lightning have completed some offseason business ahead of the second round, signing Mitchell Stephens to a two-year, one-way contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $737,500, and keeps Stephens from becoming a restricted free agent. The team has also inked Gemel Smith to a one-year, two-way contract.
Stephens, 23, is another example of the Tampa Bay “who needs first-round picks anyway?” approach that has worked so well for them in recent years. A second-round selection in 2015, the Lightning development team went to work on Stephens right away. In junior he was never an offensive star, but the 6’0″ center still found his way onto Team Canada at the World Juniors on multiple occasions because of his defense, polish and incredible work ethic.
By the time he came to the minor leagues, he was improved in all areas and ended up scoring 19 goals and 41 points in his first season with the Syracuse Crunch. Though he would have to deal with some injury problems afterward, Stephens was back succeeding this season and ended up playing 38 games for the Lightning.
It’s unlikely that Stephens will find his way into the Tampa top-six, but the team continues to churn out role players that can lengthen out their lineup with strong play for bargain-basement prices. With the team looking at trading core members like Tyler Johnson, it will be players like Stephens that allow them to stay competitive while they navigate the flat cap.
Smith meanwhile is already 26 but just had the best offensive season of his career with the Syracuse Crunch, potting 22 goals in 50 games. Originally a draft pick of the Dallas Stars, Smith has played in 83 NHL games in his career and will be strong depth in case of injuries next season.
Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Dylan DeMelo
The Winnipeg Jets dealt with turmoil and turnover on defense last season, trying to navigate the year after losing Jacob Trouba, Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers in one offseason. By the deadline, they had stabilized things by acquiring Dylan DeMelo from the Ottawa Senators. DeMelo will now be returning, stabilizing things once again.
The Jets have announced a new four-year contract for the pending free agent defenseman, one that will carry an average annual value of $3MM. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic breaks down the salary:
- 2020-21: $2.5MM
- 2021-22: $3.0MM
- 2022-23: $3.0MM
- 2023-24: $3.5MM
The deal includes no signing bonuses but does have a partial no-trade clause throughout. DeMelo will receive quite the raise over his previous contract that carried just a $900K salary.
Though he’s certainly not flashy, DeMelo is, as Jets head coach Paul Maurice so eloquently put it, “coach’s porn.” Finding footage of him turning the puck over is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, even if he doesn’t necessarily do anything that stands out either. In 269 career NHL games he has recorded just seven goals and 64 points, even while getting some time on the powerplay in San Jose and Ottawa.
Those were his two stops before Winnipeg and he arrived in the Jets organization by way of trade this season. He cost the team a third-round pick but immediately became a favorite of the coaching staff and ended up averaging more than 21 minutes a night in the Jets short postseason run.
Expect that heavy load to continue next season, given the Jets still only really have three full-time defensemen signed. DeMelo joins Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk as options for the top-four, while Carl Dahlstrom and Tucker Poolman will both try to prove they are ready to spend the entire year in the NHL. Sami Niku is also a restricted free agent, while Ville Heinola and other prospects could make the jump.
The Jets could also be on the lookout for more defensive help in free agency, but they’ll have to be careful handing out the long-term deals. Remember that Patrik Laine, if staying in Winnipeg, will need a huge raise after this upcoming season.
Calgary Flames Trade Down In 2020 Draft
The Calgary Flames have traded down in the first round, sending the 19th overall pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for the 22nd and 72nd overall selections. With that 19th pick, the Rangers have decided to select Braden Schneider, the last remaining top-end defenseman available.
Schneider, who played for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, was ranked ninth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. The Rangers had obviously already taken Alexis Lafreniere at the top of the draft and now add a defenseman to go with him. Notably, New York moved just ahead of the New Jersey Devils who had already taken two forwards in the first round and could have potentially nabbed Schneider with their third selection.
The big, mobile defenseman is known for his incredible competitiveness and should move quickly through the Rangers system thanks to a polished game in his own end. He has already played three full seasons in the WHL and scored 42 points in 60 games last season, though the offensive end of the rink isn’t where his eventual game is expected to land. Instead, his physicality and strong defensive stick will be a good counterpoint to young puck-movers like Adam Fox in the New York organization.
Calgary meanwhile then moved down again, trading the 22nd pick to the Washington Capitals for picks 24 and 80. With that 22nd pick, the Capitals ended up taking Hendrix Lapierre, one of the most interesting prospects in the entire draft.
Lapierre was once seen as a potential candidate to challenge for one of the very top picks in this draft. In 2018, he was the first pick in the QMJHL Entry Draft and scored 45 points in his first 48 junior games. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with multiple concussions quickly afterward and played just 19 games last season. Earlier this year, Lapierre’s concussions were actually rediagnosed as a neck injury and he has recently been given a clean bill of health. He’s back playing in the QMJHL already, scoring five points in two games for Chicoutimi. He’ll need some time to re-establish himself as a top prospect, but the Capitals clearly felt as though they couldn’t wait.
By the time the Flames actually picked, they ended up taking Connor Zary with the 24th selection. Zary has spent the last three seasons playing for the Kamloops Blazers, scoring 86 points in 57 games last season. The WHL forward was ranked 15th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and could have easily found his way into the top-20 picks, but Calgary found a way to trade down and still get their man. Armed with an incredible shot, Zary fired 38 missiles past junior goaltenders in 2019-20 and could be a candidate for the Canadian World Junior team this winter.
New York Rangers Select Alexis Lafreniere First Overall
The New York Rangers have added another franchise talent. After selecting Kaapo Kakko with the second pick in 2019, the Rangers lucked into another lottery win this year and the right to select any draft-eligible player they want. Though names like Quinton Byfield or Tim Stuetzle may have been tempting in any other year, the team had no choice but to select the consensus top prospect Alexis Lafreniere.
There is almost nothing that Lafreniere can’t do on an ice rink. Growing up just outside of Montreal, it didn’t take long for prospect watchers to recognize that he may be one of the next great talents to come out of the province of Quebec.
When it came time for the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft, there was little doubt who would be off the board first. The Rimouski Oceanic, the same junior program that had produced Sidney Crosby more than ten years earlier, selected Lafreniere ahead of Samuel Poulin and Jakob Pelletier, both players who ended up going in the first round of the 2019 NHL draft. Lafreniere was different though, and it wouldn’t take him long to show it.
Because of his late birthday—October 11th—Lafreniere would actually make his debut for Rimouski at age-15. He recorded 11 shots on goal over his first three games but would come away with just a single assist and four penalty minutes. It wasn’t until October 1st, ten days before his 16th birthday, when he would score his first two QMJHL goals. In the games that followed, he would add 40 to that total and lead the Rimouski in both goals and points despite being several years younger than his teammates. A CHL Rookie of the Year award awaited him following the 2017-18 season, along with plenty of other individual accolades.
They wouldn’t end there.
In each of the next two seasons, Lafreniere would not only lead his team in scoring, but dominate the competition on a nightly basis. In 113 regular season games he scored 217 points, winning CHL Player of the Year in each season despite leaving his team both years to compete in the World Juniors for Canada, the youngest player since Connor McDavid to make that prestigious roster.
At the most recent tournament, he showed everyone why he would be picked first by the Rangers ten months later. With Canada down 3-0 at the hands of Team Russia, a tournament powerhouse, Lafreniere would drive the net to try and get his team back into the game. His left knee would be trapped underneath his body as he attempted a backhand shot. The arena was silent as the consensus top prospect writhed in pain on the ice. Canada would lose that game 6-0 and looked like they had also lost their best player.
Fears of surgery and the end of his season raced through the thoughts of hockey fans all over the world, but an MRI after the game would report no structural damage. Lafreniere would return later in the tournament, just in time to lift the Canadians to a gold medal victory over that same Russian team. He would end up playing nearly 24 minutes for Canada in the gold medal matchup, recording an assist on two goals including the Barrett Hayton mark that tied it with just under nine minutes remaining.
Lafreniere had been the expected 2020 first-overall pick for years, but at that tournament, he sealed it. He’ll now join a young, dynamic Rangers team that already has a Hart Trophy candidate in Artemi Panarin and enough talent to really compete in the years to come.
A powerful skater, a brilliant playmaker and armed with a competitive drive that rivals anyone in the NHL. Lafreniere doesn’t shy away from contact like some outstanding offensive talents, in fact, he seeks it out all over the ice and improves his play in the biggest moments. Can he dominate for the Rangers as quickly as he has at every other level? We’ll have to wait to find out.
Michal Kempny Undergoes Achilles Surgery, Capitals Re-Sign Dillon
The Washington Capitals offseason has started off poorly, with the team announcing today that Michal Kempny has suffered an Achilles tendon injury. The defenseman has undergone surgery and is expected to miss six to eight months. Kempny suffered the injury during his offseason training in the Czech Republic.
This is brutal news for Kempny, who spent all of last season trying to get back to full-strength after surgery to repair a torn hamstring in April 2019. The fleet-footed defenseman was only able to record 18 points in 58 games and just didn’t make the same impact he had the year prior. Now with another long rehab in front of him, he’ll have to hope that he can get back during the 2020-21 season at all.
Perhaps on cue however, the Capitals have re-signed Brenden Dillon to a new four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.9MM. Dillon was scheduled for unrestricted free agency on Friday and the Capitals had been reportedly trying to move some money out in order to fit his salary in. With Kempny likely headed for long-term injured reserve, that flexibility is now available without trading out an asset.
Still, given the season isn’t set to start until January, Kempny could be back at some point and taken of LTIR. That means the Capitals still can’t go overboard in free agency and are still in a rather precarious salary cap position. Radko Gudas, who was the team’s other pending UFA defenseman, is expected to reach free agency.
Dillon, 29, came to the Capitals in a February trade with the San Jose Sharks that saw two relatively high draft picks go the other way. After using that much draft capital to acquire him and seeing him fit in so well, it made sense for Washington to try and retain Dillon’s services this offseason.
Though he will never be expected to put up big offensive numbers, the veteran defenseman has shown an ability to skate beside some of the league’s best and lock down his own end. His possession numbers have always been strong and he brings a physical element that is becoming rarer in the NHL.
Even with Dillon back in the fold, the Capitals could have to rely more heavily on their young prospect pipeline this season. Several high draft picks are pushing for an opportunity at the NHL level and with Kempny headed for a long stint on the injured list, it may just be available.
Vancouver Canucks Re-Sign Zack MacEwen
The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Zack MacEwen to a new two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $825K. Canucks GM Jim Benning released a short statement on the deal:
Zack is a physical two-way forward whose game complements our roster. He’s a talented young player with a high compete level and we’re excited to have him continue to develop his career as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.
MacEwen, 24, is a good example of what hard work and dedication can do for a player even if they are overlooked on draft day. Not only did MacEwen fail to hear his name called in an NHL draft, but he also didn’t even get picked in the QMJHL draft. Undeterred, MacEwen became a star in junior and then a star in the AHL before finally establishing himself as an NHL player this season. In 17 games with the Canucks he recorded five goals and six points, lending his size and scoring touch to the fourth line.
Now, after signing this new contract, he’ll look to lock down an roster spot from training camp and play his first full season in the NHL. The 6’4″ winger gives Vancouver an inexpensive option to play in the bottom-six as they get ready to watch Tyler Toffoli and Josh Leivo potentially leave in free agency and have to move up some of their other forwards.
Tyler Toffoli To Test Free Agency
The Vancouver Canucks have not been able to clear the cap space required to re-sign Tyler Toffoli, so the forward will reach free agency according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Canucks acquired Toffoli in a February trade that saw Tim Schaller, Tyler Madden and a 2020 second-round pick go to the Los Angeles Kings. If they were to re-sign him, they would have also sent a 2020 fourth-round selection.
Even with that draft pick compensation attached, Toffoli seemed like a real candidate to be re-signed after fitting in perfectly in Vancouver. The 28-year-old forward scored six goals and ten points in ten games for the Canucks down the stretch, then added four more points in seven playoff games. A former 30-goal scorer, he totaled 24 on the year in a nice bounceback season.
Perhaps that bounceback is exactly what priced Toffoli out of the Vancouver market, given how tight their salary cap situation is going to be in the next few years. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are both up for new deals after the upcoming season, while Brock Boeser only has two years left on his deal. Even Bo Horvat is only signed through the 2022-23 season, meaning any long-term commitment to Toffoli would complicate things even further.
As for the open market, the 2014 Stanley Cup champion should have plenty of interest. Toffoli is a player that can score goals even without a ton of time on the powerplay and has shown a knack for game-winners throughout his career. While he may slide in behind names like Taylor Hall and Mike Hoffman in terms of pure offense, he’ll still be on the radar of plenty of teams around the league.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Columbus, Montreal Swap Josh Anderson, Max Domi
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens have found some common ground, swapping restricted free agent forwards Josh Anderson and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets will also receive a 2020 third-round selection in the trade. Both players are represented by agent Darren Ferris and will need new contracts for 2020-21.
Both Anderson and Domi have had huge success in the past for their respective teams, but needed a change of scenery after some recent struggles.
In Anderson’s case, the relationship with the Blue Jackets has been strained for some time, going back to a contract negotiation in 2017 that saw him miss all of training camp. That was followed by two successful seasons, but the 26-year-old forward managed to score just a single goal in 26 games in 2019-20 while struggling with injury.
The Canadiens are obviously betting that Anderson can rebound and get back to the player who scored 27 goals in 2018-19 and looked like one of the best power forwards in the entire league. A fourth-round pick in 2012, Anderson brings size (6’3″ 220-lbs) and goal scoring to a Montreal team that lacked both this season. He’s also coming off a contract that carried a cap hit of just $1.85MM and requires just a $2.1MM qualifying offer (though is arbitration-eligible).
For Domi, this trade comes just a year after he scored 72 points for the Canadiens, the franchise’s third-highest total in the cap era. That incredible year was followed by a frustrating, 44-point season in 2019-20 however, which saw Domi dropped to the fourth line at times and just never seem to find his true footing in the Montreal lineup.
He also, quite importantly, is coming off a contract that carried a $3.15MM cap hit and will require a $2.9MM qualifying offer. Domi is expected to be looking for a substantial raise on that number, something that the Canadiens may not have felt comfortable with as they start to transition to other young centers.
Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are the future in Montreal, meaning Domi either would have had to play in the bottom-six or move to the wing. That isn’t the case in Columbus, where he can slide in as the team’s second-line center behind Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Perhaps the most interesting part in the deal is the draft pick, which seems like an asset that the Canadiens shouldn’t have had to include in a swap of these two players. Montreal certainly had plenty of capital to spend given they still have ten picks in tonight’s draft, but it is striking to see Anderson actually hold more value than Domi even after losing basically his entire season to injury.