Michal Teply Signs With Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks have inked another interesting prospect, this time signing Michal Teply to a three-year entry-level contract. Teply broke the news himself on Instagram, thanking his family and friends for supporting him in his journey so far.
Still just 18 years old, Teply was selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft and spent this season playing for the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL. During his 53 games with Winnipeg he registered 63 points, while also taking part in the World Juniors for the Czech Republic.
Even though he was a mid-round pick, it’s hard to know exactly where the ceiling is offensively for Teply. Standing 6’3″ 192-lbs, he is big enough to lean on defenders and use a long reach to protect the puck, but is also an excellent playmaker that almost always looks to pass first. There is still a lot to polish in his game, but the Blackhawks obviously felt he had shown enough to reward him with an NHL contract already.
Interestingly, even though he played in the CHL this season Teply could potentially spend the 2020-21 season in the AHL if the Blackhawks wanted him to. Drafted out of the Czech leagues, he could also return to Europe should they feel he needs to compete against players older than him. There are plenty of options for his next step, making his development path one to keep an eye on going forward.
Los Angeles Kings Extend Kurtis MacDermid
The Los Angeles Kings have locked up one of their depth defensemen, signing Kurtis MacDermid to a two-year contract extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $875K, and allows MacDermid to avoid restricted free agency this offseason.
The 26-year old defenseman has become a regular in the Kings lineup, playing in 45 games this season. Though he only logged just under 14 minutes a night, MacDermid was an imposing figure on the back end that gave the Kings another physical presence. At such a reasonable cap hit he doesn’t need to become an impact player, but gives the team some certainty in what will be a very uncertain offseason.
Los Angeles has three other defensemen, Ben Hutton, Sean Walker, and Joakim Ryan all scheduled for free agency, meaning there will be plenty of opportunity for some of their younger players. Mikey Anderson and Tobias Bjornfot could potentially be full-time options, while other names like Sean Durzi and Kale Clague will be competing for jobs. MacDermid gives them another option to round out the bottom pair or seventh defenseman role next season.
Boston Bruins Will Discuss New Contract With Kevan Miller
The Boston Bruins have several decisions to make this summer with regards to their defensive group, including the pending free agency of Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara. Both players obviously would love to stay in Boston, but how exactly they fit into a stagnant salary cap isn’t clear. There is another player however that is scheduled for unrestricted free agency, and that’s Kevan Miller, the 32-year old defenseman who hasn’t played in an NHL game in more than a year. Even with all that time spent away from the ice dealing with injury, Miller may still have a home in Boston if he wants one. Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney was on a conference call today with reporters including Matt Porter of the Boston Globe and indicated that the team will “entertain the opportunity to bring Kevan back.”
Sweeney expects Miller to be fully healthy by the start of next season—whenever that may be at this point—but it’s obviously tough to know exactly what the Bruins would be getting if the did re-sign him. The veteran defenseman has played just 165 games since the start of the 2016-17 season but was at one point an important part of the Boston blue line. The physical, rugged Miller was a staple on the penalty kill and would always be among the team leaders in hits and blocked shots, offering a counterbalance to more offensive-minded players like Krug.
Currently on the final season of a four-year, $10MM contract he signed in 2016, there’s no doubt that Miller will earn less than that $2.5MM cap hit on his next deal. If the Bruins seem cash-strapped after reduced hockey-related revenues keep the salary cap ceiling where it is (or even perhaps drop it), perhaps a player like Miller on a low-cost bounce-back contract could be of some use.
Still, it’s hard to imagine him stepping directly back into the group and being an impact player once again after missing so much time, especially with other younger options coming up the pipe in Boston.
David Farrance Returning For Senior Season
Boston University may have lost Cameron Crotty when he signed with the Arizona Coyotes earlier today, but they won’t be losing David Farrance. The Nashville Predators draft pick has decided not to turn pro and instead will return to BU for his senior season.
Farrance was recently named a Hobey Baker top-ten finalist as one of the best players in the country after leading all defenders in the nation with 43 points. He was named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team and looked more than ready to make the transition to professional hockey.
Notably, this decision also means that Farrance will be just a few months away from unrestricted free agency when his senior season ends. Though the Predators will still have a chance to sign him, it only puts more pressure on them as the young defenseman could just wait until the middle of August 2021 and have his pick of the litter. There would be many suitors for the two-way star, making his case one to watch very closely over the next year.
Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, 2021 Memorial Cup, McKay
If you were perusing the NHL Central Scouting draft lists when they came out yesterday and wondered how exactly the North American and International skaters compared, Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet has you covered. The draft analyst released his latest ranking of the top prospects eligible for selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, led as always by Alexis Lafreniere.
Some of the other rankings, however, differ significantly from the Central Scouting lists. Of note is Jake Sanderson, who while fourth among North American skaters on one list, comes in seventh among the same group on Cosentino’s. If you want a riser, how about Dylan Holloway, who Cosentino believes is a top-10 talent despite his ranking of #12 among North American skaters by Central Scouting.
- Many of the players drafted this year will be competing in the CHL’s 2020-21 season, trying to earn their way to the Memorial Cup tournament. They may have to wait a little longer, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that the CHL is considering pushing back the schedule for the 2021 Memorial Cup into June of next year to give them a little bit of wiggle room should the start of the season be delayed. McKenzie notes that the tournament will be held in either Oshawa or Sault Ste. Marie, though that decision has not yet been made.
- Kirby Dach will have a familiar face at Chicago Blackhawks training camp after the Rockford IceHogs signed Riley McKay to an AHL contract for 2020-21. McKay, 21, played with Dach on the Saskatoon Blades in 2018-19, racking up 149 penalty minutes as one of the toughest players in the Western Hockey League. Undrafted, he’ll try to carve out a role for himself in the minor leagues, while still surely watching his teammates’ backs.
Mark Kastelic Signs With Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators have signed one of their 2019 draft picks, inking Mark Kastelic to a three-year entry-level contract. Kastelic spent the 2019-20 season with the Calgary Hitmen as an overage WHL player, meaning he’ll be able to go right to the AHL later this year. Senators GM Pierre Dorion explained just why the team has signed Kastelic:
Since being drafted just last June, Mark has worked hard to earn this contract. We were pleased to see how he progressed in his overage season in Calgary, where he served as Hitmen captain for two consecutive seasons, and where he was on track to post his most productive major junior season. He’s a solid two-way centre who shows strong attention to detail in his play.
Kastelic, 21, wasn’t picked in his first two years of draft eligibility but after an outstanding 2018-19 season with the Hitmen which saw him score 47 goals in 66 games, the Senators took a chance on the hard-working forward. Standing 6’3″ 220-lbs he’s almost as big as his dad Ed Kastelic, who played 220 NHL games with the Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers, racking up 719 penalty minutes in the process.
The captain of the Hitmen for the past two seasons, Kastelic now represents a depth addition for the Senators but it is hard to count out some future NHL time. He’s scratched and clawed to earn himself a big-league contract, now he’ll have to work even harder to climb the ranks.
Anton Slepyshev Re-Signs In KHL
The Edmonton Oilers had been trying to bring back a familiar face, sending a contract offer to KHL forward Anton Slepyshev in recent days. It looks like it wasn’t enough, as Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Slepyshev has signed a two-year extension with CSKA Moscow to remain overseas.
It’s not hard to understand why Slepyshev would want to stay in the KHL. The 25-year old forward recorded just 23 points in 102 NHL games over parts of three seasons while with the Oilers but scored 18 goals and 45 points just this year for CSKA. A third-round pick by Edmonton in 2013 he has finally reached the offensive potential he always flashed, but there’s no guarantee that kind of success would follow him back to North America.
Of course, this two-year deal also has further consequences. Since Slepyshev did sign and play with the Oilers at one point, his exclusive NHL negotiating rights will expire on his 27th birthday. He’ll be turning 26 next month, meaning Edmonton will lose his rights before this new extension is complete. With that in mind, remember Slepyshev’s name in the spring of 2022 when he could be a potential free agent signing for the entire league, should he entertain the idea of coming back to the NHL.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Cameron Crotty
The Arizona Coyotes have convinced one of their interesting college prospects to turn pro, signing Cameron Crotty to a three-year entry-level contract. Crotty recently completed his junior season at Boston University, where he wore an “A” as an alternate captain.
Instead of returning for his senior year, the 20-year old defenseman will join a Coyotes organization that selected him 82nd overall in 2017. While it may not seem like Crotty has very much offensive upside after scoring just 27 points in 102 NCAA games, the 6’3″ defender can actually move the puck quite efficiently and may be able to improve at the next level.
Though the Coyotes already have a solid veteran defensive core in the NHL, four of those reliable names are heading into their final years under contract and are scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2021. Out of Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers and Jordan Oesterle there are bound to be some departing names, meaning Arizona will need to find some replacements in the near future. That opportunity may be perfect for Crotty, who needs some more time but has serious NHL potential.
PHR Panel: Braden Holtby’s Future
We’re now several weeks into an NHL postponement and there is still no clear timeline on when professional hockey will return. While fans of the sport have received small tidbits of news over that time, including college signings and contract extensions, the thirst for discussion has rarely been quenched.
With that in mind, we’re happy to continue our new feature: The PHR Panel. Three times a week, our writing staff will give our individual takes on a question many hockey fans have been wondering about. If you’d ever like to submit a subject for us to discuss, be sure to put it in the comments. This series will run each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
To catch up on the previous edition, click here.
Today, we’ll each give our thoughts on Braden Holtby‘s playing future.
Q: Where will Braden Holtby be playing in 2020-21?
Brian La Rose:
It seems safe to rule out Washington at this point. With $71MM committed for next season, they don’t have a lot of wiggle room to add another high-priced player and Ilya Samsonov will need a new, potentially pricey deal in 2021. Holtby has been a big part of the Capitals for a long time but they’re close to parting ways.
It’s not a great year to be a starting goalie that’s hitting the open market. There aren’t many openings for clear cut number ones and with the year Sergei Bobrovsky had, teams will be hesitant to sign an expensive deal. Some teams that have a need probably don’t have the money (Chicago comes to mind) which limits things even further.
This has to be great news for Detroit. They have a glaring weakness between the pipes to try to fill and their prospect depth is limited. They’re in solid shape when it comes to the salary cap and with Steve Yzerman at the helm as GM, there is optimism that their days of being in the basement are quickly coming to an end.
That makes them a great fit for Holtby. Even though he’s had a down year by his standards, his track record is good enough that he’d still be the clear cut starter for the Red Wings and could still command a sizable contract. There may be another losing season in the short term but over the long haul, this may be the best situation for both sides.
Holger Stolzenberg:
I’ve always been a fan of Washington goaltender Braden Holtby, but to be honest, I’ve not been crazy about his play the last couple of years. Yes, he bounced back in the 2017-18 playoffs after losing his job to Philipp Grubauer, but he hasn’t been the same since. He finished the 2018-19 season with a 2.82 GAA and a .911 save percentage and those numbers actually plummeted this year with a 3.11 GAA and .897 save percentage, which makes you wonder how many teams will be willing to pay up for Holtby’s services.
In reality, the Capitals might be really lucky that Ilya Samsonov had such an impressive rookie year. Had he struggled this year, they would be in a tough situation. Any team that is interested in Holtby has to be quite wary of how the 30-year old (31 at the start of next season) has played recently and I would not give him term of any significant length.
However, I could see several teams interested in signing him in hopes that he might bounce back and personally, I wouldn’t be shocked if a team like the Buffalo Sabres might opt to buy out Carter Hutton and bring in Holtby to share the net with Linus Ullmark over the next few years. The defense is getting stronger and they have some talent not far away from coming in to help both netminders. The key, once again, is not to offer too long of a deal, especially since the Sabres have been burned by free agents over the years.
Zach Leach:
When it comes to Braden Holtby, the only thing that is certain is that he will be playing in a starter’s role to begin next season. Holtby was one of the best players in the NHL from 2014-17, so while his numbers have shown a marked drop-off in recent years, he still has the experience and brand power to land a major contract that guarantees him a top role in net. That’s not to say that the team investing in the Vezina Trophy winner is making a wise decision, but someone will do it.
Who exactly that will be is hard to tell. A Saskatchewan native who played junior for his hometown Saskatoon Blades, Holtby has no real ties to any other NHL market besides Washington. Beyond a possible reunion with first NHL coach Bruce Boudreau, should he land with a team who had needs in net, Holtby’s destination will likely not be based on any past relationships either, but rather simply the best offer.
While things are sure to change this off-season with the possibilities of a stagnant salary cap and compliance buyouts, right now there are few teams in need of a bona fide starter. Staying with the Caps or moving to the Blackhawks or Sharks would be an ideal fit, but would be very difficult in terms of cap construction. On the other end of the spectrum, the Red Wings, Senators, Sabres, and Devils could use help in net but are likely hesitant to make a major investment when they are not close to contending.
For my money, I would say that Chicago is most likely to figure out how to make Holtby fit. They are the only team in the league without an NHL option signed for next season and are desperate to solve that situation and get back to competing for Stanley Cups. A Brent Seabrook compliance buyout would go a long way to making this dream a reality. If San Jose can move Martin Jones or Buffalo decides to go all-in this summer, I would say that those two teams have the flexibility to be players for Holtby as well. I think the Capitals are prepared to move forward with Ilya Samsonov and a top veteran backup.
Gavin Lee:
When you think of signing big-name free agents, which is the very last team you consider? Maybe the Carolina Hurricanes, who haven’t been a big UFA player on July 1 since, well they’ve never really been one. Perhaps that all changes this year, when Holtby will be available for the highest bidder.
Yes, it would be quite a shock for Carolina to make a commitment of that level to a free agent. Yes, the Hurricanes do already have two goaltenders each making more than $3MM next season. And yes, even with the expiring Joel Edmundson and Trevor van Riemsdyk contracts the team still has an expensive defense corps.
But if there has been any theme to the team’s moves since Tom Dundon took over as owner, it’s that they’re willing to take a swing at that inside fastball and try to put it in the seats. That’s exactly what Holtby would be for a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals just a year ago. The Hurricanes have shown they can be an elite possession team, own one of the finest defensive groups in the NHL, and after some shrewd trades the last few years now have a young top-nine that could rival almost any in the league.
There would need to be other moves that go along with it. Obviously James Reimer and Petr Mrazek couldn’t both be on the roster along with Holtby, but given that the team still has some time before Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas get really expensive, perhaps one of them could. A tandem of Holtby-Mrazek for instance still might not be that much more expensive than the ones in Florida and Montreal, where Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price already make at least $10MM per season. After his down year and with the squeezed salary cap Holtby won’t command that much, but he could still give the Hurricanes that kind of Vezina-caliber, championship-level goaltending they’ve lacked for so long.
What better motivation could there be than to stay in the Metropolitan Division?
Latest On Torey Krug’s Pending Free Agency
If the NHL ever decides that they are not able to play any more games this season, it will be a wild few months. Very suddenly, players who were in the middle of a Stanley Cup chase will instead become free agents, able to sign with whichever team they choose—or at least whichever is interested in them. Torey Krug is one of the players in that situation. The Boston Bruins defenseman was an integral part of a squad looking to challenge for a league championship but is now in limbo awaiting a decision from the NHL to see if he has played his last game with the team.
Of course, Boston could re-sign Krug, which is clearly what the defenseman is hoping for. He was on a conference call with reporters including Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com yesterday, and explained the situation:
We haven’t had any talks since this thing has started. I can’t speak for any other UFA that’s in a position like I am, but in terms of my situation here in Boston, we haven’t continued any talks or made any progress in that regard.
For me personally, I really hope I did not play my last game as a Boston Bruin. It’s been a special place for me and my family to grow and my love for the game and playing in front of these fans, it’s been very special to me.
Krug, who will turn 29 on Sunday, was having another outstanding offensive season for the Bruins, scoring 49 points through his first 61 games. The left-handed defenseman has been one of the elite puck-movers in the game for some time now, but took his powerplay production to a whole new level last year and seems to continue to improve in his own end. That package—even if it’s not a big one; Krug stands at just 5’9″—would make him one of the most attractive unrestricted free agents on the market this summer and a target for dozens of teams.
The biggest question to this point is will the Bruins even be able to afford him? With the rest of this season still clouded in uncertainty, there’s no telling exactly where the hockey-related revenue numbers will come down for this year. That means the 2020-21 salary cap could be drastically affected, something that would impact heavily the Bruins’ free agent plans.
Krug isn’t the only important player on the Bruins headed for free agency. Jaroslav Halak, who has been arguably the best “backup” goaltender in the league for some time now, is also headed for UFA status. As is Kevan Miller, though it’s not clear what his future holds due to injury concerns.
Captain Zdeno Chara is also on an expiring deal, though he is probably willing to work with the Bruins on a reasonable salary should he decide to come back. Chara took a one-year deal last year that guaranteed him just $2MM in base salary, but had up to $1.75MM in performance bonuses.
On the RFA side, Jake Debrusk, Anders Bjork and Matt Grzelcyk lead the way and will all be looking for raises.
Depending on how the Bruins go about it, shelling out $8MM+ per season for Krug may simply not be possible. You can understand why the two sides haven’t been locked in negotiations though since there is no way to tell exactly how much money Boston even has to spend.
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