Anton Burdasov Drawing NHL Interest
Teams around the NHL are always looking to find a player for free. Maybe he was overlooked coming out of junior because of his height, or he wasn’t given an offensive opportunity at his smaller NCAA program, but anywhere they can find excess value—or even just a chance of it—teams are ready to pounce. The KHL is one of those locations and teams are continuously scouring the depth charts of Russian teams to find someone who could contribute at the NHL level. He doesn’t need to be the next Artemi Panarin, but if he can play at all there will be a team with interest.
That’s the case for Anton Burdasov, whose name was brought up today by Igor Eronko of Sport-Express and is apparently talking to three teams in the NHL. Eronko believes one of them is Edmonton, but doesn’t give any indication of the others. A report out of Russia earlier this year also linked him the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. Burdasov indicated almost a year ago that he would be interested in heading to the NHL once his contract in Russia expired, and now that it has it seems as though he’s ready to follow through on his word.
Burdasov, 28, represents an interesting case. He’s played in the KHL for a decade now, but before last season had never scored more than 17 goals in a single season. In fact, his 89 goals and 176 points in 386 regular season games isn’t all that impressive when compared to some of the other Russian players who have tried and failed to make an impact at the NHL level. Burdasov is mostly known for his hard wrist shot—something Eronko points out would fit well with the Oilers’ playmakers—and has history playing with top players like Panarin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Nikita Gusev. He was even teammates with Vladimir Tarasenko for a season before the St. Louis Blues star came to the NHL.
If Burdasov does intend on coming to the NHL, he certainly put up an interesting season for scouts. Not only did he record the most goals of his career with 19, but he also led all KHL players with 114 penalty minutes. Just like with any player who hasn’t suited up in the NHL there’s no way of knowing if he’ll make an impact, but it seems as though someone is about to give him a shot.
Snapshots: Gardiner, Allen, Hart
Jake Gardiner came into the offseason as our top unrestricted free agent defenseman and sixth-highest ranked player overall. We predicted a five-year contract worth $32MM for the talented puck-mover, but as the calendar gets ready to turn to September he remains unsigned. There’s been very little indication from Gardiner or his representatives to why that is, but many have speculated that he may be waiting for an opportunity to present itself in Toronto where he could return to the Maple Leafs. With Mitch Marner still unsigned and the Maple Leafs right up against the cap that seems unlikely, so Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gave his thoughts on the situation:
Jake Gardiner loves Toronto, and I know the organization really likes him. They like him a lot. The thing that I wonder about for Gardiner is, if he is looking to increase his value is he going to do it in Toronto? He’s not going to get as much powerplay time, they’re going to have [Morgan] Rielly and [Tyson] Barrie. He’s probably going to be a third-pairing defenseman. If he’s staying in Toronto, it’s because he really wants to be there.
I’ve heard Arizona. I’ve heard both Montreal and Winnipeg. I’ve heard Buffalo if they move maybe [Rasmus] Ristolainen out. Somebody said they heard rumors of potentially Carolina depending on what the Hurricanes might still do. I think there is interest in him, I think he’s being picky.
Despite the fact that Gardiner has been known to turn the puck over at the most inopportune times for Toronto, he is still a quality player that many teams around the league could use. The 29-year old has averaged more than 20 minutes a night in every single year of his career and just posted his sixth 30+ point season. His possession numbers are excellent even when compared to his talented teammates, and he’s shown the ability to contribute even more offensively when given the chance. No, Gardiner certainly isn’t a perfect player, but it’s extremely surprising to see him last this long into the offseason without a contact.
- The Washington Capitals have hired Scott Allen as an assistant coach for their AHL affiliate, adding some more experience to the Hershey Bears bench. Allen has serves as an NHL assistant for the last three years, most recently with the Arizona Coyotes. The former minor league forward actually started his coaching career with the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL more than two decades ago.
- The Philadelphia Flyers may have an franchise-changing netminder on their hands in Carter Hart, but the team isn’t going to just hand him the starting job this season. As Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Hart will have to compete with Brian Elliott for that job in training camp and earn his spot at the top of the depth chart. While it seems unlikely that Elliott could really take the full-time starter role, it does suggest that perhaps he won’t be left completely out in the cold. If a healthy Elliott can regain any of the form that he had in St. Louis a few years ago the Flyers could have one of the best tandems in the league on their hands. The 21-year old Hart already showed how capable he was at this level with a .917 save percentage in 31 games as a rookie.
NHL Formally Declines CBA Opt-Out Clause
The NHL has notified the NHLPA that they will not be using their opt-out clause to reopen the current CBA early according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The agreement currently runs until September, 2022 but both sides had the ability to end it two years early. The NHL has decided not to do so, but the NHLPA has until September 15th to inform the league of their decision. Friedman does suggest however that the two sides could extend that deadline further depending on how talks go in the next few weeks. The NHLPA Executive Committee is scheduled to meet next week in Chicago. From commissioner Gary Bettman:
Based on the current state of the game and the business of the game, the NHL believes it is essential to continue building upon the momentum we have created with our Players and, therefore, will not exercise its option to reopen the CBA. Rather, we are prepared to have the current CBA remain in effect for its full term – three more seasons through the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.
It is our hope that a continues, sustained period of labor peace will enable us to further grow the game and benefit all constituent groups: NHL Players, Clubs, our business partners and, most important, our fans.
In any CBA, the parties can always identify issues they are unhappy with and would like to see changed. This is certainly true from the League’s standpoint. However, our analysis makes clear that the benefits of continuing to operate under the terms of the current CBA – while working with the Players’ Association to address our respective concerns – far outweigh the disruptive consequences of terminating it following the upcoming season.
Though this by no means certifies labor peace between the two sides, it could still be considered a positive development. At least one side is happy to continue with the current CBA, though that does not guarantee that the NHLPA will feel the same. Speculation has continued that the biggest sticking points between the two sides are rising escrow levels, international involvement and contract structuring.
If the players’ union decides not to re-open negotiations early and does not extend the deadline, it would mean that there would not be a work stoppage for at least the next three seasons. That would allow the two sides to move forward with plans on a potential World Cup of Hockey in 2021 and mean a smooth transition into the league for the Seattle expansion franchise.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The NHL offseason is almost over and preseason games are just a few weeks away. Even so, the restricted free agent market has yet to thaw and there are still unsigned free agent names out there like Jake Gardiner and Ben Hutton. It seems unlikely that these situations will continue through September, but neither show any signs of change in the coming days.
With the offseason moving at a snail’s pace it’s time to run another edition of our mailbag. You can submit your query by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. Make sure you get your questions in early and we’ll try to get through as many as possible when the mailbag runs on the weekend.
If you missed our last edition it was split into two parts you can read here and here. In the first, Brian tackled questions regarding Kevin Shattenkirk‘s fit in Tampa Bay, the early extension of Samuel Girard in Colorado and predicted what contracts the top restricted free agents would eventually get. The second part took a look at the possible next moves for the New York Rangers, David Backes‘ future in Boston and speculated on some trade candidates that may be brought up in the future.
Washington Capitals Will “Probably” Make Trade Before Season Begins
The Washington Capitals currently project to be only slightly over the $81.5MM salary cap with a 23-man roster, meaning they could place a couple of players on waivers before the start of the season to become compliant. The team has been right up against the cap ceiling for a few years and have been forced to carry fewer than the maximum 23 players for various stretches. That might not be the answer this time around though, as GM Brian MacLellan explained to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com:
I think we’ll probably have to move someone. Injuries and all the stuff that happens in training camp and exhibition season probably dictates it a little bit, but we’re going to be patient. We’re not in a rush. We’ll wait and let it play itself out.
When MacLellan says “move someone,” he means a trade that would open up some cap space for the Capitals, though it’s not clear who he is considering at this time. The team had to watch Brett Connolly leave as an unrestricted free agent this summer after he priced himself out of their market with a 22-goal season, but brought in names like Richard Panik, Brendan Leipsic and Garnet Hathaway to provide some more bottom-six depth. The team also traded away Andre Burakovsky since his $3MM qualifying offer was going to be too expensive for them, which leaves few obvious choices as players to trade after training camp.
After scoring just 13 goals last season some may point to Lars Eller and his $3.5MM cap hit for the next four years as a candidate to move, but the Capitals have relied heavily on the center to support the more offensive play styles of Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Depth down the middle has been a strength for the Capitals over the last several seasons, and moving Eller would open up quite a few questions heading into the season.
Perhaps a move from defense could be made, if the team believes that Christian Djoos and Jonas Siegenthaler can both play full-time roles on the blueline this season and contribute more than they have. Radko Gudas was acquired in a previous trade but has just one year remaining on his current deal. That deal costs the Capitals just $2.345MM against the cap however after the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to retain a portion of it, making Gudas very reasonably priced for the impact he can make.
That may be why MacLellan is preaching patience when it comes to the trade, not sure himself who he would move if he was forced into it. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in training camp for the Capitals, and whether or not it does “play itself out.”
Minor Transactions: 08/30/19
Many prominent free agents restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:
- The San Diego Gulls are bringing back Scott Moldenhauer on another AHL contract for the 2019-20 season. The 25-year old made his professional debut last season after four years at Western Michigan University, where he served as captain during his senior season. The 6’4″ defenseman had one point in 14 games with the Gulls but was a much more effective presence in the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers.
- Former NHL goaltender Barry Brust is still plying his trade overseas, and this year has signed back with Slovakian club HC Slovan Bratislava who are no longer part of the KHL. The 36-year old Brust was originally selected in the third round by Minnesota back in 2002 and played 11 games with the Los Angeles Kings. Brust has played in the DEL, KHL and NLA over the last several years,
2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Twelfth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
It’s hard to eclipse Benn’s 127-spot jump in our redraft series, but Muzzin has done just that. Rising an amazing 130 selections, the Woodstock, Ontario defenseman has certainly put together quite the career for himself so far. Every team passed on Muzzin before the Pittsburgh Penguins eventually snapped him up in the fifth round, and it’s easy to see why. In 2007 Muzzin was coming off just one half-season of play in the Ontario Hockey League after suffering a herniated disc as a 16-year old and missing an entire year of hockey thanks to surgery. Scoring just eight points in 50 games that season for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, he wasn’t even listed on the NHL Central Scouting’s list of top draft eligible players from North America—a list that includes 200 names.
The Penguins saw something though in order to draft him, but it would never actually pay off for them. Muzzin would never sign with the Penguins and instead returned for three more full seasons with the Greyhounds. That’s where he learned to become an ultra-efficient puck-moving defenseman even without any real standout skills. His decision making and size allowed him to play in basically every situation however and he eventually would earn the OHL Most Outstanding Defenseman award in 2010. That 2009-10 season was enough to catch the eye of the Los Angeles Kings organization who signed him in January 2010 to an entry-level contract.
It still wasn’t a totally smooth road for Muzzin with the Kings, but within three years he had established himself as a full-time NHL player. His second full season in the NHL the Kings would win the Stanley Cup and Muzzin would lead all defensemen in playoff goals with six. Muzzin would remain a rock solid option for the Kings for several more seasons and represent Canada by winning gold at both the World Championships and World Cup—his first two international competitions.
At the deadline last season the Toronto Maple Leafs paid a hefty price to acquire the now-veteran defenseman, and he’ll suit up again for them this season on the final year of his contract. Muzzin ranks fourth among defensemen from the 2007 draft with 229 points and certainly deserves his place in the first half of the first round.
You can bet that Montreal would have been happy picking Muzzin 12th the way his career turned out, but back in 2007 they made an even better pick. Ryan McDonagh, who came in at pick number seven in our redraft originally went to the Canadiens, in one of the best draft classes we’ve seen in some time. McDonagh would never actually pull on the bleu blanc et rouge, but went on to have an excellent career with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning so far.
Unfortunately for Montreal, McDonagh isn’t available this time around. There’s still plenty of talent on the board, but who should they pick?
With the twelfth pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Montreal Canadiens select? Cast your vote below!
[Mobile users click here to vote]
*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.
Latest On Jesse Puljujarvi’s NHL Future
When Jesse Puljujarvi recently signed a one-year deal in Finland, Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland was quick to clarify that it didn’t change the young forward’s situation much. The Oilers still would not be forced into a trade that didn’t bring back substantial value, and reports surfaced that the team was looking for a draft pick and prospect in exchange for the 2016 fourth overall pick. Last night Elliotte Friedman joined the NHL Network to give his thoughts on the situation, including a couple of teams that may be interested in acquiring Puljujarvi:
I think two of the teams that [the Oilers] have had a lot of conversations with are Tampa Bay and Carolina. I think Carolina is willing to give them one of their prospects, maybe a guy like [Julian] Gauthier, but they’re not so interested in doing the pick. I think Tampa Bay they have kind of flirted with back and forth. I think they kind of know which Tampa prospects they might be able to get, but I think again it’s a combination of finding the exact group of two things they want–a pick plus the prospect.
Friedman goes on to explain that he believes there has been interest from other Canadian teams but that Puljujarvi would rather go somewhere “a little quieter” in the USA. Tampa Bay and Carolina both represent smaller markets than some of the big Canadian cities, but there’s certainly no guarantee he would be out of the spotlight given that both teams are expecting to contend for the Stanley Cup this season after their performances in 2018-19.
Carolina does have a huge number of young prospects that they could dangle in front of Holland and have several Finnish connections on the roster already. The team has also been looking for offensive contributors for some time and may believe they can turn Puljujarvi’s career around and turn him into the dominant power forward he was expected to become. Still, with more than enough forwards to round out the roster already after the acquisitions of Ryan Dzingel and Erik Haula this summer, there may not be enough room to give Puljujarvi that top-six opportunity he is looking for.
In Tampa Bay, that kind of opportunity is even less likely. The Lightning have one of the deepest forward groups in the NHL and enjoy a rock solid top-six that would leave little room for Puljujarvi on the powerplay. The team recently added Patrick Maroon to the mix up front and also have salary concerns given Brayden Point‘s continuing negotiations. Puljujarvi is still a restricted free agent and will need a new contract wherever he ends up, if in fact he returns to the NHL this season.
Mike Vellucci Named Wilkes-Barre/Scranton GM
After Bill Guerin decided to take a job with the Minnesota Wild earlier this month, the Pittsburgh Penguins were not only left without an assistant GM but the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL were without a GM at all. No longer, as the organization has named Mike Vellucci GM of the AHL club in addition to his head coaching role. Vellucci performed the same double-duty with the Charlotte Checkers previously.
Last season in Charlotte, Vellucci and the Checkers took home the Calder Cup as league champions after slowly building to become one of the most stable and successful franchises in the league. The affiliate for the Carolina Hurricanes has produced near countless NHL players over the last several years, thanks at least in part to Vellucci’s work on the development side as well as behind the bench.
When he left the Hurricanes organization earlier this year it came as no surprise that Vellucci returned to an organization led by Jim Rutherford, given the two have history going back decades. Vellucci will now attempt to get the WBS Penguins back to the playoffs after the franchise missed the postseason for the first time in more than 15 years.
Morning Notes: CBA, Markov, CTE
The NHLPA Executive Board will meet on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming September 15th opt-out deadline for the current Collective Bargaining Agreement according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who adds that there should be an announcement from the league on their own clause by the end of the weekend. Both sides could choose to terminate the current CBA early, though the entire 2019-20 season would still be played under it.
There has been positive reports for months coming out of CBA negotiations between the two sides, but nothing has been officially announced yet on whether they will continue to work under it, end it early or sign a potential extension. The agreement is currently set to expire in 2022.
- Andrei Markov‘s new representation is hard at work trying to sell the 40-year old defenseman, and Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that there have been around five teams who have already checked in. Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey told Engels that his new client is looking for a one-year deal and is willing to play anywhere in the NHL, even if he does admit to wanting to finish his career with the Montreal Canadiens. Markov has spent the last two years in the KHL where he recorded 14 points in 49 games last season.
- With Ben Lovejoy deciding to retire today, Rick Westhead of TSN reminds us that the veteran defenseman was the first active NHL player to pledge his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation for study after his death. No other active NHL player has followed suit, though several former players have made the pledge. Lovejoy made the pledge without ever having been diagnosed with a concussion, noting that he is “a believer in science” and wants “to do anything [he] can to help.”