Morning Notes: CBA, Mayotte, Aho
This September, the NHL and NHLPA will both have the ability to opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. The CBA would still run for the 2019-20 season, but would expire afterwards and threaten a work stoppage in 2020. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports however, there is still optimism between both sides in the talks they’ve had at this point. The agreement expires normally in 2022, but could be extended if the two sides reach an agreement.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly also told Johnston that there are tentative plans to hold the next World Cup of Hockey in February of 2021, an event that would replace the in-season All-Star game. The last World Cup was held in September of 2016, but resulted in several players suffering injuries just before the regular season began.
- Kris Mayotte has left Providence College to join the University of Michigan coaching staff as an assistant under Mel Pearson. The 36-year old former minor league goaltender worked closely with Hayden Hawkey over the last several years in net for the Friars, and was an assistant coach on two USA Hockey World Junior teams. Though his appointment at Michigan may technically be a step backwards in title—he was an associate head coach last season with Providence—it will put his name even further up the coaching ladder. Mayotte is a rising name in the field that will likely be considered before long for an opportunity at the professional hockey level.
- Sebastian Aho spoke with reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com at the European Player Media Tour this week and explained that his entire plan this offseason was to get a contract done before training camp started. That’s why the young Carolina Hurricanes forward signed an offer sheet, giving him a way to guarantee that everything would be settled ahead of time. With a dozen other high profile restricted free agents still unsigned, Aho explained that he’s even happier with his decision now and glad to have remained with the Hurricanes.
2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Seventh 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)
While the Oilers were probably pretty happy with the way Sam Gagner turned out for them through the first part of his career, our community believes that there was a better forward option available. Voracek had already come over to North America the season leading up to his draft and put up an impressive rookie campaign in the QMJHL. In fact, his 110 points in 71 games for the Halifax Mooseheads during the 2006-07 season earned him the league Rookie of the Year award along with a place on the CHL prospects team. The young forward also participated in the World Junior despite being just 17 years old and scored three points in six games for the Czech Republic.
Voracek has blossomed into an exceptional offensive player at the NHL level too. Stepping into the league full time in 2008, he registered 38 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a total that he would eclipse in every season thereafter. His best production came just two years ago with Philadelphia when he put up 85 points in 82 games, but there have been other outstanding years dotted throughout his career. In total, Voracek has 639 points in 846 career games which actually ranks him third among all players picked in 2007.
Even with all of that success, Voracek’s name likely rings of pain for Blue Jackets fans. Not for anything he did, but something the front office decided to do in June, 2011. Voracek, coming off a 46-point season with the club, was traded along with a first and a third round pick the day before the 2011 draft. The return? Jeff Carter, who was coming off an outstanding 36-goal season with the Flyers. Voracek was scheduled to be a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level deal and was leveraged to get a player considered an elite talent in the league. Carter was in the early stages of an 11-year contract (which he is still under) and the Flyers needed some extra room to go after free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.
Unfortunately, nothing went right for the Blue Jackets after that. Carter would get hurt and eventually force another trade after voicing his displeasure in Columbus, going to Los Angeles in exchange for Jack Johnson and another first round pick in 2013. You would think that pick would help balance out what they gave to Philadelphia in the first place, but where the Flyers selected Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins with their two picks in 2011, Columbus grabbed Marko Dano in 2013. Carter would continue to star in Los Angeles and win two Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medal in three years, while Voracek and Couturier are still the backbone of the Flyers offensive attack (along with Claude Giroux, of course).
Looking back, it’s hard to argue with the selection of Voracek at seventh overall. But perhaps if they had picked someone else none of that would have happened. Now you’ll get the chance to re-write history since the Czech forward is already off the board.
With the seventh pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Columbus Blue Jackets select? Cast your vote below!
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*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.
Minor Transactions: 08/15/19
As August continues and we get further into contract negotiations, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:
- The Toronto Marlies have re-signed Nicholas Baptiste to an AHL contract, giving them some firepower for next season. Baptiste was originally a third-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres but after 47 games in the NHL has been traded twice in the last ten months. The Toronto Maple Leafs decided not to offer Baptiste a qualifying offer this offseason which made him an unrestricted free agent, but he’ll stay with the Marlies for the time being.
- The Brandon Wheat Kings have convinced Vegas Golden Knights prospect Marcus Kallionkieli to sign in the CHL, something we suggested when the NHL club signed him to an entry-level contract earlier this summer. The Wheat Kings are owned by Vegas executive Kelly McCrimmon, who picked Kallionkieli in both the NHL draft and CHL Import Draft within just a few days in June.
Kevin Fiala Negotiations Waiting On New GM
When Paul Fenton was fired a few weeks ago by the Minnesota Wild, not only did the team have to start an immediate (and perhaps desperate) search for a new general manager, but the rest of their offseason was put on hold. Assistant GM Tom Kurvers took over the day to day operations, but has only officially signed prospect Hunter Warner in that time. What does it mean for the team’s other restricted free agents? Well Kevin Fiala told reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com that he now just has to “see and wait” for the Wild to name a new GM before his negotiations can continue. Fenton and Fiala’s agent Claude Lemieux were working on a contract when the dismissal happened, meaning the young forward is now in a sort of limbo as he watches from afar.
Fiala has known Fenton for years going back to their time in the Nashville Predators organization. It was 2014 when the young forward was selected 11th overall, likely thanks at least in part to the then-assistant general manager who was known for his scouting abilities. Fenton, who was also GM of the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, then helped develop Fiala into the player he is today, the one that he went after at this year’s trade deadline. Fiala came to the Wild in exchange for Mikael Granlund and put up seven points in 19 games down the stretch. The 23-year old explained to Rosen what it meant to him when he heard the GM had been fired:
He’s a great person and he has had an impact on my life, not just my career. It was emotional on that day and a few days after, but at the end of the day it’s business. That maybe sounds stupid, but it is. For me right now it’s just focusing on the season.
There’s no doubt that Fiala has immense potential that has flashed at times throughout his young career, but the Swiss forward took a mild step backwards last season when he recorded just 39 points combined between the two clubs. Gone was the 23-goal campaign from 2017-18 and with it some leverage in contract negotiations. Whoever the Wild bring in as GM will likely not have the same connection to Fiala and will have to decide what kind of salary and term the team wants to commit.
With three full seasons under his belt Fiala has four years of restricted free agency remaining and could be arbitration eligible next summer. The Wild also have Joel Eriksson Ek to get signed, who is also coming off a rather disappointing season but still possesses lots of potential to become a key contributor for Minnesota.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Rantanen, Grebeshkov, Sodergran
Reporters including Michael Chambers of the Denver Post caught up with Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic today at his celebrity golf tournament, and asked him about the ongoing contract negotiations with Mikko Rantanen. There were recently reports that things had barely started between the two sides, but Sakic confirmed he had personally agreed with Rantanen that a long-term deal is the way to go.
With both sides on the same page regarding term, there is one less thing to worry about in negotiations. Obviously salary is now the biggest question and you have to wonder if Rantanen’s side (and maybe the Avalanche too) want to wait and see where some of the other high-priced restricted free agents come in. At the very least, the fact that Rantanen wants to sign long-term in Colorado is a positive sign and one that should excite Avalanche fans.
- Former NHL defenseman Denis Grebeshkov will join his old coach behind the bench in the KHL this season. He has been hired as an assistant to Craig MacTavish, who was the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers when the Russian experienced the most NHL success. Originally selected 18th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2002, the left-handed defenseman played several seasons for Edmonton and recorded 39 points in 2008-09. MacTavish left the Oilers this offseason to pursue an opportunity coaching Yaroslavl in the KHL.
- The Kings have confirmed to Jon Rosen that prospect Johan Sodergran will play in North America for the 2019-20 season, coming over from the SHL. Sodergran signed his entry-level contract in June after the Kings selected him in the sixth round in 2018 and comes with a fair amount of buzz after a successful season with Linkoping HC. Though he finished the year with just 13 points in 42 games, competing at all in that league at such a young age is an impressive feat. Sodergran also suited up for Sweden at the World Juniors last year and is expected to play for the Ontario Reign of the AHL despite not turning 20 until November.
Boston, New Jersey Renew ECHL Affiliates
The Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils have both renewed partnerships with their respective ECHL affiliates, the Atlanta Gladiators and Adirondack Thunder. Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald released a short statement on the extended relationship with the Thunder:
On behalf of the New Jersey Devils, we are pleased to continue our partnership for the 2019-20 season with our ECHL affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder. Giving players consistent ice-time and exposure in all situations at the ECHL Level will help them develop throughout all levels of the New Jersey Devils organization and its affiliates. We are excited to work together with the management, players and coaches for our third consecutive season in Adirondack.
The Gladiators franchise has been partnered with the Bruins for several years now, starting in the 2015-16 season after they relocated from Gwinnett and parted ways with the Arizona Coyotes. During that time they’ve made the Kelly Cup playoffs just once and have an overall record of 124-133-31. Still, they are a valuable place for the Bruins to continue to develop their raw or long-shot prospects before bringing them into the AHL.
Meanwhile the Thunder have made the playoffs in each of their four seasons in the ECHL, all with some sort of partnership (informal or not) with the Devils. Last season saw them go 37-26-9 under head coach Alex Loh despite using a total of nine different starting goaltenders throughout the year.
Ivan Barbashev Looking At Overseas Options
The St. Louis Blues have methodically worked their way through a long list of restricted free agents this offseason, bringing each one back for another shot at the Stanley Cup. All but one that is, as Ivan Barbashev is still without a contract. Today, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic and Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest have both been told that Barbashev is “looking at options on both sides of the ocean” by his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey.
Barbashev, 23, broke out last season with the Blues, scoring 14 goals and 26 points in 80 games and being a regular in the postseason lineup. He was often part of one of the most effective fourth lines in hockey, but also used his versatility to play all over the roster. Earlier reports had contract talks moving towards a four-year deal with a cap hit somewhere around $2MM, but obviously things aren’t settled yet if he is looking at options in the KHL and elsewhere.
As a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, this is one of the only points of leverage Barbashev has in contract negotiations. Other than an offer sheet, he has no real way of forcing a contract in the NHL. As a depth player that is useful but not necessary, a contract holdout would likely not get him much closer to whatever he is looking for either. In considering his options overseas, Barbashev may simply be truly wondering if returning to Russia would provide him with a bigger opportunity. Milstein insisted to Rutherford that it “is not a negotiating ploy.”
Detroit Red Wings Acquire Adam Erne
8:15pm: CapFriendly reports that the Red Wings have signed Erne to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1.05MM. The young forward will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal and will once again have arbitration rights.
1:02pm: The Detroit Red Wings have added to their forward group, acquiring Adam Erne from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round pick. Erne is currently a restricted free agent who chose not to file for arbitration.
The 24-year old forward finally broke into the NHL on a full-time basis in 2018-19, playing 65 games for the Lightning and racking up 20 points. That production actually included three game-winning goals and he even saw a bit of time on the powerplay despite averaging just 10:33 of ice time. Originally selected in the second round (33th overall) of the 2013 draft, the physical forward will now follow former Lightning GM Steve Yzerman to the Red Wings.
For Detroit, this gives the team another young player to insert into a lineup that is still likely a few years away from really contending. He’ll fit right into their core age group with Dylan Larkin (23), Tyler Bertuzzi (24), Anthony Mantha (24) and Andreas Athanasiou (25). There also is likely a bigger opportunity for Erne to see some time in the top-nine, a role that was much tougher to achieve in Tampa Bay. In 172 career AHL games, Erne has recorded 98 points and was a good offensive option in junior.
Tampa Bay meanwhile will open up some extra cap room by not signing the restricted free agent and have plenty of depth to fill his role in the NHL. Young players like Carter Verhaeghe, Mitchell Stephens and Alexander Volkov will get a chance to compete for his roster spot and get into some NHL action. The Lightning need all the room they can get in order to sign Brayden Point and will take advantage of their bottom-six depth.
Still, it’s a nice little trade for the Red Wings who already have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2020 draft. Getting a legitimate NHL player for a fourth-round pick is a trade off Yzerman will likely make every time at this point in their rebuild.
Snapshots: Sharks, Prospect Pools, Flames
The San Jose Sharks are still expected to sign Joe Thornton at some point this offseason according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription required). That might not be so for the other franchise icon that sits unsigned deep into August, Patrick Marleau who joined his former teammate for a skate at the San Jose facility this week. Kurz examines the situation for both men, pointing out that Thornton is completely committed to the team regardless of how much cap space they have left at the end of the summer.
Just recently we examined that cap space with a breakdown of the Sharks’ salary situation for the upcoming season. With just under $4.7MM to work with they could certainly bring in both Thornton and Marleau if they want to come “home,” but that wouldn’t leave much for upgrades to the rest of the roster. Most notably is perhaps in net where Aaron Dell remains the backup for the time being despite having just one year at $1.9MM left on his contract and the Sharks trying to trade him in the past. An improvement in net might cost the Sharks some of that room if they can’t find a taker for Dell in return.
- Sticking with The Athletic, resident prospect guru Corey Pronman has started to release (subscription required) his ranking of the 31 farm systems around the league. In last place sits the Calgary Flames, who have had several graduations recently including injured defenseman Juuso Valimaki. In the 2018 draft the Flames didn’t select a single player until the fourth round after trading away several picks, leaving a gap in their system they’ll have to work hard to refill. Pronman has released five other teams and will continue through the summer.
- Those Flames are now in the process of looking to add a defenseman instead of shopping one after Valimaki’s injury. GM Brad Treliving admitted to Eric Francis of Sportsnet that they hadn’t previously been considering an addition on the blueline, but is now after a depth option to help fill in. The rest of the league obviously noticed the situation the Flames are now in, with Treliving saying that his “30 other GM friends certainly have a lot of ideas for [him].”
Eddie Lack Starts Coaching Career
Despite being just 31 years old, Eddie Lack is shutting down his professional playing career—at least for now. The former NHL goaltender announced on his Twitter page that because of chronic hip pain he is “not healthy enough to play or sign right now” and instead will be starting his coaching career. Lack has been hired as the goaltending coach at Arizona State University, though he does not completely rule out a return to playing at some point down the road if he can get healthy.
Lack played just six games last season for the Binghamton Devils and is currently and unrestricted free agent after his one-year deal with New Jersey expired. The Swedish netminder suited up 147 times in the NHL over the years, including an excellent 2014-15 season with the Vancouver Canucks when he posted a .921 save percentage in 41 games. Lack played for the Canucks, Devils, Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes over his NHL career but will now start a brand new chapter of his hockey story.
Arizona State will actually be working with a new starting goaltender this season after Joey Daccord earned himself an NHL deal with the Ottawa Senators. Daccord put up a .926 save percentage in 2018-19 with the Sun Devils and was one of the best goaltenders in all of college hockey. Lack will need to work with the other netminders on the roster to try and fill the skates of Daccord, who started nearly every game for the team the last two seasons.