Connor McMichael Signs Entry-Level Contract
The Washington Capitals have signed another recent draft pick, inking Connor McMichael to a three-year entry-level contract. McMichael was selected 25th overall in last month’s draft, and will likely head back to the London Knights of the OHL for the 2019-20 season. The deal will have an average annual value of $925K.
McMichael is a very interesting draft story, as his first year of junior hockey was a disaster. Despite being a high pick into the OHL and previously dominating in midget, McMichael struggled mightily with the Hamilton Bulldogs and was almost invisible after a trade to the legendary London Knights organization in 2017-18. Notably though, London had traded away St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas for the young McMichael, obviously seeing his potential being wasted. Though it didn’t work right away, McMichael came back in 2018-19 and blew the doors off the OHL for London, scoring 36 goals and 72 points to lead a loaded club that also had top picks like Liam Foudy, Adam Boqvist, Evan Bouchard and Alex Formenton among others.
That kind of performance shot McMichael into the first-round discussion once again, and the Capitals decided to take a chance on a player that might still need a bit of seasoning—unlike their next pick Brett Leason who was draft eligible for the third time. McMichael has an excellent feel for the game at both ends of the rink and regularly finds himself in the perfect position to create a chance or prevent one.
Interestingly, McMichael was not included in the initial roster for Team Canada at the Summer Showcase, though he has since been added after Dylan Cozens was forced out due to injury. He’ll try to work his way onto the World Junior team and show exactly why the Capitals used their first-round pick to select him.
Minor Transactions: 07/12/19
Ryan Dzingel and Jack Hughes may have been the biggest news stories of the day, but more has happened in the hockey world. As always, we’re here to keep track of all the minor moves around the league:
- The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have signed seven players, inking Steve Bernier, John Stevens, Nick Schilkey, Nic Pierog, Kyle MacLean, Mike Cornell and Ryan MacKinnon to one-year AHL contracts. Bernier is likely the most recognizable name in the group, as the 34-year old was a first-round pick and played 637 NHL games. Bernier has spent the last three seasons with the Sound Tigers, scoring 24 goals and 42 points last year.
- Juho Lammikko has returned to Finland instead of re-signing with the Florida Panthers. The 23-year old forward played 40 games with Florida last season but failed to score a single goal and recorded just six assists. A third-round pick in 2014, his rights will be retained thanks to the qualifying offer extended from the Panthers last month but Lammikko will play for Karpat this season in Finland’s top league.
- The Iowa Wild have signed Mitch McLain, Nick Boka, Alex Breton and Jack Sadek to AHL contracts for the 2019-20 season, bringing in some more depth for the organization. McLain returns to the team after spending his first full professional season with Iowa last year, scoring 20 points in 58 games. Boka meanwhile will stay in the Minnesota system after four years at the University of Michigan, despite his exclusive draft rights expiring later this summer.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Adam Johnson
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed Adam Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract. Johnson had been eligible for arbitration but did not file. The contract carries a $700K salary at the NHL level. Assistant GM Bill Guerin released a short statement on the forward:
Adam has definitely put the work in. He’s a great skater, and has worked extremely hard to get to another level of strength and conditioning, which certainly helped him in his second pro season. I think he proved not only to us but also to himself that he can play in the National Hockey League.
The 25-year old Johnson is another one of the Penguins’ undrafted free agent signings out of the NCAA, though he hasn’t yet made quite the impact players like Conor Sheary and Zach Aston-Reese. In fact, Johnson has played just six games for Pittsburgh since signing out of Minnesota-Duluth in 2017, instead spending most of his professional career with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. It’s there that the two-way forward has made his mark, scoring 74 points in 137 games.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton may be where Johnson is headed once again unless more changes are made in Pittsburgh this summer, since he is still waiver-exempt for now. If that happens and he doesn’t play in at least 74 NHL games this season he will qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency in 2020 and could take his talents elsewhere. It’ll be a difficult task for him to land a full-time role out of camp, but not impossible. If the Penguins decide to move on from another player like Nick Bjugstad or Bryan Rust they may have an opening for at least a 13th forward, something Johnson could have the inside track on given his waiver status and relative versatility.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Johan Larsson
The Buffalo Sabres have reached an agreement with another one of their restricted free agents, signing Johan Larsson to a one-year, $1.55MM contract. Larsson was eligible for arbitration this year but decided not to file, instead accepting his qualifying offer. He will be an unrestricted free agent next summer
Larsson, 26, has been a full-time player in the Sabres lineup for the last several seasons, but never did become anything more than a defensive center for the club. Originally selected 56th overall in 2010 by the Minnesota Wild, he was a big part of the original Jason Pominville deal back in 2013. Even though he has put up solid point totals at the minor league level, that offense never materialized in the NHL and Larsson has posted just 79 points in 330 games with the Sabres. He reached a career-high 10 goals in 2015-16 but hasn’t been able to crack six in a single year since.
Still, there is value in his game at the bottom of the Sabres lineup as a penalty killing and matchup option. He averaged more short-handed ice time than any Buffalo forward not named Zemgus Girgensons, and was almost exclusively used for faceoffs in the defensive zone. Even as the Sabres try to add some more punch up front with players like Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Vesey, Larsson’s role in the bottom-six is likely relatively safe.
The question will be whether or not the team wants to keep him around past this season. The Sabres currently project to have six different forwards reach unrestricted free agency next summer, and none of them are so key to the operation that an extension is crucial. Instead the team could look very different in 2020-21, with some young players or more trades taking the place of these veteran depth options.
Jack Hughes Signs Entry-Level Contract
Jack Hughes is not just another prospect. The New Jersey Devils have released a short video to announce his three-year entry-level contract, which will pay him the maximum amount of salary and performance bonuses. That means his base cap hit will be $925K, though he could earn up to $2.85MM more in bonuses depending on how well he acclimates to the NHL.
Hughes, the first overall pick in June’s draft, is going to walk right onto the Devils roster from day one meaning his contract will expire in 2022. The 18-year old forward should form a dynamic center duo with 2017 first overall pick Nico Hischier who has already developed into a premiere two-way option. The pair should give the Devils a core to build around for the next decade, especially if they can get Taylor Hall (another first overall pick) signed long-term before he hits the unrestricted free agent market next summer.
The addition of Hughes should only help that goal, as he has shown himself to be an elite playmaker at every level so far. The 5’11” 170-lbs Hughes broke several records at the USNTDP, putting up 190 points over his two years there. He has dominated on the international stage at the U18 level and even held his own among NHL competition at the recent IIHF World Championship. Even if he is a tad undersized, his elusive skating and awareness have allowed him to avoid physical contact like other small NHL stars while still finding room to create for himself and his teammates.
It’s not clear exactly where Hughes will start in the New Jersey lineup, but plugging him in along with Wayne Simmonds and P.K. Subban this summer has dramatically changed the look of the Devils. The team still has work to do with several restricted free agents, but without many long-term commitments or bad contracts, they’re set up to turn the corner on their rebuild and start competing for the playoffs once again.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Ryan Dzingel
Another one of the top remaining free agents is off the board, as the Carolina Hurricanes have swooped in and signed Ryan Dzingel. The former Columbus Blue Jackets forward will get just a two-year deal worth a total of $6.75MM. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a statement:
Ryan has proven that he can be an impact player offensively, putting up bigger numbers over each of his three full-time NHL seasons. His speed, skill and vision make him an excellent fit for our forward group and our style of play. At 27, he’s just entering his prime and certainly had options coming off a 26-goal season, so we’re happy he’s chosen to be a part of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Dzingel was the highest ranked forward left on our Top 50 UFA list, coming in at number 12. Like many others, we expected him to a get a much longer deal on the open market but it appears as though a poor playoff performance may have reduced his market considerably. Dzingel never fit in well with the Blue Jackets after a trade from the Ottawa Senators, and ended up watching from the press box for one of their playoff games.
Despite the lack of fit in Columbus, Dzingel still produced his best offensive season in 2018-19 by racking up 26 goals and 56 points. His second straight 20+ goal season in the books, it looked like he would still find a team desperate for offense that could offer him a long-term deal. Instead, he’ll go to Carolina for just two seasons at a more than reasonable $3.375MM cap hit and could be one of the biggest bargains of the offseason. Even after watching Micheal Ferland head west, the Hurricanes have now given their secondary scoring a boost with the additions of Dzingel and Erik Haula and could be a more dangerous team next season.
The 27-year old Dzingel has always been able to put the puck in the net. Though he was just a seventh-round pick in 2011, he quickly became a star at Ohio State University where he scored 22 goals and 46 points in his 37-game junior season. Upon joining the professional ranks with the Senators’ AHL team he continued to score, putting up 31 goals in 119 games before jumping to the NHL. Of Dzingel’s 66 career NHL goals just ten of them have come on the powerplay, meaning he should give the team a more balanced attack at even-strength and allow head coach Rod Brind’Amour to mix and match the lines however he chooses. Though he has played center in the past, Dzingel is exclusively a winger at the NHL level.
PHR Live Chat Transcript: 07/11/19
Click here to read a transcript of this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.
San Jose Sharks Sign Dylan Gambrell, Antti Suomela
The San Jose Sharks have reached an agreement with restricted free agent Dylan Gambrell, signing him to a two-year contract. The deal is for $700K and GM Doug Wilson issued a short statement:
Dylan had success at the AHL level with the Barracuda this past season, helping to lead the league’s youngest team to another Calder Cup Playoff berth,. He has continued to show us growth in all areas of his game, and, with his goal in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final, has proven he can handle the pressure of the NHL. We look forward to his continued development, and the impact he will have on the Sharks.
The team has also signed forward Antti Suomela to a one-year contract worth $700K. Both players will still be restricted free agents when the deals expire.
Gambrell, 22, was selected in the second round of the 2016 draft after an outstanding rookie season at the University of Denver, and proceeded to have two more solid years before signing with the Sharks in 2018. Because of his age at the time that contract was limited to just two seasons, and Gambrell burned the first year at the end of 2017-18. He did get into three games with the Sharks that year but spent most of his first real professional season in the minor leagues with the San Jose Barracuda. In 51 games with the AHL club his scoring touch rarely failed, as the young forward recorded 20 goals and 45 points.
Amazingly, Gambrell managed to record an NHL playoff goal before ever getting his first regular season tally. He scored in one of his two postseason appearances this year after failing to register even a single point in 11 previous regular season contests. That will likely change next season if given the chance, as Gambrell looks like he’ll have no trouble producing at the professional level once he gets his feet under him. Whether that comes in the NHL right away is unclear, especially given that he is still waiver-exempt and can be sent down with much more ease than some of the more veteran names battling for spots.
One of those veteran names—by age alone mind you—is Suomela, who came over from Finland last season after several successful years in his country’s top professional league. The 25-year old played in 27 games for the Sharks and recorded eight points, but spent the majority of the year in the minor leagues as well. While there’s no guarantee he will crack the NHL squad out of camp, Suomela has substantial upside of his own after recording 60 points in 59 games to lead the entire Liiga in scoring for 2017-18. If he could ever bring even a portion of that production to the Sharks, they would have found another core piece without expending any asset other than money.
Minor Transactions: 07/11/19
Another day closer to the start of the 2019-20 regular season, and another few contracts signed by minor league players. Like always, we’ll keep an eye on the fringes for you:
- The Hershey Bears are bringing back Erik Burgdoerfer on an AHL contract after he spent the last several seasons trying to establish himself in the NHL. An undrafted free agent out of RPI, the defenseman had to battle through several seasons in the ECHL before getting a real shot in the AHL with Hershey in 2014. After playing eight NHL games split between the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, he’s back with the Bears for 2019-20.
- Ben Sexton did enough in 26 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season to earn a new AHL contract with them. The team has re-signed the 28-year old forward to a one-year minor league pact after he recorded 10 points and 31 penalty minutes in those 26 contests. A veteran of just two NHL games (also with the Senators), Sexton will serve as an experienced hand for the Penguins as Mike Vellucci tries to turn the program around.
Montreal Canadiens Agree To Terms With Artturi Lehkonen
After extending Joel Armia earlier today, the Montreal Canadiens have announced they’ve come to terms with Artturi Lehkonen on a new two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.4MM but unlike Armia, will leave Lehkonen as a restricted free agent in 2021.
Lehkonen, 24 (despite what the press release says), still hasn’t been able to quite replicate the 18 goals he recorded as a rookie in 2016-17, but was still a valuable part of the Canadiens’ attack last season. Setting a career-high with 31 points in 82 games, Lehkonen also increased his physical play and became a key part of the penalty kill. At his best when lined up against the opponent’s top scorers, Lehkonen can be an unrelenting forechecking presence when he wants to be. While he may still face some of the inconsistency issues that many young forwards do, there’s also still real upside if given a more offensive role down the line.
That offensive role is likely what he has his sights set on as he signs for just two seasons, hoping to make even more on his next deal after a breakout year. The question is whether he’ll get that opportunity with other forwards like Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Tatar eating up the offensive zone time and powerplay chances. Still, for the Canadiens his value is obvious as a middle-six player capable of lining up against anyone on the other team and contributing some secondary scoring. A $2.4MM cap hit is more than reasonable for the team using him in this role, especially given the goal-scoring upside he’s shown in the past.
Montreal now has just Charles Hudon and Michael McCarron left to sign as restricted free agents, and close to $6MM to do so (based on a 23-man roster). That leaves them more than enough wiggle room to continue searching the free agent market for an upgrade or take on salary in a trade.
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