Dillon Heatherington Re-Signs With Dallas Stars
Dillon Heatherington didn’t bother filing for arbitration recently and instead has re-signed with the Dallas Stars. The depth defenseman inked a one-year two-way contract with the club that could take him right into unrestricted free agency depending on what happens this season. The Stars would need to play Heatherington in 69 NHL games this season to avoid Group VI unrestricted free agent status next summer. He will earn $700K at the NHL level this season, according to CapFriendly.
The 24-year old Heatherington has played in just 11 NHL games over the last two seasons, but is a key part of the Texas Stars’ blue line. Suiting up 73 times for them in 2018-19 the 6’4″ defenseman recorded 24 points and 75 penalty minutes while wearing an “A” as one of the alternate captains. Texas is likely where he is headed again this season, though he’ll have to clear waivers at the beginning of the season in order to go there.
Originally a second round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Heatherington has not yet been able to crack an NHL roster for very long. He’ll try to make that a tough decision this fall, but it will be difficult. The Stars have several strong options on the left side already, including newcomer Andrej Sekera. If one of them struggles or suffers an injury though, you can bet Heatherington will be one of the first few call-ups.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Three Players
The Vancouver Canucks have signed three of their restricted free agents, inking Reid Boucher, Brogan Rafferty and Josh Teves to two-way contracts. Boucher’s deal is just for one season, while Rafferty and Teves have each re-upped for two. That leaves the team with just Brock Boeser and Nikolay Goldobin still to sign among RFAs.
News came out this morning that Boucher was close to a deal with the Canucks, and now the 25-year old has indeed re-signed to bring a level of minor league offense to the club. He registered 62 points last season in just 56 AHL contests and should help the Utica Comets tremendously once again if he can’t crack the NHL lineup out of camp. Boucher has 133 NHL games under his belt, meaning he very well could be the first call-up in case of injury concerns.
Rafferty, 24, signed out of Quinnipiac just a few months ago and got into two games with the Canucks down the stretch. Coming off his short-entry-level contract the undrafted defenseman was unlikely to get a big deal, but the Canucks have done well to at least secure two years of his services. Still a complete unknown at the NHL level, Rafferty will be competing in camp for a spot on the right side but has some tough competition now that the team has added Tyler Myers and Oscar Fantenberg. He’ll more likely start in the AHL given his waiver-exempt status.
So too will Teves in all likelihood, who was also signed out of the NCAA recently. The undrafted 24-year old defenseman played four years at Princeton before making the jump to the NHL for one game down the stretch. Another player who will battle for a job in camp, the left side is just as crowded in Vancouver with Quinn Hughes likely staking a claim and Jordie Benn coming in on a two-year deal.
Malcolm Subban Re-Signs With Vegas Golden Knights
Just a few moments after the announcement of his scheduled arbitration hearing, Malcolm Subban won’t need it anymore. The young goaltender has re-signed with the Vegas Golden Knights on a one-year deal worth $850K. Golden Knights executive George McPhee released this statement:
We are pleased to announce this one-year contract for Malcolm. He’s been a valuable contributor to our team over the last two seasons. We are excited to continue to work with Malcolm and help him reach his full potential as an NHL goaltender.
Subban, 25, is set to return as Marc-Andre Fleury‘s backup next season and get another chance at really establishing himself in the NHL. Though he has played 43 games for the Golden Knights the last two seasons, he has just a 21-14-4 record and .906 save percentage. While that’s good enough to start the odd game, it’s not exactly positioning himself to take over as the full-time starter should Fleury’s age catch up with him at some point. If he ever wants that role, he’ll have to improve his consistency dramatically this year.
For the Golden Knights though, it was unlikely they were going to find a substantially better option on the open market for this type of contract. The near-minimum salary is exactly what they needed as they continue to deal with cap issues, and if another opportunity presents itself Subban’s deal can be entirely buried in the minor leagues. Betting that the 2012 first-round pick can improve as he enters the usual prime goaltending years isn’t a bad one either, especially knowing that depth goaltending hits waivers frequently throughout the year.
Subban will be a restricted free agent again next summer with arbitration rights.
Minor Transactions: 07/09/19
There are still several top free agents out on the market, but teams are also busy filling out their organizational depth charts and providing competition at the minor league level. With that in mind, we’ll keep track of those smaller transactions right here:
- The Toronto Marlies have re-signed Giorgio Estephan, Tanner MacMaster and Alex Gudbranson to minor league deals, adding to their already impressive depth. The Marlies have been one of the most active minor league clubs in free agency and look like they’ll have a strong system again at both the ECHL and AHL levels. The Newfoundland Growlers, who won the Kelly Cup in their inaugural season, will happily welcome back Gudbranson who served as alternate captain last year.
- Ryan Zapolski, who suited up for the United States at the most recent Olympic Games, will play for the Vienna Capitals of the EBEL next season after struggling for Jokerit in 2018-19. The 32-year old goaltender has found success everywhere he has played, and will now experience a new city and league in Austria.
- Wayne Simpson, who played for the Rochester Americans last season and has been a strong offensive contributor in the AHL for several years, will play in the DEL next season for ERC Ingolstadt. The 29-year old was never drafted but has recorded at least 36 points in each of his six professional seasons.
Reid Boucher Close To Deal With Vancouver Canucks
While Vancouver Canucks fans wait for any crumb of information on Brock Boeser‘s new contract, they’ll at least get some good news soon on a different restricted free agent forward. Gerry Johansson, agent for Reid Boucher, was on Sportsnet radio today with Rick Dhaliwal and explained that they are close to a deal with the Canucks. Boucher filed for arbitration last week, but apparently will avoid the process with a new deal.
The 25-year old Boucher may have played only one game for the Canucks last season, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a big part of their organization. The former New Jersey Devils prospect was one of the most effective offensive players in the entire AHL, scoring 31 goals and 62 points in just 56 games. That marked his second consecutive season scoring better than a point-per-game for the Utica Comets, while also serving as important injury insurance for the Canucks.
It is unlikely that Boucher will play a huge role in the NHL next season, but re-signing him gives the team some strong minor league depth up front. In 133 career NHL games he has recorded 42 points.
Boston Bruins To Sign Samuel Asselin
July 8: The Bruins have announced the signing of Asselin, but not to a three-year entry-level contract. In fact, not to an NHL contract at all. Asselin has signed a two-year AHL deal and will begin his pro career under contract with Providence rather than Boston. This change allows the Bruins to maintain some degree of control over Asselin, without having to use up a valued NHL contract slot. The Bruins have nine such slots remaining with at least three more signings guaranteed this off-season.
June 7: According to Mikael Lalancette of TVA Sports, the Boston Bruins will be signing undrafted CHL free agent Samuel Asselin to a three-year entry-level contract. Lalancette adds that the Montreal Canadiens had also shown interest in the Quebec native.
Asselin, 20, had his best season of junior this year after being traded to the Halifax Mooseheads early on. In 68 regular season games he scored 48 times, leading the QMJHL in goals and placing tenth in overall scoring with 86 points. The undersized forward was almost as effective in the playoffs, recording nine goals and 17 points in 22 games as the Mooseheads went to the league final. He was named a QMJHL Second Team All-Star for his efforts, though the real prize is the NHL contract he is about to sign.
The Bruins have done extremely well with overlooked QMJHL stars in the past, as star forwards Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron were both selected outside of the first round. Obviously reaching that kind of level is a stretch for a player like Asselin, the team obviously believes he has shown some NHL potential this season. He had attended development camp with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the past but failed to earn a deal.
Asselin will turn 21 next month and will have to deal with a jump to the professional ranks in 2019-20, likely suiting up for the Bruins’ AHL affiliate. Not only will he have to continue to produce offensively, but if he wants to make it all the way to the NHL—especially as a center—he’ll have to compete physically and tighten up defensively. His faceoff skills are already strong, winning 54.1% of his draws this season, but it will only get tougher as the competition increases.
Kevin Roy Signs With Florida Panthers
July 8: The Panthers have confirmed the signing of Roy to a one-year, two-way contract.
July 4: The Florida Panthers have signed free agent forward Kevin Roy to a one-year, two-way contract according to CapFriendly. Roy was a Group VI unrestricted free agent after receiving little NHL opportunity with the Anaheim Ducks. The deal will carry an $850K salary in the NHL, and a $350K guarantee.
Roy, 26, was originally a fourth-round pick of the Ducks in 2012 after absolutely dominating the USHL. His size—5’9″ 170-lbs—was the biggest question mark about Roy, because his 104-point season for the Lincoln Stars certainly spoke for itself. After four successful seasons at Northeastern University he signed with the Ducks but hasn’t been able to climb out of the minor leagues for any length of time. In 28 career NHL contests he has just seven points, though that has been in limited ice time.
In Florida he’ll compete for a spot out of camp, and will have something of a role model to look at on the roster. Frank Vatrano is a former USHL and NCAA player that was overlooked for years because of his size, but broke out last season with 24 goals in his first full NHL season. While that is obviously an unlikely path for Roy to take, it wouldn’t be the first time that a small forward broke out in Florida. More likely is that he’ll help the Springfield Thunderbirds next season and try to bounce back from an injury riddled 2018-19.
Sven Andrighetto Signs In KHL
Though it had been rumored for some time, confirmation came today that Sven Andrighetto will in fact play in the KHL next season. Andrighetto’s agent Aljosa Pilko announced as much today, though it took some additional reporting from Igor Eronko of Sport-Express to find out the veteran forward has signed a two-year deal with Avangard Omsk.
Andrighetto, 26, has played parts of the last three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, recording 17 points in 64 games during the most recent one. The team has brought in several new faces up front in Andre Burakovsky, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Joonas Donskoi and Nazem Kadri, a plan that may have facilitated his departure from the team as a free agent. The team decided not to issue him a qualifying offer last month given it would have cost them at least $1.55MM.
A dynamic offensive player in the minor leagues, Andrighetto has never quite been able to establish himself in that way at the highest level. Though there is obviously scoring to be found there, his minutes were limited by the Avalanche and with them his effectiveness. That offensive ceiling will likely bring him success in the KHL, and could even bring about a return to the NHL in a few years. Since he is just 26, there is still more than enough time for him to earn another contract if he decides to try to come back. If not, he leaves with 84 points in 227 career NHL games.
Kevin Labanc Re-Signs With San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have signed another important part of their group of young forwards, inking Kevin Labanc to a one-year contract. GM Doug Wilson issued an accompanying statement:
Kevin took a big step forward in his production last season and has grown into an important part of our team here in San Jose. He’s always had a dangerous shot but really stepped into a playmaking role for us last season and improved his 200-foot game as well. We think he still has even more potential to tap into and we’re excited to see what he can do with an elevated role with this talented group.
The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that it is a $1MM salary on Labanc’s new deal, a shocking value for a player who nearly recorded 60 points this past season. It is a hometown discount for sure for Labanc, 23, who will still be a restricted free agent next summer and is betting on himself with this deal. The sixth-round pick made quick work of the AHL after making the leap to professional hockey, and just finished his first full season in the NHL. Scoring 17 goals and 56 points, the former OHL superstar is ready to take another step and become one of the offensive leaders in San Jose now that Joe Pavelski has left town and Joe Thornton is another year older. If he does improve his numbers again in 2019-20, he’ll be in line for an even bigger deal next summer.
That’s the gamble the Sharks had to take though, given their cap crunch this year. The team spent a good amount of their cap space on extensions with Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier, leaving them without room to really buy out several years of unrestricted free agent status with Labanc. A short-term deal like this could result in him asking for even more in a year’s time, but also places much of the risk on Labanc to perform up to his standards and stay healthy. For a team looking like Stanley Cup contenders once again, that kind of bet can be beneficial to both sides.
The question now will be just how high can Labanc climb? When the Sharks picked him 171st overall in 2014 he was coming off a 35-point season with the Barrie Colts and looked like a potential organizational filler. He quickly showed he had bigger plans with a 107-point season following his draft, only to up that even further by scoring 153 points in a combined 80 regular season and playoff games for the Colts in 2015-16. An impressive playmaking presence on the powerplay, Labanc could see his numbers improve even further if a bump in ice time comes this season. Those 56 points last season came while averaging just 14 minutes a night, something that should change with Pavelski no longer in the mix on the right wing.
St. Louis Blues Sign Zach Sanford
The St. Louis Blues won’t have to go through a messy arbitration hearing with Zach Sanford, instead re-signing the restricted free agent to a two-year deal. The contract will pay Sanford an average of $1.5MM.
Sanford, 24, came to the Blues several years ago in the deal that saw Kevin Shattenkirk join the Washington Capitals, but only really made an impact this season. Playing in 60 games during the regular season the 6’4″ power forward registered 20 points, and ended up making quite the impression during the Stanley Cup Final. Scoring four points in five games against the Boston Bruins including a goal in the deciding game seven, Sanford’s future looks bright as a bottom-six contributor.
In fact, Sanford’s presence may be exactly why the Blues don’t have a ton of interest in bringing back Pat Maroon on a new deal. Sanford can likely fill the same role as a big-bodied forward with some scoring upside, and is considerably younger. A $1.5MM cap hit doesn’t represent a very lucrative deal, but does give the young forward some sense of security in his NHL role moving forward. Sanford will actually be a restricted free agent when the deal ends.
The Blues now have just three restricted free agents scheduled for arbitration in Jordan Binnington, Joel Edmundson and Oskar Sundqvist. Those three may also end up signing deals before their respective hearings, something that happens with the vast majority of players who file for arbitration. Ivan Barbashev and Robby Fabbri, the team’s other two NHL RFAs, were not eligible to file this year.
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