Buffalo Sabres Re-Sign C.J. Smith
The Buffalo Sabres have signed restricted free agent C.J. Smith to a two-year contract. The deal has an average annual value of $700K and will keep Smith in the organization through the 2020-21 season.
Smith, 24, was signed out of college two years ago by the Sabres after a dominating NCAA career, and immediately found success at the professional level. He duplicated that success this season with the Rochester Americans recording 58 points in 62 games and showing he may well have a future in the NHL after all. The undrafted forward suited up 11 times for the Sabres in 2018-19 and scored twice.
With some uncertainty on how the Buffalo lineup will shake out after training camp, Smith can go in motivated to try and earn a roster spot. The team recently brought in Jimmy Vesey to give them some more scoring punch, but if they can’t find any matches in the early group they could turn to a young player like Smith and give him an opportunity to show what he can do in the middle-six. Buffalo desperately needs to find enough scoring to put them in contention for a playoff spot this season, and should try everything they can in order to get there.
Ottawa Senators Re-Sign Nick Paul
The Ottawa Senators have signed restricted free agent Nick Paul to a one-year two-way contract, keeping him in the organization for another season. The deal carries a $750K salary at the NHL level, and could take Paul to Group VI unrestricted free agency if he fails to play in at least 24 NHL games next season.
Paul, 24, has been used as an emergency call-up for the Senators many times over the last several years, playing in 56 contests across four seasons. Mostly he has spent that time in a fourth-line role to give the team a big body, but at the minor league level he’s much more than that. Scoring 39 points in 43 games for the Belleville Senators last season he helped the young group including Drake Batherson, Logan Brown and Filip Chlapik compete every night. That’s likely the role he’ll have again in 2019-20, though he will fight for a roster spot in the NHL during a wide open training camp.
The Senators have just eight forwards on one-way contracts for next season, and there will certainly be competition for the final few spots. The team is set on building towards the future, and with players like Mikkel Boedker, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Tyler Ennis all on one-year deals that lead to unrestricted free agency, more spots could potentially open up throughout the year.
San Jose Sharks Sign Several Players
The San Jose Sharks have signed their recent second-round pick, Artemi Kniazev, to a three-year entry-level contract. Kniazev played last season with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL after coming over from Russia. GM Doug Wilson released a statement on his newest prospect:
Artemi had a great camp with us this summer, where he continued to show his poise with the puck, intelligence, and high-end skating and edge work. We are excited for him to go back to his QMJHL team and have a big season with them. Chicoutimi is a contender for the championship under head coach Yanick Jean, and we expect Artemi to be a big part of the team’s success.
The team has also signed Zachary Gallant to a three-year entry-level contract, after his negotiating rights with the Detroit Red Wings expired earlier this summer. Gallant was picked 83rd overall by the Red Wings in 2017 and has played the last two seasons in the OHL with the Peterborough Petes. Even though he’s now 20, Wilson indicated that Gallant will be going back to captain the Petes this season as an over-age player.
Nikolai Knyzhov has also inked a three-year entry-level deal with the Sharks, joining their organization after a junior career in Russia. Knyzhov went undrafted but suited up for Russia at the 2018 World Junior Championship. The 6’2″ defenseman is already 21 and expected to be coming over to North America next season.
Last but not least, the team announced a one-year contract for free agent forward Jonny Brodzinski, who had qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency after failing to reach 80 NHL games with the Los Angeles Kings. Brodzinski, 26, was a fifth-round pick of the Kings back in 2013 and has 11 points in 56 career NHL contests. Armed with a powerful shot he has been a dynamic goal scorer in the minor leagues, and will likely serve that purpose for the San Jose organization as well.
Lawson Crouse Re-Signs With Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes have signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Lawson Crouse to a three-year contract. The team did not release any financial information on the deal, but CapFriendly is reporting that it will be for a total of $4.6MM ($1.53MM AAV). GM John Chayka issued a short statement:
We are very pleased to sign Lawson to a multi-year contract. He had a very good season last year and really established himself as an NHL power forward. We look forward to having him in our lineup.
Crouse, 22, was the 11th overall pick in 2015 by the Florida Panthers, but ended up heading to Arizona just a year later in a deal that saw the Coyotes take Dave Bolland‘s contract. Bolland was never going to play again thanks to a back injury, so Arizona took the money off the Panthers’ books and received a top prospect in Crouse for their trouble. The power forward at that point was coming off a solid season in the OHL and a second appearance at the World Juniors for Canada.
Surprisingly, he made the Coyotes out of camp as a 19-year old in 2016-17 and played 72 games with the team instead of going back to junior. In 2017-18 though, with the option of the AHL available, Crouse spent most of the season with the Tucson Roadrunners where he recorded 32 points in 56 games. The confidence built in the AHL continued over to the most recent season, where he started to establish himself and recorded 25 points in 81 NHL games.
Moving forward, the Coyotes will hope that the 6’4″ 220-lbs forward can develop his scoring touch even further and drive the puck to the net with more frequency. Crouse is a good skater, especially for his size, and could be a key player moving forward for them.
Anthony Bitetto Signs With Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets have added some more depth on their blue line, signing Anthony Bitetto to a one-year, two-way deal. It will pay the defenseman $700K at the NHL level.
Bitetto, 28, split last season between the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild, meaning he’ll be quite familiar with the Central Division and the Jets. In 36 games he recorded just three points, but was always willing to engage physically and protect a teammate if necessary. The sixth-round pick from 2010 has never been a full-time NHL player, but does have 132 games under his belt over the years and should serve as some injury insurance for a blue line that has been depleted through free agency this offseason.
Vegas Golden Knights Considering Nikita Gusev Trade
It was a huge acquisition when the Vegas Golden Knights convinced Russian superstar Nikita Gusev to come to North America and sign his entry-level contract last season, even if it did mean he would be a restricted free agent again without ever playing an NHL game. Gusev’s one year deal expired after the 2018-19 season regardless of whether the Golden Knights gave him any playing time down the stretch—which they did not—and now he’s in a contract negotiation with them as an RFA. Unfortunately, that negotiation does not seem to be going smoothly as Jesse Granger of The Athletic (subscription required) reports the gap in salary is still $2MM per season. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express explains on Twitter that Gusev is looking for a two-year, $8MM deal while the Golden Knights want to sign him for half of that total.
Vegas president George McPhee admitted that if they can’t work something out they will look at all the options, and noted that there is interest in him around the league. That’s not a surprise given Gusev’s incredible record in the KHL. The 26-year old forward scored 82 points last season in just 62 games for SKA St. Petersburg, his third consecutive season recording more than a point-per-game. Those kind of totals don’t happen often in that league, leading some to believe that he could have a similar impact as some other Russian imports over the years—Artemi Panarin, who just signed a seven-year, $81.5MM in free agency, is the most common comparison.
NHL success though is not guaranteed. For every success story from the KHL over the years there have been equal numbers of failures, including one that Vegas fans should be quite familiar with. Vadim Shipachyov, who has also been a better than point-per-game player in the KHL several times, failed to find any opportunity with the Golden Knights for one reason or another and ended up terminating his contract in order to return to Russia. Shipachyov recorded 68 points in 61 games for Dynamo Moscow last season in the KHL.
Gusev may be a dynamic offensive player in the NHL, but the Golden Knights simply can’t afford to pay him $4MM as their salary structure is currently constructed. The team already has had to dump good players this offseason to make room for what they already have, and adding another player like Gusev without knowing exactly what his impact will be could be risky. That said, there are plenty of other teams who would be able to take that risk and likely will be lining up to hear what it would cost to acquire him.
T.J. Tynan Signs With Colorado Avalanche
12:05pm: The Avalanche have officially announced the deal, along with two-way contracts for Dan Renouf and Jayson Megna. Renouf will be on a two-year contract while Megna and Tynan will just get one season.
10:26am: One of the most prolific scorers in the minor league is heading to Colorado. The Colorado Avalanche have signed T.J. Tynan to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Tynan was an unrestricted free agent after completing a two-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The 27-year old forward has spent nearly his entire professional career in the minor leagues, but has been a consistent offensive threat since leaving Notre Dame in 2014. Last year saw him record 71 points in 71 games, leading the entire AHL with 59 assists. Just 22 of those came with the man advantage, making Tynan one of the most efficient even-strength playmakers in the league. This isn’t the first time he’s earned that moniker, as he has recorded 208 assists over his five-year, 364-game AHL career.
Undersized at 5’9″ 165-lbs, Tynan was nevertheless drafted 66th overall in 2011 by the Columbus Blue Jackets and dominated offensively at the NCAA level. All his success has still not earned him much of a chance in the NHL though, as he has just three games under his belt. While that fit might still not come with the Avalanche, at the very worst the Colorado Eagles are adding one of the best weapons in the AHL for their 2019-20 season.
Calgary Flames Sign Justin Kirkland
The Calgary Flames have added an interesting prospect to their minor league ranks, signing Justin Kirkland to a one-year, two-way contract according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Kirkland became an unrestricted free agent when the Nashville Predators decided not to issue him a qualifying offer last week. The deal is worth $700K at the NHL level.
Kirkland, 22, was a third-round pick of the Predators five years ago and has played in their minor league system for the past three seasons. In 2018-19 he recorded 30 points in 75 games, but failed to get a sniff at the next level. The 6’3″ forward is a former WHL champion with the Kelowna Rockets, a team that also included Flames forward Dillon Dube and several other NHL players (Leon Draisaitl and Josh Morrissey immediately come to mind).
There’s no guarantee that Kirkland ever becomes more than a depth player at the minor league level, but at his young age there’s very little risk in finding out. The Flames will have to pass him through waivers in order to loan him to the Stockton Heat, but without any NHL experience that shouldn’t be much of an issue.
New York Islanders Sign Cole Bardreau
The New York Islanders have added some minor league depth, signing Cole Bardreau to a two-year, two-way contract. Bardreau was a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after failing to receive an opportunity at the NHL level with the Philadelphia Flyers. The deal carries an average annual value of $700K at the NHL level.
Bardreau, 25, was signed by the Flyers out of Cornell University in 2015 and jumped immediately into the professional ranks with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. A former member of the USNTDP and World Junior gold medalist, Bardreau has played the part of reliable two-way center for the Phantoms for the last several years but never received a chance at the NHL level. He’ll have to clear waivers to be sent down to the minors this year, but that shouldn’t be a problem if the Islanders choose to lend him to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the season.
Dalton Prout Signs With San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have added another depth defenseman, signing Dalton Prout to a one-year $800K contract according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Prout was an unrestricted free agent after spending last season with the Calgary Flames organization.
The 29-year old Prout has bounced around the last few years, providing a physical presence for the Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils and Flames in short stints but never hits the ice for any consistent playing time. In 20 games last season for the Flames he recorded one goal and one assist, but certainly isn’t known for his offensive contributions.
It’s his fighting skill that mostly got Prout noticed in Columbus, where he totaled 19 scraps over the years. He never did get a chance to drop the gloves in Calgary, but will likely be asked to serve that role if he ever gets up to the NHL level with the Sharks. In the bruising Western Conference, GM Doug Wilson has often brought in some toughness as the playoffs near to give his team a little bit of an edge on the ice.