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Mike Santorelli Reportedly Signing in Switzerland

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Unrestricted free agent Mike Santorelli has reportedly signed with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss League today, according to Swiss radio host Patrick Andrey. Santorelli last played for the Anaheim Ducks, scoring 9G and 9A in 70 games last year before becoming a healthy scratch in the Ducks first round playoff loss.

The journeyman forward played for Nashville, Florida, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Nashville (again), and Anaheim. He peaked in his first full NHL season, amassing 20G and 21A for the Florida Panthers. Santorelli had a minor resurgence in his one-year deals with Vancouver and Toronto, but could never parlay that into consistent success. Most former NHLers who sign overseas negotiate out-clauses in their contracts that allow them to return to the NHL if they receive a deal. It is unclear right now if Santorelli has one, but given that he is only 30, a return to the NHL is still a possibility.

This is Santorelli’s second stint overseas. He played with Tingsryds AIF in Sweden’s second highest league during the 2012-13 lockout. Santorelli is the second player signing in Switzerland today as earlier Kris Versteeg signed with SC Bern. Geneve-Servette is no stranger to former NHLers—Taylor Pyatt, Alexander Picard, Matt D’Agostini, and Yannick Weber have all played for the Swiss club.

Wild Sign RFA Jordan Schroeder

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July 25: The Wild have officially announced the signing.  Schroeder will make $650K in the NHL ($25K less than originally reported) and $275K in the AHL.

July 23: The Minnesota Wild have reportedly signed RFA Jordan Schroeder to a one-year, two-way deal, according to CBC’s Tim Wharnsby. Schroeder will get $675K at the NHL level, $275K in the AHL, and $300K in guaranteed salary.  Schroeder and the Wild were set to go to salary arbitration on July 27th.

Schroeder has yet to produce at the NHL level, amassing only 11G and 16A in 107 games with the Vancouver Canucks and the Wild. The homegrown forward has, however, put up decent production in the AHL. Last season Schroeder put up 14G and 20A in 40 Games with the Iowa Wild, Minnesota’s AHL Affiliate.

The core of the dispute between parties centered around whether Schroeder deserves a one-way contract. A one-way contract ensures that Schroeder receives full NHL pay if he is sent down to the minors, whereas a two-way contract significantly decreases his pay if the Wild demote him.

The Wild put Schroeder on waivers last week as a bargaining tool to show both a future arbitrator and Schroeder’s camp how much the forward is worth on the open market. Any team could claim Schroeder for a $15,000 waiver fee, and if he goes unclaimed—the fourth time in one year—it significantly weakens Schroeder’s position that he deserves a one-way contract. And as Michael Russo points out, the Wild did this in 2008 with RFA Stephane Veilleux. The Wild may have started a trend as the Maple Leafs waived Peter Holland yesterday in an attempt to achieve a similar result.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Defenseman Luke Schenn

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The Arizona Coyotes have signed defenseman Luke Schenn to a two-year deal, first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger. CBC’s Elliote Friedman says the deal is worth $1.25MM AAV. ProHockeyRumors ranked Schenn the 30th best free agent this summer. The deal represents a significant pay cut for the defenseman, as Schenn’s last deal paid him $3.6MM annually for five years.

The unrestricted free agent put up 4G and 12A with both the Philadelphia Flyers and the Los Angeles Kings last year. The hard-nosed defenseman showed promise early on with the Toronto Maple Leafs after being drafted 5th overall in 2008. Schenn never did meet his potential, and the Leafs traded him to Philadelphia for James van Riemsdyk. Los Angeles traded for Schenn midway through last season in an attempt to bolster its defense.

Coyotes GM John Chayka says that Schenn is “a good, young defenseman and we feel we can optimize his performance here. He will be a solid addition to our blue line.” Arizona is not done with their D-corps, however, as RFA defenseman Michael Stone elected salary arbitration this summer. The hearing is set for August 4th, which gives both sides time to negotiate. The deal leaves the Coyotes with over $13MM in cap space next year, according to CapFriendly. While that is more than enough to sign RFAs Tobias Rieder and Michael Stone, the Coyotes are known to have an internal budget.

[See Arizona Coyotes Depth Chart at Roster Resource]

 

Peter Holland Clears Waivers

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Restricted Free Agent Peter Holland cleared waivers this afternoon with no team claiming the arbitration-pending centerman. Holland elected salary arbitration this summer and is set for a hearing on Monday July 25th.

The two sides are $1.2MM apart. The Leafs are offering $900K and Holland wants $2.1MM. Toronto waived Holland yesterday in what is thought of as an attempt to prove his low worth around the league. The thinking goes that if no team is willing to claim Holland for a mere $15,000 waiver fee, he is not worth the price asked by his camp. The Minnesota Wild did the same this summer with RFA Jordan Schroeder before signing him to a one-year, two-way deal today worth $675K / $275K.

The flipside to that argument, however, is that no team wants to claim a player on the brink of a salary arbitration hearing. It is unclear if arbitration deadlines remain final in the wake of a waiver claim. The CBA does allow for postponing an arbitration hearing upon good cause (See CBA, Art. 12.9(m)), but it is unclear what constitutes good cause. If the deadlines remain fixed, the claiming team would have to submit an arbitration brief at the last second. The hassle alone may deter teams.

 

Salary Arbitration Updates: Schenn; Holland

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Both Brayden Schenn and Peter Holland are scheduled for salary arbitration on Monday, and the offers from both the players and teams have been released.

CBC’s Tim Wharnsby reports that Brayden Schenn is asking for a one-year deal worth $5.5MM. The Flyers are offering a two-year deal worth $4.25MM in year one and $4.37MM in year two. Any decision by an arbitrator would trigger the Flyers’ ’walk-away’ rights—the option for the team to walk away from the decision and render the player an unrestricted free agent—because an award would be above the $3.9MM threshold. Because the Flyers elected a two-year decision, using the walk away right would reduce the decision to one year and then Schenn becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Schenn scored 26G and 33A in 80 games last year for the Flyers, finishing third in team scoring. Schenn’s numbers are higher than Chris Kreider’s, who the New York Rangers signed for $4.65MM AAV prior to arbitration. Schenn’s production is also higher than Alex Killorn’s—another RFA signed before arbitration— who agreed to a long-term deal worth $4.45MM AAV. The best comparable from Schenn’s point of view is St. Louis Blues forward Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz signed a five-year deal worth $5.5MM AAV ahead of arbitration. The young Blues forward scored 8G and 14A this year in only 33 games, but potted 26G and 35A in 75 games last season. Schwartz also netted 4G and 10A in 20 playoff games this year as the Blues made it to the Western Conference Finals.

Wharnsby also reports that Peter Holland—fresh off of being waived by the Maple Leafs in a move to prove the center’s value around the league—is asking for $2.1MM. The Leafs have offered $900K. The parties are apart by $1.2MM. The center scored 9G and 18A in 65 games for the Leafs last season while sporting only a 46.5% success rate in the face-off dot. The Leafs have been patient with Holland, but expectations from management that he will flourish into a power-forward are waning.

Holland’s perception as a bottom-six forward poses a problem for accurately pinning down his worth. On one hand, Lars Eller—a center with similar stats—is making $3.5MM annually. On the other hand, Mikhail Grigorenko—also with similar stats—just signed a one-year deal before arbitration worth only $1.3MM. So much of a bottom-six forward’s value relies on how the league perceives a player, regardless of whether that perception is valid. Gritty forwards get paid more than offensive busts despite similar stats.

 

 

Upcoming Salary Arbitration Hearings

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With the signings of Jaden Schwartz, Alex Killorn, and Dylan McIlrath, this week’s NHL arbitration calendar was slashed in half. Still scheduled, however, are Marcus Johansson (who’s case we profiled here), Chris Kreider, and Mikhail Grigorenko. Johansson’s hearing is on Wednesday July 20th, and both Kreider and Grigorenko have hearings on Friday July 22nd.

Players and teams have up until 48 hours before the hearing date to submit their argument briefs, and that is usually when we hear each sides’ salary demand. Kreider made $2.475MM on his last RFA contract, and will be looking for a significant raise after two straight twenty goal seasons. Kreider is a central cog to the Rangers offense, and while he is currently penciled in as the number 2 LW, the possibility of Rick Nash losing a step becomes more real with each passing season. The Rangers have over $11MM in cap space after their offseason moves, so they should be able to afford whatever the arbitrator decides.

[see New York Rangers depth chart at Roster Resource]

Grigorenko’s case is less straightforward. The Russian forward potted 6G and 21A with Colorado last year, but has not lived up to his hype after being drafted 12th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012. Grigorenko’s previous contract paid him only $625K last season, and he does deserve a raise. How much of a raise, however, is left for the arbitrator to decide. Grigorenko’s representation will have to find a way to parlay potential into dollars while the Avalanche will point to Grigorenko’s current and past production.

[see Colorado’s depth chart at Roster Resource]

Snapshots: Rieder, Prust, LaBarbera

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News and notes from around the NHL:

  • Tobias Rieder and the Arizona Coyotes are still far apart on a deal, reports Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. The German winger scored 14G and 23A in 82 games for the Coyotes, and his 37 points is a 16 point improvement over his rookie year. Rieder was an integral part of the Coyotes team last year, playing over seventeen minutes a game. He is also one of three Coyotes RFAs yet to be signed—Michael Stone and Connor Murphy are still unsigned, with Stone electing salary arbitration. It is possible that Arizona is waiting to see what happens with Stone’s arbitration that is scheduled for August, 4, 2016. The defenseman put up similar numbers to Rieder last season.
  • Free agent forward Brandon Prust tells TVA Sports (link in French) that he is willing to take a job anywhere. The former Vancouver Canuck tallied only 1G and 6A in 35 games last year before being sent down to the AHL Utica Comets. He says he was hampered by an ankle injury, and is looking for a chance to prove that he still belongs. Prust will most sign a training camp invite to get a shot at the NHL next season.
  • Former NHL goaltender Jason LaBarbera hangs up the skates for a goaltending coach position with the WHL Calgary Hitmen. Originally drafted by the New York Rangers, LaBarbera also played for Los Angeles, Vancouver, Phoenix, Edmonton, and Anaheim. The Philadelphia Flyers signed LaBarbera to a one-year deal last year but relegated him to the minors. The 36 year old finished the AHL season with a 7-14 record with a 3.02 GAA and an .899 SV%.

Capology Recap

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ProHockeyRumors occasionally delves into the inner workings of the CBA to explain concepts crucial to modern NHL deals. Check out our past Capology posts and be on the lookout for future ones.

Capology 101 Posts

Buyouts: Explaining how NHL buyouts work and how to calculate a buyout’s cap hit.
Player Contracts: Outlining the limitations imposed by the CBA on player contracts.
NTCs and NMCs: Defining and explaining no-trade clauses and no-movement clauses.
RFA (Part One): Exploring what it means to be a restricted free agent.
Salary Arbitration (Part One and Two): Examining salary arbitration eligibility and the hearing process.

Columbus Notes: Harrington; Tynan; Broadhurst

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Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets are close to new deals with three RFAs: Scott Harrington, T.J. Tynan, and Alex Broadhurst. Those three are Columbus’s only remaining RFAs.

  • Harrington remains the biggest name of the bunch. Columbus acquired the big defenseman from Toronto for Kerby Rychel on June 26, 2016. Toronto initially received Harrington in the Phil Kessel trade with Pittsburgh. He tallied only one assist in 15 games with the Leafs while scoring 1G and 2A with the AHL Toronto Marlies. Harrington is expected to battle for the 5/6 defensive slots in camp this fall as the Blue Jackets only have six experienced defensemen on the roster.
  • Tynan racked up 6G and 40A last year with the AHL Lake Erie Monsters, and is looking to make the jump to the NHL. The small forward—listed at 5’8″—has to compensate for his lack of size, but the Blue Jackets are familiar with the potential skill set from smaller players. Top-line forward Cam Atkinson is also listed at 5’8″, and he’s scored at least 20 goals in the last three seasons.
  • Alex Broadhurst came over from the Chicago Blackhawks in the deal for Brandon Saad. The center tallied 10G and 26A with the Lake Erie Monsters last season, and 3G and 9A in the Monsters’ Calder Cup-winning run.

We’ve previously reported that Columbus has been quiet this off-season, and these signings do little to quell the notion that they will be a lottery team come 2017. Fans can take solace in the fact that the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate are Calder Cup champions, something that bodes well for the future of the big league team.

[Columbus Blue Jackets Depth Chart]

 

Capology 101: Arbitration (Part 2)

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In part one of our arbitration series we looked at arbitration eligibility. This next section details the hearing process, including permissible evidence and the repercussions of the arbitrator’s decision.

Salary arbitration determines a player’s salary through a hearing governed by a third-party arbitrator. The arbitrator takes all the permissible evidence into account in deciding how much a player should be paid per year. This section outlines three key elements of that process: term, permissible evidence, and the decision.

Term

The party being brought to salary arbitration chooses whether the decision is for one or two years. If a team chooses, however, they are restricted to one year if the player is eligible for unrestricted free agent the following year.

Evidence

Parties can present witnesses, affidavits (sworn written testimony), documents, statistics, and any other relevant evidence during the hearing, subject to certain restrictions (see more below). The CBA suggests the following preferred evidence:

  • the player’s overall performance in previous seasons;
  • number of games played in context of injuries or illnesses (or lack thereof);
  • length of service in the league or with the team;
  • how much a player contributed to the success/failure of his team last season;
  • special qualities of leadership or public appeal relevant to his team responsibilities (i.e. the intangibles).
  • performance of players considered comparable to the player in question by either party; or
  • compensation of players considered comparable to the player in question by either party.

As stated above, this list is subject to certain restrictions.  The CBA prohibits parties from introducing or using the following:

  • any contract signed outside restricted free agency, including one signed after a team exercises a walk-away right;
  • any contract of a player not considered a comparable by either party;
  • any contract otherwise permissible that is signed less than three hours before the hearing starts.
  • qualifying offers;
  • the negotiation history between the parties, including any offers made;
  • testimonials, videotapes, newspaper columns, press game reports, or similar materials;
  • references to walk-away rights;
  • any award issued by an arbitrator that preceded a team exercising its walk-away rights;
  • a team or NHL’s financial condition;
  • a team’s salary cap (or floor) situation;
  • any salary arbitration award issued in ’05-’06; or
  • compensation information for salary arbitration awards issued before July 22nd 2005.

There are three main takeaways from the evidentiary rules. One, the arbitrator’s decision is based largely on a player’s stats and intangibles, and the compensation received by players with similar stats and intangibles. Two, visual evidence such as highlight reels and game tape do not factor in to the arbitrator’s decision. This makes any determination strictly fact-based. Finally, if, during a players hearing, a comparable player signs an otherwise admissible contract, that contract cannot be used as evidence by either party.

Decision

The arbitrator’s decision comes within 48 hours after the hearing closes. The decision states:

  • the contract term (one or two years as mentioned above);
  • NHL salary to be paid by the team for that term;
  • whether it is a two-way contract, and how much the player is paid in the AHL; and
  • a statement explaining the decision.

Walk Away Rights

A team may reject an arbitration decision in a player-elected salary arbitration if the award is $3.9MM or more per year. That threshold increases by the same percentage rate that the average league salary increases.

A team does not have unlimited walk away rights. Rather, the number of times a team can reject a decision is tied to the number of decisions issued. A team facing up to two decisions has one walk away right. A team facing three of four decisions has two walk away rights. Finally, a team facing five decisions has three walk away rights.

The consequences of rejecting a decision depends on whether the club elected a one or two year term. If the decision is for a one year term, the player immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent. If the decision is for a two year term, the player and team enter into a one year contract for the salary awarded. The player becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of that year.

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