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Dynamo Moscow Releases Almost All Players

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The KHL’s Dynamo Moscow released all its players on one-way contracts earlier today, reports Russian sports reporter Slava Malamud. The formerly-esteemed hockey club is in dire financial straits and may not even be able to play in the upcoming KHL season. This marks the second major blight on the KHL in recent times. The league lost two teams to contraction before the season started, with Metallurg Novokuznetsk being kicked out and Medvescak Zagreb moving to the EBEL, a lower-level Austrian-based league.

Earlier reports indicated that Dynamo has not paid its players for months. Players went on strike last month after new owners refused to honor the team’s debts—including unpaid player salary. Players eventually appealed to the KHL, who most likely forced Dynamo’s hand into making this move. It is unclear at the moment whether the KHL or the team itself voided the player contracts.

Dynamo’s money trouble came to light last month after, according to the Associated Press, its offices were raided by anti-fraud and corruption police. The team is under investigation for embezzlement, and is rumored to be about $35MM USD in debt. It’s current situation is a far cry from just a few years earlier, where Dynamo sat atop the KHL in 2012 and 2013. More recently, the team housed NHL phenom Alex Ovechkin during the 2012-13 NHL lockout, and current Toronto Maple Leaf Leo Komarov one year later.

The team released 42 players in all (see complete list at Elite Prospects). Most notably is Klim Kostin, drafted earlier this summer in the 1st round, 31st overall, by the St. Louis Blues. As reported earlier, Kostin is close to signing an ELC with the Blues following his release from Dynamo. Other recent former NHL draft picks include Yegor Zaitsev (2017 7th rd – New Jersey Devils) and Andrei Mironov (2015 4th rd – Colorado Avalanche).

Washington Capitals Re-sign Brett Connolly

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The Washington Capitals re-signed forward Brett Connolly to a two-year deal worth $1.5MM a year, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The 25-year old was a pending unrestricted free agent this summer after the Capitals did not appear to submit a qualifying offer.

Connolly had 15G and 8A in 68 games for the Capitals this season, but went pointless in seven playoff games. The new contract is a significant raise from the $850K he was making this year on a one-year deal. Connolly struggled to stay in the lineup during the playoffs, however, and was scratched for six games.

Connolly is your prototypical depth signing, but if Connolly matches is production next season, many teams would be very happy with a $1.5MM 15-goal scorer. Connolly showed promise in the AHL, scoring 63 points and 57 points in 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively. The Capitals hope that he can find a way to translate that production to the NHL.

 

Vegas Golden Knights Trade Marc Methot To The Dallas Stars

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The Vegas Golden Knights have traded defenseman Marc Methot to the Dallas Stars for a 2020 2nd round draft pick and goaltender Dylan Ferguson, drafted in the seventh round at 194th overall this summer. The deal was first reported by Dallas Stars Senior Digital Correspondent Scott Burnside, and then subsequently confirmed with terms by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The Golden Knights initially selected Marc Methot from the Ottawa Senators in this summer’s NHL Expansion Draft.

Methot was an integral part of the Senators’ defense last year, averaging just under 20 minutes a night in the regular season, and over 22 minutes a night in the playoffs. He scored 0G and 12A in 68 games, and an additional 2G and 2A in 18 playoff games. Methot is in the third year of a four-year deal worth $4.9MM a year.

Dylan Ferguson was drafted by the Stars in the 7th round (pick 194) of this year’s NHL Entry Draft. He posted a 2.74 GAA and a .922 SV% for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL this season.

The 2020 pick is the Knights’ third 2020 pick so far. It now has its own, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ from the Marc-Andre Fleury selection, and now Dallas’s. It looks like Vegas is trying to space out its prospect pool so that all of its contracts do not expire at the same time.

The Golden Knights were expected to trade defensemen. Before this deal, the team had 12 defensemen on its roster. With this trade, however, the team has no NHL-calibre defensemen signed past this year. Losing Methot also rids the team of arguably its best defenseman. And now that Vegas has set the market for its defensemen, it will probably receive even less for the rest.

 

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Mark Alt

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Mark Alt to a one-year / two-way deal worth $650K in the NHL and $125K in the AHL, reports CapFriendly. Alt was a pending Group 6 Free Agent who has one career NHL game to his name so far. His expiring contract was another two-way deal, with Alt making $650K in the NHL and $100K in the AHL.

Alt has spent the last four seasons in the AHL. In 40 games this season he scored 1G and 10A, but went pointless in five playoff games. The former 2010 2nd round pick has yet to make a dent in a big league lineup, and at 25 years old (26 in October) his opportunities are waning.

If Alt did not sign this contract, he would have been an unrestricted Group 6 free agent. As a refresher, A player is eligible for Group 6 Free Agency if their SPC expires and:

  • The player is 25 or older by June 30th of the year his SPC expires;
  • The player has played in three or more professional seasons; and
  • The player has played in less than 80 NHL games (20 games for goalies).

The clause allows players without significant NHL playing time to move freely to a team offering better opportunities.

 

Summarizing Today’s Signings

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Today brought a flurry of teams re-signing players before July 1st. In total, 12 players have signed NHL contracts—and one signing in the KHL—and this is just day one. Below are all of today’s signings in one place for your convenience:

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Free Agent Contact Window Opens Today

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Today marks the first day that teams may contact pending unrestricted free agents ahead of July 1st. The free agency window—established in the latest CBA—allows teams to talk to UFAs from June 25th to June 30th. An important caveat, however, is that teams and players cannot discuss specific contractual terms like contract length, salary, or no-movement clauses.

While nothing substantive is talked about officially, teams use this window to get a sense of what a player is looking for contractually, and to gauge a player’s interest in its team. Essentially, it allows teams to see if they are in the running, or whether they should focus their efforts elsewhere. Unofficially, however, teams and players find creative ways to skirt those limitations. Last year Milan Lucic’s deal to the Edmonton Oilers was all but signed prior to July 1st.

This year’s free agency class features less big names, but numerous solid middle-tier options. A trio of Washington Capitals headline this year’s class, including D Kevin Shattenkirk, D Karl Alzner, and F Justin Williams. A potential fourth, T.J. Oshie, just signed an eight-year, $46MM contract prior to the open window. Other big names garnering attention this year include Alexander Radulov, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Martin Hanzal.

 

 

Free Agent Focus: Colorado Avalanche

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The free agent period is now less than two weeks away from opening up.  Several prominent players are set to hit the open market and many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of the Colorado Avalanche’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Mikhail Grigorenko. Grigorenko headlines a very weak RFA class for Colorado. His 10G and 13A in 75 games tops all Colorado RFAs, and he performed well relative to his $1.3MM one-year contract. The 23 year-old Russian is arbitration-eligible this offseason, but his limited production doesn’t foreshadow any prolonged negotiations. The former 12th overall pick is still young enough to turn things around, but the Avalanche will proceed with business as usual until they see something more from Grigorenko.

Other RFA’s: D Nikita Zadorov,  F Sven Andrighetto, F Matt Nieto, D Patrick Wiercioch, F Rocco Grimaldi, D Eric Gelinas, F Turner Elson, F Samuel Henley, F Gabriel Bourque, D Duncan Siemens.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Fedor Tyutin. Tyutin came to Colorado after being bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets. In his first season with the Avalanche Tyutin scored 1G and 12A in 69 games, and spent the majority of time on Colorado’s bottom defensive pairing. The Russian defenseman is firmly in veteran defense territory, and may be a useful piece for a playoff team looking for defensive depth. Tyutin may seek employment elsewhere while still collecting his buyout money from the Blue Jackets, who pay him $1.458MM a year until 2020.

Other UFA’s: F Rene Bourque, C John Mitchell, D Cody Goloubef, G Jeremy Smith, F Brendan Ranford, D Mat Clark, F Jim O’Brien, F Mike Sislo.

Projected Cap Space: The Avalanche will have approximately $21.5MM in cap space next season, and no big UFAs or RFAs to sign. Theoretically, this means that GM Joe Sakic could load up on premium UFAs to improve his basement-dwelling team. In reality, however, Sakic may trade in more skilled players for draft picks, prospects, and young players with potential. The Avalanche are not immediately ready to compete, so signing big name UFAs is not in the team’s best interest. They may sign a backup goaltender to replace Calvin Pickard, and could target UFAs for one-year contracts that the team can then flip at the deadline for picks.

 

Sharks Reach Out To Thornton And Marleau

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The San Jose Sharks have talked with veteran pending UFA forwards—and former captains—Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, reports the NHL.com’s Eric Gilmore. Both are set to become free agents on July 1st, and could potentially leave for the right price.

Thornton has amassed 215G and 722A in 914 regular season games over 11.5 seasons for San Jose, and an additional 21G and 84A in 125 playoff games. Though he will be 38 next season, Thornton still managed to put up 7G and 43A in 79 games. If the Sharks and Thornton come to a deal, it will most likely be a two or three year deal. Because Thornton’s contract is a 35+ contract, it stays on the salary cap if Thornton retires early.

Marleau has been the face of the franchise since he was drafted 2nd overall in 1997—one pick later than Joe Thornton to the Boston Bruins. In 19 seasons, Marleau has 508G and 574A, and an additional 68G and 52A in 177 playoff games. Like Thornton, expect Marleau to get a two or three year deal, but slightly less than Thorton because of Marleau’s lesser production.

The two veterans, however, are not the only contractual talks concerning San Jose. Both goaltender Martin Jones and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic are free agents at the end of next season, and San Jose will want to sign them to extensions as soon as possible.

Columbus To “Steer” Vegas Expansion Pick

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The Columbus Blue Jackets may have a deal in place with the Vegas Golden Knights to overlook certain Blue Jackets in the expansion draft. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports that in exchange for Columbus’s first round pick and a second-tier prospect, the Golden Knights will only select one of Matt Calvert, William Karlsson, or Ryan Murray. Portzline also thinks that Vegas may take injured forward David Clarkson as well.

The deal, if true, allows Columbus to protect its core forward and defensive group, and keep an up-and-coming goalie prospect in its system.

[See PHR’s Columbus Blue Jackets Expansion Primer]

The deal essentially protects forward Josh Anderson and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who Columbus risked losing because they did not have enough protection slots. Anderson had 17G and 12A as a 22 year -old, and would certainly entice the Golden Knights.

The price, however, is steep. Columbus gives up the 24th pick in this summer’s draft, and because they gave up their second round pick when they hired coach John Tortorella from the Vancouver Canucks, they do not draft this year until pick 86. That being said, the team has one of the stronger youth movements in the NHL, and can afford to pause the pipeline for a year.

The price may also dissuade other teams from making a similar move. The Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators also face a significant loss in the expansion draft, and have to weigh whether a first round pick is worth more than the player they risk losing. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted, however, that an anonymous NHL GM thinks the Golden Knights have at least three first round draft picks so far, and more to come before the draft is over, so that decision may have already been made.

Roster Freeze Deadline Today

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Today is a big day for the NHL and the expansion draft. Not only does it mark the last day that teams can trade, waive, or sign players, but today is also when teams submit their expansion draft protected lists.

Teams have until 3pm EST to trade, sign, or waive a player before the roster freeze takes effect. After that, no move is allowed until Thursday June 22nd at 8am EST. The roster freeze applies to all teams except the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.

Then those teams have until 5pm EST to submit their protected lists to the NHL. Presumably teams have figured out who they will protect, but last minute moves by other teams could throw a wrench into a team’s predictions.

Stay tuned in the coming hours for any breaking news before the roster cutoff. It’s bound to be a good one.

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