Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Poll: How Many Unresolved Arbitration Cases Will Require An Award?

at CDT | by 3 Comments

In the NHL, the salary arbitration process is more often used as a negotiating tool – an incentive to get a deal done before the uncomfortable setting of a hearing and the unknown of an arbitrator’s decision – than it is for its actual purpose. A vast majority of players who file for arbitration end up settling before their hearing or even at the last moment before an award is handed down. Last year, 44 players filed for arbitration and 40 settled prior to their hearing. The year before, all 30 cases were resolved before an arbitration award could be made.

So what about this year? There were initially 40 cases of player-elected arbitration and one case of team-elected arbitration (the St. Louis Blues and goalie Ville Husso), but that number is now down to 25 open cases. That’s a substantial drop-off, but time is running out for some RFA’s and their teams to come to terms, as the first scheduled hearing is set to take place on Saturday, July 20th. Listed below are all of the remaining cases:

July 20: Brock McGinn, Carolina Hurricanes
July 21: Andrew Copp, Winnipeg Jets
July 22: MacKenzie Weegar, Florida Panthers; Zach Aston-Reese, Pittsburgh Penguins; Ville Husso, St. Louis Blues; Christian Djoos, Washington Capitals
July 23: Evan Rodrigues, Buffalo Sabres
July 24: Oskar Sundqvist, St. Louis Blues; Neal Pionk, Winnipeg Jets
July 25: Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers
July 26: Colton Sissons, Nashville Predators
July 27: Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames
July 28: Mirco Mueller, New Jersey Devils
July 29: David Rittich, Calgary Flames; Pavel Buchnevich, New York Rangers
August 1: Remi Elie, Buffalo Sabres; Chandler Stephenson, Washington Capitals
August 2: Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres; Charles Hudon, Montreal Canadiens; Will Butcher, New Jersey Devils
August 4: Jake McCabe, Buffalo Sabres; Anton Forsberg, Carolina Hurricanes; Sheldon Dries, Colorado Avalanche; Rocco Grimaldi, Nashville Predators; Joel Edmundson, St. Louis Blues

Given the time constraints and the complexity of each of these cases, how many will feel forced to go to hearing? Will Trouba be one of that select group, as he was last year? Will the Sabres struggle to settle four cases before their scheduled hearing dates? Will the Blues see through their team-elected case with Husso? Will other goalies prove to be difficult negotiations? And will polarizing players like Bennett and Buchnevich fail to find common ground with their teams? Or will it be under-the-radar players like Gemel Smith and Brett Kulak last year who go through the full process?

There are many questions left about this group of restricted free agents and time is running out before we know the answers. So the choice is yours: will we see an unprecedented class of arbitration awards or will all or most cases reach a resolution in the coming weeks?

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Lightning Re-Sign Dominik Masin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Another day, another restricted free agent back under contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. After inking Ben Thomas to an extension yesterday, the team has announced that fellow RFA defenseman Dominik Masin has also re-signed. It is a one-year, two-way contract for Masin. No financial terms were disclosed, but CapFriendly anticipates a minimum $700K NHL salary.

Masin, 23, has been a long-term project for the Bolts whose potential is still unclear. A 2014 second-round pick out of the Czech Republic, Masin played two productive years in the OHL before turning pro in 2016. He immediately jumped into a starting role with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, but struggled to put up points in his first season. That changed in 2017-18, when Masin finished second among Crunch defenders with 24 points in 72 games. Yet, he regressed offensively this season, dropping to 12 points in 69 games. On the other hand, his defense improved and his +36 rating led the team and was among the best in the league. Masin has yet to make an NHL appearance, but this season may finally offer him a chance to debut and for Tampa to get a better idea of what they have in the prospect.

With Masin locked up, the Lightning are down to just two RFA’s left to sign: Adam Erne and Brayden Point. Point has been and will continue to be Tampa Bay’s biggest priority this summer. The team has a projected $5.58MM in cap space, but will need much more than that to get Point re-signed, not to mention Erne.

Seattle Expected To Name Ron Francis As GM

at CDT | by 15 Comments

9:00pm: The Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker relays word from multiple sources that Francis will be hired and an announcement is expected this week. Baker adds that Francis will be given a multi-year contract “described as midrange in terms of other NHL GMs.” He also believes that Francis will be given full say on the hiring of the coaching staff and front office staff and may even have input on the team’s naming decision.

8:30pm: Many expected the Seattle expansion group to name their general manager this summer, with less than two years to go before the 2021 Expansion Draft. A large assortment of names have been in consideration for the position over the past year or so. In fact, the job seemed destined to go to now-Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett at one point. The new leading candidate? Former Carolina Hurricanes GM Ron Francis. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that Seattle is closing in on selecting Francis as their inaugural GM and feels that an announcement could becoming within days. The team has not confirmed the rumor at this time.

Francis, of course, was a Hall of Fame player who won two Stanley Cups and was a four-time All-Star in 23 NHL seasons with the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. Francis, an elite defensive forward and skilled play-maker, averaged better than a point-per-game on average over a whopping 1731 career games, including three 100+ point seasons. After retiring in 2004, Francis transitioned into a front office role with the Hurricanes in 2006 and eventually worked his way up to GM in 2014, a role he served in until he was fired last summer.

During his tenure in Carolina, Francis was criticized for making too few impact trades, bringing in hardly any impact players due to what many perceived to be a an over-hesitation to take a risk. Francis also showed similar hesitation on the free agent market and failed to improve his team externally, as the Hurricanes did not make the playoffs during his time as GM. However, the team is now reaping the benefits of his ability to draft and develop, as evidenced by a largely young and homegrown group making a run to the Eastern Conference Final this season. If the Seattle group is focused on Francis, it is likely that they value his ability to find value in the draft and to build a strong pipeline, a key factor for any upstart expansion franchise. Francis may also fare differently in adding talent, via expansion draft, trade, or free agency, with a clean slate, comfortable funding, and substantial leverage over his competitors, many of whom will look to swing deals to protect their assets in the expansion draft process.

Francis’ understanding of the game from his stellar playing career and his experience in the GM role make him a strong candidate for the Seattle position. How it all works out though, should he be the final selection, will be determined by how he handles the tricky situation of the expansion draft, and relevant trades, and his first entry draft and free agency in 2021.

Overseas Notes: Ikonen, Bochenski, Lapierre

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Juuso Ikonen’s time in North America did not last very long. Ikonen signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals last year after establishing himself as a budding young star at the pro level in Finland and Sweden. Yet, he was placed on unconditional waivers and had his contract terminated in May, only twelve months after the deal was signed. Ikonen had struggled in the AHL, posting only 14 points in 54 games, but it was his first season in the league and some setbacks were expected. His release from the Capitals prompted some speculation that perhaps there was more to it than just poor results in year one. However, it appears that either no other NHL team was willing to give Ikonen a second chance or he simply didn’t look for one. The Swedish Hockey League’s HV71 announced that they have signed Ikonen to a two-year deal, bringing him back across the Atlantic. Ikonen recorded 26 points in 49 games when last he played in the SHL, so it’s clearly a more comfortable fit for a player who seemingly wasn’t enamored with the pursuit of an NHL career.

  • Brandon Bochenski has called it a career at 37 years old. Although many may not remember Bochenski’s efforts in North America, he has been one of the more decorated foreign players in the KHL over the last decade and has been the face of hockey in Kazakhstan. After a dominant stint in the NCAA at the University of North Dakota, Bochenski entered the pro ranks with high expectations in 2004. However, while he showed flashes of brilliance at times, Bochenski failed to stick with any team for more than two seasons, making stops in Ottawa, Chicago, Boston, Anaheim, Nashville, and Tampa Bay. Only when he moved to the KHL, signing with Barys Astana in 2010, did Bochenski find some consistency in his scoring ability. The winger proceeded to record seven straight seasons of at least 40 points, including a career high 61 points just a few short years ago in 2015-16. Bochenski was a multi-time KHL All-Star, the captain of Barys Astana for several seasons, and eventually earned his Kazakhstan citizenship and was a force on the international stage as well. In what proved to be his final season this year, Bochenski recorded 34 points in 44 games for Barys Astana and four points in four games for Kazakhstan at the Division 1A World Championships. Brad E. Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herland now reports that Bochenski will hang up his skates and has plans to return to where it all began in Grand Forks, home of the University of North Dakota.
  • Maxim Lapierre is not quite ready to end his playing career just yet. The 34-year-old has not played in the NHL since 2015, spending much of the last few years with HC Lugano of the Swiss NLA. However, with his production slipping slightly last season, Lapierre was sent searching for a new opportunity and has found it with Eisbaren Berlin of the German DEL. The Polar Bears announced a two-year deal with Lapierre and are excited to add the veteran leader who still has a scoring touch. The long time Montreal Canadien is not done yet.

Minor Transactions: 07/16/19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s been a shockingly busy day for mid-July and the moves don’t end at the NHL level. There have been even more notable transactions around the minors today to go along with an unexpected surge of signings and trades in the NHL. Keep up with all the action here:

  • The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have signed three players. The team announced an extension for defenseman Jake Kulevich and the addition of free agent forward Jakob Stukel. College hockey insider Mark Divver also reports that former Providence College defenseman Vincent Desharnais has signed with the club. Kulevich, 26, and Desharnais, 23, are both shutdown defenseman. At 6’4, 216 lbs. Kulevich’s game is in the defensive end, but he also recorded eight points in 29 games for the Condors last year as a part-time player. Desharnais is even bigger at 6’6″, 216 lbs., and just wrapped up an impressive NCAA career with the Friars, capped off by 13 points and a +22 rating in 42 games last year. Stukel, 22, is a former Vancouver Canucks prospect who impressed in Bakersfield last season on a try-out deal late in the year, recording six points in ten games. The performance earned him an AHL contract this year and the shot at a full-time role with the Condors.
  • Cam Johnson has been unable to find a two-way NHL deal and has settled for an AHL pact. The former University of North Dakota standout keeper signed a one-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils last summer, but did not appear for the team this season and split the campaign between the AHL and ECHL. His numbers in his first pro season were less than stellar, leaving Johnson without many options this off-season. He has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, the team announced, and will look to get back to his collegiate numbers in the upcoming campaign.
  • When the Colorado Eagles moved from the ECHL to the AHL last season, they took Michael Joly with them and the forward hardly missed a beat. He went from 67 points in 52 games to 30 points in 47 games, continuing to be a key player despite the boost in talent among his teammates and competitors. As a result, Joly has earned a contract extension, the Eagles announced. The 24-year-old will join the team for at least one more year and will again push to be among the top scorers on the roster.

Chicago Shopping Brendan Perlini

at CDT | by 23 Comments

There’s been no shortage of turnover in Chicago this summer, with the team acquiring Olli Maatta, Calvin de Haan, Andrew Shaw, and Alexander Nylander, signing Robin Lehner, and drafting Kirby Dach, while watching Dominik Kahun, John Hayden, Gustav Forsling, Marcus Kruger, and Henri Jokiharju depart. Yet, the re-shaping of the roster may not be done yet. Blackhawks insider Jay Zawaski of the Madhouse Chicago Hockey Podcast reports that the team is actively shopping young forward Brendan Perlini. 

Perlini, 23, is currently a restricted free agent looking for his first deal following the expiration of his entry-level contract. While the big winger was trending towards a nice pay day through his first two NHL seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, the status quo is much less clear since Perlini was dealt to the Blackhawks this past season alongside Dylan Strome. While Strome took off in Chicago, Perlini struggled and only began to find his game late in the season. Altogether, Perlini recorded just 15 points in more than half a season with the Blackhawks and never looked to fully gain the trust of the coaching staff. While it’s obvious that this could cause a rift between the team and player when it comes to contract negotiations, there was never any indication that it went so far as Chicago seeking to trade Perlini rather than re-sign him, at least until now.

With very little salary cap space remaining – approximately $2.04MM according to CapFriendly – and a lineup that still needs three more forwards, the Blackhawks have to be both creative and careful with how they fill out the roster. If the team is struggling to convince Perlini, a player they might not be sold on, to take a deal that fits within their cap constraints, then shopping him makes sense. On the other hand, they could be giving up too quickly on a young player who dealt with a change of scenery but has previously looked like a future 20-goal scorer. It never hurts to test the trade waters and see what the return may be for a player, but Chicago will have to make sure that they’re moving Perlini for the right reasons and for a fair return or risk ending up on the wrong side of a potential deal.

Minnesota’s Andrei Svetlakov Signs Long-Term In KHL

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Minnesota Wild’s issues with bringing over Russian prospects are well-documented. Young star forward Kirill Kaprizov remains with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow despite the team’s best efforts for years to convince him to make the jump. Now make that two forwards without plans to cross the Atlantic and suit up for Minnesota any time soon. Kaprizov’s CSKA teammate Andrei Svetlakov has signed a three-year extension to remain in Moscow until 2022, the team announced. At 23 year’s old, Svetlakov may have signed a deal that ends his chances at ever playing for the Wild.

The Wild used a sixth-round pick in 2017 on Svetlakov as an overage prospect in his last go-round in the NHL Draft. The young center had been promoted to the KHL and had proven that he was a valuable asset at the top pro level, even if he hadn’t produced at a high level. Over the past two seasons, Svetlakov’s scoring has not changed much but he has grown as a two-way player and looked at the top of his game in the 2019 Gagarin Cup playoffs, recording eight points and a +10 rating in 18 games. Moscow clearly saw something they liked in the pivot’s game to sign him long-term, as the perennial contender is known for having a keen eye for talent.

Svetlakov is not nearly the prospect that Kaprizov is, but could develop into a useful player even by NHL standards. If he had been interested in playing for the Wild, it also may have helped to convince Kaprizov to do the same. Instead, Svetlakov is locked in for three more years with CSKA and will be 26 by the time his contract expires. Minnesota owns Svetlakov’s rights indefinitely, so he may still prove to be a valuable asset for the team, but will hardly be considered a “prospect” by the time he can make the jump. It’s another tough blow for the Wild and their international image and the team must continue to hold out hope that Kaprizov will not follow suit and stay in Russia for years still to come.

Snapshots: Sabres, Gardiner, Tkachyov

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Few have criticized the Sabres’ side of the recent Henri Jokiharju–Alexander Nylander trade, but it’s a fact that Buffalo is overflowing with defenders after acquiring the young right-hander from the Chicago Blackhawks. As Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News’ points out, the Sabres still have needs to fill up front and they could use their defensive depth to do so. Lysowski writes that Buffalo has ample cap space to make an addition at forward, but there are few ideal candidates left on the free agent market and the team may as well use their surplus of blue liners to swing a deal. Jokiharju is safe, as are fellow recent additions Brandon Montour and Colin Miller and 2017 No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin. RFA Jake McCabe is not likely to be dealt, but a potential candidate and injury-prone Zach Bogosian and overpaid veteran Matt Hunwick might be hard to move. That would seemingly leave Rasmus Ristolainen, a fixture on the rumor mill, Marco Scandella, and Casey Nelson as the most likely names to be dealt and it would not be a surprise if more than one ends up elsewhere. The Sabres are certainly not done making moves this summer.

  • Of course, this makes Buffalo just one of a surprising number of teams not biting on Jake Gardiner this summer. PHR’s top-ranked UFA defenseman, Gardiner remains unsigned more than a week after the market opened. NBC Sports’ Scott Billeck reports that Gardiner is seeking $7MM annually in his next year, which is likely pricing himself out of the range that many D-needy teams are looking for. It’s hard to argue that Gardiner was not the best available defenseman when free agency opened, but he’s also not a top-pair defenseman by most metrics and teams aren’t willing to shell out right now simply due to a weak market. Billeck names the Winnipeg Jets as a team that could use Gardiner, but can’t afford him at his current asking price. The Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and his own Toronto Maple Leafs also fit that description. Billeck feels the New Jersey Devils could be the leading candidate to land Gardiner right now, but there really aren’t many clear fits for the defender at this time unless he changes his expectations.
  • Despite flirting with a jump to the NHL for several years, Vladimir Tkachyov has decided to re-sign in the KHL once again. SKA St. Petersburg has announced an extension with the young scorer. Tkachyov, 23, has been a solid offensive contributor for the past several years but the best may still be yet to come. The winger was acquired by SKA last month from Salavat Yulaev Ufa for the rights to Nikita Soshnikov, who has since signed in Ufa, and Tkachyov could be set for some career-highs with the perennial contenders in St. Petersburg. It is a two-year contract with SKA, so Tkachyov has a couple more years to further prove he is a formidable forward, and could very well drawn NHL attention once again in 2021.

Snapshots: Appleby, Skinner, Knights

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Goaltender Ken Appleby will have to settle for an AHL contract again this season. The 24-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate of the Nashville Predators, the team announced. Appleby spent much of last season on a minor league contract with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but was signed to an NHL deal at the trade deadline to serve as a depth option for the Winnipeg Jets. Appleby will hope that his play earns him another NHL contract, during this season or next summer.

Appleby continues to be a tough keeper to nail down. A standout with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, Appleby earned a three-year entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils as an undrafted prospect. In his first pro season in 2015-16, Appleby largely played in the ECHL, but put up good numbers and performed well in limited AHL action. The next year, he again dominated in ECHL to begin the year but quickly was called up to play a key role in the AHL and put up good albeit unspectacular numbers. In the final year of his ELC, Appleby’s AHL performance slipped somewhat, but he made three NHL appearances and was stellar, posting a .945 save percentage and 1.45 GAA. Yet, Appleby inexplicably failed to garner NHL attention last summer and, after signing with Manitoba, struggled greatly in the AHL and ended up back down in the ECHL. It’s unclear what to expect from the roller coaster goaltender, but at the very least the Admirals add an experienced netminder who has shown flashes of brilliance.

  • New York Rangers prospect Hunter Skinner is shifting his development plan. A fourth-round pick out of the USHL last month, Skinner was expected to play one more year of junior before heading to Western Michigan University. That all changed today when Skinner signed with the OHL’s London Knights, effectively ruling out the NCAA route. London used a fifth-round pick on Skinner in the 2017 OHL Draft and have made good on that gamble by convincing Skinner to change lanes and play major junior. However, it comes as a bit of a surprise that the Michigan native backed out of his WMU commitment. A big right-handed defenseman who is ahead of the game physically but still raw in his skill and IQ, the Rangers reached for Skinner in the fourth round. It’s not a stretch to think that they used that leverage to influence this decision, perhaps preferring to see Skinner play against stronger competition sooner rather than later to start developing those abilities. The Broncos are definitely disappointed to lose a promising prospect, but Skinner is in good hands in London, a premiere NHL feeder program led by Dale and Mark Hunter.
  • Speaking of which, former London Knight Will Lochead has signed his first pro contract with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Lochead actually began classes at the University of Western Ontario last year and had intended to continue there, but after a breakout season opted to pursue the pro route. The aggressive defenseman recorded a career-high 17 points in 54 games for the Knights and continued to show that he is not afraid to throw his body around and play a fast-tempo game. The Thunderbirds are taking a chance on a young, undrafted player without much production to show for in his junior career, but who brings room for growth and an exciting style.

Greg Johnson Passes Away At 48

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Former NHLer Greg Johnson passed away on Monday at the far too young age of 48. USA Today’s Kevin Allen relays the news today from Johnson’s friend and former agent Tom Laidlaw, who says Johnson died at his home near Detroit, Michigan. No cause of death was provided, but Johnson was forced to retire early in 2006 due to an irregular heartbeat, making the cardiac ailment the likely cause.

Johnson played 785 games in the NHL, but will be remembered most for the 502 spent with the Nashville Predators. An inaugural member of the 1998 expansion Predators, Johnson led the team in points per game in its first year of existence with a career-best 50 points in 68 games. He would go on to captain the team for the final four years of his career as well. Laidlaw recalls that Johnson cherished his role with Nashville and took less money to stay with the Predators, while former teammate Chris Mason says that Johnson was “a big part of establishing the identity of the franchise.”

Johnson was also well known for being both the captain and star forward of the University of North Dakota in the early 90’s. He had been drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round in 1989 after a near-100 point season in the USHL and quickly proved he was the real deal, recording 272 points in 155 games in his NCAA career. Johnson broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and also spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks. He accumulated 224 in 785 games in his NHL career and became known for his two-way play and work ethic.

Most importantly though, Johnson is remembered as a great teammate. Allen writes that Johnson was a soft-spoken and caring type of captain, who prioritized taking care of his team. Mason calls Johnson “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” and “the kind of guy that Predators wanted their other players to be like on or off the ice.” The Predators themselves released a statement calling their former captain ” a consummate professional and terrific teammate who was an integral part of our community and in developing the Predators culture that we experience today.”

Everyone at PHR wishes the best for the family and friends of Johnson at this time.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top