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Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Petr Mrazek

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The run on goaltenders continues. As the dominoes of Robin Lehner and Semyon Varlamov fell, the Carolina Hurricanes determined that bringing back their starter was the best option. The team has announced a two-year, $6.25MM contract to bring back Petr Mrazek. Mrazek started 40 games for the Hurricanes last year, but will likely be asked to do even more moving forward.

When the 2018-19 season ended, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell made it clear that he wanted to re-sign the duo of Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney if possible. Just a few weeks later though it seemed like neither one would be back after talks failed to get extensions done. When things started falling this afternoon though, Waddell may well have realized that his best option in net was bringing back the man who got them to the playoffs a year ago.

Mrazek, 27, was a floundering goaltender without a team last year after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Hurricanes gave him an opportunity to prove that he could still compete at the NHL level with a one-year, $1.5MM deal and he went out and had his best season in several years. In those 40 appearances, Mrazek went 23-14-3 for the Hurricanes with a .914 save percentage and helped them reach the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Unfortunately that success didn’t continue in the postseason where he posted just an .894 save percentage and was eventually replaced by McElhinney.

Still, the Czech goaltender ended up 15th overall on our Top 50 UFA list and ended up staying right where he was for a healthy raise to $3.125MM per season. He’ll get a chance to prove he is worthy of an even longer deal, but has some competition once again. The Hurricanes recently traded for James Reimer, who will actually be making more than Mrazek next season and also has a history of success in the NHL. The two will likely share the spotlight if Reimer stays with the organization for the year, giving them options as they try to contend for the playoffs once again.

Islanders Sign Semyon Varlamov To Four-Year Deal

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With Robin Lehner off the market, the New York Islanders went with their backup plan and grabbed former Colorado Avalanche keeper Semyon Varlamov. The team has announced that Varlamov has agreed to a four-year contact that will carry a $5MM average annual value. Varlamov will join Thomas Greiss in an Islanders’ tandem that is the reigning Jennings Trophy winners.

Varlamov, 31, has been a dominant goaltender in the NHL at times but on the surface doesn’t look like much of an upgrade from Lehner. Starting 39 games for the Colorado Avalanche last season he posted a .909 save percentage, but has been a Vezina finalist in the past and has a career .916 mark. He certainly could experience a boost in the Barry Trotz-led defensive system, but it is the length of the deal that seems out of place. Varlamov has dealt with injuries over his career and hasn’t played in a playoff game since 2014, not exactly the workhorse talent that GM Lou Lamoriello has targeted for his teams in the past.

The veteran goaltender came in at No. 20 on our Top 50 UFA list, though we projected him for just a two-year contract worth a total of $6.5MM. That number was obviously blown out of the water by the $20MM guarantee which includes a $6MM salary in year one. The Islanders had plenty of cap space to use today and were able to re-sign captain Anders Lee in addition to Varlamov, but the day clearly didn’t go as originally planned.  They’ll have to hope the tandem with Greiss can repeat last year’s performance and get them back to the playoffs in the Metropolitan Division.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Robin Lehner

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In perhaps the biggest surprise of free agency thus far, the Chicago Blackhawks have shockingly emerged as the victor for top available free agent goaltender Robin Lehner. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that the two sides were closing in on a deal, before adding that the terms have been agreed to. An even bigger surprise than the match? The contract. It is just a one-year deal for Lehner at $5MM, despite rumors he had been seeking a five-year term.

Lehner, 27, went without a qualifying offer from the Buffalo Sabres a year ago and was a free agent without a clear destination. The Islanders brought him in on a one-year $1.5MM deal, which ended up being one of the biggest moments of his life. Very publicly, Lehner dealt with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder but was able to overcome his mental health issues to find some sort of balance in his life on and off the ice. For the Islanders, he performed like a Vezina-caliber netminder (he finished third in the voting) with a .930 save percentage through 46 appearances, and was awarded the Masterton Trophy for his perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. In a touching speech at the NHL awards, Lehner told the crowd “I’m not ashamed to say I’m mentally ill, but that doesn’t mean I’m mentally weak.” 

At the end of the season Lehner made it clear that he was hoping to stay in New York, ready to re-sign with the Islanders if possible. On a conference call after signing with the Blackhawks however, he explained to those listening including team reporter Chris Kuc that “it not working out on Long Island had nothing to do with me” and that “we were still pretty much all-in with Long Island and they walked away, didn’t want to do anything.” New York’s loss is Chicago’s gain, as the Blackhawks will add a Vezina-caliber talent on just a one-year deal.

The question now becomes what happens to incumbent Corey Crawford and young Collin Delia. Crawford played just 39 games last season after returning from concussion issues and posted a .908 save percentage, but has one year remaining on his current contract that carries a $6MM cap hit. Delia too is on a one-way deal that pays him $1MM for the next three seasons, and looked to be pushing for a starting role in Chicago. The Blackhawks are sitting quite close to the salary cap after day one of free agent frenzy and likely have more moves up their sleeves.

Vegas Signs Goulbourne, Lernout, Megna

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After re-signing two depth players, Tomas Nosek and Brandon Pirri, as well as adding Patrick Brown, the cap-strapped Golden Knights continue to make minor additions where they can on the fringes of the roster. The team has announced that, in addition to Brown, three other new players are set to join the organization in forward Tyrell Goulbourne and defensemen Brett Lernout and Jaycob Megna. The trio each signed two-way deals worth $700K, with Goulbourne signing on for two years and the blue liners each at just one.

Lightning Ink Goalies Wedgewood And Martin, Forward Mueller

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Even more reason to believe that last year’s backup, Louis Domingue, is on the trade block? After signing his replacement, Curtis McElhinney, the Tampa Bay Lightning have added two more goalies to the mix in Scott Wedgewood and Spencer Martin. The team has also signed forward Chris Mueller. The trio have all agreed to one-year, two-way contracts.

Flames Sign Brandon Davidson, Byron Froese

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After adding goalie Cam Talbot earlier, the Calgary Flames have addressed their depth at the other two positions, signing defenseman Brandon Davidson and forward Byron Froese, per team releases. Both veteran players have signed one-year, two-way contracts with NHL AAV’s of $700K.

Both Davidson, 27, and Froese, 28, have bounced around the hockey world of late and are hoping to find more stability by landing in Calgary. Davidson, an Alberta native, has spent two stints with the Edmonton Oilers, as well as time with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Chicago Blackhawks in the last four years alone. Davidson has struggled to score at the NHL level, but has shown that he can be a dominant physical force at times. Froese, from nearby Manitoba, did not see any NHL action last year, but was traded nonetheless from the Montreal Canadiens to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was the second time in three years he had been traded and Philly became his fourth team in that span, joining Montreal, Tampa Bay, and Toronto. Like Davidson, Froese has really never been more than a part-time player at the highest level due to concerns about his offensive ability. However, he has established himself as a solid two-way forward.

Given the depth that the Flames have on both the blue line and up front, the odds are the Davidson and Froese will spend much of next season with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. However, their NHL experience and reliable defensive ability should make them top call-up options for Calgary when injuries strike.

Dallas Stars Add Tanner Kero, Re-Sign Reece Scarlett

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The Dallas Stars continue an impressive day that already includes adding decorated veterans Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry, and Andrej Sekera by inking a pair of depth players. The team has announced a two-way contract with forward Tanner Kero, as well as defenseman Reece Scarlett. Both contracts carry a minimum NHL cap hit of $700K.

Kero, 26, has signed a two-year deal following a breakout season with the AHL’s Utica Comets. In 72 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Kero was primarily used in a bottom-six role and his offense was somewhat limited. After a move to the Vancouver Canucks, Kero spent the whole season in the minors, but rediscovered his offensive touch with 57 points in 67 games. A versatile player who can be a top AHL scorer, but able to slot in anywhere in the NHL lineup, Kero could be a valuable asset for Dallas.

Scarlett, 26, is entering his third season with the Stars organization, but it may not seem that way. Scarlett was acquired from the Florida Panthers in a 2017 trade and played in 44 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars that season. However, he failed to produce the same offensive numbers as he had in his previous AHL seasons. Then, after re-signing with the team last summer, an injury cost him all but one game last season. Despite seemingly having a lot to prove after two seasons with the Stars, Dallas clearly likes the potential that Scarlett can bring on the blue line.

L.A. Kings To Sign Joakim Ryan, Martin Frk

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The Los Angeles Kings did not take part in the early rush of signings this afternoon, but they won’t leave day one of free agency without making a mark. Team insider Jon Rosen writes that the team has agreed to terms on one-year contracts with two young unrestricted free agents, defenseman Joakim Ryan and forward Martin Frk. He adds that it will be a one-way, $725K deal for Ryan and a two-way, $700K deal for Frk.

Ryan should be familiar to Kings fans as a former member of the rival San Jose Sharks. The Sharks declined to extend a qualifying offer to the 26-year-old, who had played in over 100 games with the team over the past two seasons, not including an impressive run as a starter in this year’s playoffs. While Ryan doesn’t excel at any one aspect, he plays a complete game and should compete for consistent ice time with L.A., even though the team has a number of possibilities on the blue line.

Frk, for all of his shortcomings, could be a nice value add on a two-way deal and minimum contract. The 25-year-old right wing is a talented shooter who has yet to find the right fit in the NHL. If he finds chemistry on the Kings, he could be a consistent goal-scoring threat. If not, he’s simply an experienced name to add to AHL depth chart.

St. Louis Blues Sign Derrick Pouliot, Five Others

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The NHL’s only Australian is on the move. Nathan Walker is set to sign a two-year, two-way deal with the defending champion St. Louis Blues. They didn’t stop there though, as the Blues have announced two-way contracts with five other players—Derrick Pouliot, Mike Vecchione, Nick Lappin, Jake Dotchin and Evan Polei.

Even though they were relatively quiet today, deciding to keep their Stanley Cup group together instead of bringing in any top names, the Blues have done well to add real depth to the organization on inexpensive deals. Pouliot especially was expected to get a more lucrative contract than this, even though the Vancouver Canucks had decided to not issue him a qualifying offer. The 25-year old even landed on our Top 50 UFA list, though admittedly he didn’t have a ton of leverage after a 12-point season.

Several of the others have legitimate NHL experience though, meaning the Blues will be able to pick and choose who starts the year on the NHL roster and who goes to the AHL as injury insurance. The team knows just how much of a grind it is to get all the way to the championship and will be well prepared in case of injury.

Boston Bruins Announce Several Signings

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While the Boston Bruins garnered some attention early on today with a long-term extension for defenseman Connor Clifton and the signings of young power forward Brett Ritchie and third-string goalie Maxime Lagace, the team was quietly working through a number of other deals that insiders failed to pick up on. The team has announced seven signings: extensions for Clifton and Ryan Fitzgerald, one-way contracts for Ritchie and Par Lindholm, two-way contracts for Lagace and Brendan Gaunce, and an AHL contract for defenseman Josiah Didier.

Outside of Clifton and Ritchie, the biggest news is the addition of Lindholm, who signed a two-year deal with an AAV of $850K. Although Lindholm, 27, just finished his first NHL season after a long career in Sweden, the Bruins got a good look at him as a member of the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. Lindholm recorded 12 points in 61 games for Toronto, but was held to just one point in four regular season games and two postseason games for the Winnipeg Jets following a late-season trade. However, defense is more Lindholm’s game anyway, as he proved to be a good physical presence and proved to be adept at blocking shots and creating turnovers. Lindholm is a good fourth-line depth option and penalty kill possibility for the Bruins, who lost Noel Acciari to the Florida Panthers, but replace much of the same ability at half the price.

Gaunce, 25, became a UFA after he was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Vancouver Canucks. A 2012 first-round pick, the Canucks expected more offense out of the forward, who instead recorded just 15 points in 117 NHL games through four seasons with the team. Last year, Gaunce played all but three games in the AHL. At his point, Gaunce is a player who uses his size and speed to play a physical, up-tempo style, but lacks the skill to play a scoring role in the NHL. At best, Gaunce will challenge Lindholm to be the next man up on the fourth line in Boston, and would be an affordable piece at $700K, but at worst he has a high floor of being a hard-working and experienced minor league presence that will make his Providence teammates better.

One such teammate is Fitzgerald, who returns to the team on a one-year, $700K deal, coming in below his qualifying offer. Fitzgerald has shown a well-rounded game and consistent production in two years with the Providence Bruins, as he did in four years at Boston College. The homegrown product comes from hockey bloodlines and plays a smart game. There’s still some question of whether the skill is enough to get to the NHL, though. Fitzgerald will still be searching for his Boston debut this coming season.

Another Providence addition is Didier, who strengthens a talented, but shallow AHL blue line for the Bruins. Didier is coming off a career-best offensive season for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, despite only being a part-time player for the Calder Cup champs. It’s unclear how much of a role he will play in Providence, but it’s a risk-free investment in a big, experienced defender by the Bruins.

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