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Nic Dowd Signs With Washington Capitals

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The defending champs add some depth. Versatile bottom-six forward Nic Dowd has signed with the Washington Capitals, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports that the deal is a one-year deal for $650K.

The Capitals targeted Dowd as the team must find a replacement for fourth-line center Jay Beagle, who signed a four-year, $12MM contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Ironically, Dowd is coming from Vancouver, suggesting the two players could switch places. However, Dowd is more of a fringe player, who has had trouble breaking into the NHL lineup. The hope is to use Dowd at center and keep Chandler Stephenson at the wing, rather than force him to move down to the fourth line.

The 28-year-old started the season with the Los Angeles Kings, but failed to crack their lineup. After playing in just 16 games, he was traded in December to Vancouver where he had more success. In Vancouver, he managed to appear in 40 games with the Canucks last season, but still just saw 10:32 of ATOI over the remainder of the season. He scored three goals with the Canucks and did not have an assist. His best season came with the Kings in 2016-17 season when he tallied six goals and 22 points.

Oilers Ink Defenseman Kevin Gravel

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The Edmonton Oilers add some size and strength on the back end today with the addition of former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kevin Gravel. Edmonton Sun’s David Staples writes the contract will be a one-year, two-way deal for $700K.

Gravel, who has played the past three season for the Los Angeles Kings and their AHL affiliate, has played in 70 NHL games, but played in just 16 games last year, putting up three assists. He played 25 games for the AHL’s Ontario Reign and tallied three goals and 11 points.

The 26-year-old is likely being brought about to compete for the seventh and final defensive spot on the team and will likely compete with Keegan Lowe and Ryan Stanton, but he may also be a valuable depth commodity if veteran Andrej Sekera isn’t able to return to form this season. He can also supply Edmonton with much-needed physicality as the blueliner stands at 6-foot-4, 212 pounds.

 

J.T. Brown Signs With Minnesota Wild

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Enforcer J.T. Brown is heading home to Minnesota, as the veteran forward has signed with the Wild. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that it is a two-year deal and adds that he will make $675K this year and $700K next year for an AAV of $687.5K.

Brown spent 2017-18 playing for two teams as he began the year with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he had played for the previous five years of his NHL career. This year, with the Lightning overflowing with depth and his role declining, Tampa Bay placed him on waivers, hoping he could be sent to the AHL, but was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks. He played 23 games for an injury-ravaged Anaheim team, producing three points.

With Minnesota, the 27-year-old should provide more depth for the team’s bottom line, which Minnesota is re-designing. The team already locked up bottom-line center Eric Fehr, signed veteran Matt Hendricks and allowed veteran Matt Cullen to move on to Pittsburgh.

Dallas Stars Sign Blake Comeau

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Reliable depth forward Blake Comeau is on to a new team, as he has inked a multi-year deal with the Dallas Stars. First reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, Comeau’s deal has been confirmed as three years at $2.4MM per.

The rugged  forward should provide the Stars depth in their lineup as well as leadership and should develop into a fan favorite in Dallas. He was quite popular in Colorado as he was known for checking skills and solid defensive abilities as well as his ability to mentor the young Avalanche players. He is coming off one his best seasons as an Avalanche, posting 13 goals and 34 points.

The 32-year-old forward was told last week by the Avalanche that they will not be offering him a contract, most likely due to the veteran’s success and likelihood he would command a multiple year deal. That allowed Dallas to swoop in and lock up the veteran for their lineup.

Minnesota Wild Re-Sign Nick Seeler

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The Minnesota Wild are ready to make a splash or two on the unrestricted free agent market, but they have also come to terms on a new deal with one of their restricted free agents. Defenseman Nick Seeler has signed a three-year, $2.175MM extension, the team reports. The Athletic’s Michael Russo adds that the salary increases after year one from $675K to $750K for an AAV of $725K.

Seeler’s numbers of four assists in 22 games may not be that impressive, but the 25-year-old made a name for himself in the second half of the season among Wild players. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, he adds a much-needed physical presence to the team and received countless praise for his blocking shots, battling in the corners and even throwing a few punches.

The fifth-round pick in 2014, Seeler went to the University of Nebraska-Omaha for two years before transferring for one year to the University of Minnesota. He then played two years with the AHL’s Iowa Wild before finally getting what looks to be a permanent callup late in the season as he was averaging more than 20 minutes per game over the last few games of the season.

Capitals Sign Defenseman Martin Fehervary To Entry-Level Contract

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thThe defending Stanley Cup champions have worked quickly to lock up a recent draft pick. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan first reported that the Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Martin Fehervary to an entry-level contract. The team has confirmed the deal for the maximum three years.

The 46th pick in the second round of last weekend’s NHL Draft, Fehervary is a big Slovakian blue liner who plays with intensity and a fast, physical style. Fehervary has limited offensive upside, but is already playing at a pro-ready level in his own end.

Although Fehervary impressed at Capitals development camp this week and has signed his first contract, the team expects that he will return to Sweden and HV71 of the SHL for the coming season. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports that Fehervary’s plan is to play in North American full-time beginning in 2019.

Free Agent Rumor Round-Up: Roussel, Calvert, Hickey, Rieder, Perron, And More

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The Vancouver Canucks are closing in on an agreement with one of their top free agent targets. After Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Canucks were talking to two-way winger Antoine Roussel, colleague Rick Dhaliwal did some digging and discovered that the two sides were close on a long-term deal. Dhaliwal expects Roussel to sign a four-year deal worth more than $3MM per year with Vancouver. The former Dallas Stars brings grit and energy to the Canucks and has previously teased 30+ point potential. If the 28-year-old Frenchman can reach those levels of production while maintaining his notorious physical game, this could be a great signing by GM Jim Benning. However, it is well above what many would have expected Roussel to sign in both term and salary and could just as well be a disaster for Vancouver. Roussel is ranked 38th on PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents list with an estimated contract of two years and just over $2MM AAV.

[RELATED: PHR’s 2018 Top 50 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents]

  • Friedman has also linked the Colorado Avalanche and forward Matt Calvert. TSN’s Darren Dreger is among a few sources who have also heard about that pairing. Calvert, 28, has played his entire career for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Dreger seems convinced that he is definitely on the move. The versatile, two-way winger would be a nice fit as a bottom-six regular who can fill gaps in the top-six, much like the role that Blake Comeau played for the team.
  • Dreger also reports that interest is high in defenseman Thomas Hickey. A shallow defense market is likely boosting the value of the serviceable defenseman, who is a tough defensive match-up and a dangerous off-the-puck play-maker, but prone to mistake when moving play. Many speculated that the Islanders would turn their attention to re-signing Hickey once the John Tavares situation had sorted itself out, but with Tavares dragging his feet and Hickey in talks with numerous teams, New York may not get that chance. We predicted that Hickey would land with the Montreal Canadiens on a multi-year deal in PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.
  • Another player getting a lot of attention is winger Tobias Rieder and the status of his suitors is changing quickly as the price rises. Just earlier today, the Vancouver Canucks were the first team confirmed to be in on Rieder and by now that list has increased dramatically. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators are also in the running and that the price has gotten so high as to drive the Edmonton Oilers out of the bidding. The Athletic’s Craig Custance confirms the interest from the Canucks, Flames, and Habs and adds the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers to the list of interested parties. All this for a player that the Los Angeles Kings deemed unworthy of a qualifying offer.
  • As expected, David Perron is also one of the hottest names on the free agent market and his former team, the Vegas Golden Knights, are seemingly out of the running. Friedman calls it “very unlikely” that Perron returns to Las Vegas, where he set a career high with 66 points this season. For an idea on the price for Perron, he landed at #5 on the PHR Top 50 Free Agents list with a projected six-year, $32MM contract, which could be a conservative guess.
  • One team that is somewhat surprisingly in talks with Perron is Arizona. Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports details the off-season so far from the Coyotes and lists Perron, James van Riemsdyk, and Michael Grabner as Arizona’s top targets. Morgan also says that the team has not ruled out bringing back veteran forward Brad Richardson as well.
  • The Boston Bruins are moving on from Anton Khudobin and reportedly working fast to find his replacement. Beat writer Matt Kalman and The Boston Globe’s Kevin-Paul Dupont both hear that the team is very interested in Kari Lehtonen as the new backup to Tuukka Rask. With many talented goalies on the market, Lehtonen has flown under the radar somewhat despite incredibly comparable numbers to Khudobin in more starts and superior numbers to the likes of Jonathan Bernier, Cam Ward, Robin Lehner and others. Lehtonen also had the highest Quality Start rate of any of that group in 2017-18. Even here at PHR we may have underestimated Lehtonen, making him our sixth-best goalie among the Top 50 free agents.
  • Unsurprisingly, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that the Washington Capitals have checked in with defenseman Brooks Orpik. A veteran leader and key contributor to their Stanley Cup run, the Capitals faced little choice but to trade Orpik away earlier this off-season in order to clear cap space to maintain their championship roster. Now that he has subsequently been bought out by the Colorado Avalanche, Orpik is fair game and could return to D.C. at a much more affordable rate. However, LeBrun warns that other teams are also in the running and Orpik may not take a discount rate in Washington over more legitimate offers.

 

Islanders Re-Sign Defenseman Seth Helgeson

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The New York Islanders are certainly keeping busy as they wait for a decision from John Tavares. In the team’s second deal in under an hour, they have signed defenseman Seth Helgeson to a contract extension. According to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, the deal nearly mirrors the one given to goaltender Christopher Gibson earlier today. It is a two-year, two-way contract that pays Helgeson the $650K minimum at the NHL level next season and $700K in the NHL in 2019-20, with a$250K salary in the AHL over both years.

Helgeson, 27, is coming off of his first season with the Islanders organization after signing as an unrestricted free agent last summer. Helgeson previously spent four seasons with the rival New Jersey Devils. A fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2009 and a four-year starter at the University of Minnesota, Helgeson entered the pros with high expectations of being a solid stay-at-home defenseman with room to grow. While his defensive game has always been steady, he has been underwhelming at the other aspects of the game. In both the AHL and NHL, Helgeson has struggled to produce points or move the puck and has gotten into frequent penalty trouble. In 50 NHL games – all with the Devils – Helgeson has just four points and a Corsi rating of 43.7%.

Last season, Helgeson failed to make an appearance with the Islanders and recorded one goal and eleven assists in 76 games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He also recorded 137 penalty minutes, sixth-most in the league. At his best, the 6’4″, 220-lb. Helgeson is a big, heavy defensive presence who intimidates the opposition and plays a safe stay-at-home style. Often that can be the perfect type of stopgap emergency call-up player for NHL teams to stash in the minors. However, Helgeson’s play leaves a lot of upside to be desired and he will likely serve much of this two-year extension in Bridgeport.

Islanders Extend Goaltender Christopher Gibson

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The New York Islanders are hoping for good news on a much larger extension in the next 24 hours, but in the meantime they have come to terms on a new contract with minor league goaltender Christopher Gibson. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that it is a two-year, two-way extension for Gibson. The contract will pay him $650K at the NHL level and $225K at the AHL level in the coming season and $700K in the NHL and $250K in the AHL in 2019-20.

Gibson, 25, was set to be an unrestricted free agent this off-season, but the Finnish keeper was unlikely to draw much attention. The 2011 second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings was once a highly-touted prospect. However, after a strong start to his junior career with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL that boosted his draft stock, Gibson stalled in his development over the next two seasons. The Kings chose not to sign him and he became a free agent acquisition of the Toronto Maple Leafs. After finding some success in the AHL with Toronto, Gibson was dealt along with four other prospects to the Islanders in a 2015 trade for Michael Grabner. Since arriving in New York, Gibson has been unable to get back to that same level in the AHL and has struggled greatly in his few call-ups. In twelve NHL appearances, Gibson has three wins, a .902 save percentage, and a 3.58 goals against average.

As it stands, Gibson is second on the depth chart for the Islanders behind Thomas Greiss. However, it is extremely unlikely that Lou Lamoriello and company wish to head into the regular season with either of those goaltenders in their current spots. Gibson has not yet proved that he is anything other than an average AHL goalie and until he does, he is likely to remain just an emergency option in Bridgeport. The two-way nature and minimum salary of his contract reflect this role. Yet, it alleviates any concerns that New York may have had about having to add multiple new goalies on the free agent market this off-season.

Michal Kempny Re-Signs With Washington

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Friday: The Capitals have officially announced the deal.  It’s a four-year extension worth $10MM in total for a salary cap hit of $2.5MM.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the breakdown of the deal is as follows:

2018-19: $3.2MM
2019-20: $2.7MM
2020-21: $1.8MM
2021-22: $2.2MM

Dreger also notes that just over half of the money comes in the form of signing bonuses.

Thursday: The Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals had two names at the top of their free agency wish list: defensemen John Carlson and Michal Kempny. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, those boxes will both be checked off before July 1st. After inking Carlson to a massive extension earlier this week, Dreger reports that the Capitals have now agreed to terms on a multi-year extension with Kempny. Term and salary details have not yet been disclosed and the contract is expected to be formally announced tomorrow.

Kempny was little more than a luxury depth addition when the Capitals acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the Trade Deadline. Kempny was midway through his second NHL season and had just 81 games and 12 points to show for himself. Yet, Washington GM Brian MacLellan saw something in the 27-year-old Czech import. Not only did MacLellan give up a conditional third round pick to land Kempny – at the time seen as a steep price – but he also handed him more ice time than he had ever seen in Chicago. Kempny rewarded him with flawless defensive play down the stretch. Kempny is neither an offensive force nor a real physical threat, but he plays a strong man-to-man defensive game and make few mistakes. He took his game up another notch in the postseason, scoring five points in 24 games, blocking shots seemingly all of the time, and serving as a match-up nightmare for the opposition.

Kempny exceeded all expectations in Washington and was a key piece to their Cup run. Now the Capitals plan to repay him by exceeding his very modest $900K cap hit with a new multi-year contract. The Caps’ blue line felt like it was missing a piece for most of last year before Kempny arrived and the team hopes that this extension will maintain the strong play that the unit showed in the postseason. Armed with a top four of Carlson, Kempny, Matt Niskanen, and Dmitry Orlov, the Capitals will be ready to defend their title next season.

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