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Michael Matheson Signs Long-Term Extension With Florida

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5:53 PM: It’s a done deal. Less than an hour after Friedman’s report, TSN’s Bob McKenzie has confirmed that Matheson and the Panthers have come to terms on an eight-year, $39MM contract extension. The deal, worth $4.875MM per year, would make Matheson the fifth-highest paid player for Florida and a top-fifty paid defenseman in the league if the 2018-19 season were underway. The extension puts Matheson in the same salary zone as players like Sami Vatanen, Justin Faulk, and Morgan Rielly.

The contract breaks down as follows, per CapFriendly:

2018-19: $3MM salary, $500K signing bonus
2019-20: $3.5MM salary
2020-21: $3.5MM salary
2021-22: $5MM salary
2022-23: $4MM salary
2023-24: $4MM salary, $2.5MM signing bonus
2024-25: $4MM salary, $2.5MM signing bonus
2025-26: $4.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus

5:15 PM: According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the Florida Panthers are working toward an eight-year extension in the neighborhood of $40MM with one of their defenseman. Keep in mind Aaron Ekblad already signed an extension last year and 2017-18 marks the first season of his eight-year, $60MM, while Keith Yandle is already on to year two of his seven-year, $44.5MM free agent contract from last summer. No, the star Florida defenseman that Friedman is reporting on is… Michael Matheson?

To be fair, Matheson did play in 81 games with the Panthers last season and led the team in even-strength ice time on ice. However, those 81 games were only good enough to be tied for second among Florida defenseman and he ranked third in overall average time on ice. Matheson scored 17 points, tied for fourth among Panthers’ blue liners, and his 69 hits was fifth among that group. Matheson led the team with 118 blocked shots, but that mark put him only 70th in the NHL. This was all while the Panthers endured a disappointing season and missed the playoffs after winning the Atlantic Division the year before. Matheson is a solid defenseman, but he didn’t really excel at anything in particular in 2016-17 and didn’t necessarily help the team win. When it comes to a long-term extension though, consistency is the key and Matheson has been this good for a long time, right? Except, last year was his rookie season. Matheson has been a name in hockey for years now – a first-round pick in 2012 and a prolific career at powerhouse Boston College – but in reality he has just 84 NHL games under his belt and is just one year removed from a season spent almost entirely in the AHL.

So, why is GM Dale Tallon reportedly throwing this kind of money at him? Why could Matheson soon be paid more and for longer than the likes of Roman Josi and John Klingberg after just one alright NHL season? It could be that Panthers, who admittedly have seen more of Matheson than anyone else, see something more from the 23-year-old. Of course, it could also be, that after trading away Jason Demers, this extension is the result of some panic setting in. Ekblad is coming off a down season with some lingering injury concerns, Yandle is on the wrong side of 30, and Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic tend to be one-dimensional players. With Ekblad, Pysyk, and Petrovic all young, right-handed rearguards, that side of the defense could be set for the long haul, even if there are some concerns. However, on the left side, Matheson and Yandle are the only two established NHLers on the roster with nearly no high-end defensive prospects in the system. It seems likely that Florida sees Matheson as a worthy gamble because he is all they have to gamble on. Is that worth upwards of $40MM? Maybe not, but at least waiting until later in the season to gauge Matheson’s development could help to alleviate some of the risk. (Update: They didn’t.)

Minor Transactions: 10/6/17

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The NHL season is underway. NHL (and AHL) camps have shaken out and the final AHL signings of the off-season are filing in, as well as early season NHL adjustments. Here are some minor transactions from across the minors today:

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled defenseman Ben Harpur from their newly relocated affiliate, the Belleville Senators, the team announced. Harpur played in six regular season games for the Sens last season, but suited up for an additional nine playoff games and was given substantial ice time. However, with the off-season addition of Johnny Oduya, Harpur was pushed from the top seven on the organizational depth chart. In fact, many would say that Harpur is actually the second-to-next-man-up, behind star prospect Thomas Chabot, but in their first promotion of the season –  with Oduya dealing with a lower-body injury and captain Erik Karlsson still sidelined – Ottawa chose Harpur instead.
  • Back in Binghamton, the former home of the AHL Senators, new tenants the Devils, New Jersey’s former Albany affiliate, has made a couple notable moves of their own. The team announced today that they have brought in a pair of NHL veterans, inking forward Tim Kennedy to a one-year deal and signing defenseman Tim Erixon to a PTO. Kennedy, a 31-year-old journeyman forward who last played in the NHL in 2013-14, scored 29 points in 37 games for the divisional rival Rochester Americans in 2016-17. Erixon, a 2009 first-round pick, was one of many AHL veterans to man the blue line for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ affiliate in Wilke-Barre/Scranton last season. The 26-year-old is solid, if not unspectacular, but stands a good chance of earning a contract for the Devils, who lack minor league depth on the blue line.
  • The Stockton Heat, affiliate to the Calgary Flames, have added a pair of experienced defenseman to their own blue line, announcing the signings of Cody Goloubef and Colby Robak. Goloubef is particularly interesting as he played 33 games for the Colorado Avalanche last season and was a late camp cut by the Buffalo Sabres, performing well on a PTO. Goloubef is a major boost for Stockton, but he will certainly keep an eye out for NHL opportunities as the 2017-18 season progresses. Meanwhile, Robak has not played in the NHL since 2014-15 and hasn’t played a meaningful big league role since early in 2013-14 with the Florida Panthers. Yet, Robak continues plugging along and had a strong AHL season in 2016-17, one spent mostly with the Utica Comets but which began with the Stockton Heat. The team seemingly saw enough to bring him back.
  • The Hershey Bears signed forward Jeremy Langlois to a one-year AHL deal today, as reported by the ever-popular Washington Capitals affiliate. The hard-working forward from Tempe, Arizona is trying to get back to the NHL after a one-year deal with the San Jose Sharks in 2015-16 was spent entirely in the AHL. The Quinnipiac alum was an undrafted free agent that first impressed with big numbers in the ECHL and then the AHL, with the Sharks then-affiliate in Worcester, earning him an entry-level deal and a major role on the re-located Barracuda squad two years ago. However, he was unqualified and signed with the Rockford Ice Hogs in 2016-17, where his offense steeply declined. Langlois will look for a fresh start in Hershey this season.

Andreas Athanasiou Heading To Switzerland

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Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent forward Andreas Athanasiou remains unsigned… for now. The latest news on the league’s last remaining RFA comes from TSN’s Bob McKenzie, who shares that Athanasiou is on his way to Switzerland to skate with HC Lugano of the NLA. McKenzie was quick to add that Athanasiou has not signed Lugano and is still evaluating his options, but his commitment to going overseas for the time being raises more doubts that he will suit up in the NHL this season.

A recent poll revealed that most fans felt Athanasiou and former holdout Josh Anderson would each re-sign with their respective teams. The second most popular answer was that the pair would both play overseas. Anderson has done his part to prove true the majority, re-upping with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Athanasiou has not made any similar progress with Detroit and seems more likely to join in the dissenting opinion. Interestingly, it was Anderson who had been connected to the NLA this off-season, with Athanasiou reportedly fielding offers from the KHL. Athanasiou may still end up in Russia, but with an influx of talent heading to the NLA in recent years and the the past success of Lugano, who has not missed the playoffs in six years, the team is far from a poor fit. Athanasiou would be skating alongside former Red Wing Damien Brunner, as well as NHL veterans Maxim Lapierre and Bobby Sanguinetti should he sign with Lugano and the talented group could very well make a title run in 2017-18.

Still, the best thing for Athanasiou and for hockey is for the skilled 23-year-old to stay in North America. In just his second NHL season, the young center scored 18 goals and defied expectations for a Detroit team with few bright spots. The Red Wings may not want to overpay – in salary or term – for Athanasiou, who did have an unsustainable 15% shooting percentage in 2016-17 and is only in the early stages of developing a defensive game, but the best decision is always to work things out. Just ask the Dallas Stars, who missed the playoffs last season and had to go on a spending spree this summer in hopes of righting the ship. They would love to have Valeri Nichushkin back, the talented young winger who left the team in the summer of 2016 to head to the KHL, where he remains, after failing to come to terms in restricted free agency. Maybe the Red Wings would rather trade Athanasiou or maybe they’ll realize their mistake and work out a contract. Either way, there seems to be little upside to simply losing the scoring youth for this season (or longer). Athanasiou skating with Lugano may just be the straw that finally breaks Ken Holland’s back.

 

Turris, Senators Making “Healthy” Progress On Contract Extension

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With the start to the 2017-18 season just days away, the Ottawa Senators are looking to take care of their biggest 2018 off-season concern before the puck drops on the new campaign. According to Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators GM Pierre Dorion is making slow but steady progress in negotiations with impending free agent center Kyle Turris. With starting goalie Craig Anderson recently re-upped, the focus is now on getting Turris, a centerpiece of the Sens’ offense, re-signed, preferably in the coming days.

A career that got off to a rough start with the Phoenix Coyotes, Turris has since blossomed into the player that he was expected to be when drafted third overall in 2007, following a trade to the Senators in 2011. Now an alternate captain for Ottawa and the top line center most nights, Turris has become one of the top players in the nation’s capital. Turris has 55+ points in three of the past four seasons and leads all Senators forwards in points over the past five years.

Come next summer (or sooner), Turris is going to be rewarded for this success. He has one season remaining at a team-friendly $4MM, but Garrioch reports that his side is seeking a long-term deal worth at least 50% more. Will Turris get seven or eight years at $6MM from the Senators? Garrioch states that the sides were far apart on those numbers in talks this summer, but have slowly been making progress. If Ottawa doesn’t give him that deal, it is likely that someone will on the open market. However, Turris been a free agent in this summer’s stagnant market, it would have been a near certainty, but in 2018 Turris will face competition from John Tavares, Paul Stastny, Rick Nash, Evander Kane, James Neal, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Mikael Backlund, and Cam Atkinson among other forwards commanding free agent dollars. The best – and safest – fit for both sides appears to be an extension. Watch for a deal to get done sooner rather than later.

Training Camp Cuts And Recalls: 10/1/17

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Today marks the end of the preseason for all those NHL teams who haven’t yet wrapped up their exhibition schedules. With games coming to an end, expect lots of action throughout the day and keep track of it all right here:

Arizona Coyotes

D Dakota Mermis – Tucson (AHL)

Colorado Avalanche

D David Warsofsky – waivers for purpose of assignment

Dallas Stars

D Chris Martenet – Texas (AHL)

Detroit Red Wings

F Colin Campbell – released from PTO
G Jared Coreau – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Matthew Ford – released from PTO
D Joe Hicketts – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Axel Holmstrom – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Filip Hronek – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Brian Lashoff – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Matt Lorito – waivers for purpose of assignment
G Thomas McCollum – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath – waivers for purpose of assignment
F P.A. Parenteau – released from PTO
F Michael Rasmussen – Tri-City (WHL)
D Dan Renouf – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Vili Saarijarvi – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Dylan Sadowy – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Dominik Shine – released from PTO
F Ben Street – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Dominic Turgeon – Grand Rapids (AHL)

Edmonton Oilers

D Mark Fayne – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Jesse Puljujarvi – Bakersfield (AHL)

Florida Panthers

F Brandon Pirri – released from PTO
F Harry Zolnierczyk – released from PTO
D Josh Brown – Springfield (AHL)

Los Angeles Kings

G Jack Campbell – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Justin Auger – waivers for purpose of assignment

New York Rangers

F Robin Kovacs – waivers for purpose of assignment

Ottawa Senators

D Thomas Chabot – Belleville (AHL)
D Ben Harpur – Belleville (AHL)
F Max McCormick – waivers for purpose of assignment

Philadelphia Flyers

F Oskar Lindblom – Lehigh Valley (AHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Stefan Fournier – Brampton (ECHL)

Vancouver Canucks

G Richard Bachman – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Michael Chaput – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Jayson Megna – waivers for purpose of assignment

Recalls:

San Jose Sharks

D Nick DeSimone
D Cavan Fitzgerald
F Adam Helewka
F John McCarthy

 

New Jersey Devils Sign Jimmy Hayes

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The first tryout-turned-contract of 2017-18? That belongs to forward Jimmy Hayes. While the New Jersey Devils have yet to make an announcement, Mark Divver of the Providence Journal was the first to report that Hayes has indeed made the team and has signed a one-way contract with the team. TSN’s Bob McKenzie has since added that the deal is for one year and $700K.

Divver, who not only covers the Boston Bruins and AHL’s Providence Bruins, is also very involved with the junior and college hockey landscape in New England. When it comes to Hayes, a Dorchester, Mass. native and former Bruin and Boston College Eagle, Divver is as reliable a source as anyone. So even though it comes as a surprise that Hayes has earned a one-way contract, it appears to be true, as corroborated by McKenzie. Hayes was bought out by Boston back in June after a disastrous two-season stint with his hometown team. Acquired from the Florida Panthers for Reilly Smith in 2015, Hayes scored only 34 points in 133 games with the Bruins after recording 35 in his final season in Florida alone. In 2016-17, Hayes posted only five points in 58 games while playing less than ten minutes a night. The fans in Boston turned on one of their own and few were upset when he was cut earlier this off-season.

Yet, Hayes has managed to find a new home in New Jersey. Hayes scored two goals and added an assist in five preseason games and did enough to impress GM Ray Shero and head coach John Hynes. Perhaps the front office and coaching staff see the 20-goal potential that Hayes showed in Florida but which disappeared in Boston. Regardless, Hayes will join a Devils team which could certainly use some added depth and will get the chance to play alongside former Bruins teammate Drew Stafford, who himself was a late, affordable depth addition for the Devils. Hayes could have a bounce-back season and play a solid bottom-six role for New Jersey, but could just as easily be pushed by the Devils’ young prospects and find himself on waivers sooner rather than later.

Penguins Release Jay McClement From PTO

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The Pittsburgh Penguins’ search for center depth has taken another turn. The team announced late tonight, no more than two hours after the end of their preseason finale loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, that they have released veteran forward Jay McClement from his tryout with the team. Pittsburgh is down to 24 players remaining in camp, including 14 forwards – with exactly four listed as centers.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have been looking for a third-line center all summer and some saw McClement as a possible solution, while others saw McClement at least centering the fourth line and pushing Carter Rowney or some other option up to the third line. Instead, McClement is gone and questions remain. McClement, a veteran of over 900 NHL games, not only has a long history of being a solid bottom six option, but also performed well in the preseason with the Penguins. The decision to cut him becomes even more of a surprise in the context of the post-game report from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Jonathan Bombulie, who spoke with both McClement and coach Mike Sullivan, the former believing he had put forth his best effort and had no regret and the latter calling that effort “solid” and admiring McClement’s “wealth of experience”. McClement admitted that he would be anxious waiting for the decision over the next few days, but instead GM Jim Rutherford made the call in a matter of hours.

With McClement gone, the winner of the “last-PTO-standing” battle seems to be Greg McKegg. Unless Rutherford has a trick up his sleeve, the 25-year-old AHL veteran appears to be the top option for the Penguins’ third line center spot, at least to start the season. McKegg has performed well in the preseason and is fresh off of his best NHL season, in which he scored a career-best seven points in a career-high 46 games between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether or not McKegg lasts on the third line or even lasts the season in Pittsburgh remains to be seen, but as of now there doesn’t appear to be any other in-house option for the Penguins following McClement’s release.

Snapshots: Gelinas, Harper, Iginla

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The Montreal Candiens have yet to cut defenseman Eric Gelinas, in camp on a PTO, but according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, an NHL contract is not on the table. Lavoie reports that instead Gelinas has been offered an AHL contract to play with the Habs’ new affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Lavoie is of the opinion that Gelinas will accept the contract and that it could be good for his career. After clearing waivers three separate times last season with the Colorado Avalanche, the league’s worst team, it’s clear that taking a step back and getting a fresh start is not a bad idea for Gelinas. Playing a leadership role in an AHL locker room for a whole season could teach Gelinas consistency and responsibility and a chance at making the Canadian Olympic team would give the 26-year-old the experience of playing an important role in meaningful games.

  • Shane Harper tried the PTO route like Gelinas, but rather than settle for an AHL deal, Harper has decided to take his talents overseas. For the Valencia, California native, who was in camp with the Los Angeles Kings, that means choosing to live in a foreign country rather than a half hour from his home town had he signed with the Kings affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Harper has signed with the KHL’s Lada Togliatti, according to a national news source (link in Russian), where he could easily be the best player on a club that has failed to make the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. Harper scored three points in his 14-game “rookie season” with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17 and added 22 more points in 58 AHL games. The article indicates that the KHL was Harper’s first choice once his NHL hopes were dashed this past week.
  • One player who has no plans to choose the AHL or KHL any time soon is future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. In his “31 Thoughts” article this week, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reveled that the 40-year-old power forward has even denied having any interest in playing for Team Canada in the upcoming Olympics, as his sole focus is on finding a fit in the NHL. Despite a couple good seasons with the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche, the fact of the matter is that Iginla’s production has been steadily declining since he left the Calgary Flames back in 2013. Last season, Iginla only managed a career-worst 27 points, and that is including a strong showing with the Los Angeles Kings to close out the season. There is always the possibility that someone will come calling for the services – especially the leadership and experience –  that Iginla brings and remaining dedicated to playing one last season will only help his chances of being signed. However, with the regular season about to  begin, the hard truth is that we may have seen the last of Iginla in the NHL, even if he can’t yet accept that.

Montreal’s Holland, Carr Among Seven On Waivers

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While Saturday’s group heading to the waiver wire is not as large or containing as many noteworthy names as each of the last few days, it contains over 150 2016-17 NHL games played and a handful of players with some substantial NHL pedigree. The following seven players were placed on waivers today:

F Peter Holland, Montreal Canadiens
F Daniel Carr, Montreal Candiens
F Anton Rodin, Vancouver Canucks
F Nicolas Deslauriers, Buffalo Sabres
D Taylor Fedun, Buffalo Sabres
D Viktor Loov, New Jersey Devils
G Tom McCollum, Detroit Red Wings

The two biggest names on the list are the pair of Montreal Canadiens wingers. Carr, 25, has played in 58 games in the past season and a half with the Habs after signing with the team following a prolific collegiate career at Union College. While Carr only recorded nine points in his 33 2016-17 games, many expected him to take on a larger role this season. Instead, the Canadiens will try to send him down to the AHL to begin the new season. The more surprising decision may be Holland, who signed a two-year deal with Montreal as an unrestricted free agent this off-season. Granted, the reason the 26-year-old was able to sign such a deal was that he was first not qualified by the Arizona Coyotes, but Holland is still a veteran of 243 NHL games and showed promise with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2014 to 2016. Holland is in a very similar situation to Kenny Agostino, recently placed on waivers by the Boston Bruins after signing with the team this off-season. Both have shown ample ability on the ice, but have been unable to show the consistency of an NHL regular. Agostino cleared waivers and Holland may too, but there is some risk involved in this move by Montreal.

Jeff Tambellini To Retire, Coach At Michigan

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Former NHL forward Jeff Tambellini may be retiring from pro hockey, but he seems to have his next career already planned out. The University of Michigan revealed tonight that Tambellini will return to campus to finish his degree and has been named an “undergraduate assistant coach”. Tambellini himself has yet to recognize his retirement, but may never actually do so in any official capacity.

Normally, “graduate assistant coach” is a title given to recent grads helping out with their alma mater’s program in some way. Tambellini’s new title of “undergraduate assistant coach” is almost unheard of, but fitting for the former All-American who left Michigan a year early after three dominant seasons. He returns to finish his degree with over a decade of pro hockey experience under his belt.

A first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2003, there were high expectations of Tambellini that only increased with each collegiate season. Yet, once he turned pro, the small, speedy forward struggled to skate around the opposition like he could in the NCAA. The Kings traded him to the Islanders after only four games with the team, sending he and Denis Grebeshkov to New York for Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel. Tambellini carved out a bottom-six/AHL depth role for himself on the island and played for New York for four more seasons, accumulating 46 points in 176 games. Tambellini played his final NHL season in 2010-11 with the Vancouver Canucks, posting a career-best 17 points and +10 rating in 62 games and playing in the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins.

Since then, Tambellini has had an up-and-down experience as a globe-trotting veteran. He was a force to reckon with in his first pro season outside the NHL, scoring 45 points in 50 games with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss NLA. Injuries limited his production in his second season with the Lions, so he moved on to Sweden, where he played well for MODO. He again struggled in the following year, splitting his time between the SHL and NLA, but not finding results in either location. 2015-16 marked an attempted NHL comeback, as Tambellini signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite impressive production in the AHL, Tambellini did not see any NHL action and headed back to Sweden last season, where he struggled mightily and, at the age of 33, likely decided it was time to hand up his skates.

However, his new opportunity with the Wolverines should allow Jeff to follow in his father’s footsteps. Steve Tambellini played ten years in the NHL, but is likely best known for his later work off the ice. Steve was the GM of the Edmonton Oilers from 2008 to 2013 and also previously worked for the Vancouver Canucks and Team Canada. He is currently a scout for the Anaheim Ducks. While Jeff seems to be heading more in a coaching route rather than toward a front office future, it is clear that hockey intelligence runs in the family and Jeff could have a shot a great coaching career, beginning with his return to Ann Arbor this season. Who knows, if coaching is a great fit for Jeff, he may end up back in the NHL, this time behind the bench, before little brother Adam Tambellini, a New York Rangers prospect, makes it to the big time himself.

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