Unrestricted Free Agents At The World Cup
With the World Cup of Hockey set to begin shortly , five players will be out to do more than just represent their country (or continent). The World Cup offers Dennis Seidenberg, Christian Ehrhoff, Jakub Nakladal, Michal Jordan, and Lauri Korpikoski the opportunity to play in front of millions of eyes, including those of NHL executives, as they all look to secure a contract before the season begins.
A pair of German-born defenders, Seidenberg and Ehrhoff find themselves in similar predicaments as they get ready to lace ’em up for Team Europe. At 35 and 34 respectively, the veteran blue liners are both coming off a string of disappointing seasons. Seidenberg has struggled with injuries since first going down in the 2012-13 season, and his play has suffered because of it. With only 36 total points in the past three seasons, combined with a noticeable drop-off in his once-dominant defensive play, “Seids” more or less played himself out of Boston. He was surprised when the Bruins bought out his contract earlier this summer, but his numbers actually made the move very unsurprising. So far this summer, there has been little talk surrounding Seidenberg, and it was once rumored that he would retire if he was not playing in Boston in 2016-17. However, Seidenberg is set to take the ice alongside former Bruins teammate Zdeno Chara at the World Cup, perhaps looking to draw the attention of an NHL team willing to take on a reclamation project. A potential pairing partner for Seidenberg is Ehrhoff, who will also be looking to make a difference and earn himself another NHL gig with his play. With under 50 games played and less than 15 points in back-to-back seasons, Ehrhoff is no longer the elite puck-mover he once was. In fact, he failed to make much of an impact at all after being acquired by the Chicago Blackhawks late last season, playing in only eight games. Thus, it was no surprise that teams were not lining up for Ehrhoff’s services on July 1st. However, Ehrhoff is still an above-average skater and decent possession player. It seems more likely that Ehrhoff will find an NHL home for 2016-17 than Seidenberg.
Meanwhile, over on the Czech team, two younger defenseman are feeling disappointed that they are still unsigned this late in the summer. Nakladal, who has finally begun to get some attention lately, is likely paying the price for the Calgary Flames’ mistake of not giving him enough play time. When he did get on the ice in his rookie season, Nakladal was more than solid and a strong World Cup performance should give multiple NHL teams more than enough incentive to sign the high-upside defender to an inexpensive deal. For Jordan, the quiet off-season can’t have come as too much of a surprise. Unlike Nakladal, who only made his NHL debut in 2015-16, Jordan has struggled to earn regular ice time or even a roster spot for the past four years with the Carolina Hurricanes. A stay-at-home specialist without much of an offensive game, Jordan might be destined for an AHL deal or trip overseas unless he comes up big with an impressive World Cup showing.
Finally, there’s the Finnish winger Korpikoski, who finds himself in unfamiliar territory. Once a highly-coveted two-way player for the Coyotes, who never let him wander too far in free agency, the past two seasons have not been kind to Korpikoski. After his first disappointing season in Arizona, in which he was -27 with just 21 points, Korpikoski was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers last summer. The change of scenery did not go very well, as again Korpikoski’s supposedly strong defensive game was nowhere to be found, as he was -17 with 22 points. The Oilers cut ties with the forward this summer, buying out the final year of Korpikoski’s contract. Given his history as a reliable bottom-six forward, it seems likely that Korpikoski will end up on an NHL roster this season, but his performance in the World Cup is likely to set the market and make the differce between a guaranteed million-dollar deal or a just a PTO. A successful tournament for a young, offensive Finland team would certainly help Korpikoski garner some attention.
San Jose Goalie Conundrum
San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones was excellent last year. In his first season as a full-time NHL starter, Jones won 37 games and posted a .918 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average en route to a Western Conference championship. On Sharks off nights, San Jose was still home to a star goalie as Jones’ expected backup in 2016-17, former North Dakota Fighting Sioux standout Aaron Dell, was also great in his first full-time AHL season with the San Jose Barracuda. Dell had a .922 save percentage and 2.42 GAA, earning himself a two-year, $1.25MM contract extension this off-season. So where is the problem? Unfortunately for the Sharks, the problems abound with this duo going into the new season.
First, there is the reliability of Jones to worry about. Although he has given the Sharks no reason to worry about him, nor did his time as a backup with the Los Angeles Kings raise any red flags, Jones is swimming through dangerous waters in 2016-17. The dreaded sophomore slump has not been kind to goalies in Jones’ position. Even though he was not technically a rookie last season, it was his first year as an NHL starter. In the past, goalies who have shined bright in their first season as the number one man in net have often faltered the next season. The most recent example is Steve Mason. The former Columbus goalie, who started for the Blue Jackets right out of junior hockey, was outstanding in his first year. His .916 save percentage, 2.29 GAA, and league-leading 10 shutouts earned him the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2008-09. In 2009-10? Mason’s GAA blew up to 3.06, while his save percentage fell to .901. Mason went 20-26-9 that season, after posting a 33-20-7 line the year before. Even worse than having just one bad sophomore slump year, Mason’s struggles in Columbus continued until he was finally traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012-13. But surely a Calder-winning goalie having the wheels fall off is just an anomaly, right? Not so much; it happened just a few seasons before Mason. This time, it was Boston Bruins rookie sensation Andrew Raycroft. After a few seasons as a backup to the less-than-stellar likes of Byron Dafoe, Steve Shields, and John Grahame, Bruins fans were ecstatic when Raycroft took the reins in 2003-04 and put up a .926 save percentage and 2.05 GAA. Then it all fell apart. Following the lockout year, Raycroft started the 2005-06 season off as a hero and ended it as a disgraced third string. He had a miserable .879 save percentage and .371 GAA, which gave the Bruins more than enough reason to hand the starting job to Tim Thomas. They took it a step further in the off-season, dealing Raycroft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Tuukka Rask. In 2006-07, Raycroft allowed a league-high 205 goals as the Leafs net minder, and would never work as a starting goalie in the NHL again. You can of course make the argument that Martin Jones is simply a better goalie than Raycroft, but is he better than the aforementioned Rask? Probably not. (Rask is second all-time in save percentage) Even Rask encountered this problem though. After a few seasons as a backup, Rask played so well in 2009-10 that he forced a share of the starting job with the fan-favorite Thomas. Rask played in 45 games to Thomas’ 43, and in those appearances he had an impeccable .931 save percentage and 1.97 GAA, both of which led the league. Rask finished fourth in Calder voting and seventh in Vezina voting and there was a general assumption that the team was his. Entering his first year as the presumptive starter, Rask struggled. He had only a .918 save percentage and 2.67 GAA for the season, as Thomas took back the starting job early on and led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup. Yet another case study: former Penguins goalie J-S Aubin. Aubin’s numbers in his final year as a backup and first year as a starter in Pittsburgh are very comparable to Jones’ past two seasons. In Aubin’s next season, he had a gruesome .890 save percentage and 3.13 GAA.
Such a drastic collapse like Aubin’s or Raycroft’s may not happen to Martin Jones, but it could. He could also just see his stats fall to pedestrian levels like Rask or Mason. Either way, the Sharks are not prepared. If Jones’ numbers fall off, they do not have the goalie depth they need. As good as Dell was last season, he would be a 27-year-old rookie who has bounced around the ECHL and AHL for the past four years. The Sharks claim to have faith in their backup, but their actions betrayed their words when they kept the struggling Alex Stalock as the backup last season, until it reached a breaking point and they decided to trade for James Reimer. Though Dell has the experience, he has not proven himself at the NHL, nor has he dominated in the minors like he did in college. If he was to be eased into the NHL, he might gradually find success. However, if Jones hits a sophomore slump and Dell is thrust into high pressure situations, he is likely to fail.
In house, there are no solutions to the Sharks goaltending problem. If Jones struggles they need a reliable veteran backup who can handle a workload and important starts. If Jones doesn’t struggle, they could still use a reliable veteran backup. After playing in 65 regular season games and 24 playoff games in 2015-16, Jones is deserving of some more off-days this season. Dell simply may not be good enough to make all of the starts needed of him. Right now, Dell is “penciled in” as the backup, but unless the Sharks can make a big trade or savvy signing, it may as well be permanent marker. Troy Grosenick, a Union College grad who backed up Dell with the Barracuda in 2015-16, has a brutal .894 save percentage and 3.16 GAA in 28 AHL games last year and is not even a consideration at this point. Mantas Armalis, a 24-year-old Lithuanian goalie who the Sharks signed this off-season from Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite League, has upside, but is hardly ready for any NHL action this year.
That leaves the Sharks one choice to solve their goalie issues: acquisition. Whether it is signing a goalie to a short-term deal or PTO before training camp starts, or waiting for a goalie market to develop once the season begins, San Jose will have to make a move or else stand by their risky Jones-Dell tandem. Veterans available as of right now include Karri Ramo, Anders Lindback, Ray Emery, and Michael Leighton, while some younger, but riskier options like Joni Ortio and Kevin Poulin could also be had. Of all of these, Calgary castoffs Ramo and Ortio represent the best options. Although neither had a strong 2015-16 campaign, they did make a significant number of starts and are used to facing NHL, and even Western Conference, competition. Both goalies are prime candidates to soon bolt overseas though, and a signing would need to happen soon for the Sharks. If they miss out, or simply don’t trust any of the available free agents, they face a more difficult task in finding a trade. San Jose is projected to have less than $1MM in cap space at the start of the season, meaning that acquiring an expensive backup on the trading block like the Red Wings’ Jimmy Howard or either of Dallas’ disappointing tandem of Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen would have to involve significant salary leaving the Sharks. More affordable targets like Michael Hutchinson, J-F Berube, Mike Condon, or Curtis McElhinney could be the solution, but only if they are available at the right price. There is no easy answer for this scenario, and it may go unsolved as a result, and that is why San Jose certainly has a goalie conundrum on their hands.
Free Agent Profile: Jakub Nakladal
Jakub Nakladal entered this off-season as a relative unknown among hockey fans (and maybe even some teams), but was considered by some to be a dark horse candidate for this summer’s best value signing. A 28-year-old rookie with the Calgary Flames in 2015-16, the 6’2″, 212 lb. Czech native played in only 27 games last season. In his brief showing, he played about 14 minutes per game and managed to record two goals and three assists.
At first glance, the numbers are nothing to get too excited about. A closer look reveals otherwise though; Nakladal was actually a very capable and productive player for the Flames. The “HERO chart” below displays that not only was he an outstanding possession player by Corsi standards, who created offense and made his team mates better, but he was also a solid defensive presence. In fact, by statistical standards, Nakaladal played as well as an average top-four defenseman last season. If you don’t trust the numbers, trust the people. A good measure of a free agent’s ability and value is how much the fan base wants him back. Social media will tell you that Flames fans would very much like to see Nakladal return to Calgary, though the team’s depth makes that unlikely. If the fans who watched him play believe he is worth having, he likely is. Other fans have caught on as well. As the market has slowed to a crawl in these last few weeks and the list of available names continues to shrink, Nakladal’s name has resurfaced as seemingly every fan’s top PTO target.
Regardless, Nakladal remains unsigned. Perhaps his 27 games were not enough for other NHL teams to get a good read on him. It’s also possible that his strong possession statistics could be perceived as skewed because of too few minutes. Maybe yet another reason is that executives are simply not clamoring to acquire a player who could be 30 before he plays in 100 NHL games. For some reason or another, the market for Nakladal’s services has not formed yet. With only so many names remaining, it seems like a matter of time though.
Potential Suitors
It is very unlikely that Nakladal will be handed a top-four position, or even a top-six gig at this point. Few teams are still looking to make additions with training camp right around the corner. However, his market value is clearly low and his ceiling appears to be high, making the risk to teams still looking around for talent very low. At the very least, he is a capable player who could be a reliable seventh or eighth defenseman with enough upside to crack the starting lineup or who could also be a valuable AHL stash. An added benefit is that he is also a right-handed shot. Teams looking to balance their defensive depth or who simply lack depth and are willing to take a shot on a skilled player, should be taking a long look at Nakladal as the summer winds down. The Boston Bruins, for example, have three right-handed defensemen with NHL experience in Kevan Miller, Colin Miller, and veteran Adam McQuaid, but only Kevan Miller managed to stay in the starting lineup throughout the 2015-16 season. The New Jersey Devils have also been speculated to be looking for a right-handed shot, after trading away Adam Larsson left only Damon Severson and new addition Ben Lovejoy as righties on the line. Add the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals, and Vancouver Canucks to a list of teams that could be helped and certainly not hurt by adding an affordable puck-moving defenseman, and Nakladal’s availability seems even stranger.
Expected Contract
The calendar flips to September tomorrow, and contracts at this point in the off-season are impossible to predict. Who would’ve guessed that Boston would sign Dominic Moore to a guaranteed deal yesterday with six proven centers already on the roster? Nevertheless, deals do get done, even as the summer draws to a close. Much like the situation with James Wisniewski (if he’s healthy) in Tampa Bay, some lucky team might have the chance to strike gold by extending a Professional Tryout Offer to Nakladal. Considering the possibility that Nakladal has yet to really reach his potential, given what limited play time he saw last year, an even better move might be to just sign him to a short, cheap contract and ensure that no one else can take him off your hands. Whether signed off of a PTO or guaranteed right away, Nakladal should end up on an NHL roster to the tune of $800K or so. Unless they have a lot of faith in young stud Brandon Carlo or really want to play both McQuaid and K. Miller every night, bet on the Bruins, who have cap space and roster space, to make another move and take a chance on Nakladal in 2016-17.
Front Office Promotions In Dallas
The Dallas Stars today announced the promotions of three key front office members. Les Jackson was named Senior Advisor to General Manager Jim Nill, while Scott White and Mark Janko will fill Jackson’s former role and serve as Nill’s right hand men, having each been named Assistant General Manager.
Jackson, whose time with the organization extends all the way back to their North Stars days, will move to more of a “big picture” role in his new position, working closely with the GM and overseeing much of the team’s operations. A veteran of 29 years with the Stars, there is perhaps no one who understands the ins and outs of the team more than Jackson.
White has more than earned his promotion, having worked as both the Director of Hockey Operations in Dallas for the past three years and as the General Manager of the AHL-affiliate Texas Stars as well. Having led both teams to success – a Calder Cup championship for Texas in 2o14 and a Central Division title for Dallas in 2016 – White will now get the chance to work directly with Nill and have his input heard on all manners of player evaluation and acquisition.
Janko, the former Director of Hockey Administration for the Stars, has been working in Dallas for the past 17 seasons, with the last eight spent in operations. He will continue to play a major role in negotiations and communications, but will see his responsibilities expand even further in his new position as Assistant GM.
Jets Name Captains For 2016-17
The Winnipeg Jets announced today that their new trio of captains for the upcoming season will feature Blake Wheeler wearing the “C” and Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien donning the “A”‘s as alternates. Wheeler steps in for long-time captain Andrew Ladd (who wished him well), who was traded at the deadline last season to the Chicago Blackhawks and then signed a long-term deal with the New York Islanders this off-season. Wheeler had previously served as an alternate captain to Ladd along side Mark Stuart. Those two roles will now be taken over by the young Scheifele and defensive stalwart Byfuglien.
After finishing in last place in the Central division in 2015–16, the Winnipeg Jets are very much in a rebuild. The promotion to captain of Wheeler and naming of Scheifle as alternate are further evidence of this movement. With 2016 second overall pick Patrick Laine now in the fold, as well as other young contributors, the youth revolution is in full effect for the Jets, and their two top young scorers will be leading the way.
Wheeler, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins with Stuart in 2011 for Rich Peverley, has since been the top offensive catalyst in Winnipeg and was a predictable choice for captain. With at least 25 goals and 60 points in each of the last three seasons, Wheeler has cemented himself as the most reliable and productive forward on the Jets. His tenure as a offensive leader on the team will now transform into a role as a locker room leader on the team as well. Byfuglien too is a long-time team member; his first year with the organization was their last season as the Atlanta Thrashers. As the leader of the defensive core and one of the best scoring defenseman in the NHL, it makes sense for the bruising blue liner to take on a bigger leadership role on the team. Scheifele may be the only surprise naming at just 23 years old, but his label as a face of the franchise after being drafted 7th overall in 2011, his development into a top NHL prospect, and his steady increase in scoring over his first few years makes him a natural fit in a leadership role moving forward with a young team.
Perhaps the only surprise omission from a captaincy role is that of Bryan Little. A career member of the Trashers/Jets and a consistent contributor year in and year out, Little being left out of the leadership heirarchy is strange. However, with a drop off in points in 2015-16 and a contract year approaching in 2017-18, it is possible that this is a sign of things to come for Little.
Snapshots: Las Vegas Trademarks, Madden, Reirden
One way or another, it seems as though the “Knights” will suit up in Las Vegas for the 2017-18 season. The NHL reports that their newest expansion team filed for three trademarks last week: Golden Knights, Silver Knights, and Desert Knights. Team owner Bill Foley reportedly wanted the team to be named the Black Knights, after the Army Black Knights of the U.S. Military Academy, which he attended. Eventually, it sounded like he had settled on just “Knights”, but the team had trademark contention with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Now it appears as though a color (or climate) will end up attached to Knights. While the double entendre of “Las Vegas Knights” won’t be as clean, the first team called the Knights in major North American pro sports will still be a nice addition to the National Hockey League.
In other news:
- Another team with recent name news, the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, announced the hiring of John Madden as their new head coach. Formerly known as the Lake Erie Monsters, the Columbus Blue Jackets affiliate is fresh off of a Calder Cup championship in 2015-16. As a result, head coach Jared Bednar was a top NHL head coaching candidate this off-season, and was officially named the new head coach of the Colorado Avalanche last week. In need of a new coach for their AHL team, the Blue Jackets brass targeted Madden as their first choice and it appears that there was mutual interest. The long-time New Jersey Devil was fired this off-season after three years as an assistant with the Florida Panthers, the team with which he finished his playing days, but now moves on to another stage of his hockey career. A veteran of nearly 900 NHL games and a strong two-way player, Madden has the knowledge and experience to teach the young Monsters skaters how to play a complete, responsible game.
- In another coaching move, the Washington Capitals announced that they have promoted Todd Reirden to associate coach. Reirden has served as an assistant coach to Barry Trotz for the past two seasons, and has been given long looks by both the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames as a potential head coach in that time span. As associate coach, Reirden will hold on to his previous responsibilities of working with defenseman and the power play unit, but will also be in charge of running training camp while Trotz is away at the World Cup.
Bruins Notes: Krejci, Hayes, and Vatrano on WEEI
Boston Bruins forwards David Krejci, Jimmy Hayes and Frank Vatrano made an on-air appearance on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Monday afternoon during the 15th annual Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon, which helps to raise money for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Adam McQuaid, former-Bruin and annual contributor Shawn Thornton, and many other athletes and celebrities also joined in throughout the day and will continue to take part over the next two days. Both of Hayes’ parents have battled cancer and he thus has a soft spot for the cause, and said that “raising all of that money is great to see.” All three players were excited to be there to contribute to a good cause.
The topic then turned to hockey:
- Hayes denied rumors that he told Jimmy Vesey not to come to Boston. The idea had been floated around, given the harsh criticism that the local kid received in his first season playing with the Bruins. “I love playing here, it’s my hometown,” Hayes said, not the words of someone who would insist on other locals turning away from the city. Hayes said that he pushed hard for Vesey and talked to him all summer, but wasn’t surprised to see him join his brother Kevin with the Rangers, as the two are good friends.
- Hayes also denied that he had any complaints about unfair media pressure in 2015-16, and went as far as to acknowledge that he underperformed last season. Hayes had just 13 goals and 16 assists after scoring 19 goals as a member of the Florida Panthers the year before. The Bruins acquired the hulking winger, hoping that he would be a perennial 20-goal scorer. He realizes that there will always be a tighter focus on Boston-born Bruins players and that it can be tough sometimes, but does not believe that the criticism of his play was undue. “I’ve been hard on myself sometimes”, he added. Hayes has his sights set on a stronger 2016-17 season, and more than anything has been working on his quickness and net-front presence this summer. Hayes said that he can “score some more goals and contribute in the way that I know I can do.”
- Hayes, speaking for the team, said that head coach Claude Julien still has a hold on the locker room, that the team tries to “win games for him”, and that he personally has a great relationship with the coach. Julien has been on the hot seat for a long time now, but Hayes said that the late-season collapse of the Bruins in 2016 that forced them out of a playoff spot for a second straight season was on the players, not the coach. Hayes sounded optimistic about the coming season, believing that his production and consistency will be better and that the addition of David Backes will make the team even tougher to play against. Julien may just be able to survive another season if the Bruins can reverse their fortunes and have a strong, complete season in 2016-17.
- Vatrano should be a big piece of the playoff-contention puzzle for the Bruins this season. The reigning AHL goals-leader acknowledged that he had a very different role once called up to Boston from Providence last year, going from top-line sniper to bottom six energy player. With an open spot to left of either Krejci or Ryan Spooner up for grabs in 2016-17, Vatrano could have that scoring position in Boston that produced a torrid goal-per-game pace in the AHL. “Especially in Boston, you have to play hard-nosed hockey and be good in both zones of the ice, and I think being consistent is the most important thing”, Vatrano said about earning a bigger role in his second season.
- Krejci is excited about this season, and as a veteran Bruin knows that a third straight season of missing the playoff would be unacceptable. “(The playoffs are) what the city of Boston deserves and where we should be playing,” Krejci said. The Czech star hopes to be healthy for the start of the season after undergoing off-season hip surgery. He played through the injury last year, but admitted that the last twenty games or so were difficult for him. He also said that, as a team, the Bruins have lacked that next gear at the end of the season, and that he feels it is unacceptable that they have dropped out of the playoff picture with so few games remaining in each of the past two seasons.
- WEEI’s DJ Bean also spoke with Krejci recently and found that he was not that upset about the Vesey decision. “I’m not really disappointed with that guy,” Krejci said, “I heard he’s a good player, but he has to prove himself on the NHL level.” What Krejci is upset about is the loss of Loui Eriksson. Although Backes was brought in to fill the void left by Eriksson’s move to the Vancouver Canucks, this is the fourth year in a row that Krejci has lost a trusted line mate, Bean recalls. Nathan Horton, Jarome Iginla, Milan Lucic and now Eriksson have left Boston. Luckily for Krejci, potential 2016-17 line mates Vatrano, Hayes, David Pastrnak, and Matt Beleskey will be around for a while.
Maple Leafs Sign Jhonas Enroth
As has been predicted for seemingly weeks now, the Toronto Maple Leafs and goalie Jhonas Enroth have officially come to terms on a one-year deal. While Enroth is happy to find work and could see significant time with the Leafs, a quiet 2016 free agent market has claimed another victim, as Enroth signs for $750K after putting up excellent numbers as the backup for the Los Angeles Kings last year to the tune of $1.25MM.
Last season, Enroth joined the Kings, after a tumultuous time with the Buffalo Sabres finally came to an end, and in 16 appearances posted career-highs with a .922 save percentage and 2.17 goals against average. Going into this off-season, it was expected that his performance would lead to either an extension with the Kings or a promotion to a time-share with another team. Neither scenario panned out, and Enroth ended up waiting for either the Maple Leafs or another backup-needy team like the San Jose Sharks to come calling. In the end, the Leafs got Enroth, and on their own terms too, paying him half a million dollars less to have a more important roll: backing up Frederik Andersen in his first season in Toronto rather than simply giving Jonathan Quick a day of rest.
Snapshots: Hunter, Marchand, Karnaukhov
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that Mark Hunter has been promoted to Assistant General Manager for the team. Hunter has served as the Director of Player Personnel for the Leafs, after leaving his long-time position as the GM of the OHL’s London Knights in 2014-15. His role in Toronto has been overseeing scouting and drafting for the Leafs, a job that he will hold on to in his new position. In fact, GM Lou Lamoriello stated that Hunter’s promotion was “essentially a formality” and a “more appropriate recognition of (his) role in the organization.” Hunter will for the most part serve the same purpose to the Maple Leafs, but will now share the Assistant GM title with young executive Kyle Dubas, as the pair work to support Lamoriello and Brendan Shanahan in re-building the Toronto franchise.
In other news:
- NBC Sports’ Pro Hockey Talk reports that the front office for a Leafs’ division rival, the Boston Bruins, is busy working on a long-term extension for winger Brad Marchand. A fan-favorite in Boston who took off in his first full season and was a major piece in the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup championship, Marchand has never looked back, enjoying year after year of solid production including a career-high 61 points (with nearly 40 goals) this past season. Now the 28-year-old faces unrestricted free agency for the first time after the 2016-17 season, but the Bruins brass is hoping to keep him from seeing the light of day. Marchand is as tough in the corners as he is tough to slow down on offense, and fits the culture of Boston and the Bruins perfectly. So what will it cost to make sure he sticks around throughout the prime of his career? Pro Hockey Talk believes that Marchand’s initial ask was a seven-year, $49MM extension, which carries a cap hit of $7MM. However, they also counter that such a deal would make him paid higher than career line mate and Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron. This begs the question: will GM Don Sweeney really pay Marchand more than a guy considered to be one of the most complete players in the NHL and who will more than likely have his name in the rafters of the TD Garden when all is said and done? The answer is easy – yes. The team already pays Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, and David Krejci more than Bergeron and with the cap increasing each year, paying Marchand $7MM annually, if he can keep putting up 60+ points per season and annoying every team in the league, is a no-brainer for Boston.
- Another rugged left winger hoping to make a difference in the NHL is Calgary Flames prospect Pavel Karnaukhov. A 2015 5th round pick for the Flames, the big Russian forward played his junior hockey nearby with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. However, instead of signing an entry-level deal with the Flames for the 2016-17 season, he returned home to Russia, signing with CSKA. In a new development though, FlamesNation reporter Ryan Pike says that Karnaukhov is not on the team’s roster for today’s start to the KHL season. Whether he has been demoted to a lower level affiliate or is having second thoughts, it seems possible that Karnaukhov could wind up back in North America at some point this year if he is not getting what he expected out of CSKA.
Bruins/Blackhawks Notes: Vatrano, Hinostroza, Makarov, AHL
With the historically defensive-minded “Big Bad Bruins” now in a state of disrepair on defense, NBC Sport’s Pro Hockey Talk points out that this is an “offense-first team” that needs to outscore its opponents to win games until the defense can be rebuilt. Enter Frank Vatrano, who has been one of the most talked about breakout candidates for the 2016-17 season. With Boston missing out on Jimmy Vesey, the spot promised to him on the left side of David Krejci is now open for competition. Although Matt Beleskey had a strong first year with the Bruins and some will call for top prospects like Jake DeBrusk or Danton Heinen to be given a chance, it seems as if a top six spot is Vatrano’s to lose this season.
Vatrano certainly didn’t underwhelm in his audition last year. With 11 points in 39 games in Boston, including three of his eight goals as a hat trick against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the UMass Minuteman showed that he can produce points at the highest level in just his first pro season. He also showed few holes in his game, a rare trait for young players that will keep him on coach Claude Julien‘s good side. Meanwhile, he also showed that the AHL is not worthy of his scoring talent. With 36 goals in 36 games with the Providence Bruins, he took the league by storm, leading the AHL in goals and finishing fourth in points, with line mate Seth Griffith one of the three ahead of him. Pro Hockey Talk points out that Vatrano is only the fourth player in AHL history to average a goal per game and outscored former Bruin Chris Bourque of the Hershey Bears for the goal-scoring title despite playing in half as many games. That rate of scoring has no chance of continuing over the course of a full NHL season, but with his ability to put the puck in the net and a potential 82 games with playmakers like Krejci and David Pastrnak, 20-30 goals is well within the realm of possibility for the young Massachusetts native.
More from around the hockey world:
- Another local kid trying to make it big with his hometown team is Vincent Hinostroza of Bartlett, Illinois, a 2012 sixth round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks who starred at nearby Notre Dame University before turning pro last season. While Hinostroza failed to record a point in seven appearances with the Blackhawks in 2o16-17, he did well for himself with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, scoring 51 points in 66 games. Now, he has his sights set on a full-time NHL gig. Scott Powers of the The Athletic caught up with the young prospect after a recent skate, and learned that he has been working hard all summer with friend and teammate Ryan Hartman this summer, as both strive to make the cut with Chicago. Given the Blackhawks tight cap space and need for scoring depth, it seems likely that one if not both of the dynamic duo crack the lineup for significant portions of the upcoming season. Make your bets now on Vatrano & Griffith vs. Hinostroza & Hartman for total NHL points in 2016-17.
- Count Igor Makarov as one player not trying to make the Blackhawks, or return to the North America at all, for the 2016-17 season. Unsurprisingly, he will re-sign in the KHL for the upcoming year, joining Salavat Julaev UFA. A 2006 second round selection by Chicago, Makarov’s only attempt at living out his NHL dreams was a full season in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs in 2010-11, before he fled back to Russia and the comfort of the KHL. Now 28, Makarov has had a long career overseas, but not nearly as successful as many once thought. Simply a marginal player in a second-rate league, his chances of playing in the NHL are all but gone.
- Even if there is some star power missing in Providence and Rockford this season, the AHL will still go on. This afternoon, at 2:00pm CT, the AHL is set to release the 2016-17 schedule. Among the highlights will be the path to defending the Calder Cup title for the newly-named Cleveland Monsters (formerly Lake Erie Monsters), as they look to keep the city of Cleveland’s sudden and surprising winning ways going.