Las Vegas And The 2017 Entry Draft
With the 2016 NHL Draft well behind us and Central Scouting releasing its first 2017 Draft rankings, the focus now turns to next year’s group of prospects, including the presumptive top pick Nolan Patrick. The other big story line for next off-season will of course be the addition of the Las Vegas expansion team as the 31st member of the NHL, as well as the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. However, Las Vegas will also play a big role in next summer’s entry draft.
Fear not, fans of bottom-dwellers: Patrick will not just be handed to the Las Vegas TBD’s just because they are new to the league. Instead, Las Vegas will be given the same draft lottery odds as a team that finishes third to last in the league. This gives them an edge over the 2000 Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL’s most recent expansion teams who chose third and fourth respectively in their inaugural drafts, as Las Vegas will at least have a possibility of picking first overall. However, Las Vegas also stands the risk of falling as far as #6 overall if the lottery balls don’t bounce their way. There is nothing to be determined beyond the first round though; Las Vegas will pick third in each subsequent round.
The other draft factor that has the chance to be interesting is Las Vegas’ ability to trade picks. While the Expansion Draft will allow the team to hand-pick thirty players, and then additionally explore the free agency market, the team may wish to pursue players that have term on their contract and that would be unlikely to go unprotected. The only assets that Las Vegas will have to pursue such players before the Expansion Draft are their 2017 Entry Draft picks, which again will include a top-six pick and the third pick in the second and third rounds, all valuable selections. While GM George McPhee will already be facing the tall task of building a farm system from scratch and may not be willing to part with his draft assets, the potential for Las Vegas to add a franchise player at the 2017 Draft is also something to think about.
Patrick and his peers are surely excited enough at the possibility of being drafted into the NHL, but one of them will also have the title of the first ever draft pick of the Las Vegas franchise, making the 2017 NHL Entry Draft all the more interesting.
To Retire Or Not To Retire (Part Two)
That is the question, and after already asking it about four veterans last weekend, this week saw one prediction come true as Brad Richards called it a career. There are even more well-known veterans whose successful careers currently have an indefinite future. The NHL is getting younger and faster, and even the best veterans are being pushed out of the league earlier than ever. Meanwhile though, players like Jaromir Jagr, Shane Doan, and Zdeno Chara are still making a big difference for their teams well past their “prime” years. No one wants to retire while they still believe that they have gas in the tank and can help a team throughout the 82-game season, whether that be a contender in need of depth or a rebuild in need of leadership. The question is not totally on the player either; is there even a market for their services? The following players have had long, storied careers in the NHL, but as the summer continues to dwindle, they must decide whether they’re willing to keep playing, regardless of the team or contract, or if they’re ready to hang up the skates.
Alex Tanguay: 36 years old, 35 pts in 2015-16
Tanguay should still be playing in the NHL. There’s no question about it. At 36, he has shown few signs of slowing down. We had him ranked as #33 among our Top 50 Free Agents and recently profiled him as one of the most impactful free agents remaining on the market. So, if Tanguay isn’t on a roster in 2016-17, it will be completely due to the market. Twenty-three days into free agency now, it’s been all quiet on the forward front for Tanguay and several other high-profile players, and it seems to have less to do with the quality of the players and more to do with the demand for their services. However, Tanguay may have an edge over the others because of the strong veteran presence he can bring, a trait desired by both contenders and rebuilders. A veteran of over one thousand NHL games with close to 500 career points, Tanguay had 55 points with Colorado in 2014-15 and put up 35 more in 70 games between the Avs and the young Arizona Coyotes last year. Tanguay’s ability to contribute at that level has shown that the 35-year-old “point of no return” has not hit him as hard as it hits others, and should keep him in consideration this off-season. The locker room leader and two-way contributor has what it takes to continue his playing career, so as long as a team can find a spot for him, Tanguay should jump at the chance. Verdict: Keep Playing
Dennis Seidenberg: 35 years old, 12 pts in 2015-16
The former Bruins defensive stalwart, who turned 35 this week, has struggled the past couple seasons. Seidenberg is not far removed from being one of the most reliable defenseman in the game, and was a big part of Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup championship as one half of a dominant pair with fellow veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara. While it once seemed like Seidenberg was more than capable of playing at that level well into his late 30’s, injuries have derailed his career. After being limited to just 34 games in 2013-14, he returned in 2014-15, but looked like a very different player, and then skated in only 61 games last year for a disappointing Bruins defensive unit. Despite having a $4MM cap hit and a no-trade clause going into 2016-17, Seidenberg was surprised when the Bruins bought him out in June to open up cap space and more opportunity for their younger defenseman. The German star is very attached to the city of Boston, and there were rumblings that he would not approve a trade and would retire if the Bruins bought him out. To this point there has been nothing solid to confirm that he has plans to retire, but if he would like to stay in Boston at all costs, it seems like it won’t be as an NHL player. Teams could find a bargain if they can sign Seidenberg for a cheap deal and get him back to his 2012 form, but in all likelihood, that player is gone. It might be time for the Seidenberg to hang ’em up and move on to a new stage of his career. Verdict: Retire
Matt Cullen: 39 years old, 32 pts in 2015-16
Cullen was the best bargain in the NHL last year, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title at a price tag of just $800K. His 32 points over the course of a full 82-game schedule, followed by six more points over 24 playoff contests displayed a durability and dependability that is not often seen at his age. Cullen is set to turn 40 this next season, but the only question that remains is whether he will still be playing next season. While the simple choice for Cullen would be to go out on top as a Stanley Cup champ coming off of a strong season in his twilight years, the option to return to Pittsburgh remains open. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford expressed a desire to bring back both Cullen and defenseman Justin Schultz this off-season, and while many people pointed to the team’s depth and lack of cap space as reasons why that was unlikely (us included, who predicted that the 38th ranked Cullen would just retire in our Top 5o Free Agents), Schultz has already been re-signed. Cullen could be next, if Rutherford can squeeze him in. If the desire to continue playing is there for the 19-year veteran who has scored 35 points or more in eight of his last ten seasons, then there isn’t a better fit than a return to the Penguins. Verdict: Keep Playing
Marek Zidlicky: 39 years old, 16 pts in 2015-16
Zidlicky certainly knows the feeling of having to wait late into the off-season to find a taker for his services. He didn’t sign on with the Islanders last season until September 18th. He also knows that to keep your career alive at his age, you have to bounce around. Zidlicky played on a one-year deal last season with the Islanders, and split 2014-15 between the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings. So waiting to find the right team for another one-year deal is not something Zidlicky would struggle with. However, even though puck-moving defenseman seem to always be in demand, it seems like Zidlicky’s chances might have run out. At 38 years old, he managed to play in only 53 games, putting up the lowest point and ice time totals of his career. That alone would make it hard enough to find a team, but in a market where a 26-year-old with those same numbers (Luke Schenn) has to wait this far into free agency to sign, and younger possession defenseman like James Wisniewski, Kyle Quincey, and Matt Carle remain unsigned, Zidlicky is likely not a top consideration, even for the most D-needy teams. Verdict: Retire
To Retire Or Not To Retire (Part One)
That is the question, especially for a handful of well-known veterans whose successful careers currently have an indefinite future. The NHL is getting younger and faster, and even the best veterans are being pushed out of the league earlier than ever. Meanwhile though, players like Jaromir Jagr, Shane Doan, and Zdeno Chara are still making a big difference for their teams well past their “prime” years. No one wants to retire while they still believe that they have gas in the tank and can help a team throughout the 82-game season, whether that be a contender in need of depth or a rebuild in need of leadership. The question is not totally on the player either; is there even a market for their services? The following players have had long, storied careers in the NHL, but as the summer continues to dwindle, they must decide whether they’re willing to keep playing, regardless of the team or contract, or if they’re ready to hang up the skates.
Dan Boyle: 40 years old, 24 pts in 2015-16
Boyle has had quite the career. A veteran of over one thousand NHL games, Boyle is a two-time All-Star and a Stanley Cup Champion and was once a perennial Norris candidate. He has been one of the best power play quarterbacks of the last two decades, and helped to usher in the age of the small, possession defenseman being a dominant force in the NHL. He was a force to be reckoned with during long stints in both Tampa Bay and San Jose. However, at 40 years old, gone are the days where Boyle can still fly around the ice and play top pair minutes. The past two years with the New York Rangers have been less than spectacular, and his average time on ice in 2015-16 was the lowest that it’s been since his days with the Florida Panthers in the late ’90s. The Rangers are not open to a return for Boyle, and in a market where players like Kris Russell, James Wisniewski, and Luke Schenn still remain available in mid-July, it seems unlikely that Boyle would find a suitor, especially one willing to pay him anywhere near his $4.5MM cap hit in New York. Verdict: Retire.
Patrik Elias: 40 years old, 8 pts in 2015-16
It’s always a great story when a player is able to play out his entire career with one team. Whether he retires or not, that will be the case for Patrik Elias and the New Jersey Devils. Elias made his NHL debut with the Devils all the way back in 1995, and twenty years later he is still the heart and soul of the team. The legendary fan favorite helped to lead New Jersey to Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003 and the team has clung to him ever since. With 1025 points in 1240 career games, the four-time All-Star has certainly made the most of his career. He is currently in the top ten among active players in goals, assists, points, plus/minus and nearly every other category. His versatility and ability to play in all situations helped the Devils franchise through all of the ups and downs of the past twenty years. The team now appears poised to be back on the upswing after some recent struggles, but a 40-year-old Elias isn’t going to be the piece that puts them over the top as a playoff team. Injuries kept him to just 16 games last season, as the wear and tear of twenty seasons finally caught up with him. Though Elias is just a few years removed from 53 points in 2013-14, and the Devils may use that to justify one more year with the face of the franchise, it seems like now is the time to call it quits. A position within the Devils organization seems almost like a guarantee, so it’s not as if his hockey career is over. The legend of Patrik Elias will continue. Verdict: Retire.
Scott Gomez: 36 years old, 9 pts in 2015-16
Elias’ teammate on those 2000 and 2003 Stanley Cup-winning Devils teams was a young Scott Gomez. The 1999-00 Calder Trophy winner helped to form the Devils dynasty, but his career took a different path than Elias’ did. Gomez left New Jersey in 2007 to sign a seven-year, $51.5MM contract across town with the New York Rangers. Two years in, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in a deal that brought the Rangers current captain Ryan McDonagh. Gomez played three years in Montreal before being bought out in 2012 and since has signed a one-year deal with a new team each year (SJ, FLA, NJ, STL). It’s not exactly the Elias route of sticking with one team, but it has worked for Gomez. His numbers are not what they were in the mid-2000’s, but he has provided a reliable veteran presence on every team, and even put up 34 points in 58 games in his return season to New Jersey in 2014-15. While Gomez has long lost the pedigree he once had, his services seem to be in demand by some team each and every year, and the short one-year deals and limited number of games have kept him from the usual rigors of playing hockey past 35. Gomez may not be a difference maker, but as long as there are teams out there that find you useful, like potentially the Ottawa Senators, who signed Gomez for a short 13-game span at the tail end of last season, then stay available. Verdict: Keep playing.
Brad Richards: 36 years old, 28 pts in 2015-16
Another veteran center who has bounced around since his early days as the face of a franchise is Brad Richards. The 2004 Conn Smythe winner, who led the Tampa Bay Lightning to its first ever Stanley Cup championship, has had a very successful and consistent career. Richards had at least 60 points in every full season for the first 11 seasons of his storied career, many of which were spent alongside Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Dan Boyle in Tampa. He was traded to the Dallas Stars in 2008, and then famously signed a nine-year $60MM contract with the New York Rangers in 2011 (which only lasted three years before he was bought out). He has spent the past two years as a productive veteran acquisition, helping the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2014-15 and helping the Detroit Red Wings extent their postseason streak in 2015-16. However, the numbers have noticeably tailed off since Richards left Dallas, and at 35 years old, this past season in Detroit was the worst of his career. It may seem like Richards could fall into that Scott Gomez role of being a perennial veteran addition to a needy team, but the fact that both the Blackhawks and Red Wings jumped on Richards on July 1st the past two years, and he still sits unsigned, make it seem more likely that perhaps Richards is done. He also doesn’t come cheap like Gomez, and the money might not be there this year for a contender to hand out $2-3MM to a 36-year-old coming off a down year. He has certainly cashed in on an excellent career though, and there would likely be no regrets if he called it quits now. Verdict: Retire.
Lightning Re-Sign Alex Killorn
1:02 pm: The Lightning have officially announced the signing. The contract contains a full no-trade clause in years two, three, and four plus a modified no-trade clause in the final three years, according to Cap Friendly.
11:26 am: Elliotte Friedman reports this morning that the Tampa Bay Lightning and restricted free agent Alex Killorn have come to terms on a seven-year deal worth about $31MM. Killorn had filed for arbitration earlier this month, but the two sides appear to have reached a mutual agreement. The 26-year-old joins Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy as core players that the Lightning have extended this off-season. The Lightning still have to find the cap space to re-sign fellow RFAs Vladislav Nemestnikov (who also filed for arbitration), Nikita Kucherov, and Nikita Nesterov. As of now, it appears that the Killorn deal has left them $8.53MM to do so.
Killorn, who was drafted by Tampa Bay in the third round of the 2007 Draft, is Canadian, but took an unusual path to becoming an NHL prospect. Instead of playing junior hockey in Canada, Killorn instead played prep school hockey for Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. He then took his talents to Harvard University, where he played for four years. Killorn jumped right into the NHL out of college, splitting his first pro season in 2012-13 between the Lightning and their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, who he helped lead to the Calder Cup finals. He became a full-time NHLer the next season, and has cemented himself as part of a strong young core that has led the Lightning to back-to-back deep playoff runs the past two seasons.
Some may be surprised by the seven-year term for a player about to turn 27 who has averaged about 40 points a season in the NHL, but with all of the players that the Lighting have to re-sign this summer and next summer, the longer term allows the team to keep the cap hit down. Also, Erik Erlendsson adds that Killorn’s contract does carry a no-movement clause, but it does not kick in until after the 2016-17 season, allowing the Lightning to keep Killorn exposed to the Expansion Draft next summer if they so choose. However, Killorn has proved to be a valued member of the Lightning, and management seems content to keep his toughness and hockey sense in Tampa Bay for another seven years.
Matej Stransky Re-Signs, Simon Stransky Still A Mystery
The Dallas Stars have re-signed restricted free agent Matej Stransky to a one-year, two-way deal, as reported by General Fanager. While his may not be a name that many are familiar with yet, it soon could be. The 23-year-old Czech winger was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Draft, after his first season with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, and then scored 166 points in 142 games over his next two seasons with the team. Stransky turned pro in 2013-14, playing for Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, and has gotten better each year. In 2015-16, his 23 goals were second on the team, as Stransky helped to lead the Stars to a playoff berth.
In 2016-17, Stransky could finally have the chance to crack the NHL lineup, and the Stars would have a bargain on their hands with his $575K dollar contract. Roster Resource shows that there is definitely room for Stransky to find a spot on the Dallas roster over the course of the season, as right wing is not particularly deep in the organization. Behind Patrick Sharp (who can play either wing), there is only Ales Hemsky as a surefire top nine right wing. Stransky would have to compete with another young forward in Brett Ritchie and grinder veterans Patrick Eaves and newly signed Adam Cracknell. Stransky is not a checking line guy by any means, but if a spot opens up on the right side of the Stars’ top three lines, he has the skating ability and offensive skill to fit in well with a dynamic Dallas offense.
Many expected that the Stransky name would be more well known this year, even if Matej doesn’t make the jump to the NHL level. His younger brother, Simon Stransky, was expected to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft this past June. In fact, many hockey pundits believed that he was a top 100 player and would be a mid-round selection. However, 211 names were called and none of them were Simon Stransky. He was considered the biggest surprise of the Draft as far as undrafted players. Stransky, who was a first round pick by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2014 CHL Import Draft, was a point-per-game player this past season in the WHL, and also played for the Czech Republic World Junior team and was invited to the CHL Top Prospects game. He is considered an elite play maker and offensive threat. While his defensive game is far from complete, in an NHL where speed and possession dominate, he seems to fit the mold. Not only was Stransky not drafted, but as of now he has also not been invited to any NHL team’s development camp, unlike fellow surprise passed-up prospect Zach Sawchenko who impressed at Nashville Predators camp. Clearly something is holding NHL teams back from committing to the younger Stransky, but with his brother Matej likely on his way to an NHL role, maybe Simon will garner some more attention and find a pro home sooner or later.
Viktor Tikhonov Headed To KHL
The return trip to the NHL was not a long one for Viktor Tikhonov. The 2008 first round pick of the Coyotes had come back from a four year hiatus in the KHL to sign a one-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks to play alongside fellow countryman and new addition Artemi Panerin, but was put on waivers after just 11 games in a Blackhawks jersey, and ended up back with the team that drafted him in Arizona. An NHL market did not develop for the 28-year-old who had only six points in 50 games split between two teams, and so he is headed back to Russia. Tikhonov will re-join SKA St. Petersburg, where he played from 2011-2015, the team announced.
While Tikhonov, the grandson of the legendary Russian player and coach of the same name, was born in the USSR, he was raised in the United States. His father, Vasily, was also a coach and the family spent time in California and Kentucky during Tikhonov’s childhood. His American upbringing has not translated to any dedication to playing in North America however. Tikhonov returned to Russia to play hockey at the age of 17, and played for three years before being drafted by the Coyotes in 2008. He made his NHL debut the next season, but failed to meet expectations, scoring only 16 points in 61 games. After starting the 2009 season with the Coyote’s AHL affiliate at the time, the San Antonio Rampage, Tikhonov was loaned to Severstal Cherepovets of the KHL, a team he had previously played for. Tikhonov spent the remainder of the season with Cherepovets, but returned stateside to fight for an NHL spot in 2010. Instead, he spent the entire 2010-11 season with the Rampage and left North America permanently, signing with SKA. Many were surprised by his return to the NHL last year, and his performance showed that this surprise was warranted, as Tikhonov again failed to make a difference at the NHL level. He’ll now return to the KHL, where he has 130 points in 207 games, as compared to just 22 points in 111 career NHL games.
Tikhonov is the 20th player to have left the NHL for the KHL this off-season. SKA St. Petersburg in particular has loaded up, bringing back Tikhonov to go along with the additions of the great Pavel Datsyuk, Bruins prospect Alexander Khokhlachev, and failed NHL experiment Sergei Plotnikov to a roster that already included the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk and Russian stars Vadim Shipachyov and Nikita Gusev. However, even if Tikhonov thrives on a loaded SKA team, it seems unlikely that he’ll try his hand at coming back overseas after his one-year deal expires. His NHL playing days appear to be over.
The Columbus Blue Jackets Have Signed… No One
It’s 7:00pm on July 16th. NHL Free Agency is a whopping 368 hours old. Yet the Columbus Blue Jackets have not signed a single player this off-season with pro experience. In fact, other than trading for Scott Harrington and drafting Pierre-Luc Dubois with the 3rd overall pick, the Blue Jackets have not added anyone who could even have an impact on the 2016-17 season.
They’ve lost players, though. Rene Bourque is the only Columbus unrestricted free agent who has yet to sign elsewhere, as Fedor Tyutin, Jared Boll, Justin Falk and others have all found new homes. Don’t forget about promising winger Kerby Rychel too, who was the outgoing player in the Harrington trade. So what is the plan for a team that finished the 2015-16 season with 76 points, good enough for fourth worst in the league and 13 points behind their 2014-15 mark and has only made subtractions thus far? Columbus has shown that they are not a team that is afraid to make a big deal, trading for both Brandon Saad and Seth Jones in the past year or so, but the deafening silence thus far this summer means that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is either confident in what he has or no longer ready to be that “up and coming team” that the Blue Jackets have been pegged as since their unlikely 93 point season two years ago.
Roster Resource shows that the Blue Jackets are a team that is very young and not very deep. There is a solid young core formed by Saad, Jones, Ryan Murray, and Boone Jenner and joined by reliable mainstays like captain Nick Foligno, Brandon Dubinsky, Cam Atkinson, and Jack Johnson, but the rest of the roster isn’t exactly full of household names. The team has high hopes for the aforementioned Dubois, who many considered to be a reach at #3 though, as well as young roster players like Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand and high-upside prospects like 2015 first rounder Zach Werenski and Sonny Milano. However, a Calder Cup championship for their AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, seems unlikely to be enough to get this team back to the NHL postseason.
Another factor contributing to the Blue Jackets quiet off-season is their inability to spend the money necessary to get the impact free agents. After re-signing Jones to a six-year deal worth $5.4MM per year, Columbus is projected to be between four and five million dollars short of the NHL salary cap limit. How is it possible that a team that certainly seems to be in a rebuild is also spending more than the Washington Capitals or Dallas Stars? David Clarkson and Scott Hartnell combining to take up $10MM in cap space doesn’t help, and the team seems almost eager to deal either one. Some also doubt that the $7.425M given to goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is quite worth it at this point, as his numbers have gotten progressively worse each year since his breakout campaign in 2012-13.
Columbus is not that far from being back to a playoff-caliber team. Goaltending is deep and talented for the Blue Jackets and there are young difference-makers on offense and defense. The team could choose to scoop up free agent stragglers like Kris Russell or Jiri Hudler and try their hand at a unlikely return to the postseason, or even take a chance on some young castoffs like Brandon Pirri, Sam Gagner, or Luke Schenn, but their inaction to this point seems like an indication that they are headed in another direction. Instead, the Blue Jackets seem poised to rebuild around a growing group of high-ceiling homegrown players, even if that means a couple more season of bottom five finishes. It’s not a wild off-season for Columbus, but it is a bright future, and if management thinks that no additions are needed this season or for their rebuilding plans, then Blue Jackets fans will just have to sit tight and wait for Opening Night.
Coyotes Re-Sign Gaudet and Fournier
Arizona has signed restricted free agents Tyler Gaudet and Stefan Fournier to one-year, two-way contracts reports Sarah McLellan of AZCentral. As the team struggles with RFA negotiations with disgruntled winger Tobias Rieder and arbitration-bound defenseman Michael Stone, the team has gotten two of their lesser known young players signed on for another year.
Gaudet got his first real taste of NHL action last season, playing in 14 games with the Coyotes after just a two-game stint in 2014-15. Gaudet played only energy line minutes, about 10 minutes a game, but scored three points and impressed with his two-way play. He seems likely to battle for a full-time spot this season and get a long look from new GM John Chayka and the Coyotes coaching staff as they evaluate a very young roster. Guadet will make approximately $875K at the NHL level.
Fournier, the former captain of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, will likely see most of his ice time during the inaugural season of the newly minted Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL. A point-per-game player in juniors, Fournier’s game has not translated as well to the pros, as he has bounced around the AHL and ECHL the past few seasons. Despite scoring just four points in 32 games with Arizona’s AHL affiliate last season, they saw enough in him to bring him back. He’ll have to do better than that from a production perspective though if he wants to earn his $633K NHL salary.
Free Agent Profile: Jhonas Enroth
Jhonas Enroth represents the best of the remaining scraps of a once-deep free agent pool of goalies this off-season. But is there any market remaining for his talents? The once highly-touted Sabres prospect is now 28 years old, but is still capable of being a reliable contributor. Last season, Enroth posted a 2.17 goals against average and .922 save percentage in 16 appearances in relief of Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles. Both of those statistics, the lifeblood of goalie evaluation, put Enroth above the average set by the rest of his peers in free agency. Despite his efforts, Enroth still lacks a team while Anton Khudobin, Carter Hutton, Jonas Gustavsson, Al Montoya and others are happily signed.
At this point in the summer, and given the lack of open positions across the league, Enroth has to start to wonder whether he will have a job in North America when the NHL season kicks off in less than three months. It’s not unheard of for a known commodity, fully capable of playing at the NHL level, to head overseas simply because of a lack of opportunity or contract offers that pale in comparison to European possibilities. This is especially true for European players, such as the Swedish-born Enroth. However, for a talent such as Enroth’s to leave the NHL at this point in his career seems to be a waste and a missed opportunity for one of the thirty NHL squads.
While Enroth certainly did not live up to the lofty expectations set for him in Buffalo, the last few seasons have pointed towards a player that is peaking as a high-end backup in his prime years. After four years of struggling to be “the guy” in Buffalo, Enroth was finally given the reins as the starter with the Sabres to begin the 2014-15 season. Not long after, having made just 37 appearances, he was traded to the Dallas Stars. As the backup in Dallas, Enroth had a then career-high 2.38 GAA. While his numbers overall for the season were only mediocre, his performance in the low-pressure backup role after a change of scenery seemed to show promise. The Kings took a chance on him last summer, signing him to one-year, $1.25MM contract, and it paid off as Enroth was solid as the backup to one of the best in the game, and Los Angeles never had to worry about goal tending between Quick and the occassional Enroth appearance. However, the Kings decided not to move forward with Enroth as their backup, signing displaced former Penguin Jeff Zatkoff and acquiring prospect Jack Campbell, to go along with veteran Peter Budaj as backup options. This decision likely was a function of LA’s tight cap space and the salary demands of Enroth. So now the question becomes will someone take the same chance on Enroth as the Kings did, or will another good European goalie head back overseas?
Potential Suitors
The presence (or lack thereof) of suitors is the bigger issue at hand than the talent of Jhonas Enroth. As compared to the likes of Joni Ortio, Ben Scrivens, or Anders Lindback, Enroth is the clear choice as the best available unrestricted free agent goalie. So who might bite? The leading candidate is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have already made a goalie splash this summer with the trade for Anaheim’s Frederik Andersen. However, they turned around traded Jonathan Bernier to the Ducks and now find themselves without a reliable backup. It has been rumored that the Leafs would prefer to make a trade for a top-end backup, and could also use the young Garrett Sparks as their primary backup as well, but they could also replace the departed former King, Bernier, with another former King, Enroth, and be no worse for wear.
The defending Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks could also be a destination. They traded for James Reimer at the deadline to spell their upstart number one, Martin Jones, but watched him head to Florida on July 1st. They have no internal options with ample NHL experience, and are still dealing with a starter that has only one full season as the go-to goalie under his belt. The Sharks watched Martin Jones play back up for the rival Kings first hand and went out and got him. They could do the same with Enroth.
Finally, never count out the Chicago Blackhawks. If there is a value signing to be made, the Blackhawks are always in the mix. They do have Scott Darling on a very affordable sub-$600K contract, but after a stellar rookie season, his number dipped last year and Chicago could upgrade with Enroth if the price is right. Teams can always come out of the woodwork to add a goalie as well, and Enroth may present value that can’t be passed up to the right team.
One goalie-needy team that can likely be counted out: the Buffalo Sabres. With just Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson under contract, the Sabres aren’t swimming in goalie depth and talent, but it seems unlikely that the two sides would be looking into a reunion.
Expected Contract
Enroth was the last man in when we made our Top 50 Free Agents list and predictions, and his can still prove to be correct, as he we thought he would be a good fit for the Sharks at $1.4MM on a one-year deal. Given how close the Sharks were to winning the Stanley Cup last year, it seems unlikely that they would go into the season with their current goalie depth. However, when you’re this deep into the season, you have to wonder what could be holding up a contract between the two. San Jose may be taking their time to go through options or Enroth may be pricing himself out after a strong season. Either way, the two would be a good fit, as would Enroth in Toronto and a cheap, one-year deal seems likely. The NHL would benefit from keeping a good talent in goal like Enroth in North America, so it will continue to be a waiting game to see which team makes that happen.
Shane Doan Returns To Coyotes For 21st Season
The captain of the Arizona Coyotes and the face of the franchise for over two decades will be back for one more season. Craig Morgan announced late tonight that Shane Doan and the Coyotes have agreed to terms on a one-year deal. It is expected to be worth a total of $5MM, much of which will likely be incentive based.
Doan has had quite the career already, totaling 945 points in 1466 games, which is good enough for tenth and third respectively among all active players. Even with twenty seasons under his belt, he couldn’t help but re-sign for another year in Arizona. Doan, who will turn 40 during the upcoming season, is already the (original) Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes/Arizona Coyotes franchise leader in games played, goals, and points, and will only increase his lead this season.
The importance of Doan to the Coyotes cannot be understated, even as the team goes through a rebuilding phase. The captain brings experience and leadership to the locker room and an unmatched physicality and on-ice presence to each and every game. Not only is he a great mentor to the young core of the Coyotes, but he is beloved by the fans as well, whose outpouring of celebration on social media followed soon after the signing was announced. While it seems unlikely that Doan will get that elusive Stanley Cup ring if he plays out yet another season with the Coyotes, the selflessness of his dedication to the franchise is a testament to his character and will continue to make him a hero in the game of hockey.