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Minnesota Wild Extend Ryan Hartman

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The Minnesota Wild have come to terms on a new deal with valued two-way forward Ryan Hartman. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Hartman has inked a three-year, $5.1MM deal to remain with the Wild. Hartman had been scheduled for restricted free agency this summer, but has instead settled on a long-term deal with an AAV that comes in below his $1.9MM qualifying offer, offering the Wild some savings and Hartman some security.

Security is important to Hartman, too. The 2013 first-round pick is already on his fifth NHL teams, with previous stops in Chicago, Nashville, and Philadelphia and briefly Dallas as well. When the Stars opted not to qualify him in the 2019 off-season, it gave Hartman the ability to finally seek a long-term home and he chose Minnesota. After previously never spending more than one full season with any NHL team, Hartman is already in his second season with Minnesota and now locked in through the 2023-24.

That is, if he survives this summer’s Expansion Draft. Although Hartman has bounced around early in his pro career, he has established himself as good two-way forward whose ability to play any forward position is the valuable versatility that many teams seek in their bottom-six. Hartman has also shown 30+ point upside and contributes to both special teams units. While Minnesota has a number of potential high-value players who could be available to the Seattle Kraken – in fact, they are in one of the tougher spots of any team in the league – Hartman becomes more attractive to the expansion team as an affordable, multi-year contract as opposed to a pending RFA. As the Wild try to finagle their way out of a difficult expansion spot, Hartman could end up exposed and selected by Seattle or, sadly, traded yet again. However, the hope for both sides is surely that their relationship can continue beyond the draft.

New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Karl Henriksson

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April 21: The Rangers have officially announced the deal.

April 20: Another night, another signing by the New York Rangers, who continue to look ahead to next year despite still chasing down a playoff spot in the East Division this year. This time, they have come to terms with a top prospect to his entry-level contract. CapFriendly reports that the Rangers are set to sign forward Karl Henriksson to a three-year ECL, beginning in 2021-22, that carries an AAV of $870K. The breakdown of the contract is as follows:

2021-22: $750K base salary + 92.5K signing bonus + $82.5K games played bonus
2022-23: $750K base salary + 92.5K signing bonus + $82.5K games played bonus
2023-24: $832.5K base salary + 92.5K signing bonus

Henriksson, 20, was the Rangers’ second-round pick in 2019 out of the SHL’s Frolunda HC. A 200-foot center with great vision and play-making ability, Henriksson has continued to impress even in limited minutes as Sweden’s top level. He also was a late exclusion from Sweden’s World Juniors roster this year due to COVID-19 protocols. Regardless, New York has seen enough to ink the young pivot and see what he can do in North America.

Henriksson is yet another promising young prospect for the Rangers, but could be one of the more important names in the system due to his position. While the Blueshirts have lucked into elite prospect wingers in Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere over the past two seasons and have tremendous youthful talent on the blue line and in goal, but center is the one critical area of need. Henriksson perhaps represents New York’s best hope of finding a top-six center internally among their current prospects. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a young player who will be making his first trip to North America, but they hope that the Swedish standout can answer the call.

Latest On Nikita Zadorov, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks were reportedly listening to offers for defenseman Nikita Zadorov at the NHL Trade Deadline, but ultimately decided not to move him. However, that doesn’t mean that the two sides will stay together for much longer. As Ben Pope writes for the Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks have dropped some hints that they are not content with the big blue liner and time is running out for him to prove himself.

Zadorov, 25, is in his first season in Chicago after coming over from the Colorado Avalanche in the Brandon Saad trade this past off-season. The Blackhawks hoped that Zadorov would step into a lineup that was missing many difference-makers on the back end and would transform into a bona fide top pair defenseman. While Zadorov has still been impressive as a physical force and solid defender, there has not been much else to praise about Zadorov’s game this season. He has been firmly entrenched as a second-pair defender in terms of time on ice, is fifth in defensive scoring and even lower in per-game production, and is on pace for a career-high in giveaways, even in a shortened season. Zadorov has merely continued to play the same role in Chicago as he did in Colorado, that of a complementary stay-at-home defenseman. While that is not without value, it isn’t what was expected of the 2013 first-round pick and may not be worth the cost to the Blackhawks. The team has not-so-subtly expressed their frustration recently, acquiring a younger and similar style of defender in Riley Stillman and then making Zadorov a healthy scratch on deadline day after discussing him with other teams beforehand.

This off-season, Zadorov presents a number of challenges to Chicago. The impending restricted free agent will need a new contract, which at a minimum will require a $3.2MM qualifying offer. However, despite his underwhelming effort this season, Zadorov can probably argue for making more than that and has the option to file for arbitration to support that claim. The problem for the Blackhawks is that they have very few contracts coming off the books this off-season and are projected to have limited cap flexibility to make other moves. Retaining Zadorov at a higher number even further reduces that cap space without making a material change to their roster, which is only a fringe playoff team this season. A potential arbitration case makes using their cap space even more problematic. If the relatively young blue liner demands a long-term deal as well, that becomes an issue with a number of young players already pushing for play time. Beyond the actual contract, the only way that Chicago can ensure that they even retain Zadorov’s RFA rights beyond July 21 is to protect him in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft. With Duncan Keith and Connor Murphy as virtual locks to be protecting, adding Zadorov to that group would mean exposing valuable veteran Calvin de Haan and the recently-acquired Stillman. Yet, if they don’t protect Zadorov he could very easily be selected and lost for nothing.

In order to avoid a difficult expansion decision and possible contract battle and arbitration case, the Blackhawks may decide to re-ignite trade talks for Zadorov once their season has come to an end. Until then, Pope notes that Zadorov will be given every chance to prove that he is worthy of a longer look in Chicago. With de Haan and Adam Boqvist currently injured and the Blackhawks fighting for a playoff spot, Zadorov has the chance to step up and finally show that he can be a complete top-four defenseman. If he succeeds, perhaps all of the off-season issues fall by the wayside in favor of keeping a rare physical specimen and good young defender at all costs. However, if he falters then the partnership between the Blackhawks and Zadorov could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Minor Transactions: 04/20/21

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As seasons continue to come to a close in Europe, moves are being made that have NHL ramifications. Some hint toward a player making the jump to North America, while others cement the opposite, and still even more remain ambiguous. Today in particular, a number of NHL prospects have left their current clubs, opening up possibilities for what move may come next:

  • Los Angeles Kings prospect forward Martin Chromiak isn’t leaving anyone guessing. The 2020 pick has spent this season at home in Slovakia, but played in the OHL last year and has now returned to North American in short order with his season over. The AHL’s Ontario Reign, affiliate of the Kings, have signed Chromiak to an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of the season, reports L.A. beat writer John Hoven. This could potentially lead to an entry-level deal for next season for Chromiak or could simply be the first step toward returning to the OHL or perhaps even the AHL next season. Either way, things are looking up for Chromiak, who unfortunately is most well-known right now for his precipitous drop in the 2020 NHL Draft. A near-consensus second-round pick entering the draft, NHL teams clearly disagreed with the draft pundits on Chromiak, who fell to L.A. in the fifth round. Now with a chip on his shoulder and a nice Slovakian season behind him, Chromiak is ready to prove himself in North America.
  •  Two Dallas Stars prospects could be on their way to North America shortly as well. Following their loss in the SHL quarterfinals, Farjestad BK has announced the departures of a number of players. Among them were the Stars’ 2018 and 2019 third-round picks, Oskar Back and Albin Eriksson. Both are big, strong, well-rounded forwards with several years of SHL experience and seem likely to be looking for a new challenge. Farjestad did not state definitively that the duo were set to sign their NHL entry-level contracts, but it is a safe assumption. More uncertain is what the next move might be for defenseman Linus Arnesson, who was also among the list of departures. Arnesson, 26, is still property of the Boston Bruins, who selected him in the second round in 2013. Arnesson spent a few seasons in the AHL early in his career before returning home to Sweden, but may be looking for a second chance after improved play in the SHL over the past four years. He may also just be looking to capitalize as a free agent in Sweden.
  • It was not all bad news out of Farjestad, as they did announce a new three-year extension with former Chicago Blackhawk Victor Ejdsell. The hulking center never quite did find his place in North America, but has been very productive for Farjestad over the past two years. At 25, a three-year deal does not eliminate the chances that Ejdsell could make an NHL comeback, but it does become more unlikely. A native of Karlstad, where Farjestad plays, Ejdsell called the team his “home” in the press release and may be committed long-term to the club.
  • Two coveted young players are leaving Swedish second-tier club MODO, but it is unclear what is next for either one. MODO has announced that William Wallinder and William Stromgren will not return to the team next season. Wallinder was the first pick in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, going No. 32 overall to the Detroit Red Wings. A big, but smooth-skating defender who played a major role for MODO as a teenager, Wallinder may already be prepared for the North American pros. Stromgren is a 2021 draft-eligible prospect with a similar late-first/early-second draft stock to Wallinder. The big sniper is more likely than Wallinder to stay in Sweden for another year or two, but could also be tempted to play in the CHL next season. The team who selects him in the upcoming draft will have a say as well.

Patrick Marleau Breaks NHL All-Time Games Played Record

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When the San Jose Sharks dropped the puck tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, history was made. Patrick Marleau was in the lineup for San Jose, the 1,768th time that he has suited up for a regular season NHL game. This sets a new NHL record, breaking the age-old mark set by the one and only Gordie Howe in 1961.

While no one is comparing Marleau to Howe, who played six additional seasons in the WHA in addition to 26 years in the NHL and is considered one of the greatest of all time, Marleau has had a storied career of his own. The 41-year-old began his NHL story as the 1997 No. 2 overall pick, just one spot behind eventual long-time teammate Joe Thornton. Marleau played immediately for the Sharks, earning Calder Trophy votes in his first season, and the rest is history. Marleau played 19 consecutive seasons with San Jose before finally departing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017. After two seasons in Toronto, Marleau was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes and subsequently bought out. He returned to San Jose, though the Sharks gave him potentially his last chance to win a Stanley Cup last year when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It unfortunately didn’t work out for Marleau, but he was still welcomed back to San Jose again this season for a chance to break the games played record. While Marleau’s long career may not include a title, he has many other accolades. A three-time All-Star, Marleau has also received votes for the Hart Trophy five times, the Selke Trophy four times, and the Lady Byng trophy a whopping 15 times, not to mention earning a number of Sharks franchise records as well. Altogether, Marleau has 566 goals and 1196 points in his career, second and fourth respectively among all active players and top-50 all-time.

Beyond the statistics, Marleau has always provided the most important ability as well: availability. Outside of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and these past two COVID-impacted campaigns, Marleau has never played fewer than 74 games in a season – and that low mark occurred in his rookie season. In fact, Marleau already shares in another impressive NHL games played mark. He, Jarome Iginla, and Henrik Sedin are the only players in league history to have played every game in an 82-game schedule 11 times (although Sedin holds the record with 12).

Marleau’s new career games played record could stand the test of time as well. The only active players within even 500 games of the mark are Thornton, 41, Zdeno Chara, 44, and Eric Staal, 36. Marleau has the remainder of this season to further tack on games as well. What happens beyond that point is unknown, though many speculate that Marleau could retire now that the record is set, but also given the drop-off in his performance this year. However, Thornton and Chara are also equally likely to retire, while Staal is about six full 82-game seasons from matching the mark. Marleau should be safe for quite awhile atop the all-time games played list.

Congratulations to Marleau on this tremendous achievement from everyone at PHR.

New York Rangers To Extend Jonny Brodzinski

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Jonny Brodzinski has turned a small, but productive sample size with the New York Rangers organization into another year of job security. CapFriendly reports that the two sides have come to terms on a one-year, two-way extension for the 2021-22 season. The new deal will closely resemble the one that Brodzinski signed with the Rangers this off-season, containing the minimum NHL salary and an minimal AHL salary bump from $200K to $215K. Brodzinski, who would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer, will now be guaranteed $300K for next season, regardless of how much time he spends at the NHL level.

Brodzinski, 27, has proved himself to be a valuable depth piece in his career, recording 13 points in 61 NHL games and 149 points in 209 AHL games. So far this season, he is second on the Hartford Wolf Pack in per-game scoring, recording 11 points in nine games. He has also skated in four games with New York, notching a goal. With a number of high-scoring minor league seasons under his belt to go with some NHL experience, the Rangers could do worse than Brodzinski as a veteran leader in the AHL and NHL injury substitute.

For those thinking that this could be an expansion draft-fueled move, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Not only are the Rangers in a good place with meeting their exposure requirements for the impending draft, but Brodzinski does not meet the NHL games played criteria anyhow. While Brodzinski’s extended term could make him a more attractive pick for the Seattle Kraken, who must select 20 players with term on their contracts, it still seems very unlikely that they would opt to take the veteran minor leaguer above all other Rangers options.

Minor Transactions: 04/19/21

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Even this late in the hockey season, notable roster moves are still being made. At this point, many are teams looking ahead to next year, especially with collegiate and European players available and looking to make future plans. So while these moves may not immediately impact any NHL rosters, they are worth keeping track of – and we’ve done so right here:

  • When the Vegas Golden Knights signed Maxim Marushev earlier this month to a contract that didn’t begin until next season, it was unclear whether the Russian prospect would play again this season. Well, the organization has sorted that out now, as the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights have announced that Marushev has joined the team, and not just on a tryout basis but on a contract for the remainder of the season. Marushev, 22, was on overage selection in the seventh round of last year’s draft, but has seemingly already proved his value as an NHL prospect to the Knights, despite a drop-off in production this season.
  • The captain of the newly-minted NCAA Champions has found his first NHL contract. UMass standout center Jake Gaudet has signed an AHL contract with the Cleveland Monsters for the 2021-22 season and will join the team on a PTO for the remainder of the year. Gaudet just completed his senior year in Amherst, recording 13 points in 28 games. While Gaudet has never been much of a scorer, he works hard and excels at the defensive aspects of the game which allowed him to be a regular fixture in the Minutemen lineup for four years and to gain a leadership role in the locker room. The Columbus Blue Jackets likely see some fourth-line upside in the 24-year-old, but will look for Gaudet to prove himself in the minors first.
  • In somewhat of a redemption story, defenseman Vincent Desharnais has signed a new two-year contract with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The Providence College product initially signed his first pro deal with Bakersfield last year. However, the team declined to extend him this off-season after an underwhelming campaign and he inked a deal with their ECHL affiliate, the Witchita Thunder. Yet, Bakersfield has required Desharnais’ services on loan for much of the season and this time around have been impressed by his play, resulting in a new contract to officially make him a Condor for two more years.

Zach Hyman Out At Least Two Weeks With Sprained MCL

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The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t even have trade deadline acquisition Nick Foligno on the active roster yet, but the team is already glad that they added some forward depth. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has informed the media, including Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, that forward Zach Hyman has suffered a sprained MCL, the result of a knee-to-knee hit on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks that earned Alex Edler a two-game suspension. Hyman is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks.

By all accounts, this is actually the best prognosis that Hyman could have expected. The knee injury he suffered looked serious, both in terms of the actual collision and as Hyman had to be helped off the ice. The possibility that he could return by the end of the month or even early next month is an ideal result for the Leafs, all things considered. However, if the recovery takes longer than two weeks, there is a possibility that Hyman could miss the remainder of the regular season. Toronto has just 11 games remaining over 26 days, so all it would take is for Hyman to miss the “minimum” recover window by a week or so and he would miss out on a chance to return to the lineup before the playoffs.

Fortunately, the Maple Leafs are comfortably in a playoff position. The North Division leaders face no risk of dropping out of the postseason, even if they do miss Hyman for the rest of the season. While holding off the Winnipeg Jets (four points back) and Edmonton Oilers (seven points back with two games in hand), could prove more difficult without their top two-way forward, Toronto is still the favorite to take the top seed, especially with Foligno coming in to help make up for Hyman’s absence. Hyman does not seem to be in risk of missing any playoff action either, where his defensive ability and career-best offense will be most needed.

WHL Cancels 2021 Postseason

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A difficult season for junior hockey in Canada continues. The Western Hockey League, whose teams did not begin regular season play until late February at the earliest, will play no more than their shortened 24-game season this year. The league has announced that there will be no 2021 WHL Playoffs due to “the ongoing challenges with COVID-19”. The season will conclude when all teams have completed their schedules, which for some is as early as later this month, and no league champion will be named.

On the heels of the announcement last week that that the CHL Memorial Cup would also not be played, the WHL’s decision not to host a postseason further limits their players’ abilities to showcase themselves to NHL teams. With the QMJHL facing a similar decision and the OHL still out of action this season, this is simply yet another blow to NHL front offices and their ability to evaluate top Canadian prospects ahead of July’s 2021 NHL Draft, not to mention the prospects hoping to be selected. While there have been talks of a CHL Top Prospects pre-draft tournament, such an event will not make up for a missed postseason, or in the OHL’s case a missed season.

Alas, the league is trying to put the health and safety of their players and staff first, even if that means impacting their draft chances. They also faced logistical struggles due to teams from multiple provinces and the United States participating, as travel is still restricted at Canadian borders. In the WHL’s release, they summarize the situation with the following:

We remained hopeful that public health conditions would improve, but unfortunately that is not the reality we see in front of us today. The ongoing challenges with non-essential interprovincial and international cross-border travel leave us no alternative but to cancel the 2021 WHL Playoffs.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/19/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. While two teams have yet to report, here is today’s list for the remaining 29:

Colorado – Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov
Montreal – Jon Merrill, Erik Gustafsson
Philadelphia – Jackson Cates
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, Ben Hutton

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Bowen Byram, Colorado Avalanche

While the Kings and Wild are still question marks for today, as of right now the league has not added any new names to the CPRA list. Byram’s removal is also good news, as further proof that the Avalanche have avoided any widespread infection that could lead to numerous or lengthy absences. Only Grubauer and Donskoi are currently on the list for actual COVID-related reasons as well, as the remainder are all undergoing mandatory quarantine following trades or signings. More progress out of Colorado and the NHL could finally be looking at the first empty CPRA list of the season.

*denotes new addition

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