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Edmonton Oilers Re-Sign Tyler Ennis

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As expected, veteran forward Tyler Ennis has returned to the Edmonton Oilers. The team has announced a new one-year deal for Ennis, who was acquired at the trade deadline. The contract is expected to be for $1MM.

Everything pointed toward Ennis re-signing with the Oilers. The Edmonton native was excited to join the club last year and stated that he hoped to remain there beyond this past season. Ennis then suffered a catastrophic leg injury in the postseason that will required months of rehab, hurting his value on the open market. With his contract potential capped by his injury, many assumed thathe would rather take a minimal deal in his hometown than anywhere else.

If Ennis can return to health, $1MM will be a bargain for Edmonton. Ennis’ 2019-20 season was his best in five years. With 16 goals and 37 points, the 31-year-old looked like his younger self. While Ennis is unlikely to be ready for the start of next season, or if he is will not be at 100%, Ennis played at a near-20-goal pace and would have surpassed 40 points i he had played a full 82 games this year. Anything close to that level of output would be a great value for the Oilers and could very likely earn Ennis an extension down the road.

 

Florida Panthers Sign Alexander Wennberg

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New Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito continues to collect players from his previous team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. After trading for Markus Nutivaara yesterday, the Panthers have now signed Alexander Wennberg, who was bought out by the Blue Jackets. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that it is a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.

Wennberg, 26, is signing a “show me” deal in an effort to rehabilitate his value on a one-year deal in hopes of cashing in next off-season. Wennberg never lived up to the six-year, $29.4MM deal he signed in Columbus following a breakout 59-point season in 2016-17. He has recorded declining point totals in each of the past three seasons and looked more like a 20-30 point player rather than a 60+ point player. With the Blue Jackets looking to make major improvement to their roster, they opted to buyout the remaining three years of Wennberg’s contract rather than continuing to pay him to under-produce.

No one outside of Columbus knows Wennberg’s true potential better than Zito, who appears happy to give the young forward a second chance. Florida could lose free agents Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov and will need to find offense elsewhere. A change of scenery and an increased role could be all it takes to get Wennberg to display his star power once again.

The Panthers have also signed minor league forward Ryan Lomberg to a two-year, two-way deal. The salary terms have not yet been disclosed.

Ottawa Senators Sign Matt Murray To Four-Year Extension

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After acquiring their new starting goaltender Matt Murray from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Ottawa Senators have worked quickly to lock him up long term. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the two sides have come to terms on a four-year, $25MM extension. The deal will keep Murray under contract through the 2023-24 season at a whopping $6.25MM AAV.

Murray, 26, was a restricted free agent for the final time this off-season, so his new contract buys out three UFA years. However, this is still a substantial raise from his $3.75MM AAV in Pittsburgh, despite performance and injury struggles over the past few years. In fact, Murray currently has the seventh-highest goalie AAV in the NHL. His contract also contains a ten-team no-trade list that kicks in in year two.

Part of the reason why Ottawa was so willing to commit money to Murray is that the team is still short of the salary cap floor. With a deep prospect pipeline, the Senators are hoping that many of their roster spots are filled by affordable young players. In order to meet the cap floor, the team will need to commit sizeable amounts of cap space to those few veterans that have concrete roles. Murray, who is still young himself, is clearly the top man in net for years to come and the Senators were comfortable paying him as such.

New York Rangers Sign Colin Blackwell, Kevin Rooney

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The New York Rangers have added to their forward depth with a pair of shrewd signings. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the team has signed both Colin Blackwell and Kevin Rooney to two-year contracts. Blackwell’s deal carries a $725K AAV and is one-way in year two; Rooney’s deal carries a $750K AAV but is expected to be two-way.

Blackwell and Rooney are both 27-year-old Massachusetts natives and collegiate products with strong underlying numbers in limited NHL showings. Blackwell in particular recorded ten points in 27 games with the Nashville Predators this season and looked ready for a full-time NHL role. The Predators were trying to work out an extension with Blackwell, but he likely felt that he could find better opportunity elsewhere. Rooney might have a more limited ceiling, but has more experience and has played well in a fourth line role for the New Jersey Devils in back-to-back seasons of 41+ games.

The Rangers have also added a veteran No. 3 behind their young Russian tandem, inking goaltender Keith Kinkaid to a two-year deal with an $875K AAV, per PuckPedia. Kinkaid will also serve as a sacrificial lamb in the 2021 Expansion Draft, satisfying the under-contract goalie exposure requirement for the Rangers, who will protect Alexandar Georgiev with Igor Shesterkin ineligible.

New York has also agreed to terms with RFA defenseman Brandon Crawley, the team announced. Jonny Brodzinski and Anthony Greco were added later in the night.

Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Nathan Beaulieu

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Nathan Beaulieu took a quick look around the free agent market and realized that his best bet was to stay in Winnipeg. The Jets have announced a two-year extension with the depth defenseman at a $1.25MM AAV. Beaulieu has spent the past season and a half with Winnipeg and will now stay under contract through the 2021-22 season.

Beaulieu, 27, signed a one-year “show me” deal with the Jets last off-season and has now been rewarded with two more seasons. He only played in 38 games and contributed just eight points, but has grown in his defensive awareness and physical play, as evidenced by a career-high in plus/minus and hits per game.

Beaulieu struggled with high expectations in his early days with the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, but has finally found a good fit with Winnipeg. However, the Jets have not shown that they are willing to put too much on Bealieu and will still likely add another defenseman or two this off-season.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Jon Merrill

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Before most teams have made even one move today, the Detroit Red Wings have already made their second free agent signing. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the team has inked defenseman Jon Merrill to a one-year contract. The deal is expected to carry a $925K AAV for the former University of Michigan standout. The Red Wings have confirmed the signing but terms have not officially been disclosed.

A long-time New Jersey Devil and an inaugural member of the Vegas Golden Knights, Merrill now returns to the state where it all began. The 28-year-old was a star for the Michigan Wolverines in nearby Ann Arbor and will be happy to return to Detroit, even on a one-year deal.

A defensive specialist who excels in the little things when it comes to playing sound defense, Merrill has never been an everyday defenseman in his NHL career but is a valuable depth piece. He will have the chance to earn a bigger role with the rebuilding Red Wings, but at the very least he will provide solid defense and experience to the young squad and could net the team a return at the trade deadline.

Radko Gudas, Carter Verhaeghe Sign With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers are set to add a menacing presence to their blue line. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that defenseman Radko Gudas will sign with the club on a three-year deal at a $2.5MM AAV. The Panthers have also signed forward Carter Verhaeghe to a two-year deal with a $1MM AAV, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Gudas, 30, may not be a minute-munching top-four defenseman, but uses his limited ice time better than most. Gudas has never averaged 20+ minutes per game in a season in his eight-year NHL career, but that hasn’t stopped him from establishing himself as a major physical threat and top defensive specialist. Through stops with Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Washington, Gudas has always logged major hit totals, has contributed a fair amount of offense, and has been an asset on the penalty kill. His penalty troubles have also improved in recent years, making his physicality and man-down ability even more valuable. Getting a reliable defensive presence for nearly $1MM less than his previous AAV is a great value buy for a Florida. A team that needed more depth and aggression on the blue line has now added Gudas and Markus Nutivaara in the past 24 hours.

Verhaeghe, 25, was not extended a qualifying offer by the defending champion Lightning and became a surprise addition to the UFA market. However, he has already found a new home and one that is not too far away. Florida adds a player who recorded nine goals and 13 points in 52 games in his rookie season, despite playing a limited fourth line role. If Verhaeghe, who amassed impressive offensive totals in the AHL, is able to play a complete season and can win a more substantial role, he should easily record 20-30 points on a measly $1MM salary.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Wayne Simmonds

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The first reported UFA signing with the market now open is one that many saw coming. The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought in Ontario native Wayne Simmonds on a one-year deal, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. It is a $1.5MM AAV and a full No-Movement Clause for the veteran power forward.

Simmonds was expected to draw interest from a number of teams on the free agent market. In fact, the Montreal Canadiens are known to have been in the mix as well and reportedly offered Simmonds slightly more than what he received from Toronto. However, the draw of playing in his hometown for a legitimate contender was too much for Simmonds to pass up.

At 32 years old and in steep offensive decline, the Maple Leafs are not getting the 50-60 point Simmonds of yesteryear. However, the 6’2″ forward can still bring some offensive touch combined with a strong defensive game. Simmonds physical presence will be especially valuable to a Toronto team in need of more snarl. His experience and leadership is also invaluable for a team hoping to finally make a deep playoff run.

Zemgus Girgensons Re-Signs With Buffalo Sabres

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Friday: The Sabres have announced the deal, confirming the three-year, $6.6MM terms.

Thursday: While most free agent news has been that impending UFA’s are intending to test the market, at least one player is set to re-sign with his current club before the market opens. Multiple sources, including TSN’s Darren Dreger, report that Zemgus Girgensons is expected to sign a contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres. Dreger expects that it will be a three-year, $6.6MM extension.

Girgensons, 26, is nothing if not consistent. The Latvian native took over a bottom-six role for the Sabres back in 2013-14 and has held tight to it ever since. In seven NHL seasons, Girgensons has played in 69+ games all but once and has always finished with 5-15 goals and 15-30 points. He plays a physical game and provides sound defensive play on a consistent basis.

Dependability like that which Girgensons provides can be hard to find, especially when adding a free agent who has never played with your team. Rather than take that risk, Buffalo has elected to go with a player they know they can trust, even if he might lack upside beyond his current level of production. At just a $2.2MM AAV, the Sabres aren’t spending much to retain a reliable asset who excels in a specific role.

Goalie Notes: Rask, Talbot, Darling

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Cross off one option from the list of potentially available goaltenders. Vezina Trophy runner-up Tuukka Rask isn’t going anywhere. Although Rask opting out of the 2020 postseason raised some questions about his future in Boston, especially with just one year remaining on his current contract, the Bruins reiterated that they expected the elite goaltender to be back with the team next season. Rask himself has now taken control of the narrative, telling Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that he does not want to play for any team but the Bruins. This would seemingly back up recent rumors that Rask had stated to the Bruins that he would retire if traded. It seems unlikely that the Bruins were pushing too hard to trade Rask anyhow, given that he was statistically the best starting goalie in the NHL this season and the team would struggle to replace him. It’s doubtful that the team would be able to get fair value in any deal for Rask as well. Rask will be back in Boston this year, but beyond 2020-21 remains a mystery.

  • One goalie who will be available is Cam Talbot. Despite an impressive comeback season with the Calgary Flames, the two sides have been unable to agree on terms for an extension. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that talks have broken off for now with the salary gap too far apart. Talbot will test the market and may very well end up elsewhere. Calgary is still in need of a goaltender and could circle back to Talbot if they miss out on bigger free agent or trade targets.
  • An available name getting some surprise attention is Scott Darling. Once one of the top backups in the NHL, Darling’s stint as a starter with the Carolina Hurricanes was an unmitigated disaster and led to a buyout last season and a complete lack of NHL interest. Darling went overseas and joined Austria’s HC Innsbruck of the EBEL. Although his numbers were not all that impressive, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that there are teams who might be willing to give Darling a second chance. Given the increased importance of goaltending depth in what is expected to be a condensed 2020-21 schedule, an experienced No. 3 like Darling could be valuable.

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