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Don Sweeney

Bruins Notes: Backes, McQuaid, Thomas

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A major reason why top young defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo remain unsigned by the Boston Bruins is that the team is working with very little salary cap space to fit the dynamic duo on to the roster. CapFriendly estimates that Boston has just $7.3MM in cap room (albeit committed to 23 players, so slightly more in reality). That amount would make it tough to sign McAvoy alone, nevertheless both. The team likely will need to find a way to move out some salary, but a trade may not be the only route. It has already been revealed that John Moore will not be ready to begin the season and Kevan Miller remains a question mark as well. The combined $5.25MM in salary between the two defenseman would certainly help to get their younger counterparts back under contract. However, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggery also believes that there have been hints that David Backes may begin the year on the shelf as well. Backes, 35, is undoubtedly the most inefficient usage of the Bruins’ payroll, accounting for $6MM against the cap but only producing 20 points last season. Trading Backes would have been the ideal move for Boston to make this off-season, but doing so likely proved to be too costly. They may still wind up removing him from the books though, as Haggerty points to comments made earlier this summer by GM Don Sweeney about an undisclosed Backes injury and the complete silence on the topic ever since as a possible sign that he is still struggling. Backes does have a concussion history, which Haggerty believes could be the culprit. However, it’s also very possible that the aging forward simply has a nagging injury that both sides are waiting to evaluate in training camp. If Backes isn’t 100% or resumes playing poorly, odds are that both team and player would rather opt for surgery or some other long-term rehab rather than the likely alternative of Backes spending time in the minors this season.

  • Defenseman Adam McQuaid was at the Bruins’ first informal skate today, but The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson says not to read into it too much. The long-time Bruin still has many friends on the team and connections to the city, but Anderson reports that he is in no way officially linked to the team right now via contract or tryout offer. In fact, McQuaid was wearing his Columbus Blue Jackets gear at practice today, the only non-Bruin in the mix. McQuaid left Boston around this time last year, after nine years with the team, in a trade to the New York Rangers for a pair of picks and recently re-signed defenseman Steven Kampfer. He was later moved to Columbus at the deadline. However, despite his trade value last season, McQuaid still remains unsigned after another injury-plagued season, including a season-ending concussion. McQuaid’s market remains a mystery, even as he stands as one of most experienced UFA defensemen available. For that reason, Anderson notes that, while McQuaid is not connected to the Bruins right not, a possible reunion cannot be ruled out. With McAvoy and Carol unsigned and Moore and Miller injured, Anderson writes that McQuaid would be a preferable addition over camp invite Alex Petrovic if the Bruins feel they actually need to add an NHL defenseman before the season begins.
  • Former star Bruins goalie Tim Thomas spoke with the media today for the first time in years, responding to his election to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter writes that, in explaining his reluctance to be a public personality, Thomas revealed that he has been struggling with previously unreported concussion-related symptoms. In fact, Thomas implied that health was a major reason why he did not return to Boston during the team’s Stanley Cup run this spring. The Bruins’ playoff push was the first time that Thomas had re-engaged with hockey in several years and he was happy to root for several former teammates, but as Porter notes, the Vezina Trophy winner is content with his private, quiet lifestyle:

My focus and mind is on learning about other stuff. I learned so much about hockey and that area. I feel like I’ve learned as much as I needed to learn about it… My time with the Boston Bruins was very rewarding. My time with USA Hockey was very rewarding. I’ve decided to keep what I’ve been doing with my life and learning to myself, at this point for sure, and probably forever… you never know what the future may hold. I’m just taking life as it goes.

Poll: Which GM Will Be Fired Next?

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Despite missing the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the Vancouver Canucks decided to extend GM Jim Benning today. The reasons for that are complicated—and obviously do not hinge entirely on his postseason record—just as they were when the Minnesota Wild made the decision to fire Paul Fenton just 14 months into his tenure with the team. The inner workings of an NHL front office are almost never made public (unless there is an intrepid reporter like Michael Russo of The Athletic who gets the incredible story), and it is hard to see why some decisions are made.

Still, even the most casual fan can see the seat of specific executives and coaches heating up. When the Edmonton Oilers decided to move on from Peter Chiarelli during another disappointing season, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. On the other hand, it was easy to see why the Carolina Hurricanes recently locked up Don Waddell after he interviewed for another job.

Looking around the league, who is next? Which GM will be let go, either this year or next summer?

It might be easy to look at the teams that have struggled recently, but many of them have replaced their top hockey operations executive over the last few seasons. The Oilers brought in Ken Holland to change the culture in Edmonton, while Steve Yzerman returned to the Detroit Red Wings to bring a new voice to a stagnant team. Florida has gone through quite a bit of turmoil in the front office since their ownership changed but Dale Tallon now seems to be entrenched as a veteran leader.

There are others though that may not be so lucky. The Ottawa Senators are heading in a new direction after shedding their previous core, but if the young talent doesn’t develop as hoped Pierre Dorion could be held responsible. John Chayka was the youngest GM in history when he took over the Arizona Coyotes in 2016, but they still haven’t made the playoffs under his watch and now have new ownership of their own. Jason Botterill was expected to have success in Buffalo after finding so much of it in Pittsburgh, but the Sabres haven’t been able to build a full roster around Jack Eichel despite some outstanding individual players.

Nothing is certain when it comes to front offices however. Cast your vote below and explain just why you think they’ll be the first to go!

[Mobile users click here to vote]

*We’ve used Kelly McCrimmon as the Vegas GM, though he won’t officially take that title from George McPhee until September

Atlantic Notes: Sabres 2020 Offseason, Heinen, Chiarot

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While the Florida Panthers received all the attention before free agency opened on July 1 due to their excessive amount of cap space and they fact that they were attracting several of the top free agents on the market, next year’s offseason will look quite a bit different. In fact, it could be the Buffalo Sabres that could be poised to take a similar role next year before free agency opens and could find themselves the team that could lock up some of the top free agents for the 2020-21 season.

The Athletic’s John Vogl (subscription required) writes that while a lot can change in a year, Buffalo has only nine key players under contract for the 2020-21 season along with six restricted free agents. The team is expected to be free of a number of contracts, including Zach Bogosian ($5.14MM), Marco Scandella ($4MM), Vladimir Sobotka ($3.5MM), Conor Sheary ($3MM), Jimmy Vesey ($2.28MM), Matt Hunwick ($2.25MM), Scott Wilson ($1.05MM) and Casey Nelson ($812K). Assuming the salary cap rises by approximately $2MM, the Sabres should have about $29.5MM of projected salary cap, and assuming general manager Jason Botterill can properly persuade them, could add a couple of top free agents.

Who could be available, assuming that some of them don’t re-sign with their teams in the next season? Taylor Hall, Nicklas Backstrom, Brayden Schenn, Chris Kreider, Mike Hoffman, Alex Galchenyuk, Torey Krug, Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie, Roman Josi, and Braden Holtby.

  • While it’s been assumed for some time that Marcus Johansson would not return to Boston, (he signed with Buffalo earlier today), The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) looked at who might replace the veteran forward this season as the third-line left wing. The problem for Boston is that the team is loaded with a number of right-shot options in Zachary Senyshyn, Karson Kuhlman or Brett Ritchie. However, general manager Don Sweeney suggested it might be best to take the third-line right wing, Danton Heinen, and move him to the left side as he possesses more versatility than the others, which could allow one of the others to move in on the right side. “I think Heinen, depending on what side you play him on,” said Sweeney when asked who could replace Johansson. “Whether it’s Karson or Senyshyn or Brett Ritchie, guys that are right shots, we could play lefty-righty and move Danton over. I think he fits into the same mold of player creative-wise.”
  • The Athletic’s Marc Dumont (subscription required) analyzes the video of the Montreal Canadiens newly signed blueliner Ben Chiarot and looks at where he might fit in their lineup. Chiarot, who told reporters that he has discussed with the coaching staff about playing on the second pairing alongside Jeff Petry. However, Dumont suggests that would be a mistake as Chiarot struggles with retrieving pucks in a timely manner, which would not work well with Petry and suggests that Brett Kulak should continue in that role like he did last season. It might be best to play him on the Canadiens’ third pairing, but that seems a waste considering his $3.5MM price tag.

 

Boston Bruins Add Maxime Lagace

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In need of an established third-string option in net, the Boston Bruins have opted to sign Maxime Lagace to fill the role. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports it is a one-year, two-way deal for the 26-year-old and worth the minimum $700K at the NHL level. The former Vegas Golden Knights keeper will spend next season with AHL Providence barring any injuries to top tandem Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. 

Lagace wasn’t needed much as a third-sting option for Vegas this season as he only appeared in one game for the Golden Knights, but he saw quite a bit of action in the Golden Knights’ inaugural season when he became the starting goaltender for a stretch after the team lost both Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban to injury. He appeared in 16 games that year, but struggled with a 3.92 GAA and a. 867 save percentage. He split time with Oscar Dansk this year in with the Chicago Wolves, but took more of a backup role to him, especially in the Calder Cup playoffs as Lagace appeared in just three games of their Calder Cup Finals run. However, his numbers remained solid in the AHL, where he put up a 2.43 GAA and a.914 save percentage in 33 appearances.

Lagace will replace Zane McIntyre who the Bruins were going to lose in free agency. The team hopes that Lagace can help mentor 21-year-old Dan Vladar, who showed some flashes of success at the AHL level, but also proved to be quite inconsistent and wouldn’t be able to help much at the NHL level. Lagace should be able to fill that void.

 

 

Boston Bruins Extend Connor Clifton

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The Bruins have expressed their appreciation for the development of young defender Connor Clifton, as they will sign him to a long-term extension today, the earliest date in which they could make the move. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that it is a three-year, $3MM deal for Clifton, who still has one season remaining at $725K. The 24-year-old appears to be locked in as blue line depth piece for years to come.

At the start of the season, Clifton was a longshot to make any impact on the Bruins squad, but the 24-year-old blueliner was recalled on two separate occasions to fill in for several injured Boston players. He played 19 games for the Bruins, posting just an assist, but it was in the playoffs where Clifton broke out. With multiple injuries still ravaging their blueline, Clifton became a regular for the team during the playoffs and started to show off some of his offensive skill as well, scoring two goals and finishing with five points in the playoffs, while maintaining his high-energy levels throughout.

The addition likely guarantees him a permanent spot on Boston’s blueline as he will serve as a depth defenseman and fight for playing time with John Moore, Matt Grzelcyk and Kevan Miller.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Steven Kampfer

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Tuesday: The Bruins have officially announced the contract, confirming the duration and salary reported by Seravalli.

Monday: Defensive depth proved to be key for a Boston Bruins team that struggled with injuries on the blue line throughout the regular season and into the postseason. All but one the 12 different defenseman that took the ice for the Bruins this season were under team control moving forward, either under contract or as restricted free agents. But the team has worked quickly to rectify the situation with that lone outlying unrestricted free agent. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Boston has re-signed Steven Kampfer to a two-year deal worth $800K annually.

Kampfer, 30, began his second stint with the Bruins last summer, when he was traded by the New York Rangers in the deal that landed Adam McQuaid. Kampfer began the year as Boston’s eighth defenseman, but as a bevy of injuries plagued the team all year, particularly fellow veteran righty Kevan Miller, Kampfer ended up playing in 35 games and was the only Bruins defenseman who began the year on the NHL roster that did not miss time due to injury. Kampfer proved to be an optimal extra man, as his experience and sound defensive play made him a great plug-and-play option. While not much of an offensive contributor, Kampfer is valued for his ability to step in and play a smart, safe defensive game, rarely looking out of place when he filled in.

The two-year term on Kampfer’s new contract is telling for multiple reasons. First, it means that the Bruins see Kampfer as more than just a year-to-year investment and the future of the team’s blue line is far less certain beyond next season. Two of Boston’s biggest injury concerns on defense, 41-year-old Zdeno Chara and accident-prone Kevan Miller, are also not signed beyond next year. So while the team is very deep on the back end next year, there is a chance that they could lose some of that depth a year from now and Kampfer could be even more important then than he is next season. Additionally, Seravalli reports that there has been interest in Kampfer from other teams. That news plus the two-year term makes it a safe assumption that this is a one-way deal for Kampfer. Such a contract won’t be as appealing on waivers if the Bruins do need to move Kampfer to the minor leagues. Although John Moore will not be ready to start the season due to recent major surgery, at some point during the year the team could hypothetically have Kampfer, Moore, Chara, Miller, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Torey Krug, and Matt Grzelcyk all healthy, which could make Kampfer the odd man out if there is a roster crunch.

A team-friendly contract for a familiar and reliable player on a cap-strapped team would seem to be good news all around for the Bruins. However, barring a trade or another year of rampant injuries, Kampfer’s extension does not bode well for promising prospects like Connor Clifton, Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon. All four got into the Bruins’ lineup this season, but the odds of a return appearance just took a hit. The circumstances are especially troubling for Clifton, who played in 19 regular season games and 18 playoff games this year and looked ready to take on Boston’s first man up role next year. After getting so close to a Stanley Cup title this year, Kampfer’s extension is clearly a sign of a team focused on winning now, even if that means burying their budding prospects for another year or two.

Free Agency Notes: Edler, Hayes, Pavelski, Krug

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When Alex Edler asked Vancouver not to move him at the NHL Trade Deadline, many assumed it was precursor to an extension between the long-time Canuck and his team. Yet, as the weeks have passed and no resolution has emerged, that expectation grew less and less certain. Now, after a month or so of reports that term and expansion protection were coming between the two sides, it seems the deal is dead and Edler will hit the open market. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that it does not sound like the Canucks and Edler will get a deal done by July 1st. This does not entirely rule out a return to Vancouver, but it will be substantially harder to convince him to come back after he’s tested the waters and likely found teams willing to give him the desired term and No-Movement Clause. This especially rings true today, as Erik Karlsson’s extension leaves a thin defense market even weaker and D-needy teams will have little choice but to meet the demands of Edler and fellow top free agents like Jake Gardiner and Tyler Myers. It would not be surprise to now see Vancouver make a hard push for one of those two as well, as they seek an upgrade on the blue line but were not willing to give the 33-year-old Edler a long-term deal or risk losing young players to protect an aging veteran in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.

  • It’s been a roller coaster of reports on Kevin Hayes since the moment his negotiating rights were acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Winnipeg Jets. The Flyers obviously became the favorite to sign the free agent center given their early access, but there have since been reports followed by other conflicting reports about how talks have been going between the two sides. Finally, trusted Flyers source Frank Seravalli of TSN has chimed in and he has only good news for Philly fans. Seravalli reports that the two sides have made good progress and that talks are trending toward a contract. He stops short of guaranteeing a deal gets done, but believes that it will. This would remove yet another major name from the free agent market, following Karlsson, Jeff Skinner, and Jordan Eberle. And like those three, reports of a deal being close have so far been proven true this off-season.
  • The sheer magnitude of Karlsson’s new contract with the Sharks has surprised many and has reinforced the narrative that San Jose will have to lose other key free agents to re-sign the talented defenseman. While he wouldn’t speak specifically about talks with those players, GM Doug Wilson did warn not to make assumptions when asked about Joe Pavelski, per The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. Wilson says that nothing has been ruled out, making a Pavelski return a possibility. He also spoke to the importance of getting Karlsson under contract “well before July 1st”, specifically so that the team can plan around their new salary cap paradigm. It still remains a long-shot barring trades to remove salary from the current roster, but until Pavelski, a career Shark, puts pen to paper elsewhere, he remains a possibility for San Jose.
  • Boston defenseman Torey Krug will not be a free agent until next summer, but he has already proven that he is worth a significant raise in his next contract. The Bruins’ power play magician is fifth among all NHL defensemen in regular season scoring over the past three years and second only to Erik Karlsson in playoff scoring. Karlsson’s new extension, along with the contracts of players like John Carlson and Victor Hedman, raise the bar for what Krug might be looking for in his next deal. Even though he has some struggles defensively, it is fair to assume that his current $5.25MM cap hit will not cut it. This leaves the Bruins in a difficult spot, as they must first re-sign elite young defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo this summer. Those moves will leave Boston with little cap space this off-season and not much more the following year when Krug needs a new contract. Yet, speaking with the media today, GM Don Sweeney made it clear that his intent is not to trade the mobile defender, nor to let him leave after next season:

If somebody blew us away (with a trade offer for Krug), every player has to be looked at in that way. When you’re an organization, you just have to, you’re doing a disservice if you don’t. But it would take a pretty unique opportunity for us to part with Torey. We think he’s a big part of the fabric of our group. He’s kind of that next wave of leadership that we talk about.

Snapshots: Boston Black Aces, Bellemare, Luostarinen

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With a long layoff coming until their next matchup, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney revealed the team’s Black Aces during a press conference earlier today, according to Boston Globe’s Matt Porter. The 12 players are expected to help the NHL team practice and likely to get some practice games in before the Stanley Cup begins on May 27.

The Black Aces will include forwards Anton Blidh, Paul Carey, Peter Cehlarik, Trent Frederic, Zachary Senyshyn, Jack Studnicka and Jordan Szwarz; defensemen Jeremy Lauzon, Urho Vaakanainen and Jakub Zboril; and goaltenders Kyle Keyser and Zane McIntyre.

  • Golden Knights center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will be seeking a multi-year contract on the open market, reports David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 34-year-old was an important part of the bottom six group in Vegas over the past two seasons; his faceoff prowess and ability to kill penalties should help him garner some interest for teams looking to upgrade their fourth line.  However, with several pricey extensions kicking in for next season, it’s unlikely that Vegas will be able to afford to retain him unless he’s willing to take a pay cut on the $1.45MM he received in each of the last two seasons.
  • Hurricanes prospect Eetu Luostarinen will miss the remainder of the World Championships due to a knee injury, the IIHF announced. The 20-year-old was held off the scoresheet in four appearances.  Luostarinen has one more left on his current contract with KalPa Kuopio of the Finnish SM-liiga and will likely make the jump to North America following the 2019-20 season.

Bruins To Loan Emil Johansson To Sweden

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May 13th: While the Bruins have yet to officially recognize the deal, there is no longer any doubt that Johansson will not be playing in North America next year and, as it turns out, not for a while after that either. HV71 have announced that they have signed Johansson to a three-year contract, bringing back the homegrown product. The team’s general manager, Johan Hult, spoke glowingly about Johansson in the press release, applauding his balanced game, skating ability, and “incredible hunger”. These traits are part of the reason why Johansson joined the Bruins so quickly after being a seventh-round pick and the team will be sorry to lose him as a young depth option, especially for up to three years or longer. It is possible that the Bruins have already agreed to waive and terminate Johannsson, valuing his roster spot against the 50-contract limit more than loaning and retaining his rights. Either way, the 23-year-old will become an afterthought for the Bruins.

May 10th: There is a logjam on defense in Boston, but it came in handy this season. Over the course of the regular season, the Bruins used 11 different defensemen as injuries ravaged the blue line all year long. The team’s defensive leader in games played, Brandon Carlo, still missed ten games, while players who began the season as AHL afterthoughts, such as Connor Clifton and Jeremy Lauzon, suited up for double-digit games. It was a group effort that helped the team stay afloat through adversity and certainly contributed to the Bruins currently being one of just four teams left alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is all to say that any defenseman under contract with Boston this season who didn’t see NHL action should be re-considering his place in the organizational depth chart moving forward.

That appears to be exactly what Emil Johansson has done. Johansson, 23, was a 2014 seventh-round pick of the Bruins who impressed at the top level in Sweden and was deemed ready for pro hockey in North America sooner than expected. This season, his second full year with the Bruins organization, Johansson led all defensemen for AHL Providence in games played this season with 65, while recording ten points. Yet, he did not earn a chance to escape the minor league level. His odds are no better next season; the Bruins currently have the same top seven defensemen signed to one-way contracts through next year and Johansson would additionally be no higher than fifth among call-up options behind Clifton, Lauzon, and recent first-round picks Urho Vaakanainen, and Jakub Zboril. Johansson’s entry-level contract, which still has one year remaining, contains a European Assignment Clause, which he is reportedly expected to use in light of this situation. Henrik Leman of Swedish hockey source Rakapuckar writes that Johansson and the Bruins have a mutual agreement that he will play for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League next season.

While Leman’s article translates to the word “release”, it is far more likely than Boston will instead loan the young defenseman to the SHL rather than terminate his contract. Especially when the team can retain Johansson’s NHL rights in perpetuity by merely making him a qualifying offer next summer, it would be a surprise to see them instead outright release him. As for next year, Leman reports that interest has been high around Johansson and he has agreed to sign with HV71 over the likes of Frolunda HC and the Vaxjo Lakers. Of course, Johansson came up through the HV71 ranks, so the decision is not much of a surprise. Johansson played two full SHL seasons with the team before making the jump to North America, recording 27 points in 99 total games, and it will likely be a seamless transition to return to their ranks. If he excels overseas, the Bruins will likely keep the door open to a return. Despite their considerable depth in talented young defensemen, Boston has to prepare for life after Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, and Kevan Miller, all of whom could be gone after next season. Johansson could still wind up as a possible solution down the road.

Boston Bruins Add Marcus Johansson

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The Boston Bruins have been in search of a top-six winger even after acquiring Charlie Coyle and have found their man in Marcus Johansson. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald was the first to report that the team had acquired Johansson from the New Jersey Devils. TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds that the return is a 2019 second-round pick and 2020 fourth-round pick. The Devils will also retain 40% of the impending UFA’s salary – approximately $1.833MM – so as to allow the Bruins room to allow room for bonuses in their year-end cap accounting.

The Bruins had been linked to nearly every major rental forward available at the deadline, but seemingly balked at the high prices. While Johansson isn’t exactly the right-shot goal-scoring forward that would have been the ideal fit, he will certainly help with the team’s lack of secondary scoring. While injury issues have limited Johansson’s offensive totals in New Jersey, his per-game production has been back at his regular career levels this season. His shooting percentage is also down, but could improve on a superior team. A creative offensive player, Johansson should add to Boston’s potent power play and could slot in on a line with David Krejci or the newly-acquired Coyle. Bruins GM Don Sweeney opted for the safe play at the deadline, but Johansson has the upside to fit in well in Boston (so long as he can put his past with Brad Marchand behind him).

Meanwhile, New Jersey GM Ray Shero deserves credit for the haul he has been able to bring in at the deadline for Brian Boyle, Ben Lovejoy, Keith Kinkaid, and now Johansson. The Devils picked up two seconds, a third, a fourth, and a fifth, as well as young defenseman Connor Carrick in exchange for expiring pieces that haven’t exactly been world-beaters this season. It’s been a nice deadline for New Jersey in an otherwise disappointing season.

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