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Snap Shots: Vermette, Havlat, Oilers, Vegas

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Yesterday, Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka made the somewhat surprising decision to place veteran center Antoine Vermette on waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract. By all accounts Vermette didn’t have his best season in 2015-16 but still netted 38 points, including 16 on the power play, in 76 games. But in the club’s release announcing the move, Chayka cited the desire to give opportunities to some of the organization’s young players, including perhaps top prospects Christian Dvorak and Dylan Strome.

Regardless of why he’s now available, a player with Vermette’s track record is likely going to draw a fair amount of interest from other clubs. However, the Boston Bruins should not be among those teams, at least that’s the opinion of Joe Haggerty writing for CSNNE.com.

Haggerty argues that signing the 34-year-old Vermette doesn’t mesh with the Bruins’ desire to get younger. I’d argue there isn’t much of a fit in Bean Town since the Bruins already boast Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci at the center position. The team also added David Backes as a free agent and he comes with plenty of experience in the middle. Even if they decided to play Backes on the wing, Boston lists 24-year-old Ryan Spooner as a center and he is coming off a career high 49-point season. There just doesn’t seem to be room for Vermette on this roster.

Now, more from around the league.

  • The list of available free agents may increase by one as Allan Walsh, the agent for former NHLer Martin Havlat, has indicated via tweet his client is currently training with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech League with the intent of returning to the NHL next season. Havlat appeared in just two contests for the St. Louis Blues in 2015-16 before leaving the club for “personal reasons.” He had earned a job with the team after signing a PTO in October. Prior to his abbreviated stint with St. Louis, Havlat had skated in 788 NHL games, spending time with Ottawa, Chicago, Minnesota, San Jose and New Jersey. At one point Havlat was one of the league’s top young offensive players, tallying 31 goals and 37 assists for the Senators in 2003-04, playing most of the season as a 22-year-old. Those prolific scoring days are long gone and in recent seasons Havlat has produced roughly 0.5 Pts/Game. That doesn’t mean a team won’t take a flier on the talented Czech in hopes he can produce even at that level and hold down a regular spot in their top-nine on the cheap.
  • The expansion Las Vegas franchise continues to assemble its front office staff with the club announcing the hiring of Kelly McCrimmon as assistant general manager. McCrimmon, has been the majority owner, GM and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. He has won the WHL’s Executive of the Year award three times since 1995. It was reported earlier this summer that Las Vegas had requested permission from Washington to interview their assistant GM, Ross Mahoney, for the same role. Of course GM George McPhee knows Mahoney well from their days together in the Capitals front office so the potential fit was obvious. It’s not known whether Washington refused permission for Vegas to speak with Mahoney or if the club just elected to go in a different direction.
  • In other management news, the Edmonton Oilers are expected to name Keith Gretzky as an assistant GM, a recent rumor all but confirmed via tweet from Bob McKenzie of TSN. Gretzky is of course the brother of Wayne and has served as the director of amateur scouting for the Boston Bruins, where he worked under current Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli. Obviously Gretzky made a good impression on Chiarelli during their time together in Boston.

 

Snapshots: NHLPA, Boston’s Prospects, Murphy

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Ian McLaren writes that the NHLPA has hired Bruce Meyer as the senior director of collective bargaining, policy, and legal. NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr commented that the hiring brings someone in who has over three decades of legal experience. The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on September 15, 2022. However, the league or the player’s union can opt out of the current early, just at different dates. As long as it is delivered in writing, the NHL can opt out on September 1, 2019. The NHLPA can opt out on September 15, 2019.

The addition of Meyer brings more talent into the NHLPA’s fold  as many analysts felt the NHL “won” the last round of labor war. There have been work stoppages in each of the last three negotiations which included an entire season wiped out in 2004-05. Both the 1994-95 and 2012-13 were shortened as a result of the league and player’s union’s negotiations.

In other NHL news:

  • Joe Haggerty writes that prospects Ryan Donato and Ryan Fitzgerald are on their way in terms of development. Both are currently playing college hockey, Donato with Harvard and Fitzgerald with Boston College. While Donato is entering his sophomore season that is full of promise, Fitzgerald is gearing up for what will be his final season playing college hockey. Haggerty reports that Fitzgerald, coming off a 47 point (27-20) campaign in 2015-16, seems to be saying the right things in terms of joining the Bruins upon graduation. However, as Haggerty points out, anything is possible should Fitzgerald have a dominant senior season.
  • Sarah McLellan reports that with the signings of Connor Murphy and Michael Stone, the defensive corps are all but solidified. Though McLellan points out more moves could happen, she writes that the Coyotes are happy with the long term deal with Murphy, who appeared to take the next step in his development last season. Stone, who suffered a season ending knee injury, expressed his desire to put in the work to earn a long term deal down the road.

Arizona Coyotes Depth Chart

Boston Bruins Depth Chart

 

Snapshots: Marchand, Kreider, Monahan, Gaudreau

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Joe Haggerty reports that the Bruins and forward Brad Marchand are inching closer to a deal and that all signs point to something getting done sooner rather than later. While on Boston’s 98.5 The Sports Hub with Toucher and Rich, Haggerty indicated that while the asking price is hefty, Marchand and the Bruins have a strong mutual interest in one another. He points to Marchand’s recruitment of David Backes, as a paramount reason Marchand is in no hurry to leave Boston. Further, Haggerty writes that the Bruins wouldn’t want to let go of a player who plays in any situation on the ice and is still in his late 20’s. He also points out his knack for goal scoring as 37 of his 61 points last season ended up in the back of the net. While he won’t come cheap, Haggerty expects the B’s to pony up.

In other news around the league:

  • Larry Brooks reports that Chris Kreider is approaching the 2016-17 season with a new mindset–one that will get him more on the scoresheet and less into his own head.  Brooks writes that Kreider says he “knows the type of player he wants to be.” Brooks recalls a NY Post article last season where Kreider lamented his inability to play well on a given night, revealing a bruised psyche.
    Too often, Brooks reports, Kreider was not on the scoresheet and failed to play with “authority,” on the ice. Brooks points to the crease crash with Carey Price during game one of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals as a possible turning point in Kreider’s net presence. Kreider injured Price on the play when he slammed into the goaltender after being tripped on a breakaway. Brooks wonders, as he puts on his amateur psychologist hat, if that moment scared Kreider away from driving harder to the net.
    Despite the psychological concerns, Kreider didn’t fall off in goal production (21) and only slightly fell below his 2014-15 numbers, where he had 46 points (21-25) compared to his 43 points (21-22) in 2015-16. Perhaps the four-year, $18.5MM investment the Rangers made with him could serve as another buoy to Kreider’s confidence.
  • The Calgary Flames are still trying to put deals together for restricted free agents Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan writes NBC’s Joey Alfieri. Calgary general manager Brad Treliving says that there is “no real update there” and that the Flames will keep plugging away to get a deal done. Both forwards are considered the foundation of the Flames offense and will not come at a cheap price, though Monahan did indicate he would take a discount from the fair market price. What should excite Flames fans is that both Monahan and Gaudreau are seeking long term deals–guaranteeing a pairing of high scoring forwards in the Calgary fold for years to come.

Boston Bruins Depth Chart

New York Rangers Depth Chart

Calgary Flames Depth Chart

 

 

 

 

 

The Latest In The Jimmy Vesey Saga

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The story of highly-sought-after pending UFA Jimmy Vesey has taken a few twists and turns in the last few months: Vesey allegedly told the Predators he would sign with them, then didn’t and denied ever saying he would. He was traded to Buffalo, where he would have the chance to play with good friend Jack Eichel. Despite the opportunity in Buffalo, Vesey has remained firm about getting to free agency on August 15.

It’s believed the Bruins, Maple Leafs, and Sabres are among the frontrunners to land Vesey; he played in Harvard, his dad and brother are currently in Toronto as a scout and draft pick respectively, and the Sabres have his friend Eichel and paid a third round pick to acquire him. However, Vesey’s agent Peter Donatelli told Powers his camp won’t “pigeonhole” themselves by making a decision before speaking to teams. Now it appears that a new team has entered the sweepstakes: the powerhouse Chicago Blackhawks.

Donatelli told The Athletic’s Scott Powers that Chicago “will be a team we want to talk to on August 15”.

On the surface, there appears to be a great fit with Chicago on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. The pairing played with several different players last season after Brandon Saad was traded to Columbus last summer. The Blackhawks can offer him a big chance to play with two of the best players in the game and a chance to win now, whereas the other teams believed to be on the list are all in various states of rebuilding or re-tooling. Vesey would also give the Blackhawks a cheap young talent to help offset the recent losses of Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw.

With the power squarely in Vesey’s hands to choose his destination, Donatelli said it will be up to each team to sell their program to Vesey.

More On The Blackhawks, Jimmy Vesey

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Kristi Loucks of Today’s Slapshot writes today on the emerging speculation surrounding Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Jimmy Vesey, who can become an unrestricted free agent on August 15th, when his draft rights expire, and the Chicago Blackhawks. We’ve discussed before the talk surrounding Vesey and the Blackhawks, and the news that Stan Bowman has been going to Foxboro, Massachusetts to watch Vesey play summer games.

Loucks mentions the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs as other teams that will be in the running for Vesey’s services. In season-long speculation involving Vesey, his ties to Sabres’ forward Jack Eichel are often brought up, as are his having been raised in Boston, and the fact that his father Jim is a scout for the Leafs, and his brother Nolan is a Leafs prospect himself.

Loucks discusses the benefits available in Chicago for Vesey. Obviously they’re a legitimate contender, having won the Stanley Cup three times this decade, but they’re unique for a contender in that they offer a large amount of playing time immediately for a young player. The Blackhawks aren’t particularly deep at left wing, and assuming Calder Trophy winner Artemi Panarin stays on the second line with Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane, Vesey could find the opportunity to play top minutes with future Hall of Fame linemates in Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa.

Atlantic Notes: Boston, Brassard, Stamkos

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Yesterday, Boston completed an under-the-radar coaching move, promoting Kevin Dean to head coach with the Providence Bruins.  Dean has been part of the Bruins organization for a long time now, including spending the last five seasons as an assistant in Providence.

With his promotion, current NHL bench boss Claude Julien’s rear-end is now squarely on the hot seat (if it wasn’t already, after missing the playoffs for two straight seasons), and another disappointing year may cause the loyal Dean to make another jump. The 47-year old’s best skill may be his ability to develop young defensemen, and will have a strong group to work with in the AHL this season.

  • Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citzen writes that experience was a big factor in the Senators’ decision to trade for Derick Brassard yesterday. The team had to give up 23-year old Mika Zibanejad to do it, but they feel that the veteran Brassard was worth the loss. With 563 NHL games under his belt, the 28-year old has established himself as a legitimate second-line center in the NHL, capable of playing in both ends of the rink.  He and Zibanejad will try to build on 2015-16 with their new clubs, after each scored 50+ points last year.
  • Yesterday agent Pat Morris was on TSN 1050 discussing the interview window that Steven Stamkos experienced before ultimately re-signing with Tampa Bay this year, and (via Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot) confirmed that a team could have sponsorship representatives in the meeting with the player to entice him somewhat. When asked if the Canadian Tire CEO was in the Maple Leafs meeting, Morris was a little diplomatic in his answer: “If there were any meetings, and if Canadian Tire was there, Canadian Tire owns Sport Chek, and Steven Stamkos has an existing deal with that company.”  

Minor Transactions: 7/18/16

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Here’s where you can find minor transactions for today.

  • New Jersey announced the re-signing of defenseman Reece Scarlett to a one year, two-way deal.  Scarlett will make $600K at the NHL level.  Last season, he played in 60 games with the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Albany, scoring four goals and 22 assists.
  • Aaron Portzline tweets that 2015 first round pick Jack Roslovic has agreed to an entry-level, three-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets. Roslovic also tweeted confirmation of the deal. Roslovic was the 25th overall pick of the Jets in the 2015 draft. However, he enrolled at Miami University and tallied 26 points (10-16) in 36 games. Portzline writes that Roslovic will most likely play for the London Knights in 2016-17, though because he was drafted from the US developmental team, he is eligible to play in the NHL or AHL.
  • The New York Rangers have signed Robin Kovacs to an entry-level deal for three years. Kovacs was a third round pick of the team in 2015. Last season with AIK, Kovacs had 34 points (21-13) in 44 games.
  • Joe Haggerty tweets that the Boston Bruins have announced the hiring of Kevin Dean as the next head coach of AHL affiliate Providence. Mark Divver reports that the job was offered to Dean on Friday. Dean was the assistant coach for Providence under former bench boss Bruce Cassidy, who is now an assistant coach with the Bruins.

Latest On The Bruins

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While Boston GM Don Sweeney would be okay with going into the season with the roster the team currently has, he noted to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that he is still exploring opportunities to add to the current team.  Sweeney noted that the team still has plenty of cap flexibility (about $6.7MM according to Cap Friendly) by design but that he also values that flexibility moving into next couple of years as well which could affect their willingness to take on a longer-term contract, either in free agency or via trade.

More on the Bruins:

  • Also in Conroy’s piece, the Bruins will name their new AHL head coach next week. Kevin Dean is believed to be the favorite to get the job in Providence while Keith McCambridge is also known to have interviewed.
  • Within the span of just over a year, Boston has dramatically revamped and improved their prospect depth on the back end, writes WEEI’s DJ Bean. Sweeney mentioned that it had been an area of focus at the draft and the team has added five blueliners in the first two rounds of the last two drafts.  Of those players, Bean suggests Brandon Carlo (37th overall in 2015) is closest to being NHL ready but with seven defensemen on one-way deals, there may not be a spot for him to step in right away.  With just seven games of pro experience under his belt though, a trip to Providence would certainly be beneficial for the 19 year old.
  • Prospect winger Jimmy Vesey, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on August 15th, told CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty that Boston is definitely on the short list of teams he plans to talk to. The 23 year old Massachusetts native grew up a Bruins fan and it has long been speculated that Boston should be considered a front runner to secure his services.
  • In a separate column from Haggerty, Sweeney noted that both David Krejci and Torey Krug are both on track in their recovery schedules from offseason surgery.  Krug had shoulder surgery on April 21st with an expected recovery of six months which could cause him to miss a handful of games to start next season while Krejci had hip surgery four days later with a five month timetable.

Boston In Negotiations With Brad Marchand

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The Boston Bruins have had an interesting summer so far. After negotiating all season with Loui Eriksson, the forward eventually signed a huge deal with the Vancouver Canucks. The team tried to replace his production by bringing in former St. Louis Blues captain David Backes on a long-term deal, securing their center position for the immediate future.

It’s the wing that now needs attention, as the team has started negotiations with all-star winger Brad Marchand on a contract extension, according to D.J. Bean of WEEI. Marchand, 28, has one year remaining on his current deal, after which he would become an unrestricted free agent. After scoring 37 goals this past season, the diminutive winger (who doesn’t play like it) will be in for a huge raise.

In the six seasons that he has been a regular in the Bruins’ lineup, Marchand has eclipsed 20 goals all but once – the lockout shortened 2012-13 season, in which he scored 18 in 45 games.  After breaking out even further last season, the former third-round pick will probably be looking for a contract larger than that of Eriksson, who brought in a total of $36MM over six seasons.  If he can put up another 30-plus goal season, he’ll probably command the maximum seven years, at somewhere between $6-7MM per – that is, unless the team can get him under contract before he hits the open market.

Bruins Re-Sign Colin Miller and Joe Morrow

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The Boston Bruins have agreed to terms on one-way contracts with restricted free agent defensemen Colin Miller and Joe Morrow, according to a pair of tweets from General Fanager.

Miller made his NHL debut last season with the Bruins after being acquired last offseason as part of the Milan Lucic trade.  He got into 42 games with Boston, collecting three goals and 13 assists while averaging 15:48 of ice time per game.  He also saw action with Providence of the AHL (Boston’s minor league affiliate), playing in 20 games, collecting four goals and eight assists.  Miller receives a two year deal and will earn $900K in 2016-17 and $1.1MM the following season for a cap hit of $1MM.

Morrow was acquired by the Bruins in 2013 as part of the blockbuster Tyler Seguin trade.  He played in 33 games with Boston last season, scoring a single goal to go along with six assists while averaging 15:54 per game.  In 48 career NHL contests, all with the Bruins, the former first round pick (23rd overall in 2011 by Pittsburgh) has two goals and six helpers.  Morrow receives a one year pact worth $800K.

The Bruins have just two remaining restricted free agents to re-sign in prospects Brian Ferlin and Chris Casto.

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