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Minor Transactions: 07/10/19

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Like always, as teams prepare their organizational depth charts for the upcoming season we’ll be right here tracking all the minor moves:

  • The Stockton Heat have signed three players to AHL contracts, bringing in Zac Leslie, Alex Gallant and Jeremy McKenna. While the first two already have plenty of AHL experience, McKenna will be getting his first taste of professional hockey after scoring 45 goals and 97 points for the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats last season. The 20-year old appeared at both Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames development camp recently and earned himself a deal.
  • The Belleville Senators have signed Jack Dougherty to a one-year AHL contract, bringing in the former top prospect to fight for playing time in the minor leagues. Dougherty was originally selected in the second round in 2014, but failed to receive a qualifying offer last month from the Buffalo Sabres and became an unrestricted free agent.

Flames Trying To Free Up Cap Space

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Aside from changing veteran goaltenders, Calgary has been relatively quiet this offseason.  With several players still in need of new contracts, GM Brad Treliving’s focus has predominantly been on trying to get those deals done.  However, he acknowledged to reporters, including Postmedia’s Kristen Anderson, that they have been active in trying to free up cap room but haven’t found a deal that makes sense just yet.

As their roster currently stands, they have a little under $9.5MM in salary cap space, per CapFriendly.  While that may seem like a fair bit, they have several restricted free agents in need of new contracts.  Winger Sam Bennett and goaltender David Rittich are the notables among those that filed for salary arbitration while wingers Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane weren’t eligible for arbitration but also need new deals.  With the way the top end of the RFA market looks, Tkachuk alone will take up most of that remaining salary cap room.  Bennett ($1.95MM qualifying offer) and Rittich ($840K qualifying offer) figure to get a fair bit more as well.  Clearly, some movement will need to occur.

It was reported earlier this offseason that the Flames were looking to move one of defenseman T.J. Brodie ($4.65MM) or Travis Hamonic ($3.857MM).  They are each a season away from unrestricted free agency and with quality young depth behind them in Juuso Valimaki, Rasmus Andersson, and Oliver Kylington, they have the depth in place to replace from within which would free up a few million to spend on their RFAs.

Calgary would undoubtedly like to get out from under James Neal’s contract which has four years at a $5.75MM AAV remaining.  That would take a considerable sweetener which is something that Treliving likely isn’t going to want to do.  Winger Michael Frolik has also been in trade speculation dating back to last season and is entering the final year of his deal at $4.3MM.  He’s more of a realistic trade candidate of the two veterans.

The fact that four players filed for arbitration (the other two were defenseman Rinat Valiev and winger Ryan Lomberg) opens up a second buyout window for the Flames to use.  There is one possible candidate that could be bought out in blueliner Michael Stone.  He missed most of last season due to a blood clot but did return in April so he should be able to be deemed healthy enough for a buyout.  Doing so would cost them $1.167MM per year for the next two seasons which would free up a little more than $2.3MM for this summer.

Treliving has some options and with the second buyout window only opening up after all four players that filed for arbitration sign, he has some time to work with as well.  That said, the Flames will need to free up some salary cap space as the summer progresses and it may be easier to do so while there are still free agents in play over waiting until closer to training camp when most rosters are close to being set.

Morning Notes: Dzingel, Hall, Kadri

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Ryan Dzingel is arguably the top remaining unrestricted free agent, ranked No. 12 overall by PHR and the leading scorer this past season among all available names. Yet, there’s been surprisingly little noise surrounding Dzingel, a 27-year-old coming off of a career high’s across the board. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that some teams are skeptical about Dzingel’s potential for production, not based on his year overall but rather his late-season stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets. After being moved at the NHL Trade Deadline by the Ottawa Senators, Dzingel recorded just 12 points in 21 games with Columbus and eventually lost the trust of the coaching staff in the postseason, with one point in nine games earning him a healthy scratch. Brooks remarks that the Blue Jackets’ lack of interest in retaining Dzingel, a former star at nearby Ohio State University, is one of several “red flags” for the young winger this off-season.

It’s likely that price is playing a role in Dzingel’s market as well. After a 56-point campaign, Dzingel’s camp was though to be seeking a $5MM AAV over a long-term contract. In a vacuum, that would seem to be a fair offer, but in a market where many teams are closer to the salary cap limit than expected, a player who is coming off a disappointing final few months of the season may need to lower his expectations. That rings especially true if he wants to land with one of his reported top destinations and a team known to have interest, the Chicago Blackhawks. Dzingel is an Illinois native and his skill set would seem to fit in perfectly with his hometown Blackhawks, who could still use another top-six winger. However, The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope writes that the team would have to move out a player, likely Artem Anisimov or Connor Murphy, to accommodate Dzingel’s salary demands. Until that happens, Pope cites GM Stan Bowman, who recently said his roster is “pretty full” and currently only in need of “housekeeping”. That doesn’t mean that Chicago, whose off-season moves have pointed toward a deep desire to return to contender status, will not continue to pursue Dzingel, but it may prove too difficult at his current asking price. If the scoring winger wants to ensure he has a long-term fit in a place that he’d like to be, Dzingel could consider taking a lesser deal to join the Blackhawks.

  • Another team looking to return to the playoffs are the New Jersey Devils and GM Ray Shero and company have certainly done their part in that pursuit this summer, drafting Jack Hughes, trading for P.K. Subban, and signing Wayne Simmonds. While the ultimate goal is to become a contender as soon as possible, the more pressing need – also with that goal in mind – is to convince superstar forward Taylor Hall that New Jersey is a team worth staying with to win a Stanley Cup. Hall is an impending free agent next summer and could be in line for a record-breaking contract, whether he tests the open market or not. The Devils have the cap space to meet his salary demands, but needed to focus this off-season on improving the talent around him after a season in which the team finished well outside the playoff picture. On paper, New Jersey should return to relevance next season and early indications are that Hall is happy with the transformation. In an interview with TSN, the 2018 Hart Trophy winner said that seeing the summer used to improve the talent level of the team and inject new blood after a disappointing campaign is exactly what you want to see. He added that Shero asked his opinion of the Subban trade before it was made and that he was totally on board and excited to play with his fellow star. All signs point to Hall being in favor of these off-season changes and eager to get started with the new season. If the Devils perform to the level they should on paper, Hall will have much more reason to consider a long-term extension to stay in New Jersey.
  • New Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri could have gone elsewhere if he wanted. The Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons reports that Kadri flexed his No-Trade Clause to block a trade to the Calgary Flames. Even after taking calls from Flames GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bill Peters, Kadri nixed a deal that would have seen he and Connor Brown, now an Ottawa Senator, go to Calgary in exchange for T.J. Brodie and Mark Jankowski. Simmons did not explain why Kadri was anti-Calgary, but did note that the fit in Colorado is better. As for the end result for the Leafs, Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot are a better package, but cost the the team young defenseman Calle Rosen, who Simmons states they did not wish to move, as well as a third-round pick. Also, Brodie would have been a more affordable defenseman to re-sign compare to Barrie, who could very well price himself out of Toronto after one year. It’s a toss up on which deal would have been better had Kadri not put his foot down.

Calgary Flames Sign Justin Kirkland

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The Calgary Flames have added an interesting prospect to their minor league ranks, signing Justin Kirkland to a one-year, two-way contract according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Kirkland became an unrestricted free agent when the Nashville Predators decided not to issue him a qualifying offer last week. The deal is worth $700K at the NHL level.

Kirkland, 22, was a third-round pick of the Predators five years ago and has played in their minor league system for the past three seasons. In 2018-19 he recorded 30 points in 75 games, but failed to get a sniff at the next level. The 6’3″ forward is a former WHL champion with the Kelowna Rockets, a team that also included Flames forward Dillon Dube and several other NHL players (Leon Draisaitl and Josh Morrissey immediately come to mind).

There’s no guarantee that Kirkland ever becomes more than a depth player at the minor league level, but at his young age there’s very little risk in finding out. The Flames will have to pass him through waivers in order to loan him to the Stockton Heat, but without any NHL experience that shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Flames Sign Brandon Davidson, Byron Froese

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After adding goalie Cam Talbot earlier, the Calgary Flames have addressed their depth at the other two positions, signing defenseman Brandon Davidson and forward Byron Froese, per team releases. Both veteran players have signed one-year, two-way contracts with NHL AAV’s of $700K.

Both Davidson, 27, and Froese, 28, have bounced around the hockey world of late and are hoping to find more stability by landing in Calgary. Davidson, an Alberta native, has spent two stints with the Edmonton Oilers, as well as time with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Chicago Blackhawks in the last four years alone. Davidson has struggled to score at the NHL level, but has shown that he can be a dominant physical force at times. Froese, from nearby Manitoba, did not see any NHL action last year, but was traded nonetheless from the Montreal Canadiens to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was the second time in three years he had been traded and Philly became his fourth team in that span, joining Montreal, Tampa Bay, and Toronto. Like Davidson, Froese has really never been more than a part-time player at the highest level due to concerns about his offensive ability. However, he has established himself as a solid two-way forward.

Given the depth that the Flames have on both the blue line and up front, the odds are the Davidson and Froese will spend much of next season with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. However, their NHL experience and reliable defensive ability should make them top call-up options for Calgary when injuries strike.

Cam Talbot Signs With Calgary Flames

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As has been rumored for some time, the Calgary Flames have pegged former rival goaltender Cam Talbot as the newest addition to their goalie tandem. The team has announced a one-year deal worth $2.75MM for the former starter, who should compete for the same role in Calgary. With Mike Smith headed to the Edmonton Oilers, it only seems fitting that Talbot land with the Flames to share the net with David Rittich. 

Talbot, 31, isn’t necessarily coming in to steal the starting role for the Flames, but GM Brad Treliving has tried to have competition in the net for the last several years. Rittich will almost surely get the first crack at the job, though given he only has 58 NHL starts under his belt the team needed to bring in a little more experience just in case. Talbot will be that experience but he too has something to prove coming off a dreadful season with the Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers. In 35 appearances he recorded a .892 save percentage, easily the worst number of his career.

Even if Rittich is the starter heading into the season, the Flames would obviously love to see Talbot rediscover his game and become the goaltender that finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting in 2017. That season he went 42-22-8 for the Oilers and posted a .919 save percentage, starting an incredible 73 games. With a reduced load and better defensive unit, perhaps he can get back to that level again and help the Flames as contenders in the West.

Garnet Hathaway Unlikely To Remain With Calgary

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Garnet Hathaway appears to be on his way out of Calgary.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the winger is looking at a few options in the East.  The 27-year-old is coming off a career year with the Flames that saw him go from a depth option to an important piece of their fourth line.  He chipped in with 19 points (11-8-19) in 78 games along with a team-high 200 hits.  That should be enough to land Hathaway a multi-year deal this summer at a nice raise over the $850K he made last season.

Mike Smith Signs With Edmonton Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed veteran goaltender Mike Smith on the first day of free agency. Smith will earn $2MM on a one-year contract

With Mikko Koskinen under contract as their 1A, the Oilers have been looking for a 1B option in goal, but with little money to spend and quite a few holes to fill, the team didn’t have the option of signing one of the high-priced goalies on the market. While Smith has been a solid goaltender in previous years and was even an all-star in the 2017-18 season, the 37-year-old has declined more recently. He appeared in 42 games last season, but saw his save percentage drop below .900 for the first time since the 2010-11 season as he finished the year with at .898. However, the team hopes that Smith can rebound while sharing the net with Koskinen.

Smith would replace Cam Talbot, who was reported earlier today as likely to sign with Calgary, who served as the backup in Edmonton last year until the team traded him to Philadelphia. The Oilers picked up Anthony Stolarz in the deal, but didn’t show much interest in bringing him back. Smith should provide some stability next to Koskinen, who the team locked up to a three-year, $13.5MM deal earlier this year.

UFA Notes: Perry, Dzingel, Lee, Zuccarello, Talbot, Gilmour

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Perhaps one of the most interesting free agents out there seems to be Corey Perry. The veteran forward, recently bought out by the Anaheim Ducks has received interest from at least 10 teams, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli. The 34-year-old winger is trying to narrow his choices to the best three to four today, but new teams keep jumping into the mix.

Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that three or four teams are aggressively pursuing Perry as several teams are looking for a short-term option to help their team immediately. The Edmonton Oilers are considered one the four teams as they are trying to add as much help to the team’s top-six as possible, hoping that Perry might be able to help either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Perry was limited to just 34 games last season, posting six goals and 10 points.

  • Ryan Dzingel’s name has heated up recently as Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that the scorer will not be returning to Columbus even with his Ohio ties. Reports that he clashed with head coach John Tortorella in his tenure with the Blue Jackets have made him look elsewhere. However, Sporting News Canada’s Murray Pam reports that two teams are vying for the 27 year old’s services, including the Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche. The Blackhawks could make the most sense for Dzingel as Chicago attempted to trade for him at the trade deadline, before he ended up with Columbus, and he also own a home in the Chicago area. Dzingel scored 26 goals and had 56 points between Ottawa and Columbus last season and could be a great second-line target for the right team.
  • With Anders Lee seemingly less and less likely to re-sign with the New York Islanders, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Montreal Canadiens go after the 28-year-old winger. Lee, who has tallied 68 goals over the past two seasons is looking for a long-term deal, which the Islanders have balked at so far. However, the Canadiens who are loaded with plenty of young forwards may be interested in adding a veteran leader who can help out both on the ice and in the locker room.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) reports that the Minnesota Wild are actively pursuing unrestricted free agent forward Mats Zuccarello and are prepared to offer him a long-term deal. The scribe adds that the Columbus Blue Jackets are also in the mix for the rights to the veteran forward. The 31-year-old was traded to Dallas at the trade deadline this year and he performed well in the playoffs (four goals and 11 points in 13 games), but the two opted to part ways when contract negotiations fell apart. The Wild have approximately $17.4MM in cap room to spend this offseason, although they still have to sign several of their restricted free agents, including Kevin Fiala, Ryan Donato and Joel Eriksson Ek. Russo adds the team is also looking at forward Ryan Hartman.
  • Flames radio host Pat Steinberg reports that all signs point to the Calgary Flames signing goaltender Cam Talbot Monday, likely to a one-year deal. Calgary looks like they intend to part ways with veteran Mike Smith, which could give Talbot, who has been playing for the rival Oilers for the past four years, minus the last few months when he was traded to Philadelphia. Talbot struggled last season with a 3.40 GAA and a .892 save percentage in 35 games between the two teams.
  • Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that there is mutual interest between the Buffalo Sabres and unrestricted free agent defenseman John Gilmour, who became a Group 6 free agent this offseason. After appearing in 28 games in the 2017-18 season, Gilmour appeared in just five games this season and didn’t look to be in the team’s plans with so many young blueliners passing him. Regardless, the 26-year-old fared well in the AHL, putting up 20 goals and 54 points in 70 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Flames Re-Sign Alan Quine

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The Flames have agreed to terms with center Alan Quine, announcing that they have re-signed the restricted free agent to a one-year, two-way contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Quine split last season between Calgary and their AHL affiliate in Stockton.  At the minor league level, he was among the league leaders in points per game as he picked up 52 points in just 41 games.  While he wasn’t as prolific of a scorer with the Flames, he chipped in relatively well in the NHL with three goals and two helpers in 13 contests.

Between Calgary and the Islanders (who non-tendered him back in 2018), the 26-year-old has 97 games of NHL experience under his belt with nine goals and 18 assists.  He’s likely to be in a similar role next season as he was in 2018-19 where he’s initially ticketed to start in the minors but should serve as one of the first recalls if someone is injured up front.  Quine will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason.

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