- When Flames’ goalie Jon Gillies was signed to a two-way contract a few weeks ago, many wondered how much that would impact the team’s future plans in net. Gillies had a solid win in his first NHL start last season, but struggled slightly in Stockton. The 6’6 goalie is a third-round pick from 2012, but was solid in Providence and has shown flashes of brilliance at only 23. Gillies will need to string together a solid performance at the AHL level and hope for either Mike Smith or Eddie Lack to falter or fall to injury, as the two acquisitions by GM Brad Treliving put him in an unenviable position. The possibility of a goaltending carousel in Calgary seems more possible than many are willing to admit, especially if Gillies or Tyler Parsons push the issue from the minors with stellar performance. This will only be Gillies’ second pro season, after all, and he has the talent to make things interesting.
[SOURCE LINK]
Flames Rumors
Hurricanes, Flames Hire Analytics Experts
The analytics movement in hockey is no longer a novel thing. Nearly every team has embraced advanced analytics, with some teams housing entire analytics departments even. Thus, it is no surprise when teams announce that they have hired an analytics expert to their front office staff. What remains interesting however is where some teams find these new additions. Last year, the Vegas Golden Knights hired General Fanager creator Tom Poraszka as a Hockey Operations Analyst to help get their player evaluations off an running ahead of the NHL Expansion Draft and Entry Draft. Now, it seems the Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames have taken a page out of that book.
The Hurricanes announced today that they have hired datarink.com creator Kevin Kan to join their staff. Kan will be given the title of Data Engineer and will surely have similar duties to the function of his website. Data Rink was a hockey statistics visualizations site, scraping NHL data and putting it into forms that better displayed the co-mingling of different stats and advanced analytics. Carolina has already put together a talented and extremely deep defensive corps, not to mention acquiring their presumed franchise goalie in Scott Darling, but need to find a way to boost scoring. Whether examining data from draft-eligible prospects or current pros, Kan can help GM Ron Francis in his search for that missing link up front that can take the ’Canes to contender status.
The Flames had a similar thought, hiring David Johnson, the mind behind both hockeyanalysis.com and puckalytics.com, which have already been taken down. Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported the hire, adding that Calgary has recently been focused on improving its analytics ability. Johnson is a good fit for the job, as he was one of the first to adopt and explore both Corsi and Fenwick, major advanced analytic statistics. Unlike Kan, who simply displayed data in creative ways, Johnson has used his analysis to often fight for or against the value of one player or another. Johnson has had his fair share of both hits and misses in that practice, but what he provides to the Flames is a knowledge base and different point of view on any projects and questions facing GM Brad Treliving, who has been plenty busy this off-season with the addition of Travis Hamonic, Spencer Foo, Mike Smith, and Eddie Lack already. Now that the championship window is open in Calgary, Johnson will come in handy when evaluation is necessary to make sure no further moves derail those title chances.
While it is tough for fans to see some of their favorite analytics sites continue to disappear, it is refreshing to see the game continue to embrace analytics and those leading the charge find employment at the highest level.
Calgary Flames Name Don Maloney VP Of Hockey Operations
The Calgary Flames have made some front office moves today, including promoting Don Maloney to Vice President of Hockey Operations. Maloney spent last season in Calgary as a pro scout after being the GM of the Arizona Coyotes for nine seasons. The team has also re-signed Craig Conroy and Brad Pascall to their current Assistant GM roles, while announcing several changes to their other front office staff titles.
Maloney was fired by the Coyotes last summer after another poor finish and replaced with John Chayka, who immediately started his restructuring of the Arizona team. There had been plenty of issues surrounding the Coyotes including the John Scott All-Star incident in which the team and league tried to get him to bow out.
In Calgary he will still report directly to GM Brad Treliving, who was extended this summer to a multi-year deal after building quite the team. The Flames are an early favorite for a deep playoff run after continuing to add to their defense by acquiring Travis Hamonic and re-signing Michael Stone.
Top 2018 Draft Picks That Have Already Been Traded
About 11 months from now, 31 NHL general managers will come together in a room with thousands of people watching and select the next group of young players destined to make it to the professional ranks. The 2018 NHL Entry Draft will be a huge event, mostly because of the elite talent that will be available at the top.
Without a clear consensus on the top pick so far, the next year will be extremely interesting to watch for prospect hounds. Andrei Svechnikov, Rasmus Dahlin, Joe Veleno, Quinn Hughes and others all have incredible talent, and could push for the top spot with a big year (and perhaps a growth spurt or two). Like this year, we could also see a relative outsider like Nico Hischier fly up the ranks to take over the top spot by draft day. One thing is for sure though, that there is plenty of talent to find in the first round and beyond at next year’s draft.
It has already been clear that teams don’t want to give up their 2018 draft picks, as we saw with the collection of selections acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights. They have multiple second-round picks in 2019 and 2020, but couldn’t secure an extra top pick in 2018. That said, there have already been many transactions that have moved picks around. Here are the teams that have acquired extra picks in the first three rounds of the 2018 draft (key player traded in parentheses).
Arizona Coyotes:
Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from Minnesota Wild (Hanzal)
Detroit Red Wings:
Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick (OTT) from New York Rangers (Smith)
Florida Panthers:
Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from Arizona Coyotes (Crouse)
Minnesota Wild:
Acquired 2018 3rd-round pick from Buffalo Sabres (Scandella)
Acquired 2018 3rd-round pick from Vegas Golden Knights (Tuch)
Montreal Canadiens:
Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from Chicago Blackhawks (Weise)
New York Islanders:
Acquired 2018 1st-round pick from Calgary Flames (Hamonic)
Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from Calgary Flames (Hamonic)
Philadelphia Flyers:
Acquired conditional 2018 1st-round from St. Louis Blues (Schenn)
Tampa Bay Lightning:
Acquired conditional 2018 2nd-round pick (WSH) from Montreal Canadiens (Drouin)
Toronto Maple Leafs:
Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from San Jose Sharks (Polak)
Acquired 2018 3rd-round pick from San Jose Sharks (Reimer)
Washington Capitals:
Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick (FLA) from New Jersey Devils (Johansson)
Acquired 2018 3rd-round pick (TOR) from New Jersey Devils (Johansson)
Drew Stafford Could Be This Year’s Kris Versteeg
Last summer, Kris Versteeg didn’t get much action on the free agent market. He was 30, coming off a 38 point season in which he was traded at the deadline—basically a tradition in the NHL at this point—and ended up signing in Switzerland because he couldn’t find a contract around the league. A one-year deal with SC Bern of the NLA and Versteeg could try to rebuild his value while enjoying the sights of Europe. It was surely a bit disappointing, but it was at least a contract with a professional team. Only the disappointment wouldn’t end there. 
Much later in the summer, Versteeg and Bern would end up terminating his contract because of some mixture of a failed medical and inability to gain insurance due to his previous hip injury, putting him back on the market after some NHL training camps had already begun. Again he was without a contract, and now without the ability to play in Europe (or at least for Bern) would have to slightly alter his plans. So Versteeg, the four-time 20-goal scorer and veteran of 550 NHL games, would sign a professional tryout with the (at that time) lowly Edmonton Oilers. With it came no guarantee of an NHL contract, but why not try out for a team close to home that has an up-and-coming core.
He’d stay with the Oilers for the next month, before abruptly signing with the rival Calgary Flames just a day before the two teams were set to kick off their seasons against each other. Versteeg’s deal would be for just $950K, and he’d pull on a Flames sweater on October 12th to open the year, playing 13:47 against the team he’d been practicing with for most of training camp. That $950K would go on to be quite a bargain, as Versteeg would put up 37 points in just 69 games and do enough to earn another contract—this time worth $1.75MM—with the Flames this spring.
This summer, there seems to be a similar player left out in the cold after all the free agent shopping has been done. Drew Stafford has had very little written about him since the free agent period began, other than some thought that Boston had quickly moved on from the idea of bringing him back. Like Versteeg, Stafford had been traded mid-season, where he found some success with the Bruins down the stretch by registering eight points in 18 games. Though not a top-line player anymore, he still can provide some secondary scoring in the right situation.
Stafford, less than a year older than Versteeg will turn 32 this October and could still help an NHL team even if he’s not the 30-goal scorer of his youth. He’s just a year removed from registering 21 goals, but looks like he may have to take a PTO of his own in order to showcase that he still has some game left in him. He can still be an effective penalty killer, and won’t hurt you defensively if deployed in a bottom-six role, but has the offensive chops to move up on a short-term basis to fill in for injury. He’s a worthwhile experiment on a no-risk PTO, especially with the upside of an almost-free 20-goal man.
If he can’t find work this year in the NHL, there is also the opportunity that the Olympics present as he could easily make a US squad that will be made up of mostly college-aged players. Stafford would instantly provide some international experience, as he won World Junior gold back in 2004 and has suited up for Team USA in the World Championships three times. And, iff not the Olympics, there’s always Bern* (*pending medical evaluation).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Dead Space: Bought-Out, Buried, And Retained Salaries For Every Team
It’s something that often goes unnoticed, but with the cap showing minimal growth the last few years, teams are starting to feel the crunch more than ever. Buyouts have become more common, especially with players with under three remaining years on their contracts. And it’s not just the big name busts that have seen the ax lately – we’ve seen lesser names at lesser money take the fall for their respective teams, then needing to scramble for work elsewhere in the league. Additionally, salary retention in trades has become a more utilized tactic as of late. Teams with “unmovable” contracts have offered to retain part of a poor contract in order to entice a team into giving them some relief.
All this said, some teams have been better with foresight than others. Some teams have shown a track record of being entirely unable of handing out poor contracts over the past five or so seasons. Considering many teams showed some progress in being more frugal this off-season, it seems a wise time to review the dead space every team has accumulated, either due to poor management decisions or poor luck.
Colorado Avalanche – $4.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Francois Beauchemin buyout; Cody McLeod retained
Arizona Coyotes – $4.61 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Mike Smith retained; Mike Ribeiro, Antoine Vermette buyouts
Columbus Blue Jackets – $4.025 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Fedor Tyutin, Jared Boll, Scott Hartnell buyouts
Carolina Hurricanes – $3.71 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Eddie Lack retained; Alexander Semin, James Wisniewski buyouts
Toronto Maple Leafs – $3.28 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2021-22 – Tim Gleason, Jared Cowen buyouts; Phil Kessel retained
Nashville Predators – $2.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Viktor Stalberg, Eric Nystrom, Barret Jackman buyouts
Boston Bruins – $2.73 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved 2019-20 – Dennis Seidenberg, Jimmy Hayes buyouts
New York Rangers – $2.61 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2022-23 – Dan Girardi buyout
Minnesota Wild – $2.5 MM in 2017-17, issues resolved after current year – Thomas Vanek buyout
Los Angeles Kings – $2.4 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Matt Greene buyout; Mike Richards termination/recapture
Edmonton Oilers – $2.33 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Lauri Korpikoski, Benoit Pouliot buyouts
Anaheim Ducks – $2.21 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Mark Fistric, Simon Despres buyouts; Patrick Maroon retained
Vancouver Canucks – $2.13 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2021-22 – Roberto Luongo, Jannik Hansen retained; Chris Higgins buyout
New Jersey Devils – $2.09 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Mike Cammalleri, Devante Smith-Pelly buyouts; Ilya Kovalchuk recapture
Tampa Bay Lightning – $1.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2019-20 – Matt Carle buyout
Calgary Flames – $1.82 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Mason Raymond, Lance Bouma, Ryan Murphy buyouts
Detroit Red Wings – $1.67 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Stephen Weiss buyout
Dallas Stars – $1.5 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19- Antti Niemi buyout
Philadelphia Flyers – $1.5 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – R.J. Umberger buyout
Winnipeg Jets – $1.46 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Mark Stuart buyout
Florida Panthers – $1.33 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Jussi Jokinen buyout
Las Vegas Golden Knights – $1.1 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Alexei Emelin retained
Ottawa Senators – $350,000 in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Andrew Hammond buried
Buffalo Sabres – Minimal in 2017-18, increased issues ($791,00) resolved after 2022-23 – Cody Hodgson buyout
Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens – No dead cap space
After compiling the list, it became clear that utilizing these options isn’t a complete hindrance to competing in the NHL. In fact, most clubs have between $1 MM and $3 MM in dead space. That said, of the teams that have not needed to utilize the buyout or retention options, there has been a great deal of success. And among the five worst offenders, the Leafs, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Avalanche, and Coyotes, none has moved past the first-round in multiple years. It’s hard to draw massive conclusions without taking the context of each individual situation into account, but there is something to be said for making every dollar of cap space count. Perhaps this is merely a byproduct of past success rather than an indicator of future success, but considering how amenable many managers have become to the option, it bears consideration.
(All totals courtesy of the fantastic CapFriendly.com)
Latest On Calgary’s Contract Talks
The Flames have had preliminary talks with agent J.P. Barry regarding a contract extension with center Mikael Backlund, GM Brad Treliving told Sportsnet 960 in Calgary. He noted that hopes that talks will pick up once the arbitration hearings finish off over the next couple of weeks. Considering that his contract doesn’t expire until next July, Treliving added that there’s no immediate rush to get something done:
“There’s no time pressure at this point right now. But we think Mikael is a really good player, an important player here, and we’d like to see if there’s a way to get something done and we’ll explore that.”
Backlund is entering the final season of a three-year deal that carries a cap hit of $3.575MM and is coming off a strong season for Calgary, one where he posted a career high in goals (22), assists (31), and points (53) which ranked him third in team scoring. Between that and the fact that centers are in high demand and short supply, he has positioned himself nicely for a sizable raise on this next contract whether it’s finalized this summer or later on.
Another center that is in need of a new contract is restricted free agent Sam Bennett. The 21-year-old is coming off his entry-level contract and struggled in his second full NHL season; his offensive numbers actually declined from his rookie campaign down to just 13 goals and 13 assists in 81 regular season games. He was ineligible for arbitration this time around and Treliving cautioned that it may take some time before they come to terms on a new contract:
“We continue to work at it. We’ll see. Those are interesting. If you look back here in the history – not just with our team, but really throughout the league of some of those players coming out of their entry-level contracts – history has shown that they tend to take a little bit of time.”
While a lot of teams have eschewed bridge deals in recent years, Bennett’s case is one where it still would make a lot of sense. Clearly, the Flames believe the former fourth overall pick from 2014 still has a lot of upside to offer but given the step back he took in 2016-17, the prudent move here may be to go for a short-term contract to get a longer look at what they have before committing the bigger money and term.
After inking goalies Jon Gillies and David Rittich to new deals on Saturday, Bennett is one of three remaining restricted free agents that the Flames need to re-sign. The other two are defensemen Brett Kulak and Tyler Wotherspoon.
Flames Sign Jon Gillies and David Rittich
The Calgary Flames have announced deals to secure their organizational goaltending depth, by signing both Jon Gillies and David Rittich to one year, two-way contracts. Gillies and Rittich have 80 minutes of NHL game experience between them, but should constitute a solid duo in the AHL affiliate Stockton. Either could be called up in case of injury, but Gillies is the more intriguing signing of the two.
For an organization who needed to clear the pipes after an embarrassing first-round sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, the team found two capable goaltenders in Mike Smith and Eddie Lack. That said, it is important for the Flames to have options in the eventuality of injury and/or poor performance. Gillies in particular has the potential to improve mightily this year. He had his NHL debut, a 4-1 win, last season, in addition to splitting the starting role (39 GP) in Stockton. The Providence alum has impressive size at 6’6, which makes him quite appealing. If he were able to bring his save percentage up from last season’s .910, he could get his fair share of action in the near future. His biggest test will be the sheer amount of games he will be relied upon this year – he’s never played more than 39 games in a season, pro or college. He does have poise going for him, and the pedigree he brings as a third-rounder means GM Brad Treliving and crew will be keeping a close eye on his progression.
Rittich also saw NHL action this season, in relief for a single period against the San Jose Sharks in April, where he conceded only one goal. Rittich, 6’3, was signed last year from the Czech Extraliga, but came quite in handy when Gillies went down to injury. He posted better stats (.924 save percentage) through his 31 games, and became the starting goaltender for the team in the playoffs where the team was quickly bounced. The Flames will want to provide Gillies solid competition to regain his net, and Rittich certainly fits that bill. His athleticism is not nearly on par with that of Gillies, but the technical aspects of his game are more refined at present. Going undrafted and being nearly a complete unknown, Rittich will need to prove that last year’s performance wasn’t a fluke if he wants to secure his North American future.
These deals are interesting in part because it seems to indicate that Calgary is still not totally certain of its long-term future when it comes to goalies. Neither of these players are certainties, while both of their NHL goaltenders are on short-term contracts. Lack, 29, only has one year remaining, while Smith, 35, has only two. Naturally, the Flames have selected goaltenders in early rounds in the past few years to stock the pipeline. Their 2014 second-round pick was utilized on Mason McDonald, then of the Charlottestown Islanders, while their 2016 second-rounder was used on London’s Tyler Parsons. McDonald struggled quite mightily in his over-age years in Charlottestown, and only played one game for Stockton in 2016-17 before spending the season in the ECHL. With the Rittich/Gillies duo locked up, he doesn’t have much of a path forward. Parsons looks far more promising, as the starter for London showed a moderate improvement in numbers while holding steady through the team’s playoff run. Still, at only 19, it’s nearly impossible to determine how he will progress from here. He could theoretically turn pro this season, as mentioned by the team’s goalie coach, but these signings will provide him with stiff competition for playing time. Calgary is certainly hoping that he can shine in the near future, but there are no guarantees. Ultimately, it’s a goaltending free-for-all in the Flames organization, and management is hoping that at least one of their prospects will pan out.
Calgary Flames Sign Juuso Valimaki To ELC
The Calgary Flames have signed their first-round pick from the recent draft, inking Juuso Valimaki to a three-year entry-level contract. The salary and bonus structure has not been released, but you can bet he’ll come in at the maximum $925K with some Schedule A perfomance bonuses.
Valimaki was selected 16th-overall last month after an outstanding season with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. The Finnish defenseman put up 61 points in 60 games, while also suiting up for his country at the World Junior Championships (where he registered two points). The 6’2″ 212-lbs defender may not have the offensive upside that his point totals suggest, but would rank close to any other defender in the draft in terms of two-way consistency. Those who critiqued Timothy Liljegren—who went just after Valimaki to the Toronto Maple Leafs—for his poor decision making skills could never say the same about the newest Flames prospect, as Valimaki is hardly ever caught out of position or turning the puck over.
While he still has some developing to do if he wants to be the two-way rock the Flames are hoping for, they can afford to wait with the group they already have in the NHL. Valimaki can be brought along slowly and eventually replace some of the minutes Mark Giordano will be ready to give up as he heads into his mid-thirties. As Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet points out, Valimaki’s entry-level contract will likely slide until the 2019-20 season unless he’s brought up sooner than that for more than nine games. If he does pan out as an NHL defender, his entry-level deal would end just as Giordano’s current deal is coming off the books.
Johnny Gaudreau Talks About Playing In South Jersey One Day
Johnny Gaudreau was on Philadelphia CBS radio this morning, and gave a quote that partially stopped the hearts of many Calgary Flames fans listening in.
This can probably be put up there with Drew Doughty’s comments on playing in Toronto from earlier this offseason, as something said just to appease the listeners of the radio program Gaudreau was on at the time. After all, he did sign a long-term deal with the Flames last summer and said at the time that he’d like to play his whole career with Sean Monahan in Calgary if he could. Still, it’s something to remember for the summer of 2022 when a 28-year old Gaudreau is destined to be an unrestricted free agent.
- Darryl Sutter won’t be in the Los Angeles Kings organization next season, but his son will. Brett Sutter, the former Calgary Flames prospect has re-signed with the Ontario Reign on an AHL contract. He scored 36 points with the Reign last year, after coming over from the Iowa Wild in 2016.