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Calgary Flames Sign Chris Higgins To PTO

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The Calgary Flames have announced the signing of Chris Higgins to a professional try-out. Higgins was bought out earlier this summer by the Vancouver Canucks after a dreadful 2015-16 season that saw him relegated to the AHL for the first time in over a decade.

Higgins, 33, has declined rapidly in recent years and put up only four points in 33 games last season at the NHL level. A former three-time twenty-goal scorer, he could once be counted on to provide 30-40 points while playing a solid two-way game. The Canucks decided he wasn’t going to be able to recapture that skill though, buying out the final year of his contract to save less than $2MM in cap space this season; Higgins will be paid $833K for the next two years, making any contract he earns in Flames camp a bonus.

This isn’t the first time Higgins will be in a Calgary sweater, as the team acquired him in 2010 from the Rangers in a four-player swap. Ironically, that was during his second worst season of his career, one that saw him score only 17 points in 72 games. Perhaps the Flames are convinced they can turn him around this time, and provide some veteran leadership to a group led by young forwards.

Pacific Division Notes: Coyotes, Daly, Marleau, Goldobin

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After acquiring Dave Bolland and Pavel Datsyuk in separate trades this summer, the Arizona Coyotes could be in a position to conceivably carry nearly $18MM – once Chris Pronger’s $4.935MM cap hit is added – on their salary cap for three players who won’t be suiting up for the this year. All told, the Coyotes will pay out just $1.675 in actual salary for those players (Pronger is set to earn $575K in the final season of a long-term arrangement he originally signed with Philadelphia, while the insurance policy on Bolland’s contract will cover all but $1.1MM once he is placed on LTIR). These maneuverings have allowed Arizona to easily cross the salary cap floor while at the same time limiting the actual salary obligations; not an unimportant factor for a small market, budget team.

In a piece appearing on Today’s Slapshot, Craig Morgan asked NHL deputy commissioner if Arizona’s handling of the salary cap was a growing concern for the league. Surprisingly, Daly indicated the league did not feel the Coyotes were exploiting a “loophole,” in the CBA while still leaving open the possibility the NHL could look to address the matter in future bargaining with the player’s union.

“I would say that it’s a matter that we monitor, like all other areas of the CBA (collective bargaining agreement), and if we believe it starts to be abused in a way that is inconsistent with how the system is designed to work, at that point, we would try to correct it in collective bargaining with the union. I would say we aren’t at that point on this issue — we do not view it as the loophole that‎ some describe it as.”

While most teams utilize their available cap space to sign or trade for players from other organizations, or to extend their own players, Coyotes GM John Chayka is using Arizona’s as a method to add more quality young talent to what is already considered a strong group of prospects. It’s simply good business and soon enough Chayka’s talent-acquisition strategies will start paying off on the ice for the Coyotes.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division…

  • Patrick Marleau has spent the entirety of his excellent 18-year NHL career with the San Jose Sharks; a career which has seen the forward tally 481 regular season goals and 1,036 points. Marleau’s name has shown up in trade rumors on more than one occasion during his time in the Bay Area, most recently last season, but nothing has ever come of it. Yet, as Joey Alfieri of Pro Hockey Talk writes, the 2016-17 campaign will, in all probability, be the final one of Marleau’s storied Sharks career. As Alfieri points out, Marleau is in the final year of his contract and the team has several younger options on the LW – Mikkel Boedker, Tomas Hertl and Nikolay Goldobin – under team control for the next several seasons. Even if Marleau is willing to take a discount on the $6.66MM he is earning this season, the Sharks are far more likely to prioritize re-signing Brent Burns and Joe Thornton, both of whom are also scheduled to reach free agency next summer.
  • The Calgary Flames recently reached agreement with one of their top players, Sean Monahan, inking the restricted free agent to a monster seven-year deal worth $44.6MM. That’s quite an investment for a player just coming off his ELC but as the Calgary Sun’s Kristen Odland writes, Monahan is already well worth the financial commitment. She points out that he has produced more offense than other pivots comparable in age and who have also recently signed extensions. As good as Monahan is he may not even be the best player on his team. That distinction might belong to winger Johnny Gaudreau, a restricted free agent who remains unsigned. Inevitably the Flames will also get Gaudreau under contract but it will be interesting to see how his contract compares to that of Monahan’s.

Pacific Notes: Calgary Injury Updates, Edmonton Prospect Targets

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Flames defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka is on pace in his recovery from offseason hip surgery to be able to suit up for Team Finland at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, writes Aaron Vickers from the Flames’ official site.  Calgary GM Brad Treliving had the following to say about how his treatment is going:

“Based on today and based on the medical opinion, I would say it’s promising to likely that he be ready for that.  Everything is looking good.  He’s been back here for a little bit of time now and our staff has had a chance to check him out. Everything looks good. He’s been training. He’s been skating. I think there are a couple final checks to do, but everything is looking positive.”

Jokipakka was acquired at the trade deadline from Dallas along with prospect Brett Pollock and a 2016 2nd round pick (Dillon Dube) in exchange for Kris Russell, who happens to be the most prominent remaining unrestricted free agent on the open market.  He got into 18 games with the Flames last year, recording six assists while seeing his average ice time increase by over three minutes compared to his playing time with the Stars.  He’s likely to play in a third pairing role for Calgary this season.

[Related: Calgary’s Depth Chart]

More from the Pacific:

  • In a separate piece from Vickers, center Daniel Pribyl, an offseason signing by the Flames, may not be fully healthy when training camp gets underway. The 23 year old underwent ACL surgery back in May.  Pribyl, originally a sixth round draft pick of Montreal back in 2012 (168th overall but went unsigned), averaged a point per game (16 goals and 29 assists in 45 contests) with Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga last season which got him back on the NHL radar.
  • The Oilers are interested in signing college free agent defenseman Matt Benning, reports Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Benning was a sixth round pick (175th overall) of the Bruins in 2012 but went unsigned prior to the August 15th deadline.  Benning is the nephew of Vancouver GM Jim Benning (who was Boston’s Assistant GM when he was drafted) which has yielded speculation that the Canucks may be interested in the services of the 22 year old as well.  (Update: Edmonton has indeed signed Benning to a two year deal.)
  • Also from Matheson, he noted that the Oilers inquired about the availability of Blackhawks prospect Mark McNeill back at the draft in June. McNeill made his NHL debut last season but has spent the bulk of his professional career at the minor league level.  The 23 year old former first rounder (18th overall in 2011) has to clear waivers if he doesn’t crack Chicago’s roster in training camp so it’s certainly possible that talks could rekindle closer towards the beginning of the season in mid-October.

World Cup Roster Changes: Keith, Bouwmeester, Kronwall, Lindholm

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Earlier today Hockey Canada added St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to its World Cup team to replace Chicago blue liner Duncan Keith. Keith is still not 100% as he continues to rehab from a right knee injury suffered last season. Blackhawks team physician, Dr. Michael Terry, had this to say about Keith’s recovery:

“As Duncan continues offseason rehabilitation on the right knee injury that he sustained last season, we understand his decision not to participate in next month’s World Cup of Hockey. We believe it is in his best interests to focus on getting stronger and not risk further injury.”

Bouwmeester joins Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jake Muzzin as the only left-handed shooters on Canada’s blue line. That’s likely the primary reason Bouwmeester was chosen over right-handed options such as Kris Letang and P.K. Subban. It was also somewhat surprising that Bouwmeester was added over Mark Giordano of the Flames.

Giordano tallied 21 goals and 56 points while playing a full slate of games for Calgary. He has developed into one of the league’s best offensive defenseman over the last three seasons and like Bouweester, is a left-handed shot.

Bouwmeester, conversely, recorded just 19 points and was had a plus-minus rating of -4 in 72 games for the Blues. In all probability, Hockey Canada favored Bouwmeester’s extensive experience representing his home country. He was a part of the 2004 World Cup-winning team and also won a gold with Team Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

This is the second change in as many days to Team Canada’s roster. Yesterday, Logan Couture was added to replace Jamie Benn.

Team Canada is obviously still going to be one of the tournament’s favorites but if there is a weakness, it may well be the team’s blue line.

Elsehwere, Anaheim Ducks defender Hampus Lindholm, currently a RFA, has been named to Team Sweden to replace Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall is still recovering from knee surgery performed in January.

Lindholm, 22, scored 10 goals and 28 points last season for the Ducks and is considered one of the up-and-coming young defensemen in the league. He’ll join an excellent blue line group anchored by Erik Karlsson from Ottawa and Victor Hedman of Tampa Bay.

Sweden is expected, along with Team USA, to be one of the biggest threats to Canada’s chances in this tournament. In addition to an excellent defense corps, Sweden will have Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes. Up front they have plenty of skill led by the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, Filip Forsberg and Nicklas Backstrom. Obviously Sweden boasts a formidable roster with plenty of talent.

Tim Jackman Retires From NHL

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According to Elite Prospects, long-time journeyman Tim Jackman has decided to hang up his skates and retire from professional hockey. Jackman played 483 games across parts of twelve seasons, suiting up for the Blue Jackets, Coyotes, Kings, Islanders, Flames and Ducks along the way.

Now 34-years old, Jackman was originally picked in the second round of the 2001 draft, and would contribute 75 points and over 800 penalty minutes across his career. The North Dakota native got into nine playoff games in 2014-15 with the Ducks, his first taste of NHL postseason.

Playing with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL last season, Jackman put up two points (1-1) and 33 penalty minutes in 22 games. Don’t be surprised to see Jackman’s name in a coaching staff in the future, as often tough guys and journeymen find success behind the bench after their playing days are over.

Pacific Division: Remaining RFAs

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We’re now in the dying days of August, less than a month away from the start of the World Cup and training camps. However, there are still 15 restricted free agents remaining, and many of them are not who you would expect to be unsigned at this point. Two NHL teams’ leading scorers, four top-four defensemen, and several other high quality players are still looking for new deals.

Let’s break down the remaining RFAs by division, starting out west in the Pacific Division:

Anaheim Ducks – $7.52MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The Ducks have mostly stood pat this summer after bringing back Randy Carlyle to replace the fired Bruce Boudreau. However, the budget-bound Ducks still have some work to do – their best defenseman, Hampus Lindholm, and World Cup-bound center Rickard Rakell still need new contracts. Lindholm logged the most minutes on the Ducks and put up 28 points as a dependable two-way force. Rakell is behind Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler on the center depth chart, but finished fourth on the Ducks in points with 43. The Ducks would like to get both signed long term, but will need to get creative to fit it all under their self-imposed budget. Cam Fowler has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the summer as the Ducks ready themselves for these two contracts and next summer’s expansion draft.

Arizona Coyotes – $7.85MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – Arizona has been locked in tough negotiations with Tobias Rieder all summer. It’s believed the talented scorer and reliable two-way winger is looking for a contract similar to new Coyotes forward Jamie McGinn, who signed a three-year, $10MM contract. However, new GM John Chayka isn’t budging, and Rieder has threatened to head to the KHL if the two sides can’t come to an agreement.

Calgary Flames – $8.59MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The Flames have been in an unenviable situation this summer, with their two top forwards needing new contracts. GM Brad Treliving locked up center Sean Monahan to a seven-year, $44.625MM contract last week, but has yet to sign the team’s leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau has said he won’t negotiate during the upcoming World Cup, where he’ll suit up for Team North America. Their camp starts on the long weekend, so there’s just two weeks remaining for Gaudreau and the Flames to put pen to paper. The Flames also have to sign Freddie Hamilton, minor league center and brother of Dougie. Hamilton played four NHL games last season, potting a goal and an assist.

Snapshots: Hunter, Marchand, Karnaukhov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced  today that Mark Hunter has been promoted to Assistant General Manager for the team. Hunter has served as the Director of Player Personnel for the Leafs, after leaving his long-time position as the GM of the OHL’s London Knights in 2014-15. His role in Toronto has been overseeing scouting and drafting for the Leafs, a job that he will hold on to in his new position. In fact, GM Lou Lamoriello stated that Hunter’s promotion was “essentially a formality” and a “more appropriate recognition of (his) role in the organization.” Hunter will for the most part serve the same purpose to the Maple Leafs, but will now share the Assistant GM title with young executive Kyle Dubas, as the pair work to support Lamoriello and Brendan Shanahan in re-building the Toronto franchise.

In other news:

  • NBC Sports’ Pro Hockey Talk reports that the front office for a Leafs’ division rival, the Boston Bruins, is busy working on a long-term extension for winger Brad Marchand. A fan-favorite in Boston who took off in his first full season and was a major piece in the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup championship, Marchand has never looked back, enjoying year after year of solid production including a career-high 61 points (with nearly 40 goals) this past season. Now the 28-year-old faces unrestricted free agency for the first time after the 2016-17 season, but the Bruins brass is hoping to keep him from seeing the light of day. Marchand is as tough in the corners as he is tough to slow down on offense, and fits the culture of Boston and the Bruins perfectly. So what will it cost to make sure he sticks around throughout the prime of his career? Pro Hockey Talk believes that Marchand’s initial ask was a seven-year, $49MM extension, which carries a cap hit of $7MM. However, they also counter that such a deal would make him paid higher than career line mate and Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron. This begs the question: will GM Don Sweeney really pay Marchand more than a guy considered to be one of the most complete players in the NHL and who will more than likely have his name in the rafters of the TD Garden when all is said and done? The answer is easy – yes. The team already pays Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, and David Krejci more than Bergeron and with the cap increasing each year, paying Marchand $7MM annually, if he can keep putting up 60+ points per season and annoying every team in the league, is a no-brainer for Boston.
  • Another rugged left winger hoping to make a difference in the NHL is Calgary Flames prospect Pavel Karnaukhov. A 2015 5th round pick for the Flames, the big Russian forward played his junior hockey nearby with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. However, instead of signing an entry-level deal with the Flames for the 2016-17 season, he returned home to Russia, signing with CSKA. In a new development though, FlamesNation reporter Ryan Pike says that Karnaukhov is not on the team’s roster for today’s start to the KHL season. Whether he has been demoted to a lower level affiliate or is having second thoughts, it seems possible that Karnaukhov could wind up back in North America at some point this year if he is not getting what he expected out of CSKA.

Week In Review: 8/15/16 – 8/21/16

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Less than a month away from the start of rookie camps, the NHL free agency period has slowed down nearly to a halt. However, there were a few notable things happening this past week as some noteworthy college players became unrestricted free agents. Here’s your recap of the week that was:

Notable Signings

Antoine Vermette (Ducks) – After being bought out by the Coyotes in early August, Vermette signed a two-year, $3.5MM contract with their division rivals, the Anaheim Ducks.
Radim Vrbata (Coyotes) – The former Coyote returned to the desert after a two year stint in Vancouver, where he had one very good year (31 goals and 63 points) and one very poor year (13 goals and 27 points). Vrbata signed for one season at $1MM, with a possible total of $3.25MM including performance bonuses.
Matt Cullen (Penguins) – The defending Stanley Cup Champions re-signed Cullen to a one-year, $1MM contract. Despite the cheap signing, the Penguins are still $3.9MM over the $73MM salary cap.
Sean Monahan (Flames) – The restricted free agent center signed a seven-year, $44.625MM contract. The Flames now have $8.6MM of cap space to sign their leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau.

Notable Entry-Level Contracts

John Gilmour (Rangers) – The Rangers made an early splash in the college free agent market, which would soon be overshadowed. Gilmour, the Flames seventh round pick in 2013, posted 65 points in 141 games at Providence College. Pro Hockey Rumor’s third ranked college free agent signed for two seasons worth $1.85MM.
Thomas DiPauli (Penguins) – The Penguins signed PHR’s second ranked college free agent to a two-year, $1.85MM entry-level contract. DiPauli was Capitals fourth round pick in 2012, and posted 78 points in 145 games with the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Jimmy Vesey (Rangers) – By far the highest sought-after college free agent, Vesey surprised many and signed with the Rangers. The subject of much speculation this summer, Vesey was the Predators third round pick back in 2012 but was traded to Buffalo this spring when it was clear he wasn’t going to sign. Vesey is expected to step straight into the NHL and produce at a second or third line rate.
Logan Brown (Senators) – In non-college free agent news, the Senators signed their 11th overall pick to a three-year, $4.9MM entry-level contract. The 6’6, 220 lb center has 117 points in 115 career OHL games.

Flames Still Working On Johnny Gaudreau Deal

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As he announced a new contract for Sean Monahan, Flames GM Brad Treliving took some time to discuss negotiations with another one of his restricted free agents. Johnny Gaudreau, the league’s sixth highest scorer last year, has said that he won’t negotiate during the World Cup. The tournament starts on September 4th, but Treliving doesn’t sound worried.

Treliving discussed the “uniqueness” of having two young players up for extensions at the same time. Gaudreau turned 23 last week, and Monahan turns 22 on October 12th, the first day of the NHL season. There have been somewhat similar situations, like Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, then-Philadelphia’s Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, and Anaheim’s Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. There were cap complications involved in all of those deals, and Carter and Richards didn’t end up finishing their contracts in Philadelphia. Still, teams have been able to get it done before. With players of Gaudreau and Monahan’s caliber, teams end up doing what they have to in order to make cap space when needed.

Gaudreau led the Flames in scoring last season with 78 points, and finished second in 2015 with 64. The Boston College alumnus won the 2014 Hobey Baker Award for the top player in U.S. men’s college hockey. Gaudreau will represent Team North America in September’s World Cup of Hockey.

West Notes: Rakell, Rattie, Gaudreau

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With the World Cup of Hockey fast approaching, another unsigned restricted free agent is headed to Toronto. According to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (who we interviewed just yesterday on PHR) Rickard Rakell will join the Swedish club replacing the injured Alexander Steen.  Steen had surgery in June on his shoulder, and is still trying to be ready for the opening of the regular season.

Rakell will be rewarded for last season’s breakout that saw him score 20 goals and 43 points in his second full season. Rakell remains one of the Ducks priorities this summer, along with fellow unsigned RFA Hampus Lindholm. The team, with only $6.6MM in cap space at the moment, may not have enough to sign both to long-term deals and may have to settle for the player-friendly bridge deal.

  • Among the news at Pro Hockey Talk’s St. Louis Blues day is that Ty Rattie will be given a real chance to stick with the big club this season.  Adam Gretz writes that with the team losing veteran forwards like David Backes, Steve Ott and Troy Brouwer to free agency, there is plenty of opportunities for young players like Rattie. This is in line with a similar article on NHL.com today, that quoted GM Doug Armstrong: “I think the game is getting faster, and youth is being served. I think we were going to transfer to this (youth movement) regardless.” Rattie has suited up for just 26 NHL games, but has proven his scoring ability at the AHL level with three straight 40+ point seasons.
  • After signing Sean Monahan earlier today to a seven-year deal, the Calgary Flames will now turn their attention to Johnny Gaudreau. Craig Custance of ESPN thinks that his deal will come in very close to Monahan’s, as the team views the situation as similar to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in Chicago. The Blackhawk stars signed identical $84MM deals in July of 2014, despite Kane having more career points (493 vs. 440). Monahan also has a full season more of NHL duty under his belt than Gaudreau, despite being more than a year younger than him. If the Flames can get both on long-term deals under $7MM, they’ll be set up nicely for the future with two underpaid superstars.

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