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Top-Line Options Remaining In Free Agency

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For many teams, free agency is a place to find a player or two to slot into your top two lines, to supplement the core you already have in place.  Edmonton went out and got Milan Lucic, to add some veteran toughness while replacing the outgoing offensive contribution of Taylor Hall. Vancouver added Loui Eriksson in a questionable move for a team who hasn’t quite decided what direction they’re headed in, and Buffalo brought on Kyle Okposo to ride shotgun with their young talent up front.

Now that the madness has died down, the market for these top-six players is extremely thin, with only a few names having established themselves there in the past.  With Shane Doan surely re-signing with the Coyotes, and Patrik Elias looking as though it’s either Devils or retirement, two of the most well known names among this group aren’t going anywhere.  Here are the other possibilities for a team to add to their top-six:

(number in parentheses represents ranking on our Top 50 UFAs)

  1. Jiri Hudler (18) – Though Hudler is now 32-years old and took a significant step back last season, he still represents one of the better second-line options available. His 46 points in 2015-16 split between the Flames and Panthers were a disappointing total for a player coming off a 31-goal, 76 point season but still ranked him right alongside players like Andrew Ladd (46 points, $38.5MM) and David Backes (45 points, $30MM).
  2. Kris Versteeg (25) – While Versteeg is probably better suited as a third-liner on a good team, he has shown the ability to move up in the lineup consistently in the past.  A three-time twenty goal scorer, Versteeg has scored at least 34 points in each of his seven healthy seasons.  He can play either wing, and brings a level of physicality to his game as well.
  3. Radim Vrbata (27) – Vrbata is clearly on the downswing of his career, having put up just 27 points and a whopping -30 mark last season.  Now 35, he’ll look to sign a cheap deal and could be a nice value signing for a team pressed against the cap. Remember, this is a guy who has over 250 career NHL goals, and is just one season removed from the second 30-goal season of his career.
  4. Alex Tanguay (33) – Though he’s now 37, Tanguay continues to produce like a second-line center, putting up another 35 point campaign despite having a much reduced role after a trade to Arizona.  For a team looking to shelter their young forwards, a veteran like Tanguay can provide some offensive punch on a cheap, short-term deal. He’ll likely break 900 points in what has been an excellent career for the former Avalanche stalwart.
  5. Brandon Pirri (NR) – Despite Pirri’s reputation as a bottom-six forward, some teams might see the former Panther as a second-line option, due to his previous goal scoring ability.  Pirri has potted 36 goals over the past two seasons, including 22 in 2014-15. The problem is that he’s racked up just 17 assists over the same time.  He was an outstanding scorer in his AHL career, and is still just 25-years old, meaning that taking a shot on him might not be the worst gamble among the remaining options.

Are Offer Sheets A Thing Of The Past?

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This summer’s restricted free agent (RFA) list is quite impressive, with nine 20-goal scorers and 13 players who scored more than 40 points last season. Forwards Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, Nikita Kucherov, Marcus Johansson, and Mike Hoffman headline the forwards; while Hampus Lindholm, Tyson Barrie, Rasmus Ristolainen, Danny DeKeyser, and Jacob Trouba are the top defensemen. Detroit’s Petr Mrazek is the only big-name RFA goalie remaining.  Most of the above players are eligible for offer sheets.

According to Elliotte Friedman, compensation for offer sheets is as follows:

  • Less than $1.239MM (average annual value of contract) – Nothing;
  • $1.239-$1.878MM – Third-round pick;
  • $1.878-$3.755MM – Second-round pick;
  • $3.755-$5.633MM – First and third-round picks;
  • $5.633-$7.510MM – First, second and third-round picks;
  • $7.510-$9.388MM – Two first, a second and third-round picks;
  • Over $9.388MM – Four first-round picks.

With this in mind, teams could target rival teams top young players, with both outcomes having their benefits to the aggressive team: either they acquire a good young player for only picks, or they mess up a rival’s salary cap by inflating the player’s salary.

The threat of an offer sheet was evident last summer, with the Blackhawks trading Brandon Saad to the Blue Jackets and the Bruins trading Dougie Hamilton to the Flames. Both players were pending RFAs and in line for a big raise before being shipped out to prevent their teams from being subjected to an offer sheet. However, this summer has been the complete opposite, with teams taking their time to sign the above-mentioned stars, apparently not overly worried about offer sheets.

Why could that be?

The last time an NHL team successfully acquired a player via an offer sheet was in 2007. Then-Oilers-GM Kevin Lowe signed Anaheim Ducks LW Dustin Penner to a 4-year, $21.5MM contract. The Ducks did not match, and the Oilers forked over their first three rounds of draft picks in 2008. Penner enjoyed varying degrees of success in three-and-a-half seasons in Edmonton before being traded to Los Angeles where he won a Stanley Cup. The Penner offer sheet is most fondly remembered by then-Ducks-GM Brian Burke and Lowe’s escalating war of words which nearly lead to a fist-fight in a rented barn in Lake Placid. Commissioner Gary Bettman was forced to have a conference call with the two GMs to get them to stop.

It’s perhaps this sort of reaction that prevents GMs from making offer sheets. Earlier this summer, ESPN and TSN reporter Pierre LeBrun quoted an unnamed GM as threatening opposing GMs with an offer sheet per year for the next ten years as retribution for a potential offer sheet. There appears to be an unspoken agreement between GMs to leave RFAs alone. There hasn’t been an offer sheet tendered since 2013 when Colorado matched Calgary’s contract with Ryan O’Reilly, saving the Flames from an embarrassing and costly mistake.

So despite several fan bases calling for offer sheets, it seems unlikely that any players will be switching sweaters this summer because of one.

Flames Sign Matthew Tkachuk To Entry-Level Deal

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The Calgary Flames signed their 2016 first round draft pick Matt Tkachuk today. CapFriendly reports the deal as three years, $2.78MM. The cap hit will be $925K.

Tkachuk was the sixth overall pick in the draft and recently played with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Tkachuk had 107 points (30-77) in 57 games. London captured the Memorial Cup on Tkachuk’s game winning goal in overtime. Tkachuk finished the playoffs with 40 points (20-20) and had five goals and three assists in four games during the Memorial Cup Tournament.

 

Calgary Flames To Hire Cameron, Jerrard As Assistant Coaches

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After Dave Cameron was spotted helping out in Flames development camp over the past few days, the team has confirmed that they will hire him as an assistant coach for the upcoming season.

Cameron was the head coach of the Ottawa Senators for a year and a half after taking over from Paul McLean during the 2014-15 season. He was fired from that position after the Senators took a major step back and missed the playoffs, despite a winning record.

A long-time OHL head coach with the St. Michael’s Majors, Cameron is still revered as an excellent bench boss and will join new head coach Glen Gulutzan on what is shaping up to be a good staff.

The team also announced the hiring of Paul Jerrard as another assistant, and both men will join Gulutzan and the returning Martin Gelinas behind the bench for the Flames this season. Jerrard last coached with the Utica Comets, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, and has experience with the Dallas Stars in the NHL.

Per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet, Cameron will be in charge of the powerplay in Calgary, while Jerrard takes on penalty kill schemes. Ottawa was in the bottom five in powerplay percentage last season, despite having one of the best point men in the league. Perhaps in Calgary Cameron will have better success.

Linden Vey Signs One-Year Deal With Flames

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According to Dean Molberg of Sportsnet 960 in Calgary, the Flames have signed former Vancouver Canuck Linden Vey to a one-year, two-way deal.  Vey played half the season last year in the NHL, scoring four goals and 15 points. The 24-year old became a free agent when the Canucks chose to not give him a qualifying offer last month.

Vey has shown an ability to produce points at the AHL level but hasn’t quite established himself as an NHL player to date. In 2014-15, he played 75 games with the Canucks and contributed 24 points, a solid effort for a 23-year old, but hasn’t shown enough consistency in the defensive zone to be relied upon.

The Flames will take a shot at developing him into the scoring threat many believed Vey would become after a tremendous junior campaign in 2010-11 that saw the Saskatchewan native put up 116 points in just 69 games, albeit as an over-aged player.

RFAs Still Waiting On Contracts

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After a busy few days watching free agent contracts be handed out like candy, and millions of dollars spent like pennies, there are still some key restricted free agents out there negotiating their next contracts.  Vincent Trocheck, Filip Forsberg and Seth Jones have already received deals eclipsing $25MM, locking them in long before they even get a sniff of unrestricted free agency.  Here are a few more names still waiting on deals:

For the entire list of RFA players, and the projected depth charts for each team head to Roster Resource and check out their detailed info.

Colorado Signs Joe Colborne To Two-Year Deal

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After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Calgary Flames last week, free agent center Joe Colborne has signed with the Colorado Avalanche, according to Sportsnet’s Darren Dreger. The 19-goal scorer will earn $2.5MM per season for the next two.

With recent rumors swirling about the possibility of Colorado trading Matt Duchene, the Avalanche has added another young forward coming off a tremendous season.  After scoring 28 points in his first two full NHL seasons, Colborne exploded for 19 goals and 44 points in just 73 games the past season. While many point to his extremely high shooting percentage, Colborne generally was given solid scouting reports on his play and is expected to be able to go forward as a solid number three center.

The two-year deal doesn’t mean much risk for Colorado, and the $2.5MM won’t break the bank for a team that may not spend up to the cap this season. If Colborne can repeat his 2015-16 performance, he’ll be an exceptional bargain in a market that has already given out $600MM on day one of free agency.

Flames Sign Chad Johnson

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The Calgary Flames have their new goalie duo, as they have signed Chad Johnson to be a reliable backup for the newly acquired Brian Elliott.  Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that it is a one-year deal.

Johnson had one of the best years of his career with the Sabres in 2015-16.  He suited up in a career high 45 games (thanks to an injury to Robin Lehner), posting a 22-16-4 record with a 2.36 GAA and a .920 SV%, both impressive numbers for a non-playoff team.

Johnson is becoming a bit of a hockey nomad as this will be his fifth different team in as many seasons.

He has played in parts of six NHL seasons (101 games) with the Rangers, Coyotes, Bruins, Islanders, and Sabres, collecting a 50-30-11 record with a 2.39 GAA and a .917 SV%.

Troy Brouwer Signs With Calgary

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After another strong playoff performance with the St. Louis Blues, free agent forward Troy Brouwer has signed with the Calgary Flames, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Pierre LeBrun of ESPN tells us the big forward will earn $4.5MM per season, for the next four years.  He should slide in as a second line winger with Calgary.

Last season, Brouwer played with St. Louis, scoring 18 goals and 21 assists in 82 games.  Durability has been a strong point for him over the years as he has missed just one game in the past five years.  Brouwer also was a key cog in the Blues’ postseason run, collecting eight goals and five helpers in their 20 postseason contests.

Brouwer has played in ten NHL seasons, split between Chicago, Washington, and St. Louis.  In that time, he has suited up in 613 games, scoring 150 goals while adding 144 assists.

RFA Notes: Leafs, Colborne, Jones

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As the deadline to submit qualifying offers for pending restricted free agents came and went yesterday, information on the Maple Leafs was nowhere to be found. The notoriously tight-lipped Lou Lamoirello still hasn’t given an official update on his RFAs, but reports have started to trickle out. According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the Maple Leafs have qualified Connor Carrick, Garret Sparks, Peter Holland, Josh Leivo, Martin Marincin and Frank Corrado while not qualifying Stuart Percy, Sam Carrick and Colin Smith.

  • According to Darren Dreger of TSN, via Chris Nichols, the Calgary Flames are still confident they’ll sign recently non-qualified center Joe Colborne. After notching 19 goals and 44 points last season, Colborne had a great case for arbitration and was surprising to see among Calgary’s list yesterday. Dreger adds that the new contract will probably fall somewhere between $3.5 and $4MM per season.  Colborne has 100 points in 217 games as a Flame since coming over from the Maple Leafs in 2013.
  • Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen tells us that there were no trade offers for Patrick Wiercioch, another non-qualified name coming out of Ottawa yesterday. Wiercioch had played at least 50 games for the Senators for the past three seasons, but saw his point total drop to a career low last season with just five assists.  The 25-year old will now look for a job elsewhere as a left-handed, bottom pairing defenceman.
  • Dreger also gives us a note on pending RFA and offer sheet candidate Seth Jones and his current negotiation with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Though the team is in dire need of cap relief, the team sees him as a top priority going into the summer. Ian Mendes, also of TSN adds an interesting quote from GM Jarmo Kekalainen: “If someone wants to be silly and make it cost more money, we’ll match it.”

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