Snapshots: Hunter, Marchand, Karnaukhov
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
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
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
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.
Calgary Flames Reach Seven-Year Deal With Sean Monahan
Sean Monahan is staying in Calgary a while longer. The team announced today that the restricted free agent has signed a seven-year deal. The value will come in at $44.625MM, a $6.375MM AAV and it will include a partial no-trade clause in the final three years. A press conference is to be scheduled for this afternoon to announce the deal.
Monahan is a restricted free agent for the first time in his career, after posting 159 points through his first 237 career games. At just 21, he’s one of the best young centers in the game, and has found amazing chemistry with fellow star Johnny Gaudreau.
The sixth overall pick in what is turning out to be a fabulous 2013 draft, Monahan has proven he should be considered in the top echelon of centers in the NHL and will now stay long-term in Calgary. With he and Gaudreau publicly stating that they want to stay in the Canadian city, it was just a matter of time until the deal was finalized.
While they still need to sign Gaudreau, the Flames now seem poised to go on a long streak of contention, led by their dynamic duo up front. With Sam Bennett also making an impression in his first NHL season, they have three players 23 or younger who are capable of scoring 30 goals in a season. With Dougie Hamilton and T.J. Brodie locked up long-term on the back end, joining veteran and captain Mark Giordano, they have a core capable of making it back to the playoffs as soon as 2016-17.
[Related: Updated Calgary Flames Depth Chart]
Monahan’s $6.375MM cap-hit comes in just above Nathan MacKinnon’s number from earlier this summer, and his performance comes in right alongside the former first-overall pick (in the same draft as Monahan to boot). While Gaudreau will undoubtedly cost more, the Flames have left themselves enough room with a ton of money coming off the books after next season. Ladislav Smid, Dennis Wideman, Deryk Engelland and the goaltending duo of Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson all become unrestricted free agents next season, giving the club money to work with (for a new Bennett contract, for instance).
First teased by Eric Francis of Sportsnet this morning. Elliotte Friedman was first to give us the seven-year details, along with the dollar value. CapFriendly provided details on the NTC.
Scouting Notes: Speltz, Maloney, Conte
The NHL season is just a few weeks away, and like coaching staffs and rosters, teams want to have their scouting staff in place soon. Scouts have less to do with the day to day operations of the team, so they’re not as urgently hired. It’s still good to be able to look at players throughout training camp and in the early days of leagues with earlier starts than the NHL. Here are a few notes on teams rounding out their scouting staffs.
- Las Vegas have hired former New Jersey Devils scouting director David Conte. There had been speculation about Conte joining the Maple Leafs last summer, given his close relationship with GM Lou Lamoriello. The Devils won three Stanley Cups with teams largely drafted and developed by themselves during Conte’s run. As the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes, he’s credited in particular with the drafting of goaltender Martin Brodeur. Other players drafted during Conte’s run in New Jersey include stars like Scott Niedermayer, Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora, Scott Gomez, and Brendan Shanahan. Las Vegas will have the same odds of winning the 2017 draft lottery as the 28th place team this season.
- The Flames have added former Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney as a pro scout. Maloney spent nine years as the GM in Arizona, managing to make the playoffs in three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012. This despite the team’s precarious ownership and financial situations. In 2012, Maloney’s Coyotes reached the Western Conference final, before being eliminated in five games by the eventual champion Los Angeles Kings. Maloney was previously GM of the New York Islanders from 1992 to 1995, and for a decade held various positions with the New York Rangers.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have added former Spokane Chiefs General Manager Tim Speltz as Director of Western Area Scouting. Speltz has spent the last 26 years as Chiefs GM, making the playoffs 23 times, and winning the Memorial Cup in 1991 and 2008. Speltz refers to it as a “special and bittersweet” day for him, given that he’ll leave a job after 26 years and enormous success. Speltz joins former junior GMs Kyle Dubas (Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds) and Mark Hunter (London Knights) currently with the organization.
Front Offices On Jimmy Vesey
After completing his meetings with team representatives today (which include names like John Tavares, Jonathan Toews and Auston Matthews) Jimmy Vesey will have to decide where he plays his first professional hockey game. TSN spoke with a couple of front office members about Vesey’s future, and they bring up separate but interesting points:
Brendan Shanahan, President & Alternate Governor, Toronto Maple Leafs (link):
He’s had a fabulous college career, and has earned the right to have this kind of interest from this many clubs, us being one of them. People are attracted to his leadership qualities; captain of Harvard, he’s obviously a very intelligent player on the ice and off, and he’s a guy who seems to have the ability to put the puck in the net, so when those types of players come available people line up.
Brian Burke, President of Hockey Ops, Calgary Flames (link):
If you look at the college free agents, they have made a dramatically insignificant contribution to our league. Tyler Bozak might be the best one. Of the 100 or 150 that have signed, most have very little impact. I think this player is going to play, and make a difference. I think he’s going to be a good player..but if you look at that group and the money the league has spent on their contribution, it’s a pimple on an elephant’s butt.
Back in February, when the Nashville Predators still held Vesey’s rights, GM David Poile spoke about his ability and future with the team:
We’ve had him here for our development camps each of the last two or three summers and he’s grown so much as a player and a person. Physically, he’s ready to play. As far as a college hockey player, he’s dominant in a lot of areas; one of them is his skating. Obviously, offensively he’s put up a lot of good numbers, so we truly believe that he can come in and play right away.
It’s clear that not everyone in the league is sold on Vesey’s ability to step in and be a difference maker at the NHL level, but the amount of teams that have taken meetings with him over the past few days would suggest they believe he at least will be able to step in right away. Vesey, or at least his agent Peter Fish, has only said that he’ll make a decision this weekend at some point.
Training Camp Invites: Devane; Galiardi; McCollum
A few more hockey players were invited to NHL training camps today:
- The Calgary Flames have invited former NHL forward Jamie Devane to training camp this September, reports the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle. Devane last played for the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, scoring 6G and 5A in 62 games. The former 2009 third round draft pick played in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and appeared in 2 NHL games. Devane is a big bruising forward weighing in around 230lbs, and Flames President Brian Burke is known for admiring such players. In fact, Burke was the Maple Leafs GM who drafted Devane in 2009. Burke used the 68th pick on Devane—Reilly Smith was picked next.
- The St. Louis Blues also extended a training camp invite today to T.J. Galiardi, reports the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle. Galiardi has had mixed success in the NHL, scoring 44G and 61A in 321 games for the Avalanche, Sharks, Flames, and Jets. The forward spent last year in Sweden playing for the Malmo Redhawks. St. Louis lost David Backes, Steve Ott, and Troy Brouwer in the offseason, so Galiardi may win himself a spot on the big club if he impresses.
- The Los Angeles Kings have invited former Red Wings goalie Tom McCollom to training camp. McCollom was a former first round draft pick that could not crack the big club, but played well on Detroit’s AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. McCollom was signed to a one-year contract last year but the Red Wings declined to extend a new offer. Los Angeles is currently lacking proven backup goaltending, with last year’s backup Jhonas Enroth supposedly close to signing in Toronto.
Keep track of all the training camp invites with our training camp tracker.
Off-Season To Date: Pacific Division
The NHL has entered its seasonal lull where teams are done signing free agents and will wait until training camp to make major roster moves. We have already documented the off-season moves of the Atlantic Division, Metropolitan Division, and Central Division teams. Now we take a quick look at the Pacific Division.
Anaheim Ducks
Key Additions: Jared Boll, Antoine Vermette, Jonathan Bernier, Mason Raymond
Key Departures: Jamie McGinn, David Perron, Brandon Pirri, Frederik Andersen, Mike Santorelli, Chris Stewart, Anton Khudobin
Unsigned RFAs: Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm
Cap Space: $6,657,500
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: The Ducks traded Frederik Andersen away and are going with John Gibson as their number one starter. They have yet to sign Lindholm but have ample cap space to do so. The team experienced some decent turnover from last season, including firing Coach Bruce Boudreau and hiring former Ducks and Leafs coach Randy Carlyle.
Arizona Coyotes
Key Additions: Jamie McGinn, Ryan White, Alex Goligoski, Luke Schenn, Anthony DeAngelo
Key Departures: Antoine Vermette, Alex Tanguay, Boyd Gordon, Sergei Plotnikov, Anders Lindback, Joe Vitale
Unsigned RFAs: Tobias Rieder
Cap Space: $8,847,875
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: The Coyotes picked up a trio of forwards to surround their young prospects, and signed Goligoski to beef up their defense. Arizona also took on Pavel Datysuk‘s contract to move up in the first round of the NHL Draft. All that remains is to sign RFA Tobias Rieder, but recent reports says that both camps are far apart. New GM John Chayka is an analytics proponent, so his moves will garner extra scrutiny as the season progresses. Finally, at time of writing Vrbata is close to signing a one-year deal with Arizona, but nothing has been finalized yet.
Calgary Flames
Key Additions: Troy Brouwer, Alex Chiasson, Linden Vey, Brian Elliott, Chad Johnson
Key Departures: Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, Jonas Hiller, Niklas Backstrom, Kevin Poulin, Joe Colborne, Josh Jooris, Mason Raymond
Unsigned RFAs: Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan
Cap Space: $14,969,600
Projected Roster Size: 20
Notes: The Flames’ offseason is noteworthy for two reasons. One, they completely switched out their goaltending, bringing in St. Louis starter Brian Elliot and Buffalo semi-starter Chad Johnson, and letting Ramo, Ortio, Hiller, and Backstrom walk. Elliot represents a significant upgrade over last year’s goaltending-by-committee. The second noteworthy event—or non-event—is that Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are still unsigned. The top two Flames scorers last year are playing on Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey, and impressive performances could raise the RFAs’ asking prices.
Edmonton Oilers
Key Additions: Milan Lucic, Adam Larsson, Jonas Gustavsson
Key Departures: Taylor Hall, Rob Klinkhammer, Adam Cracknell, Lauri Korpikoski
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $9,238,833
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Oilers made two big splashes this offseason. First, they traded away Taylor Hall to New Jersey for defenseman Adam Larsson. Hall was one of the Oilers’ best players since he was drafted, but the Oilers desperately needed a top-notch defenseman. Whether Larsson is or becomes that defenseman, however, is up in the air. They then signed top free agent Milan Lucic to a seven-year deal worth $6MM a year. Lucic will add both grit and offense to a team mired in a perpetual rebuild.
Los Angeles Kings
Key Additions: Teddy Purcell, Tom Gilbert, Jeff Zatkoff, Jack Campbell
Key Departures: Milan Lucic, Kris Versteeg, Luke Schenn, Jhonas Enroth
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $1,154,773
Projected Roster Size: 25
Notes: The Kings stayed relatively pat this offseason, swapping backup goaltenders and letting Milan Lucic walk. The team was constrained by their cap, which at just over $1M gave them little wiggle room. The team is banking on their core to step up and improve over last season’s first-round exit.
San Jose Sharks
Key Additions: Mikkel Boedker, David Schlemko
Key Departures: Nick Spaling, Dainius Zubrus, Roman Polak, James Reimer
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $995,832
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: After the Sharks finally made the Stanley Cup Finals, their offseason was uneventful. They took a flyer on Boedker, and will most likely find a backup goalie within the organization. The Sharks are tight against the cap this season, but face an onslaught of UFAs and the end of the year. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Brett Burns are all UFAs next summer, and the Sharks need to evaluate who they want to keep.
Vancouver Canucks
Key Additions: Loui Eriksson, Erik Gudbranson
Key Departures: Radim Vrbata, Linden Vey, Chris Higgins, Brandon Prust, Dan Hamhuis, Matt Bartkowski, Yannick Weber
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $2,771,250
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Canucks had an odd offseason, signing Eriksson and trading for Gudbranson. More trades were expected—but of a rebuilding variety. The Canucks have one more year of Ryan Miller and two more years of the Sedins, so its possible that they want to try to rebuild on the fly while they still have elite talent. Their defense took a hit by losing Hamhuis, and while Gudbranson was a highly touted prospect, he hasn’t evolved into the player scouts predicted.
Calgary Flames Sign Tyler Wotherspoon
While Calgary Flames fans wait with bated breath for word on their star restricted free agents Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, they’ve come to an agreement with a lesser known player. Tyler Wotherspoon has been signed by the club to a one-year, two-way deal. General Fanager reports that the deal is worth $625K at the NHL level.
Wotherspoon, 23, was the Flames’ second-round pick in the 2011 draft, 57th overall. While spending most of the past three seasons in the AHL with the ever-changing Flames affiliate (Abbotsford, Adirondack and now Stockton), Wotherspoon has been called up to the NHL on multiple occasions, suiting up in 26 career games.
Not expected to be much more than a seventh defenseman this season, Wotherspoon is no longer waiver-exempt, meaning that he won’t be able to be shuffled up and down without clearing waivers each time. While he’s not a huge risk to be stolen, it’s probably something the Flames would still rather avoid.
[Related: Calgary Flames Depth Chart]
After re-starting their hearts (“Flames sign” is a good way to get attention at the moment), Calgary fans will now continue to wait for the inevitable contracts given to Gaudreau and Monahan. Both have expressed the desire to remain in Calgary long-term, but with each passing day the fanbase becomes more frantic. With just under $15MM in current cap space, the team should be able to fit both players in without making any subsequent moves.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.