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Hurricanes Sign Calvin De Haan

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It was a successful tryout for defenseman Calvin de Haan as the Hurricanes announced that they’ve signed the veteran to a one-year contract.  The deal is worth $850K.  GM Don Waddell released the following statement on the move:

We obviously knew Calvin from his previous time in Carolina. We like what we’ve seen from him in camp and saw this as an opportunity to increase our depth on the back end.

That time that Waddell speaks of is from the 2018-19 season when he played in 74 games for Carolina, primarily in a shutdown role.  It’s a role that the 32-year-old is quite familiar with as it’s the one that he has had for most of his 10-year NHL career which also featured time with the Islanders and Blackhawks.  Last season, de Haan played in 69 games for Chicago, picking up four goals and four assists while logging just shy of 19 minutes a game.  He also led the Blackhawks in blocked shots (172) and placed second in hits with 146.

With Jake Gardiner not being able to return this season, it opens up a spot for de Haan on the roster although it seems quite likely that he will have a smaller role than he’s accustomed to.  Carolina’s top four is fully established with all four of those players being fully capable of logging over 20 minutes a night.  That will leave de Haan fighting for ice time on the third pairing and perhaps even being in a seventh defenseman role at times.  Even so, he extends his NHL career with this deal and becomes the second defender in as many days to convert a PTO agreement into a full contract.

Minor Transactions: 09/24/22

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The preseason gets underway today but most of the roster shuffling won’t start for a few more days at least.  In the meantime, we’ll look at some of the smaller moves around the hockey world.

  • Hurricanes prospect Alexander Perevalov is listed on Kunlun Red Star’s roster which means that the 18-year-old has been loaned to the KHL. Perevalov was a third-round pick by Carolina (71st overall) back in July after spending most of last year with Yaroslavl in the MHL which is also where he started this season.  Now, he’ll get a taste of playing in Russia’s top division for the time being.
  • Veteran winger Bobby Butler isn’t ready to hang up his skates just yet. Worcester of the ECHL announced that they’ve inked the 35-year-old to a one-year deal.  Butler played in 130 career NHL games over parts of five seasons and actually went more than two years without playing before signing with the Raiders back in January.  Worcester is an affiliate team of the Islanders.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Fourteenth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)
3rd Overall: Roman Josi, Atlanta Thrashers (38)
4th Overall: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues (4)
5th Overall: Erik Karlsson, Toronto Maple Leafs (15)
6th Overall: John Carlson, Columbus Blue Jackets (27)
7th Overall: Jacob Markstrom, Nashville Predators (31)
8th Overall: Braden Holtby, Phoenix Coyotes (93)
9th Overall: Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders (22)
10th Overall: Jared Spurgeon, Vancouver Canucks (156)
11th Overall: Cam Atkinson, Chicago Blackhawks (157)
12th Overall: T.J. Brodie, Buffalo Sabres (114)
13th Overall: Josh Bailey, Los Angeles Kings (9)

For the first time in our 2008 Redraft series, we see a player slide from his original draft spot. Bailey, originally selected ninth overall by the New York Islanders falls just four spots to thirteenth overall, where he would instead head to the Kings. Looking back on it, there were more than a couple names taken after Bailey who may have been the more prudent selection for the Islanders, who took him ninth, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a poor selection for the slot. Over his career, Bailey has recorded modest point totals while playing a 200 foot game and serving as a veteran character player on Long Island. Now, the winger serves as the longest-tenured member of the Islanders.

Due respect to Colten Teubert, who the Kings originally selected thirteenth overall, however had they been able to and opted to select Bailey, they surely would have been better served. Even if Bailey wasn’t the best choice for the Kings, the simple fact alone that he has played nearly 1,000 NHL games as compared to Teubert’s 24 would make Bailey an excellent alternative. The Kings did get value out of Teubert after all, trading him along with a pair of draft picks to acquire forward Dustin Penner, who would go on to win a Stanley Cup in Los Angeles.

We now turn our attention to the fourteenth overall pick which belonged to the Carolina Hurricanes. With their pick, Carolina selected a forward already playing for the Hurricanes: Zach Boychuk from the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes. Boychuk had already established himself as one of the best players in junior hockey when Carolina selected him and continued down that path with another impressive season after. In addition to a fourth straight dominant WHL season, Boychuk was also able to make his NHL debut that season, suiting up for a pair of October contests with Carolina. Boychuk became a full-time pro in 2009-10, splitting time between the NHL and AHL, recording nine points in 31 games for Carolina and 36 points in 52 games with the Albany River Rats.

Although it wasn’t a superstar pro debut, Boychuk’s performance was respectable and created plenty of excitement for him to build on his success the year after, and build he did. In 2010-11, the forward recorded a phenomenal 65 points in 60 games in the AHL. Still, he couldn’t repeat that success at the NHL level, with just seven points over 23 games. Ultimately, this would be the pitfall of Boychuk’s NHL career. As he continued to impress in the AHL and become a key piece of the Charlotte Checkers, he simply couldn’t repeat that success up in the NHL. After just two points in 16 games in 2011-12, Boychuk bounced around the following year, playing with Carolina, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators before returning to the Carolina organization.

Boychuk would spend parts of three more seasons with the origination, his last NHL action coming in 31 games in 2014-15. After the 2015-16 season, Boychuk left North America in pursuit of opportunities in Europe, where he would find success and regular roles. The now-veteran spent parts of three seasons in the KHL, followed by parts of two seasons in Switzerland, and finally three more in Germany, where he’s currently a member of the Berlin Polar Bears of the DEL.

With the chance to do it over again, it’s likely the Hurricanes would go with another name at fourteenth overall. As good of a pro as Boychuk has been, his 30 points in 127 NHL games simply wouldn’t warrant a selection with names such as Tyler Myers, Adam Henrique, Gustav Nyquist or Derek Stepan still left on the board. So, with the fourteenth overall selection in our 2008 redraft, who should Carolina select?

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Jake Gardiner Suffers Setback; Not At Hurricanes Camp

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When Jake Gardiner declared himself healthy enough to resume his NHL career, eyebrows raised all around the league. The defenseman had only played in 26 games during the 2020-21 season and missed all of 2021-22 because of chronic injuries, including a back issue that went back several years. Many had assumed that his career was over after missing the full season, but things were progressing like he would return to the Carolina Hurricanes this season.

Unfortunately, Gardiner has experienced a setback according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour and is not in training camp. Team reporter Walt Ruff passes on the full comment from the head coach:

He had a setback and just is not healthy enough to do it. Unfortunately he has had a lot of surgeries and we know he’s been nicked up. 

If this is it for the 32-year-old defenseman, it is a disappointing end to a career that was cut short right in his prime. During the 2017-18 season, the last time Gardiner played all 82 games, he racked up 52 points for the Toronto Maple Leafs, 16th among all NHL defensemen. He was a real difference-maker at even-strength, where he tied for sixth among defensemen with 37 points.

As back issues started to take their toll, he played just 62 games the following season. His first season in Carolina was relatively healthy but it was cut short by COVID, and then things deteriorated quickly. Gardiner’s contract with the Hurricanes is set to expire after this season.

If it’s the end, the 2008 first-round pick will finish with 645 regular season games and 277 points. The Hurricanes will be able to move his contract to long-term injured reserve if he is unable to play this season.

Hurricanes Shopping Ethan Bear

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Earlier this summer, Carolina gave Ethan Bear permission to speak to other teams heading into restricted free agency.  At the time, it seemed like he was a candidate to be non-tendered but in the end, the Hurricanes qualified him and signed the 25-year-old to a one-year, $2.2MM deal.  However, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that even with the new contract, Carolina is still trying to move the young defender.

Last season was a tough one for Bear.  After being a regular in a top-four role for Edmonton back in 2019-20, he battled some injury issues the following season and dropped down the depth chart which helped contribute to him being traded to Carolina a few days after the draft in 2021.  The hope was that he’d rebound but instead, history repeated itself.  Bear was banged up at times last season and when he was in the lineup, he struggled.  Overall, he had five goals and nine assists in 58 games with a career-low 16:05 ATOI.  While he underwent a minor procedure after the playoffs, Bear was available to play if needed but was scratched for every contest.

In a recent appearance on CHEK (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Canucks are among the teams that have shown interest in Bear.  There is a definite opening on the right side of their back end but making the money work could be tricky.  They’re less than a million below their LTIR ceiling (with Micheal Ferland not playing again this season) which is considerably less space than Bear’s contract.  Tucker Poolman’s availability for the start of the year is in question but he’s expected back at some point which takes the option of adding Bear to slide into Poolman’s vacated spot off the table as well.

Meanwhile, Carolina has no such cap concerns.  With Max Pacioretty and Jake Gardiner LTIR-bound to start the season, they have the ability to find him in without an issue.  However, Dylan Coghlan is also in the fold and could push for a spot on the third pairing which could have Bear on the fringes of the lineup once again; Brett Pesce and Brent Burns are clearly locked into the right-side spots on the top two pairings already.  By qualifying him, the Hurricanes determined that there was still some value but if he sits a lot early on, that will change in a hurry.

Whether it’s Vancouver or another team, it looks like Bear is a candidate to be on the move over the coming weeks and with the situation he’ll likely be in with Carolina where he’ll be battling for a spot in the lineup, it might be a move that the Hurricanes will want to make sooner than later.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jake Gardiner Likely Heading Back To LTIR This Season

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Hurricanes defenseman Jake Gardiner was not on their training camp invite list that was released earlier today.  As Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer points out (Twitter link), the veteran is likely to land back on LTIR this season.  Gardiner spent all of 2021-22 on there after undergoing back and hip surgeries but GM Don Waddell had indicated this summer that the 32-year-old had recovered and was expected to be ready for the season so it appears there has been a setback of some sort.  Gardiner is entering the final year of his contract that carries a $4.05MM AAV and he’ll join newly-acquired winger Max Pacioretty as players heading for LTIR to start the season which means that they’ll have plenty of short-term wiggle room available from a cap perspective.

Hurricanes Have Held Some Extension Talks With Jordan Staal

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Back in June, Hurricanes center Jordan Staal indicated that he wasn’t interested in pursuing an early extension and that they’d look at his contract after the upcoming season.  However, it appears his stance has changed since then as the 34-year-old told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that there have been a few discussions about a new deal this summer and expressed his desire to stick around:

I want to be in the Hurricanes organization for as long as I can, and I’m sure whether it’s an extension now or they re-up me at the end of the year or if they’re done with me, it will happen.

Carolina Hurricanes Appear To Have Extended Don Waddell

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According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, it appears the Carolina Hurricanes and GM Don Waddell have re-upped on a new contract, though the specifics are not certain. Waddell’s previous contract had been set to expire on June 30th, and with that date coming and going and the Hurricanes busy offseason proceeding, it would seem clear that some sort of agreement had been reached. That train of thought appears confirmed now via LeBrun, who says the deal went without a team announcement. While the Boston Bruins announced their extension with GM Don Sweeney, who also had his last contract expire on June 30th, this quiet approach is not out of the ordinary and is part of a new trend, LeBrun says.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2022-23 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Carolina Hurricanes

Current Cap Hit: $85,116,917 (over the $82.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Seth Jarvis (two years, $894K)

Potential Bonuses
Jarvis: $500K

Jarvis had a nice rookie season in 2021-22 with 40 points in 68 games, good for eighth in team scoring.  Three of the seven ahead of him have since moved on so there should be an opportunity for him to take on a bigger role in his sophomore year.  Notably, he barely achieved $100K of his bonuses last season so Carolina shouldn’t automatically expect him to hit the $500K this time around.  A sizable jump in production over the next couple of years could have him in line for a longer-term deal that bypasses a bridge contract; a deal like that could push into the $6MM range if he can get closer to the 60-point mark.

Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level

G Frederik Andersen ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Ethan Bear ($2.2MM, RFA)
D Dylan Coghlan ($762.5K, UFA)
F Jesper Fast ($2MM, UFA)
D Jake Gardiner ($4.05MM, UFA)
F Ondrej Kase ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Max Pacioretty ($7MM, UFA)
F Lane Pederson ($750K, RFA)
G Antti Raanta ($2MM, UFA)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM, UFA)
F Paul Stastny ($1.5MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses
Stastny: $500K

Carolina acquired Pacioretty with the hopes he’d help replace some of the lost scoring from the departures of Vincent Trocheck and Nino Niederreiter.  Unfortunately for them, he then tore his Achilles in training and will miss most of the regular season.  He’ll be 34 when his next contract starts and missing this much time in 2022-23 doesn’t bode well for his next deal.  If he gets a multi-year agreement, it’ll be at a discount.  A one-year deal with some performance bonuses will also be an option since he’ll have missed enough time to qualify.  Staal is in the final season of his 10-year deal and while the captain is still a key defensive player, his production has fallen off lately.  He’ll be 35 on his next contract and could be a year-to-year player with bonuses while a two-year agreement could check in closer to the $3.75MM range.

Fast has fit in quite well with Carolina as a secondary scorer and even with a weakened market for wingers, he should be in line for at least a small raise on this price tag.  That said, it felt like he signed an under-market contract last time around.  Kase, when healthy, can be a capable top-six forward but staying healthy has proven to be difficult which has led to two straight non-tenders.  Even if he stays away from concussion trouble this coming season, his market shouldn’t improve by much.  Stastny took a little less to go to a contender with his bonuses only being payable if Carolina wins the Stanley Cup.  His market value is closer to the $3.5MM range if he was to prioritize salary on his next contract.  Pederson comes over from San Jose and should be a regular on the fourth line but should still check in under $1MM on his next contract.

Gardiner missed all of last season due to injuries and while he’s hoping to return this season, there’s still no guaranteed roster spot for him.  Carolina can waive him and free up $1.125MM in cap space while his market value next summer might be closer to the $1MM mark.  Bear was speculated to be a non-tender candidate after being a frequent scratch down the stretch but the Hurricanes will give him one more look.  If he’s still only able to hold down a spot on the third pairing, he won’t be in position to command much more than this.  Coghlan was the prize for Carolina absorbing Pacioretty’s contract and could push his way past the $1MM mark if he’s able to lock down a regular spot on the third pairing.

Andersen didn’t sign with the Hurricanes when they drafted him but 11 years later, he joined them in free agency on a short-term deal with the hopes of rebuilding some value.  One year in and it’s so far, so good.  He turned in a career year, finishing fourth in Vezina Trophy voting.  Even so, Carolina’s system is good at supressing shots so even a repeat performance isn’t going to drastically boost his value.  A small jump is achievable while he might be able to get an extra year or two as well.  Raanta had a nice bounce-back after a tough year in Arizona.  Frequent injuries are going to continue to limit the 33-year-old to a second-string role although he might be able to get closer to the $3MM mark next summer.

Signed Through 2023-24

F Sebastian Aho ($8.46MM, UFA)
D Jalen Chatfield ($762.5K, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($1.8MM, UFA)
F Martin Necas ($3MM, RFA)
D Brett Pesce ($4..025MM, UFA)
D Brady Skjei ($5.25MM, UFA)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM, UFA)

Aho’s contract, you may recall, came from an offer sheet from Montreal back in 2019, one that Carolina wasted little time matching.  He has blossomed into a star two-way center and because of the offer sheet, he has positioned himself to reach the open market before his age-27 season where a max-term, big-money offer certainly awaits.  $10MM or more is certainly attainable if he continues to hover around the point per game mark.

Teravainen has picked up 60 or more points in four of the last five seasons, making him a very reliable top-six winger.  His two-way game is also strong so even with wingers feeling the squeeze a bit in recent years, he should be an exception to that as he should be able to command something in the $7MM range.  Necas will begin his bridge deal with a chance to really lock down a full-time spot in the top six.  He has ranged between 36 and 41 points the last three years and will need to boost the high end of that if he wants to get significantly more than his $3.5MM qualifying offer in 2024.  Martinook has been a reliable checker on the fourth line over his tenure with the Hurricanes although this contract is an above-market one in terms of that role.  He’ll likely come in a bit lower on his next deal.

Skjei arguably had a career year in 2021-22 and has become a key part of Carolina’s top four on the back end.  He’ll be 30 when his contract is up and while he shouldn’t be able to command top-pair money, he should be in a position to add a million or so on his next deal while perhaps landing his second straight six-year agreement.  Pesce continues to be a high-end defensive defender that has chipped in with some quality secondary scoring.  Between that and the fact he’s a right-shot player, he could surpass the $6MM mark as well on his next contract, one that could be close to a max-term agreement if he makes it to the open market.

Signed Through 2024-25

D Brent Burns ($5.28MM, UFA)*
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM, UFA)

* – San Jose is retaining another $2.72MM on Burns’ deal

Slavin has always been a high-end defensive defender but last season, he found a way to contribute more offensively as well, setting career-highs in assists (38) and points (42), a scoring rate he maintained in the playoffs.  If he’s able to keep this up, he’ll be even more of a bargain while setting himself up for a big raise in 2025.  When it comes to Carolina’s defensemen, being on team-friendly deals is a common factor.  With the Sharks holding back so much of Burns’ deal, the same could be said for him as well.  Even at 37, he logged more than 26 minutes a game last season while recording 54 points.  If he can maintain that with Carolina, that’s number one production for number three money.  He’ll be 40 at the end of this deal and it will be interesting to see if he extends his career past this point.

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