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Carolina Hurricanes Sign Three Forwards

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The Carolina Hurricanes have added a little more depth to the organization, signing three minor league forwards to one-year, two-way contracts. Jeremy Bracco, David Gust and Sheldon Rempal will join the organization on contracts worth $700K at the NHL level.

Rempal, 25, is the only one of the three that has NHL experience at this point, with seven games played for the Los Angeles Kings in 2018-19. He was not issued a qualifying offer by the team this offseason, after scoring just four goals in 56 games for the Ontario Reign in 2019-20. An undrafted signing out of Clarkson, Rempal did have a strong offensive season in 2018-19 and could be a solid piece in the AHL.

Gust meanwhile was signed by the Bakersfield Condors in 2017 out of Ohio State University, but ended up playing in Carolina’s minor league system this past season. The 26-year-old scored 31 points in those 60 games with the Charlotte Checkers but shouldn’t be expected to play much of an NHL role at any point.

It’s Bracco that will draw the headlines. Still just 23, he was a second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 and had an incredible first few post-draft seasons. In 2016-17 he not only won World Junior gold with Team USA, but also took home the Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires. That Windsor team shocked a powerhouse Erie Otters squad that had the likes of Dylan Strome, Alex DeBrincat, Anthony Cirelli, and coincidentally, Bracco’s new potential teammate Warren Foegele.

Bracco, among the elite powerplay passers in all of professional hockey, unfortunately hasn’t developed the rest of his game enough to earn a chance in the NHL. In 2018-19 he racked up 79 points in 75 games with the Toronto Marlies but dealt with personal issues and clashed with the organization in 2019-20. He ended up playing in 44 games and scored just four goals (still tallying 34 points).

Needing a fresh start, he’ll go to Carolina now where he could still potentially blossom into a legitimate NHL option, at least in sheltered minutes. On a league-minimum deal, it’s certainly worth the risk.

Dominik Bokk Linked To The SHL

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A month ago, Hurricanes prospect Dominik Bokk was slated to play with Krefeld in Germany.  However, with the start of their season delayed once again, the team announced yesterday that he would be moving on with the hopes of finding somewhere he can play.  It appears that location will be Sweden as SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson reports that the winger is on his way to Djurgarden of the SHL.

This will be Bokk’s third straight year in the SHL but it will be his third different team after playing with Vaxjo in 2018-19 and Rogle last season.  He has put up 40 points in 94 games with those two teams, numbers that are quite impressive for someone that was still eligible to play junior hockey.  Playing against his peers at the World Juniors with Germany, he led them in scoring with six goals and two assists in seven games while helping them avoid relegation.

It’s unknown how long this loan will be for.  While the original plan was to have the 20-year-old return from Krefeld when training camps opened up, Svensson notes that Djurgarden is seeking players to play the full season, not just a couple of months.  As a result, it’s possible that Carolina may have to wait a little longer for Bokk, the centerpiece of the Justin Faulk trade last year, suit up in their system.

Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Steven Lorentz

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Steven Lorentz to a two-year, two-way contract. It will pay him $700K in the NHL this season and $750K next, the league minimum in both years. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a short statement:

Steven took a big step forward this season. He was an impact player on the AHL level and we believe he will contribute in the NHL in the future.

Lorentz, 24, was a seventh-round selection by the Hurricanes back in 2015 but has quickly climbed the organizational depth chart. After starting his professional career at the ECHL level, he became a full-time AHL player in 2018-19 and then a star in 2019-20. Scoring 23 goals and 46 points in 61 games for the Charlotte Checkers, the 6’4″ forward trailed only Jake Bean for the team lead in scoring.

Now, with the AHL season still shrouded in uncertainty, Lorentz will try to establish himself as an NHL option that could step in when another player is injured. The Hurricanes are already loaded with at least 12 legitimate NHL forwards, but he can compete for the last few spots and potentially make his debut in 2020-21.

Latest On Jake Gardiner

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It’s been a little over a year now since the Carolina Hurricanes signed Jake Gardiner to a four-year, $16.2MM contract. It seemed the ink had only barely dried by the time speculation started swirling about his tenure in Carolina, with the team potentially looking to move on just a few months into the deal. At the trade deadline, the Hurricanes added Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen, with the former signed through 2023-24.

Now in free agency, though Vatanen remains unsigned and the team moved on from Joel Edmundson, there is still a log jam of defenders in Carolina. Joakim Ryan has been brought in as an inexpensive depth option, while Jake Bean continues to wait patiently for his NHL opportunity. Gardiner meanwhile is in the news again, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writing Carolina “continue to examine its trade options” for the veteran defenseman.

Gardiner, 30, was an incredibly polarizing player during his years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both one of their consistent options on the blue line and the author of the most ill-timed giveaways, he had fervent supporters and detractors over a 551-game tenure. In 2019-20 with the Hurricanes, the same frustrations were evident. Gardiner did record 24 points in 68 games, but was also limited to fewer than 17 minutes a night and was a team-leading -24 (the next closest player was Trevor van Riemsdyk’s -7 rating).

Unfortunately perhaps for the Hurricanes, Gardiner does hold a seven-team no-trade clause and is under a contract that is actually back-loaded. Though his cap hit may only be $4.05MM per season, the actual money owed reaches $12.55MM. That’s not a huge difference, but still could be one that makes a trade harder in the current financial landscape.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Hurricanes Re-Sign Spencer Smallman

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Oct 14: The Hurricanes have officially announced the contract for Smallman, at the reported terms. GM Don Waddell released a short statement on his young forward:

Spencer has continued to improve each season since turning pro. He took another positive step in his development last season and we hope he can take another step forward next year.

Oct 13: The Hurricanes have taken care of one of their minor league restricted free agents.  CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that Carolina has signed winger Spencer Smallman to a one-year, two-way deal.  The contract pays $735K in the NHL and $70K in the AHL which means that he accepted his qualifying offer.

The 24-year-old was a fifth-round pick of the ’Canes back in 2015 (138th overall) but hasn’t had a lot of success at the professional level so far aside from a good showing in the 2018 ECHL playoffs.  Last season, Smallman played in 47 games with Carolina’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte but managed just three goals and ten assists but still was able to land a qualifying offer last week.

Smallman must pass through waivers next season to return to the Checkers but that should happen without much concern.  Once he returns to the minor league level, he’ll need to take a big step forward in his offensive production.  If not, he’ll be a candidate to be non-tendered next offseason given that he’ll be entering his age-25 season in 2021-22.

 

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Clark Bishop, Vasiliy Ponomarev

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The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Clark Bishop to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay Bishop $700K in the NHL and $100K at the AHL level. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a short statement:

Clark is a versatile, two-way center that knows our system well. We look forward to him continuing his development this season.

Bishop had filed for salary arbitration last week, which will no longer be required.

The 24-year-old forward has played in 25 games for the Hurricanes over the past two seasons, spending most of his time as a professional at the minor league level. Like every other AHL player, Bishop will have to wait and see what the 2020-21 season looks like for minor leaguers.

The team has also signed Vasiliy Ponomarev to a three-year, entry-level contract. Ponomarev was picked 53rd overall in this year’s draft and is currently playing for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. The 18-year-old Russian forward had 49 points in 57 games as a CHL rookie last season and is off to a hot start with two goals in his first four games.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Joakim Ryan

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The Carolina Hurricanes have added even more experience to their deep blue line. The team has announced a one-year, two-way deal with Joakim Ryan, who has played in nearly 150 NHL games over the past three seasons. The deal carries the minimum $700K NHL salary, making him an affordable option in a pinch, and a $150K salary in the AHL.

Ryan, 27, is a balanced defenseman who can step into the lineup without issues. A mobile blue liner, Ryan does not produce many points but moves the puck well. Similarly, he does not put up big defensive numbers, but is a sound defender. While his role with the San Jose Sharks in his first two NHL seasons was limited, Ryan played over 19 minutes per games last season with the Los Angeles Kings, albeit only in 35 games.

Ryan has not played in the AHL in the past two seasons and spend only two games in the minors the year prior, but that is likely set to change in Carolina. Ryan’s two-way contract combined with the Hurricanes’ depth implies that Ryan could be the next man up in the minors, rather than a full-time NHLer. As of right now, Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner, and RFA Haydn Fleury are locked in for roster spots while Jake Bean could push for a role, and you can never quite rule out the ’Canes acquiring another defenseman as well. Ryan seems like the odd man out, but is a quality option when injuries occur.

Hurricanes Sign Jesper Fast

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The Hurricanes have added some speed to their group of wingers as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Jesper Fast to a three-year deal.  The contract carries a $2MM AAV and pays $1MM next season, $2MM in 2021-22, and $3MM in 2022-23.

The 28-year-old has been a consistent depth scorer throughout his NHL career, ranging between 20 and 33 points in each of the last five seasons.  Last year was one of his better offensive campaigns despite the pandemic as he potted 12 goals and 17 assists in 69 games with the Rangers while logging a career-best 16:36 per night.

Fast is a good fit for the up-tempo Hurricanes both by which the speed he plays and his ability to play both wings and a variety of roles.  He likely will slot in as a third liner when everyone is healthy and will be in more of a two-way role but he showed with New York that he can move up in a pinch.

The winger gets a small raise on his most recent deal which carried a $1.85MM AAV which is notable in this cap environment.  The fact he also received a three-year deal is also impressive at a time where a lot of capable wingers have had to settle for shorter-term contracts.

With the move, Carolina now has a little under $5.8MM in cap space per CapFriendly with RFA winger Warren Foegele and RFA blueliner Haydn Fleury need new deals.  Even when those two re-sign, they should still have enough to add another player if they so desire.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period was first to report that Carolina was working on a deal with Fast.

Hurricanes To Take Full Bonus Penalty In 2020-21

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  • In a pair of tweets, PuckPedia reports that the Hurricanes and Capitals will both take their full bonus overage penalties this coming season instead of amortizing them over two years which was a one-time option in the new CBA. As a result, Carolina’s cap space for 2020-21 will decrease by just over $1.367MM while Washington’s goes down by just under $420K.

Sami Vatanen And Trevor Van Riemsdyk Expected To Test Free Agency

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Hurricanes defensemen Sami Vatanen and Trevor van Riemsdyk are expected to test free agency when the market opens up on Friday, GM Don Waddell told reporters, including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.  Waddell did indicate that Carolina is interested in retaining them and the players could still potentially circle back once they’ve seen what other offers are out there:

We’ve made it real clear that we’d like both guys, but we also understand that we’re under a little bit more of a scrutiny with our salary cap.  So if they go out to the market, whatever the market will bear, it might be something that if they do come back to us that we can talk about.

As things stand, the team has less than $8MM in cap space with only 17 players signed and while winger Warren Foegele and blueliner Haydn Fleury aren’t going to break the bank as restricted free agents, by the time they’re signed, there won’t be enough room to keep both UFAs by the time you factor in spending to fill out the rest of their roster.

Vatanen is the more intriguing of the two situations.  The 29-year-old was brought in by Carolina at the trade deadline despite being injured at the time with the hopes that he’d help them down the stretch and in the playoffs.  Of course, the pandemic shut things down and he was only able to play in seven playoff games.

While Vatanen’s offensive production has dipped in recent years compared to the 37 and 38-point seasons he put up in 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively, he’s still an intriguing top-four option that can help run a power play.  He does, however, carry considerable injury risk as he has yet to play more than 72 games in a single season.  With a thin UFA market though, there still should be a large number of teams interested in him and a deal around the $4.875MM AAV that he had the past four seasons could still happen even with the salary cap flattened out.

As for van Riemsdyk, the 29-year-old was in a limited role for most of this season, playing in just 49 games during the regular season and only two of their postseason contests.  It’s unlikely that he’ll be able to command the $2.3MM AAV he played under the last two years but if he’s willing to sign for less, it’s plausible that he could be brought back at a rate that’s more commensurate with a sixth or seventh role.

Waddell also has to be mindful of two big-ticket deals on the horizon for 2021-22 in winger Andrei Svechnikov and defenseman Dougie Hamilton.  Svechnikov is a restricted free agent next offseason and Waddell indicated that extension talks are ongoing while allowing for the possibility of the 20-year-old’s next contract being a short-term bridge.  As for Hamilton, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency after next season, no talks have been held yet but he’ll be in line for a significant raise on his current $5.75MM AAV.  Knowing that those contracts will be coming sooner than later will certainly affect Waddell’s willingness to spend big on multi-year deals in the weeks ahead which could very well take Vatanen off the table for them.

Fortunately for Carolina, even if both of their UFA blueliners don’t return, they’ll still be well-positioned for next season with Hamilton anchoring a top-four that also features Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Brady Skjei.  Veteran Jake Gardiner is also in the mix as well as Fleury so the Hurricanes will still have a strong back end without Vatanen and van Riemsdyk in the mix.

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