Hurricanes Re-Sign Valentin Zykov
The Hurricanes have locked one of their prospects up for the next two years, announcing that they have re-signed winger Valentin Zykov to a two-year contract. The deal is worth the league minimum in each season, $650K in 2018-19 and $700K in 2019-20 for an AAV of $675K.
Last season, the 23-year-old spent most of the season with Carolina’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte where he finished first on the team in goals (33) and second in points (54) in 63 games. He also suited up in ten games with the big club and fared quite well, posting three goals and four assists while playing 13:47 per night.
The Hurricanes acquired Zykov back in February of 2016 as part of the return for winger Kris Versteeg and the 2013 second-rounder (37th overall) has since emerged as one of their more intriguing offensive prospects. As he is no longer waiver-exempt, it’s expected that Zykov will push for a full-time spot with Carolina next season.
Hurricanes Notes: Free Agents, Darling, Skinner, Tavares
The Carolina Hurricanes have already made some noise this off-season, acquiring Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox from the Calgary Flames for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, but what else the team plans to do this summer remains a mystery. In speaking with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, GM Don Waddell indicates that they may simply stick with the status quo for now. Waddell confirmed that the team is not pursuing contracts with pending unrestricted free agents Cam Ward, Derek Ryan, and Lee Stempniak and expect all three to hit the open market on July 1st. Ward, the Hurricane’s long-time goalie, is rumored to be headed to the Chicago Blackhawks, while Ryan is expected to re-join former Carolina coach Bill Peters and his recently-traded teammates in Calgary. Stempniak’s name has not drawn much attention so far this off-season, as the veteran struggled in 2017-18 with nine points in 37 games. Waddell did not discuss recently non-qualified free agent forward Joakim Nordstrom, likely implying that they are moving on from him as well. Waddell also did not offer any updates on negotiations with restricted free agents Trevor van Riemsdyk, Lucas Wallmark, and Valentin Zykov.
- Waddell did state that the team has no plans to move goalie Scott Darling and are committed to having him on the roster moving forward. The 29-year-old struggled in his first year with Carolina after signing a long-term contract last summer, but the team hopes that his second season as a starter will go smoother. However, Carolina is looking to add a goalie in free agency and have spoken to upwards of six candidates already. The question remains what type of goalie they are looking to bring in. A starter to compete with Darling could look like Robin Lehner, Kari Lehtonen, or Jaroslav Halak, while a steady backup could be Ondrej Pavelec, Chad Johnson, or a reunion with Anton Khudobin.
- As of now, there is no imminent trade involving forward Jeff Skinner. Skinner’s name has been one of the hottest on the rumor mill and many speculated that the Los Angeles Kings signing Ilya Kovalchuk could be the domino that would lead Skinner to being dealt to a team that missed out on the sharp-shooting veteran. Instead, Waddell says that talks with other teams have been ongoing and they have seen some good offers, but haven’t been “comfortable” with accepting any of them. One has to wonder that if they could pull off a trade as big as the one during draft weekend but aren’t comfortable with “good” offers for Skinner, if they are even looking to trade the talented winger at all.
- For any ‘Canes fans out there still holding out hope that Carolina was a secret seventh team in on the John Tavares sweepstakes, Waddell confirmed that he has had no contact whatsoever with Tavares’ camp. The Hurricanes do have more than enough cap space to add a Tavares though, so perhaps Waddell will be active in free agency after all, but focused on other big names.
Hurricanes Re-Sign Phil Di Giuseppe
Although the Carolina Hurricanes did not qualify restricted free agent Phil Di Giuseppe earlier today, it was quickly revealed that they were still in negotiations with the young forward. Now a deal is done, as TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that the Hurricanes have signed Di Giuseppe to a one-year, $750K extension.
While there is no official report yet from the team indicating the nature of the contract, it is possible that this is a two-way deal for the 24-year old left winger. Di Giuseppe signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $725K at the NHL level with the Hurricanes last season, making this new deal a slight raise. However, Di Giuseppe also played in a career-high 49 games with Carolina this season and very well may have earned himself a one-way deal.
Di Giuseppe notched five goals and added eight assists this season with the ‘Canes, mostly skating in limited minutes on the fourth line in an energy role. Yet, he showed a much-improved defensive game this year, as well as stronger possession game. The former University of Michigan star displayed the makings of a more complete NHL style in 2017-18 and on another affordable contract, could play a larger role in Raleigh this year and prove to be a bargain asset.
List Of Potential Destinations For Carter Hutton Cut To Six
Among this year’s free agent goaltending crop, Carter Hutton stands out as a name that could potentially take over a starting role. The 32-year old is coming off an incredible season with the St. Louis Blues, and had been reportedly in talks with as many as eight teams on the first day of the free agent negotiating period. Now, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that group is down to just six teams.
LeBrun adds that even those six are broken into two tiers, depending on whether or not they’ll give Hutton a chance to fight for the starting role. The teams he’s sure of are the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders. All four are unsurprising contenders, as they all are dealing with uncertain goaltending situations as they head into next season. Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) also links the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings to Hutton, and adds that the Blues expressed interest in retaining him at the end of the year.
Hutton registered a .931 save percentage this season in 32 appearances, and continued to show why he’s considered one of the best backups in the league. His career save percentage is now up to .915, and he carries a 63-39-17 record. It’s hard to imagine a team giving him a big money, long-term contract, but it’s clear that he deserves more than the $1.125MM he’s averaged over the last two seasons.
In Buffalo, Carolina and New York he’d likely be given a chance to be a starting goaltender, as Linus Ullmark, Scott Darling and Thomas Greiss haven’t yet proven they can handle the full load. In Chicago, where Corey Crawford‘s health is still up in the air, they need to find an option they can rely on. Any interest from Boston and Detroit would likely be as a backup for Tuukka Rask or Jimmy Howard, though each have shown some inconsistency in the past. Howard is also on the final year of his current contract, meaning Detroit will need someone to step in should he head to another team next summer.
Snapshots: Karlsson, Thornton, Talbot, Brodziak
While the free agent market is slimming more and more after John Carlson opted to re-sign with the Washington Capitals, the trade market has barely gotten active as teams wait to see how the free agent market shakes out. Regardless that could change in the next few days. While there were a few trades this weekend during the draft, one name that stayed put is Ottawa Senators’ defenseman Erik Karlsson.
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, general manager Pierre Dorion was fielding phone calls all the way up to the Senators picked at No. 4, but still hasn’t found the right deal as he’s looking for a big haul of players and picks considering that Karlsson is a franchise player.
As expected, Garrioch writes that the Vegas Golden Knights were at the forefront in trying to make a deal and Vegas was prepared to take the contract of Bobby Ryan, who still has four years at $7.25MM AAV remaining on his contract, but other teams are also trying to get into the Karlsson sweepstakes, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks and the Washington Capitals. No word on whether the other teams are willing to take on Ryan’s contract. While the Capitals are likely out of the running now that they’ve signed Carlson, the Carlson signing may force other teams to press harder to acquire Karlsson.
- David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that there is mutual interest between Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks to return to the team, regardless of whether the team signs John Tavares or not. Thornton, who suffered a season-ending torn MCL in January, would have to come back at a lower salary than the $8MM he made last year, but at 38 years old, he can still be a productive player even if he is forced to play on a lower line. Thornton put up 13 goals and 23 assists in 47 games, but “Jumbo Joe” is well past the days of putting up 82 points in 2015-16.
- Pagnotta also commented on Edmonton Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot as he says both the Oilers and Talbot have agreed to hold off on extension talks until the start of the new season. The 30-year-old Talbot had been a major piece to the team’s success up until this past year. After posting 2.39 GAA and a .919 save percentage two years ago, he struggled this season, posting a 3.02 GAA and a .908 save percentage. The team likely wants to ensure that Talbot bounces back to form before offering him an extension.
- Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic writes that the St. Louis Blues and center Kyle Brodziak both have interest in an extension. The 34-year-old center put up his best season since 2011-12 as a fourth-line center. He tallied 10 goals and 33 points last season. While the Blues have bigger concerns at the moment, Rutherford points out that neither party is in a big rush.
Carter Hutton Has Received Interest From Eight Teams
With goaltending at a premium this season as several teams are still in need of starting help, St. Louis Blues unrestricted free agent Carter Hutton has received quite a bit of interest. In fact, he has received close to 10 teams checked in on the 32-year-old netminder, according to Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun adds that Hutton has heard from eight teams and will take the next few days to cut that list down and expand contract discussions.
The Athletic’s Craig Custance writes that the Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins are definitely interested. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti adds that the Islanders would be a good fit as new head coach Barry Trotz knows him well from their days in Nashville. Even NHL.com’s Joe Yerdon suggested that the Buffalo Sabres could be interested in the former UMass-Lowell goalie. Hutton is the top free agent goaltender on the market. The veteran has been an excellent back-up goalie over the past several years and played the most minutes since the 2013-14 season. He posted a 2.09 GAA and a .931 save percentage in 32 appearances.
While the Blues would undoubtedly like to bring Hutton back with the inconsistencies that starter Jake Allen has had over the past two years, the team is not likely to offer the term that Hutton and his representatives would be asking for. Custance adds the team is unlikely willing to offer more than two years. Strickland said that he is likely looking for a three-year deal, possibly a similar deal to the three-year, $10MM deal that Philipp Grubauer inked Saturday with the Colorado Avalanche. The Blues have top goaltending prospect Ville Husso, their goaltender of the future. Husso, who has already played two full seasons in the AHL, is no more than one year away, so signing Hutton to a three-year deal would affect Husso’s development. Allen has three more years remaining on his deal at $4.35MM AAV and would be difficult to move on from at this point in time.
NHL.com’s Lou Korac reports that St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong said they have talked to Hutton, but are fully aware and have a plan in place if Hutton opts to leave the Blues.
Trade Interest In Carolina’s Skinner Remains Strong
After being the centerpiece of biggest trade of the NHL Entry Draft, the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t done yet. Not even close, according to News & Observer’s Luke Decock. The team still needs a goalie and still have the assets to move some key players, including defenseman Justin Faulk and most especially winger Jeff Skinner, who has been one of the most talked about players available via trade. And while a deal did not take place this weekend, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to be moved.
In fact, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that trade interest in Skinner is still strong. However, most teams are waiting to see where superstar unrestricted free agent John Tavares lands first before looking to pull the trigger on a Skinner trade. It looks like Skinner might be the consolation prize to the Tavares sweepstakes. Therefore, expect Carolina to wait for the free agent market to shake out before dangling Skinner (and Faulk) for the biggest gains.
“It gives us some options as we sit here today to look at anything,” general manager Don Waddell said. “We came into this weekend talking if we could do something to make our hockey club better we would look at it. We weren’t worried as much about the position as gaining the assets. We have a lot of other possible pieces to move around.”
Skinner had a down year last season when he scored just 24 goals and 49 points, but that is compared to his 37-goal season in 2016-17 and at age 26, he has already had three 30-goal seasons, making him one of the most marketable players in the NHL who can inject immediate offense into any lineup. He has one more year at a reasonable $5.725MM. If a team can get Skinner to sign an extension along with the trade, then the price for the winger might increase even more.
Metropolitan Notes: Tavares, Hamilton, Rask, Rangers
In a follow-up story about New York Islanders and John Tavares upcoming free agency, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required) writes that the Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello left the draft to fly to Los Angeles to be nearby while Tavares meets with the teams that he and his representatives have invited to speak with him. Lamoriello will meet with Tavares last in hopes of keeping the superstar in the fold.
As reported earlier, it is believed that he will meet with the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars and possibly the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens, although that isn’t too clear so far. However, Staples writes that an earlier rumor today that the Islanders made an eight-year, $88MM deal may not be accurate. He believes in the end, whether offered by the Islanders or another team, that Tavares will be making $12MM per year, which Lamoriello has said that ownership has said that money is no object.
- Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported that the Carolina Hurricanes intend to keep defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who the team acquired in the five-player trade earlier today. The scribe said the team had no intention of flipping the blueliner for more assets. Hamilton should provide the team with a No. 1 defenseman to go with their core of young blueliners. The six-year veteran is only just 25 years old and put up 17 goals and 44 points last season.
- Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Carolina Hurricanes were supposedly close on sending winger Victor Rask to the Montreal Canadiens, but the asking price of two second-round picks in this draft (including the No. 35 pick) was too much for the Canadiens. The 25-year-old winger still has four years at $4MM AAV and seems to have regressed somewhat since a 21 goal season back in 2015-16.
- The New York Rangers had three first-round picks in this latest draft with much speculation wondering if general manager Jeff Gorton would use those picks as assets to either acquire a pro-ready player or even to move up in the draft. Instead, the Rangers used all three picks (albeit, they traded up late in the first-round). NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reports that Gorton said he was never close to making a deal this weekend. Gorton said he was ready to change his draft strategy if he got a trade offer he liked, but never got one. “I would say there was probably less conversations than I anticipated,” Gorton said.
2018 Draft Results By Team
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is now complete. Check out how each team did with accruing talent and filling needs with each of their selections this weekend:
Anaheim Ducks
1-23. F Isac Lundestrom, Lulea (SHL)
2-54. F Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
3-79. F Blake McLaughlin, Chicago Steel (USHL)
3-84. G Lukas Dostal, HC Kometa Brno (Czech Republic-Jr.)
4-116. F Jack Perbix, Elk River HS (USHS)
5-147. G Roman Durny, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
6-178. D Hunter Drew, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)
Arizona Coyotes
1-5. F Barrett Hayton, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2-55. D Kevin Bahl, Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
3-65. F Jan Jenik, HC Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic-2)
3-73. D Ty Emberson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-114. G Ivan Prosvetov, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
5-142. D Mitchell Callahan, Central Illinois Flying Aces (USHL)
5-145. D Dennis Busby, Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-158. G David Tendeck, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
7-189. F Liam Kirk, Sheffield Steelers (England)
Boston Bruins
2-57. D Axel Andersson, Djurgardens IF (SuperElit)
3-77. F Jakub Lauko, Pirati Chomutov (Czech Republic)
4-119. F Curtis Hall, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
6-181. D Dustyn McFaul, Pickering Panthers (OJHL)
7-212. F Pavel Shen, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)
Buffalo Sabres
1-1. D Rasmus Dahlin, Frolunda HC (SHL)
2-32. D Mattias Samuelsson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-94. F Matej Pekar, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
4-117. D Linus Lindstrand Kronholm, Malmo Redhawks (SuperElit)
5-125. D Miska Kuukonen, Ilves (Jr.-Liiga)
7-187. D William Worge Kreu, Linkoping (SuperElit)
Calgary Flames
3-105. F Martin Pospisil, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
3-108. F Demetrios Koumontzis, Edina HS (USHS)
4-122. F Milos Roman, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
6-167. F Mathias Emilio Pettersen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
7-198. F Dmitri Zavgorodny, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
Carolina Hurricanes
1-2. F Andrei Svechnikov, Barrie Colts (OHL)
2-42. F Jack Drury, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
4-96. F Luke Henman, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
4-104. F Lenni Killinen, Espoo Blues (Jr.-Liiga)
6-166. D Jesper Sellgren, MODO (Allsveskan)
7-197. G Jake Kucharski, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
Chicago Blackhawks
1-8. D Adam Boqvist, Brynas IF Gavle (SHL)
1-27. D Nicolas Beaudin, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
3-69. F Jake Wise, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
3-74. F Niklas Nordgren, HIFK Helsinki (Jr.-Liiga)
4-120. F Philipp Kurashev, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
5-139. F Mikael Hakkarainen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
6-162. G Alexis Gravel, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
7-193. F Josiah Slavin, Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Colorado Avalanche
1-16. F Martin Kaut, Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic)
3-64. G Justus Annunen, Karpat (Jr.-Liiga)
3-78. F Sampo Ranta, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
4-109. F Tyler Weiss, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
5-140. F Brandon Saigeon, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
5-146. D Danila Zhuravlyov, Irbis Kazan (MHL)
6-171. F Nikolai Kovalenko, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL)
7-202. G Shamil Shmakov, Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)Read more
Carolina Hurricanes Trade Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin To Calgary Flames
The Carolina Hurricanes have made their first big trade, reportedly sending Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and Adam Fox. The deal was officially announced on the draft floor.
Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer tweets that both Hanifin and Lindholm had recently rejected contract offers from the Hurricanes, as both are scheduled to be restricted free agents this summer. Both will be reunited with Bill Peters, who resigned as coach of the Hurricanes earlier this spring to take a job in Calgary. They also will change the look of the Flames significantly, adding some more young talent to a team that already had Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk leading the way.
It’s not the first time Hamilton has been involved in a blockbuster deal. The pick that was used to select him by the Boston Bruins was one sent to them by the Toronto Maple Leafs for Phil Kessel, and Hamilton himself was dealt to Calgary just a few years later. He’ll be on his third team already despite just turning 25 last week, and could represent the best individual player in the deal. He’s coming off a 17-goal campaign with the Flames, and will bring another exceptional defender to the Hurricanes.
Ferland and Fox too can’t be overlooked. The former has proven that he can handle playing alongside star talent, sliding in beside Monahan and Gaudreau for large stints. That resulted in a 21-goal season in 2017-18, while bringing his normal physical style to the ice. Fox is a top defensive prospect in his own right that is headed back to Harvard for his junior season, but could jump directly to the NHL after his NCAA season. He’ll join some other impressive defense prospects in Carolina, including Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean.
Speculation immediately exploded around Justin Faulk, another right-handed puck-moving defenseman that now appears redundant for the Hurricanes. With Hamilton in the fold, Faulk could be moved in the next few days to bring in even more talent up front or in goal for Carolina. Faulk has just one season left on his current contract, and according to Bob McKenzie of TSN has a no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1st.