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Carolina Hurricanes Extend Ron Francis

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After a successful offseason that saw the Hurricanes bring in Teuvo Teravainen, Lee Stempniak and get a new deal inked with young forward Victor Rask, the team has decided to extend Executive Vice President and General Manager Ron Francis through the 2018-19 season.

Francis, who ranks fifth all-time in NHL scoring with 1798 points throughout his 23-year playing career, has been the Carolina GM since taking over the role from Jim Rutherford (now Pittsburgh GM) in 2014. Under his leadership the team was a surprise playoff contender for much of last season, despite having one of the youngest groups in the NHL.

With players like Rask, Teravainen, Jeff Skinner, and Elias Lindholm being joined up front by Finnish sniper Sebastian Aho and recent draftee Julien Gauthier, while the blueline is guarded by a group almost all under the age of 26, Francis has built one of the premiere young teams in the NHL and will surely find his way back into the postseason before long.

Metropolitan Notes: Carlson, Cammalleri, Blandisi, Crosby, Hurricanes

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Washington defenseman John Carlson isn’t experiencing any further issues with a broken ankle he sustained late in February, writes CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir.  He had screws inserted in his ankle at the time of the surgery but doesn’t expect that he will need to have those removed:

“Only if it’s really, really bugging me, and it’s not.  It’s perfect, has been the whole summer. It’s good.”

Carlson was a force on the Capitals’ blueline in the postseason, averaging a point per game while logging nearly 27 minutes per night against the Flyers and Penguins.  He’ll be expecting to log big minutes in 2016-17 as a top pairing rearguard for Washington.

More from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Devils winger Mike Cammalleri is fully recovered from a right hand issue that caused him to miss considerable action last season, he told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. The 34 year old suited up in just 42 games in 2015-16, his lowest total since becoming an NHL regular.  Despite missing so much time, he had quite the productive season, picking up 14 goals and 24 assists, giving him his highest points per game rate since 2008-09.  Cammalleri also told Fox that he expects to surpass the 70 games played plateau in 2016-17, something he hasn’t done since ’08-’09.
  • More with New Jersey, the Devils are expected to keep some spots on the roster open for their prospects (and the potential return of Patrik Elias). Among the youngsters vying for a spot up front is Joseph Blandisi, who told NJ.com’s Chris Ryan that ankle swelling that forced him to miss development camp last month has subsided and that he’ll be ready to push for a regular role in training camp.  Blandisi recorded 17 points in 41 games last season but failed to score a goal in his final 23 contests.
  • Hockey Canada has named Penguins captain Sidney Crosby as team captain for their entry into the upcoming World Cup of Hockey.  Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Montreal’s Shea Weber were named alternates.
  • The Hurricanes have announced their roster for the upcoming Traverse City prospect tournament in mid-September. Among the notable invitees are 2016 first rounders Jake Bean and Julien Gauthier, 2014 first round pick Haydn Fleury, and forward Sergey Tolchinsky, who got into a pair of games with Carolina last season.

Questions For Young Players Requiring Waivers

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One of the trickier aspects of setting a post-camp roster is the waiver requirement. It is believed of any team’s prospects who aren’t on the NHL roster that they aren’t NHL ready, but possess the potential to get there some day. The problem is that sometimes a player reaches a level of experience that forces them to go through waivers to be demoted before they’ve reached that potential.

Some teams, like the Maple Leafs with Joe Colborne in 2013, trade these players and acquire an asset rather than losing them for nothing. Other times, a team takes its chances and waive a player, hoping nobody has the roster space or desire to claim them. Frank Corrado was waived last year, and to the consternation of many Canucks fans, was claimed by the Leafs. There are also likely some who get their roster spot over more deserving candidates because their team is scared to lose them. We’ll leave you to speculate on that one.

So, who are some of the players who could force teams to make tough decisions in October?

  • Josh Leivo – Leivo has been a pretty good minor league scorer so far, and possesses a definite big-league shot. Last year, in 12 games with the Leafs, he had five goals. His skating has improved, and he’s got a big enough body to create space for himself and his big release. He’s also not in the realm of a can’t-miss prospect, and his peak role is likely as a secondary scorer. The Leafs have a lot of young players fighting for spots, and Leivo may be in tough. What makes it difficult for Toronto is that Leivo also doesn’t have quite the profile of a guy that brings back an asset. If he can’t make the team, and they think he can still be a player, they may decide the odds of keeping him through the waiver process are better than the odds of the late draft pick they might get becoming an NHL player.
  • Scott Harrington – Harrington had a whirlwind year from July 2015 to June 2016.  A second round pick of the Penguins in 2011, he made his NHL debut for Pittsburgh in 2015. He was then dealt to Toronto as part of the return for Phil Kessel. His season started well, making the team out of camp, and playing 15 games before being sent to the Marlies. He was eventually injured, missing all but 17 games. In June he was traded to Columbus for Kerby Rychel. The Blue Jackets are in a low-risk situation with Harrington. Even if they end up having to waive him, a condition of their trade with the Leafs was that should he be claimed, they’d also receive a fourth round pick. The Blue Jackets can afford to take the risk, knowing they will still get an asset in return should they lose him.
  • Matt Puempel – Drafted by the Senators in the first round of 2011, Puempel looks like another player hoping to be a solid depth scorer. Last year he had 17 goals in 34 AHL games, but just two goals in 26 NHL games. We’ve written about Puempel’s push to get regular playing time before. The Senators have a pretty deep group of forwards to begin with. Puempel may be one of the more likely players to get traded on this list. As a former first round pick, he’s got the pedigree to entice a team into giving up a serious return, maybe a second or third round pick. But given the Senators roster, he may look good enough for one GM, even if he’s passed over in Ottawa.
  • Ryan Murphy – Murphy was the 12th overall pick in 2011, and produced enough offensively in junior to raise hopes. He first played in the NHL in the 2014 season. Murphy got 48 games in, while playing another 22 for the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL. In the two years since then, he’s played progressively more in the AHL, and progressively less in the NHL. 35 points in 124 games as a 23 year old defenseman is impressive, and his AHL numbers are typically at or just below a point-per-game pace. There’s definitely still something there, but the Hurricanes seem to be giving him less rope every year. While it’s hard to know their thinking, they may see training camp as his last opportunity to demand a spot. The Hurricanes defensive depth provides yet another roadblock.

Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: Aho, Bjorkstrand, Werenski, Buchnevich

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It seems we’ve spent most of the offseason talking about Jimmy Vesey and pondering which of his many suitors would ultimately be fortunate enough to add him to their ranks. That chase is finally over with the New York Rangers coming out on top in their efforts to land the prized UFA forward from Harvard. Whether or not Vesey performs up to the high expectations all of the summer hype would suggest remains to be seen, of course, but this saga serves as a reminder of just how much teams value young talent on entry-level deals.

With the salary cap – or in some cases, internal budgets – forcing teams to allow quality veteran pieces to depart each summer in search of a bigger pay day, teams need young players to step in and fill roles vacated by experienced players. The CBA limits how much a player can earn on their ELC thus allowing clubs more freedom to spend lavishly on star players as long as they have enough young talent to balance out their budgets. By virtue of his status as an UFA limited to signing an ELC, Vesey has understandably garnered an unusually high level of attention for a soon-to-be first year player but he won’t be the only rookie expected to make a near immediate impact with his team in 2016-17.

In a series of posts, Pro Hockey Rumors will profile first-year players who will have an opportunity to step in right away and fill a potentially critical role for their team. Today we start in the Metro Division. (Note: In an effort to keep these posts relatively short, some divisions may be covered in multiple posts).

Sebastian Aho (Carolina) – Aho was the Hurricanes second-round choice in the 2015 draft out of Finland and signed his ELC with the club in June. He led his Liiga team (Finland’s top professional league), Karpat, in scoring in 2015-16 tallying 20 goals and 45 points in 45 games. Aho also has achieved remarkable success representing his home country at both the 2016 IIHF World Championships and the 2016 World Juniors. He recorded seven points for the silver medal winning Finns at the World Championships while averaging two points per game – 14 in seven contests – in helping Finland win gold at the Juniors tournament.

It would seem given his performances on some of the biggest stages in the sport that Aho should be ready for the NHL game. Count Hurricanes GM Ron Francis among those who believe Aho can contribute in Carolina immediately.

“Sebastian is regarded as one of the top prospects in hockey and is ready to begin his North American career. He had a tremendous season as an 18-year-old playing against men in Finland’s top league, and was outstanding in international competitions including the recent World Championship. He will play an important role for the Hurricanes moving forward.”

Carolina’s depth chart on Roster Resource lists Aho as the team’s third right wing and given Francis’ quotes, it seems probable he will be given every opportunity to become a key contributor right out of the gate. The Hurricanes have an excellent young blue line but need help up front if they wish to challenge for the playoffs. Aho’s skills and playmaking abilities would be a welcome addition to Carolina’s forward ranks.

Oliver Bjorkstrand (Columbus) – Danish forward Oliver Bjorkstrand proved he was ready for a prime time role with the Blue Jackets during an impressive playoff run as a member of the Lake Erie Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate. The Monsters lost just one game en route to winning a Calder Cup and Bjorkstrand helped pave the way tallying 10 postseason goals. He was even more prolific in the Calder Cup Finals scoring five times, with three proving to be of the game-winning variety.

His head coach with the Monsters, Jared Bednar, had this to say about Bjorkstrand:

“He has a will to win that’s unparalleled, and that’s why he has always been successful, no matter where he’s been.”

The Blue Jackets have several quality young players that will soon be ready to challenge for NHL roles but Bjorkstrand’s determination and recent postseason success should give him an advantage over his peers at cracking the Columbus lineup. Columbus could theoretically compete for a playoff spot, assuming a return to health and form from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, along with an improved defense corps. Bjorkstrand should add more skilled depth to the forward group and he could enjoy a productive season if he finds chemistry with the right players.

Zach Werenski (Columbus) – Possibly joining Bjorkstrand in Columbus in time for the 2016-17 season is D Zach Werenski. Werenski, the team’s first round pick in 2015, eighth overall, played two seasons at the University of Michigan prior to signing his ELC last spring. He would see action in seven AHL regular season games, scoring one goal, before embarking on an excellent playoff run. In 17 postseason contests, Werenski tallied five goals and 14 points in helping the Monsters to the Calder Cup.

Werenski already boasts NHL size at 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds and adds tremendous skating ability as well as poise under pressure. Even after the addition of rising star Seth Jones via a mid-season trade with Nashville and the presence of Ryan Murray, Werenski has an excellent shot to break training camp with the big club. If Werenski develops as expected, the Blue Jackets could quickly transform their blue line from one of the league’s worst to one of the best in relatively short order.

Pavel Buchnevich (New York Rangers) – Vesey isn’t the only rookie the Rangers will likely be welcoming to the lineup for the 2016-17 season. Pavel Buchnevich, the team’s top prospect and a 2013 third round choice, elected to make the jump to North America and signed his ELC this past spring. While skating in the KHL, widely considered the second best league in the word behind the NHL, Buchnevich tallied a respectable 37 points in 58 regular season games.

To put those numbers in a bit of perspective, Rob Vollman in the Hockey Abstract has constructed a predictive chart to convert offensive numbers from one league to another based primarily on historical data involving players appearing in both leagues and how they’ve fared moving from one to the other. Buchnevich’s points-per-game ratio in the KHL projects to be roughly the equivalent of a 40-point campaign in the NHL based on Vollman’s chart. That’s pretty solid for a 20-year-old player.

The Rangers wouldn’t seem to need much of an offensive boost after finishing seventh in the NHL in goal scoring and returning much of their top-six forward talent – excepting of course the swap of Derick Brassard for Mika Zibanejad – but Alain Vigneault tends to use his third line as much or more than most NHL head coaches. That should allow for a rookie with the skill and ability of Buchnevich to earn quality ice time while also shielding him from the tougher match-ups.

 

Vesey Updates: 8/16/2016

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4:00pm: Teams not considered major contenders for Jimmy Vesey will nonetheless reach out to the representatives of the college star. Even if there is only the slightest chance that Vesey will even meet with the team, it is still worth it to inquire about this unique situation. Two such teams in this position are the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets, though more will surely be calling.

12:32pm: The Boston Bruins are set up to make the final pitch to Vesey, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. This may or may not give the Bruins an advantage over the competition but it can’t hurt Boston to have the final word as they work to recruit the hometown kid.

12:00pm: Even though they haven’t been linked previously as a contender for his services, we can nonetheless now count the Detroit Red Wings out of the Vesey sweepstakes. Ansar Kan of MLive reports that the Wings did indeed make a pitch to Vesey’s camp, focusing on the team’s depth and potential playing time, but according to assistant general manager Ryan Martin, the club was told that Vesey “preferred to play closer to home.” This news might potentially impact the Blackhawks odds of landing the coveted forward since Chicago also is not geographically close to Vesey’s hometown of Boston.

10:36am: Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News confirms the probability that Vesey will also meet with Chicago, Boston and the New York Rangers, “as soon as Wednesday,” before making his final decision by week’s end.

Jimmy Vesey, and speculation surrounding with whom the former Harvard star would sign his first pro contract, has dominated NHL headlines for weeks seemingly. With time having run out on Buffalo’s window of exclusivity to get the young forward under contract, any other club interested in bringing Vesey into the fold can officially begin negotiating with his representation as of 12:01am today. Even though it’s been reported Vesey will likely not sign until later this week, Pro Hockey Rumors will continue to monitor the latest news today using this post with updates appearing at the top of this post.

According to Mark Divver of The Providence Journal, Vesey is set to meet with the Isles, Penguins, Leafs and Devils today. While it was expected that essentially every NHL club would express at least some interest in adding Vesey to their ranks, the Penguins have rarely been listed among the top suitors up to this point. But the opportunity to play with two of the world’s best players – Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – and for a team fresh off a Stanley Cup win has to be enticing so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise Vesey would at least meet with the Pittsburgh contingent as he weighs his options.

It’s likely that Vesey and his reps will also take meetings with other teams throughout the week before making his decision. Chicago has often been listed as a potential front-runner in the sweepstakes and Boston is Vesey’s hometown team so expect both of those clubs to also get a shot to woo him in person.

 

 

Training Camp Invite Tracker

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Over the course of the offseason more and more players will accept invitations to join team training camps. Usually these are players trying to resurrect their career or to show that they have one or two more years left before retirement. Notable training camp invites last year included Lee Stempniak and Jonas Gustavsson.

Making a team as an invitee is harder than just being one of the top-12 forwards or top-6 defensemen. Teams are usually looking for specific needs, such as a speedy second line forward or a defenseman who can eat minutes. Teams may want to save their bottom roster spots for developing prospects, so invitees risk being cut unless they meet a team’s identified need.

Here are the notable players who have been invited to training camps thus far. The list excludes players that are attending camps but are already signed to minor league contracts or prospects who are hoping to earn a minor league deal. Check here often for updates.

Training Camp Invites

Anaheim Ducks:
Sean Bergenheim
David Booth
Yann Danis
David Jones

Arizona Coyotes:
Zach Boychuk

Boston Bruins:
Peter Mueller

Calgary Flames:
Luke Adam
Jamie Devane
Matt Frattin
Nicklas Grossmann
Chris Higgins
Lauri Korpikoski
Colby Robak

Carolina Hurricanes:
Raffi Torres

Colorado Avalanche:
Gabriel Bourque
Rene Bourque
Jiri Tlusty

Columbus Blue Jackets:
Keith Aule
Marc-Andre Bergeron
Mike Brown
Aaron Palushaj
Jarret Stoll

Edmonton Oilers:
Eric Gryba
Kris Versteeg
Ryan Vesce

Florida Panthers:
Justin Fontaine
Adam Pardy

Los Angeles Kings:
Lucas Lessio
Tom McCollum
Devin Setoguchi

Minnesota Wild:
Ryan Carter
Tomas Fleischmann

New Jersey Devils:
Brian Gibbons
Anders Lindback

New York Islanders:
Steve Bernier
Stephen Gionta

New York Rangers:
Maxim Lapierre

Ottawa Senators:
Matt Bartkowski

Philadelphia Flyers:
Corban Knight

St. Louis Blues:
T.J. Galiardi
Eric Nystrom
Chris Porter
Yan Stastny
Mike Weber

Tampa Bay Lightning:
James Wisniewski

Toronto Maple Leafs:
Jeff Glass
Raman Hrabarenka
Brandon Prust

Vancouver Canucks:
Jack Skille
Tuomo Ruutu
James Sheppard

Washington Capitals:
Drew MacIntyre

Off-Season To Date: Metropolitan Division

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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 Atlantic Division teams, and now we take a quick look at the Metropolitan Division.

Carolina Hurricanes

Key Additions: Lee Stempniak, Teuvo Teravainen, Viktor Stalberg, Bryan Bickell
Key Departures: Riley Nash, Nathan Gerbe, James Wisniewski
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $16,736,667
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: Carolina got paid Teravainen to take Bickell’s contract by Chicago this summer, and added a top-ten free agent in Stempniak. The offense improved, but the defense remains an issue outside of Justin Faulk. In a stacked Metropolitan, the Hurricanes did not appear to do enough to challenge for a playoff spot.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Key Additions: Sam Gagner
Key Departures: Jared Boll, Fedor Tyutin, Justin Falk
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $3,817,857
Projected Roster Size: 20
Notes: Despite finishing last in the Metropolitan, the Blue Jackets are up tight against the cap, and did little to alleviate their situation. The cap situation prevented the Blue Jackets from making any major additions, but the team was expected to deal some higher-paid underperformers. Without any major changes, Columbus seems destimed to miss the playoffs once again.

New Jersey Devils

Key Additions: Taylor Hall, Beau Bennett, Vernon Fiddler, Ben Lovejoy, Marc Savard
Key Departures: Adam Larsson, Jiri Tlusty, Patrik Elias, Tuomo Ruutu, David Schlemko
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $12,319,404
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Devils made a blockbuster trade this offseason, landing Taylor Hall in exchange for Defenseman Adam Larsson. They also added two ex-Penguins in an effort to stay competitive in the Metropolitan. Elias is still deciding whether to retire, but if he returns, he says it will only be for the Devils.

New York Islanders

Key Additions: Andrew Ladd, P.A. Parenteau, Jason Chimera
Key Departures: Frans Nielson, Kyle Okposo, Matt Martin, Marek Zidlicky
Unsigned RFAs: Ryan Strome, Christopher Gibson
Cap Space: $3,658,524
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes:  The Isles’ forward corp received a shakeup this offseason, with their 2nd and 3rd leading scorers signing elsewhere as free agents. The team signed Ladd and Chimera to plug those holes, but only time will tell if those additions allow the Islanders to build off of their rare playoff success.

New York Rangers

Key Additions: Mika Zibanejad, Nathan Gerbe, Michael Grabner, Josh Jooris, Nick Holden, Adam Clendening, Maxim Lapierre (PTO)
Key Departures: Derick Brassard, Eric Staal, Viktor Stalberg, Keith Yandle, Dominic Moore, Dan Boyle
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $3,425,000
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Rangers let Yandle and Staal walk this summer but did not make any signing splashes of their own. They acquired Zibanejad from the Senators in a deal for Derick Brassard, a trade many view as a slight downgrade. New York’s window with Lundqvist is closing as he gets older, so it was a surprise to see the Rangers abstain from any big acquisitions this summer.

Philadelphia Flyers

Key Additions: Boyd Gordon, Dale Weise
Key Departures: Ryan White, Sam Gagner, R.J. Umberger
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $413,334
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Flyers are right up against the Cap and could not make any major additions this summer. It’ll be up to GM Ron Hextall to find creative solutions for improving the team if the Flyers make a playoff push.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Key Additions: None
Key Departures: Beau Bennett, Matt Cullen, Ben Lovejoy, Jeff Zatkoff
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: -$2,757,499.
Projected Roster Size: 24
Notes: The Penguins could not do much after winning the Stanley Cup given that they are over the cap by almost $3MM. Pittsburgh will alleviate some of that pressure by putting Pascal Dupuis on LTIR once the season starts, but the cap is harsh to Stanley Cup winners. The Penguins will have get used to shedding salary and picking up new parts on the cheap—something the Chicago Blackhawks have experienced more than once.

Washington Capitals

Key Additions: Lars Eller, Brett Connolly
Key Departures: Jason Chimera, Mike Richards
Unsigned RFAs: Dmitry Orlov
Cap Space: $3,454,871
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: The Caps tweaked their roster after losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the 2nd round. They added Eller in exchange for draft picks, and let Chimera and Richards walk so that the team had cap room for Orlov. Orlov still isn’t signed, and a strong showing at the World Cup of Hockey for the Russian defenseman could force the Capitals to pay more than they expected.

Retained Salary in 2016-17: Metropolitan Division

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As a new season fast approaches, it’s always nice to look back and reminisce on years and players gone by. Unfortunately for most NHL teams, those feelings of nostalgia are usually cut short by the realization that some of those past players are still on the team’s payroll. Retained salary is a fact of life in the National Hockey League, as buyouts have become commonplace and retaining a portion of an outgoing player’s cap hit is often a deal-breaker in many trades. Retained salary can last long past the playing days of a former player (see Rick DiPietro) or can simply be for just one year. One way or another nearly every NHL team has at least one guy who’s still being paid without having to perform. Below is a list of all the retained salary in the Metropolitan Division in 2016-17:

Carolina Hurricanes

  • Alexander Semin ($2.33MM cap hit from 2016-17 to 2020-21): The Hurricanes first signed Semin in the summer of 2012 to a one-year, $7MM “show me” deal. While they were paying Semin a good amount of money, they were not prepared to commit long-term to a player know to be one-dimensional and streaky. However, Semin responded with a point-per-game campaign in 44 contests. The Hurricanes bought in, renewing Semin’s $7MM price tag with a five-year, $35MM extension. Semin put up another 40+ point season in 2013-14 season, but then, inexplicably, the wheels fell off. In 57 games in 2014-15, Semin only managed to score 19 points while contributing little else for Carolina. The Canes had no choice but to get rid of him, and the only route was through a buyout. With $21MM over three years left on his contract, they were saddled with a six-year, $14MM settlement, and still have five years left to go.
  • James Wisniewski ($3.5MM cap hit in 2016-17, $1MM in 2017-18): Carolina did not have much better luck with Wisniewski. After trading Anton Khudobin to the Anaheim Ducks last summer to get the puck-moving defenseman, the Hurricanes got to watch him skate for just 47 seconds in the regular season opener before he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the year. Wisniewski had one year remaining on a six-year, $33MM deal he signed in Columbus in 2011, but faced with the prospect of a $5.5MM cap hit for a defenseman coming off a serious knee injury, Carolina decided instead to cut and run. While the buyout hit of $3.5MM in 2016-17 is tough, it’s already better to pay Wisniewski that for not playing this season since they already payed him $5.5MM for less than a minute last season. Recent events imply that the Hurricanes may have been correct to distance themselves from Wisniewski, as the once top-pair defenseman had enough trouble locking down a guaranteed contract that he committed to a professional tryout deal with Tampa Bay last week.

Columbus Blue Jackets

  • Fedor Tyutin ($1.2MM cap hit in 2016-17, $1.96 in 2017-18, $1.46MM in 2018-19 and 2019-20): Dissapointed in the sharp decline of long-time defenseman Tyutin, the Blue Jackets made the tough call to cut ties with the 33-year-old this off-season rather than continue paying him $4.5MM over the next two seasons. Tyutin failed to make much of a difference for Columbus last season, and though paying him into retirement is not favorable, the Jackets could not afford another three-point season frought with defensive lapses at that price. Things have turned out alright for Tyutin though; he signed a one-year, $2MM pact with the Colorado Avalanche and is set to continue his NHL career.
  • Jared Boll ($567K cap hit in 2016-17 and 2017-18): Like Tyutin, the rebuilding Blue Jackets did not see a future with Boll and bought out the final year of his contract this summer. A grinder without much offensive upside who struggled with injuries in 2015-16, Boll didn’t fit with the young and fast core being built in Columbus, and at $1.7MM was simply an inconvenience. Unlike Tyutin, who had been a solid presence on the Blue Jackets’ blue line for a long time, Boll’s presence will likely not be missed and the sub-$1MM buyout hit won’t make much of a difference for Columbus. Boll has moved on anyways, signing a two-year $1.8MM deal with the Anaheim Ducks.

New Jersey Devils

  • Ilya Kovalchuk ($250K cap hit from 2016-17 to 2024-25): In one of the more outrageous contracts in NHL history, Kovalchuk hit the open market for the first time in 2010 and the Devils signed him to a 15-year, $100MM contract. The league initially rejected the offer for too obviously circumventing the salary cap, but even after it was fixed, it was still ridiculous. The contract, which would have had the Russian star playing in New Jersey until he was 42, held only a $6.67MM cap hit. However, Kovalchuk was to be paid over $11MM in salary in years three through eight. After that, the salaries began to plummet. In fact, over the course of the 15-year deal, the salary ranged in value from a mere $1MM to a whopping $11.8MM (ironically in 2016-17). Thus, the Devils knew that the contract carried a very big threat of recapture penalties if Kovalchuk retired early. As we all know, Kovalchuk retired very early, heading home to Russia following the 2012-13 season. In a weird twist, the Devils were actually saved by Kovalchuk retiring very early, before the front-loaded salaries started to pile up. Had he retired nine or ten years into the deal instead of just three, New Jersey could have been facing over $4MM in recapture penalties each year, instead of just $250K. While having a chunk of cap space taken off each year for 12 years is a harsh reminder of a rogue superstar, Kovalchuk’s departure may have been a blessing in disguise for New Jersey.
  • Anton Volchenkov (no cap hit): Following the negotiation of the past NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, in both 2013 and 2014 all teams were able to use a “compliance buyout” on contracts signed prior to the 2012-13 season. The compliance buyouts would still be used to make payments to players, but it would not count against the salary cap. The Devils used such a buyout on Volchenkov in 2013, who was no longer worth anywhere near the value of the six-year, $25.5MM deal he had signed with the team in 2010. Rather than keep him and his $4.25MM cap hit for the three years remaining or buy him out and face six years worth of buyout hits, the Devils took the opportunity for a “do-over” and used their compliance buyout. The teams still pays Volchenkov over $1.4MM every year, but it has no effect on the rest of the team. Volchenkov played one season in Nashville after departing the Devils, but had similar results and has been out of the NHL since.

New York Islanders

  • Rick DiPietro (no cap hit): In the most obvious compliance buyout of all-time, the Islanders were able to rid themselves of Rick DiPietro’s infamous 15-year contract. Signed in 2006 after the 24-year-old goalie had shown signs of potential stardom, it was the longest NHL contract to date and carried a combined cap hit of 67.5MM. While 4.5MM per year for the entire career of a star goalie sounds pretty good, DiPietro had one more good year in him and then started to decline drastically and struggle year in and year out with injuries. In the five years leading up to his buyout, he played in 50 games total and had a save percentage under .900. Armed with the unique chance to avoid eight more years of the same without having to pay the price in cap space, the Isles jumped at the chance for a compliance buyout. Though they still pay the steep price of $1.5MM to DiPietro every year, and must do so until 2029, it has no effect on the current team and can be more or less forgotten.

New York Rangers

  • Brad Richards (no cap hit): Not to the same extent of their cross-town rivals and their “franchise goalie”, but the Rangers were also very happy to get a chance at a compliance buyout when it came to Richards. While Richards would go on to have a couple of successful seasons with the Blackhawks and Red Wings after leaving New York, his production was not really worthy of what the Rangers would have paid him. In 2011, Richards was the “must-have” free agent of the summer, coming off back-to-back seasons of over a point-per-game with the Dallas Stars. The Rangers won the bidding, giving him a nine-year $60MM contract. The deal, like many long-term deals at that time, was very front loaded. It paid Richards $12MM in each of the first two seasons and only $1MM in each of the last three. The cap hit of $6.67MM was manageable for the Rangers at first, as Richards put up good numbers, but he was also showing decline and the threat of a big cap hit for an aging player and monstrous recapture penalties led to decision to use a compliance buyout on Richards. In retrospect, it was very smart, as Richards announced his retirement earlier this summer after two more years of declining production. New York paid Richards over $3MM each of the past two years in accordance with the buyout settlement and are set to pay a little more than $5MM in 2016-17 before settling in to a payment of just north of $1MM each year until 2025-16. Luckily for them, none of it touches the salary cap for a team that is constantly in a cap crunch.

Philadelphia Flyers

  • Ilya Bryzgalov (no cap hit): The Flyers make a trio of Metro teams that used their compliance buyouts wisely, as Philadelphia was able to escape from a nine-year, $51MM contract they gave to the eccentric Russian goalie Bryzgalov. After back-to-back stellar seasons for the Phoenix Coyotes, the Flyers jumped on Bryzgalov in free agency in 2011, giving him a monster contract. However, as it so often goes in Philadelphia, the goalie didn’t work out and after just two years, the Flyers were ready to dump his $4.65MM cap hit. Though a 14-year buyout plan with annual payments of $1.64MM is not fun, the Flyers were able to move forward with new goalies and no negative impact on the salary cap.
  • R.J. Umberger ($1.6MM in 2016-17 and 2017-18): A recent buyout victim, Umberger simply stopped producing. After starting his career off strongly in Philadelphia, Umberger was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he became a star. The Jackets rewarded him with a five-year, $23MM deal in 2012, but then watched his number gradually decrease each year. With three years left on his contract, he was traded back to the Flyers, but the homecoming did not lead to many points. After two brutal seasons, Philadelphia decided to let Umberger and his $4.6MM cap hit go before the final year of his contract. They’ll pay for it over the next two seasons with significant cap hits, but it’s worth it considering their tight cap space entering 2016-17. Meanwhile, Umberger’s career appears likely to be over.

Pittsburgh Penguins

  • Rob Scuderi ($1.125MM in 2016-17): In one of the funnier circumstances of the 2015-16 season, the Penguins held on to one third of Scuderi’s contract when they traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for fellow underperforming defenseman Trevor Daley. Then, the Blackhawks held on to another third of Scuderi’s contract when they traded him to the Los Angeles Kings for yet another underperforming defenseman, Christian Ehrhoff. Now going into 2016-17, the final year of four-year $13.5MM deal he signed when he returned to Pittsburgh, the Penguins, Hawks, and Kings will all pay $1.125MM of his contract. Maybe Scuderi will return to form this season and at least avoid being traded more than once.

Washington Capitals

  • NONE. Right? The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners will not pay anyone this season who isn’t on the ice for them. Cap efficiency, that’s the key to NHL success.

Roster Crunch: Metropolitan Division

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We’ve taken a look at three out of the four divisions now, and the decisions they’ll have to make come training camp. The Pacific’s depth on defense, the changes coming up front in the Central, and the mass of young talent set to break through in the Atlantic. Now, we’ll take a look at the what many considered the best division in hockey last year, with four 100-point teams and both the President’s Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champions.

Washington Capitals – There is probably no team with fewer uncertainties going into the season than the Washington Capitals. After running away with the regular season points lead, the Capitals couldn’t even make it to the Stanley Cup final, but they’ll head into next season with largely the same group. They brought in Lars Eller, whose possession numbers should help the third line, and allowed Jason Chimera and Mike Richards to walk (though the latter remains unsigned). Basically the only battle in camp will be for a fourth line or 13th forward spot; can Brett Connolly do enough to make the squad over Stanislav Galiev? Exciting stuff.

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Hurricanes Notes: Skinner, Aho, Season Expectations

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It’s Carolina Hurricanes day over at Pro Hockey Talk and they’ve written quite a bit about one of the rising teams in the Eastern Conference.  Adam Gretz reports that the Hurricanes offense goes as Jeff Skinner goes and that a roster chock full of  “kids” will rely heavily on his guidance. Gretz writes that despite only being 24, Skinner is the second longest tenured ’Cane after goalie Cam Ward. Boasting two 30-goal seasons already, Gretz adds that Skinner is in elite company when it comes to goal scoring and shots stats, joining names like Sidney Crosby, Ilya Kovalchuk, Steven Stamkos, and Alex Ovechkin. Gretz cautions that he is not comparing Skinner in terms of ability–as it would be unfair–but he does indicate that Skinner has been “extremely productive” and should serve as the face of the franchise for years to come.

In other Hurricanes news:

  • Gretz continues his Canes coverage, profiling up and coming prospect Sebastian Aho. The 2015 second round draft pick is one to watch, Gretz writes, due to his scoring prowess and the Carolina’s desperate need for offense. In the Finnish league, Gretz adds that Aho was a point-per-game player and was his team’s leading scorer–despite being 18. Though he can’t project Aho’s place on the team, Gretz does say that the opportunity is his to seize. Further, general manager Ron Francis was quoted as saying that Aho was, “certainly penciled into our lineup, if not in pen.” That’s certainly a good sign for Aho, and if his production continues, it’ll be a greater sign for Carolina.
  • To wrap up the early Canes coverage, Mike Halford wrote that Carolina is poised to take the next step as a team and make the playoffs. Halford points to the hiring of Bill Peters as a catalyst for the Hurricanes quick rise with young talent. Add in Francis’ work to build a young, talented lineup and Carolina certainly looks like a threat in the East. As reported earlier, Halford and other writers believe the true X-factor will be the performance of their goaltending duo, Cam Ward, and Eddie Lack.

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