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Snapshots: Hudler, Pirri, Vesey, Ward

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Much has been written about the best free agents available and Ian McLaren reports that of the top three teams should look at, one isn’t available until August 15th. Add McLaren to the Jimmy Vesey fan club as he lists him behind Jiri Hudler and Brandon Pirri as the three best potential additions to teams still kicking the tires. Hudler, McLaren writes, will come at a significant discount from the $4MM he made last season. He also notes that despite a fall off, Hudler still brings value to any team willing to invest in him. McLaren believes that Pirri is one of the more under appreciated players available. Pirri scored goals on limited ice time, and if given a bigger role, could show flashes of brilliance while also coming dirt cheap.

McLaren saves Vesey for last, listing the Maple Leafs, Bruins and Blackhawks as three of the top suitors for the 23-year-old Hobey Baker winner. The buzz continues to rise as August 15th approaches–the date that Vesey can meet with teams and make his final decision. McLaren writes that should Vesey’s college production continue into the pros, one NHL team will be rewarded handsomely.

In other NHL news:

  • Cam Ward’s best season may have been when he was 21-years-old writes NBC’s Adam Gretz. Ward, Gretz argues, played to a peak and rode a two month hot streak back in 2006 that backstopped the Hurricanes to their first–and only–Stanley Cup championship. Since then, Ward has held the Hurricanes back on more than one occasion, and last season, along with Eddie Lack, Ward was a prime reason the Hurricanes underachieved. Gretz writes that despite being a top 1o possession team, the ’Canes sputtered due to poor goaltending. He further points out that Ward’s numbers have been in the bottom third of the league for the past few seasons. It’s Ward’s year, he continues, to prove the Hurricanes right for their loyalty. Should Ward have even an average year, Carolina could be looking at a playoff appearance. But another substandard season could spell doom for both the Hurricanes playoff hopes and Ward’s playing time.

Salary Cap Report: Metropolitan Division

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As the hockey world takes its collective breath before the World Cup, training camps, and the regular season begins, most teams have checked off their boxes and marked their ledgers. There are some teams not finished, as trades or financial meandering will be necessary due to cap crunches. Others have plenty of room.

We’ll look at the Metropolitan Division next.  Some interesting notes:

  • The Hurricanes have the most cap space of any team in the NHL.
  • The Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist has the highest cap hit of any goalie in the NHL. The second highest is Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovsky.
  • Four of the NHL’s top ten cap hits are found in the division: (Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Lundqvist. Claude Giroux is 11th).

By the numbers:

Bill Peters Signs Two-Year Extension With Carolina

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After a season that saw the Carolina Hurricanes come closer to the playoffs than many thought possible, the team has rewarded head coach Bill Peters with a two-year contract extension, that will take him through the 2018-19 season.

Just 50-years old, Carolina represents Peters’ first NHL head coaching job after spending three seasons as an assistant in Detroit under Mike Babcock. Prior to that, he headed the Rockford Icehogs of the AHL and the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. This past May at the World Championships, Peters headed a staff for Canada that included Dave Cameron and Mike Yeo.  He’ll also be behind the bench alongside Babcock at this fall’s World Cup of Hockey.

Peters is very well respected among the league, and has been given credit for much of the play of the Carolina blueline last season, when he seemed to get the most out of each individual skater. After moving on from long-time captain and face of the franchise Eric Staal, Peters will now have to steer the ship without his leadership on the ice.

Hurricanes Ink Ryan Murphy For Two Years

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The Hurricanes only had one remaining restricted free agent and they locked him up. Carolina announced a two-year, $1.575MM deal with defenseman Ryan Murphy. The deal will pay $750K in 2016-17, and $825K in 2017-18. It will have a cap hit of $787,500.

Last season, Murphy had 10 points (0-10) in 35 games with the Hurricanes. With Charlotte, Murphy registered 24 points (7-17) in 32 games. He was not arbitration eligible. Earlier, the Hurricanes re-signed their other restricted free agents who included defenseman Keegan Lowe,winger Brendan Woods, defenseman Dennis Robertson and forward Brody Sutter.

With their final signing, the Hurricanes still have over approximately $16MM left in cap space.

Hurricanes Sign Sutter, Lowe, Robertson And Woods

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The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to deals with defenseman Keegan Lowe, winger Brendan Woods, defenseman Dennis Robertson and forward Brody Sutter.

Sutter agreed to a one-year, $600K deal. The center played 70 games in Charlotte, netting 24 points (13-11) and appeared in eight games with the Canes.

Lowe’s deal is a one-year, $750K contract. Lowe posted career highs with AHL affiliate Charlotte in 2015-16 with 14 points (3-11).

Woods signed a one-year, $650K deal. The 24-year-old forward spent five games with the big club. While with Charlotte, he had 20 points (9-11) in 59 games.

Robertson inked a one-year, $650K deal. He spent the entire season in the AHL, splitting time with Rockford and Charlotte. In 58 games, he had nine points (2-7).

Hurricanes, Rask Agree To Six-Year Deal

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Carolina Hurricanes Executive Vice President and General Manager Ron Francis has announced the club has signed RFA Victor Rask to a six-year, $24MM contract, according to the team’s website. Rask, the club’s second-round selection, 42nd overall, in the 2011 entry draft, finished second on the Hurricanes in scoring with 48 points.

The $4MM AAV represents a nice bump in pay for the two-year veteran pivot who is coming off his ELC and pocketed $832.5K in 2015-16, including performance bonuses.

Rask ranked third on the club in goals scored (21) and led in power-play points, netting 18. Rask will likely slot in as one of Carolina’s top two centers with Jordan Staal filling the other spot.

The Canes boast a quality young defense core led by Justin Faulk and 19-year-old Noah Hanifin, and could have designs on a playoff spot this year. Carolina hung in the wildcard race longer than most pundits expected this past season and with the improvements expected from the young talent on the roster, it’s not inconceivable they could crash the playoff party in 2016-17. To do so, however, the team will have to improve upon their 27th overall ranking in goals scored and Rask will be one of the players expected to help in that regard.

Rask’s signing now leaves D Ryan Murphy as the only significant RFA remaining for Francis and the Hurricanes to come to terms with.

 

Snapshots: Burrows, Francis, Arbitration

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When the 2015-16 season came to a close, it seemed a sure bet that the Vancouver Canucks were going to buy out the final year of Alex Burrows’ four-year, $18MM contract. He’d seen his play dwindle, and GM Jim Benning was clear that he wanted to move in a younger direction, all but pointing the finger at the 35-year old.  But, as the first buyout window came and went, it was Chris Higgins and not Burrows that found his contract voided.

Now, Burrows says that he’s ready for the new season and is challenging himself to be better.  In talking to Ben Kuzma of The Province, Burrows provided great insight into his preparation and mindset heading into this season, including making it clear that he will relish a leadership and mentor opportunity with the younger players this season.

He’s even open to being a healthy scratch on occasion: “There are so many worse things in life than being a healthy scratch or they put a young guy in the lineup ahead of you. My wife is healthy and my kids are healthy and it puts things in perspective.”  Here’s some more from around the league:

  • After years of floundering without a clear direction, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News opines that the Carolina Hurricanes are finally doing a re-build the right way. With a full stable of young defensemen they’ve built through the draft, the team now has the option of dealing from a position of depth – one that is scarce throughout the league. Kennedy mentions the recent rumors of David Krejci from Boston as a possible target for one of their young blueliners.
  • In hiring Brad Shaw as an assistant coach last month, the Columbus Blue Jackets added an experienced name that can help build and develop their defense like he did in St. Louis. When asked by Rob Mixer of NHL.com why he chose Columbus, Shaw made it clear that players like the recently extended Seth Jones, and second overall pick Ryan Murray were a key factor: “The young defensemen here played a big part in my decision, no doubt about it. The biggest challenge in working with young players is trying to pin down and have a clear picture of what the final product will look like when they’re at their best in the NHL. Every guy is different.”
  • After Philadelphia signed Jordan Weal earlier today, three of the twenty-five players who are headed to arbitration (through their own filing or the team’s) have now come to terms before their hearings, as General Fanager tweets. You can follow all the arbitration cases on their tracker, as well as up-to-date depth charts at Roster Resource.

Hurricanes Sign First Rounders Bean And Gauthier

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At their Summerfest earlier today, the Hurricanes announced the signings of both of their first round picks, defenseman Jake Bean (13th overall) and right winger Julien Gauthier (21st overall).

Bean was the third overall blueliner to be selected in last month’s draft behind only Olli Juolevi (Vancouver, 5th overall) and Mikhail Sergachev (Montreal, 9th overall).  He played in 68 games with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen last season, recording 24 goals and 40 assists.  His 64 points ranked him sixth among all WHL defensemen while his 24 goals led all rearguards.

Gauthier completed his third full QMJHL season with Val-D’Or in 2015-16.  He led the Foreurs in goals with a career high 41, good for six overall in the league in that department.  Gauthier also added 16 assists and was the only draft-eligible player to suit up for Team Canada at the 2016 World Junior Hockey Championships where he picked up two assists in five games.

Both players receive identical base salaries.  Each player will receive $925,000 per year (which includes a $92,500 annual signing bonus for three seasons) and will receive $70K at the AHL level once they’re eligible to turn pro (players drafted out of the CHL aren’t eligible to play in the minor leagues until they turn 20).  Both are likely to return to their respective junior teams next season.

Free Agent Profile: James Wisniewski

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Perhaps no 2016 NHL free agent is as perplexing as James Wisniewski. “The Wiz” has had a roller coaster career; his strong offensive production and possession ability have often been overshadowed by his defensive deficiencies, an inability to stay on the ice, and a knack for being traded. The journeyman defenseman finds himself as an afterthought on the free agent market thus far, and was not even included on our Top 50 Free Agents list, despite being just 32 years old and only two years removed from the best season of his career. However, with the demand for right-handed defenseman being as high as it has ever been, Wisniewski won’t be unsigned for long. The only question is whether he is able to command a market-value multi-year contract or if instead some team will get him on a short, inexpensive deal.

When Wisniewski broke into the league during the ’05-’06 season, he was one of the most talked-about prospects in hockey. Despite being selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fifth round of the 2002 NHL draft, the former Plymouth Whalers captain excelled in his later years in junior hockey. Following an ’03-’04 season in which he scored 70 points in only 50 games, Wisniewski was awarded the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the most outstanding defenseman in the Ontario Hockey League in 2004, and then also took home the title of CHL Defenseman of the Year and First Team All-Star.

After two seasons in the AHL, Wisniewski debuted with the Blackhawks in ’05-’06, but his season was cut short by a torn ACL. It would be the beginning of an injury-riddled career. Wisniewski played well in his early seasons with the Blackhawks, even playing with a toughness and grit (103 PIM in ’07-’08) that has been missing from his game in recent years, but it was not enough to keep him in Chicago. He was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline in 2009. Despite scoring 30 points in 69 games for the Ducks the following season, after just a year and a half in Anaheim, Wisniewski was traded again, this time to the New York Islanders. Only 32 games into the 2010 season, Wisniewski was traded for a third time, being sent to the Montreal Canadiens for the remainder of the year. Between New York and Montreal, he scored a career high 10 goals in the ’10-’11 season and totaled 51 points in 75 games. Wisniewski finally had the chance to choose his own destination that off-season, and cashed in on his success with a six-year, $33MM deal to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets. As a leader on the ice and in the locker room on a young Columbus team, Wisniewski finally had a long-term home with the Blue Jackets. In ’13-’14 he matched his career high with 51 points in 75 games, and then started hot again the next season, with 29 points through 56 games. He was playing so well, that Columbus decided to trade him at the deadline, and Wisniewski returned to Anaheim for a second stint with the Ducks.

Going into last season, things were looking good for James Wisniewski. He had put up strong numbers in back-to-back seasons and hadn’t been hampered by injuries the past few years either. He even had a new home, as the Ducks dealt him to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for goalie Anton Khudobin at the 2015 draft. However, on opening night, just 47 seconds into his first shift as a member of the Hurricanes, Wisniewski tore his ACL again and did not play a single for the rest of the season. Carolina made his absence permanent recently, buying out the final year of his contract and making him a free agent.

Wisniewski now finds himself as one of more polarizing players available to teams looking for defensive help. One view point is that he is a dominant offensive defenseman, who has averaged close to 40 points in every season that he has played over 50 games and who consistently has the possession numbers of a top pairing defenseman. The other viewpoint is that in ten NHL seasons, he has played on average in only 55 games per season and has done so on six different teams, indicating that not only does he have trouble staying on the ice, but perhaps teams don’t want him on the ice either. Wisniewski has little leverage, as he is coming off of a serious injury, and is likely to sign a short-term deal for much less money than he’s used to. However, if the former opinion proves to be true, then “the Wiz” could end up as the steal of the off-season as a short-term solution for a D-needy team like the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, or New Jersey Devils and then make his money next off-season. If the latter opinion proves to be true, then the team can always just trade him. He’s used to it by now.

Under The Cap Floor: Carolina Hurricanes

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Despite taking on the expensive contract of Bryan Bickell in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks that also netted the team young forward Teuvo Teravainen, the Carolina Hurricanes remain the only team in the league that is still projected to fall short of the NHL’s $54MM salary cap floor.

Bickell and Teravainen join Lee Stempniak and Viktor Stalberg as new acquisitions looking to make a difference in Raleigh this season. The Hurricanes finished tenth in the Eastern Conference last year and will return much of the team that got them to that point. Other than trade deadline departures Eric Staal, John-Michael Liles, and Kris Versteeg, the only major contributor to leave is Riley Nash, who signed with the Boston Bruins.

While Carolina hopes that their newest members are enough to put them over the top and get them into the playoffs, as of right now they are not enough to get them over the salary cap floor. As it stands right now, the Hurricanes have about 18 players under contract that are on one-way contracts or are a lock to make the 2016-2017 squad, and those players make up less than $50MM dollars in aggregate cap hit. The simple solution may be to just add from within. Last year’s breakout star and current restricted free agent Victor Rask did not file for arbitration by yesterday’s deadline, but the two sides are likely to agree on a multi-million dollar contract that will work towards the cap floor. Smaller cap hits such as that of restricted free agent defenseman Ryan Murphy or top prospects looking to earn a spot on the roster like Haydn Fleury, Sebastian Aho, and Aleksi Saarela will also help the Hurricanes inch toward the $54MM minimum.

However, if that is not enough to get them over the cap floor, the Hurricanes still have plenty of options left on the free agency market. A glaring hole on the roster right now is the lack of right-handed shooting forwards. The newly signed Lee Stempniak joins Elias Lindholm as the only experienced righties on the team as of now. Carolina could bring back a familiar face in Kris Versteeg (ranked 25th in our Top 50 Free Agents) or could look to add another veteran in Radim Vrbata (27), and both would likely cost $2MM+ on a one-year contract. If the Hurricanes are closer to the cap, they could take their chances on a cheap one-year deal for a veteran like Brad Boyes (47), Tyler Kennedy, or David Jones. However, with a young, rebuilding team, Carolina’s resources may be better spent on a younger player in need of a change in scenery, like Sam Gagner (46), Cody Hodgson, Ben Smith, or Stephen Gionta.

Teams never fail to find a way to get to the cap floor, even if it is through unique strategies. The Hurricanes are well aware of their salary cap situation, as evidenced by the Bickell trade, but remain a team to keep an eye on this off-season until the payroll is comfortably over $54MM.

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