Jack LaFontaine Joins The University of Minnesota
Carolina Hurricanes prospect goalie Jack LaFontaine is back in the NCAA. The 21-year-old keeper has enrolled at the University of Minnesota and will play this season, the program announced. LaFontaine had been away from the college game for one year with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL, having previously spent two seasons with the Big Ten rival University of Michigan.
LaFontaine was a third-round pick of the Hurricanes back in 2016 out of the NAHL. While some considered the pick to be a reach, seeing as Fontaine had not been challenged at an elite level yet and was raw in terms of his skill development, Carolina was clearly happy to select a player with good size and athleticism who they could groom as a long-term project. LaFontaine jumped right into the college ranks after being drafted, but failed to take advantage of no clear starter in net for the Wolverines. In each of his two years, the young netminder posted a GAA over 3.33 in just eleven appearances. Seeking a fresh start, LaFontaine left Michigan and signed with Penticton. He was beyond impressive last season, recording a .923 save percentage and 2.19 GAA in 45 starts and earning the BCHL’s Top Goaltender honors.
Having re-asserted himself as a promising young goalie, LaFontaine is ready to give the NCAA another go. He has two years of eligibility remaining, after which he hopes to have proven himself to be a pro-caliber prospect. Much like when he began with the Wolverines, the Gophers net is wide open; all three goalies who made an appearance last season, including starter and recent Minnesota Wild signing Mat Robson, have departed. LaFontaine is the odds-on replacement, but he will have to hold off 20-year-old Jared Moe, a sixth-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2018. If he can do so and can put up numbers similar to this past season in Penticton, perhaps the Hurricanes will come calling even sooner than two years from now.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Carolina Hurricanes
Current Cap Hit: $79,004,791 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Andrei Svechnikov (two years, $925K)
F Martin Necas (three years, $863K)
D Jake Bean (two years, $863K)
F Warren Foegele (one year, $747K)
Potential Bonuses:
Svechnikov: $2.65MM
Necas: $538K
Bean: $500K
Foegele: $20K
With a system full of top prospects, the Hurricanes got an impressive rookie season from Svechnikov, drafted with the second-overall pick in 2018, last season and now will have a top-six option for another two years at an entry-level cost. At 18 years old, he tallied 20 goals and 37 points and should be in line for more playing time and bigger numbers this season as a 19-year-old and could eventually become the franchise winger the team needs long-term. The Hurricanes also have high hopes for Necas to step in and take big role next season at the center position. The 2017 first-rounder had an impressive season for the Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and could provide Carolina with some cheap talent.
Bean, the team’s first-rounder in 2016, has only made two appearances for Carolina, but could get a chance to take a much bigger role after a strong season with Charlotte, which saw his skills take that next step. The 23-year-old Foegele began to show off his offensive skill over the course of the season in Carolina. He scored 10 goals and 15 points during the regular season, but was even more impressive in the playoffs with five goals and nine points in just 15 games. If he can take his game up a notch, the Hurricanes could have an even more impressive offense next season.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Justin Faulk ($4.83MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($2.3MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($874K, RFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($850K, RFA)
F Brian Gibbons ($725K, UFA)
F Clark Bishop ($700K, RFA)
F Lucas Wallmark ($675K, RFA)
There were rumors that suggested that talks between Carolina and Faulk were no where close on a potential extension and others that said negotiations were promising, however, Faulk could be a legitimate trade candidate if the team can’t eventually work out an extension. The 27-year-old Faulk had a solid season both defensively as he was finally in the positive on his plus/minus for the first time in his career, while also adding 11 goals and 35 points. However, with a number of young defensemen who are waiting for a chance to get an opportunity in Carolina, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Carolina unload him at the trade deadline.
Haula is an interesting acquisition. The 28-year-old was coming off a 29-goal season in Vegas’ inaugural season, but then suffered a gruesome knee injury and never returned. In the end, he played just 15 games, although he was close to returning late in the season with many believing that he would have been available had the Golden Knights had gotten deeper into the playoffs. If he can prove to be healthy, Haula might prove to be one of the best acquisitions of the year. Whether the Hurricanes will re-sign him will obviously depend on how he fares next season.
The team might be ready to move on from van Riemsdyk, who has served as a bottom pairing defenseman, but probably makes too much at $2.3MM to keep around long term, especially since Fleury hasn’t really had a true chance to prove himself and could be a better option at his price.
Two Years Remaining
D Dougie Hamilton ($5.75MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Dzingel ($3.38MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.13MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($2MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($738K, RFA)
The team has a number of interesting contracts with two years left, including their entire goaltending situation. The team has Mrazek, who put together a stellar season after years of inconsistency, and new backup Reimer as the new tandem with their top prospect in Nedeljkovic close to ready to step into the lineup. All three will likely stay this season as Nedeljkovic is waiver exempt and likely will just stay in the AHL. However, if he can prove in training camp that he’s ready for the back-up role, few would be surprised if the team found a way to unload Reimer, who had a terrible season last year in Florida.
Despite hearing constant rumors that Carolina was shopping Hamilton around this offseason, it looks like the Hurricanes will have the veteran defenseman for another season. He put up solid numbers, scoring 18 goals an 39 points and is solid defensively, but he could eventually be a trade candidate, perhaps as early as the trade deadline if the team struggles and can’t reproduce the same success it had a season ago. The team also hopes that they can get Dzingel to provide the same type of offense he was producing in Ottawa, rather than his struggles in Columbus. However, he should provide solid value at his pricetag and fit in nicely as a middle-six option.
Three Years Remaining
F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM, UFA)
It might have been the trade of the year when the Hurricanes acquired Niederreiter from Minnesota for Victor Rask. While Rask struggled in Minnesota, Niederreiter’s season took off when he arrived, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games and he slotted in nicely on the first line. If he can produce anything close to that, the team has a steal of a deal for the next three years. If his production drops back to what it was in Minnesota earlier in the year (nine goals and 23 points in 46 games) then the team has a contract that could be a burden for some time.
Four Or More Years Remaining
F Sebastian Aho ($8.45MM through 2023-24)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM through 2023-24)
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM through 2024-25)
D Brett Pesce ($4.03MM through 2023-24)
The Montreal Canadiens did Carolina a favor when they shocked the NHL by signing Aho to an offer sheet that didn’t look difficult to match. While five years likely isn’t ideal, the Hurricanes still now have their top franchise player signed until 2024 and can figure out its plans after that, but now are one of the few teams that have locked up their franchise restricted free agent already, with the rest still waiting to sign a contract. That should provide Aho, who had another breakout season with 30 goals and 83 points, with plenty of time to be ready for training camp and see if he can take his game to another level once again.
His linemate in Teravainen is another key piece of Carolina’s future who keeps producing better and better numbers. The 24-year-old produced 21 goals and a career-high 76 points and is locked up for another five years as well, giving Aho a solid winger to work with. The team, however, may not be as thrilled with the four years it still has in Staal, who produced one of his worst seasons although injuries did play apart. The 30-year-old still has four years at $6MM from a 10-year, $60MM deal he signed back in 2012. After posting just 11 goals and 28 points in 50 games, the team hopes he can bounce back.
One thing the Hurricanes did was locking up its young defenders. The team has seen Slavin develop into a top-line defenseman in the last year and to have him locked up at just $5.3MM for six more years will likely be one of the team’s biggest bargain for a long time. He has been averaging more than 22 minutes per game for three of his four seasons in the league. Pesce has also seen his game increase and is also a steal with the rising cost of young defensemen lately. Pesce saw his minutes break 20 minutes for a second straight season, while his offense increased by 10 points.
Buyouts
F Patrick Marleau ($6.25MM in 2019-20)
F Alexander Semin ($2.33MM through 2020-21)
Retained Salary Transactions
None
Salary Cap Recapture
None
Still To Sign
F Justin Williams (UFA)
F Saku Maenalanen (RFA)
D Roland McKeown (RFA)
One question that is still up for grabs is whether Williams will return to the team. The 37-year-old winger has been told he can take as much time as he wants to determine whether he wants to return to hockey. He’s made it clear it’s either Carolina or retirement, but after putting up a solid campaign last year of 23 goals and 53 points, it’s hard to believe that the veteran leader is ready to hang it up if he still is capable of producing as a top-six forward. While he may eventually have to slide down to the third line, the veteran was critical to the team’s deep playoff run and Carolina hopes he will come back.
While McKeown might have a hard time finding playing time in Carolina’s stacked defense, the team will need to get Maenalanen signed at some point. The 6-foot-4 bottom-six winger stepped into the lineup late in the season and was a solid contributor, posting four goals and eight points in 34 games, while skating for just 9:26 of ATOI. He provided some physical play and if he can steal a spot on the fourth line, could be valuable.
Best Value: Slavin
Worst Value: Staal
Looking Ahead
The Carolina Hurricanes have done an impressive job of drafting well, developing their talent and adding veteran talent at reasonable prices. With most of their core already locked up long-term and plenty of talent still on entry-level contracts, the Hurricanes should be able to keep their team competitive for years and keep getting better as the team continues to develop.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hurricanes Sign Chase Priskie
The top player in the mid-August free agent class is off the board as the Hurricanes announced that they have signed defenseman Chase Priskie to a two-year, entry-level contract. The deal will pay him the maximum $925K at the NHL level (including signing bonuses) and $70K in the minors, also the max for an entry-level pact. GM Don Waddell released the following statement:
Chase was one of the best defensemen in college hockey last season. We believe he has a bright future in the NHL, and we’re thrilled that he has chosen to come to Carolina.
Priskie was a sixth-round pick of Washington (177th overall) back in 2016 following his freshman campaign at Quinnipiac. The Capitals made an effort to sign him following his junior year in 2017-18 but the 23-year-old opted to return for his senior season instead. It turned out to be a wise decision as he posted career highs across the board offensively with 17 goals and 22 assists in just 36 games, making him one of the higher scoring defenders at the Division I level. He was also among the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.
Washington was right up against the 50-contract limit last season which took away any chance of them signing Priskie and burning the first year of his deal right away as an enticement. Not surprisingly, he elected to wait a little longer and opted to become a free agent which only was made official on Friday. The signing gives Carolina a capable replacement for Adam Fox, a former prospect who indicated he had no intention of signing with them, resulting in the Hurricanes trading him to the Rangers earlier this offseason.
It’s believed that Priskie was looking to sign somewhere where an NHL opportunity would present itself fairly quickly. On the surface, Carolina doesn’t appear to have that situation as the team already has Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Justin Faulk, and Trevor van Riemsdyk as right-hand shots like Priskie is. It’s certainly possible that Carolina could opt to trade one of those defenders (a move that could free up some cap room to re-sign winger Justin Williams if the veteran decides to play another year) but as things stand, it appears that Priskie will have to wait a little while before getting an NHL opportunity.
Morning Notes: CBA, Mayotte, Aho
This September, the NHL and NHLPA will both have the ability to opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. The CBA would still run for the 2019-20 season, but would expire afterwards and threaten a work stoppage in 2020. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports however, there is still optimism between both sides in the talks they’ve had at this point. The agreement expires normally in 2022, but could be extended if the two sides reach an agreement.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly also told Johnston that there are tentative plans to hold the next World Cup of Hockey in February of 2021, an event that would replace the in-season All-Star game. The last World Cup was held in September of 2016, but resulted in several players suffering injuries just before the regular season began.
- Kris Mayotte has left Providence College to join the University of Michigan coaching staff as an assistant under Mel Pearson. The 36-year old former minor league goaltender worked closely with Hayden Hawkey over the last several years in net for the Friars, and was an assistant coach on two USA Hockey World Junior teams. Though his appointment at Michigan may technically be a step backwards in title—he was an associate head coach last season with Providence—it will put his name even further up the coaching ladder. Mayotte is a rising name in the field that will likely be considered before long for an opportunity at the professional hockey level.
- Sebastian Aho spoke with reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com at the European Player Media Tour this week and explained that his entire plan this offseason was to get a contract done before training camp started. That’s why the young Carolina Hurricanes forward signed an offer sheet, giving him a way to guarantee that everything would be settled ahead of time. With a dozen other high profile restricted free agents still unsigned, Aho explained that he’s even happier with his decision now and glad to have remained with the Hurricanes.
Carolina Hurricanes Hire Jason Muzzatti
If you were a fan of the Hartford Whalers in the mid-nineties, you may remember the team acquiring a young first-round goaltender off waivers from the Calgary Flames named Jason Muzzatti. Now nearly 25 years later Muzzatti is on his way back to the franchise, this time as the goaltending coach for the Carolina Hurricanes. Muzzatti has been hired to join Rod Brind’Amour‘s staff for the upcoming season after Mike Bales resigned and went to the Buffalo Sabres earlier this offseason.
Muzzatti certainly isn’t a new face for Brind’Amour to get used to. Not only did the pair face off in the NHL, but they were teammates at Michigan State University during the 1988-89 season. Michigan State is where Muzzatti has been coaching the last several seasons, but will now get his first chance to work with an NHL franchise in this capacity. GM Don Waddell explained the hiring:
Jason brings a wealth of experience as a former NHL goaltender and a coach at multiple levels. We believe he will fit in well in our coaches’ office and form strong relationships with our netminders.
Goaltending was an unexpected bright spot for the Hurricanes last season when the tandem of Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney helped them all the way to the Eastern Conference Final, but it will be tested once again with a new group. James Reimer and Anton Forsberg were both brought in to compete to be Mrazek’s backup, while young Alex Nedeljkovic is still waiting for his opportunity at the NHL level. Muzzatti will need to get the most out of each player if the Hurricanes (and Charlotte Checkers for that matter) are to experience the same kind of success in 2019-20.
Snapshots: 2020 Draft, Williams, Capitals
The 2020 draft is shaping up to have some incredible talents available, and Craig Button of TSN shared some of his thoughts on the most impressive young players today. In fact, Button believes that there are six different players who could all challenge for first overall, a spot that has had Alexis Lafreniere penciled in for years. Button lists Hendrix Lapierre, Quinton Byfield, Cole Perfetti, Lucas Raymond and Yaroslav Askarov as the other top prospects and reveals some of his scouting takes on each one.
Not surprisingly, that group were some of the standouts at the recent Hlinka-Gretzky tournament that ended in a gold medal for Team Russia. Askaraov, the young Russian goaltender who has been dubbed the next great net prospect, stood on his head in the gold medal game leading Russia to a 3-2 victory despite being outshot 37-13. With so much talent at the top of the draft you can bet bubble teams will be hesitant to give up first round picks that could give them a chance at the draft lottery next year.
- Justin Williams still hasn’t decided whether he is coming back for another season, GM Don Waddell explained to reporters today including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. Williams came second to Joe Thornton in our recent poll about veteran free agents and would be a big addition if he decides to return for the Carolina Hurricanes this season. The 37-year old scored 23 goals and 53 points last season and was his usual excellent self in the postseason.
- With several NCAA players about to become unrestricted free agents, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic gives us updates on the two that currently belong to the Washington Capitals. Chase Priskie was never expected to sign, but Steven Spinner will also not get a contract and will become a UFA at the end of the week. Spinner played four seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha but saw his offense completely dry up in 2018-19 when he scored just four points in 29 games. He still received a tryout with the Hershey Bears at the end of the year, but won’t be getting an NHL contract.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Don Waddell To Multi-Year Extension
Despite recently saying that he doesn’t necessarily believe in contracts, Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has committed to his top hockey executive. The team has announced a multi-year extension for GM Don Waddell, keeping him in the organization after he recently interviewed with the Minnesota Wild. Waddell had still been working as the GM of the Hurricanes after his previous contract had expired at the end of June. Dundon released a short statement on the deal:
Don’s leadership and experience are invaluable to our organization and I’m happy we were able reach an extension. Don and I have a great relationship and he is someone I trust. I’m excited to continue to build a championship team with Don.
Waddell took over as GM after Ron Francis left the organization in 2018 and led the team to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference Final, but unfortunately fell to the Boston Bruins in four games. Waddell’s signature move during the season was acquiring Nino Neiderreiter from the Wild, who promptly put up 30 points in 34 games and found immediate chemistry among the Hurricanes’ best forwards. He also was the GM when the team pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal last summer, sending Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland.
This offseason, Waddell has been hard at working trying to improve the club even further. Though he failed to re-sign Ferland and watched him hit unrestricted free agency, the Hurricanes replaced his offense by adding Erik Haula and Ryan Dzingel while also locking up Sebastian Aho to a long-term deal (with a little help from the Montreal Canadiens, who signed Aho to an offer sheet).
Ultimately his offseason plan may hinge on the goaltending position, where Waddell managed to retain Petr Mrazek and acquire more NHL experience in James Reimer and Anton Forsberg. Playing behind such a strong defense corps will help insulate the goalies—who have all proven to be wildly inconsistent in the past—though Calvin de Haan is now gone, leaving a few more minutes for the young options coming up.
Regardless of the outcome, Dundon has obviously found someone he can communicate with and trust to run the hockey operations. The Hurricanes were one of the best stories in the NHL last season and saw skyrocketing fan engagement through things like the “Storm Surge” and “Bunch of Jerks” moniker. For an organization that has struggled at times in the past to carve out their place in the Carolina sports market, the time under Waddell’s leadership has so far been a huge success.
More On Don Waddell’s Position With Carolina
Wednesday: While Waddell has interviewed for the Minnesota job, Dundon fully believes that his current general manager will remain with the team. He told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that he expects Waddell to be Carolina’s GM for a while and that he intends to continue with Waddell not being under any sort of formal contract.
Tuesday: For those who weren’t aware that GM Don Waddell had not yet signed a new contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, especially some Hurricanes fans, it came as a painful revelation this morning when the news broke that Waddell had interviewed for the same role with the Minnesota Wild. The resulting question obviously becomes: why hasn’t a General Manager of the Year candidate, whose team made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Final, been re-signed?
As Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer writes, Waddell’s continued free agency is just one of a series of odd moves – or really non-moves – made by the Hurricanes organization this off-season. In addition to the GM and President operating without a contract, Carolina has also allowed several executives and scouts to depart, as well as Calder Cup-winning AHL coach Mike Vellucci, and goalie coach Mike Bales, who has yet to be replaced. This all comes from what DeCock describes as owner Tom Dundon‘s belief that “everyone and everything is replaceable”.
Dundon himself addressed the situation, speaking honestly with DeCock about his mindset when it comes to front office staffing:
Even if [Waddell] had a contract I would let him interview, so what’s the difference? It’s not going to stop somebody from doing whatever’s better for them. If they’re going to pay somebody more money, I’m not going to stop them. I told him he’s got to do what’s best for him… I’m not going to pay what other guys pay GMs, so me having a contract with a GM doesn’t really help me. Don in essence has a contract. I already told Don, ‘I’m not going to fire you. If I did, I’d tell you a year in advance.’ My life’s pretty good. I want people to do what’s best for their life. If this is what’s best for Don, the Hurricanes will be fine.”
It’s a bold strategy by the owner and one that might frighten some fans about in the direction of the franchise. At the same time, Waddell has seemed agreeable to the premise and it could be that this is simply Dundon’s style and many are content to operate as such. DeCock writes that Waddell has continued in a “business as usual” manner ever since his contract expired in June and interviewing with the Wild is the first sign that he may be unhappy with his current at-will status. The GM himself talked to DeCock about the situation, and seemed open to the arrangement though:
Tom doesn’t believe in a lot of contracts. Tom’s told me I have a job for life. But he’s also encouraged me to explore other opportunities to see what the market will pay. We started something here, I love it here, but when the job opened up and Tom said you should explore it, that’s what I’m doing.
It remains to be seen whether, as Waddell mentioned, this interview in Minnesota was more or less a way to gauge the market for use as leverage in eventual contract talks or if the GM really is interested in moving on after such a strong first season in Carolina. It is a very strange and unique situation and this is certainly not the last of this story.
2019 Arbitration Figures And Results
August 6th: All arbitration cases have now been completed. In total, six cases were decided by an arbitrator’s award this year. That number, though seemingly not many, actually presents a 50% increase over last summer and more than the past two off-seasons combined. Of those six decisions, the teams and players received the favorable decision an even three times apiece, and each award landed within $150K of the midpoint. All things considered, there were few surprises in arbitration, even though there were more awards than expected. Now the question is where the relationships between those teams and players go from here.
Originally published on July 19th: Friday marked the start of the arbitration season in the NHL, with Brock McGinn first scheduled for his hearing with the Carolina Hurricanes. The appointments will come fast and furious after that, with 23 cases left on the books. When we asked our readers how many would actually get to the hearing stage more than 36% of voters thought 3-4 was reasonable, the same number that reached last year.
We know now that at least one will, as Andrew Copp‘s agent Kurt Overhardt told Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press that their camp will “look forward to” the hearing scheduled for Sunday. Copp and the Jets exchanged figures earlier today. It is important to remember that the two sides can actually work out a deal in the short period after the hearing and before the actual decision is submitted by the arbitrator. For every case except Ville Husso, who the St. Louis Blues took to arbitration, the team involved will be allowed to choose the duration of the contract awarded. They can choose either one or two years, unless the player is only one year away from unrestricted free agency, at which point only a one-year deal is available.
Here we’ll keep track of all the hearings still on the books and the figures submitted. This page will be updated as the numbers come in:
July 20:
Brock McGinn, Carolina Hurricanes – Team: $1.75MM AAV, Player: $2.7MM AAV
Settled: Two years, $2.1MM AAV
July 21:
Andrew Copp, Winnipeg Jets – Team: $1.5MM AAV, Player: $2.9MM AAV
Awarded: Two years, $2.28MM AAV
July 22:
MacKenzie Weegar, Florida Panthers
Settled: One year, $1.6MM AAV
Zach Aston-Reese, Pittsburgh Penguins
Settled: Two years, $1.0MM AAV
Ville Husso, St. Louis Blues (team-elected)
Settled: One year, two-way, $700K AAV
Christian Djoos, Washington Capitals – Team: $800K, Player: $1.9MM
Awarded: One year, $1.25MM AAV
July 23:
Evan Rodrigues, Buffalo Sabres – Team: $1.5MM, Player: $2.65MM
Awarded: One year, $2.0MM AAV
July 24:
Oskar Sundqvist, St. Louis Blues
Settled: Four years, $2.75MM AAV
Neal Pionk, Winnipeg Jets
Settled: Two years, $3.0MM AAV
July 26:
Colton Sissons, Nashville Predators
Settled: Seven years, $2.86MM AAV
July 27:
Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames
Settled: Two years, $2.55MM AAV
July 28:
Mirco Mueller, New Jersey Devils
Settled: One year, $1.4MM AAV
July 29:
David Rittich, Calgary Flames
Settled: Two years, $2.75MM AAV
Pavel Buchnevich, New York Rangers
Settled: Two years, $3.25MM AAV
August 1:
Remi Elie, Buffalo Sabres
Settled: One year, two-way $700K AAV
Chandler Stephenson, Washington Capitals
Settled: One year, $1.05MM
August 2:
Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres – Team: $800K, Player: $2.65MM
Settled: One year, $1.33MM
Will Butcher, New Jersey Devils
Settled: Three years, $3.73MM AAV
August 4:
Jake McCabe, Buffalo Sabres – Team: 1.95MM, Player: $4.3MM
Settled: Two years, $2.85MM AAV
Anton Forsberg, Carolina Hurricanes – Team: $700K/$70K, Player: $833K
Awarded: One year, $775K AAV
Sheldon Dries, Colorado Avalanche
Settled: One year, two-way $735K AAV
Rocco Grimaldi, Nashville Predators – Team: $700K/$70K, Player $1.275MM
Awarded: One year, $1MM
Joel Edmundson, St. Louis Blues – Team: $2.3MM, Player $4.2MM
Awarded: One year, $3.1MM
Anton Forsberg Receives Arbitration Award
The goaltending battle in Carolina just got an added wrinkle. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Anton Forsberg has succeeded in earning a one-way contract for next season, receiving a one-year, $775K award in arbitration. Forsberg had filed at $833K, while the Hurricanes sought a two-way, minimum $700K contract. Not only did the player’s side receive the guaranteed NHL salary they desired, they also landed a favorable decision based on the $767K mindpoint. The Hurricanes have confirmed the signing of the newly-acquired keeper to the awarded terms.
The decision is somewhat unexpected, as Forsberg did not even make an NHL appearance last season and has played in just 45 NHL games over five seasons in North America. Admittedly, Forsberg’s numbers in the AHL are consistently among the best in the league and would seemingly suggest that he is ready for a regular NHL role. However, in reality Forsberg struggled as the Chicago Blackhawks’ primary backup in 2017-18 and has yet to really prove that he belongs at the top level. It’s one thing for the arbitrator to decide that Forsberg has the experience to warrant a one-way contract, but the higher salary is an added surprise.
Regardless, Forsberg, 26, can now make a stronger case in training camp when it comes to fighting for the primary backup role to incumbent starter Petr Mrazek. Forsberg was thought to just be a depth addition thrown into the Calvin de Haan trade made with the Blackhawks, but will now receive the same salary regardless of the role he plays next season. His entire cap hit can be buried in the minors, but the organization will pay him the same amount regardless, giving his candidacy for an NHL role more validity. The team also acquired James Reimer from the Florida Panthers this summer, and the veteran keeper is of course also on a one-way contract. However, Reimer carries a $3.4MM cap hit, $1.075MM of which would come off the books if he is buried in the minors. Assuming Reimer is replaced by Forsberg, the net result would be a $400K boost in cap space for Carolina if Forsberg wins the backup job, an intriguing side effect for the team to consider.
The real twist in the goalie battle is in regards to young Alex Nedeljkovic. The 23-year-old was one of the top goaltenders in the AHL last season and appears ready to take on more NHL responsibility. However, he has a two-way contract and waiver exemption for one more year and now has to compete with not one but two one-way goalies for the backup job. The odds are not in his favor, simply because the flexibility that his youth and contract affords as an AHL option outweighs the adverse effects of sending both Forsberg and Reimer to the minors to give him his chance this season.