Blackhawks Give Maxim Shalunov's Agent Permission To Seek A Trade
- The Blackhawks have given the agent for forward Maxim Shalunov permission to speak to other NHL teams about finding a trade for his rights, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link). Whether or not the 28-year-old will come back to North America (he played in the minors in 2013-14) has seemingly been an annual tradition for the last several years but with Chicago’s forward depth, there really isn’t a spot for him even if they wanted to sign him. Shalunov had 18 goals and 17 assists in 52 games with CSKA Moscow in the KHL this season and could be an intriguing acquisition for someone; Powers suggests that the asking price from Chicago wouldn’t be too high in order to give him a chance to try the NHL if they don’t have a spot for him.
Edmonton Oilers Acquire Duncan Keith From Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers have been working on a Duncan Keith trade for the past few weeks, and after a lengthy day of reports, the trade is final. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the deal is complete, with the Blackhawks receiving Caleb Jones and a third-round pick. No salary was retained by Chicago. Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports that at one point in the talks, the Oilers tried to include Mikko Koskinen in order to clear some cap space, but he is not involved in the final deal. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun finally reported that Blackhawks prospect Tim Soderlund is headed to Edmonton as well. He also notes that the third-round pick is in 2022 and that it could turn into a second-round pick if Edmonton wins three rounds in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Keith is top-four among Edmonton defensemen in terms of ice time.
The veteran defenseman told Chicago last month that he wanted to go to the Pacific Northwest or Western Canada in any deal to be closer to his home in British Columbia. Moving Keith before the expansion deadline would allow the Blackhawks to protect an extra defenseman, something that seems absolutely necessary given their situation at this point.
Keith, 37, has two years remaining on his contract and carries a $5.54MM cap hit. The legendary defenseman will go down as one of the best to ever play for the Blackhawks, helping them to three Stanley Cup championships and suiting up more than 1,300 times. Keith has played more regular-season games than any other defenseman in Blackhawks history and trails only Stan Mikita for the overall lead. His 625 points during that time trail only Doug Wilson among Blackhawks defensemen.
Of course, his play has deteriorated some over the past few seasons, meaning the Oilers won’t be getting the same player that enjoyed so much success in Chicago. Keith will turn 38 on Friday and recorded a career-low 15 points in 2020-21. There’s little doubt that he can still play at the NHL level, but it’s hard to know exactly what Edmonton will be getting from the veteran. With that uncertainty, it seems likely that they would have been asking for the Blackhawks to retain at least a portion of his salary, though it did not occur.
The Oilers actually do have a little bit of cap room to play with this offseason, but that’s mostly thanks to so many players hitting unrestricted free agency. Tyson Barrie and Adam Larsson are pending UFAs, while Darnell Nurse, Ethan Bear, and Kris Russell are only signed through the 2021-22 season. That would mean Keith is coming aboard with the longest term left on the back end, matching the injured Oscar Klefbom‘s remaining two years. If it goes badly, the team is at least in a position to restructure their finances moving forward, though extensions for Larsson and Nurse could complicate those matters.
For Chicago, adding Jones is certainly an interesting factor, given their apparent interest in his brother Seth Jones who is also on the trade market. Even without a trade of that magnitude, moving Keith out will allow more opportunity for their other young defensemen and start the transition to the next wave of talent in the organization. Even at his age, Keith was still given more than 23 minutes a night, ice time that can be spread out among the team’s other options moving forward. Receiving some cap relief and a draft pick will also benefit the Blackhawks moving forward as they try to bridge the gap from their aging championship core to a new contending group.
Edmonton has struggled to find any playoff success during the Connor McDavid years, so bringing in Keith will certainly provide an experienced voice for the Oilers captain to lean on in the postseason. Whether that previous playoff success actually helps Edmonton find some in the future is certainly still to be seen, given Keith’s Blackhawks haven’t made it past the first round since 2015.
Remember, as with any trade in the coming days, there are expansion draft complications. While the Blackhawks will get an extra spot, Keith will now require protection by the Oilers thanks to a no-movement clause that will be carried over. Even with Jones going the other way and Larsson not yet signed, the team will likely now have to leave Klefbom exposed and hope the Kraken are scared off by his injury situation. Nurse and Ethan Bear would be the other two protection spots, unless a Larsson extension comes before the draft.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Expansion Primer: Chicago Blackhawks
Over the last few weeks, we have been breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, who will likely warrant protection, and which ones may be on the block to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing? Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4:00 PM CDT on July 17th. The full eligibility rules can be found here, while CapFriendly has an expansion tool to make your own lists.
The last time the Blackhawks had to face an expansion draft, the outcome ended up in the news long before the Golden Knights announced their pick. Trevor van Riemsdyk would be left unprotected, but Vegas would also agree to take on Marcus Kruger‘s remaining contract. Though it had to wait until after Chicago paid his signing bonus, Kruger would eventually end up with the Golden Knights in exchange for “future considerations.” Vegas would flip both Kruger and van Riemsdyk to Carolina, essentially getting second and fifth-round picks for just a tiny bit of salary retention. Those kinds of moves were part of the brilliant strategy devised by Vegas, but won’t be so easy to pull off this time around.
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
Jonathan Toews (NMC), Patrick Kane (NMC), Alex DeBrincat, Brett Connolly, Dylan Strome, David Kampf, Ryan Carpenter, Adam Gaudette, Josh Dickinson, Brandon Hagel, Henrik Borgstrom
Defense:
Duncan Keith, Calvin de Haan, Connor Murphy, Nikita Zadorov, Riley Stillman
Goalies:
Collin Delia, Malcolm Subban, Kevin Lankinen
Notable Unrestricted Free Agents
Vinnie Hinostroza, Brandon Pirri, Anton Lindholm
Notable Exemptions
Dominik Kubalik, Pius Suter, Philipp Kurashev, Kirby Dach, Alexander Nylander, Ian Mitchell, Adam Boqvist, Wyatt Kalynuk, Nicolas Beaudin
Key Decisions
This time in Chicago, the decisions to make are actually relatively easy. One of the biggest questions a few months ago would have been whether Nylander deserved protection five years after being selected eighth overall by the Buffalo Sabres. That question now has an easy answer, as the 23-year-old winger is exempt because he missed this entire season following knee surgery. Because his first two years post-draft were spent mostly at the AHL level, they don’t count toward his eligibility and thus he has just two years of professional experience under his belt, at least according to the expansion rules. He’s exempt, and Chicago fans can argue over whether or not he deserves a roster spot next season.
Toews, Kane and DeBrincat are obvious choices for protection. Now that the captain is back skating, there’s no need to talk about waiving his no-movement clause for the Blackhawks in order for them to protect an extra player. Strome, even though he is coming off a terrible season, has too high a ceiling to be left exposed to Seattle. Hagel was about as big of a bright spot as they had in Chicago this season, adding 24 points while seemingly never running out of energy. The 22-year-old likely gets protected. Borgstrom already agreed to a two-year deal to return to North America, so Chicago isn’t going to let the first-round pick get selected.
That leaves two spots for the group of Connolly, Kampf, and Gaudette, with the odd man out potentially heading to Seattle. A $3.5MM cap hit seems like a ridiculous price for the Connolly that scored just three goals in 31 games last season, but what about the one that had 71 over his previous 286 (a 20-goal 82-game pace). Sure, if Seattle took him off Chicago’s hands it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but at just 29 there is real bounce-back potential there. Kampf has never shown an ability to score at that rate, with just 17 goals over his four seasons with the Blackhawks. That’s not to say he’s useless, but he’ll be an RFA this summer and scored just a single goal in 56 games this season.
Gaudette is the most interesting case here, after arriving midseason in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks. The 24-year-old looked like he was ready to breakout in 2019-20 when he scored 12 goals and 33 points in 59 games, but he completely fell apart in the playoffs and then couldn’t find his game at all this season. He’ll also be an RFA this summer, and it’s not really clear how the Blackhawks plan to use the 2018 Hobey Baker winner. There is at least an argument to be made for Kampf’s defensive consistency over Gaudette’s offensive potential, even if it would have seemed crazy a year ago.
On defense, things really just boil down to the Keith situation. It appears a trade is likely, with the Kraken one of the preferred destinations thanks to its proximity to his hometown. Whether a deal is officially made before the draft (other teams including the Edmonton Oilers are also involved in the discussions) or Keith simply agrees to waive his no-movement clause, it doesn’t appear as though he’ll be protected by the Blackhawks.
That leaves three spots for four defensemen, with Murphy obviously getting one of them. Zadorov and de Haan could easily be the other choices, though perhaps Stillman could also be a factor if the team believes they’ve locked up real value when he signed a three-year, $4.05MM deal in April. When it was signed, GM Stan Bowman noted that Stillman’s development was “something we look forward to seeing firsthand,” suggesting that perhaps they believe he can be a real core piece moving forward. If that’s the case, Zadorov or de Haan could be exposed simply to open up cap space and minutes for their other young defensemen.
In net, it really comes down to who the organization believes has the highest ceiling. All three netminders played this season, all three will be unrestricted free agents after next. Lankinen came back to earth after an outstanding first half, finishing with a .909 save percentage in 37 games. He’s the leading candidate for protection, but it seems unlikely that any of them would be in danger of selection anyway.
Projected Protection List
F Jonathan Toews
F Patrick Kane
F Alex DeBrincat
F Dylan Strome
F Adam Gaudette
F Brandon Hagel
F Henrik Borgstrom
D Connor Murphy
D Nikita Zadorov
D Riley Stillman
*Assuming that Keith is traded or waives his no-movement clause before the draft
Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist
When Vegas had their expansion draft, a minimum of two forwards and one defenseman had to be exposed that were under contract and played either 40 games in the most recent season or 70 over the past two combined. Due to the pandemic, those thresholds have been changed to 27 games played in 2020-21 or 54 in 2019/20 and 2020-21 combined. In creating our expansion list for each team in this series, we will ensure that these criteria are met.
Forwards (2): Brett Connolly, Ryan Carpenter
Defensemen (2): Duncan Keith, Calvin de Haan
Even if the team trades Keith ahead of the draft, leaving de Haan (or Stillman) exposed would fill their defensive requirements. The exposure requirements could also help the decision on Connolly, as he’s one of only a handful that currently meets the games played threshold and are signed through next season. Gaudette or Kampf, alternatively, would require new deals to fill that forward requirement.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Chicago Not Expected To Use Buyouts
- The Chicago Blackhawks don’t currently plan on buying anyone out, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. The first window technically opens later tonight, 24 hours after the Stanley Cup was awarded, but tomorrow will be when players hit unconditional waivers if a team is planning a buyout. With Brent Seabrook now on long-term injured reserve with no plans on returning to the ice and Duncan Keith heading toward a trade, there aren’t really any contracts that would scream a buyout in Chicago anyway. Perhaps Brett Connolly‘s $3.5MM cap hit could be a candidate, but it seems likely that he will be capable of at least providing more next year than the six points he registered this season.
Duncan Keith Recently Changed Agents
- As part of his efforts to be traded to a place closer to his son, Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith has changed agents and is now represented by Gerry Johannson of The Sports Corporation, notes Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. He had previously been repped by RWG’s Ross Gurney. Johannson happens to be based out of Edmonton which Matheson believes could help the veteran eventually wind up with the Oilers although due to expansion, such a move wouldn’t come until after Seattle picks their team.
“Every GM In The League” Has Called On Seth Jones
The Columbus Blue Jackets are having to make another difficult decision this off-season, as star defenseman Seth Jones has indicated that he will test free agency next summer rather than re-sign. As The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes, barring a change of heart, this means that Jones will be traded, as expected. GM Jarmo Kekalainen has allowed other top players to stay with the team and walk as free agents in recent years, but with the team re-tooling and John Davidson back in his role as team president and focused on the future, Jones will not follow suit.
Fortunately, the Blue Jackets will have no trouble at all trading Jones and will be able to get a major return back. Kekalainen tells Portzline that he has ” heard from just about every GM in the league” since Jones’ availability became public. This could be puffery from the veteran executive to drive up the price, but is also entirely believable. Jones has been playing top-pair minutes for years, produces on offense, is solid on defense, and has improved in his physicality as well. At just 26, Jones is one of the more complete defensemen in the NHL and any club could use him.
Who will be the lucky team that lands Jones though? Portzline has heard four names come up repeatedly in conversations with sources around the league: Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. The Avalanche certainly stand out as a outlier; the top contenders have plenty of depth on defense and are lacking in cap space, this year and beyond. They would likely be looking at Jones as a year-long rental as they push for that elusive Stanley Cup. Would the cost be worth the short-term investment though? The other three clubs certainly would be eyeing a long-term deal with Jones as they are each in need of a top-tier defenseman. The Flyers have long been searching for a capable player to pair with Ivan Provorov on their top pair and Jones is as good a fit as can be found on the market. The Blackhawks also have been without a truly elite defenseman for some time. Like Colorado, they have salary cap issues but would be more willing and able to make it work. The Kings are the most dangerous buyer on the market, armed with a ton of talented prospects and fueled by a desire to improve before their aging core calls it quits. A top defenseman would go a long way in L.A.’s effort to return to relevance.
Of course, as Jones’ market continues to develop and the asking price becomes more concrete, another suitor could swoop in. Every team in the league will keep an eye on the bidding war over the next few weeks, before the Blue Jackets are expected to pull the trigger, by the NHL Entry Draft if not before.
Blackhawks Making Progress On New Deal For Nikita Zadorov But Not Brandon Hagel
The Blackhawks are starting to find some common ground in negotiations with pending RFA defenseman Nikita Zadorov, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link). Powers notes that Zadorov’s original ask was a five-year deal with a $5.85MM AAV, one that buys out four years of UFA eligibility but is a high price for someone that is more of a fourth or fifth defenseman, especially in this marketplace. He suggests that something in the $4MM range would make more sense. The 26-year-old is owed a $3.2MM qualifying offer but also has arbitration rights which could deter Chicago from tendering it by the July 26th deadline if no deal is in place by then.
- In the same column, Powers notes that the Blackhawks haven’t made any progress in contract discussions with winger Brandon Hagel. The 22-year-old was a regular for the first time this season and put up nine goals and 15 assists in 52 games. He isn’t eligible for arbitration or an offer sheet and with his limited NHL experience, it stands to reason that Chicago will be trying to keep his contract close to the $874K qualifying offer. With no leverage other than trying to stall for a better deal, this could be a contract that takes some time to get done.
Latest On Duncan Keith
Duncan Keith trade rumors have been swirling ever since Wednesday. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet’s original report stated that Keith, who has a full no-movement clause in his contract, preferred to be dealt to either Western Canada or the Pacific Northwest. The story has only gained more specific details since then. It’s since been reported that the Edmonton Oilers and Seattle Kraken were Keith’s preferred destinations, but today, there’s been a lot of discussion on the Oilers’ side of the coin.
Now, a report by The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman is suggesting that Edmonton may only pull the trigger on a potential deal if certain conditions are met. Considering the Oilers and general manager Ken Holland‘s goal of being in ‘win-now’ mode, Keith’s steep $5.5MM cap hit is a complicating factor in any potential deal. So while Chicago won’t be giving him away for peanuts, for Edmonton to swing a deal, the cap differential needs to be close to even when all is said and done.
How that happens isn’t entirely clear. There’s a nearly endless combination of assets in play that could make a deal work here. James Neal‘s contract is similarly an albatross, and could get moved the other way with a couple of other pieces packaged in. Earlier reports today suggested that Caleb Jones could be part of a package to Chicago for Keith. Regardless, and especially if Jones is the centerpiece of a deal, Chicago will likely have to retain some amount of salary in a Keith trade. While Chicago is looking to contend sooner rather than later as well, one or even two million dollars against the cap in a retained salary transaction likely won’t be the end of the world.
It’s obvious the Blackhawks want to do right by Keith, who’s given more than anyone could’ve asked for to the franchise. But considering the 37-year-old’s restrictive demands, Chicago’s hands may end up being tied if they can’t get the return they desire — which is to say, a trade, while likely, is never a guarantee.
All contract information is provided by CapFriendly.
Snapshots: Jones, Flames, Ducharme
As speculation around the now-constant Duncan Keith trade rumors intensifies, more clarity is coming around a potential return. A piece in the Edmonton Journal by David Staples starts off the party with the Edmonton Oilers. Jumping off earlier reports from both Elliotte Friedman and Bob Stauffer that the Chicago Blackhawks weren’t interested in taking on another big contract in exchange for Keith, Staples suggests defender Caleb Jones as a potential piece going to Chicago in exchange for Keith. With Chicago now being implicated in trade talks with Columbus Blue Jackets defender Seth Jones, playing with his brother may entice Seth to sign an extension if dealt to the Hawks. What is for sure is that it’s just the beginning of the inevitable rumors and speculation surrounding such big a name as Keith. As Chicago looks to move on from a franchise legend, what Chicago receives in return for Keith will be under intense scrutiny.
- The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal, during his ‘Donnie & Dhali’ radio show today, reports that the Calgary Flames weren’t identified by Keith or his agent as a potential trade destination. With captain Mark Giordano potentially being left unprotected for the Seattle expansion draft, it made sense that Calgary could be looking to acquire a veteran presence to replace Giordano on their blueline. However, considering the leverage Keith holds with his full no-movement clause, it appears as though Keith in a Flames uniform isn’t a true possibility come October.
- Marc Antoine Godin, senior writer for The Athletic Montreal, relayed remarks made by Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme today ahead of his return to the bench for Game 3 after being sidelined for two weeks due to COVID-19. Reacting to the news that the Quebec provincial health authority would not allow more fans into the building, Ducharme commented that “it’s hard to find the logic” for not increasing the capacity from the existing 3,500 fans, especially due to the large crowds that have formed outside in recent games. It’ll be on Ducharme tonight to guide his team to a Game 3 win, despite the supposed lack of a true home-ice advantage.
Finding A Match For A Duncan Keith Trade
Yesterday, a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated that the Blackhawks are working with defenseman Duncan Keith on a trade that would send him to either the Pacific Northwest or Western Canada. The move is speculated to be for family reasons which would explain the specific geographical region where he’d waive his no-move clause to go to. With that in mind, let’s look at the potential fit for each of those teams to take on the final two years of his deal ($5.538MM both years but just $3.6MM in total salary combined).
Vancouver – With Alex Edler set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the month, there is a potential spot for Keith to step into if Edler doesn’t re-sign while it would shift Nate Schmidt back to his off-side. Although the Canucks don’t have the cap space to absorb Keith’s contract outright, they have some expiring contracts (Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, and Antoine Roussel) that could be used as offsets to make the money work this year. He’d also be a mentor for top youngster Quinn Hughes.
However, bringing in Keith would also put another roadblock in place for two of their young left-shot blueliners in Olli Juolevi and Jack Rathbone. Juolevi was able to carve out a limited role last season but more is expected from the fifth overall pick in 2016. As for Rathbone, he didn’t look out of place in a late-season stint and could be in the mix for a full-time spot in training camp. Developing some cost-controlled assets will help offset the big money owed to Hughes and Elias Pettersson this summer and Brock Boeser next summer.
It’s potentially for those reasons that they don’t appear to be interested in acquiring Keith at the moment. There are ways to make the money work for 2021-22 but 2022-23 could be a lot trickier and if they want to let Juolevi and Rathbone see some more NHL action, adding Keith would make that more difficult.
Edmonton – The early indications are that Oscar Klefbom ($4.167MM) may not be ready to return at the start of next season so he could be heading for LTIR once again. Last fall, they used that money on Tyson Barrie but they could have to go in a different direction if Barrie prices himself out of what the Oilers can afford. Theoretically, Keith could fill that same role next year although if Klefbom can return later in the year, that would complicate things.
Behind Darnell Nurse, there are few proven options on the left side of Edmonton’s back end. Caleb Jones and William Lagesson have both had their ups and downs to this point in their young careers while Kris Russell is a third-pairing role player at best. Dmitry Kulikov and Slater Koekkoek will both become unrestricted free agents later this month as well. They have high hopes for Philip Broberg, the eighth pick back in 2019, but he probably isn’t ready to step into a top-four role either. Keith could presumably serve as the bridge player for Broberg.
Edmonton also has some pricey contracts that could be moved to offset money. Winger James Neal has two years left at $5.75MM, nearly the same as Keith while goaltender Mikko Koskinen has one year at $4.5MM remaining. Both are buyout candidates as a result and could be included to balance the cap. With the state of their back end, a veteran that can play on the left side of the second pairing could be a useful pickup and Keith could conceivably fill that role.
Calgary – At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be a great fit. The Flames have their top four defenders signed for next year at a cost of $20.75MM. While Keith on the third pairing would certainly improve their depth, paying more than $5MM for the privilege is something they can’t realistically afford.
However, expansion is looming and Calgary appears to be a team that will need to protect seven forwards which means one of their top four blueliners – likely Mark Giordano – will be left exposed to Seattle. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see the Kraken take on the final year of Giordano’s contract which would create an opening in the top four and $6.75MM in cap space. That could be an opening for Keith but otherwise, the Flames shouldn’t be the landing spot.
Seattle – For the Kraken to pick him in expansion, Keith would first have to waive his no-move clause. Considering his apparent desire to be in the Pacific Northwest, that shouldn’t be an issue. What will be trickier is finding the fit for a trade. Does Seattle want to take on that contract outright or are they going to want some sort of sweetener or salary offset? The latter can’t really happen until after the expansion draft when they’ll have players to trade which would take picking him off the table.
Those small logistics aside, Keith would certainly be an intriguing fit for an expansion team. There’s a chance he’d wind up in a bigger role than he should have (he turns 38 later this month) but he’s also someone that would potentially be their inaugural captain and help shepherd their roster through what will certainly be an interesting first couple of years. If they take a defenseman with their second-overall pick this month and put him on the NHL roster, Keith would work as a good mentor as well. Generally, players that old don’t make sense for a new team but there’s a fit here.
With such a narrow window of teams to work with (Winnipeg is too far East to qualify as part of Western Canada), Chicago and Keith’s camp will have their work cut out for them. Of the four, Edmonton may be the best fit before expansion while Calgary could become an option after that depending on what happens. And with their clean cap situation, Seattle could be in the mix at any time as well. There are options but likely not enough for the Blackhawks to bring in any sort of sizable return for the 16-year veteran.