- Among the pieces that the Hurricanes are interested in from Chicago in their trade talks regarding defenseman Justin Faulk and goaltender Scott Darling is winger Brandon Saad, reports Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 25-year-old failed to have the type of impact the Blackhawks were hoping for when they reacquired him last year as part of the Artemi Panarin trade. However, after averaging 51 points over the previous four seasons, it’s reasonable to expect that he will have a bounce-back campaign in 2018-19, something that Carolina likely believes as well.
Blackhawks Rumors
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Henri Jokiharju To Entry-Level Contract
The Chicago Blackhawks have inked one of their top prospects, signing Henri Jokiharju to his three-year entry-level contract. Jokiharju played this season in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks, while also suiting up for Finland at the World Junior Championship.
Jokiharju, 18, exploded for Portland this season, recording 71 points in 63 games and generally being one of the best defensemen in the league. Named a second-team WHL All-Star, Jokiharju would likely be in the mix for Defenseman of the Year should he return to Portland next season. That isn’t guaranteed though, as some believe he could make an impact with the Blackhawks, or perhaps return to Finland to continue his development at a higher level.
Regardless of where he plays next season, the Blackhawks are extremely excited about his early development. Selected 29th-overall in 2017, he is quickly showing he may have been a steal that late in the round. If he plays in junior or Europe next season, his contract will slide and not come into effect until 2019-20. He could even play up to nine games with the Blackhawks without burning a year.
Chicago Blackhawks Discussed Justin Faulk, Scott Darling
The Chicago Blackhawks need to find a way to get back to the playoffs next season, or risk wasting another year of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews while they are still effective. Though there is another wave of talent coming, the Blackhawks live and die with their two superstar forwards and still believe that their championship window is open.
To that end, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that the team has spoken with the Carolina Hurricanes about defenseman Justin Faulk and former Blackhawks goaltender Scott Darling. The former is expected to be on the market as the Hurricanes look to cash in on some of their defensive assets, while the latter was a disaster in his first season in Carolina and could be on the way out.
Faulk, 26, is signed for two more seasons at a $4.83MM cap hit but actually carries a salary of $6MM each year. The Blackhawks can certainly afford the bump in salary relative to cap hit, while the Hurricanes aren’t quite as flush with cash—historically at least, new owner Tom Dundon could have changed that.
The right-handed defenseman would fit perfectly into Chicago’s blue line, which struggled to create offense this season and has few reliable options on the right side now that Brent Seabrook has started his decline. Faulk is an excellent offensive player that can drive possession and score goals in all situations, something that could help take some of the pressure off of Duncan Keith, who even in arguably the worst offensive season of his career easily led all Blackhawk defenders in points.
Darling on the other hand would return to Chicago with a contract too big for his performance last season, but with the skills to still help the team in net. With Corey Crawford struggling through injury and the backup position not exactly stable, his presence could help them find some consistency should he bounce back next season.
The Hurricanes, for what it’s worth, have identified goaltending as a place for change this summer and admitted that bringing back the same two netminders would be foolish. Cam Ward is expected to reach unrestricted free agency in a few weeks, but Darling could also find himself on the way out if Carolina can land a true starting goaltender at some point.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Chicago Blackhawks Agree To Terms With Andreas Martinsen
The Chicago Blackhawks have decided to bring back Andreas Martinsen for another year, signing the hulking forward to a one-year extension. No word yet on if the deal is a two-way contract, or what cap hit it carries. Martinsen was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Acquired just before the season began from the Montreal Canadiens, Martinsen ended up playing just nine games for the Blackhawks. Most of his year was spent in the minor leagues with the Rockford IceHogs, where he registered 28 points in 64 games and continued to be the physical presence he’s known for in North America. The Norwegian forward once recorded 41 points in 50 games in the German DEL, but has been a fourth-liner for during his NHL career. With just 19 points in 128 games, he shouldn’t be expected to be much of a contributor to the Hawks offense next season, even if he gets the chance to play in the NHL.
The Blackhawks have several other veteran UFAs in the minors, but are facing an offseason without the huge contract negotiations they’ve faced in the past. With just a few restricted free agents, the team can instead focus a lot of their attention on finding a way to get back to the playoffs in 2018-19. The team should have a little cap wiggle room for the first time in a while, and could be players both on draft day—as they hold two first-round picks—and free agency.
Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks
Free agency is now a little more than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Chicago’s free agent situation.
Top Restricted Free Agent: F Vinnie Hinostroza — For the second year in a row, Hinostroza got some quality time with the Blackhawks, totallying 99 games in those two seasons. However this year, the 24-year-old forward really showed that he can contribute at a high level. In 50 games this year, Hinostroza found himself working between the second and third lines, totaling seven goals and 25 points, while logging more than 13 minutes of ice time per game. As Chicago becomes more and more reliant on youth to fill in the gap for some of their aging veterans, the team needs Hinostroza to take that next step as a bonafide top-six center.
Having made just $925K this past year, he still is likely to have quite a low salary for a few more years, which is exactly the kind of value the ’Hawks need to rebound and compete for a playoff spot next year.
Other RFA’s: D Adam Clendening, F Anthony Duclair, F John Hayden, F Tomas Jurco.
Top Unrestricted Free Agent: D Cody Franson — Perhaps a better word is ’none.’ There are no key unrestricted free agents unless you look real deep on their roster. You would have to look at players who the team moved to Rockford near the trade deadline when the team decided to give their young players as much playing time as possible. Franson was one of those players, who possesses the offensive talents, but lacks the defense to compete at an NHL level and has bounced around the league looking for a permanent home. Don’t count on Chicago being that place as a recent report suggests he’s not expecting to return next season. He tallied just a goal and six assists in 23 games, but was put on waivers in January.
Other UFA’s: F Lance Bouma, F Christopher Didomenico, G Jeff Glass, F Andreas Martinsen, D Michal Rozsival, D Viktor Svedberg, F Jordin Tootoo.
Projected Cap Space: The salary cap has not been Chicago’s friend over the past few years with big contracts the team handed out to Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, among others. However, the team has done a good job of moving some contracts and have $6.1MM of cap space available to them, and that’s not including the assumption the cap could go up $5MM next season. The team might have the ability to bring in a free agent or two to help aid the veterans in making a playoff comeback this year. While it’s not likely to include a high-priced free agent, their available cap space should be an asset for the coming season.
Montreal Has Tough Decision To Make At Upcoming Draft
It’s well known that the Montreal Canadiens are looking for a franchise changing center. Usually when you have a top-three pick in a draft, a team can fill their biggest hole right there. However, that isn’t the case in the 2018 NHL Draft as the top of the draft is loaded with wingers and defenseman. Most of the centers are expected to go after the top-10. The Canadiens need help there as they have attempted to convert several players to the center position, including Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk, but neither has made a successful conversion. If the team could add a couple of legitimate centers, it could hasten their turnaround.
Recent reports suggest the Canadiens have found themselves getting attached to Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who most mock drafts have going after the 10th pick. Admittedly, he has risen up draft boards over the past year after a season in Finland’s top league, SM-liiga and put up 10 goals and 29 points as a 17-year-old among men (ironically he played the wing position there). In fact, at the combine this week, Kotkaniemi said that Canadiens were one of three teams to take him out to a steak dinner this past week. Assuming the Canadiens’ interest in him is genuine, the Canadiens have some critical decisions to make in the next few weeks. Kotkaniemi, who has two years remaining on his contract in Finland, has said there is an out-clause and he could come to North America, depending on the team that drafts him. Regardless, whatever Montreal does with the No. 3 pick will alter the rest of the draft, according to the Montreal Gazette’s Pat Hickey.
One option is to take Kotkaniemi with the third overall pick regardless of the prospect rankings. Afterall, the Columbus Blue Jackets did the same thing in 2016 when they surprised many by taking Pierre-Luc Dubois with the No. 3 pick then. That worked out pretty well. The downside is the team would likely pass on some top talent in either winger Andrei Svechnikov or Filip Zadina (whoever Carolina doesn’t take at No. 2) as well as a number of stud defensemen like Adam Boqvist, Noah Dobson or Quinn Hughes. Montreal needs help at both positions as well.
The second option is for Montreal to trade back and pick up Kotkaniemi at a more reasonable spot and pick up more assets. Unfortunately, several other teams like Kotkaniemi as well, including the Detroit Red Wings (No. 6) and the Chicago Blackhawks (No. 8). By the way, both teams were the only other teams to take Kotkaniemi out to a steak dinner this week. However, earlier in the week, general manager Marc Bergevin said he was reluctant to trade back in the draft. Director of player personnel Trevor Timmons countered that Saturday, suggesting the team could go up or down with all their extra picks in this draft.
Assuming the Canadiens do want to add a center in the draft, then the team will have a big decision to make in the coming weeks about which route they intend to take.
Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Draft Picks Expire
The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players—the same total as last year—will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2018 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. Adam Mascherin is the highest picked player among those who will be headed back into the draft, selected 38th overall by the Florida Panthers two years ago. Below is the full list of players:
Anaheim Ducks:
F Tyler Soy (7th round, 2016)
Arizona Coyotes:
F Anton Karlsson (3rd round, 2014)
D David Westlund (6th round, 2014)
Buffalo Sabres:
D Vojtech Budik (5th round, 2016)
F Brandon Hagel (6th round, 2016)
D Austin Osmanski (7th round, 2016)
Calgary Flames:
D Adam Ollas Mattsson (6th round, 2014)
Carolina Hurricanes:
C Hudson Elynuik (3rd round, 2016)
D Noah Carroll (6th round, 2016)
Chicago Blackhawks:
D Andreas Soderberg (5th round, 2014)
Colorado Avalanche:
G Maximilian Pajpach (6th round, 2014)
Dallas Stars:
D Miro Karjalainen (5th round, 2014)
Detroit Red Wings:
D Jordan Sambrook (5th round, 2016)
F Julius Vahatalo (6th round, 2014)
Florida Panthers:
G Hugo Fagerblom (7th round, 2014)
C Adam Mascherin (2nd round, 2016)
Los Angeles Kings:
D Jacob Friend (7th round, 2016)
Minnesota Wild:
D Pontus Sjalin (6th round, 2014)
D Brayden Chizen (7th round, 2016)
New Jersey Devils:
G Evan Cormier (4th round, 2016)
Philadelphia Flyers:
C Anthony Salinitri (6th round, 2016)
Pittsburgh Penguins:
D Connor Hall (3rd round, 2016)
San Jose Sharks:
D Mark Shoemaker (6th round, 2016)
Tampa Bay Lightning:
C Christopher Paquette (5th round, 2016)
Toronto Maple Leafs:
D Keaton Middleton (4th rond, 2016)
F J.J. Piccinich (4th round, 2014)
D Nicolas Mattinen (6th round, 2016)
Vancouver Canucks:
D Cole Candella (5th round, 2016)
F Jakob Stukel (6th round, 2016)
C Brett McKenzie (7th round, 2016)
Washington Capitals:
F Kevin Elgestal (7th round, 2014)
D Dmitri Zaitsev (7th round, 2016)
Winnipeg Jets:
C Jordan Stallard (5th round, 2016)
Poll: Impact Of The Estimated Cap Increase
Earlier this week, Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with the media about many different league topics. Perhaps the biggest news to come out of the press conference was Daly’s estimation of the salary cap for next season. Daly believes that the salary cap will fall somewhere between $78MM and $82MM, meaning that there will be a significant increase in the salary cap. The cap limit has increased by $2MM or less in each of the past three seasons, but the low point of the estimated range would already be a $3MM increase over the 2017-18 cap number. If it ends up near the top of the range, it will likely be the largest jump in the salary cap in league history.
Whatever the result, the cap increase will undoubtedly affect this off-season. Prior to Daly’s projection, teams like the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Tampa Bay Lightning were going to face an immense cap crunch this summer and likely would have been forced to shed salary. Those teams can now breathe easier. However, teams on the lower end of the salary spectrum who don’t spend to the cap, such as the Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona Coyotes, will find it even harder to catch up in a market that that has lessened its grip on the stronger, higher payroll teams. With a higher cap comes salary inflation, which is another struggle for small market teams. The cap increase may also allow for some of the bigger talked-about trades and free agent movement – John Tavares, Erik Karlsson, Phil Kessel, ect. – to happen. However, the flip side is that a salary cap increase gives teams incentive to add, but not subtract and could lessen the amount of total trades we see this summer.
What do you think? Is this potentially historic increase in the salary cap ceiling a good thing for the league?
How Do You Feel About The Estimated NHL Salary Cap Increase?
It is good for the league - it allows strong teams to stay together and allows big names to move freely
62.87%
(430 votes)
No opinion - the cap increases every year and the estimated limit will not have a major impact
23.98%
(164 votes)
It is bad for the league - it hurts small market teams and competitive balance and may hinder the trade market
13.16%
(90 votes)
Total Votes: 684
Jacob Nilsson Agrees To Terms With Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks will add another European free agent to their forward mix, as the team announced today they’d agreed to terms with Swedish center Jacob Nilsson. No financial details were released, but Nilsson is eligible to sign a one-year entry-level contract.
The 24-year old forward broke into the SHL this season after dominating the Allsvenskan in 2016-17, and held his own at the higher level. In 40 games he recorded 18 points, good for fourth on the low-scoring Mora IK team. It’s hard to believe he could immediately translate that into NHL success, but Nilsson appears to be the definition of a late-bloomer who has just started to really find his game.
Chicago has clearly targeted the European leagues once again as a place to supplement their roster, signing several players this offseason and even trading for Victor Ejdsell after missing out on him last summer. For a team that has struggled with a cap squeeze for several years, adding cheap but experienced talent is the only way to keep everything moving. Obviously the team will try to continue to build through the draft, but players like Nilsson can come in and play at a high level in the minor leagues right away and potentially move into a limited role with the NHL club should they have a need.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Four Players
The Chicago Blackhawks have signed four players this Monday morning, announcing deal for Dominik Kahun, Lucas Carlsson, Darren Raddysh and Kevin Lankinen. Carlsson has signed a three-year entry-level deal, while the other three have inked two-year entry-level contracts.
Kahun, 22, is coming off a huge season in which he won his third consecutive DEL championship and represented Germany in both the Olympic Games and World Championship. Germany was able to shock many with their surprise silver medal performance at the Olympics, and Kahun was a large part scoring five points in seven games. The young forward can compete at both ends of the rink, and could vie for a spot on the Blackhawks in short order.
Carlsson and Raddysh might not be quite as close, but will provide more depth and skill to the Chicago defense pipeline. The 20-year old Carlsson was a fourth-round pick in 2016, and played this season in the SHL. Raddysh went undrafted, but signed an AHL deal with Chicago after his huge 2016-17 campaign in junior. Playing for the Rockford IceHogs this season, he recorded 22 points in 66 games and showed that he may have some late development coming in the defensive zone. An offense force in the OHL, he’ll try to prove he can play a two-way game at the professional level.
Lankinen, 23, has performed well in the Finnish Liiga for several years but never been given much of a chance to be the number one starter. That changed in the playoffs this season for HIFK when he posted a .936 save percentage in 13 postseason contests. Chicago has struggled with goaltending depth the last few years when faced with injury, something that Lankinen could help to address if he proves he can keep up his high level of play in North America.