Snapshots: Brackett, UAH, Voronkov
The Vancouver Canucks will not be bringing back amateur scouting director Judd Brackett after failing to come to a new agreement. Brackett’s name has been in the news the last few months after reports surfaced that there was a dispute over how much control he had in Vancouver, something that Canucks GM Jim Benning confirmed today to Thomas Drance of The Athletic:
I believe in a chain of command… I don’t know too many places where a team is going to give a head scout total autonomy to make all the picks without collaborating with people higher up..
Brackett has been with the Canucks for more than a decade and is credited–at least partially–for the team’s relatively strong draft record.
- Amazingly, a GoFundMe to try and save the University of Alabama-Huntsville hockey program has reached its goal of $500,000. The program was cut due to financial concerns last week, but immediately fans of the team (and one famous alumnus) rallied to try and keep the Chargers from disappearing. No word yet on whether the plan has worked, but it was an impressive campaign nonetheless.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets will have to wait quite some time to get Dmitri Voronkov into the organization after the prospect forward signed a new three-year contract in the KHL today. Selected 114th overall in 2019, the 6’4″ center was a standout at the World Juniors for Russia, scoring seven points in seven games. His new contract will keep him in the KHL through the 2022-23 season.
Several Injured Players Ready To Return, Josh Anderson Still In Question
- Some teams will greatly benefit from this pause in the schedule if games eventually resume and one of those is the Blue Jackets. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch provides an update on their long list of injuries, noting that defensemen Seth Jones and Dean Kukan as well as wingers Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexandre Texier, Cam Atkinson, and Nathan Gerbe are all ready to return. Winger Josh Anderson is also a possibility depending on when games were to actually take place; he was listed as out four-to-six months following shoulder surgery just after the trade deadline. The earliest he could play is July if he’s on the quicker end of that timetable. Meanwhile, center Brandon Dubinsky (wrist) remains out long-term and isn’t expected to play if the season returns.
Ryan Murray Consulted With Doctors About The Possibility Of Having To Retire Earlier This Season
- To say that Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray has been injury-plagued throughout his career would be an understatement. He has only played more than 66 games just once and multiple ailments have limited him to just 27 games this season. The blueliner admitted to John Matisz of The Score that he wondered if he’d be forced to hang up his skates early as a result of everything but after consulting with doctors, there has been no reason to seriously consider that. The 26-year-old has one more year left on his deal with a $4.6MM price tag and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the 2021 offseason.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Elvis Merzlikins
Just that quickly, the Columbus Blue Jackets have their goaltending tandem locked up. After extending Joonas Korpisalo last week it was Elvis Merzlikins‘ turn today. The Blue Jackets have announced a two-year extension for Merzlikins. Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen gave an explanation:
We’ve believed for several years that Elvis Merzlikins was the best goaltender outside the NHL while he was playing in Switzerland and this year he has shown that he has the ability and drive to be a very good goaltender in this league. He is quick, athletic and driven to succeed and we are excited to see what the future holds for Elvis and our hockey club.
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the deal will pay Merzlikins $3MM in 2020-21 and $5MM in 2021-22 ($4MM AAV). He will be an unrestricted free agent at its conclusion.
The Blue Jackets have now locked up their future in net, for at least the next two seasons, at a reasonable $6.8MM total. That’s still considerably less than the amount former Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky landed in free agency and with the way Merzlikins and Korpisalo performed it looks like the team may have dodged a bullet.
It’s hard to explain just how successful the 26-year old Merzlikins was in his first year with the Blue Jackets. After starring in Switzerland for several seasons he came over and almost immediately became one of the best goaltenders in the league, recording a .923 save percentage in 33 appearances, including five shutouts.
Even though Merzlikins is making more than Korpisalo, there’s no guarantee that he gets the majority of starts next season. Kekalainen told reporters that the decision will be up to the coach, meaning John Tortorella has the final say on which netminder backstops his club next year.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Mikhail Grigorenko
UPDATE 11:00pm: The NHL has rejected the Grigorenko contract because the filing window for deals starting next season has not opened yet. Though teams are allowed to sign previously drafted prospects or undrafted players that have never played in the NHL, they are not allowed to sign a player like Grigorenko until the normal free agent period opens.
The Blue Jackets have issued a statement:
Earlier today, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced the signing of forward Mikhail Grigorenko to a one-year contract for the 2020-21 National Hockey League season. The contract subsequently has been rejected by the NHL Central Registry due to a misunderstanding with regards to the filing window. We have been in contact with the league and Dan Milstein, Grigorenko’s agent, and the contract will be filed on July 1.
9:54am: The NHL is nothing if not a second-chance league. Mikhail Grigorenko will get another opportunity to show what he can do in North America after signing a one-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2020-21 season. Grigorenko has played the last three seasons in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. The contract carries a salary of $1.2MM according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who also reports that the young forward was offered twice as much to remain in Russia but turned it down.
Grigorenko, 25, last played in the NHL during the 2016-17 season with the Colorado Avalanche, scoring 10 goals and 23 points. Though that double-digit goal total was the best output of his career, it still wasn’t anywhere near what was expected of him when he was selected 12th overall in 2012. That pick was made by the Buffalo Sabres, who had seen a dominant forward put up 40 goals and 85 points as a rookie for the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL. Though his first crack at the NHL didn’t go according to plan, Grigorenko has developed even further in Russia and has been one of the league’s most dangerous offensive players in the last two seasons. He also represented Russia and won a gold medal at the 2018 Olympics and took home a Gagarin Cup in 2019 while leading all players in KHL playoff scoring.
It’s all of those exceptional performances that have earned him another chance in the NHL, and he’ll head to a Blue Jackets team that will likely look different again next season. Columbus already traded away Sonny Milano at the deadline, and now has a tough decision to make on Josh Anderson in the offseason. Grigorenko gives them a cheap option that can potentially play in the top-six, though he’ll have to prove his production will carry across the ocean.
Even though he is only currently 25, Grigorenko will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal.
Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Joonas Korpisalo
Who needs Sergei Bobrovsky anyway? The Columbus Blue Jackets did just fine with their unproven goaltending tandem this season, with Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins both performing at All-Star levels when they were called upon. That success requires payment however and both goaltenders were scheduled for restricted free agency this summer. You can check at least one name off the to-do list, as Korpisalo has signed a two-year extension with the Blue Jackets today. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $2.8MM and keeps Korpisalo under contract through the 2021-22 season. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen explained just why he decided to offer the contract:
Joonas had the opportunity to play a lot of games for us early in the season before he was injured and responded by playing at an All-Star level. He is a young, talented goaltender with a great work ethic and desire to succeed and we are very excited to see his continued development and improvement moving forward.
Korpisalo, 26, was given 37 starts for the Blue Jackets this season and recorded a .911 save percentage in those games—nearly equalling Bobrovsky’s numbers from a year ago. That performance earned him a selection to the All-Star game, though an injury kept him from attending. Injuries will be the question moving forward and likely will play a role in deciding which of the team’s netminders gets the majority of the games.
Having Korpisalo sign at such a low number will allow the team to keep both, assuming that the negotiation with the arbitration-eligible Merzlikins goes smoothly. Even with a stagnant salary cap the Blue Jackets should have more than enough room to operate with this tandem in place, and the fact that Merzlikins is not eligible for the Seattle expansion draft means the team could have their goaltending positions solved for some time.
It is important to remember however that even though Korpisalo may be new to the net, he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this contract. The number may be low but the team bought out only one UFA year.
Snapshots: Seattle, Jones, Oilers
The NHL season may be paused, but that doesn’t stop front offices from getting work done. Some of that work for the Seattle expansion franchise revolves around its still-unannounced team name, though the group is getting closer to a reveal. That’s what Seattle GM Ron Francis recently explained to reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com, indicating that though the organization will wait for an appropriate time to announce, it should be sooner rather than later:
We’re still going through that process with the League, working hard on the trademark and the legal process. Trust me when I say it, our people are really working hard, and as soon as we’ve completed it, we’ll look at how our community is doing and when is the right time to announce that name.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) followed up on the Seattle situation today, reporting that though construction on the new rink was shut down for several days, it is now resumed and both the NHL and Seattle organization do not believe that there will be a delay in their original timeline.
- If the regular season or playoffs do resume at some point, the Columbus Blue Jackets could be getting back their most impactful player. Seth Jones took to Twitter to let his fans know that he has returned to the ice finally as he continues to rehab his surgically repaired ankle. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet jumped into the replies to clear up some confusion, reporting that injured players like Jones have been allowed to use team facilities in their rehab programs. The team originally announced an 8-10 week timeline for Jones following surgery, which he had on February 11.
- The Edmonton Oilers have two draft picks that will see their exclusive draft rights expire on June 1st if they are not signed, but GM Ken Holland told 630 CHED today that negotiations continue with both of them. Filip Bergland, 22, was picked 91st overall in 2016 and has played the last four full seasons in the SHL, while the 21-year old Markus Niemelainen was the 63rd overall pick that year and has played in Finland for the last three seasons. Both players would become unrestricted free agents if not signed by the deadline.
Metropolitan Notes: Jones, Fitzgerald, Golyshev
While the season remains on hold due to COVID-19, many players are getting every chance to get back to full health. In fact, the delay in the season could be a huge benefit to several teams that lost key players late in the season, which now might make them available if the NHL is able to continue the season or at least the playoffs.
The Columbus Blue Jackets look like they could be huge benefactors to that end as injured defenseman Seth Jones, a crucial linchpin to the team’s shutdown defense announced that he stepped on the ice today for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in which he required surgery to repair a sprain an hairline fracture on Feb. 11. He was given an 8-10 week recovery time after suffering the injury three days earlier against the Colorado Avalanche.
While Columbus had fared well despite suffering numerous team injuries over the course of the year, Jones’ departure from the lineup had quite the effect. The team picked up just three wins after his injury, with a 3-5-6 record.
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline adds that while players are not allowed to use their teams’ facilities at the moment, Jones is permitted to do so as part of his rehab from ankle surgery, allowed by deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Injured players are allowed access to team’s facilities since the beginning of the league’s suspension.
- The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required) writes in his most recent mailbag entry that the longer the suspension goes on, the more and more likely the New Jersey Devils will had the permanent general manager position to current interim GM Tom Fitzgerald. With most candidates still under contract until the season ends, New Jersey has been unable to interview any candidates that are associated with a team. The team has interviewed former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis (twice), but if the season goes deep into the summer, there is a good chance they will keep Fitzgerald, who took over for Ray Shero on Jan. 12 and had a successful trade deadline. Fitzgerald was already a top candidate for the job, but the Devils were interested in a full search, which now may be difficult.
- With rumors that the New York Islanders are already getting Russian goaltending prospect Ilya Sorokin under contract for next season, Sport-Express’ KHL writer Igor Eronko reports that another Russian prospect is considering coming stateside for the 2021-22 season. According to Eronko, 25-year-old forward Anatoli Golyshev has looked at houses in New York and wants to join the team in 2021. Golyshev, an Islanders’ fourth-round pick in 2016, had an injury-plagued campaign this year with just 11 goals and 25 points in 38 games, but scored 37 goals over his previous two years with Yekaterinburg Automobilist in the KHL.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Tim Berni
The Columbus Blue Jackets have added another prospect to the cupboard, signing Swiss defenseman Tim Berni to a three-year entry-level contract. Berni recently finished his second full season with Zurich in the NLA and has attended Blue Jackets’ development camp in the past.
Those fans who watched the World Juniors closely the last few years will remember seeing Berni, as he competed in three-straight tournaments for Switzerland between 2018 and 2020. The undersized by agile defenseman captained the squad at the most recent event and was named a top-3 player on the team.
Selected 159th overall in 2018, there was nowhere to go but up for Berni in terms of prospect status, and he has done just that. Earning an entry-level deal is just the first step on what should be an interesting professional journey in North America. The 20-year old left-handed defenseman recorded just 11 points in 45 games for Zurich this season but has shown solid progress on the defensive side of the puck.
Potential Compliance Buyout Candidates: Part I
As the current Coronavirus crisis wears on, it seems more and more likely that the NHL will not return to action soon and when play resumes, it will almost certainly not be the full remaining regular season schedule. That lost revenue is expected to impact the 2020-21 salary cap, perhaps even keeping the current $81.5MM upper limit in place. Given that teams expected an increase, initially projected to be between $84-88.2MM, this stagnation could have a harsh impact on a number of clubs’ cap situations. As such, many expect that compliance buyouts will return in some form or fashion to ease that pain. These buyouts, which do not count against the salary cap, would allow for teams to open up space that they otherwise expected from a cap increase.
Here is a rundown of the top compliance buyout candidates for the first third of NHL teams:
Anaheim Ducks: Adam Henrique
– The first team on the list is a tough call. Henrique has had a good season and the Ducks are not in significant cap trouble. However, with a long list of promising forward prospects and a defense that needs work, the team could opt to move on from the veteran forward and to create roster space and cap flexibility. Henrique, 30, is signed for four more years at $5.825MM.
Arizona Coyotes: Phil Kessel
– The Coyotes are in one of the worst positions in the league in terms of cap space, so the team would have to use a compliance buyout if the opportunity is offered to them. Kessel has been a relative bust in his first season with the ‘Yotes and is signed for two more years at $6.8MM. He has the potential to improve in year two, but Arizona may not have the luxury of taking the chance. The added cap space would be a major relief for the team.
Boston Bruins: John Moore
– Given the Bruins’ depth on defense in both veteran assets and budding prospects as well as Moore’s relegation to a backup role on the Boston blue line, he has become an expendable asset, especially if both Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug are back next season. Moore is signed longer than any current Bruins defenseman with three years and $8.25MM remaining, but the team’s commitment to him seems less than any of his fellow blue liners.
Buffalo Sabres: Kyle Okposo
– Unfortunately for the Sabres, the Okposo signing in 2016 has never panned out. His production dropped from 64 points with the New York Islanders in 2015-16 to just 45 points in his first year in Buffalo and that total has gone down in every year since. Okposo was on pace for just 24 points this year and may not even reach that mark. The Sabres would be quick to part ways with Okposo, who has three years at $6MM annually left on his contract, taking up valuable cap space that the team needs to use to improve the rest of their roster.
Calgary Flames: Milan Lucic
– Even with the salary being retained by the Edmonton Oilers on Lucic’s contract, his $5.25MM cap hit is still a pain for the Flames. The veteran power forward is not going to score 20+ goals or 50+ points in a season ever again and Calgary could do more with the added cap space over the next three years.
Carolina Hurricanes: Jake Gardiner
– For whatever reason, the Gardiner signing simply has not worked out as the Hurricanes had hoped. Gardiner, who was signed late last summer at a relative discount, has been a fine addition, but hasn’t been the point producer and power play ace that Carolina had hoped for. Following the deadline addition of Brady Skjei to arguably the deepest blue line in the NHL already, Gardiner and his remaining three years and $12.15MM are expendable.
Chicago Blackhawks: Brent Seabrook
– One of the more obvious choices on this list, Seabrook’s contract may the worst in the NHL right now. The 34-year-old has four years left at $6.875MM AAV on an eight-year, $55MM deal signed back in 2015. Over the term of the contract, Seabrook has declined rapidly and is a shell of his former self, regardless of health. The cap-strapped Blackhawks would not think twice about moving on.
Colorado Avalanche: Erik Johnson
– Johnson is a well-liked and well-respected long-time member of the Avalanche. However, as time has gone on the team has surrounded him with better, younger, and more affordable blue line options. As valuable as Johnson’s experience and leadership may be, he is an expendable piece without a clear future role. Signed through 2022-23 at a $6MM cap hit, Johnson is an expensive piece to keep around just for the intangibles and the Avs could look to use this opportunity to clear some space for some anticipated big game hunting this off-season.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Alexander Wennberg
– Blue Jackets fans have been calling for Wennberg’s head for years now and may finally get their wish. The once-promising young forward turned a 59-point 2016-17 season into a six-year, $29.4MM contract and then proceeded to regress immensely over the past few seasons instead of continuing to improve as expected. With another three years left at $4.9MM per, Wennberg doesn’t seem likely to get back to a level of play that would warrant his current cap hit and Columbus could move on, even from a 25-year-old homegrown product.
Dallas Stars: Andrew Cogliano
– The Stars are a team with numerous big names and long contracts, but their most inefficient name might just be Cogliano. Rather than using a buyout to move a heavy cap hit, Dallas could opt to trim the fat by removing a player that hasn’t been a good fit. Cogliano has showed that his six points in 32 games last season with the Stars following a trade from Anaheim was not a fluke; he followed it up with 14 points through 68 games this year. Expecting Cogliano to get back to 30+ point form in 2020-21 in his final year at $3.25MM seems hopeful at best and Dallas could use that space elsewhere with some lineup holes to fill this summer.
Stay tuned for Part II coming soon.