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Bruins Notes: Backes, McQuaid, Thomas

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A major reason why top young defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo remain unsigned by the Boston Bruins is that the team is working with very little salary cap space to fit the dynamic duo on to the roster. CapFriendly estimates that Boston has just $7.3MM in cap room (albeit committed to 23 players, so slightly more in reality). That amount would make it tough to sign McAvoy alone, nevertheless both. The team likely will need to find a way to move out some salary, but a trade may not be the only route. It has already been revealed that John Moore will not be ready to begin the season and Kevan Miller remains a question mark as well. The combined $5.25MM in salary between the two defenseman would certainly help to get their younger counterparts back under contract. However, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggery also believes that there have been hints that David Backes may begin the year on the shelf as well. Backes, 35, is undoubtedly the most inefficient usage of the Bruins’ payroll, accounting for $6MM against the cap but only producing 20 points last season. Trading Backes would have been the ideal move for Boston to make this off-season, but doing so likely proved to be too costly. They may still wind up removing him from the books though, as Haggerty points to comments made earlier this summer by GM Don Sweeney about an undisclosed Backes injury and the complete silence on the topic ever since as a possible sign that he is still struggling. Backes does have a concussion history, which Haggerty believes could be the culprit. However, it’s also very possible that the aging forward simply has a nagging injury that both sides are waiting to evaluate in training camp. If Backes isn’t 100% or resumes playing poorly, odds are that both team and player would rather opt for surgery or some other long-term rehab rather than the likely alternative of Backes spending time in the minors this season.

  • Defenseman Adam McQuaid was at the Bruins’ first informal skate today, but The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson says not to read into it too much. The long-time Bruin still has many friends on the team and connections to the city, but Anderson reports that he is in no way officially linked to the team right now via contract or tryout offer. In fact, McQuaid was wearing his Columbus Blue Jackets gear at practice today, the only non-Bruin in the mix. McQuaid left Boston around this time last year, after nine years with the team, in a trade to the New York Rangers for a pair of picks and recently re-signed defenseman Steven Kampfer. He was later moved to Columbus at the deadline. However, despite his trade value last season, McQuaid still remains unsigned after another injury-plagued season, including a season-ending concussion. McQuaid’s market remains a mystery, even as he stands as one of most experienced UFA defensemen available. For that reason, Anderson notes that, while McQuaid is not connected to the Bruins right not, a possible reunion cannot be ruled out. With McAvoy and Carol unsigned and Moore and Miller injured, Anderson writes that McQuaid would be a preferable addition over camp invite Alex Petrovic if the Bruins feel they actually need to add an NHL defenseman before the season begins.
  • Former star Bruins goalie Tim Thomas spoke with the media today for the first time in years, responding to his election to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter writes that, in explaining his reluctance to be a public personality, Thomas revealed that he has been struggling with previously unreported concussion-related symptoms. In fact, Thomas implied that health was a major reason why he did not return to Boston during the team’s Stanley Cup run this spring. The Bruins’ playoff push was the first time that Thomas had re-engaged with hockey in several years and he was happy to root for several former teammates, but as Porter notes, the Vezina Trophy winner is content with his private, quiet lifestyle:

My focus and mind is on learning about other stuff. I learned so much about hockey and that area. I feel like I’ve learned as much as I needed to learn about it… My time with the Boston Bruins was very rewarding. My time with USA Hockey was very rewarding. I’ve decided to keep what I’ve been doing with my life and learning to myself, at this point for sure, and probably forever… you never know what the future may hold. I’m just taking life as it goes.

Prospect Notes: Merkley, Karlberg, Chudinov

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When the OHL’s Peterborough Petes released their training camp roster last week, star defenseman Ryan Merkley was suspiciously absent. The San Jose Sharks 2018 first-round pick was only acquired by the Petes midway through last season and was expected to play a major role for the team this year. However, that won’t be the case. Merkley’s agent, J.P. Barry, relayed to Mike Davies of The Peterborough Examiner that he has been informed that Peterborough is working to trade Merkley and do not plan to begin the season with him on the roster. Petes GM Mike Oke confirmed as much, telling Davies that “We’ve decided we’re going to go in a different direction. Finding another opportunity for Ryan would probably be best for everybody… [W]e just felt it wasn’t the right fit.” Oke stated that no specific incident led to the team’s decision on Merkley, but this is hardly the first time that the young blue liner has worn out his welcome. A player that has continuously been followed by rumors of immature behavior and poor sportsmanship, Merkley was thought to have been initially traded to Peterborough from the Guelph Storm under similar circumstances. These personality concerns also likely played a factor in Merkely’s drop to No. 21 overall last year, as his offensive ability might have otherwise warranted a higher draft slot. Nevertheless, the Sharks remain committed to their prospect defender and Oke and Barry are certain that Merkley is still a valuable commodity in the OHL. In fact, the Petes expect to get a similar package back in a trade as what they gave up for him: a top young player and a package of high picks. Merkley is a talented player – he has recorded 193 points in 188 career OHL games – and will get a fair shake at Sharks training camp, but his defensive ability still needs work and he will almost certainly end up back in the OHL this season. The question is with who and whether his continued behavioral issues will follow him to his next stop as well.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Marcus Karlberg will also be playing somewhere different this season. The 19-year-old forward, a 2018 third-round pick, has been loaned to a new club for the 2019-20 season. AIK of Sweden’s second-tier pro league, the Allsvenskan, announced that they have acquired Karlberg’s services from Leksands IF for the coming season. Karlberg was a near point-per-game player for Leksands’ U-20 SuperElit team early last season before being promoted and recording 11 points in 44 games in the Allsvenskan. Karlberg had clearly outgrown the junior level, but with Leksands earning a promotion to the SHL, the team was likely wary of moving the young forward to Sweden’s top pro level. Karlberg’s growing ability is obvious – he is a fast, hard-working forward who doesn’t let his small frame limit him – but remaining in the Allsvenskan for another year is likely a better developmental move. AIK hope that he can break out and perhaps contribute to another promotion-worthy campaign.
  • While he can barely be considered a prospect anymore, Russian defenseman Maxim Chudinov is already back to impressing in the KHL. Likely one of the best players in the world never to try his hand at the NHL, Chudinov still remains Boston Bruins property as a 2010 seventh-round pick. The 29-year-old rearguard has been playing in the KHL since even before the Bruins took a flier on him and has become well-known for his top two-way play and even more so for his howitzer of a shot. Chudinov put his slapper on display in the KHL’s season opener yesterday, scoring from behind his own blue line. Amazingly, this is the third time in this calendar year alone that Chudinov has accomplished that unthinkable task. A multiple-time Gagarin Cup champion and KHL All-Star, it’s possible that Chudinov could finally decide he wants a new challenge in his career and the Bruins would surely welcome him with open arms, despite their depth on defense. However, with his 30th birthday arriving this season, it’s more likely that Chudinov will simply remain a “what could have been” for NHL fans.

Emil Bemstrom To Miss Rookie Tournament, Should Be Available For Training Camp

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  • While winger Emil Bemstrom is expected to contend for a roster spot with the Blue Jackets this season, he won’t be suiting up for them in their upcoming prospect tournament, notes Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. He’s dealing with a facial injury although the team is hopeful that he’ll be ready for the start of training camp.  The 2017 fourth-round pick led the SHL in goals last season and will likely be part of a big youth movement that’s upcoming following the departure of several veterans this summer.

Free Agent Profile: Scott Darling

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Veteran goaltender Cam Ward called it a career today, signing a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, who he served for 13 seasons to begin his NHL career. The 35-year-old finally moved on from the Hurricanes last season, but struggled in a backup role with the Chicago Blackhawks. With his numbers slipping and age catching up with him, Ward decided now was the time to retire.

Interestingly enough, Ward’s failed replacement in Carolina, Scott Darling, also remains an unsigned free agent, waiting for a market to develop. Just two UFA goaltenders – Anthony Stolarz and Jared Coreau – have signed an NHL contract since July 2nd and no goalie has been inked in 50 days. The market is dead quiet, but Ward’s exit leaves Darling as the obvious top name if a team does come calling. Darling, 30, is just hoping at this point that he too doesn’t have to consider retirement.

It was not long ago that Darling was actually considered one of the best backup goaltenders in the NHL. A 2007 draft pick, Darling was a slow-developing prospect who played another year of juniors, two years in college, and four years bouncing around the minors before he ever saw NHL action. However, when he broke through in 2014-15 with the Chicago Blackhawks, he immediately impressed. Darling spent three seasons as the backup to Corey Crawford, with his role increasing each year, and in total posted 39 wins, a .923 save percentage, and a 2.37 GAA in 75 appearances.

The Hurricanes believed they were getting a bargain when they acquired Darling for a third-round pick in the summer of 2017 and signed him to a four-year, $16.6MM contract. However, it quickly became clear that the star backup was not cut out to be a starter. Darling was unable to overtake Ward despite ample opportunity, posting an .888 save percentage and 3.18 GAA in 43 appearances. Darling made 40 starts to Ward’s 42 and was outplayed by the aging veteran, which is not what either he nor Carolina had hoped for.

The ‘Canes essentially cleaned house last summer, letting Ward walk in free agency and burying Darling in the AHL, replacing them with the far more effective duo of Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney. Darling did make eight spot starts for Carolina this past season, but somehow performed even worse than he did the year prior. In the minors, Darling sat behind lauded prospect Alex Nedeljkovic and when he did get a chance to play – he made just 14 appearances – the results were just as bad if not worse than his NHL performance. Not wanting to be weighed down by Darling’s $4.15MM cap hit any longer, the team traded him to the Florida Panthers this off-season along with a sixth-round draft pick for a new backup in James Reimer. The Panthers quickly bought out Darling, making him a free agent.

Potential Suitors

It has now been more than two years since anyone has been impressed by Darling’s efforts on the ice. With that said, the free agent market at goalie is slim pickings, with Darling easily headlining a group that includes Michal Neuvirth – who has signed a PTO with the Toronto Maple Leafs – Chad Johnson, Al Montoya, and Michael Leighton. Each of those players is both older than Darling and was last considered a legitimate NHL option far prior to Darling’s downfall. Darling is simply the best of a poor group, but is looking for redemption. Unlike Ward, Darling will have no expectations of any role or guaranteed play time. He will instead be looking for an opportunity to show that he can still be an effective NHL backup, likely by seeking a third-string role with the chance to battle for play time at the top level.

Accepting a role such as this could open some opportunities for Darling, especially once training camp begins. Injuries to starters or backups can shift the paradigm for an NHL team and leave them searching or an experienced option. The Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Philadelphia Flyers are examples of teams with shallow depth in net and injury concerns who could turn to Darling in the even of an incident.

It’s also very possible that several teams are already aware of their weaknesses in goal and simply waiting to see how their current keepers look in training camp and the preseason and potentially even early on the in the regular season. The Columbus Blue Jackets are the one team that everyone is focused on in net, as the team is set to have former backup Joonas Korpisalo and newly-signed European prospect Elvis Merzlikins begin the year as a young, unproven tandem. Early concerns could lead to Columbus looking for additional support, with Darling as the top option other than trade or waivers. The Colorado Avalanche are also in need of depth in net. Their top two of Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz are likely to be fine this season, but the lack of any other experienced name behind them could be a cause for pause, especially given this will be Francouz’ first full NHL season.

Ironically, the Florida Panthers are one final team that could be in the goalie market and would have been a good fit for Darling. The team understandably bought out Darling’s hefty contract, but could’ve actually used a player of his experience. The Panthers spent big on Sergei Bobrovsky’s this summer and will likely ask him to start 65+ games this season, but young Samuel Montembeault is currently slated to be his backup with other untested prospects behind him. Montembeault’s performance in the backup role, as well as the effect on his development of sitting so often, could lead the Panthers to search for a veteran option. Darling won’t be the answer now, but one has to wonder if the two sides connected at all prior to what was clearly an orchestrated trade-and-dump.

Projected Contract

It’s nearly September and teams are getting ready for training camp, yet Darling still sits without a contract. At this point, he will receive a PTO or nothing. Even if he proves himself in camp, it will likely only result in a minimum $700K NHL cap hit on a one-year, two-way deal. If that’s what it takes to climb his back way into the NHL though, Darling will surely take it. After all, he’s receiving a nice pay check from the Panthers for four more years anyway.

Snapshots: Werenski, Kempny, Pominville

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Despite all that has happened over the past few month, Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has no regrets. He tells ESPN’s Greg Wyshysnki that the team’s decision to go “all in” at the trade deadline, holding on to Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and acquiring Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, was a “calculated risk”. Even though all four have departed this summer via free agency, Kekalainen made his best effort to retain them and isn’t doing to dwell on the players’ decisions not to return. Instead, the bold executive is focused only on the coming season. Kekalainen answered Wyshynski confidently about a number of issues facing his team entering 2019-20, but paid extra attention to the stalled contract talks with RFA defenseman Zach Werenski:

The real frustration for me [is when it] drags on into training camp, because that’s a time for ‘team’… They start preparing and jelling and building that chemistry that we need as a team. When it goes to training camp time, it takes away from that preparation. It takes away from the team. That’s what I’m concerned about. And that’s where we’ve drawn the hard line before: We don’t believe in taking that preparation time away from the team. We think it should be resolved before the team gets together and gets ready for the season.

It seems that the Blue Jackets and Werenski are no closer to a resolution in contract talks and it is starting to impact the GM. With so much talent leaving Columbus this off-season and very few new faces arriving, Columbus needs their leaders and core players in training camp to get ready for what will likely be a more challenging season. Werenski is one of those key players and Kekalainen is clearly doing all that he can to get the talented young blue liner back under contract as soon as possible. As training camp draws closer, the question will be whether the Blue Jackets cave to Werenski’s demands to ensure that their valuable “preparation” is not adversely affected.

  • The division rival Washington Capitals may also be without a key defenseman in training camp and perhaps longer. Michal Kempny is still working his way back from a season-ending hamstring injury and The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir writes that there is no clear timeline for his return. Fortunately, after a summer spent rehabbing at home in the Czech Republic, Kempny has resumed skating back in D.C. and is working one-on-one with Capitals strength coach Mark Nemish. Kempny hopes to be ready for training camp, but truly has his sights set on simply being at full strength for the team’s regular season debut. “I’m getting there,” Kempny said, “I’m not 100 percent yet, for sure. I still need some time. If I’m going to make the (start of) training camp, that’s going to be great. But we’ll see… My goal is to be ready for the season.”
  • At one point this off-season, veteran forward Jason Pominville was also hoping to see another opening night of NHL action, but as the summer has drawn on without much interest in the free agent, his mindset has shifted. Pominville explained to NHL.com that he is “fine with the way things ended” last season, if it was indeed the end of his playing career. The 36-year-old returned to the Buffalo Sabres two years ago, re-joining the team with which he spent the first nine years of his now 15-year NHL career, and proved that he could still be a contributor, posting back-to-back 30+ point seasons and taking on an important role in the locker room. Pominville hoped that he could return to Buffalo for another season, but since that seems like a longshot, he’s content to stay in the city and not move his family, even if that means hanging up his skates.

Latest On Zach Werenski

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It is now just over three weeks until the Columbus Blue Jackets will gather for their 2019 training camp, meaning Zach Werenski is running out of time if he still wants to have a deal done before it begins. Werenski is one of three restricted free agent defensemen being grouped in a tier above the rest alongside Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins and Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers. Today, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch tweets that the market is stalled waiting on either Werenski or Provorov to sign and adds in what the Blue Jackets’ defenseman is looking for.

Werenski is apparently working towards a three-year deal with a cap hit that will “begin with a five” according to Hedger, though he doesn’t know when something will actually be made official.

A three-year bridge deal would be an interesting outcome for both Werenski and the other two high-profile defensemen. The 22-year old has already completed three full seasons in the NHL meaning that contract would take him just a year away from unrestricted free agency and give him full arbitration rights. That could potentially put Columbus in a tricky situation with Werenski able to file for arbitration and walk himself right into the UFA market.

The team also has to worry about Werenski’s running mate Seth Jones, who has three years left on his deal and will need a massive contract extension at some point. Jones is already a perennial Norris Trophy contender, meaning buying him out of unrestricted free agency will likely make him one of the richest defensemen in the league. Having Werenski’s deal end the same summer might not be the most desirable outcome.

Still, keeping it to just three years and a ~$5MM cap hit would give the Blue Jackets a good window to try and contend for a Stanley Cup. Having that duo under contract for something around $11MM—Jones currently makes $5.4MM per season—gives them a leg up on almost any other team in the league.

A bridge deal would also affect McAvoy and Provorov, who may be looking for long-term deals with substantially higher salaries. Indeed, Hedger has heard of a $10MM average annual value ask from Provorov’s camp, though immediately downplayed the likelihood of it actually happening. A bridge deal for Werenski might not set the market in the way that the other two are hoping for.

In any case, the Blue Jackets are running out of time to get their young stud defenseman under contract if he’s not going to miss any of training camp. Something will have to change soon if these restricted free agents are going to be there on day one.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets

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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.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Current Cap Hit: $65,734,082 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Pierre-Luc Dubois (one year, $894K)
F Alexandre Texier (two years, $898K)

Potential Bonuses:

Dubois: $2.5MM

Dubois was a surprise selection at third overall three years ago and GM Jarmo Kekalainen should be praised for the decision to take him over the consensus selection in Jesse Puljujarvi.  He followed up a strong rookie season with an improved sophomore campaign and with Matt Duchene gone, Dubois should have the inside track on the number one center role on a full-time basis.  He’ll be wanting to keep tabs on the current class of restricted free agents as it’s quite possible that Dubois will be among the headliners in next year’s group if they can’t agree on an early extension which could potentially exceed the $8MM mark if he builds on his 2018-19 performance.

Texier joined the team late in the season and worked his way into a regular role for the most part in the playoffs.  That should give him the inside track at a roster spot.  The Blue Jackets like his upside but he’ll need more run at the NHL level before they get a sense of what his second contract could be.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Josh Anderson ($1.85MM, RFA)
F Markus Hannikainen ($750K, UFA)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($1.15MM, RFA)
D Dean Kukan ($725K, RFA)
G Elvis Merzlikins ($874K, RFA)

Anderson’s three-year bridge deal was a way to see if he could establish himself as a top-six player first before committing that type of money to him.  Mission accomplished.  He broke out with a 27-goal season that also saw him surpass the 200-hit mark and has established himself as a quality power forward.  A similar performance could see him triple his current money on his next deal.  Hannikainen is a capable depth option but he won’t get much more than his current rate a year from now unless he has a breakout year offensively.  As for Kukan, he’s also in a spot where he can’t expect much of a raise unless he can work his way into a regular role.

Their goaltending is going to be interesting to watch.  The team hopes that Korpisalo can continue to progress and grab a hold of the number one role but he’s only once played in 30 NHL games in a single season.  Meanwhile, Merzlikins has yet to play in the NHL.  This could wind up being a platoon for a couple of years but in 2020-21, it will be a fair bit more expensive than it is now.

Two Years Remaining

F Oliver Bjorkstrand ($2.5MM, RFA)
F Brandon Dubinsky ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Ryan Murray ($4.6MM, UFA)
F Riley Nash ($2.75MM, UFA)
D David Savard ($4.25MM, UFA)

Foligno hasn’t been able to come close to his career year back in 2014-15 which is when his current deal was signed.  They’re paying him like a top-six player but he has produced more like a third liner in recent years.  That’s still more than what they’ve been getting from Dubinsky who has spent a lot of time on the fourth line and hasn’t fared well.  While Foligno will be taking a pay cut on his next deal, there may not be another one for Dubinsky.

Nash was brought in to give the Blue Jackets some extra depth down the middle.  He still gives them that but he came up well short of the production that landed him that deal; he had just three goals last season.  That’s not a great return either.  Bjorkstrand is on an Anderson-like bridge contract to see if he can become a consistent top-six producer.  Year one went well and if he continues on that path, he could push for a sizable raise next time around.

Savard hasn’t come close to matching his 35-point output from 2014-15 but has nonetheless established himself as a capable top-four defender most nights.  His current deal is pretty close to the going rate for players with a track record of success in that role.  When healthy, Murray is certainly worth his contract.  But staying healthy isn’t something he has been able to do over the years.  If he shows some signs of durability over the next couple of years, a big contract would be on the horizon but if not, he’ll be hard-pressed to match his current deal.

Three Years Remaining

D Scott Harrington ($1.633MM, UFA)
F Boone Jenner ($4.75MM, UFA)
D Seth Jones ($5.4MM, UFA)
D Markus Nutivaara ($2.7MM, UFA)

Jenner has yet to come close to his 30-goal output from 2015-16; he hasn’t even reached 20 since then.  However, he remains a capable third liner with the ability to hold his own when pressed into top six duty.  They need more production from him and he will need to provide that if he wants to get a bigger contract three summers from now.

Jones is on quite the bargain contract.  He has established himself as a capable number one defender and is doing so at a price tag that is several million below what comparable players have been getting.  With the way the market is going, he could have a shot at doubling his AAV on his next deal.  Nutivaara is more of an option on the third pairing but while his cap hit may be a bit high for someone in that role, they have more than enough cap space to carry it.  Harrington has been more of a depth player throughout his career which makes this contract they gave him a bit puzzling but again, they have the cap space to make it a non-issue.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Cam Atkinson ($5.875MM through 2024-25)
F Gustav Nyquist ($5.5MM through 2022-23)
F Alexander Wennberg ($4.9MM through 2022-23)

Atkinson is coming off a career year that saw him post 41 goals.  He doesn’t get a lot of fanfare but he has become a legitimate front-line winger at a rate that’s well below market value.  Nyquist was their lone big splash this offseason.  While he won’t replace Artemi Panarin’s production, he’s coming off a career year offensively and should see plenty of ice time with the Blue Jackets.  Wennberg’s deal once looked like a bargain but has been a disaster.  He scored just twice in 75 games last season despite averaging over 15 minutes a night.  Instead of being a long-term fixture for the franchise, this is looking more like a long-term anchor.

Buyouts

F Scott Hartnell ($1.25MM through 2020-21)
D Fedor Tyutin ($1.458MM in 2019-20)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

D Zach Werenski

Part of the reason that the Blue Jackets have this much cap space is that Werenski’s deal isn’t done.  He sits atop the class of RFA blueliners this summer and is among the group that’s seemingly waiting for someone else to sign first.  He’s easily going to surpass Jones to sit atop their back end in terms of AAV if a deal with any sort of notable term gets signed.  Not having him signed to start the season would certainly be a huge blow.

Best Value: Jones
Worst Value: Dubinsky

Looking Ahead

While their outlook for 2019-20 in general isn’t particularly strong, the Blue Jackets at least have plenty of salary cap flexibility both for the upcoming season and the foreseeable future.  They could opt to use some of that cap space to take on an unwanted contract or two to add some additional assets for the upcoming season. Even with Werenski and Dubois set to be in line for major second contracts, they should still have enough room to make a run at some prominent free agents in the summers to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Columbus Blue Jackets Extend AHL Affiliation

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced a multi-year extension with the Cleveland Monsters, keeping them as their AHL affiliate for the foreseeable future. Blue Jackets’ assistant GM Bill Zito explained why they made the decision to extend:

The partnership has been very successful for both organizations and markets over the past four years and we look forward to having our top prospects continue their development in Cleveland.

When Cleveland started their affiliation with Columbus in 2015-16, they immediately experienced the most success the franchise had ever seen. Going 43-22-11 under head coach Jared Bednar, the team won the Calder Cup championship after an impressive playoff run. That group—still known as the Lake Erie Monsters at the time—was led by some incredible postseason performances by a trio of youngsters including Lukas Sedlak, Oliver Bjorkstrand and 18-year old Zach Werenski. The team also included current Blue Jackets’ like Josh Anderson, Sonny Milano and Markus Hannikainen.

It’s that development success that makes this extension so important for the Blue Jackets, especially given the geographical proximity of the Monsters. Teams all across the NHL are trying to bring their AHL affiliates closer to home in order to take advantage of cap savings and emergency recalls, as well as giving their young players a chance to practice with the veterans at various times throughout the year. There are countless benefits from having a strong partnership with your primary minor league club, and this one has been quite fruitful for the Blue Jackets.

Poll: Which GM Will Be Fired Next?

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Despite missing the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the Vancouver Canucks decided to extend GM Jim Benning today. The reasons for that are complicated—and obviously do not hinge entirely on his postseason record—just as they were when the Minnesota Wild made the decision to fire Paul Fenton just 14 months into his tenure with the team. The inner workings of an NHL front office are almost never made public (unless there is an intrepid reporter like Michael Russo of The Athletic who gets the incredible story), and it is hard to see why some decisions are made.

Still, even the most casual fan can see the seat of specific executives and coaches heating up. When the Edmonton Oilers decided to move on from Peter Chiarelli during another disappointing season, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. On the other hand, it was easy to see why the Carolina Hurricanes recently locked up Don Waddell after he interviewed for another job.

Looking around the league, who is next? Which GM will be let go, either this year or next summer?

It might be easy to look at the teams that have struggled recently, but many of them have replaced their top hockey operations executive over the last few seasons. The Oilers brought in Ken Holland to change the culture in Edmonton, while Steve Yzerman returned to the Detroit Red Wings to bring a new voice to a stagnant team. Florida has gone through quite a bit of turmoil in the front office since their ownership changed but Dale Tallon now seems to be entrenched as a veteran leader.

There are others though that may not be so lucky. The Ottawa Senators are heading in a new direction after shedding their previous core, but if the young talent doesn’t develop as hoped Pierre Dorion could be held responsible. John Chayka was the youngest GM in history when he took over the Arizona Coyotes in 2016, but they still haven’t made the playoffs under his watch and now have new ownership of their own. Jason Botterill was expected to have success in Buffalo after finding so much of it in Pittsburgh, but the Sabres haven’t been able to build a full roster around Jack Eichel despite some outstanding individual players.

Nothing is certain when it comes to front offices however. Cast your vote below and explain just why you think they’ll be the first to go!

[Mobile users click here to vote]

*We’ve used Kelly McCrimmon as the Vegas GM, though he won’t officially take that title from George McPhee until September

2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Seventh Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)

While the Oilers were probably pretty happy with the way Sam Gagner turned out for them through the first part of his career, our community believes that there was a better forward option available. Voracek had already come over to North America the season leading up to his draft and put up an impressive rookie campaign in the QMJHL. In fact, his 110 points in 71 games for the Halifax Mooseheads during the 2006-07 season earned him the league Rookie of the Year award along with a place on the CHL prospects team. The young forward also participated in the World Junior despite being just 17 years old and scored three points in six games for the Czech Republic.

Voracek has blossomed into an exceptional offensive player at the NHL level too. Stepping into the league full time in 2008, he registered 38 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a total that he would eclipse in every season thereafter. His best production came just two years ago with Philadelphia when he put up 85 points in 82 games, but there have been other outstanding years dotted throughout his career. In total, Voracek has 639 points in 846 career games which actually ranks him third among all players picked in 2007.

Even with all of that success, Voracek’s name likely rings of pain for Blue Jackets fans. Not for anything he did, but something the front office decided to do in June, 2011. Voracek, coming off a 46-point season with the club, was traded along with a first and a third round pick the day before the 2011 draft. The return? Jeff Carter, who was coming off an outstanding 36-goal season with the Flyers. Voracek was scheduled to be a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level deal and was leveraged to get a player considered an elite talent in the league. Carter was in the early stages of an 11-year contract (which he is still under) and the Flyers needed some extra room to go after free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

Unfortunately, nothing went right for the Blue Jackets after that. Carter would get hurt and eventually force another trade after voicing his displeasure in Columbus, going to Los Angeles in exchange for Jack Johnson and another first round pick in 2013. You would think that pick would help balance out what they gave to Philadelphia in the first place, but where the Flyers selected Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins with their two picks in 2011, Columbus grabbed Marko Dano in 2013. Carter would continue to star in Los Angeles and win two Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medal in three years, while Voracek and Couturier are still the backbone of the Flyers offensive attack (along with Claude Giroux, of course).

Looking back, it’s hard to argue with the selection of Voracek at seventh overall. But perhaps if they had picked someone else none of that would have happened. Now you’ll get the chance to re-write history since the Czech forward is already off the board.

With the seventh pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Columbus Blue Jackets select? Cast your vote below!

[Mobile users click here to vote]

*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.

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