Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Blue Jackets Rumors

UFA Notes: Perry, Dzingel, Lee, Zuccarello, Talbot, Gilmour

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Perhaps one of the most interesting free agents out there seems to be Corey Perry. The veteran forward, recently bought out by the Anaheim Ducks has received interest from at least 10 teams, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli. The 34-year-old winger is trying to narrow his choices to the best three to four today, but new teams keep jumping into the mix.

Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that three or four teams are aggressively pursuing Perry as several teams are looking for a short-term option to help their team immediately. The Edmonton Oilers are considered one the four teams as they are trying to add as much help to the team’s top-six as possible, hoping that Perry might be able to help either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Perry was limited to just 34 games last season, posting six goals and 10 points.

  • Ryan Dzingel’s name has heated up recently as Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that the scorer will not be returning to Columbus even with his Ohio ties. Reports that he clashed with head coach John Tortorella in his tenure with the Blue Jackets have made him look elsewhere. However, Sporting News Canada’s Murray Pam reports that two teams are vying for the 27 year old’s services, including the Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche. The Blackhawks could make the most sense for Dzingel as Chicago attempted to trade for him at the trade deadline, before he ended up with Columbus, and he also own a home in the Chicago area. Dzingel scored 26 goals and had 56 points between Ottawa and Columbus last season and could be a great second-line target for the right team.
  • With Anders Lee seemingly less and less likely to re-sign with the New York Islanders, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Montreal Canadiens go after the 28-year-old winger. Lee, who has tallied 68 goals over the past two seasons is looking for a long-term deal, which the Islanders have balked at so far. However, the Canadiens who are loaded with plenty of young forwards may be interested in adding a veteran leader who can help out both on the ice and in the locker room.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) reports that the Minnesota Wild are actively pursuing unrestricted free agent forward Mats Zuccarello and are prepared to offer him a long-term deal. The scribe adds that the Columbus Blue Jackets are also in the mix for the rights to the veteran forward. The 31-year-old was traded to Dallas at the trade deadline this year and he performed well in the playoffs (four goals and 11 points in 13 games), but the two opted to part ways when contract negotiations fell apart. The Wild have approximately $17.4MM in cap room to spend this offseason, although they still have to sign several of their restricted free agents, including Kevin Fiala, Ryan Donato and Joel Eriksson Ek. Russo adds the team is also looking at forward Ryan Hartman.
  • Flames radio host Pat Steinberg reports that all signs point to the Calgary Flames signing goaltender Cam Talbot Monday, likely to a one-year deal. Calgary looks like they intend to part ways with veteran Mike Smith, which could give Talbot, who has been playing for the rival Oilers for the past four years, minus the last few months when he was traded to Philadelphia. Talbot struggled last season with a 3.40 GAA and a .892 save percentage in 35 games between the two teams.
  • Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that there is mutual interest between the Buffalo Sabres and unrestricted free agent defenseman John Gilmour, who became a Group 6 free agent this offseason. After appearing in 28 games in the 2017-18 season, Gilmour appeared in just five games this season and didn’t look to be in the team’s plans with so many young blueliners passing him. Regardless, the 26-year-old fared well in the AHL, putting up 20 goals and 54 points in 70 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Vancouver “Still In The Mix” For Gustav Nyquist

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Vancouver Canucks have had quite the interesting offseason so far, highlighted by the retirement of Roberto Luongo placing more than $3MM of cap recapture penalties on their books. To combat that the team placed will buy out Ryan Spooner to open up some more cap space for potential free agent signings and new contracts for their own RFAs. While Vancouver has been routinely linked to free agent defenseman Tyler Myers, Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet reports that the team is currently “still in the mix” for Gustav Nyquist as well.

Nyquist, 29, was acquired by the San Jose Sharks at the deadline and fit in quite well with them, scoring 22 points in 39 games including a solid postseason. Even with the good fit he may end up being too pricey for the team to retain after they made Erik Karlsson the highest-paid defenseman in the league and need to get Timo Meier under a new deal. That opens him up for a bidding war on the open market as one of the top second-tier free agent forwards, something Vancouver is obviously interested in.

Coming off a four-year $19MM deal signed with the Detroit Red Wings in 2015, Nyquist is undoubtedly looking for a raise on the $4.75MM cap hit he carried last season. After recording a career-high 60 points his market won’t be small, and there has been plenty of speculation on where that might lead him. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet suggested recently that the Columbus Blue Jackets may be a fit, which would make sense given Aaron Portzline of The Athletic’s reporting (subscription required) that they have been focused on free agent forwards.

If Vancouver does get involved with Nyquist, they’re going to have to make sure they don’t overextend themselves while Brock Boeser is still without a contract. The 22-year old forward should be getting a healthy raise on whatever deal he signs, and is much more important to the team’s future than a free agent forward who will be 30 before the season begins.

Mark Letestu Linked To New York Rangers

at CDT | by 3 Comments

In any successful NHL organization, minor league development systems are incredibly important. Some of that is based on the coaching staff and playing opportunity, but many believe that some level of success is also required to prepare young players for the next level. That’s why teams go out and sign veteran minor league options on day one of free agency, even if bigger names are still out there. That’s exactly what might happen with Mark Letestu, who is looking for a two-way contract and has now been linked to the New York Rangers by both Larry Brooks of the New York Post and Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Letestu plans on playing somewhere this season as he comes off his first minor league season in a decade.

Now 34, Letestu suited up 72 times for the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL last season and was their best player on many nights. The veteran center ended up with 50 points in the regular season and another five in the playoffs, showing that he certainly isn’t finished just yet. There was a time not too long ago that Letestu was a solid depth option for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Edmonton Oilers, routinely scoring double-digit goals and somewhere around 30 points. His transition to the minor leagues would only help the Hartford Wolf Pack, who finished dead last in the Atlantic Division last season with a 29-36-11 record.

Letestu obviously has a connection with new Rangers president John Davidson, who joined New York after years building the Blue Jackets into a solid organization from top to bottom. Brooks suggests that the team could offer the pending free agent forward a minor league guarantee between $400-500K given there is no salary cap at that level, a strategy that he believes may be brought up in the next CBA talks.

Blue Jackets Re-Sign Doyle Somerby

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Doyle Somerby had an improved sophomore season in the minors and it was enough to get him another season with the Blue Jackets, who announced that they’ve re-signed the defenseman to a one-year, two-way contract.  Brian Hedger of the Columbus Post-Dispatch reports (Twitter link) that the deal will pay the league minimum $700K in the NHL and $80K in the minors.

The 24-year-old joined Columbus two years ago after opting to not sign with the Islanders who originally drafted him back in the fifth round (125th overall) back in 2012.  In 2018-19, he played in 66 games with AHL Cleveland, recording 20 points while being held off the scoresheet in seven postseason contests.

It’s likely that Somerby will be earmarked for the minor leagues once again.  The Blue Jackets already have five blueliners under contract for next season with Scott Harrington, Ryan Murray, and Zach Werenski all in need of new deals as well.  That doesn’t leave much (if any) room on their back end to start but a good showing with the Monsters could have him in the mix for a midseason recall.

Free Agent Notes: Boyle, Hainsey, Acciari

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Five to six teams have reached out to free agent forward Brian Boyle according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who lists the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres as two interested parties. Boyle is coming off a two-year $5.1MM contract that he signed with the New Jersey Devils but finished with the Nashville Predators, and could still be an interesting bottom-six addition for many teams.

Now 34, the gigantic forward has always had a knack for scoring big goals and tallied 18 last season despite averaging just over 13 minutes a night. The 6’6″ Boyle has played center for much of his career but can also line up at left wing and provide a net-front presence on the powerplay. The 2018 Masterton Trophy winner after a battle with cancer, he obviously still believes he has some hockey left in him even as he heads into his mid-thirties.

  • Ron Hainsey believes the same, as agent Matt Keator told reporters including LeBrun today that the 38-year old won’t be retiring as long as his phone is ringing. The free agent defenseman played the last two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and routinely lined up on the top pairing with Morgan Rielly, averaging more than 20 minutes a night. With 23 points in each of those years and a career-high +30 rating in 2018-19, it’s easy to understand why there might be interest. Even Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas admitted to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet that the team would love to bring Hainsey back, but admits they might get priced out given their cap concerns.
  • The Boston Bruins have extended a contract offer to Noel Acciari according to team reporter Joe Haggerty, but they know the hard working forward will draw interest from other teams. Acciari, 27, is coming off a season in which he recorded just 15 points in 72 games but was a physical force recording 221 hits and logging a good amount of time on the penalty kill.
  • Columbus Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger tweets that the Blue Jackets have spoken with the representatives of free agent forward Marcus Johansson, who is a free agent after his Stanley Cup run with the Boston Bruins. Johansson is coming off a three-year, $13.75MM deal originally signed with the Washington Capitals but has dealt with injury over the last two seasons. He recorded 30 points in 58 games in 2018-19, but was an excellent piece for the Bruins in the postseason adding some secondary scoring down the lineup. Johansson is a versatile player capable of lining up at any forward position, and should have plenty of interest around the league.

Mats Zuccarello On The Radar Of The Blue Jackets

at CDT | by 4 Comments

  • Winger Mats Zuccarello is believed to be seeking a five-year deal, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link) who adds that the 31-year-old is on the radar of the Blue Jackets. Zuccarello posted the highest point-per-game average of his career in an injury-shortened 2018-19 campaign and before that, averaged 56 points per season in the past five years.   After playing on a team-friendly $4.5MM contract, he’s expected to get a fair bit more than that on the open market.

Eric Robinson Re-Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It didn’t take long for Eric Robinson to accept his qualifying offer to remain with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The pending RFA has re-signed with the team for the 2019-20 season on a one-year, two-way contract worth just over $874K at the NHL level.

Robinson, 24, signed with the Blue Jackets in 2018 after playing four years at Princeton University and made quite an impact in the organization this season. The 6’2″ winger recorded 24 points in 45 games with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL and has now suited up 14 times for the Blue Jackets. Amazingly he was held completely off the score sheet in those 14 games, failing to record a point or penalty minute.

Despite that, the two-way winger could very well be in the team’s plans as a fourth-line option should they need him this year. He will be waiver exempt meaning he can start the year with the Monsters, but given the team may be losing at least three forwards in Artemi Panarin, Ryan Dzingel and Matt Duchene there will be opportunity to make the club in training camp.

Adam Clendening Re-Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced a two-year contract extension for Adam Clendening, keeping him in the organization through the 2020-21 season. Both seasons will carry a $700K cap hit at the NHL level, though the deal will be a two-way contract in 2019-20 and a one-way deal the following year. Clendening was set to be a restricted free agent this summer for the final time.

Still just 26, Clendening seems to have been around the league forever thanks to a long list of transactions in his relatively short career. Originally selected by the Chicago Blackhawks 36th overall in 2011, he played another season at Boston University before jumping into the AHL with a bang. The offensively gifted defenseman recorded 46 and 59 points in his first two professional seasons, before cracking the NHL in 2014-15. Unfortunately for Clendening that debut in the NHL was followed quickly by the first of many address changes as he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in January of 2015.

Clendening would eventually find himself on the roster of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes and finally the Blue Jackets over the next several seasons, never quite finding a home that he could settle into. This two-year deal will hopefully bring some stability to a career that always seemed on the brink of a breakout given the ease in which he can move the puck and rack up points on the powerplay. In 2018-19 Clendening recorded 37 points in 45 games with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, but found himself in the NHL playoff lineup more often than not for the Blue Jackets at the end of the year. While he may not be a full-time member of that NHL blue line moving forward, there’s no doubt he’ll see at least a little bit of time if the team’s depth is tested.

Vegas’ William Karlsson Signs Eight-Year Extension

at CDT | by 26 Comments

Monday: The terms first reported by The Athletic’s Jesse Granger of an eight-year pact at a $5.9MM AAV has now been confirmed by the Golden Knights. Karlsson is now locked up through the 2026-27 season at what will be a bargain rate for Vegas if his production remains steady. In the meantime though, CapFriendly estimates that the signing puts the Knights $1.5MM over the off-season salary cap with several restricted free agents still in need of contracts. Vegas fans can celebrate the Karlsson contract now, but cost-cutting measures are coming soon.

Sunday: One of the most important offseason tasks that the Vegas Golden Knights and new general manager Kelly McCrimmon must deal with is trying to lock up restricted free agent forward William Karlsson to a new contract. It looks like that task is close to complete as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Karlsson is expected to sign an extension later this week and it is believed to be for eight years. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the deal will be for just under $6MM.

LeBrun adds that while Karlsson was pushing for an eight-year deal, the Golden Knights were pushing to keep his AAV under $6MM.

The Golden Knights will have to find a way to unload some cap room as they are over the new $81.5MM cap, however for a period during the offseason, a team can exceed the cap by 10 percent, allowing them to go to $89.65MM if they need to. Regardless, they must unload some salary in order to lock up their own free agents, including Karlsson, KHL star Nikita Gusev, Tomas Nosek, Malcolm Subban and likely Deryk Engelland. The team has discussed moving several players to free up some cap space, including defenseman Colin Miller ($3.88MM AAV), center Cody Eakin ($3.85MM AAV), injured forward David Clarkson’s contract ($5.25MM AAV) and potentially moving Gusev as well.

Karlsson, who could have become an unrestricted free-agent had he opted to force arbitration and take a one-year deal, had made it clear that he has wanted to remain in Vegas, where he loves it. According to LeBrun, the eight-year term was the most important part of the deal. While it’s been clear that Vegas was just as interested in bringing back their top-line center, much of the issue of signing the 26-year-old to a long-term deal was how much to pay him.

Known as one of the Golden Misfits after Columbus left him exposed to the expansion draft after he tallied just 15 goals in two full seasons with the Blue Jackets, Vegas picked him up and he rewarded them by posting a 43-goal, 78-point season in the Golden Knights inaugural season that led them to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the team was leery of those numbers, however, as Karlsson shot an unbelievable 23.4 percent, a number that wasn’t considered likely to be repeated. The team expected a drop off this year and it came as Karlsson’s numbers dropped to 24 goals and 56 points as his shooting percentage dropped as expected to 14.2 percent.

Regardless, Karlsson has become one of the key faces to the franchise and remains the team’s top center partnered with Jon Marchessault and Reilly Smith for two straight seasons and has always been considered a must-sign, although there has been little doubt that Vegas and Karlsson would get a deal done.

Latest On Matt Duchene, Nashville Predators

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The Nashville Predators cleared a whole ton of cap space over the weekend, sending star defenseman P.K. Subban to the New Jersey Devils without taking any notable salaries back. That sets them up to be players in free agency once again, and most expect them to focus on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Matt Duchene. Duchene has long been a target of Predators GM David Poile, and Chris Johnston of Sportsnet has faith that the team will eventually get a deal done. Speaking on the 31 Thoughts podcast, Johnston nearly guaranteed that Duchene will go to Nashville in free agency:

100%. I will admit that I’m putting myself out there a bit because it would be foolish to say that he might not hear something in free agency that could change his mind, that someone might call him or his agents at CAA and offer an amount of money that obviously I don’t think Nashville is willing to give him. But this has been such a long dance between him and the Predators. No secret of his love of country music, of that city itself where he owns a home I believe. The Preds have had their eye on him and were involved in the trade discussions with Colorado going back a couple of years when he ended up in Ottawa. To me, I really don’t see this playing out any other way–but there is the occasional surprise in our business.

Duchene, 28, can now speak with any team during the unrestricted free agent interview period and assess his market for this summer. The veteran center is coming off a career-high 31 goals and 70 points in 2018-19 despite splitting that time between the Ottawa Senators and Blue Jackets. His performance in the playoffs for Columbus was exceptional, laying to rest some of the doubt that has followed him throughout his career. Despite playing in 727 regular season games over ten seasons, Duchene has now suited up just 18 times in the NHL playoffs.

With Kevin Hayes setting the UFA market at center with a seven-year, $50MM earlier this month, Duchene can look forward to a huge payday wherever he signs. Though he is almost a year older, Duchene represents such a huge upgrade on the offensive side of the puck that he very well could be looking at a deal worth millions more per season. That kind of deal was impossible for the Predators before moving Subban, and still may require them to move out another contract or two at some point down the road. Kyle Turris is the obvious candidate to go, especially if the team is bringing in Duchene to take over that second-line center role.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top