Blue Jackets Interested In Derek Ryan, Would Like To Re-Sign Ian Cole
- The Blue Jackets have expressed a desire to keep defenseman Ian Cole in the fold, GM Jarmo Kekalainen told reporters, including George Richards of the Columbus Dispatch (Twitter link). However, based on Kekalainen’s comments, it appears that Cole has his sights set elsewhere. The blueliner ranks 16th on our Top 50 Free Agents list but is the number three rearguard behind only Mike Green and Calvin de Haan.
Free Agent Rumor Round-Up: Roussel, Calvert, Hickey, Rieder, Perron, And More
The Vancouver Canucks are closing in on an agreement with one of their top free agent targets. After Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Canucks were talking to two-way winger Antoine Roussel, colleague Rick Dhaliwal did some digging and discovered that the two sides were close on a long-term deal. Dhaliwal expects Roussel to sign a four-year deal worth more than $3MM per year with Vancouver. The former Dallas Stars brings grit and energy to the Canucks and has previously teased 30+ point potential. If the 28-year-old Frenchman can reach those levels of production while maintaining his notorious physical game, this could be a great signing by GM Jim Benning. However, it is well above what many would have expected Roussel to sign in both term and salary and could just as well be a disaster for Vancouver. Roussel is ranked 38th on PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents list with an estimated contract of two years and just over $2MM AAV.
- Friedman has also linked the Colorado Avalanche and forward Matt Calvert. TSN’s Darren Dreger is among a few sources who have also heard about that pairing. Calvert, 28, has played his entire career for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Dreger seems convinced that he is definitely on the move. The versatile, two-way winger would be a nice fit as a bottom-six regular who can fill gaps in the top-six, much like the role that Blake Comeau played for the team.
- Dreger also reports that interest is high in defenseman Thomas Hickey. A shallow defense market is likely boosting the value of the serviceable defenseman, who is a tough defensive match-up and a dangerous off-the-puck play-maker, but prone to mistake when moving play. Many speculated that the Islanders would turn their attention to re-signing Hickey once the John Tavares situation had sorted itself out, but with Tavares dragging his feet and Hickey in talks with numerous teams, New York may not get that chance. We predicted that Hickey would land with the Montreal Canadiens on a multi-year deal in PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.
- Another player getting a lot of attention is winger Tobias Rieder and the status of his suitors is changing quickly as the price rises. Just earlier today, the Vancouver Canucks were the first team confirmed to be in on Rieder and by now that list has increased dramatically. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators are also in the running and that the price has gotten so high as to drive the Edmonton Oilers out of the bidding. The Athletic’s Craig Custance confirms the interest from the Canucks, Flames, and Habs and adds the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers to the list of interested parties. All this for a player that the Los Angeles Kings deemed unworthy of a qualifying offer.
- As expected, David Perron is also one of the hottest names on the free agent market and his former team, the Vegas Golden Knights, are seemingly out of the running. Friedman calls it “very unlikely” that Perron returns to Las Vegas, where he set a career high with 66 points this season. For an idea on the price for Perron, he landed at #5 on the PHR Top 50 Free Agents list with a projected six-year, $32MM contract, which could be a conservative guess.
- One team that is somewhat surprisingly in talks with Perron is Arizona. Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports details the off-season so far from the Coyotes and lists Perron, James van Riemsdyk, and Michael Grabner as Arizona’s top targets. Morgan also says that the team has not ruled out bringing back veteran forward Brad Richardson as well.
- The Boston Bruins are moving on from Anton Khudobin and reportedly working fast to find his replacement. Beat writer Matt Kalman and The Boston Globe’s Kevin-Paul Dupont both hear that the team is very interested in Kari Lehtonen as the new backup to Tuukka Rask. With many talented goalies on the market, Lehtonen has flown under the radar somewhat despite incredibly comparable numbers to Khudobin in more starts and superior numbers to the likes of Jonathan Bernier, Cam Ward, Robin Lehner and others. Lehtonen also had the highest Quality Start rate of any of that group in 2017-18. Even here at PHR we may have underestimated Lehtonen, making him our sixth-best goalie among the Top 50 free agents.
- Unsurprisingly, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that the Washington Capitals have checked in with defenseman Brooks Orpik. A veteran leader and key contributor to their Stanley Cup run, the Capitals faced little choice but to trade Orpik away earlier this off-season in order to clear cap space to maintain their championship roster. Now that he has subsequently been bought out by the Colorado Avalanche, Orpik is fair game and could return to D.C. at a much more affordable rate. However, LeBrun warns that other teams are also in the running and Orpik may not take a discount rate in Washington over more legitimate offers.
Blue Jackets Have Reached Out To James van Riemsdyk But Aren't Likely To Sign Him
The Blue Jackets have reached out to representatives for winger James van Riemsdyk during this week’s interview period, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, it appears that they’re not going to be able to land the 29-year-old. He’s coming off of a career year in goals with 36 despite playing less than 15 minutes per game and has scored at least 27 goals in four of the last five seasons. (The one year he didn’t was one where he had injury troubles but scored at a 29-goal pace.) Meanwhile, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that there are eight teams still in the mix for van Riemsdyk but that his previous team, Toronto, is not believed to be among them.
Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Jean-Francois Berube
The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded Jordan Schroeder to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jean-Francois Berube, bringing in another goaltender to the organization. Schroeder actually carries a slightly lower cap hit ($650K vs. $750K for Berube), but both are on one-way deals.
The Blackhawks have been open with their desire to add an experienced goaltender behind Corey Crawford for next season, and were involved in the talks for Philipp Grubauer at one point. Now, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that the team has reached out to Jonathan Bernier, Carter Hutton and Cam Ward, three of the best and most experienced goaltenders headed for unrestricted free agency. It would make sense then to clear out one of the five goaltenders they had under contract, and Berube must have pulled the short straw.
Berube, 26, looked like an up-and-coming goaltender a few years ago for the Los Angeles Kings and then New York Islanders, but couldn’t put it all together at the NHL level. Now through 34 games at the highest level he’s posted just a .898 save percentage. The Blue Jackets won’t be using him at the NHL level unless something happens to one of their other goaltenders—their duo of Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo is one of the best in the league—but could use a veteran for the Lake Erie Monsters.
Schroeder did play in 21 games for the Blue Jackets this season, but didn’t appear to be in their long-term plans. The 27-year old center is an excellent minor league player, but has just 42 points through 165 NHL games and will now join his fourth team without being able to lock down a full-time role. If he can’t secure the fourth-line center role in Chicago he’ll likely find himself on waivers again before the season begins, and perhaps playing for the Rockford IceHogs this year.
Red Wings Seeking To Fill Familiar Roles
According to The Athletic’s Craig Custance, the Detroit Red Wings have special interest in four unrestricted free agents: goaltender Robin Lehner, center Valtteri Filppula, winger Thomas Vanek, and defenseman Mike Green. What all four of these players have in common is that the Red Wings have a very specific role in mind for each player. Detroit is seeking to replace, or in some case retain, players who had success in a certain organizational role.
Lehner, 26, appears to be a priority for the Red Wings. The former Buffalo Sabres starter reportedly visited Detroit today to meet with the Red Wings’ front office and coaching staff. Custance points out that Lehner is still young enough that he could get his game back on track and step into the starter role if and when 34-year-old Jimmy Howard leaves when his contract expires after next season. This was the exact role that the team had planned for Petr Mrazek, ironically the other big-name non-qualified goaltender. Mrazek was ahead of schedule and took Howard’s job for much of 2015-16 and 2016-17, but a drop-off in his performance eventually ran him out of town. The Wings seem to now see Lehner as a second chance at their plan, replacing Mrazek in hopes of landing a young heir apparent behind Howard.
Filppula is a name that Red Wings’ fans are familiar with. The veteran pivot was drafted by the team back in 2002 and spent eight seasons in Detroit. Who better than a wise, capable long-time Red Wing to replace a wise, capable long-time Red Wing? Custance writes that Detroit is worried that injuries may keep Henrik Zetterberg from returning this season and pursuing Fippula gives them a back-up option if their seasoned leader isn’t around. Both players are versatile, two-way centermen who can help the team in many ways. Even if Zetterberg is healthy, Filppula’s return to Detroit could help to groom some of their younger talent.
Vanek and Green are interesting targets in that the Red Wings want them back to avoid having to find another way to replace them. Vanek scored 38 points in 48 games with Detroit in 2016-17, but was traded to the Florida Panthers at the deadline. Almost immediately it was rumored that the Red Wings hoped to bring him back as a free agent. Instead, Vanek signed with the Vancouver Canucks and again was a deadline acquisition, this time by the Columbus Blue Jackets. While Vanek registered 56 points in 80 games, Detroit struggled to make up his production. They are now back in the running for his services this off-season in hopes that he can again provide a spark on offense. They are also trying to avoid losing Green and, like Vanek, immediately regretting the loss due to a difficulty in replacing his ability. Green is the lone high-end offensive defenseman on the free agent market and Detroit is far from the only team in the running. Custance reports that they are willing to match salary, but won’t seem to budge on a maximum two-year term. If the Red Wings were to lose Green to free agency, they would surely have a hard time making up his 30+ points and more than 22 minutes of ice time per game over the past two seasons.
The Red Wings have not been a strong team for the past few years, but there have been some facets of their game play that have worked out well. Detroit is hoping to continue, replace, or revive those successful pieces in hopes of finally returning to a complete, competitive team. Are Lehner, Filppula, Vanek, and Green the right moves? Or should the Red Wings forget about past successes and move on to a new, younger strategy?
Jack Johnson In Talks With Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are always one of the teams to watch in trade season and free agency, at least with Jim Rutherford in the GM chair. The veteran executive is no stranger to salary cap gymnastics and horse trading, and usually finds unexpected ways to improve his roster. One of those ways may now come in the form of Jack Johnson, who according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has had very positive talks with the Penguins as we get closer to free agency opening on July 1st. Johnson is a good friend of Sidney Crosby and would give Pittsburgh another veteran option on the blueline to help on another Stanley Cup run in 2018-19.
The cost of a Johnson contract isn’t clear. The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman earned $5MM on the last season of his seven-year, $30.5MM contract in 2017-18, but lobbied for a trade in order to try and secure a better contract on the open market. The 31-year old was involved in a very public bankruptcy case in 2014, and simply wanted to ensure a healthy deal this summer knowing it may be his last multi-year deal in the NHL. He ended up staying with Columbus all season, but faced being a healthy scratch down the stretch—in part, somewhat ironically, because of the Blue Jackets’ acquisition of Penguins defenseman Ian Cole at the deadline—and didn’t suit up for a single playoff game.
Where his market currently sits is unclear, but the Penguins can’t be paying huge sums to a defenseman in their current cap situation. After re-signing Bryan Rust earlier today, Pittsburgh has around $5MM in cap space with Jamie Oleksiak and others still to sign. Though they can go up to 10% over that during the offseason, signing Johnson to a hefty multi-year deal would make it awful tricky going forward. Rutherford has made it clear that they will send out some salary at some point this season, but even trading Phil Kessel‘s $6.8MM cap hit doesn’t create much room if a good chunk of it is taken up by a Johnson signing.
2018 Draft Results By Team
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is now complete. Check out how each team did with accruing talent and filling needs with each of their selections this weekend:
Anaheim Ducks
1-23. F Isac Lundestrom, Lulea (SHL)
2-54. F Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
3-79. F Blake McLaughlin, Chicago Steel (USHL)
3-84. G Lukas Dostal, HC Kometa Brno (Czech Republic-Jr.)
4-116. F Jack Perbix, Elk River HS (USHS)
5-147. G Roman Durny, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
6-178. D Hunter Drew, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)
Arizona Coyotes
1-5. F Barrett Hayton, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2-55. D Kevin Bahl, Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
3-65. F Jan Jenik, HC Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic-2)
3-73. D Ty Emberson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-114. G Ivan Prosvetov, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
5-142. D Mitchell Callahan, Central Illinois Flying Aces (USHL)
5-145. D Dennis Busby, Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-158. G David Tendeck, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
7-189. F Liam Kirk, Sheffield Steelers (England)
Boston Bruins
2-57. D Axel Andersson, Djurgardens IF (SuperElit)
3-77. F Jakub Lauko, Pirati Chomutov (Czech Republic)
4-119. F Curtis Hall, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
6-181. D Dustyn McFaul, Pickering Panthers (OJHL)
7-212. F Pavel Shen, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)
Buffalo Sabres
1-1. D Rasmus Dahlin, Frolunda HC (SHL)
2-32. D Mattias Samuelsson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-94. F Matej Pekar, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
4-117. D Linus Lindstrand Kronholm, Malmo Redhawks (SuperElit)
5-125. D Miska Kuukonen, Ilves (Jr.-Liiga)
7-187. D William Worge Kreu, Linkoping (SuperElit)
Calgary Flames
3-105. F Martin Pospisil, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
3-108. F Demetrios Koumontzis, Edina HS (USHS)
4-122. F Milos Roman, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
6-167. F Mathias Emilio Pettersen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
7-198. F Dmitri Zavgorodny, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
Carolina Hurricanes
1-2. F Andrei Svechnikov, Barrie Colts (OHL)
2-42. F Jack Drury, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
4-96. F Luke Henman, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
4-104. F Lenni Killinen, Espoo Blues (Jr.-Liiga)
6-166. D Jesper Sellgren, MODO (Allsveskan)
7-197. G Jake Kucharski, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
Chicago Blackhawks
1-8. D Adam Boqvist, Brynas IF Gavle (SHL)
1-27. D Nicolas Beaudin, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
3-69. F Jake Wise, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
3-74. F Niklas Nordgren, HIFK Helsinki (Jr.-Liiga)
4-120. F Philipp Kurashev, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
5-139. F Mikael Hakkarainen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
6-162. G Alexis Gravel, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
7-193. F Josiah Slavin, Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Colorado Avalanche
1-16. F Martin Kaut, Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic)
3-64. G Justus Annunen, Karpat (Jr.-Liiga)
3-78. F Sampo Ranta, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
4-109. F Tyler Weiss, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
5-140. F Brandon Saigeon, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
5-146. D Danila Zhuravlyov, Irbis Kazan (MHL)
6-171. F Nikolai Kovalenko, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL)
7-202. G Shamil Shmakov, Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)Read more
Columbus Blue Jackets “Testing The Market” On Artemi Panarin
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been told that Artemi Panarin is not considering an extension at the moment, and have decided to start “testing the market” for the star winger, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Panarin was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last summer in exchange for Brandon Saad and others, but is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019. Obviously things could change at any moment and the 26-year old could decide that he is willing to stay in Columbus long-term, but just a sliver of availability is sure to generate plenty of interest from around the league.
In a response, George Richards of the Columbus Dispatch reached out to Panarin’s agent Dan Milstein, who told him it is not a “proper time to comment” on either part of the report. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic also got Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen on record commenting on the report:
Artemi is an elite National Hockey League player. Our position has been that we want him to be a Blue Jacket for many years and that has not changed. He has a year left on his contract, so there is plenty of time to work towards that end. Should anything change moving forward, we will address it at that time and any decision we make will be in the best interest of our club.
Panarin is one of the best offensive players in the entire league, and represents a huge asset for the Blue Jackets if they’re truly testing the market. In 243 games since coming over from the KHL, Panarin has 233 points including 82 in the 2017-18 season. While some believed that his top production was helped by playing with Patrick Kane during his time in Chicago, Panarin proved he could drive a line by himself and helped Pierre-Luc Dubois get acclimated to the NHL as a teenager this season. Dubois finished second among all Blue Jackets forwards with 48 points this season, showing just how effective Panarin was at even-strength and on the powerplay. Just 21 of his 82 points were with the man advantage, while his 41 even-strength assists tied him for second in the league behind only Connor McDavid.
Even with that outstanding production though, there may be a case for the Blue Jackets moving on from him if there is no chance of an extension. The Blue Jackets are set up to be competitive for a long time thanks to the development of players like Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, and even though Panarin is clearly the heartbeat of their offense he could be used to supplement the current core and extend the window even further. Dubois, while not as offensively gifted, represents a legitimate top-line center option for the team, while other young talent like Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexander Wennberg and Sonny Milano could still take substantial steps forward.
The return for Panarin would have to be enormous for the Blue Jackets to trade him this summer, and it is unclear who around the league would want to part with those kind of assets while he’s unwilling to discuss a contract extension. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the earliest Panarin would want to discuss an extension is likely the start of the season, making this an extremely tough decision for both Columbus and any acquiring team. Sending what would likely have to be a package centered around a top young roster player is a tough pill to swallow for just a year, even if it is one of the most consistent offensive producers in the league.
Columbus though has other things to worry about as they move forward with this group. Sergei Bobrovsky is an unrestricted free agent next summer as well, while Werenski will be coming out of his entry-level contract looking for a huge raise. The team is in fine salary cap shape at the moment, but could easily find themselves in a position where they’re unable to keep Panarin or Bobrovsky anyway. The idea of entertaining offers, even in a very preliminary manner, makes some sense in this situation.
Columbus Blue Jackets Re-Sign Alex Broadhurst
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Alex Broadhurst to a one-year two-way extension, bringing back one of their best minor league players. Broadhurt made his NHL debut this season, but is likely to spend ample time in the minor leagues again next year.
Broadhurst, 25, was actually scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer and is coming off a season in which he scored a career-high 19 goals in the minor leagues. The versatile forward has experience at center and on the wing, and is valuable depth for an organization that has struggled to find any down the middle. Held scoreless in his two-game NHL debut, he could be in for another stint should the Blue Jackets face any injuries in 2018-19.
He should also return to the Cleveland Monsters in a leadership capacity after wearing an “A” as an alternate captain this season. Scoring 41 points in 66 games, he finished second in team scoring and was part of the 2015 squad that took home the Calder Cup. That wasn’t the first championship for Broadhurst, who is one of the rare players to also have USHL and OHL titles to his name.
Blue Jackets Prioritizing Early Extensions For Panarin, Bobrovsky, And Werenski
- The Blue Jackets head into the summer with a trio of key players being eligible for contract extensions on July 1st in winger Artemi Panarin, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and defenseman Zach Werenski. Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch notes that GM Jarmo Kekalainen would like to get new deals done with all three players sooner than later. Given the combined cost to get all three signed, it would certainly be desirable to get them done quickly as that could very well shape what types of other moves they make during the summer.