Oscar Dansk Signs With Vegas Golden Knights
- The Vegas Golden Knights have signed Oscar Dansk to a one-year, two-way deal according to Mike Kelly of the NHL Network. The Golden Knights needed to add some depth goaltending for their minor league affiliates, and after Dansk didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Blue Jackets he was a prime candidate. Dansk was a second-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2012, but returned to Sweden after one unsuccessful season in the minor leagues. After two better—but not outstanding—seasons with Rogle, he’ll likely return to play for the Chicago Wolves, Vegas’ new AHL affiliate. Still just 23, he has a long way to go to make an impact at the NHL level.
Matt Duchene Rumors Continue to Swirl
While there was plenty of action yesterday on the first day of free agency, one name that surfaced over and over again was that of the availability of Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene. The trade rumors refuse to die down, yet nothing has happened. According to The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline, there are several teams trying to pry the 26-year-old former third-overall pick in the 2009 draft, including the Blue Jackets.
Quite obviously, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic is looking for a very young defender as key to any package to get Duchene. The scribe cites that the team has asked the Blue Jackets for 20-year-old blueliner Gabriel Carlsson as a primary piece of a potential deal. The former first-round pick in 2015 has shown quite a bit of promise, signing late this season and joining the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for three games and then finished his 2016-17 season in Columbus for the final two games, picking up an assist on the way. Portzline says there has also been quite a bit of talk that the team is also interested in the Blue Jacket’s Ryan Murray, the former second-overall pick in 2012. The defenseman has played four seasons, finishing this year with two goals and nine assists in 60 games. No one knows whether Sakic is interested in one or both as part of the package for Duchene.
Portzline also tweets that the Boston Bruins are also discussing a trade with Colorado over Duchene and that deal would likely center around Bruins defender Brandon Carlo, who just wrapped up his rookie campaign with the Bruins. The 20-year-old former second round pick in 2015 finished the season with six goals, 10 assists and 59 penalty minutes.
Up till now, Sakic has refused to comment on any trade rumors only creating further speculation that a trade may be coming soon. We will see if there is any trade movement today as there is quite a bit of anticipation to see a move made.
2017 NHL Free Agency Tracker
Stay with PHR for all of the free agency signings this off-season. As of noon ET on July 1st, unrestricted free agency is open, but not before many extensions earlier in June. This page serves to organize everything in one spot, and are linked to the PHR story that corresponds with the signing. All July signings will be separated by date while June signings are organized alphabetically by team. It will be updated as soon as stories post.
Please note that signings on this list start on June 12.
July 1st:
- Anaheim re-signs Cam Fowler (8 years/$52MM)
- Anaheim signs Ryan Miller (2 years/$4MM)
- Arizona signs Adam Clendening (1 year/$650K)
- Boston signs Paul Postma (1 year/$725K)
- Buffalo signs Benoit Pouliot (1 year/$1.15MM)
- Buffalo signs Chad Johnson (1 year/$2.5MM)
- Carolina signs Justin Williams (2 years/$9MM)
- Chicago signs Patrick Sharp (1 year/$1MM)
- Chicago signs J-F Berube (2 years/$3MM)
- Chicago signs Jordan Oesterle (2 years/$1.3MM)
- Colorado signs Jonathan Bernier (1 year/$2.75MM)
- Dallas signs Martin Hanzal (3 years/$14.25MM)
- Dallas signs Tyler Pitlick (3 years/$3MM)
- Detroit signs Trevor Daley (3 years/$9.534MM)
- Florida signs Radim Vrbata (1 year/$2.5MM)
- Los Angeles signs Mike Cammalleri (1 year)
- Los Angeles signs Cal Petersen ( 2 year ELC)
- Los Angeles signs Christian Folin (1 year/$850K)
- Minnesota signs Ryan Murphy (1 year/$700k)
- Minnesota signs Landon Ferraro (2 years/$1.4MM)
- Minnesota signs Kyle Quincey (1 year/$1.25MM)
- Minnesota signs Cal O’Reilly (2 years/$1.4MM)
- Montreal signs Kyle Alzner (5 years/$22.5MM)
- Montreal signs Byron Froese
- Montreal signs Peter Holland
- Nashville signs Nick Bonino (4 years)
- Nashville signs Scott Hartnell (1 year/$1MM)
- Nashville signs Anders Lindback (1 year/$650K)
- Nashville signs Matt O’Connor (1 year/$650K)
- New Jersey signs Brian Boyle (2 years/$5.1MM)
- NY Rangers sign Ondrej Pavelec (1 year/$1.3MM)
- NY Rangers sign Kevin Shattenkirk (4 year/$26.6MM)
- Ottawa signs Nate Thompson (2 years/$3.3MM)
- Philadelphia re-signs Mike Vecchione (2 years/$1.88MM)
- Pittsburgh signs Antti Niemi (1 year/$700K)
- Pittsburgh signs Matt Hunwick (3 years/$6.75MM
- San Jose re-signs Martin Jones (6 years/$34.5MM)
- San Jose re-signs Marc-Edouard Vlasic (8 years/$56MM)
- San Jose re-signs Joe Thornton
- St. Louis signs Beau Bennett (1 year/$650K)
- St. Louis signs Chris Thorburn (2 years/$1.88MM)
- St. Louis re-signs Oskar Sundqvist (1 year/$650K)
- Tampa Bay signs Dan Girardi (2 years/$6MM)
- Toronto signs Ron Hainsey (2 years/$3.25MM)
- Toronto signs Curtis McElhinney (1 year/$850K)
- Toronto signs Dominic Moore (1 year/$1MM)
- Toronto signs Garret Sparks
- Winnipeg signs Dmitri Kulikov (3 years/$13MM)
- Winnipeg signs Steve Mason (2 years/$8.2MM)
- Vancouver signs Sam Gagner (3 years/$9.45MM)
- Vancouver signs Michael Del Zotto (2 years/$6MM)
- Vancouver signs Anders Nilsson (2 years/$5MM)
Canucks Sign Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto, Anders Nilsson
GM Jim Benning and the Vancouver Canucks are off to a hot start to free agency, signing a major name from all three positions: forward Sam Gagner, defenseman Michael Del Zotto, and goalie Anders Nilsson.
Gagner, a play-making center who enjoyed a bounce back season with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17, has signed on for three years at $3.15MM per year, via TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. After making just $650K on a one-year “show me” deal with the Jackets, this is a nice reward for Gagner who returned to form with a career-high 50 points after a disastrous 16-point campaign with the Flyers the year before. Yet, other than 2015-16 in Philadelphia, Gagner has been a consistent 40-50 point man and is still only 27 despite having a decade of NHL experience under his belt. Gagner will be happy to make nearly five times his 2016-17 salary, but this still comes off as quite a bargain for the rebuilding Canucks.
Del Zotto, a capable puck-mover who struggled to carve out a role with the Philadelphia Flyers, will get a new opportunity in Vancouver on a two-year, $6MM contract, according to TSN’s Frank Servalli. Not since his third year in the league with the New York Rangers in 2011-12 has Del Zotto truly been relied upon as a starter. In stints in New York and Philadelphia, Del Zotto has shown ample offensive ability, but little defensive reliability. A career -26 player, Del Zotto may never develop into a true all-around NHL defenseman, but at $3MM per year, the Canucks will expect him to strive to be such a player.
As for Nilsson, the former Buffalo Sabres backup has earned himself a nice raise, as LeBrun reports that he has signed a two-year deal worth $2.5MM annually to play 1B to Jacob Markstrom‘s 1A in the Vancouver net. Nilsson was a savior of sorts for the Sabres in 2016-17, posting a career high .923 save percentage and 2.67 GAA in relief of Buffalo starter Robin Lehner. Nilsson outplayed Lehner, but Buffalo still informed Nilsson that they would move forward with Lehner as the starter and rather than play second-fiddle again in the same situation (like Chad Johnson is now doing), Nilsson has moved on to another situation where he may be able to outplay the incumbent and steal starts.
Columbus, Nashville Make Trade Offers For Matt Duchene
As the trade market heats up before free agency begins tomorrow, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators have made offers for Matt Duchene, but Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has still not been convinced. We’ve heard of the Predators’ interest before, but this is the first real concrete connection that the Blue Jackets have made a play for the young forward.
Duchene has been on the market since partway through the 2016-17 season, but Sakic has been firm with his asking price and apparently it hasn’t been met just yet. With such a thin free agent market especially in terms of impact scoring, Duchene could be the prize of the next few weeks. Even in a down year he still scored 18 goals and 41 points, and can be reasonably expected to bounce back to his earlier level of play. At 26 he’s still young enough to help pretty much anyone, but with just two years left on his current deal it’s more likely that a contender adds him as one of the last pieces to their puzzle.
It was reported this week that the Islanders had made a play for Duchene before dealing Travis Hamonic to the Calgary Flames, and it’s doubtful that the interest has waned at all since then. The package of picks that New York received could easily be flipped in a potential deal with Colorado. That said, both Nashville and Columbus have the young defensive depth to perhaps pull it off and could each use a bit of a scoring punch. Nashville would like to replace James Neal after he was snatched in the expansion draft, and Columbus continues to try and add to their top-six even after acquiring Artemi Panarin from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Whether Duchene ends up in one of those three cities is still far from assured. There is interest from many places around the league, and could end up coming down after a few free agent dominoes fall in the first few days. If Sakic is to get the prospect, first-round pick and young defender he was rumored to be asking for at the trade deadline, it will have to include multiple teams bidding against each other.
Columbus Blue Jackets Buy Out Scott Hartnell
The Columbus Blue Jackets have bought out the remaining two years on Scott Hartnell‘s contract, making him a free agent. Hartnell didn’t need to be placed on waivers like a normal buyout because of his full no-movement clause. Columbus will take on a cap-hit going forward as follows: 
- 2017-18: $1.5MM
- 2018-19: $3.0MM
- 2019-20: $1.25MM
- 2020-21: $1.25MM
Our own Seth Lawrence listed Hartnell as a potential buyout option last month—along with Antti Niemi who has already been bought out and Kevin Bieksa who remains under contract—and explained why the team needed to move on from the forward, mostly pointing to expansion draft concerns. Hartnell was never asked to waive his NMC for the draft because the team had a deal worked out with Vegas for quite some time to take David Clarkson‘s contract off their hands. Clearing him now is just making even more room for the Blue Jackets to make an impact in this summer’s free agency.
Rumored to be interested in everyone from Joe Thornton to Ilya Kovalchuk, the Blue Jackets will now have just under $13MM in cap space this summer, though much of it will be accounted for with internal options. Both Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson need new contracts as restricted free agents, and though neither of them have arbitration rights yet both deserve large raises. The team needs every penny of room, thus the buyout.
For Hartnell, it’s a tough ending to what was a pretty excellent start in Columbus. Scoring 60 points in his first year with the team, he fell all the way down to 37 this year as his role was diminished due to the emergence of some young players. Still one of the better 5-on-5 players in the league, his salary can be better used elsewhere. With the team already making a huge splash to bring in Artemi Panarin, it’s clear that they want to compete right now.
It’s rough timing for Hartnell, just a few months after turning 35. Now any contract he signs with another team will come with certain restrictions that will lower his leverage. Not expected to sign anywhere long-term, he does instantly become an interesting option for many teams on the open market at a reduced price. A player who 20+ goals in nine different seasons doesn’t come along every day, and even if he’s not a 50+ point player any longer he can still help a team’s bottom six.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
10 Teams Checking In On Nick Bonino, Justin Williams
Free agent meetings are coming fast and furious these days, and Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that at least ten teams have checked in with both Nick Bonino and Justin Williams. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch adds that the Blue Jackets are definitely one of those teams looking at the former Pittsburgh pivot. According to Arthur Staple the Islanders have reached out to Williams, who recently told the Washington Post that he wanted to “go to a team that has a chance to win.”
Williams and Bonino ranked 7th and 11th respectively on our free agent rankings, projecting a two-year $6.5MM deal for Williams, and a four-year $14MM deal for Bonino. Though Williams obviously has some more scoring upside, Bonino is more than six years younger and plays center ice. Whoever gets Williams won’t be upset with his production though, as the three-time Stanley Cup champion is one of the more durable and consistent wingers in the league.
It’s not surprising that each of these two have a big market, and it could very well result in one of the biggest contracts of the offseason for Bonino. One of the few players available under the age of 30 without any glaring flaws, he will stand out as a safe option for teams looking to make an impact on July 1st.
Williams on the other hand is a mercenary at this point, going to the bidder with the best chance at the Stanley Cup. While some may point out that team is the one he’s leaving—the Capitals have won the President’s Trophy as the best regular season team in both seasons with Williams—he likely feels frustrated with their inability to finish in the playoffs. That, and the fact that Washington has almost no cap flexibility for him should have him going somewhere else.
CHL 2017 Import Draft Results
The CHL is holding its annual import draft today, where teams from across the Canadian junior leagues get to select the rights to players around the world. Often these are recently drafted prospects, or those seen to have good chances at next year’s draft. Being selected has no guarantee that the player will actually ever suit up for the team, as Klim Kostin (the 31st-overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft) has made very clear. Kostin was selected first-overall in the import draft last year, but has said that he has no intention of ever playing for the Kootenay Ice, instead hoping to play in the AHL or NHL next season.
Sometimes though, you can get an immense talent. Nico Hischier was selected sixth-overall by Halifax last season, and quickly rose to the first-overall pick in the 2017 Entry Draft. Mikhail Sergachev was also selected sixth in the 2015 draft before eventually being the return for Jonathan Drouin this summer. To be sure, there will be a name or two out of this year’s draft to make a huge impact in the NHL. Each team can only carry two import players on the roster, meaning many will pass on the opportunity to select another one. The results are below (including the NHL team that drafted them this weekend):
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Jordan Schroeder
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed their newest acquisition, inking Jordan Schroeder to a two-year deal. The contract will be two-way in 2017-18 while transitioning to a one-way deal in 2018-19. Schroeder was acquired this weekned in exchange for Dante Salituro after it was clear he would not receive a qualifying offer from the Minnesota Wild. The deal will pay Schroeder the minimum of $650K at the NHL level in both seasons.
Schroeder, 26, had 13 points 37 games for the Wild last season but was likely going to cost the Wild too much in an arbitration settlement. Because it was clear the two sides weren’t going to find common ground, he was dealt to Columbus where he can start fresh. It’s not clear if he’ll get an opportunity in the NHL with Columbus right away, but he has the offensive chops to contribute even if he does come in undersized.
At the very least, he provides a nice depth option for Columbus who will be looking for center help this offseason. While they’re expected to let Sam Gagner head to free agency, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet recently linked them to Joe Thornton as a potential short-term option. Either way, Schroeder will be able to help fill out the depth chart down the middle or join a Cleveland squad looking to get back to the Calder Cup final.
Vladislav Gavrikov Signs Two-Year Deal In KHL
Despite the Columbus Blue Jackets’ best efforts, Vladislav Gavrikov is staying in Russia for the time being. It had previously been reported that he’d signed a two-year contract, which will now belong to SKA St. Petersburg after being traded from Yaroslavl. Gavrikov listed the chance to play in the Olympics as part of his decision, as well as the development he still requires as a hockey player.
The Blue Jackets drafted Gavrikov 159th-overall in 2015, but have tried in vain to bring him over to North America this spring as he’s already shown a capability at the highest level. Two full years in the KHL and an impressive performance at the recent World Championships has Gavrikov considered one of the top Russian defenders in the world not playing in the NHL, and though he’s not much of an offensive presence could still provide some solid depth to the Blue Jackets blueline.
Still just 21 there is no risk of the Blue Jackets losing Gavrikov’s rights, but it is frustrating for them that he re-upped for two years. After SKA won the Gagarin Cup this season, they have quite a draw on young Russian players when promised a key role, and this time they won any recruitment battle. Now, Columbus will just have to wait and watch his development from afar, hoping he’ll reconsider in the spring of 2019. Watch out during the playoffs that season, as Gavrikov could make an immediate impact like Vladimir Sobotka did for the St. Louis Blues when he came over just before the postseason.