Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Stars Rumors

Valeri Nichushkin Signs Two-Year Contract With Dallas Stars

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The wait is over for Dallas Stars fans, as Valeri Nichushkin is back in the NHL. The Russian forward has officially signed his two-year contract that carries a cap hit of $2.95MM. Nichushkin is returning after two years in the KHL, and will add another dimension to the Stars offensive group.

The 23-year-old and former 10th overall pick back in 2013 started out his NHL career well as he scored 14 goals and tallied 34 points in his rookie campaign immediately after being drafted. The 6-foot-4, 205 pound forward is referred to as a freight train, but a hip injury derailed his second year and he was never able to recover and saw his playing time decrease the year after that. The moment he hit restricted free agency, Nichushkin took his game back to the KHL, where he posted 11 goals and followed that up with a strong 16-goal performance this past year for CSKA Moscow, which was good enough for third on his team in goals scored.

Now back in the fold in Dallas, Nichushkin hopes he can continue along the career path that he started at. He will be given every opportunity to take a second or third-line spot on the wing this season with the Stars.

Dallas Stars Sign Blake Comeau

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Reliable depth forward Blake Comeau is on to a new team, as he has inked a multi-year deal with the Dallas Stars. First reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, Comeau’s deal has been confirmed as three years at $2.4MM per.

The rugged  forward should provide the Stars depth in their lineup as well as leadership and should develop into a fan favorite in Dallas. He was quite popular in Colorado as he was known for checking skills and solid defensive abilities as well as his ability to mentor the young Avalanche players. He is coming off one his best seasons as an Avalanche, posting 13 goals and 34 points.

The 32-year-old forward was told last week by the Avalanche that they will not be offering him a contract, most likely due to the veteran’s success and likelihood he would command a multiple year deal. That allowed Dallas to swoop in and lock up the veteran for their lineup.

Stars To Sign Roman Polak

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Stars have added some grit and experience to their back end.  Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports (Twitter link) that Dallas has inked defenseman Roman Polak to a one-year contract.

Polak has spent the last four seasons with Toronto (aside from a brief stint with the Sharks as a rental player in 2015-16) but has seen his playing time and role decrease lately.  Last season, he played in just 54 games, collecting a dozen points while averaging 17:39 of ice time, primarily on their third pairing.

It’s likely that the 32-year-old will fill a similar role with Dallas.  They’ve already lost one right-shot defender in Greg Pateryn in free agency while veteran Dan Hamhuis is also an unrestricted free agent.

The Stars will be counting on Polak to provide some grit and shot blocking, elements that have long been a part of his game.  He has averaged nearly 3.4 hits per game over the last four years along with just shy of 1.9 blocks per night in that span.

Stars To Sign Anton Khudobin

at CDT | by 5 Comments

July 1st has always resulted in a goalie carousel around the league and today will be no exception.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that netminder Anton Khudobin has agreed to a two-year deal worth roughly $5MM with Dallas.  That more than doubles his previous contract which paid him $1.2MM

Khudobin is coming off one of the best seasons of his career where he posted a 2.56 GAA with a .913 SV% in 31 appearances for the Bruins.  Despite that, he was unable to come to terms on a new deal in Boston despite reportedly being just $150K apart in negotiations.

The 32-year-old will replace Kari Lehtonen as the backup to veteran starter Ben Bishop.  Considering that Bishop had trouble staying healthy down the stretch, it’s no surprise that GM Jim Nill targeted another goalie that can play more than 15-20 games per season as they will certainly benefit from having that insurance if he gets injured again.

Western Notes: Winnipeg Goalies, Seguin, Lehtonen, Fehr, Beagle

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the trade of goaltender Steve Mason this morning to open up some cap space, the Winnipeg Jets find themselves with a sudden hole in their lineup as the team no longer has a viable backup goaltender behind starter Connor Hellybuyck. Their top goalie out of the AHL, Michael Hutchinson, is already an unrestricted free agent and likely to move on, while the next in line is Eric Comrie, who has a total of four NHL games to his name.

That will force the cap-saving Jets to find a cheap solution on the free agent market. A few days behind in the recruiting market, many of those backup options are already off the board, such as Carter Hutton (Buffalo), Jonathan Bernier (Detroit) and Cam Ward (Chicago).

The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe writes there are options out there, suggesting the team look at some under-the-radar goaltenders who struggled a year ago. Tops on his list is former Buffalo Sabres netminder Chad Johnson, who struggled last year in Buffalo with a 3.55 and a .891 save percentage. However, the 32-year-old was behind one of the worst defenses in the league, while the Jets’ offense could easily protect Johnson better.

  • Sean Shapiro of The Athletic writes that extension talks between the Dallas Stars and Tyler Seguin can’t even start until after John Tavares signs a contract and sets the market. Whatever Tavares gets will be the starting point for negotiations between the two parties. Seguin, who is eligible to sign an extension starting tomorrow, put up a career-high 40 goals for the Stars. However, the 26-year-old can also opt to become a free agency next year in a similar fashion to what Tavares is doing now. Dallas has made it clear they want to lock the center up long-term.
  • Former Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen and current unrestricted free agent could be an interesting watch, according to Fox Sports Andy Strickland. The 34-year-old backup was interested in joining the Boston Bruins as a backup to Tuuka Rask, but now doesn’t seem likely. While there has been some interest from some Western Conference teams, he could choose to retire if the right opportunity doesn’t present itself. Lehtonen finished last season with a pedestrian 2.56 GAA and a .912 save percentage as a backup for the Stars.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo writes the Minnesota Wild have had conversations with free agent center Eric Fehr. The 32-year-old veteran had trouble cracking the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup this year and was eventually traded to the San Jose Sharks for a 2020 seventh-round pick, but made an impression centering the team’s fourth line. He put up three goals in 14 games and played in 10 playoff games. The scribe also writes that he doubts Fehr ends up in Minnesota.
  • Despite rumors that the Vancouver Canucks were closing in on an agreement with unrestricted free agent center Jay Beagle yesterday, Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet reports that the market for Beagle is increasing and driving up his pricetag. Vancouver remains quite interested in signing the veteran and are very, very much in the race to acquire him.

Free Agent Rumor Round-Up: Roussel, Calvert, Hickey, Rieder, Perron, And More

at CDT | by 4 Comments

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.

[RELATED: PHR’s 2018 Top 50 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents]

  • 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.

 

Winnipeg Extends Defenseman Joe Morrow

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Wednesday: The team has officially announced the contract, bringing back Morrow for one year at $1MM.

Tuesday: A team declined to extend a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent defenseman who had been a good fit, only to re-sign him to an affordable one-year deal. Sound familiar? Less than an hour after the Vancouver Canucks re-signed Derrick Pouliot to an extension, the Winnipeg Jets have followed suit with a new contract for Joe Morrow. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Morrow has signed a one-year, $1MM extension to remain in Winnipeg.

Like Pouliot, Morrow does not lose out on not getting a qualifying offer by yesterday’s deadline. The 25-year-old defender made the league minimum $650K last year, making a new million-dollar pact a substantial upgrade. In fact, it is almost a surprising raise for Morrow. The young journeyman, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins and traded to the Dallas Stars and then to the Boston Bruins before even making his NHL debut, was on his third team in two years when he finished the 2017-18 season with the Jets. Boston had declined to qualify Morrow last summer, only they intended to let him walk as a free agent. Morrow signed with the Montreal Canadiens and posted a career high in games played and points while also showing some defensive improvements. However, Morrow was still less than a full-time player and his move to Winnipeg was more of an afterthought depth addition at the time of the NHL Trade Deadline. Morrow was solid albeit unspectacular down the stretch for the Jets and was used only sparingly in the postseason. With that said, the Jets were vocal about how pleased they were with Morrow’s acquisition.

The Winnipeg front office and coaching staff clearly saw enough of the puck-moving defenseman to decide on using some of their precious cap space to bring him back. The Jets face a daunting number of restricted and unrestricted free agency conundrums this summer, but seemingly worked quickly to get a deal done with Morrow. With four veteran defenseman signed for next season and three more qualified as RFA’s, Winnipeg has plenty of depth on the blue line, but must have plans to use Morrow in some capacity next season.

Final Group Of Six Will Wait For Decision From John Tavares

at CDT | by 17 Comments

The free agent interview period is supposed to drum up intrigue around dozens of names that will undoubtedly change teams on July 1st, but all eyes this year have been on pitch meetings taking place at the CAA headquarters in Los Angeles. Those meetings are meant to woo John Tavares, who would arguably be the best free agent to ever hit the market in the salary cap era. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tavares’ current team the New York Islanders presented on Monday, with the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks meeting with the superstar center and his representatives on Tuesday. Wednesday is blocked off for the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, after which, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, Tavares will shut down all communication with other teams. There were previous reports that some teams, namely the Vegas Golden Knights and Nashville Predators, were in the running through phone conversations, but that doesn’t appear to be the case any longer.

So six teams—New York, Toronto, Boston, San Jose, Dallas and Tampa Bay—will wait patiently tonight after Tavares hears the final pitches, and await word of whether he’ll be leaving for a new address this summer. The Islanders of course are the only team that can offer Tavares an eight-year deal, and the other teams are not currently allowed to discuss contract details, only express interest. If Tavares reaches Sunday without a contract, the Islanders lose their advantage and become like any other team able to sign him to seven years. Should that happen, it seems unlikely that he’d be heading back to the Islanders, meaning the countdown is on for New York.

Of course there are different strengths and weaknesses from each market, and TSN has released a calculator to show off the differences surrounding state (or provincial) taxes. The Lightning and Stars have a huge advantage in this way, though it is obviously not the only determining factor. Even with a no-movement clause, there is no guarantee that a player spends his whole career in a certain state, meaning there likely won’t be any discounts for the teams which have the best tax rates.

Dallas Stars Sign Reece Scarlett To One-Year Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Reece Scarlett will be staying in Texas, as the Dallas Stars have re-signed the free agent defenseman to a one-year, two-way contract. Scarlett was actually scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent on July 1st, after failing to get a chance at the NHL level once again in 2017-18. The team hasn’t released any financial details, but it would be surprising if Scarlett secured anything more than the minimum of $650K at the NHL level.

Scarlett, 25, was acquired in November from the Florida Panthers, and quickly found his niche with the Texas Stars as a reliable defensive option. Recording just seven points in 44 regular season games, he was nevertheless an important part of the team making the playoffs. The Stars weren’t favored heading into the postseason, but Scarlett and other veteran AHL players led them all the way to the Calder Cup finals against the Toronto Marlies. They’d spread their luck a little too thin against the powerhouse Marlies and come up short, but it was still an outstanding season for the group.

No one is expecting Scarlett to make an impact at the NHL level next year, but bringing back reliable depth options is important for any organization. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him make his NHL debut at some point if the Stars face injuries, and at the very least will provide some experience to Texas as they look to improve on 2017-18. There is plenty of young dynamic talent coming through the pipeline for the Stars, but it’s players like Scarlett who are the backbone of any minor league organization.

More Than Five Teams Still In The Mix For John Tavares

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Though we’d heard reports about several teams that were expected to get meetings with superstar free agent John Tavares, the entire situation wasn’t clear. Now, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and Darren Dreger of TSN report at nearly the same moment that the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning all have sit down meetings scheduled over the next few days, while two or three other teams will have discussions over the phone. LeBrun notes that those phone conversations could turn into face-to-face meetings, while the Islanders obviously remain in the mix for their captain.

Interestingly, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the Montreal Canadiens attempted to get a meeting with Tavares, but were refused. The Canadiens are not part of the current discussions.

Tavares would arguably be the best unrestricted free agent to hit the market in the salary cap era if he remains unsigned on July 1st, but it’s not like that is a guarantee at this point. In fact, it may still be incredibly unlikely for the 27-year old center to leave the Islanders but after waiting this long it made sense to at least listen to the other offers. We saw this same song and dance two years ago with Steven Stamkos, before the Tampa Bay Lightning—or perhaps an overt-the-top pitch from another team—eventually convinced their captain to stay put.

We’ve already seen John Carlson, the consensus second-best pending free agent re-sign with the Washington Capitals for huge money, and Tavares could be next. If he does end up staying in New York, it would mean only good things for Paul Stastny who would likely become the next best option by default. Tyler Bozak, Derek Ryan and others are also available at center, but Stastny would be the only real prize left down the middle. If the rest of the NHL is closely watching the meetings in Los Angeles, Stastny may be camped outside the CAA offices waiting for his big opportunity.

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