West Notes: Rakell, Rattie, Gaudreau
With the World Cup of Hockey fast approaching, another unsigned restricted free agent is headed to Toronto. According to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (who we interviewed just yesterday on PHR) Rickard Rakell will join the Swedish club replacing the injured Alexander Steen. Steen had surgery in June on his shoulder, and is still trying to be ready for the opening of the regular season.
Rakell will be rewarded for last season’s breakout that saw him score 20 goals and 43 points in his second full season. Rakell remains one of the Ducks priorities this summer, along with fellow unsigned RFA Hampus Lindholm. The team, with only $6.6MM in cap space at the moment, may not have enough to sign both to long-term deals and may have to settle for the player-friendly bridge deal.
- Among the news at Pro Hockey Talk’s St. Louis Blues day is that Ty Rattie will be given a real chance to stick with the big club this season. Adam Gretz writes that with the team losing veteran forwards like David Backes, Steve Ott and Troy Brouwer to free agency, there is plenty of opportunities for young players like Rattie. This is in line with a similar article on NHL.com today, that quoted GM Doug Armstrong: “I think the game is getting faster, and youth is being served. I think we were going to transfer to this (youth movement) regardless.” Rattie has suited up for just 26 NHL games, but has proven his scoring ability at the AHL level with three straight 40+ point seasons.
- After signing Sean Monahan earlier today to a seven-year deal, the Calgary Flames will now turn their attention to Johnny Gaudreau. Craig Custance of ESPN thinks that his deal will come in very close to Monahan’s, as the team views the situation as similar to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in Chicago. The Blackhawk stars signed identical $84MM deals in July of 2014, despite Kane having more career points (493 vs. 440). Monahan also has a full season more of NHL duty under his belt than Gaudreau, despite being more than a year younger than him. If the Flames can get both on long-term deals under $7MM, they’ll be set up nicely for the future with two underpaid superstars.
Dallas Stars Notes: Niemi, Lehtonen, Nichushkin
The Dallas Stars surprised many by taking the Central Division crown and finishing with the most points in the Western Conference in 2016-17, just one season removed from missing the postseason entirely. Their success was driven primarily by the most prolific offense in the league as Jamie Benn (41), Tyler Seguin (33) and Jason Spezza (33) led the way with hugely productive seasons. However, while the team had no problem putting the puck in the opposition’s net, they did have plenty of issues keeping it out of their own. Along those lines, Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk writes that the club’s “biggest question mark” entering the new season remains between the pipes in Big D.
Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen combined to stop just 90.6% of the shots they faced during the regular season a year ago. Lehtonen (90.6%) ranked 38th and Niemi (90.5%) 40th overall among qualified net minders in that category. They were even worse come playoff time with neither goalie able to stop 90% of the shots against.
The Stars were thought to be considering the possibility of acquiring another goalie, with Ben Bishop named as one possibility but it’s not clear whether any substantive talks with the Lightning or any other club ever took place. Nevertheless, Jim Nill seems confident his goaltending tandem will rebound enough to give the club at least capable play between the pipes. Each has had success in the recent past and it wasn’t that long ago that Niemi backstopped the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup so there is some reason for Nill’s optimism.
For more on the Stars…..
- In a separate piece for Pro Hockey Talk, Brough identifies Stars winger Valeri Nichushkin as being “under pressure.” Despite playing on the most prolific offensive team in the league, the 21-year-old Nichushkin struggled, netting just nine goals in 79 regular season contests. He followed that up with a lone point, an assist, in 10 playoff games. Nichushkin, the 10th overall selection in the 2013 entry draft, has a ton of ability and as veteran scorers Patrick Sharp and Ales Hemsky each enter the final years of their respective contracts, the club may well need the young Russian to step into one of those spots sooner rather than later.
- Revisiting the goaltending situation in Dallas, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News addressed a reader’s question on the subject as part of a recent chat. Specifically, Heika was asked how much salary the Stars would need to retain in order to facilitate a trade of one of Niemi or Lehtonen. Heika speculated that any team that would look to acquire either goalie would want Dallas to keep 50% of the player’s salary on their books. On the other hand, Heika says that GM Jim Nill doesn’t seem too keen on the idea and would rather hang on to the duo in the hope that one or both can rebuild value with solid 2016-17 performances. At this point it seems most likely that the Stars will at least open the season with Niemi and Lehtonen manning the net. But should they again scuffle and with plenty of teams perhaps willing to move a goalie prior to the 2017 expansion draft, Dallas could look to upgrade the position ahead of the trade deadline.
Snapshots: Roy, Vesey, Oilers
When Patrick Roy suddenly resigned as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche last week the hockey world, along with GM Joe Sakic, was stunned to say the least. While Sakic said all the right things, and refused to throw his former teammate under the bus, Terry Frei from the Denver Post writes that it was how their relationship had developed that caused Roy to exit so abruptly.
In the piece, Frei writes that though Roy had a big impact on personnel and development decisions in his first three years, as someone holding a vice-president of hockey operations should, he’d been slowly edged out as Sakic gained more confidence and experience on the job. To quote Frei: “Did he quit on the Avs? Sure, he did. As coach. Because he thought he had been fired as a VP.”
The Avalanche are still looking for someone to fill the head coaching role, and as Frei reports, Sakic has indicated that none of the current assistant coaches are being considered. We profiled five candidates here who may find their phones ringing at some point, though many are already under contract with another team, if in a lesser role.
- The Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes continued today, with the final team meetings taking place. Multiple reports have current players attending the meetings in order to sway his decision, with John Tavares being one of the biggest names confirmed (via James Mirtle). Though the Islanders may still be seen as outsiders, a promised role next to Tavares is definitely something any player would have to consider, and with P.A. Parenteau currently penciled in, it wouldn’t take much to offer it. Other teams are obviously offering similar things, with Jonathan Toews (link) and Auston Matthews (link) both in Boston to meet the Harvard grad.
- In his latest column, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal posits that the Oilers will never be successful while they keep trotting out a few weak-links, despite the obvious top-end talent on the roster. In analyzing the roster, Staples references Chris Anderson and David Salley’s book “The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Soccer Is Wrong“, and applies their “O-ring player” idea to some recent Oilers like Anton Lander, Mark Fayne and Mark Letestu. While a team can’t have NHL stars in every roster spot, it’s these weak-links that are holding the team back from ever capitalizing on their young stars’ success.
Off-Season To Date: Central Division
The NHL has entered its seasonal lull where teams are done signing free agents and will wait until training camp to make roster moves. Each team’s additions and subtractions will most likely remain static until the season starts, so compiling moves runs little risk of changing in the coming days. We have already documented the off-season moves of teams in the Atlantic Division and Metropolitan Division, and now we take a quick look cross-conference at the Central Division.
Chicago Blackhawks
Key Additions: Jordin Tootoo, Brian Campbell
Key Departures: Andrew Ladd, Teuvo Teravainen, Bryan Bickell, Dale Weise, Tomas Fleischmann, Christian Ehrhoff, David Rundblad, Andrew Shaw
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $2,490,705
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: Another year, another cap-constrained selloff for the Chicago Blackhawks. This summer they managed to find a taker for Bryan Bickell, but it cost them young prospect Teuvo Teravainen. They also signed Brian Campbell to a one-year deal worth $1.5MM—a steal assuming Campbell doesn’t significantly decline this season. The ‘hawks are particularly tight on cap space this year because Artemi Panarin achieved most of his bonuses last year, and the resulting cap hit gets applied to the upcoming season
Colorado Avalanche
Key Additions: Joe Colborne, Fedor Tyutin, Patrick Wiercioch
Key Departures: Mikkel Boedker, Shawn Matthias, Nate Guenin, Nick Holden, Reto Berra
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $1,534,405
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: The Avalanche have had a tumultuous offseason. They waged a prolonged standoff with RFA Tyson Barrie before re-signing him to a four-year, $22MM deal, but then lost head coach Patrick Roy as he stepped down due to not having enough control. The Avs did not address their suboptimal possession metrics, nor did they boost their roster traditionally to compete in the historically tough Central Division.
Dallas Stars
Key Additions: Dan Hamhuis
Key Departures: Vernon Fiddler, Alex Goligoski, Kris Russell, Jason Demers, Colton Sceviour
Unsigned RFAs: Valeri Nichushkin
Cap Space: $7,984, 167
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: The Stars parted with significant defensive pieces and failed to upgrade its goaltending, but they still remain poised to challenge for first in the Central. They did sign Captain Jamie Benn to an eight-year, $76MM extension, a steep price but one most pundits found reasonable. The Stars still have ample cap room to sign another defenseman—even more if they decide to trade either goalie for a cheaper backup option.
Minnesota Wild
Key Additions: Eric Staal, Chris Stewart
Key Departures: Thomas Vanek, David Jones
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $2,168,909
Projected Roster Size: 21
Notes: Minnesota remained relatively static this offseason, letting Vanek walk but signing Eric Staal to a three-year, $10.5MM contract. The Wild are hoping that having Zach Parise healthy for the playoffs this year will be enough to challenge for the Central Division crown.
Nashville Predators
Key Additions: P.K. Subban, Yannick Weber
Key Departures: Shea Weber, Jimmy Vesey, Carter Hutton, Cody Hodgson, Paul Gaustad, Barret Jackman, Eric Nystrom
Unsigned RFAs: Stefan Elliot
Cap Space: $5,414,166
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: The Predators rocked the boat this offseason by shipping Weber off to Montreal for fellow Canadian defenseman P.K. Subban. With the move, the Preds hope to have a stalwart offensive-minded defensemen for the foreseeable future, but give up elite rock solid dependency in return. Overall the move should boost Nashville’s offense and help them take the next step in the Central.
St. Louis Blues
Key Additions: David Perron, Landon Ferraro, Carter Hutton
Key Departures: Brian Elliot, David Backes, Troy Brouwer, Steve Ott, Anders Nilsson
Unsigned RFAs: None
Cap Space: $3,957,083
Projected Roster Size: 22
Notes: The Blues lost talent this offseason after Troy Brouwer and captain David Backes signed elsewhere in free agency. They also traded away goaltender Brian Elliot for draft picks, placing their trust in young Jake Allen. With the Blues’ young guns stepping up last year, the organization must have felt that they could afford to let Backes and Brouwer go. Finally, it was rumored this summer that the Blues would trade Kevin Shattenkirk—in the final contract year—but nothing has materialized to date.
Winnipeg Jets
Key Additions: Shawn Matthias
Key Departures: Grant Clitsome
Unsigned RFAs: Jacob Trouba, J.C. Lipon
Cap Space: $10,018,333
Projected Roster Size: 23
Notes: Winnipeg stayed relatively pat this summer, signing only Matthias to beef up the team’s bottom six. The focus is on what they haven’t done—namely, sign RFA Jacob Trouba to a new deal. Trouba will anchor Team North America’s defense this summer at the World Cup of Hockey, and a good performance could loosen Winnipeg’s pocketbook.
Snapshots: Saunders, Schedule, Spaling
The hockey world mourns today as it was reported earlier that broadcasting titan John Saunders passed away at the age of 61. Saunders had worked for ESPN for nearly 30 years, and was one the biggest influences on hockey broadcasting in the United States. An all-star defenseman growing up in Montreal, Saunders went on to play at Western Michigan University from 1974-76. Saunders was a founding board member of the Jimmy V Foundation, a charity that has raised over $90MM for cancer research.
Many fans in the United States and across the world would not have understood, or appreciated hockey without John Saunders, and here at PHR we would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family.
- The NHL released its preseason schedule today, and among the notable games are two that will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the home of the upcoming expansion franchise. The Los Angeles Kings will play back-to-back nights against the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche on October 7-8th to give the fans there a taste of what is to come. Also opening its doors for the first time will be the Edmonton Oilers’ new home, as the team will play the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place on September 26th.
- Nick Spaling‘s deal with Geneve-Servette was announced today, making him the latest in the line of players heading to Switzerland. The deal is different than any given in the NHL, reports Stephen Whyno as the two sides have agreed to a one-year pact with an option for 2017-18, much like an MLB deal. This adds a new wrinkle to players looking for contracts outside the NHL, as European leagues are getting more creative in their contract structure. Spaling will be reunited with former line-mate and veteran NHLer Mike Santorelli, who signed a deal last month with the club.
Roster Crunch: Central Division
Previously, we looked at some of the battles for the last few spots among Pacific Division teams, happening to focus mostly on the third pairing on many teams. With the Anaheim Ducks leading the way with their glut of young defenders, we’ll head to the Central Division next where there are a few teams who might be contenders to scoop up one of extra Ducks pieces.
Dallas Stars – It’s not often you see a team lose three of it’s top-four defenders in one offseason, but that’s what happened to the Stars this summer after Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers and Kris Russell all became unrestricted free agents. While Russell has yet to sign, he was probably miscast as the 24-minute-a-night player the Stars used him as down the stretch. They brought in Dan Hamhuis to fill one of the spots, but it’ll be a battle between Jamie Oleksiak, Stephen Johns, Patrik Nemeth, Jordie Benn and Esa Lindell for playing time this year. Because Johns is the only right-handed member of that group, perhaps Julius Honka, a former first-round pick, will make his NHL debut this season as well.
Stars Notes: Oleksiak, Seguin, Nichushkin
Athletic ability really is a family matter. Stars’ defenseman Jamie Oleksiak may be the highest paid member of his family after he inked a new deal that will pay him almost $1MM next season, but he’ll have to take a supporting role in the family newsletter this month. Oleksiak’s 16-year old sister Penny won two Olympic medals over the weekend, capturing silver in the 100m butterfly and anchoring a team that was awarded bronze for their time in the 4x100m freestyle.
When Jamie was asked about his state of mind while watching Penny swim for their native Canada, sibling rivalry didn’t come into the equation: “It’s just surreal. I feel like the biggest super fan right now watching her and I’m screaming and losing my voice. She’s done such a great job and we’re all so proud of her. We’re all so proud to watch her represent Canada.”
Oleksiak will try to get his hockey career back on track this season after playing in only 19 games last year. His waiver eligibility and the acquisition of Kris Russell mid-season played the biggest parts in his time in the press box, and the former first-round pick will have to prove he’s deserved of more playing time in 2016-17.
- In a Q&A with media on Saturday afternoon, Tyler Seguin (via The Dallas News) answered questions about his injured Achilles tendon, but also shared some feelings on the Stars’ chances this season. “Our window really just opened and I think every team’s got kind of that window that opens where you can win a championship, and I think our time definitely has now, so that part’s exciting. Getting a veteran guy like Hamhuis, it makes you even more excited for the season to start here.” Seguin is referring to Dan Hamhuis, who signed a two-year, $7.5MM deal on July 1st.
- While the team quickly came to an agreement with Oleksiak for next season, Valeri Nichushkin remains unsigned. It was almost a month ago that GM Jim Nill reported that Nichushkin was training in North America and isn’t considering an exit to the KHL, but there has been no other news on the contract negotiations. Nichushkin is coming off a promising season that saw him contribute 29 points in limited minutes. Still just 21, the former 10th-overall pick will have to show some more goal scoring ability if he’s to cement his spot next to Jason Spezza on the second line.
Snapshots: Blues, Hall, Seguin
The St. Louis Blues will have a vastly different look this season after a summer of big changes. In an online chat on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website, Jeremy Rutherford chatted about some of the differences Blues fans can expect this coming season.
Regarding the Brian Elliott trade, Rutherford believed Blues GM Doug Armstrong made the trade to avoid losing him for nothing next summer when Elliott is a UFA. While the trade could go wrong if Jake Allen struggles or gets hurt, the trade makes sense, asset-management wise.
Former captain David Backes left town for a bigger contract in Boston; while Backes claimed Bruins forwards Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand convinced him to sign in Boston, Rutherford shut down that idea saying players will sign wherever is best for them and that if the Blues had offered Backes a fifth year, then it wouldn’t have mattered what Bergeron and Marchand said. As far as replacing Backes as captain, Rutherford felt it was safe to assume one of the remaining assistant captains (Alex Pietrangelo and Alex Steen) would be the new captain. The new assistant would likely be one of Paul Stastny, Jaden Schwartz, and Vladimir Tarasenko – who Rutherford believed was “pretty disappointed to not get an A last year”.
Here are some other notes from around the hockey world:
- It’s New Jersey Devils day on Pro Hockey Talk, and they have named Taylor Hall as their player under pressure this season. Adam Gretz justified the choice by saying while he knows Hall will produce, he’ll be under scrutiny because of the perception that he’s at fault for the Oilers misfortunes over the last six years and the high price that the Devils parted with to acquire him. Oscar Klefbom‘s comments about Hall and Ben Scrivens subsequent agreement will also be weighing on Hall as he looks to prove his former team and teammates wrong.
- Speaking of top picks from the 2010 NHL Draft that Peter Chiarelli has traded, Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin says he’s ready to go for the upcoming World Cup in September. Seguin missed all but one of the Stars playoff games with Achilles and calf injuries. Seguin told Steve Hunt of NHL.com it’s been “a bit of a different summer as far as training-wise just coming off an injury, but feeling great and looking forward to the World Cup”.
Salary Cap Report: Central Division
As the hockey world takes its collective breath before the World Cup, training camps, and the regular season, most teams have checked off their boxes and marked their ledgers. Some teams are not finished building their rosters, with RFAs still to sign and trades to explore. Some teams have plenty of space to maneuver with; other teams will need to get creative to stay under the cap.
We’ll complete our Salary Cap Reports by taking a look at the Central Division. Of note:
- The Central Division has the two highest paid players in the NHL in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks captain and leading scorer signed matching eight-year, $84MM extensions in the summer of 2014.
- After June’s blockbuster trade, the NHL’s highest paid defenseman is now in the Central: P.K. Subban and his $9MM cap hit are now members of the Nashville Predators. The Predators also have the highest paid goalie in the division, with Pekka Rinne making $7MM per season.
- With Dallas captain Jamie Benn signed to a long-term extension already, there aren’t any superstar pending-UFAs in the Central, but veteran scoring wingers Patrick Sharp and Alex Steen are both up at the end of this season. Calder Trophy winner Artemi Panarin and Ryan Johansen headline next summer’s RFAs.
By the numbers:
- Chicago Blackhawks
Cap Space Remaining: $2,490,705
Greatest Cap Hit: Jonathan Toews/ Patrick Kane: $10.5MM - Colorado Avalanche
Cap Space Remaining: $1,534,405
Greatest Cap Hit: Nathan MacKinnon: $6.3MM - Dallas Stars
Cap Space Remaining: $7,984,167
Greatest Cap Hit: Jason Spezza: $7.5MM (Jamie Benn’s $9.5MM per year extension doesn’t begin until 2017-18) - Minnesota Wild
Cap Space Remaining: $2,168,909
Greatest Cap Hit: Zach Parise/ Ryan Suter: $7.54MM - Nashville Predators
Cap Space Remaining: $5,414,166
Greatest Cap Hit: P.K. Subban: $9MM - St. Louis Blues
Cap Space Remaining: $3,957,083
Greatest Cap Hit: Vladimir Tarasenko: $7.5MM - Winnipeg Jets
Cap Space Remaining: $10,018,333
Greatest Cap Hit: Dustin Byfuglien: $7.6MM
Also in the Salary Cap Report series: Atlantic Division, Metropolitan Division, and Pacific Division.
Snapshots: Latest On Las Vegas, Islanders, Roussel
Las Vegas may be held up on a nickname since it’s already taken by another hockey organization. Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the London Knights of the OHL prevent the opportunity of having a “Knights” nickname in Canada, though it would work in the United States. Owner Bill Foley is also looking at hiring a team president but expects that decision to be made in October or November. Carp writes that it also appears the team is close to finalizing a deal for its proposed practice facilities, which include two rinks and the team headquarters. Foley expects groundbreaking to take place on October 1st.
In other NHL news:
- NBC Sports Cam Tucker wonders if general manager Garth Snow and head coach John Capuano have the full confidence of the Islanders fanbase. The Islanders are coming off a second round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it was another season that saw New York advance further than the previous. Tucker writes the Islanders posted back to back 100 point seasons, and notes that even though Capuano has been on the hot seat at times, ownership recently backed both Snow and Capuano, lauding the leadership as a reason they advanced past Florida in the first round. Though they lost Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo, and Matt Martin, Tucker adds that they signed Andrew Ladd to a long term deal and should still be competitive next season.
- Mark Stepenski caught up with with Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel who thinks the Stars are only going to build on last year’s successes. The addition of defenseman Dan Hamhuis is one that Roussel particularly liked, saying that “…he’s a guy that does it all and I am excited to have a guy like him on our team.” The Stars will be looking to young players for depth this season, and Roussel thinks they’ll do the job Stepenski writes.