Montreal Canadiens Sign Xavier Ouellet, Kenny Agostino, Michael Chaput
The Montreal Canadiens have committed to making their AHL team better this season, and have signed three players who could easily contribute to that. Xavier Ouellet, Kenny Agostino and Michael Chaput have all agreed to join the Montreal organization on two-way contracts, with the former two signing for one season and the latter signing for two. All three will carry a $700K cap hit in the NHL. The team also signed Jesperi Kotkaniemi to his three-year entry-level contract.
Ouellet was in the news recently as the 24-year-old was bought out by the Detroit Red Wings earlier this week. The blueliner was on the roster all season long for Detroit, but only saw action in 45 games and averaged just 13:51 of ATOI. With a large group of unmovable contracts on defense and some younger options to choose from, Ouellet became expendable and since he was just 24 years of age, a buyout would only pay him one-third of his salary. With Montreal on a two-way deal, he can provide both depth for the Canadiens, but also have a big role with the AHL Laval Rockets if he can’t make the team.
For the third straight year, Agostino has signed a one-year deal with a new team only to look for a new job the following year. The 26-year-old forward has had trouble breaking into an NHL lineup after failed tenures in Calgary, St. Louis and now Boston. Agostino has only appeared in 22 NHL games since the 2013-14 season. However, he has been a solid AHL player over the past few years, which is likely what Montreal wants from him. He has scored 63 goals in the past three years in the AHL.
Chaput was just recently dealt from the Vancouver Canucks to the Chicago Blackhawks for Tanner Kero, but Chaput who was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, was not given a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. With a two-year deal, the Canadiens plan to use the forward for depth purposes, but also to augment their AHL team as Chaput picked up 17 goals and 25 assists for the Utica Comets last year. However, he managed just nine games for Vancouver, although he did play in 68 game for the Canucks in 2016-17.
As for Kotkaniemi, the third-overall pick in the 2018 draft signed his three-year entry-level deal with the Canadiens. The center will earn $832K with a $92K signing bonus, making his deal worth a total of $925K, according to Dan Braverman of NHL.com. The team selected Kotkaniemi over several other more highly regarded prospects including Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk, but the team was more interested in adding centremen to their franchise. He tallied 10 goals and 29 points in Finland’s top SM-Liiga league.
Petr Mrazek Signs With Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have their competition for starter Scott Darling. The team has signed young Petr Mrazek to a one-year, $1.5MM deal, per a team release.
Mrazek has proven to be an inconsistent commodity over the years. The 26-year-old netminder took the starting job away from Jimmy Howard in Detroit in the 2015-16 season with a 2.33 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 54 games, suggesting he was the long-term answer in Detroit. Unfortunately, the following year he struggled, posting a 3.02 GAA and a .901 save percentage in 50 appearances. While many suggested that the team defense was to blame, a bad attitude and poor work ethic were the reason why the Red Wings opted to protect the 34-year-old Howard over Mrazek in the expansion draft last year. Instead Vegas passed on Mrazek and the youngster continued to struggle in Detroit, putting up a 2.89 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 22 games before the team opted to pull the plug and trade him to Philadelphia at the trade deadline.
The Flyers, who desperately needed goaltending help, hoped he would succeed in Philadelphia and while he had some stellar moments, he struggled more often than not, putting up a 3.22 GAA and a .891 save percentage in 17 games for them. Philadelphia opted not to offer him a qualifying offer, which allowed him to hit the free agent market.
Carolina hopes that Mrazek can rebound and find his game as the team needs another goaltender to challenge Scott Darling, who also struggled last year in his first year as a starting goaltender. Darling finished with a 3.18 GAA and a .888 save percentage. The Hurricanes hope one of the two can fix their game.
Free Agent Notes: Holden, Ellis, Namestnikov, Wilson
The Vegas Golden Knights already surprised a few when they reached out and stole Paul Stastny away from Western Conference rival Winnipeg. However, the Golden Knights are apparently not done as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Vegas is the front-runner for unrestricted free agent defenseman Nick Holden.
Holden, who spent time with both the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins last season, would be a solid depth defenseman that could add to Vegas’ core. he averaged 19:00 ATOI between both clubs, but only posted four goals and 17 points on the year. However, the 31-year-old may be starting to show a decline in skills as he was a 34-point player in 2016-17 with the Rangers.
Incidentally, Holden is being pursued by two teams as the Boston Bruins are also vying for the blueliner’s services, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The Bruins, after all, gave up a third-round pick and low-end prospect Rob O’Gara at the deadline.
- LeBrun also mentions that while Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, who will be a unrestricted free agent in one year, can sign an extension as of today. However, the scribe writes that Nashville isn’t there yet. They intend to reignite talks with Ellis and his representatives within the next one to two weeks. Nashville wants to keep Ellis in the fold at all costs as the team has put major emphasis on having a dominant four defense. The team already has P.K. Subban ($9MM AAV) and Mattias Ekholm ($3.75MM AAV) locked up for four years, while Roman Josi ($4MM AAV) is signed for another two years.
- The New York Rangers can breathe easier after the agent for restricted free agent Vladislav Namestnikov, Dan Milstein, refuted rumors that the forward was leaving for the KHL. Namestnikov, who was acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, but saw his playing time drop once he arrived in New York. After averaging 17:30 of ATOI as a Lightning, his playing time dropped to 15:43, along with his offensive production. After potting 20 goals with Tampa Bay, he managed just four points in 19 games with the Rangers. However, Milstein insists the rumors are not true and that Namestnikov believes playing in the NHL is a privilege and honor and an extension is in the works with the New York Rangers.
- Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports the Buffalo Sabres are currently working on re-signing winger Scott Wilson. The 26-year-old was picked up in a December trade this last season from the Detroit Red Wings and played a regular role as a bottom-six forward. After not scoring a point in 17 games with Detroit, he tallied six goals and 14 points in 49 games in Buffalo.
Red Wings Re-Sign Mike Green, Agree To Terms With Thomas Vanek
9:30 AM: The Red Wings have announced (via Twitter) that Green has signed his two-year deal.
7:36 AM: Craig Custance of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Vanek has agreed to a one-year, $3MM deal with Detroit.
Saturday: While the Red Wings are believed to be in rebuilding mode, it doesn’t appear that this is stopping them from being active in free agency. On top of being expected to add goalie Jonathan Bernier tomorrow, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that defenseman Mike Green is staying put and that winger Thomas Vanek is also considering a return to Detroit as well.
Green remaining in Detroit isn’t a huge surprise as the team has been actively trying to re-sign him over the past week or so, offering multiple contracts of varying term and money. It was reported earlier this week that the team was hopeful that they could lock him up on a two-year pact. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (via Twitter) that the deal will carry a $5.375MM AAV.
His re-signing would take arguably the most prominent defenseman off the market before the market even opens up. Green ranked eighth on PHR’s Top 50 UFA list, one of only two rearguards in the top-10. He gives Detroit back their top offensive threat from the back end; he has led the team in scoring by a defender in each of his three seasons with the Red Wings, averaging 35 points per season.
As for Vanek, he is quietly one of the highest scoring players in free agency this summer as his 56 points in 2017-18 rank third among all unrestricted free agents. That helped earn him the #14 ranking on our list. Despite his offensive performance in recent years, he has bounced around in recent years, playing for five different teams since 2016.
One of those teams is Detroit, who initially signed him in the summer of 2016 after he was bought out by Minnesota. He fared relatively well as he posted 38 points in 48 games before being dealt to Florida as a rental player at the trade deadline. It wouldn’t be surprising to see if that was the idea they have in mind here as well although Vanek would certainly prefer to have a little bit more stability and security after moving around as much as he has lately.
These moves would likely represent the bulk of Detroit’s offseason spending in free agency. While the team has a little over $20.5MM in cap space per CapFriendly, these three veterans would likely eat up half of that or more and they still have some notable restricted free agents to re-sign, headlined by center Dylan Larkin.
Red Wings To Sign Harri Sateri
- The Red Wings have agreed to terms with Harri Sateri, reports Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland (Twitter link). The 28-year-old spent most of last season with Florida’s AHL affiliate in Springfield, posting a stellar .927 SV% with a 2.30 GAA in 29 games. He got into nine games with the Panthers down the stretch, going 4-4-0 with a 2.92 GAA and a .911 SV%.
Red Wings Interested In Derek Ryan
While center Derek Ryan won’t be returning to Carolina, he will have quite a few teams to choose from. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that he has a pair of multi-year offers on the table, one from Calgary and another from an unidentified Central Division team. He adds that Detroit, Columbus, and Toronto have all expressed interest as well. Meanwhile, Michael Russo of The Athletic notes (subscription required) that the Wild are also interested but doesn’t specify if they have an offer on the table for him just yet.
The 31-year-old is coming off of his best NHL season, one that saw him post a respectable 38 points (15-23-38) in 80 games while winning an impressive 56.5% of his faceoffs. He’s still a relatively unknown player with just 153 career NHL games under his belt but he should slot in nicely as a third line pivot with his new team. Ryan ranks 22nd on our Top 50 Free Agents list with a projected contract of two years and $4.8MM.
More free agent notes with the market set to officially open less than 24 hours from now:
- Winger Austin Czarnik has largely flown under the radar but he has received interest from 24 different teams, reports Craig Custance of The Athletic (via Twitter). He adds that a two-year deal with a Western Conference team appears to be the likeliest outcome at this time. The 25-year-old lit up the AHL this past season with 25 goals and 44 assists in 69 games which ranked third overall in league scoring. He also added four assists in ten games with the Bruins. NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty tweets that the Oilers are among the teams making a push.
- It doesn’t appear that there is a big gap to bridge between the Bruins and goaltender Anton Khudobin. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports (Twitter link) that the two sides were only $150K per year apart on talks. However, it appears that Khudobin, barring a change in the next little while, will go to the open market. TSN’s Darren Dreger tweets that Dallas could make sense as a landing spot.
- 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.
Snapshots: Ouellet, Ryan, Utah
Xavier Ouellet was bought out by the Detroit Red Wings to open up some roster spots for their young defensive prospects, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be part of an NHL organization next year. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the Montreal Canadiens have “kicked the tires” on Ouellet since his buyout, indicating that there is at least some interest.
Ouellet was actually born in France but played his minor hockey just outside Montreal and captained the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during his QMJHL career. It would be a homecoming of sorts for the 24-year old defenseman should he sign with the Canadiens, who have a lot of experience on the blue line but found little success there last season. Montreal may not have room to add him on the NHL roster, but he would certainly provide a solid option for the Laval Rocket who are trying to rebuild after a disastrous season that included losing the last twelve games of the regular season.
- The Calgary Flames are interested in their own version of reconnecting a player with a familiar structure, though this time it’s not a hometown. Derek Ryan is visiting the Flames today according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, a good fit given that his former head coach Bill Peters is now running the show. Peters was the coach who gave Ryan his first crack at the NHL after a long and winding hockey career, and the 31-year old center rewarded him with a 38-point season in 2017-18. Ryan is one of the top centers available this summer behind John Tavares, despite his relatively little experience in the NHL. Making his debut at the age of 29, he has just 153 games under his belt to this point.
- The Utah Grizzlies are the new ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, extending their organizational structure to a third tier below the newly promoted Colorado Eagles. The Eagles won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup in each of the past two seasons, but were bumped up to the AHL as a 31st team to provide equal numbers with the NHL. Utah wasn’t so lucky, missing the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. The Avalanche will try to turn that around immediately, and make a commitment to developing a solid prospect base for the Grizzlies to work with.
Detroit Red Wings Still Talking To Mike Green
The Detroit Red Wings weren’t able to trade the expiring contract of defenseman Mike Green at the deadline given his injury concerns, but now might not be losing him for nothing in free agency after all. Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports that the Red Wings are in talks with Green and believe they can sign him to a two-year contract. Detroit obviously could ink Green to a deal before Sunday since he’s still under their control, though there was expected to be plenty of interest in him on the open market as one of the better puck-moving defensemen available. Green is coming off a three-year, $18MM contract with the Red Wings he signed in the summer of 2015.
Now 32 years old, Green is no longer the dominant offensive weapon he once was. Scoring 31 goals in just 68 games during the 2008-09 season, and followed it up with a 76-point campaign, he finished second in Norris Trophy voting in consecutive years. That incredible powerplay weapon may be gone, but Green can still contribute with the man advantage and be an effective puck-moving option at even-strength. He’s not as weak defensively as some may believe, and doesn’t require extremely sheltered minutes like other offensive-minded players—though he would likely excel if given them.
The Red Wings, who recently bought out Xavier Ouellet and traded Robbie Russo, need someone to play defense for them even if some of their younger players are ready to take the next step. Niklas Kronwall, Trevor Daley and Jonathan Ericsson are all on the last legs of their careers and bring long injury histories, while Danny DeKeyser isn’t as effective as he once was. Re-signing Green would also keep an asset in the organization that could be valuable at the trade deadline, a strategy that could pay dividends if he’s not injured this time and doesn’t demand a no-movement clause.
Green should have enough leverage for a fairly expensive contract, but the Red Wings have plenty of cap space to fit him in. Sitting more than $20MM under the ceiling, Detroit could be quite creative with free agents this summer. Andreas Athanasiou, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha all need new deals, but for a rebuilding squad that just had one of the best drafts in the league, signing veteran names to short-term deals that could be moved at the deadline is a solid plan.
Detroit Red Wings Closing In On Jonathan Bernier
The Detroit Red Wings have quite a bit of uncertainty in net going forward, with Jimmy Howard signed for just a single season and Jared Coreau leaving the organization as a Group VI unrestricted free agent. Because of that, both Craig Custance (subscription required) and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic have heard a connection to free agent goaltender Jonathan Bernier. LeBrun goes as far as stating that Bernier is “likely” going to sign in Detroit, while Custance believes he could get a three-year deal to provide some stability in goal for the team.
Detroit traded away Petr Mrazek last season after he failed to live up to their lofty expectations, and were left with a 34-year old Howard as their only real NHL option. Though he certainly played well enough to remain with the team, there isn’t a succession plan in place any longer and the team knows they need to find an answer on the market, be that through trade or free agency. Bernier, 29, played some very good hockey for the Colorado Avalanche, going 19-13-3 with a .913 save percentage as they dealt with injuries to Semyon Varlamov. That situates him as one of the better goaltending options on the market, and one that could easily slide into a tandem with Howard next season.
Bernier has long been considered a starting-caliber goalie, though struggled at times in that role in Toronto. One of the league’s smallest netminders, he was an outstanding backup to Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles and has shown an ability to steal games at times with his quick reflexes and solid glove hand. Colorado could have retained him as a complement to Varlamov, but instead went out and acquired Philipp Grubauer to give them a potential long-term option.
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?