List Of Potential Destinations For Carter Hutton Cut To Six
Among this year’s free agent goaltending crop, Carter Hutton stands out as a name that could potentially take over a starting role. The 32-year old is coming off an incredible season with the St. Louis Blues, and had been reportedly in talks with as many as eight teams on the first day of the free agent negotiating period. Now, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that group is down to just six teams.
LeBrun adds that even those six are broken into two tiers, depending on whether or not they’ll give Hutton a chance to fight for the starting role. The teams he’s sure of are the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders. All four are unsurprising contenders, as they all are dealing with uncertain goaltending situations as they head into next season. Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) also links the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings to Hutton, and adds that the Blues expressed interest in retaining him at the end of the year.
Hutton registered a .931 save percentage this season in 32 appearances, and continued to show why he’s considered one of the best backups in the league. His career save percentage is now up to .915, and he carries a 63-39-17 record. It’s hard to imagine a team giving him a big money, long-term contract, but it’s clear that he deserves more than the $1.125MM he’s averaged over the last two seasons.
In Buffalo, Carolina and New York he’d likely be given a chance to be a starting goaltender, as Linus Ullmark, Scott Darling and Thomas Greiss haven’t yet proven they can handle the full load. In Chicago, where Corey Crawford‘s health is still up in the air, they need to find an option they can rely on. Any interest from Boston and Detroit would likely be as a backup for Tuukka Rask or Jimmy Howard, though each have shown some inconsistency in the past. Howard is also on the final year of his current contract, meaning Detroit will need someone to step in should he head to another team next summer.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Tyler Bertuzzi, Martin Frk
The Detroit Red Wings weren’t going to give Martin Frk a qualifying offer, but it won’t matter now. The team announced they have agreed on new contracts for both Frk and Tyler Bertuzzi, inking the former to a one-year deal worth $1.05MM and the latter to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.4MM. Detroit was trying to avoid going to arbitration with Frk, at which point he could have ended up with a larger cap hit than they were willing to pay.
Bertuzzi especially is expected to be a part of the Red Wings future, after registering 24 points in 48 games this season. The 23-year old forward will be a useful player for the team as they try to turn things around, and now will receive a contract that indicates his full-time role with the club. A second-round pick in 2013, he’s developed into a bang-and-crash winger that can contribute offensively while providing a physical presence in the corners. Whether the remains on the first powerplay unit now that the team is bringing in more talent like Filip Zadina and Michael Rasmussen is yet to be decided.
Speaking of the powerplay, that appears to be Frk’s best role for the club though it’s not clear how he fits. The 24-year old had 25 points this season, including nine on the powerplay where his hard one-timer is a lethal weapon. That weapon sometimes is uncontrollable, but still could develop into a reliable option for the Red Wings to use. With a left-handed shot like Zadina coming in, the Red Wings will be able to create plenty of danger with the man advantage.
The Red Wings still have some big names like Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou left to deal with among their restricted free agents, but have nearly $23MM in cap room heading into next season. That’s something they haven’t had for some time, and makes them a dangerous option in the market this summer. Though the team has struggled since some of their legendary players left the team, it might not be such a long wait to see the Red Wings back in a playoff hunt. They had an excellent draft this weekend and have 11 picks next year.
Arizona Coyotes Acquire Robbie Russo
Late last night, after all the commotion died down around Washington re-signing star defenseman John Carlson to an eight-year, $64MM contract, the Detroit Red Wings quietly made a trade. The Red Wings sent minor league defenseman Robbie Russo to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2019. Russo, along with Xavier Ouellet who is expected to be bought out, ran out of time to impress the Detroit staff and was taking up a valuable roster spot.
Russo, 25, played well in the minor leagues once again for the Grand Rapids Griffins, but wasn’t given a chance at the NHL level. The smooth skating defenseman has never been very well regarded in the defensive zone, but has produced so well at the other end of the rink it’s not surprising a team like Arizona would give him a shot. He’s currently on the last season of a two-year two-way contract, and at the very least he’ll add another weapon to the Tucson Roadrunners.
It doesn’t seem likely that the Coyotes will have much of a need for Russo in the NHL, and if he doesn’t play in another 61 games this season he’ll be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency next summer. That seems like the most likely scenario, which may be what the conditions on the draft pick are tied to.
Xavier Ouellet Expected To Be Bought Out
Earlier this month we heard that the Detroit Red Wings were actively shopping defenseman Xavier Ouellet, but now as we close in on free agency it seems they’ve come to a different decision. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Red Wings will place Ouellet on waivers for the purpose of a buyout. Ouellet has one year remaining on his contract and carries a $1.25MM cap hit. Since he’s still just 24 though, a buyout would only pay him 1/3rd of his remaining salary, meaning the Red Wings would incur the following cap charges:
- 2018-19: $166,667
- 2019-29: $216,667
They would also save over $860K in real salary, while burying Ouellet in the minor leagues would leave them with a $225K cap charge this season and force them to pay all $1.3MM in salary. Though it was clear that the Red Wings didn’t see a future for Ouellet in Detroit, buyouts for players this young are fairly rare. The 2011 second-round pick hasn’t found a full-time role with the team and with several even younger prospects ready to push for jobs this season there is no longer any room.
The Red Wings had an outstanding weekend, snatching up Filip Zadina after he fell a few spots and collecting Joe Veleno at the end of the first round. Those two were paired with a few other excellent prospects at the start of the second, making quite an impressive haul for the team in this year’s draft. Detroit is in the middle of a rebuild as they try to get out from under some of the bad contracts given out during their playoff run, and are building quite the prospect pipeline in a short amount of time. Defensemen like Dennis Cholowski and Filip Hronek will be competing for roles in the NHL before long, while Zadina could jump into the league right away.
For Ouellet, it’s unclear where his market will land after this buyout. Not many 24-year old defensemen get an opportunity at free agency, but there obviously wasn’t a huge trade market or the Red Wings would have used that instead of resorting to a buyout. He may have to accept a two-way contract and prove himself in training camp, or else try to fight back up from the minor leagues at some point. Regardless, this is hardly the end of his professional career.
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
Detroit Red Wings Don’t Expect To Move Up In Draft
The biggest question about the upcoming NHL draft is what the Montreal Canadiens will do with the third-overall pick. While reports continue to circulate that they are enamored with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and would be willing to select him right after Carolina takes Andrei Svechnikov, there is still some smoke coming out of the idea of trading down. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has heard rumblings about it again, and wonders if the Arizona Coyotes would be a fit with the fifth-overall pick.
One team the Canadiens won’t be able to swap with are the Detroit Red Wings, whose GM Ken Holland has just told Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic that he doesn’t expect to move up tonight from No. 6. For what it’s worth, Craig Morgan of AZ Sports doesn’t believe the Coyotes are interested either, given that there would be a cost attached and there should still be plenty of talented players at No. 5.
The Red Wings desperately need some game breaking talent injected into their system as they continue to try and turn things around, and there should be several options at the sixth-overall slot. Last season they picked Michael Rasmussen, a huge center from the WHL, leading many to believe that it will be a defenseman pulling on the winged wheel tonight. Obviously nothing is set in stone until Holland and his group walk to the podium, but they seem happy to pick right where they are this time around.
Philipp Grubauer Generating Plenty Of Interest
Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was very clear after the season that he would try to give Philipp Grubauer a chance to be a starting goaltender. That chance won’t be with the Capitals though, as MacLellan admitted he’d explore the trade market to try and find Grubauer an opportunity where he could step into a bigger role. In doing so, several sets of ears perked up around the league and speculation started swirling around who could afford to acquire the 26-year old goaltender.
Grubauer is a restricted free agent this summer, meaning a trade is the best outcome for the Capitals as well. Even with the increase in the salary cap from $75MM to $79.5MM, Washington doesn’t have a ton of room. Unrestricted free agent John Carlson may take half of their projected $15.7MM in cap space should they re-sign him, while Tom Wilson and others are also restricted free agents looking for raises. Grubauer, with all his success as the backup to Braden Holtby, is a luxury the team may not be able to afford.
He does have a successful resume though, which is likely why several teams have been calling with interest. Bob McKenzie of TSN was on the radio this morning reporting that there is plenty of interest in acquiring Grubauer, and listed the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche as teams that are “in” on the RFA goaltender. McKenzie suggests that teams may be willing to part with a first or second round pick if they believe Grubauer can step into a starting role, or at least a tandem with one of their current options. That goes along with the reports from Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) and Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that the Capitals are looking for—or perhaps expecting—a late first or early second-round pick in exchange for their backup goaltender.
None of this means that the team will definitely trade Grubauer at the draft this weekend, but a draft pick today is worth more than one down the line in terms of development. The Capitals are looking to compete for a second consecutive Stanley Cup in 2018-19, but are also committed to building a program that can continue contending long-term. They are one of the few contending teams that did not give up their first-round pick at this year’s trade deadline, and are in good shape to keep adding prospects to a pipeline that has produced several key players over the years. If they can procure a pick in tonight’s first round, it would by default be higher than their first selection and allow them some more currency to try and work with as they strengthen their roster for another run.
Red Wings Name Dan Bylsma Assistant Coach
The Red Wings have brought in a veteran behind their bench, announcing that they have named Dan Bylsma as an assistant coach. He replaces John Torchetti who was let go at the end of the season.
Head coach Jeff Blashill had the following to say about his newest assistant:
“I know that Dan will make a great impact on our team, and we’re excited to add him to the bench. His resume speaks for itself, including the Stanley Cup championship and Jack Adams Award. I also had the unique opportunity to work with Dan at this year’s World Championship, and that experience leaves no doubt that Dan will bring innovative ideas and tremendous attention to detail to our coaching staff.”
Bylsma has predominantly worked as a head coach in recent years. He spent parts of six seasons in that role with the Penguins, making the playoffs each time while winning the Stanley Cup back in his first year with the team in 2009. He also served as the bench boss in Buffalo in 2015-16 and 2016-17 but his teams posted a sub-.500 record in both years which resulted in him being let go along with GM Tim Murray last spring.
Worth noting is that Blashill is entering the final year of his contract. If the team struggles out of the gate, Detroit now has a veteran replacement on their bench that could step into the role at any time.
Martin Frk Will Not Receive Qualifying Offer From Detroit Red Wings
In a somewhat surprising turn, the Detroit Red Wings will not extend Martin Frk a qualifying offer this summer according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Frk is scheduled to become a restricted free agent, but if he goes unqualified would find himself a UFA on the open market.
Frk is arbitration eligible this summer, meaning that if the team did issue a qualifying offer he could potentially take them to player-elected arbitration and try to get a higher salary. If the team isn’t willing to take that risk, not qualifying him doesn’t necessarily take them out of the running to re-sign him at some point. Still, the move likely means Frk will at least listen to other teams and see if he can find a better deal elsewhere. St. James suggests the Dallas Stars, where former Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Todd Nelson has been recently hired as an assistant coach. Nelson and Frk won a Calder Cup together in 2016-17.
There is one thing that Frk is most known for around the league—other than his interesting vowel-less last name of course—and that’s his shot. Armed with an incredibly hard one-timer, Frk has registered big goal totals in the minor leagues for several years and ended up with 11 during his first season in Detroit. He’ll turn 25 this October though, and at this point is a sort of one-dimensional scoring threat for the Red Wings. As the team looks to move forward with even younger, more dynamic players there may just be no room for Frk up front.
Dan Bylsma Expected To Return To NHL Coaching Role
Stanley Cup-winning head coach Dan Bylsma didn’t have a job in the NHL in 2017-18 after being fired by the Buffalo Sabres, but could be back behind a bench for next season. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that Bylsma could be hired this week as an assistant, with the Detroit Red Wings being the most likely destination. Bylsma recently coached with Detroit head coach Jeff Blashill at the World Championships.
Bylsma won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 after taking over from Michel Therrien, and took the club to five straight playoff appearances thereafter. Unable to get them back to the Finals though, Bylsma was replaced by Mike Johnston and a year later took a job with the Buffalo Sabres, where he recorded a sub-.500 record in two seasons. Fired along with GM Tim Murray last spring, Bylsma spent the year as a broadcaster for NHL Network but was always a candidate to be hired eventualy.
The Red Wings let John Torchetti go at the end of the year, and recently lost AHL head coach Todd Nelson to the Dallas Stars. Bylsma joining Blashill’s staff would certainly give the group some more experience, and put a Jack Adams award winner behind the bench once again in Detroit.