Toronto Maple Leafs Lead Bonus Overages List
It looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs are at the top of at least one list. CapFriendly released a list of teams with Bonus Overages for this year, which result from players on their entry-level contracts hitting their standard bonuses. Nine teams’ performance bonuses went over the salary cap with the Maple Leafs leading with $2.55MM, which will now count against their 2018-19 cap. The bonus overages range from Toronto’s $2.55MM to the Minnesota Wild’s $25K.
The Maple Leafs’ bonuses came from just three players from the entry-level contracts of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander which totaled the $2.55MM. Since the team had no remaining cap room in 2017-18, it pushes over to the following year. Most of the nine teams were at the cap threshold, while others like the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and the Tampa Bay Lightning had some cap room to take a part of the bonus hits.
Two teams bonuses could still go up as Boston’s Jake Debrusk and Tampa Bay’s Mikhail Sergachev could each receive bonus if they are named to the All-Rookie Team.
Here is the nine-team list:
Toronto Maple Leafs: $2,550,000
Chicago Blackhawks: $1,232,500
Vancouver Canucks: $852,847
Boston Bruins: $774,000
Detroit Red Wings: $755,000
St. Louis Blues: $150,988
Tampa Bay Lightning: $142,947
Washington Capitals: $82,500
Minnesota Wild: $25,000
Red Wings Notes: Larkin, Athanasiou, Fulcher
Drafting Dylan Larkin was the equivalent of hitting the NHL talent jackpot writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. Calling him the foundation of Detroit’s rebuilding process, Larkin fell to Detroit in the 2014 NHL Draft. St. James assesses that the 21-year-old center is captain material and that the Red Wings have a chance to build around a player that could lead them back to their familiar days of contention. Of course, the Red Wings have been reluctant to actually rebuild and instead, opt to sign free agents in the hopes of making the playoffs, which blocks the progress of younger players. Larkin was the exception, as his performance was too strong to ignore right out of his first training camp in 2015, and he’s been a mainstay on the roster since.
- St. James also answers questions about Andreas Athanasiou, the polarizing forward who dazzles with his speed and scoring prowess but perplexes with his inability to find regular ice time due to what appears to be conflicts with management. After holding out to start the 2017-18 season, Athanasiou did not live up to the billing Detroit was hoping for–but many in Hockeytown would argue he was never given the chance. She quotes head coach Jeff Blashill as saying… “that consistency level and work ethic and compete is going to be critical for AA.” It sounds like a tug of war between a player and management making some wonder if Athanasiou will find himself shipped out of town. St. James writes that with his numbers dropping, the return wouldn’t be what Detroit would want.
- Red Wings prospect Kaden Fulcher is featured in a London Free Press article, extolling the performance of the youngster who has been strong between the pipes for the Hamilton Bulldogs en route to a Memorial Cup appearance. Fulcher signed a three-year entry level contract with the Red Wings and MLive’s Ansar Khan explains that Fulcher’s improvement is a reflection of his work ethic. The Red Wings expect him to compete for a job in Grand Rapids and should that not pan out, he would go to either the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL or back to Hamilton for his overage junior year.
Holland: Red Wings Likely To Draft Multiple Defensemen In First Three Rounds
- The Red Wings will head into next month’s Entry Draft with a clear need to get younger on the back end. Not surprisingly, GM Ken Holland acknowledged to Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News that they will likely be drafting multiple defensemen in the early stages. Detroit will be active in the first half of the draft with a total of seven selections in the first three rounds.
Eastern Notes: Backstrom, Bjork, Vinik, Mantha
While considered to be a game-time decision, the news doesn’t look good for the Washington Capitals who have been without Nicklas Backstrom for the past two games with a hand injury. The center did participate in the morning skate for the first time since being injured during Game 5 of the Capitals second playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
However, while he did skate with the team, NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reports that Backstrom did not participate in line rushes or work with the power play unit during practice, suggesting that he will miss likely his third-straight game today against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports that he didn’t take too many shots during practice, but considers it an encouraging sign that he could be ready in the near future.
While the team has been without Backstrom for the past two games, it hasn’t had a major effect on the team. The team knocked off Pittsburgh in Game 6 against the Penguins and then followed that up with a Game 1 win of the Eastern Conference Finals Friday.
- The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes that Boston Bruins rookie Anders Bjork needs to regain his top prospect status after an injury-plagued season this year. Considered to be one of the Bruins’ top rookies entering the 2017-18 season, the speedy Bjork won a spot out of training camp on the team’s first line, matched with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, but suffered a concussion on Nov. 11 via a hit from Toronto’s Matt Martin and never was able to full recover. After sitting out for three week, Bjork struggled upon returning to the lineup and began to find himself as the team’s healthy scratch before eventually being assigned to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. A labral tear in his left shoulder on Jan. 30 put an end to his season. Now that Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Ryan Donato have passed him on the depth chart, the rookie must come back and show that he belongs in the Bruins rotation as well next year.
- Sports Illustrated’s Alex Pruitt interviews Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik about the step-by-step process of buying the franchise and how he turned the struggling franchise around, ranging from why he chose Tampa Bay, to the hiring of Steve Yzerman, to the delicate free agent negotiations with Steven Stamkos.
- While handing out big free agent contracts with no-trade clauses didn’t stop, the Detroit Red Wings did begin drafting for the future back in 2013. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James looks back and breaks down the team’s entire draft in which the franchise began to restock their barren farm system, starting with first-round pick Anthony Mantha, who looks to be on his way to being a core player with the potential to put up 30 goals.
Red Wings Expected To Show Interest In Signing Carter Hutton
- The Red Wings have a vacancy to fill between the pipes this summer and Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that Blues netminder Carter Hutton is someone that they have interest in. Hutton is coming off of a career season that saw him post a 2.09 GAA and a .931 SV% in 32 appearances and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. However, he’ll undoubtedly be seeking a significant raise on the two-year, $2.25MM deal he just completed and Detroit is a team that is typically close to the Upper Limit of the salary cap so it will be interesting to see if there is a number that would work for both sides.
Offseason Keys: Detroit Red Wings
While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning. What storylines lie ahead around the league? Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Detroit Red Wings.
It turns out that missing the postseason wasn’t just a one-off for Detroit. After seeing their streak of 25 straight playoff appearances come to an end in 2016-17, the Red Wings followed that up with a lesser showing this past season, seeing their point total drop from 79 to 73. With a rebuild and a youth movement on the horizon, here’s what is on Detroit’s to-do list this offseason.
Reshape The Defense
The Red Wings have typically spent a lot of money on their back end and this season was no exception as their seven regulars carried a cap charge of over $25MM. Unfortunately for them, they haven’t got a lot of bang for their buck. Their back end is fairly old with three players aged 34 or older and for a rebuilding team, that’s not ideal.
They will also be tasked with either replacing or re-signing their top defender from this year (in terms of points and average ice time) as Mike Green is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July. His season ended prematurely with a spine injury but he’s expected to be ready for next season so his market shouldn’t suffer too badly. On the one hand, it’s reasonable to think GM Ken Holland will want to bring him back because of his importance to the team but on the other, he’ll turn 33 soon after the season gets underway. Re-signing him would give them four players 33 or older on defense, not exactly the typical route for a rebuilding team.
Given their salary cap constraints (they were in LTIR all season), it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to move out one of their veterans (even if Green leaves) to free up some extra cap room while opening up a spot for one of their young defenders to make a push for a roster spot.
Assess The Goalie Situation
There are a couple of decisions to be made between the pipes. For starters, with Petr Mrazek being dealt near the trade deadline and Jared Coreau struggling down the stretch, Holland needs to find a backup to starter Jimmy Howard. Do they look for a one-year stopgap or take a run at someone who can step into the number one role if need be?
A decision also needs to at least be pondered when it comes to Howard’s situation. He will be entering the final year of his contract in 2018-19 with a cap hit just shy of $5.3MM. His play in recent years has varied considerably; this past season, he posted numbers slightly below the league average but in 2016-17, he was one of the better starters in the league. Which is the real Howard? The latter is someone to commit to bringing back but the former isn’t.
At 34, Howard isn’t the goalie of the long-term future. However, they don’t really have a can’t-miss youngster in the system either so there isn’t anyone knocking on the door. Accordingly, there’s a case to be made to try to keep Howard around for another few years as a bridge to whoever comes next. Sooner than later though, they’re going to have to acquire that next netminder.
Contract For Larkin
Dylan Larkin’s progression through his first three NHL seasons has been rocky at times but the good has far outweighed the bad. After taking a step back in his sophomore campaign, the 21-year-old took a big step forward in 2017-18, posting career highs in assists (47) and points (63) to lead the Red Wings in scoring. He also successfully transitioned back to playing center. All in all, it was a nice platform season as he enters restricted free agency for the first time.
Clearly, Detroit is going to want to sign Larkin long-term. However, they have quite a few others to lock up this summer (including fellow RFAs Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha) while replacing or re-signing Green won’t be cheap either. The expected increase in the salary cap will help but they won’t be able to give all three youngsters lengthy deals. Considering Larkin’s importance to the team, there’s a good chance that they’ll work to try to get a long-term pact done with him quickly and then try to pencil in their other signings over the course of the summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Overseas Notes: Cameron, Lewis, Huska
Dave Cameron did not stay unemployed for very long, though his new position is far from where he has made his living for the last thirty-odd years. The Erste Bank Liga (EBEL), a lower-tier European league based mostly in Austria, has announced that Cameron has been named the new head coach of the Vienna Capitals, the league’s reigning regular season champions. Cameron had been working as an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames for the past two seasons, but was relieved last month alongside head coach Glen Gulutzan. Prior to that position, he has served as the head coach for the Ottawa Senators after working his way up from long-time assistant. Even before that, Cameron was showing the breadth of his hockey mind as both the head coach and GM of several OHL franchises. Yet, this new job is his first outside of North America and brings with it the challenges of a brand new market and caliber of player. However, Cameron is an experienced coach and should find his way in no time at all in Vienna.
- Another coach has not been so lucky. Dave Lewis, most well known for a long stint as assistant and head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from the late 80’s through the mid-2000’s, has lost his job with the Belarus national program, per insider Igor Eronko. Lewis, who also had a short-lived stint as Boston Bruins head coach and brief stops as an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes, has been working for Belarus in various roles since 2014. He had guided four IIHF World Championship teams, an Olympic qualifying bid, and the team’s World Juniors appearance this season. However, just three games into the ongoing Worlds, national officials have clearly decided that they have had enough with the lack of success out of their long-time coach. Lewis has struggled to find results as a head coach over the years and the next step for the 64-year-old is a mystery.
- Although Adam Huska likely has two years left at the University of Connecticut, HK Sochi of the KHL may have made a shrewd move in acquiring the KHL rights to the Slovak goaltender today. The team reported this morning that Huska’s rights had been transferred to Sochi from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in exchange for forward Dmitri Lugin. Huska was a seventh-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2015, but given the team’s depth in goalie prospects – Alexandar Georgiev, Brandon Halverson, and mostly Igor Shestyorkin – it’s quite possible that Huska could choose to return home to Europe, in which case Sochi will gain a talented, young netminder. Huska posted a .912 save percentage and 2.59 GAA in 27 starts last year and should only continue to thrive in net for UConn before he makes his decision on turning pro.
David Pope Signs Entry-Level Contract With Detroit Red Wings
It was hardly a secret that David Pope was nearing a deal with the Detroit Red Wings, and the team officially announced a two-year entry-level contract with the 23-year old winger today. Pope had the chance to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but will instead sign with the team who drafted him five years ago.
That draft was in 2013, when the Red Wings made Pope their fourth-round pick, 109th overall. He returned to the BCHL for one season before heading for the NCAA, where he would develop into a top level scorer. The 6’3″, 194-lbs forward ended with 41 points in just 35 games this season for the University of Nebraska-Omaha, including an impressive 12 powerplay goals. His speed and power will give him a good chance at the NHL as soon as next season. Topher Scott of The Athletic (subscription required) broke down some of Pope’s talents earlier this season, highlighting his excellent skating ability as a difference maker in his overall game.
While the Red Wings are in a sort of rebuild, they have enough talented young players on the roster that they could take a step forward next season offensively. Pope should fit into that group nicely, giving them another option for the powerplay and some more talent on the wing. It’s not guaranteed that he’ll start in the NHL, but since he’ll be 24 by the time the season starts, there won’t be much seasoning left for him in the minors, or overall development for his game.
Western Notes: Tarasenko, Horvat, Kaprisov
Many people had high hopes that St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko would take that next step this year and become that franchise player that everyone has been waiting for. However, despite those hopes, Tarasenko had a down year. After averaging close to 39 goals per season over the past three years, the 26-year old’s goal totals dropped to 33, while his point totals went from 75 to 66.
The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that one possibility of Tarasenko’s struggles is the fact that the team traded away his three closest friends in Jori Lehtera, Ryan Reaves and Kevin Shattenkirk. Not having them around did have an effect on how Tarasenko handled himself around the team and the scribe said that both Shattenkirk and Reaves had a way of keeping the star level-headed and in check.
While the team would have little interest in bringing back Lehtera and unrealistic to bring back Shattenkirk, the team may consider bringing back Reaves, who will be an unrestricted free agent. The question there is whether the Blues could find playing time for the power forward. Reaves struggled with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has not played for the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs yet, which suggests he may not be the same player he once was. Regardless, Rutherford adds that if they do attempt to bring back Reaves, that would spell the end of Chris Thorburn, who essentially plays that same role.
- Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat is playing for Team Canada in the World Championships with one thing in mind. The Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team captain was told by the team during exit interviews at the end of the season to keep working on his two-way game. Horvat, who had a career-high in goals scored with 22, has emphasized working on his skating while in Denmark. “For me, it’s to work on my skating — you can never be too fast,” said Horvat, who also said working on his defensive awareness is another skill he’s been working on.
- The Minnesota Wild have had no luck changing the mind of prospect Kirill Kaprisov, according to The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required). The 21-year-old Russian prospect has been playing alongside long-time Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk at the IIHF World Championships and the two have been a great combination. However, despite the youngster’s success and the Wild’s desperate need for a young scorer, his agent Dan Milstein reiterated that he will not come to the U.S. until his contract in the KHL expires. He still has two years remaining with CSKA Moscow. “Kirill has two years left on his KHL contract which he intends to fulfill. Long-term plan is to play in the NHL,” Milstein wrote via e-mail.
Red Wings Nearing Deal With Prospect David Pope
The Red Wings are closing in on finalizing a contract with prospect winger David Pope, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. She adds that the two-year, entry-level deal could be made official over the next few days.
Pope was Detroit’s fourth-round pick (109th overall) back in 2013 and recently wrapped up his college career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He saved his best play for last as Pope set career highs in goals (20), assists (21), and points (41) in his senior year.
The team had approached Pope about signing late in the season but his preference was to stay at school to wrap up his classes. The Red Wings are intent on getting younger and the 23-year-old could very well make a push for a roster spot in training camp.
As a senior, Pope could have opted to not sign and would have become an unrestricted free agent on August 16th. However, he had indicated back in February that he intended to not go to the open market and it appears he will be sticking to his word in the days to come.