East Notes: Smith, Daley, Kunitz
When it came down to it, Brendan Smith felt no one else could beat what the Rangers offered. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen writes that the 28-year-old defenseman felt the Rangers provided the best opportunity after hearing other teams out:
“I think I could be a big part of that team,” Smith said. “I kind of like the niche that the Rangers have. They’re a little bit younger. I noticed that we are ahead of what I expected the Rangers to be with all these young guys.”
Smith was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2018 second round pick and a 2017 third round pick, but it wasn’t as if the Rangers didn’t benefit, either. Smith shifted into a more prominent role with the Blueshirts, whereas in Detroit, he found himself a healthy scratch or in the opinion of some fans, “misused” in terms of deployment. In nearly half as many games, Smith nearly matched his production with Detroit and saw a 90 second jump in average ice time. Smith alluded to the trade being a better fit and the stats show, especially after an impressive performance in the playoffs.
- The Red Wings, meanwhile, appear to be closing in on signing Trevor Daley to a contract. Surprisingly, Daley seems to have left the Pens out, which is odd since he nabbed two Stanley Cups in as many years with the Penguins. The Score’s Josh Gold-Smith writes that the Bruins and Red Wings were the front runners for Daley’s services while Elliott Friedman tweeted that the Red Wings were more than likely to sign him. Sean Tierney of the Athletic analyzed some of the defensemen Detroit should target and Daley, though on the list, doesn’t measure up statistically with some of the other options out there. Tierney used an advanced metric, Goals Above Replacement, which measures a “single-measure stat that sums up the contributions a player makes during the course of a game.” Measured that way, Daley doesn’t appear to be one of the more attractive options. But should the deal come at an affordable price, it could be something that bolsters the Red Wings blueline, or help the Red Wings out at the trade deadline should they want to acquire more draft picks.
- Chris Kunitz might find himself on the outs with the Penguins writes Fanrag’s Dave Holcomb. With a glut of forwards and specifically wings, Kunitz might find himself on the outside looking in with so many younger players filling the roster. Holcomb gauges that after the Pens bring back Matt Cullen and Nick Bonino, Kunitz may have a better idea of if he’ll be back.
Trevor Daley, Dan Girardi Close To New Deals
According to the venerable Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, two deals that seem close as we head into free agency are Trevor Daley heading to the Detroit Red Wings and Dan Girardi heading the Tampa Bay Lightning. While Friedman mentions other potential connections, these are the two he seems surest of, even indicating they could potentially already be done. While Daley can’t sign until July 1st, Girardi is technically already a free agent after being bought out by the New York Rangers.
The pair ranked 23rd and 37th on our top 50 free agent list, expecting Daley to receive an extra year on the open market. Whether the deals are done or not, it shows that there has been fierce interest for both depth defensemen. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chimes in, saying that Daley isn’t done but has narrowed his field to two or three teams (with Pittsburgh not one of them). Despite not being allowed to talk contract details in their pre-July 1st meetings, it’s assumed that basic structures are agreed upon since deals come fast and furious as soon as free agency period commences.
Daley and Girardi may not be the most exciting additions, but they could both provide a nice value for what should be relatively little money. Both players are heading into the twilight of their careers, and as we saw with Girardi’s buyout are too risky to commit big money or term to. It will be interesting to see if either one can lock down a third season, or will have to settle for one or two year deals at age 33.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Brian Lashoff, Dylan McIlrath
As CapFriendly reported yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings have signed two more AHL players, inking Brian Lashoff and Dylan McIlrath to two-year extensions. Both deals are two-way contracts worth the minimum of $650K at the NHL level. The pair are coming off a Calder Cup victory with the Grand Rapid Griffins, where they each logged big minutes.
McIlrath of course was an ill-fated 10th-overall pick of the New York Rangers, never able to amount to much more than his tough guy profile. This year saw him traded to the Florida Panthers and subsequently placed on waivers when he didn’t fit into their system either. He’d later be dealt to Detroit in the Thomas Vanek trade. The 25-year old has little upside and will likely be limited to AHL duty for the time being.
Lashoff on the other hand is an undrafted defenseman who had to grind his way through multiple minor-league seasons, including a stint in the ECHL before making his NHL debut in 2012-13. The 26-year old has settled back into an AHL role, but did see a few games in Detroit this season as a depth player. Lashoff has little offensive upside, but can relied upon in his own end and on the penalty kill. Both will be unrestricted free agents at the conclusion of the contracts.
Snapshots: Fabbri, Williams, Girardi, Ducks, Red Wings
The Blues will look to give Robby Fabbri a shot at playing center in training camp, NHL.com’s Lou Korac notes via Twitter. The 21 year old played down the middle in junior but has exclusively played on the wing through the first two years of his NHL career.
Earlier today, it was revealed that center Patrik Berglund has been lost to shoulder surgery until December so there is a short-term opening down the middle. Newcomer Brayden Schenn has spent time at that spot with the Flyers and the team has several other options but if Fabbri can make the switch, he would provide them another top six center option while also giving them some insurance behind veteran Paul Stastny who has one year left on his current contract.
Other news around the league:
- Pending unrestricted free agent winger Justin Williams spoke with CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Jill Sorenson about his chances of re-signing with Washington. The veteran acknowledged that talks haven’t gone very far, saying “We haven’t had very in-depth discussions with Washington so far, so we’ll see”. Williams put up 100 points over his two seasons with the Capitals and is slated to be one of the top scoring wingers to hit the open market on Saturday.
- Tampa Bay has shown interest in soon-to-be UFA defenseman Dan Girardi, notes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Girardi was recently bought out by the Rangers but has had several teams express an interest in talking to him during the current interview period. Smith adds that the team has yet to reach out to blueliners Karl Alzner and Cody Franson at this time.
- The Ducks have re-signed goalie Kevin Boyle to a one year, two-way contract, TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link). The deal will carry an NHL salary of $675K. Boyle split the season between Anaheim’s AHL and ECHL affiliates but put up an impressive .924 SV% in 19 AHL appearances in 2016-17.
- Anaheim also re-upped defenseman Jaycob Megna to a two year, two-way deal per CapFriendly on Twitter. The 24 year old made his NHL debut with the Ducks this season but spent most of the season with AHL San Diego, collecting 27 points (5-22-27) in 62 games.
- The Red Wings have re-signed defensemen Brian Lashoff and Dylan McIlrath to two year, two-way contracts, also per CapFriendly. Lashoff played in five games with Detroit – his first NHL action since 2014-15 – but spent the bulk of the year with AHL Grand Rapids, suiting up in 62 games. McIlrath was acquired at the trade deadline from Florida as part of the Thomas Vanek trade. The former first rounder has played in just 43 career NHL games and spent time in three different organizations last season. He’ll likely reprise his role as a depth defender with Grand Rapids to start 2017-18. Both contracts are worth the league minimum $650K at the NHL level and $275K at the minor league level.
Detroit Red Wings Interested In Bringing Back Brendan Smith
- Ansar Khan of MLive reports that the Detroit Red Wings were hoping to get Brendan Smith back in town under a respectable three-year, $10.5MM contract but that he may have other offers. Khan points to Smith’s current team the New York Rangers and a potential $4MM AAV. Smith ranked #12 on our free agent list, in which we predicted a four-year, $15MM ($3.75MM AAV) contract. Smith will certainly expect multiple offers from around the league on July 1st, as his versatility makes him an interesting option for many teams.
Free Agent Focus: Florida Panthers
The free agent period is now less than one week away from opening up and there are several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of the Florida Panthers’ free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: D Alex Petrovic only had 1 goal and 13 assists last season, but his possession stats were remarkably solid among his peers at 50.8% Corsi For. He earned $1.05 MM on his last contract, and he is due at least a slight raise. His size (6’4″) and physicality is an important asset to round out the bottom pairings of the defensive corps, even if management isn’t expecting him to light the world on fire. D Mark Pysyk, also 25 years old, has shown a bit more potential. He has less of a shutdown presence, but makes up for it by contributing to the offense on occasion. He moves the puck well with a solid if unremarkable first pass – which in today’s possession-centric NHL tends to increase value. Pysyk still hasn’t put it all together, but he’ll be a useful cog for Florida going forward. Interestingly enough, Florida’s defense is so sparse that both Pysyk and Petrovic were protected.
Other RFA’s: G MacKenzie Weegar.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Jaromir Jagr. Jagr is certainly on the downside of his career, but he still can produce points at a decent clip. He’s been a mainstay of the Panthers offense for the last two-and-a-half seasons. He only netted 16 goals, but added 30 assists to reach a reasonable 46 points. However, his contract was a tad overpriced for a 45 year old, at a $4 MM cap hit. Management apparently wants the veteran back on the squad next season according to a report by the Miami Herald’s George Richards. Richards states that the price would need to come down, but there is a solid chance he could get last year’s salary from another team desperate for production. If Florida truly wants to bring back the battle-tested winger (who sits 3rd in all-time goals), they will need to find room within their internal cap structure. His speed is certainly becoming an issue, and it remains to be seen how integral he is perceived internally.
F Thomas Vanek doesn’t look likely to make a return to the Sunshine State, as he is quite arguably the 4th best winger available after Alexander Radulov, Justin Williams, and Patrick Marleau. The chances of seeing Vanek seeing a contract similar to his $6.5 MM earned the last three seasons are almost completely non-existent, but he could easily fetch near $5 MM offer for multiple years from an offense-starved squad. Vanek did net 48 points last season, but he has the potential to do more. Vanek will almost surely find his kindest offers elsewhere. He only netted two goals in 20 games after being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings.
Other UFA’s: F Micheal Scarbossa, D Jakub Kindl, G Sam Brittain, F Kyle Rau, F Brody Sutter, G Adam Wilcox, F Chase Balisy, F Graham Black, F Paul Thompson, D Reece Scarlett, G Colin Stevens, F Steven Hodges, D Brent Regner.
Projected Cap Space: The Panthers do have slightly over $20 MM in cap space if they were to re-sign no one, but they are almost certain to re-sign Pysyck and Petrovic to short-term deals. Weegar has also been extended a qualifying offer, but it will likely be a two-way deal. Assuming they make a combined $4 MM, GM Dale Tallon will likely have about $16 MM in space with 16 roster players accounted for. His main concern has to be solidifying the defense so a repeat of last year doesn’t happen. However, with Jon Marchessault and Reilly Smith inexplicably shipped to Vegas, and likely one of Jagr and Vanek headed to other destinations, Tallon needs to add solid secondary scoring. It’s expected that Florida will be active on July 1st and into the Summer, especially with so many expiring organizational contracts – they only have 26 of the allotted 50 as of today. The organization has tried to revamp on the fly, but they will need a remarkably successful summer to re-coup all that is being lost especially in light of the meager talent available in the UFA pool. The biggest money constraint is whatever ownership places the internal cap at, which is unbeknownst to the league at large.
Red Wings Showing Interest In Veteran Defensemen Daley, Hainsey
- In terms of other Red Wings free agent notes, Custance and Ansar Khan of MLive both link the team to fellow Stanley Cup champion Ron Hainsey. Khan also lists Dan Girardi and Brian Campbell as options, as the Red Wings continue to look at veteran options to help their blueline. While Detroit isn’t expected to compete next season, Ken Holland has been clear about his desire to return to the playoffs as soon as possible. Adding any of the above defenders won’t do that on their own, but they could potentially be flipped at the trade deadline for a younger asset.
Ben Street Signs One-Year Extension With Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings have brought back one of their top minor league players, inking Ben Street to a one-year extension for 2017-18. No financial details were released. Street was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Fresh off a Calder Cup championship with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Street is one of top offensive performers in the AHL. Almost a point-per-game player in the minor leagues, he put up 21 in the 19 playoff games for the Griffins, and will return to try and take them back to the finals next season. At 30, he’s worn a captain’s “C” in the past and was an alternate in his first season in Grand Rapids this year. While he’s likely not going to play in Detroit very much, having top players like him helping carry the load in the minors is part of an oft-used development strategy to help slowly bring along prospects in a winning culture.
Street was just one of the Red Wings several UFAs, which include Drew Miller and Joe Vitale. Whether the team goes after a full rebuild and starts from scratch, or tries a short reload is still yet to be determined. GM Ken Holland has said before that he wants to make it back to the playoffs right away, but with the lack of real star players that will be a difficult task to accomplish.
Arizona Coyotes To Interview Todd Nelson For Head Coaching Job
After coming to a mutual agreement to part ways with long-time head coach Dave Tippett, the Arizona Coyotes are on the search for their next head coach. An early candidate is Todd Nelson of the Grand Rapids Griffins, who has been given permission from the Detroit Red Wings to interview for the position according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
Nelson was previously the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers for a short time, and recently guided the Griffins to a Calder Cup victory in the AHL. Considered a top candidate for several jobs this spring, he’s been passed over so far for the chance to lead an NHL club again.
A fourth-round pick of the Penguins in his playing days, Nelson made it into just three NHL games throughout his decade-plus in professional hockey. Bouncing around the minor leagues and even Europe, he’s already found more success in the coaching ranks than he did as a player. He’s the first out of what will likely be many candidates connected to the job, as the Coyotes try as quickly as possible to install a new head coach. They’ll also be filling an associate coach role, as Sarah McLellan of AZ Central reports that another mutual termination has come between Jim Playfair and the team. Despite being at development camp, the long-time coach initiated the parting.
Free Agent Focus: Detroit Red Wings
The free agent period is now less than one week away from opening up and there are several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Detroit’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: Winger Tomas Tatar has been the Red Wings most consistent scorer over the past couple seasons and is due for a large raise as a result. Though he played with a shoulder injury for much of the season, Tatar still managed to pot 25 goals. The wrinkle with Tatar is that he could still be used as a trade chip should Detroit general manager Ken Holland seek a defensive upgrade. But this seems unlikely. Holland rarely pulls the trigger on deals, despite being known to say that he’s “working the phones.” Expect Tatar to re-sign for somewhere around the money Gustav Nyquist received, possibly getting more.
C Andreas Athanasiou: Another player rumored to be used as a trade chip, Athanasiou is a dynamic, game breaking forward who uses his speed and hands to generate scoring chances while creating highlight reel goals. Despite this, the Red Wings brass and coaching staff have chided Athanasiou for his lack of defensive play and this could pull back some of the dollars he could see. The Red Wings are in somewhat of a strange flux with their roster, and Athanasiou is one of the bright spots on the roster. He’ll see a bump from his entry-level deal, especially since Detroit will need to be more reliant upon him this year.
Other RFA’s: Xavier Ouellet, Robbie Russo, Martin Frk, Jake Paterson, Brian Lashoff
Key Unrestricted free agents: LW Drew Miller – Miller isn’t so much a “key” UFA player as he is an indication of what the Red Wings brass truly values. Miller, at best, is a fringe fourth liner in the NHL. Though a “penalty kill specialist,” numbers revealed that the Red Wings penalty kill hardly missed Miller when he was sent down to AHL affiliate Grand Rapids last season. The point? The Red Wings must hand off ice time to younger, faster, more skilled players. Re-signing Miller reveals that the Red Wings still don’t trust their young players and worse, will yield very little in the way of production from Miller.
Other UFA’s: Joe Vitale, Ben Street, Dylan McIlrath, Mitch Callahan, Edward Pasquale
Projected Cap Space: Via CapFriendly, the Red Wings have close to $8MM ($7,902,955 to be exact). This money will be used to essentially re-sign everyone within the organization and leave maybe $2-$3MM for an unrestricted free agent. Though Dan Girardi is out there, it makes little sense for Detroit to throw large sums of money on a defenseman who is clearly declining. Saving the money and possibly trying to upgrade via trade would be Detroit’s best option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.