Who’s Playing On Another Team’s Dime?
The most recent CBA introduced retained salary transactions—trades where a team trade a player but agree to pay a percentage of his salary. This is ideal when a team wants a player but will have trouble fitting him in under the cap. The ability to retain salary comes with restrictions, however, so let’s briefly look at how retained salary transactions work before looking at which players are subject to them.
- A team can retain up to 50% of a player’s average salary (including bonuses);
- The retained salary amount is uniform over the full length of the player’s contract;
- A team can retain up to three players’ salary at one time;
- A team cannot have more than 15% of the salary cap devoted to retained salary;
- A team cannot retain salary on a player who is already subject to two current retained salary transactions;
- If a team acquires a player with retained salary, then trades him while also retaining salary, the second retained salary agreement cannot modify the initial retained salary agreement;
- Teams cannot reacquire a player within a year of trading him if it agreed to retain salary in the initial transaction (unless the player’s contract terminated);
- Retained salary obligations apply to any cap advantage recapture amounts; and
- Retained salary obligations still apply if a player is bought out or loaned to an AHL club. The NHL team would pay a portion of the player’s AHL salary (if applicable).
Edmonton Oilers Sign Brad Malone To Two-Year Deal
- The Edmonton Oilers have signed Brad Malone to a two-year contract. The 28-year old forward split last season between the Chicago Wolves and Hershey Bears, unable to crack the NHL lineup in Washington or St. Louis. In 176 career games, Malone has 30 points and 188 penalty minutes. He’s likely ticketed for Bakersfield, where he’ll add some depth down the middle to the AHL squad.
Stars Sign Tyler Pitlick To Three-Year Deal
The Dallas Stars added some more forward depth, inking Tyler Pitlick to a three-year, $3MM deal. Pitlick spent last season with the Edmonton Oilers, notching 11 points (8-3).
Pitlick comes at a relatively low cost and is still only 25 years of age. It’s a depth move for the Stars, who are looking to rebound from an injury-ravaged 2016-17 season. The Stars released their own announcement on the signing, with general manager Jim Nill saying:
“Tyler is a young player who will add speed and size to our lineup,. He offers versatility to our forward group and we look forward to him being a Dallas Star for many years.”
2017 NHL Free Agency Tracker
Stay with PHR for all of the free agency signings this off-season. As of noon ET on July 1st, unrestricted free agency is open, but not before many extensions earlier in June. This page serves to organize everything in one spot, and are linked to the PHR story that corresponds with the signing. All July signings will be separated by date while June signings are organized alphabetically by team. It will be updated as soon as stories post.
Please note that signings on this list start on June 12.
July 1st:
- Anaheim re-signs Cam Fowler (8 years/$52MM)
- Anaheim signs Ryan Miller (2 years/$4MM)
- Arizona signs Adam Clendening (1 year/$650K)
- Boston signs Paul Postma (1 year/$725K)
- Buffalo signs Benoit Pouliot (1 year/$1.15MM)
- Buffalo signs Chad Johnson (1 year/$2.5MM)
- Carolina signs Justin Williams (2 years/$9MM)
- Chicago signs Patrick Sharp (1 year/$1MM)
- Chicago signs J-F Berube (2 years/$3MM)
- Chicago signs Jordan Oesterle (2 years/$1.3MM)
- Colorado signs Jonathan Bernier (1 year/$2.75MM)
- Dallas signs Martin Hanzal (3 years/$14.25MM)
- Dallas signs Tyler Pitlick (3 years/$3MM)
- Detroit signs Trevor Daley (3 years/$9.534MM)
- Florida signs Radim Vrbata (1 year/$2.5MM)
- Los Angeles signs Mike Cammalleri (1 year)
- Los Angeles signs Cal Petersen ( 2 year ELC)
- Los Angeles signs Christian Folin (1 year/$850K)
- Minnesota signs Ryan Murphy (1 year/$700k)
- Minnesota signs Landon Ferraro (2 years/$1.4MM)
- Minnesota signs Kyle Quincey (1 year/$1.25MM)
- Minnesota signs Cal O’Reilly (2 years/$1.4MM)
- Montreal signs Kyle Alzner (5 years/$22.5MM)
- Montreal signs Byron Froese
- Montreal signs Peter Holland
- Nashville signs Nick Bonino (4 years)
- Nashville signs Scott Hartnell (1 year/$1MM)
- Nashville signs Anders Lindback (1 year/$650K)
- Nashville signs Matt O’Connor (1 year/$650K)
- New Jersey signs Brian Boyle (2 years/$5.1MM)
- NY Rangers sign Ondrej Pavelec (1 year/$1.3MM)
- NY Rangers sign Kevin Shattenkirk (4 year/$26.6MM)
- Ottawa signs Nate Thompson (2 years/$3.3MM)
- Philadelphia re-signs Mike Vecchione (2 years/$1.88MM)
- Pittsburgh signs Antti Niemi (1 year/$700K)
- Pittsburgh signs Matt Hunwick (3 years/$6.75MM
- San Jose re-signs Martin Jones (6 years/$34.5MM)
- San Jose re-signs Marc-Edouard Vlasic (8 years/$56MM)
- San Jose re-signs Joe Thornton
- St. Louis signs Beau Bennett (1 year/$650K)
- St. Louis signs Chris Thorburn (2 years/$1.88MM)
- St. Louis re-signs Oskar Sundqvist (1 year/$650K)
- Tampa Bay signs Dan Girardi (2 years/$6MM)
- Toronto signs Ron Hainsey (2 years/$3.25MM)
- Toronto signs Curtis McElhinney (1 year/$850K)
- Toronto signs Dominic Moore (1 year/$1MM)
- Toronto signs Garret Sparks
- Winnipeg signs Dmitri Kulikov (3 years/$13MM)
- Winnipeg signs Steve Mason (2 years/$8.2MM)
- Vancouver signs Sam Gagner (3 years/$9.45MM)
- Vancouver signs Michael Del Zotto (2 years/$6MM)
- Vancouver signs Anders Nilsson (2 years/$5MM)
Edmonton Oilers Waive Benoit Pouliot, Will Buy Out Contract
The Edmonton Oilers continue to clear cap space, placing Benoit Pouliot on unconditional waivers today for purposes of a buyout. The forward has two years remaining on his contract at $4MM per season, meaning a buyout cap-hit will be structured as follows.
- 2017-18: $1.33MM
- 2018-19: $1.33MM
- 2019-20: $1.33MM
- 2020-21: $1.33MM
Pouliot’s career in Edmonton will end on a sour note, scoring just 14 points in 2016-17. He fell completely out of favor with the coaching staff, and at 30 seemed to see his game take a considerable step backwards. The fourth-overall pick from 2005, Pouliot has never been able to keep up with his draft contemporaries. Following Sidney Crosby, Bobby Ryan and Jack Johnson, and selected one spot ahead of Carey Price, Pouliot has bounced around the league and registered a career-high of 36 points (last year and in 2013-14).
Interestingly, Pouliot has long put up solid possession metrics and even recorded a better than average career shooting percentage. Despite that, and the prime ice time he received in Edmonton prior to this year, he never could be relied upon as a top offensive producer.
His career is far from over, as he’ll surely garner attention from several teams around the league now that his price tag has come considerably down. Likely having to settle for a short-term deal on a relatively low salary, teams will be interested in his upside as a third-line winger who could move up if he can find the right fit. It will be interesting to see if he can find a team with it’s eyes on the postseason, or if he’ll rebuild along with a young team.
For the Oilers, saving $2.6MM for the next two years is important as they try to get both Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid under contract long term. Recently it was hinted that McDavid might cost as much as $13.25MM per season, and with Draisaitl looking like he might cost as much as $8MM each year, they need all the room they can get. It’s why they moved out Jordan Eberle—though, immediately committed most of that room to Kris Russell—and why they’ll have to look at other cost saving measures in the future. Pouliot was simply not needed on this team, especially as younger players like Drake Caggiula step into bigger roles.
Dave Semenko Passes At Age 59
The hockey world mourns today, as Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal passes along some tragic news. Dave Semenko, long-time Oiler and running mate of Wayne Gretzky, has died after a battle with cancer. Semenko was just 59 years old. The Oilers released a statement: 
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Oilers legend Dave Semenko after a short, but courageous battle with cancer. Dave will be remembered as a fierce competitor, loyal teammate, fan favorite and dear friend to so many. His legendary toughness on the ice is surpassed only by his kindness and caring for others, and his equally legendary wit and sense of humor.
Our hearts go out to Dave’s family and many friends.
Once an Oiler, Always an Oiler
Semenko was a force for the Oilers in the 1980s, riding shotgun with Gretzky to make sure no opponent took any cheap shots. His role was clear, but it didn’t stop him from enjoying when he did score. In fact, he tallied the final goal in WHA history before Edmonton was absorbed into the NHL, a tap-in at the side of the goal with just 12 seconds left in the final Championship game. The Winnipeg Jets would win that game and the title, but Semenko would get his revenge a few years later when he and the Oilers hoisted back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1984 and 1985.
Our former colleague Brett Barrett, who now works for Global News in Edmonton, grew up an Oilers fan and put it simply when asked.
“He was an absolute legend.”
It’s true, Semenko was spoken highly of by nearly every single person in the hockey community, mostly mentioning his genuine sense of humor and good nature, despite the angry monster he was on the ice. Semenko had worked in radio, as an assistant coach and in a scouting capacity since retirement and even played in the recent alumni game between the Oilers and Jets. He’ll by missed by everyone who cheered in awe of him both for and against, and everyone here at PHR wishes his family the best through this tough time.
Girardi Drawing Interest After Buy-Out
Although he was just bought out by the New York Rangers due to meager performance relative to his pay, multiple NHL teams have shown interest in signing the 33 year-old. Detroit, who is supposedly in the middle of a rebuild, seem compelled to inquire, according to The Athletic’s Craig Custance. The Grand Rapids Griffins championship run will provide an infusion of youth who have won at the professional level, and yet the defense remains a primary concern for GM Ken Holland. Missing the playoffs for multiple seasons may not be palatable to an organization so accustomed to success. It’s uncertain as to where Girardi would slot if he did sign in Detroit. The Wings have 7 defenseman on the roster (when you include RFA Xavier Ouellet), and 4 of those have no-trade clauses.
Also heavily rumored are the Tampa Bay Lightning. Elliotte Friedman stated that the team reached out to the defender, and that it is unknown how that conversation went. Newsday’s Steve Zipay made the connection to current Bolt Ryan Callahan, himself an ex-New York Ranger, with whom Girardi has close ties. Tampa GM Steve Yzerman does seem to like the old-school defensemen, and the team does have only 4 blueliners under contract while they negotiate terms with Slater Koekkoek. The team was already linked to Kevin Shattenkirk via the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith, and players such Brendan Smith and Karl Alzner could find a decent fit on a second pairing. There are certainly more marquee names available out there, but perhaps the prices will become too steep for Yzerman’s liking. Girardi would almost certainly come cheap, and Tampa seems destined to make a push in the Atlantic after a down season – so it’s not an undesirable location.
The market that has surfaced for Girardi is quite remarkable considering his circumstances. Girardi has had three consecutive poor possession seasons which crescendo-ed this year with an 8th-worst Corsi 5-0n-5 finish among all defenders. In a league which is heading in the direction of deeper, more encompassing analytics, Girardi seems to buck every trend out there. He is probably still an NHL defender, but his immobile brand of defense is losing effectiveness fast and his shot-blocking may be beginning to take a toll on his body. His skating is sub-par and his offensive capabilities are very limited. He’s a good penalty killer, but at even strength is generally a net-negative regardless of how sheltered his minutes are. Still, as a veteran on a cheap contract, he might be worth a flier to regain form on a short-term deal. With such a poor UFA offering, it seems he has some value left and should be able to find a new contract with little pain.
Eric Gryba Re-Signs In Edmonton
The Edmonton Oilers continue to bring back their veteran defense group, as according to Bob McKenzie of TSN the team has re-signed Eric Gryba for two years. The deal will pay him an average of $900K per season.
Gryba played last season on a two-way deal but spent the whole season with Edmonton or on the shelf due to injury. In 40 games he registered six points but amazingly recorded 145 hits, an impressive rate that would have had him near the top of the league had he played all 82. He’ll likely return in a similar depth role, but is an interesting piece as a big bruising right-handed defenseman.
Now with Gryba and Kris Russell back in the fold, the Oilers have seven NHL defenders under contract. Andrei Sekera won’t play for the first part of the season, but it seems like Edmonton is probably finished when it comes to free agent defensemen. With Matt Benning and Darnell Nurse expected to take a step forward, and Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson entrenched as the leaders on the back end, it could be a pretty solid defensive group this season.
Summarizing Today’s Signings
Today brought a flurry of teams re-signing players before July 1st. In total, 12 players have signed NHL contracts—and one signing in the KHL—and this is just day one. Below are all of today’s signings in one place for your convenience:
Zach Kassian Re-Signs With Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have locked up a key forward, signing Zack Kassian to a three-year deal worth a total of $5.85MM. Paying him $1.95MM per season, the deal buys out two of Kassian’s unrestricted free agent years, but gives him some stability as he continues to get his career back on track. He will be a UFA in the summer of 2020.
Kassian, 26, has had a long difficult road through the professional ranks since being selected 13th-overall in 2009. Stung by inconsistency and addiction—Kassian has been open about his battle with alcohol following a stint in the NHL’s substance abuse facility—the big winger finally found a home in Edmonton this year, scoring 24 points and generally being an impossible pest on the ice. His play (and facial hair) drew rave reviews in the playoffs, even if it did result in only three goals.
With the Oilers focused on re-signing Leon Draisaitl and extending Connor McDavid for the next eight years, getting Kassian under contract for such a reasonable price will help fill in the bottom six with a known commodity. If he can repeat or even improve on his scoring numbers from last season, he’ll be one of the better depth scoring options in the league relative to his contract. The fact that Edmonton took a chance on him and helped him get his life back on track likely played a part in keeping him there, and he’ll now try to take the next step and help the team get back into the playoffs.
Bob McKenzie of TSN broke the signing and provided details on the financials of the deal.