Why is Jiri Hudler Still A Free Agent?
When PHR set out to rank the top 50 unrestricted free agents, Jiri Hudler was ranked 18th and expected to be snapped up at a reasonable price. Though some reports have him possibly talking to the Vancouver Canucks, the interest for the 32-year-old forward is tepid.
So what gives?
Hudler came up with the Detroit Red Wings, and was a strong contributor to their Stanley Cup winning season in 2007-08, and then again in 2008-09 when they fell short of a repeat championship. After a one-year hiatus in the KHL during the 2009-10 season, Hudler returned to the Red Wings until the 2011-12 season. At a glance, his numbers looked like this:
- 2007-08: 42 points (13-29)
- 2008-09: 57 points (23-34)
- 2010-11: 37 points (10-27)
- 2011-12: 50 points (25-25)
Though the Red Wings didn’t offer him another contract following the 2011-12 season, Calgary did at a tune of four years, $16MM. Hudler remained a solid contributor, hitting his career high in 2014-15 with 76 points (31-45). A season prior, he registered 54 points (17-37).
Hudler’s performance fell off in 2015-16, notching 35 points (10-25) in 53 games with Calgary before being traded to Florida. There, Hudler had 11 points (6-5) in 19 games before only adding an assist in six playoff games. He had 46 points in 72 games but it was a far cry from his previous season. Florida chose to let him walk.
So why, despite boasting better numbers than several free agents already signed, does Hudler remain unemployed?
Is it Inconsistency?
Back in 2013, several writers debated whether the Red Wings should have re-signed Hudler instead of letting him go to Calgary, where he would go on to have some steady seasons. The offer from Detroit was less than what Calgary offered by $800K per season.
With Florida, he was never even offered a chance back. Despite producing well, and apparently fitting in well with the Panthers following their acquisition, there wasn’t even a hint of an extension.
Some of the problem might be his lack of defensive responsibility. Hudler was paid to put up points, so when the scoring decreased, so did the interest. Back in June, CSN Philly’s Greg Paone wrote that Hudler would have struggled in Dave Hakstol’s system should he have signed with the Flyers. Two weeks ago, Tal Pinchevsky argued in an ESPN article that he would provide production at a discount, and his playoff struggle in Florida shouldn’t be an indictment on his overall postseason performance, pointing out that Hudler had 8 points in 11 playoff games with Calgary in 2015.
Perhaps Kevin Allen summed up what most teams debated before free agency: Would they be getting the 76 point Hudler or the 46 point Hudler?
Summarizing the theories, it appears that Hudler’s decrease in production, his defensive deficiencies, and an underwhelming playoff performance with Florida all had a hand in his current predicament.
The Czech winger should find a landing spot somewhere, especially since Sam Gagner is close to a deal with the Blue Jackets. Gagner’s deal will certainly gauge what Hudler could expect. The only certainty is that it won’t come close to what he made a season ago.
Minor NHL Transactions: 7/20/2016
Here is where we will keep track of the day’s minor moves:
- The Florida Panthers, via their team website, have announced the re-signing of forward Logan Shaw to a one-year, two-way contract. The six-foot-three, 202-pound Shaw saw action in 53 games with the Panthers in 2015-16, netting 5 goals and 7 points. He also appeared in 19 contests with the Portland Pirates (AHL) where he tallied 11 goals and 14 points. With the Panthers among the more active teams this summer, adding talent via both free agency and the trade market, it would seem the roster is pretty set meaning Shaw is likely to serve as a depth piece in 2016-17, much as he did this past season.
- Veteran center T.J. Hensick is set to join the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, according to the L.A Kings Insider website. Hensick last appeared in the NHL back during the 2010-11 campaign while a member of the St. Louis Blues. He split the past campaign with Utica and Charlotte of the AHL, scoring 40 points in 65 games. Hensick played with Kings prospect Adrian Kempe for MODO in the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14, suggesting his familiarity with one of the club’s top prospects played a role in this signing.
- Arizona has hired former NHL goalie Doug Soetaert to be the General Manager of their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Most recently, Soetaert was a professional scout in the Arizona organization covering the western region. Prior to that, Soetaert plied his trade in Europe, scouting all professional leagues on the continent as well as the AHL. Soetaert also has extensive experience in the North American junior leagues, serving as Vice President and General Manager of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League from 2002 – 2012. During his playing days, Soetaert appeared in 284 games as a member of the New York Rangers (two stints), Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.
Minor Transactions: 07/15/16
Here is where we will keep track of all the day’s minor transactions:
- The Florida Panthers have re-signed Jonathan Racine to a one-year, two-way deal worth $660K at the NHL level. The defenseman played 69 games last season for the Portland Pirates, scoring one goal and nine points. Racine was a third-round pick by Florida in 2011, and has played in a single NHL game thus far.
- Daniel Catenacci has re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres for 2016-17, on a two-way deal worth the league minimum ($575K). Catenacci made his NHL debut this past season when he suited up for 11 games for the Sabres, but was held pointless. The 5’10” center plays a high-energy game and will try to work his way back into the bottom-six for Buffalo at some point this season.
- After extending Jake Allen and signing Carter Hutton this summer, the Blues have re-signed two more goaltenders, inking restricted free agents Jordan Binnington and Pheonix Copley to one-year, two-way deals. Binnington made his NHL debut this season when he relieved Brian Elliott on January 14th. The former third-round pick made 13 saves and allowed a goal in his first taste, but will surely head back to the AHL this season. Copley also debuted this season, relieving Allen on Feburary 27th.
- Philadelphia has signed restricted free agent Petr Straka to a one-year deal. The 24-year old was originally a second-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2010, but chose not to sign a contract with them, eventually making him a free agent. He signed with the Flyers in 2013, and played for the Phantoms exclusively last season.
- Arizona’s Tyler Gaudet and Stefan Fournier accepted their qualifying offers tweets Sarah McLellan. General Fanager tweets that the deals are both one-year, two-way contracts. The financials read out as just above $874K for Gaudet, and just over $632K for Fournier.
Atlantic Notes: Subban, Canadiens, Panthers
Boston goaltending prospect Malcolm Subban has fully recovered from a fractured larynx he suffered in the pregame warmups in an AHL game back in early February, writes Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald. Subban was unable to exercise for more than two months which ended his sophomore pro campaign much earlier than he had hoped.
Subban spent most of last season with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence, posting a 14-8-5 record in 27 appearances with a 2.46 GAA and a .911 SV%. The former first round pick (24th overall in 2012) will likely have to wait another year to contend for the backup job behind Tuukka Rask as the team signed Anton Khudobin, who played with Boston in 2012-13, early in free agency.
Other news and notes from the Atlantic Division:
- The Canadiens have decided not to retain the services of analytics consultant Matt Pfeffer, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. The team will hire a replacement for that role instead. Pfeffer, 21, previously was employed by San Jose in the 2014-15 season.
- Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant isn’t worried about incorporating several new defensemen into their lineup, writes the Sun Sentinel’s Harvey Filakov. Florida, who won the Atlantic last season, have added Mark Pysyk and Keith Yandle via trade while signing Jason Demers on the second day of free agency. On the flip side, they’ve lost Erik Gudbranson, Brian Campbell, Dmitry Kulikov, and Willie Mitchell which is a lot of turnover for a division winning squad. Gallant also noted that he expects four or five youngsters to push for a roster spot in training camp. Here’s a look at the Panthers’ depth chart, courtesy of Roster Resource.
Free Agent Profile: Brandon Pirri
Now that Shane Doan is officially off the market – although no one really expected the veteran winger to leave the desert – there are few options remaining for teams looking to add offense to their lineups. Yesterday we profiled five of the top forwards remaining in free agency that could conceivably fit the bill. One of those players, Brandon Pirri, noticably stuck out on that list due to his relative youth compared to his unemployed peers.
It’s not usually surprising that aging veterans whose best seasons are clearly in the rear view mirror might linger on the market well into the summer. In fact, many will either be forced to accept training camp invites or face the prospect of retirement. However, it’s exceedingly rare for one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers – based on rate stats – and who is still just 25-years-old, to be waiting for his next contract into the middle of July.
Pirri tallied 14 goals and 29 points last year in 61 games, splitting the season between Florida and Anaheim. The Ducks had acquired the 6-foot, 183-pound forward from the Panthers at the trade deadline in exchange for a sixth-round draft choice. The year prior, Pirri netted 22 goals in 61 contests, albeit with an amazingly low 2 assists, for the Panthers.
Over the last three seasons, Pirri has averaged 0.95 goals for every 60 minutes of ice time he sees at five-on-five play. That rate places him 30th in the NHL among all forwards who have suited up for a minimum of 120 games during that span. In terms of even-strength goal scoring prowess, Pirri is certainly among the best in the game.
Based on overall point-production, however, Pirri ranks just 203rd over the past three seasons in points-per-hour, due in large part to his 2014-15 tally of just two helpers. That ranking would seem to place him outside of a top-six role when it comes to offensive contributions.
Goal scoring is typically sought after and usually rewarded in free agency. Pirri’s continued presence on the open market is a bit of a mystery. It’s possible teams are scared off due to his low assists total from two seasons ago. Though it should be noted, if we remove that outlier from his career numbers, Pirri actually has two more assists than goals scored in his career and typically teams don’t pay as much attention to extreme statistical outliers.
Whatever the reason, it seems clear teams are hesitant about employing Pirri. He’s suited up for three NHL clubs over the last three campaigns and despite quality offensive numbers at the time of the trade, the Ducks obtained him from Florida for the lowly cost of a sixth-round draft pick. After the season, Anaheim elected not to qualify Pirri, a move that may have struck some as a bit surprising. He was eligible for arbitration and goals tend to be given extra weight when arbitrators decide on a player’s salary. It’s possible the Ducks wanted to avoid that process altogether. Nonetheless Pirri is free to sign with any team willing to give him a chance to show off his goal scoring acumen.
Potential Fits
New Jersey – The Devils finished last in the NHL in scoring this past season but have already added top-line LW Taylor Hall to the mix and expect their best returning offensive player, Mike Cammalleri, to be healthy at the outset of the upcoming campaign. A look at the club’s depth chart, courtesy of our partner site, Roster Resource, indicates the Devils have plenty of forward options so their interest in Pirri would likely be tepid at best.
Edmonton – Even though the Oilers have filled the hole they created when shipping the aforementioned Hall to Jersey by signing Milan Lucic, they could still use an upgrade over Mark Letestu at the third-line pivot position. Edmonton finished 25th in scoring and didn’t necessarily improve in that department by swapping out Hall for Lucic.
Columbus – If the Blue Jackets are ever able to offload winger Scott Hartnell they could be in the market for another goal scorer. But it’s possible the team would rather reinvest any savings from a Hartnell move into their defense as they have a number of quality forward prospects ready to make the jump to Columbus.
Los Angeles – Currently the Kings list Dwight King, Kyle Clifford and Dustin Brown as top-nine wingers. King’s career best in the goal socring department is 15 while Clifford has never tallied more than seven in any single season. Meanwhile, Brown’s days as a productive player capable of adequately manning a top-nine role may well be over. On a cheap contract the Kings could make sense for Pirri.
Expected Contract
Considering Anaheim passed on qualifying Pirri at just more than $1MM annually and given how late in the free agent season it is now, it’s not likely Pirri is going to find a deal representing much of a raise over the $925K he earned this past season. As such, a team like the Kings might be a terrific fit for Pirri on a one-year, make good deal at right around $1MM.
Top-Line Options Remaining In Free Agency
For many teams, free agency is a place to find a player or two to slot into your top two lines, to supplement the core you already have in place. Edmonton went out and got Milan Lucic, to add some veteran toughness while replacing the outgoing offensive contribution of Taylor Hall. Vancouver added Loui Eriksson in a questionable move for a team who hasn’t quite decided what direction they’re headed in, and Buffalo brought on Kyle Okposo to ride shotgun with their young talent up front.
Now that the madness has died down, the market for these top-six players is extremely thin, with only a few names having established themselves there in the past. With Shane Doan surely re-signing with the Coyotes, and Patrik Elias looking as though it’s either Devils or retirement, two of the most well known names among this group aren’t going anywhere. Here are the other possibilities for a team to add to their top-six:
(number in parentheses represents ranking on our Top 50 UFAs)
- Jiri Hudler (18) – Though Hudler is now 32-years old and took a significant step back last season, he still represents one of the better second-line options available. His 46 points in 2015-16 split between the Flames and Panthers were a disappointing total for a player coming off a 31-goal, 76 point season but still ranked him right alongside players like Andrew Ladd (46 points, $38.5MM) and David Backes (45 points, $30MM).
- Kris Versteeg (25) – While Versteeg is probably better suited as a third-liner on a good team, he has shown the ability to move up in the lineup consistently in the past. A three-time twenty goal scorer, Versteeg has scored at least 34 points in each of his seven healthy seasons. He can play either wing, and brings a level of physicality to his game as well.
- Radim Vrbata (27) – Vrbata is clearly on the downswing of his career, having put up just 27 points and a whopping -30 mark last season. Now 35, he’ll look to sign a cheap deal and could be a nice value signing for a team pressed against the cap. Remember, this is a guy who has over 250 career NHL goals, and is just one season removed from the second 30-goal season of his career.
- Alex Tanguay (33) – Though he’s now 37, Tanguay continues to produce like a second-line center, putting up another 35 point campaign despite having a much reduced role after a trade to Arizona. For a team looking to shelter their young forwards, a veteran like Tanguay can provide some offensive punch on a cheap, short-term deal. He’ll likely break 900 points in what has been an excellent career for the former Avalanche stalwart.
- Brandon Pirri (NR) – Despite Pirri’s reputation as a bottom-six forward, some teams might see the former Panther as a second-line option, due to his previous goal scoring ability. Pirri has potted 36 goals over the past two seasons, including 22 in 2014-15. The problem is that he’s racked up just 17 assists over the same time. He was an outstanding scorer in his AHL career, and is still just 25-years old, meaning that taking a shot on him might not be the worst gamble among the remaining options.
Minor Transactions: 07/11/16
Here is where we will keep track of all the minor transactions happening today:
- According to Harvey Fiaklov of the Sun Sentinal, the Florida Panthers have inked Denis Malgin to a three-year entry-level contract, after drafting him in the third round in 2015. The 19-year old played for Zurich last season under new Ottawa Senators assistant coach Marc Crawford. Overshadowed by number one pick Auston Matthews, Malgin put up 17 points in the professional league.
- Thomas Raffl is heading back to Austria, instead of signing with a new team in the NHL. After coming over last season to play in the AHL, the unrestricted free agent has decided to take his talents back to Europe, according to Brennan Klak.
- The Minnesota Wild have announced that they’ve re-signed defenseman Zach Palmquist to a one-year, two-way deal worth $660K at the NHL level. The 25-year old scored 11 points last season in the AHL, his first full professional season.
- Roman Lyubimov, a 24-year old forward from the KHL has agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Flyers on a one-year entry-level contract, according to a team release. Lyubimov has played six seasons already in the KHL, breaking in as an 18-year old in 2010-11.
- The San Jose Barracuda have inked a quartet of players to one-year, AHL contracts. John McCarthy, Jake Marchment, Matt Willows and Jamie Murray all signed with the team according to a press release. Marchment is a name well known to San Jose fans, as he’s the nephew of former player and current development coach Bryan Marchment, a veteran of 926 NHL games.
Panthers Extend Derek MacKenzie
The Panthers have extended forward Derek MacKenzie for an additional two years, reports Sun Sentinel writer Harvey Fialkov. The deal represents a modest raise, paying Mackenzie $1.35MM a year. MacKenzie is currently entering the final year of his contract that pays him $1.30MM a year.
MacKenzie—the Panthers’ alternate captain—racked up 6G and 7A in 64 games. He is best known for his gritty defensive play, and has started the majority of his shifts in the defensive zone. The fourth-line center performed well in the face-off circle last season by winning just under 55% of his face-offs. While he doesn’t light the lamp often, the Panthers value MacKenzie’s energy and defensive responsibility.
Mackenzie is a league veteran at age 35, drafted by Atlanta in 1999 before signing with Columbus in 2007. The extension will probably be Mackenzie’s last. This is a good signing for the Panthers as it locks up a veteran piece to guide the team’s young core. With the team experiencing transaction-based turmoil this offseason, bringing MacKenzie back restores some stability.
Avalanche Re-sign Calvin Pickard To Two-Year Deal
According to a team release, the Colorado Avalanche have re-signed netminder Calvin Pickard for two years prior to the arbitration deadline. Pickard got into 20 games at the NHL level last season, performing admirably with a 2.56 GAA and .922 save percentage.
Mike Chambers of the Denver Post gives us the financial details on the deal, which will see Pickard earn $925K in the first year, and $1.075MM in the second.
With Reto Berra dealt to the Panthers earlier this offseason, the door is wide open for Pickard to become the full-time backup for Semyon Varlamov. The duo will be earning a combined $6.925MM per season, a reasonable number for a team looking to get a handful of young RFAs under contract.
Pickard has performed well since being drafted 49th overall in 2010, and should eventually push for the starting role in Colorado. With Varlamov due to become an unrestricted free agent in three years, Colorado will see if the 24-year old Pickard has what it takes to become a number one in this league.
Panthers Notes: MacKenzie, Reimer, Huberdeau
Today marked another long-term extension for the Panthers, as the team locked up 25-year old Reilly Smith for another five seasons. It’s the latest in a series of big moves the Panthers have done as they build their team to compete for the short and long term. In a series of tweets, play-by-play announcer and Fox Sports Florida reporter Steve Goldstein gives us some insight into the rest of their summer:
- Assistant captain Derek MacKenzie is currently an unrestricted free agent but seems destined to head back to Florida at some point. Goldstein describes it as a formality, and expects him to be around for the next few seasons. MacKenzie is regarded highly in the Panther dressing room, and provides some toughness to their bottom six.
- Newly signed goaltender James Reimer may play in as many as 35 games this season even without an injury to starter Roberto Luongo. With Luongo’s advanced age, the team will look to protect him for a long playoff run. Reimer signed for five seasons and is expected to take the reins at some point down the road.
- GM Tom Rowe expects to get a long-term extension done at some point with forward Jonathan Huberdeau. The former third overall pick represents the last of the young group Florida has built, and due to some savvy cap management, the team will have money for him going forward. Huberdeau scored 20 goals and tied for third on the team in points last season with 59.