Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars
Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Dallas’ free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: F Mattias Janmark — No one was sure how Janmark would respond after missing the 2016-17 season with a knee injury, but the 25-year-old took that next step in his development with a solid season for the Stars this season. No longer hampered by a degenerative knee condition, Janmark put up 19 goals and 34 points this season and found himself on the team’s second line by the end of the season.
The question is what is the young forward worth after a bounce-back season? A quality two-way forward, he has forced his way up the lineup this year, often playing big units for a struggling offense. However, with the season he’s had, don’t be shocked if Janmark has some leverage going into negotiations this summer.
F Devin Shore — Considered to be a key piece for the Stars youth movement, Shore had a solid season as a bottom-line forward as he saw his ice time increase by over a minute between the last two years. The 23-year-old put up 11 goals and 32 points last year, but also had 125 shots and 71 hits on the year. The only down side about Shore’s season is his minus-30 plus-minus ratio, way down from a year ago on a team that was better offensively this season.
Other RFA’s: F Jason Dickinson, G Philippe Desrosiers, F Remi Elie, D Dillon Heatherington, D Stephen Johns, F Gemel Smith, F Cole Ully.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D Greg Pateryn — Despite a career so far serving as a team’s seventh defensemen, Pateryn found a full-time role with Dallas in 2017-18. The 27-year-old blueliner found his way into the Stars packed defensive lineup and earned the key role as a shutdown defender alongside Dan Hamhuis and often led the team in minutes played. While just posting 13 points in 73 games, Pateryn was quite invaluable and likely can get a big raise as an unrestricted free agent next season.
However, would Dallas consider bringing him back? A favorite of Ken Hitchcock doesn’t necessarily mean that Jim Montgomery would be willing to give him the same role. On top of that, Dallas has more young defenders than ever with John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Johns, Julius Honka and the addition of last year’s first-round pick Miro Heiskanen. Is there a full-time role for Pateryn or would he be better off looking for a bigger role elsewhere?
Other RFA’s: D Andrew Bodnarchuk, F Brian Flynn, D Dan Hamhuis, G Kari Lehtonen, G Mike McKenna, F Curtis McKenzie, D Andrew O’Brien, D Brent Regner, F Antoine Roussel, D Reece Scarlett.
Projected Cap Space: With $17.6MM in available cap space (not including the possibility of the cap increasing), the Stars have some cap space and few major commitments to their own free agents. After wading deep into the free agent market a year ago when they signed Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal, which had mixed results, the team could consider making another run at another forward as that is where the team needs the most depth.
Of course, the Stars top priority will be to extend star Tyler Seguin this offseason, which will have a huge impact on the team’s future. However, the team could use a quality winger such as James van Riemsdyk, James Neal or David Perron on their second line, which the team needs to rebuild for the coming season.
Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames
Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Calgary’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: F Mark Jankowski – Heading into the 2017-18 season, there’s no question that fans were frustrated with waiting for Jankowski. He had just turned 23 and was more than five years from being drafted with just a single NHL game under his belt. Sure, he’d impressed in his first full season in the AHL but after waiting so long Flames fans wanted impact, and they wanted it now.
After starting in the minor leagues once again he was given a chance with the NHL club and didn’t look back, recording 17 goals and 25 points in 72 games. Those numbers were inflated some by the four-goal game he had at the very end of the season, but regardless Jankowski has found a full-time roll on the club going forward. The question is how much is that role worth, as the first-round pick heads into free agency for the first time. With less than a full season of games under his belt there isn’t a ton of leverage from his side, but they may not want to lock him into a long-term deal before really showing what he’s capable of. It seems like a one or two-year bridge deal is in order here, limiting the risk on both sides.
G Jon Gillies/David Rittich – The Flames have to make a decision on who their backup goaltender is going to be next season, and it might as well be one of Gillies or Rittich. Both were inconsistent when given the chance to help out at the NHL level, and have Tyler Parsons and other goaltending prospects chasing them down from behind. With Mike Smith set to come back as the starter, we’ll get a good indication of who will be behind him from the contracts that Gillies and Rittich receive. Both would become Group VI unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2019 if not given an NHL opportunity this year.
Other RFAs: F Nick Shore, F Garnet Hathaway, D Brett Kulak, F Hunter Shinkaruk, F Austin Carroll, F Morgan Klimchuk, F Hunter Smith, F Emile Poirier
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Kris Versteeg – The Flames lucked out when Versteeg decided to sign with them in the fall of 2016 despite being in training camp with the Edmonton Oilers, and were rewarded with a 37-point season. That earned the journeyman forward another contract for the most recent season worth $1.75MM, but he was unfortunately limited to just 24 games because of injury.
Even if Versteeg were willing to come back for a reduced price, it’s not clear if the Flames have room for him any longer. With the emergence of young players like Jankowski, Hathaway and Curtis Lazar, there might not be any reason to re-sign the 32-year old winger. Still, depending on what happens this summer they may bring him back as a veteran option to fill out their top-nine and give them a little more secondary scoring, provided he’s healthy enough to contribute.
F Matt Stajan – It’s amazing that Stajan is still just 34, despite seeming to have been in the league for two decades. The veteran pivot celebrated his 1,000th game in the NHL this season, but is clearly slowing down as he enters his mid-thirties. With just 12 points in 68 games, Stajan put up the worst offensive numbers of his career and saw the ice for fewer than 11 minutes a night. Though he’s still a positive veteran presence on a team that needs a bounce-back season, there likely isn’t much room on the roster going forward.
Whether Stajan gets another shot elsewhere in the NHL is still very much in doubt. Unfortunately he’s just slightly too young to qualify for a contract that includes performance bonuses, meaning he’ll likely be looking at offers near the league minimum. If that’s acceptable, perhaps he continues his career as a part-time fourth-line center for a contender. If it’s the end, he’ll have a long successful career to look back on even if he didn’t get to the playoffs very often.
Other UFAs: F Tanner Glass, F Chris Stewart, F Marek Hrivik, D Matt Bartkowski, F Luke Gazdic, D Tyler Wotherspoon, D Cody Goloubef, D Dalton Prout
Projected Cap Space: The Flames project to have around $17MM in cap space this summer, depending on where the upper limit lands, and without any premiere restricted free agents could go after some big fish on the free agent market. They do have to worry about extensions for Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk past this season, but still should have some room to play with if they want to add.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the team let all of their unrestricted free agents go, as none of them figure to be long-term contributors to the Flames success. Even if they do sign some of the minor ones, the biggest impact this summer will likely come through trade or big ticket shopping. Calgary struggled this season and doesn’t have a pick in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft. Things have to change, and they have to change fast for them to see any success in the near future.
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Morning Notes: Cole, Sestito, Canadiens
Ian Cole was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets this season after being an integral part of the Pittsburgh Penguins two Stanley Cup runs. Leading up until the deadline there were reports of a feud growing between Cole and head coach Mike Sullivan, something that has been brought up afterwards in pieces about a similar power struggle between the Penguins head coach and Phil Kessel. In Columbus, Cole found a home and performed quite well, notching 10 points in 26 games in a Blue Jackets uniform, including three playoff assists in the team’s first-round exit.
Cole is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and in Aaron Portzline’s latest piece for The Athletic (subscription required) the 29-year old defenseman admits that he’s open to signing with the Blue Jackets if they can find the right deal. After earning an average of just $2.1MM the last three seasons, Cole should be able to find a raise on the open market if he gets that far. Free agency isn’t flush with defensemen who can potentially play in a team’s top-four, and could be quite lucrative to a player in Cole’s position. That’s if Columbus doesn’t lock him up in the next three weeks.
- A former teammate of Cole in Pittsburgh will be leaving the organization this summer, as Tom Venesky of The Athletic reports that Tom Sestito will not be re-signing with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The long-time professional and part-time Penguins forward didn’t get any NHL action this season as the league moves further away from his physical, enforcing type of hockey. It’s not clear where the 30-year old winger will get his next opportunity, but he isn’t leaving with any bad blood.
- The Montreal Canadiens hold the third-overall selection at this year’s draft, and Eric Engels of Sportsnet examines just how big of a wildcard that makes them over the next three weeks. There are many who believe that Montreal needs to select a defenseman or center at the upcoming draft, something that may be hard to do when wingers like Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk are sitting available at the top of the draft. The team certainly has the firepower to make a move on the draft floor, as they currently hold four second-round picks and three fourth-rounders. If the third-overall pick is available for teams looking to move up, there could be any number of teams running over to the Canadiens’ table to speak with Marc Bergevin on June 22nd.
Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes
Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Carolina’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: F Elias Lindholm – The Hurricanes weren’t able to find much success in terms of wins and losses in 2017-18, and much of that had to do with some inconsistency from nearly every position. One of the only players that has been able to find some of that consistency through his first few years in the league is Lindholm, who went about another 40-point season with solid contributions in the faceoff circle and the penalty kill. If the team were to acquire a real first-line center Lindholm would likely be pushed down in the lineup, but he’s proven that he can be an impact player that doesn’t hurt you at either end of the ice.
He’s coming off a two-year $5.4MM contract that he signed in 2015, and should get a healthy raise after recording 89 points in 153 games. Where that number lands isn’t exactly clear, but one could look at teammate Victor Rask‘s six-year $24MM deal as a point of comparison. Rask was also 23 at the time of that contract, though he didn’t have nearly as much NHL experience as Lindholm heads into this summer with.
D Noah Hanifin – The bigger question mark among Carolina restricted free agents is Hanifin, who could either be locked up long-term or shipped out of town. The rumor mill has swirled around the 21-year old defenseman for the past year, mostly because of the Hurricanes’ depth on defense. Hanifin would generate a ton of interest around the league and bring in a big package for the Hurricanes, but could be more useful stepping into a bigger role on the team next year and beyond. While it’s clear that Carolina will move at least one of their defenders, that could Justin Faulk with Hanifin instead being signed to a long-term deal.
No one can really get a read on owner Tom Dundon and GM Don Waddell, but there are clearly changes coming in Carolina. Hanifin will be an interesting measuring stick to see just how far the new executive group wants to go in shaking up the core of the team.
Other RFAs: F Phillip Di Giuseppe, F Joakim Nordstrom, D Trevor van Riemsdyk, F Andrew Poturalski, F Sergey Tolchinsky, F Greg McKegg, D Tyler Ganly, D Keegan Kanzig, F Lucas Wallmark, F Valentin Zykov
Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Derek Ryan – Though Carolina needs some center help, it looks as though Ryan is destined for free agency as the team prepares to promote Martin Necas to the big club next season. Ryan, 31, has been a sneakily-good player since making his NHL debut at the age of 29 two years ago. With 38 points in 80 games this season and solid faceoff and possession statistics, there will be interest from around the league in the professional journeyman.
Heading to a new team is nothing new for Ryan, but he’ll likely be looking for a multi-year deal that can keep him in one place for a few seasons. After re-signing with the Hurricanes for just under $1.43MM last summer, there could be a hefty raise in order this time around. Ryan heads to free agency in a relatively weak center market, as after John Tavares and perhaps Joe Thornton, options get thin very quickly.
Other UFAs: F Lee Stempniak, G Cam Ward, D Dennis Robertson, D Jake Chelios, G Jeremy Smith, D Philip Samuelsson, D Brenden Kichton
Projected Cap Space: The Hurricanes have never been an upper-limit team, and head into this summer with more than $30MM in cap space depending on where the ceiling lands. While that should afford them the opportunity to be big players in free agency, it really comes down to how much Dundon is willing to spend in his first offseason. The team has previously worked under an internal budget that has limited big free agent splashes, but with a new owner in the mix the Hurricanes are something of a wildcard.
Their restricted free agents should take up a big chunk of that cap room, but there is certainly enough to go around if they decide to wheel and deal. They’d have to pitch any incoming free agents on a new Carolina organization, but with up-and-coming players and a veteran leader in Justin Williams on the roster, perhaps they could draw the attention of some of this summer’s biggest names.
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St. Louis Blues Pursuing Top Centers This Summer
The St. Louis Blues decided to trade Paul Stastny at the deadline this year, despite still being within striking distance of the playoffs. That marked the second consecutive season that GM Doug Armstrong traded away a star on an expiring contract, after dealing Kevin Shattenkirk to the Washington Capitals in 2017. In doing so, and not re-signing Stastny to a contract extension they’ve left themselves with something of a hole up the middle for next season. After Brayden Schenn, the team doesn’t have a clear second-line center unless one of their young forwards comes in and impresses in camp, or someone like Alex Steen or Robby Fabbri is moved back to the position.
That’s where GM Doug Armstrong comes in, who recently spoke to Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com and confirmed that the team would be going after a center in trade or free agency. Armstrong’s been given the financial backing from ownership, and is on the lookout for some help up the middle:
We have Robert Thomas there, but is he ready to enter prime time as a second-line center? That’s a large chore to ask for a 19-year-old. Probably adding to our depth in the middle would be a goal. Alexander Steen has played center before, Robby Fabbri has played center before, Jaden Schwartz has played center before, so if we have to circle back in, and the players we’re looking at don’t hit free agency or choose different paths, we’d have to adjust to that. But I would say center ice would be an area we’d look to do something in. But like we are at the Draft, in free agency we’re always looking at good players.
The question that will invariably come up after answers like this is how aggressive the Blues will be when it comes to John Tavares. The New York Islanders superstar is the obvious choice for any center upgrade this summer, and St. Louis could afford to fit him into their salary structure. The team projects to have around $18MM of cap space depending on where exactly the upper limit lands, and though they have free agents of their own to re-sign they’re not locked into big-money contracts just yet.
If it’s not Tavares, then Zeisberger lists Joe Thornton, Stastny and Tyler Bozak as the center headliners on the free agent market this summer. Whether the Blues would have any interest in those three is unclear, but there is obviously a plan in place to improve the middle of the ice in some fashion.
It is interesting that Armstrong would mention Thomas, as he’s in the precarious situation that faces many top young players. Thomas won’t turn 19 until July 2nd, meaning that he can only play in the NHL or CHL next season, not the minor leagues. There’s no seasoning to be had for him in the AHL before assuming the second-line center role, meaning he would have to really impress the team in camp. That’s not impossible, as Thomas has taken huge steps forward since being selected 20th-overall last year, and could be ready to step into the lights of the NHL right away. More likely though is that the Blues go out and find another option, perhaps even one on a very short-term deal, to give Thomas and others another year of development.
Metro Notes: Grubauer, Trotz, Alzner, Hurricanes
Although he eventually gave the starter’s job back to Braden Holtby this postseason, Washington Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer has more than proven himself to be a top option in 2017-18. The 26-year-old won over the leading role in net late in the regular season for the Caps and finished with a .923 save percentage and 2.35 GAA; both marks were substantially better than Holtby’s for the year albeit in 35 appearances versus 54 for Holtby. Entering restricted free agency this summer, Grubauer has shown the potential to be a starter in the NHL and will use that to cash in on his next contract. As such, that contract likely won’t be with Washington. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that there is already considerable trade interest across the league in Grubauer, as the cap-strapped Capitals cannot afford an expensive backup goalie, especially since they hope to re-sign one of the top names on the free agent market in defenseman John Carlson. According to LeBrun, the leading suitors thus far, for obvious reasons, have been the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams have underwhelming veteran starters heading to free agency – Jaroslav Halak and Cam Ward – with the disappointing backups that lost their jobs now slated to return to starting in Thomas Greiss and Scott Darling respectively. Grubauer would likely be an upgrade to either and at the very least would create some competition in net. LeBrun doubts that those two teams will be the only major contenders for Grubauer this off-season, citing that interest may increase once Washington wraps up the Stanley Cup final. It is also fair to be skeptical of the Capitals trading him within the division if they truly believe in his ability. Don’t rule out a Martin Jones scenario wherein the San Jose Sharks acquired Jones from the Los Angeles Kings through the Boston Bruins a few years back, much to the chagrin of the division rival Kings. One way or another, it seems likely that Grubauer’s time in Washington is over. At least it appears he could end his stay with a title.
- A more surprising name who could also end his stay in D.C. with a Stanley Cup is head coach Barry Trotz. Trotz still does not have a contract for next season and LeBrun reports that the team has not had any talks with their bench boss during the postseason so as to remain focused. As a result, Trotz is able to consider his options once the season comes to an end. Assuming the Capitals extend an offer to their coach, who has always been a title away from being considered one of the best in the game, Trotz could simply choose to stay and defend his championship with a team that won’t change much this off-season. However, he could opt for more money or a new challenge with another franchise. Again, LeBrun adds that the Islanders are rumored to be in the running. After firing Doug Weight on Tuesday, the Isles are the only team in the league that currently has a vacancy at head coach and Lou Lamoriello could be intrigued by adding a proven winner to lead the team he is trying to turn around. If the offer was overwhelming, the Capitals may be content to give the job to assistant Todd Reirden, who LeBrun notes has long been considered the heir apparent. Only time will tell what Trotz’ decision is, but LeBrun reports that he and agent Gil Scott will meet to map out their plans as soon as the season ends.
- One player upset at missing out on the Capitals’ current cap run is former defenseman Karl Alzner. Alzner, who was drafted by Washington with the 5th overall pick in 2007 and played nine seasons with the team, departed in free agency last summer, joining the Montreal Canadiens to the tune of five years and $23MM. While the contract was enticing for the stay-at-home defender, his desire to win was also one of the main reasons he left after repeated playoff collapses by the Caps. This makes the cruel irony of this season that much worse, as Washington seems poised to win its first ever Stanley Cup title while Alzner’s first year in Montreal was nothing short of a disaster by both individual and team performance standards. Unsurprisingly, when Alzner spoke on 960 The Fan in Calgary today he said he was “super jealous”. He goes on to say that he will be excited for his good friends on the team if they lift the Cup later in the series, but it’s hard to believe that Alzner won’t feel discouraged by the championship win as well. Unfortunately, a player who wanted so badly to win missed out by one season and chose to sign with a team that is quite far away from being a legitimate contender.
- There has been a lot made already about the new administration in Carolina and the changes coming to the Hurricanes, but it seems unlikely that the news will stop anytime soon. LeBrun confirmed that new GM Don Waddell has been taking a lot of calls on his players and that a major move could be imminent. LeBrun says that scoring winger Jeff Skinner is the most likely to move and that a trade could be made in the next week or so. The price on Skinner is currently a first-round pick and prospect, which LeBrun says has soured some teams, but without pressure to make a deal, Waddell can hold on his asking prices and let the suitors budge. The same goes for his efforts to deal a defenseman. The Hurricanes are bursting at the seems with talented defenders, but that doesn’t mean that they have to make a trade. Instead, Waddell seems more likely to wait until he gets blown away by an offer, likely for veteran leader Justin Faulk or promising RFA Noah Hanifin, before he pulls the trigger. LeBrun also speculates that Elias Lindholm, another restricted free agent, could become available later this summer if the two sides can’t work out a long-term extension.
Free Agent Focus: New York Islanders
Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of New York’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: F Brock Nelson – Though all eyes in New York are watching a certain unrestricted free agent (we’ll get to that later), the team still has plenty of work to do with some of their restricted players this summer. One of those is Nelson, who while frustratingly inconsistent at times still has four straight seasons with at least 19 goals.
It’s not that Nelson is an integral offensive piece on a team that has plenty of weapons up front, but scoring goals in the NHL is a daunting task and those who can do it at both even-strength and on the powerplay aren’t that easy to find. For any team, secondary scoring threats like Nelson get paid exceptionally well and are a tough group to hold on to long-term. Even with his slightly reduced totals this season, he’s still heading into the summer in a strong negotiating position as this is his final year before qualifying for UFA status. That means any term the Islanders give is buying out UFA years and sending the average annual value of the contract skyrocketing.
D Ryan Pulock – It’s not just up front that the team has some tough decisions, as Pulock broke out this season and could be looking for a long-term deal. The 23-year old defenseman finally got his full-time chance in the NHL and crushed it with 32 points in 68 games. That came with the best possession stats of any defenseman on the team, while still taking his fair share of defensive responsibilities.
Pulock is only now coming off his entry-level contract and is not yet eligible for salary arbitration, meaning the Islanders could certainly wait to lock him up long-term. That said, he’s so clearly a part of their future on the blue line that the team may want to commit right away.
Other RFAs: F Ross Johnston, F Alan Quine, F Shane Prince, D Brandon Davidson, D Kyle Burroughs, F Kyle Schempp, D Devon Toews
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F John Tavares – It all starts and ends with Tavares, who is basically holding the free agent market hostage at the moment. Though John Carlson and others are fine prizes, no one is a franchise-changing player like Tavares in the prime of his career. The three-time 80-point man is coming off one of his most successful offensive seasons and he has proven time and again to be able to carry less talented wingers to big production.
Every team in the league would love to slide Tavares into their lineup, but it’s still unclear how many would really be able to put together the kind of financial package to entice him. Even that’s only if he ends up hitting the free agent market, something that may not even be likely at this point. Recently, when the Islanders fired their GM and head coach a new bout of speculation arose about Tavares’ connection with the franchise and intention to stick around. No one—except perhaps Lou Lamoriello, who could keep a secret from his son if he needed to—knows exactly where Tavares is headed. We’ll find out in just a few weeks.
D Calvin de Haan – Amazingly, Tavares isn’t the only important free agent the Islanders have. Though they already locked up Josh Bailey, de Haan and Thomas Hickey represent a good portion of their defense corps that is currently scheduled for the free agent market. The Islanders struggled in part this season keeping the puck out of their own net because of injuries to de Haan, who played just 33 games in total.
The 27-year old defenseman has shown flashes of brilliance over the years, like when he suited up for Canada in the 2017 IIHF World Championship, but has struggled to put it all together and become the top-pairing defenseman the team once hoped for. He won’t be paid like it this summer, but there will certainly be a market for him if he ends up leaving the Islanders.
Other UFAs: F Chris Wagner, F Nikolai Kulemin (headed to KHL), D Thomas Hickey, D Dennis Seidenberg, G Jaroslav Halak, D Kane Lafranchise, F Connor Jones, G Christopher Gibson, F Stephen Gionta, D Seth Helgeson, G Kristers Gudlevskis
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Poll: Will Lou Lamoriello Get John Tavares Re-Signed?
Today the New York Islanders took the first step towards a “culture change.” Lou Lamoriello, well known for his strict player policies and organizational rules, relived GM Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight of their responsibilities, assuming the general manager role himself and starting a search for the next coach. He said that the decision had nothing to do with the re-signing of John Tavares, and though Lamoriello is well known for sliding his way out of tough questions he might be telling the truth.
The fact is, the Islanders needed a change whether Tavares re-signs or not. The face of the franchise hasn’t been able to carry the organization to the promised land during his nine year career, despite his remarkable consistency on the ice. Now, Lamoriello will attempt to remove the idea of a single player at the front of an organization and that’s something Tavares will need to buy into. Instead, there will be plenty of uttering of the old phrase “it’s about the logo on the front, not the name on the back” and other team-first proverbs. How that sits with the 27-year old superstar, who was close with Weight and had been playing under Snow his entire career, isn’t certain.
What is certain is that Tavares could become arguably the most valuable unrestricted free agent the league has ever seen. In the middle of his prime and valuable in almost every facet of the game, Tavares is a direction-changing presence that could turn around a franchise immediately. Put him on a team that barely missed the playoffs and they will likely get in. Put him on a contender and they could become a powerhouse. Lamoriello knows that, and hasn’t been shy about signing his best players to long-term, big money contracts in the past. After all, this is the executive that signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a 17-year $102MM contract before the league rejected it, only to eventually get a 15-year $100MM deal approved with the Russian sniper.
So, will Lamoriello be able to negotiate a long-term deal with Tavares to keep him with New York for the next portion of his career? When we asked a similar question in January, before Lamoriello had been hired, more than 55% of our readers didn’t believe Tavares would end up back with the Islanders. Has that changed with the different management group? Or does the fact that he’s just a few weeks away from free agency make it even harder to sign on the dotted line? In just over three weeks Tavares will be able to start talking to other teams, and seeing what they have to offer him. That’s not a lot of time for Lamoriello to work with, but as he’s known for saying—”if you have time, use it.”
Will Lou Lamoriello get John Tavares to re-sign?
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No 51% (618)
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Yes 49% (603)
Total votes: 1,221
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
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Free Agent Focus: Edmonton Oilers
Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Edmonton’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: F Ryan Strome – When GM Peter Chiarelli and the Oilers decided last summer that Jordan Eberle had to be moved out because of his high-priced contract, the eventual return was the underperforming but talented Strome. The team enjoyed a $3.5MM cap cut, while hoping that the 24-year old forward could find his footing in Edmonton. After all, Strome was a fifth-overall pick who had scored 17 goals and 50 points in 2014-15, and could perhaps be relied upon as a long-term option down the middle.
Now, after another disappointing season where Strome’s below average skating was exposed on a team that lacked speed, and he struggled to maintain any kind of offensive consistency at center or the wing, there’s some uncertainty about where his future lies. As a restricted free agent, he doesn’t have a great case for a substantial raise over the $2.5MM cap hit he carried each of the last two seasons. After scoring just 34 points in 82 games—an even worse pace than his final year in New York—it’s not clear if he’s part of the problem or can still be part of the solution in Edmonton. He certainly won’t cost as much as Eberle’s $6MM cap hit in 2018-19, but neither side may look for a contract that stretches far beyond next season.
D Darnell Nurse – Perhaps the biggest problem in Edmonton this year was that several of their defensemen took substantial steps backwards, but one can’t really say that about Nurse. The 23-year old set career highs in games played, minutes played, goals, assists, points, +/-, penalty minutes, shots, hits and blocks, essentially leading the entire Oilers defense corps in nearly every category. He followed that with a big role on Canada’s IIHF World Championship team, and looks ready to blossom into the player Edmonton was hoping for when they selected him seventh-overall in 2013.
Still, it’s not clear exactly how long a contract the Oilers can afford to give their young defenseman. With so much money tied up in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the team has to be careful how they spend the rest of their cap. Nearly $20MM of the remaining funds are already committed to Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell and Adam Larsson for the next three seasons, meaning any deal buying out unrestricted free agent years for Nurse is likely too expensive to take on right now. That still leaves plenty of room for a short-term deal, but he’s the one heading into negotiations in a position of leverage after a career year.
Other RFAs: F Anton Slepyshev, F Iiro Pakarinen, F Drake Caggiula, D Matt Benning, F Braden Christoffer, D Ben Betker, F Patrick Russell, F Kyle Platzer
Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Mike Cammalleri – A few seasons ago, the idea of Cammalleri walking in free agency might be a big story. Now, the veteran forward is just hoping for another contract. Cammalleri came to the Oilers in a midseason swap with the Los Angeles Kings, and found some of his old offensive juice for the team. With 22 points in 51 games he was relatively effective, and cost them very little in terms of salary. That could be a reason to bring him back on another incentive-laden contract, but there are likely bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks, as the team prepares for the draft and negotiates with the above listed RFAs.
Cammalleri will turn 36 in just a few days, and isn’t by any means a necessary piece for the Oilers to bring back. After agreeing to a $1MM contract with $200K in performance bonuses last season, he may be even less expensive if they decide his experience is worth the money and roster spot in 2018-19.
Other UFAs: D Yohann Auvitu, G Laurent Brossoit, F Brian Ferlin, D Mark Fayne, D Dillon Simpson, D Joey LaLeggia, F Grayson Downing
Projected Cap Space: It’s never a good thing when a team that missed the playoffs doesn’t have a lot of cap space, but that’s the situation the Oilers find themselves in. With just around $15MM in projected cap space for next season depending on where the upper limit lands, they won’t have a ton of space to find upgrades after re-signing their restricted free agents. That, and the lack of success despite another fantastic season from McDavid, is a reason why Edmonton is linked to nearly every rumored player on the market at one point or another.
There have been rumors in the past about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins potentially being available as the team looks to clear money, but after finding a home alongside McDavid on the top line he likely is now off limits. If the team could find a taker for Milan Lucic or one of their aging defensemen they likely would jump on the opportunity, but it won’t be easy. Chiarelli and his staff also need to prepare for their upcoming goaltending conundrum, as Cam Talbot and the newly signed Mikko Koskinen are unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2019.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Kunitz, Cameron, Anderson
The Tampa Bay Lightning have some tough decisions to make this summer as they try to decide how to improve and get them to the next level, and Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the future of every player on the roster in his latest piece. When it comes to Chris Kunitz, who is one of the team’s few players scheduled for unrestricted free agency, Smith relays some comments from agent Ben Hankinson:
There’s no quit in [Kunitz]. He loved everything about the city, the team, the fans, and the direction they’re going. He’s wired for another run.
Kunitz, 38, registered 29 points for the second regular season in a row, but couldn’t find any of that playoff magic he had in Pittsburgh and Anaheim. Held to just a single assist in 17 postseason contests, it might be time for the Lightning to move on from the veteran winger. Whether they do is unclear at this point, but Smith does believe that Andrej Sustr, the only other roster player scheduled for UFA status, is as good as gone this summer. The towering defenseman played only 44 games in the regular season and was held out of the playoffs for the team.
- Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that Dave Cameron, former Ottawa Senators head coach and recently a Calgary Flames assistant, has taken a job with the Vienna Capitals in Austria for next season. Cameron was a long time junior and minor league head coach, but will now journey to Europe for the next chapter in his professional career. We’ve seen it work for other NHL coaches in the past, including Marc Crawford who spent four years in Switzerland before returning to the NHL, and Bob Hartley who won a championship in Switzerland and recently had been leading the Latvian national team. Hartley is now headed to the KHL, another option for Cameron down the road if he isn’t given another opportunity in the NHL.
- Speaking of coaches leaving for other opportunities, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Minnesota Wild assistant coach John Anderson will not have his contract renewed. Anderson had come with the team alongside Bruce Boudreau two years ago, but will have to find another landing spot for the next part of his coaching career. A four-time 30-goal scorer during his playing days, Anderson was a long-time head coach of the Chicago Wolves and secured two Calder Cups for the team during his time in the AHL.