Early Notes: Offer Sheets, Kane, Yakupov
After another two teams were eliminated from playoff contention yesterday, more and more focus is shifting to the offseason and how free agency will shake out. As always, there will be speculation about the potential of an offer sheet being signed with one of the many high profile restricted free agents, and Rory Boylen of Sportsnet is here to break down how it all works.
Boylen also lists several players that could be signed to a sheet, including Mark Stone, Jacob Trouba, Mathew Dumba, William Nylander and others. One of the most interesting names listed, and one to keep an eye on all summer is William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights. After a 43-goal breakout season, there is no one who can definitively say what he’s worth or what he’ll be asking for in negotiations this summer.
- Evander Kane was playing with a separated shoulder during the playoffs, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, which could at least partially explain why he struggled in the San Jose Sharks’ final series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sharks have a decision to make now on Kane, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. Should they sign him to a contract extension, they’ll be forced to upgrade the second-round pick sent to Buffalo at the trade deadline to a first rounder.
- Just like last summer, the idea that Nail Yakupov could return to Russia and the KHL is already starting to percolate. After another disappointing season that saw the 2012 first-overall pick register just 16 points in 58 games for the Colorado Avalanche, he’s scheduled to become a restricted free agent once again. Adrian Dater of BSN Denver asked Yakupov’s agent directly about a potential return to Russia, who answered simply “he’s a grown man, and he will decide what’s best for him.” Last spring we examined the opportunity that the KHL could offer, before he eventually decided to give the NHL another shot.
Poll: Where Will Rick Nash Play In 2018-19?
The Boston Bruins have been eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, losing in five games at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. After destroying the Lightning in game 1, the Bruins lost the next four and were eventually done in by a lack of secondary scoring and the depth of the Tampa Bay squad.
One player who seemed to embody the Bruins play all series was Rick Nash, who scored two goals in the first game and then was held to just a single assist in the following four. Nash, who was acquired at the trade deadline for a hefty sum, is now looking at unrestricted free agency later this summer, provided he doesn’t re-sign in Boston.
That price that the Bruins were forced to pay, a first-round pick, Ryan Lindgren and Ryan Spooner, looks even more expensive now that Boston has been knocked out in the second round. Re-signing Nash could dull the sting of losing out on those young assets, especially if it came at a reasonable price. After all, the soon to be 34-year old did record 21 goals this season and is still a positive possession player at both ends of the rink.
The question is will the Bruins even try to bring him back after a disappointing playoff run? Nash seemed open to the idea soon after the trade, but as Ty Anderson of 985 The Sports Hub tweets, it seems more likely that most of Boston’s pending unrestricted free agents will not return. With more young players ready to make an impact, the team could instead try to use some of their remaining cap space on a bigger fish, and fill in the rest of the spots internally.
Still, there is no doubt that Nash will have suitors on the open market. Just as several teams showed interest at the trade deadline, there will be some who point to his solid defensive play and still respectable offensive totals and see a useful player who could be acquired on a reasonable contract. There’s no way the veteran forward will be able to demand the kind of salary he’s been earning in recent years, but a multi-year contract is not out of the question.
Where do you think Nash will end up? Could Boston re-sign him for a smaller salary and try to recoup some of the value they sent to New York at the deadline? Could another team swoop in and make him a multi-year offer to join their playoff hopes? Will he return to one of his old stomping grounds in New York or Columbus to try and find a spark of past glory? Make sure to leave your reasoning in the comments below.
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Blake Wheeler & The 2019 Superclass
Over the past six months, plenty of digital ink has been spilled over the upcoming “Superclass” of unrestricted free agents scheduled for the summer of 2019. Among the impressive group of players, Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson perhaps have drawn the most attention. Number one defensemen rarely hit free agency at all, let alone three that will all still be 29 or younger.
Beyond the trio of outstanding defensemen, Tyler Seguin sticks out as a potential franchise-level first-line center. Seguin will be just 27 next summer, and is currently coming off his fifth straight 70-point season. He scored 40 goals this year and many believe he started to embrace his role as a true two-way player under former head coach Ken Hitchcock.
The host of other game-changing talents is incredible, with names like Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Logan Couture, Max Pacioretty, Jeff Skinner, Tyler Myers all potential huge free agent acquisitions. They all have drawn their fair share of speculation over the future, but one name seems to be often overlooked when talking about the class.
Blake Wheeler recorded a career-high 91 points this season despite having to deal with a position change—he moved to center when Mark Scheifele was injured—and regular time on the penalty kill. His play only seemed to improve when more responsibility was heaped upon his shoulders, and his leadership as captain of the Winnipeg Jets was never questioned. He now has the team on the brink of eliminating the Presidents Trophy-winning Nashville Predators, while recording 13 points through 10 games.
Wheeler is also a part of the 2019 UFA class, when he is scheduled to hit the open market as a 32-year old. The fact that he’s rarely talked about as a potential free agent may be because of how perfectly he seems to fit the Jets, but there is a real question over whether they’ll be able to keep him around.
As we examined in the case of Paul Stastny recently, the Jets are heading towards a tricky salary situation over the next few seasons. With extensions due for restricted free agents Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey, Connor Hellebuyck and others this summer, and Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor next, a lot of their cap space could be eaten up just by retaining their young talent.
Even if Stastny leaves this summer, the idea of keeping Myers and Wheeler in the summer of 2019 might be an impossible feat. Keeping even one of them may be unlikely, which brings us to the potential market for the big forward.
Wheeler would be one of the most sought after players on the market, and could even challenge to be the very top free agent available depending on who re-signs over the next year. After being fairly underpaid for the last few years—his 91-point 2017-18 made it 373 points in the last five seasons—Wheeler will be looking for one last long-term payday before he is forced to call it a career. What team wouldn’t want to add a 70-point forward who can play in all situations and move to center if needed?
While all the focus is on some younger names, no one should be surprised if Wheeler emerges as one of the absolute top options in 2019. That will also make him one of the most valuable trade chips in the league should the Jets take a step backwards, or even if they simply believe they won’t be able to re-sign him. We’ve seen playoff teams trade star rentals in the past to help them keep their window open, though that seems unthinkable at the moment with the Jets and their captain.
For now, we’ll continue to watch Wheeler and Winnipeg attempt to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. But if July 1st comes and goes with no extension, it won’t be long until the spotlight turns to a different topic for the Jets.
Offseason Keys: New York Islanders
While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning. What storylines lie ahead around the league? Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the New York Islanders.
While the season for the Islanders started on a high note, especially on offense, the New York Islanders came back to earth in the second half as the Islanders limped to the finish line knowing they had no chance to compete for a playoff spot. Injuries to the defense as well as goaltending troubles haunted them for much of the year.
Sign John Tavares
Perhaps when the team was winning early on and the offense was one of the best in the NHL or when the team won their bid on the Belmont properties and started plans to build a new stadium there, the Islanders might have felt confident about re-signing star center John Tavares. However, after one stretch in which the team won just 17 of 55 games, the star may be ready to move on to a team that has a better shot at being making the playoffs on a more continuous basis.
Regardless, the Islanders didn’t even consider the idea of trading Tavares at the trade deadline to a point that there were few to no rumors flying around at that time. Do they have an idea that he has always intended to sign? Or is the team just hoping he will return to the franchise?
While most experts are starting to believe that Tavares is likely to move on, it also wouldn’t be that surprising if he opted to sign a long-term, maximum deal and stay on Long Island for the rest of his career. Regardless of his decision, the Islanders will either move forward with him or without him, then placing Mathew Barzal at the forefront of the franchise.
Upgrade their defense
The Islanders had few positives when it came to their defense. Looking like geniuses when they traded veteran Travis Hamonic to the Calgary Flames for a boatload of draft picks, the Islanders defense then faltered when Johnny Boychuk and Calvin de Haan went down with injuries for large chunks of the season. Instead, the Islanders found themselves with few top-four defensemen for much of the season and struggled giving up goals.
While some of the goaltending play can be blamed as well, the defense is what struggled and with a number of their blueliners hitting unrestricted free agency, including de Haan and Thomas Hickey, the team has a few decisions to make as well as have to figure out how to upgrade it. Boychuk, when healthy is a solid top-four defender, but at age 34 and four years remaining on his contract at $6MM AAV, how much can they count on him? The team needs to either move some of its picks in trades for top veterans or sign some key free agents to fill some of those gaps.
Find their goaltender
While the Islanders are finally free of starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak‘s long deal and are unlikely to bring him back, the next question is where do they go to find a new starting goaltender. While they do have two talented prospects in Ilya Sorokin and Linus Soderstrom, neither is an answer for this upcoming season. Sorokin has already said he doesn’t intend to sign with the Islanders under entry-level contract conditions, while Soderstrom is coming off season-ending surgery at the beginning of 2018. Neither would likely have been ready to jump into the NHL anyway.
That will force the team to either trade for a goalie, such as Washington’s Philipp Grubauer, or more likely find a stopgap solution on the free agent market, although the free agent goalie market is quite weak this offseason. Players such as Carter Hutton or Robin Lehner aren’t sure things. The team had some success with AHL goalie Christopher Gibson, but he eventually struggled as well. The team does still have Thomas Greiss under contract for two more years, but that isn’t a better option.
Pavel Padakin Garnering NHL Interest
The off-season has yet to officially begin, but there have already been a number of international signings in recent weeks and there are surely more to come. Among those potential imports on the way could be KHL forward Pavel Padakin. Agent Igor Larionov confirmed to Russian source Championat that the Ukranian right winger has received several offers to play in the NHL next season.
Padakin, 23, has more North American experience than the typical young international player. After coming over as a 17-year-old in 2011 to play in the U.S. Tier II junior-level North American Hockey League, Padakin was able to make the jump to major junior the next year, joining the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. After three seasons in the WHL, Padakin signed a minor league deal and split the 2015-16 season between the AHL and ECHL. Only after that did he return to Europe, signing with Sochi.
However, after leading his team in assists this season, as well as finishing third in points and second in plus/minus, Padakin in back in North America to train and meet with team executives. While his career statistics don’t indicate that Padakin could make a major impact on an NHL team right away, his familiarity with the North American game matched with a solid skill set could make him a nice AHL depth addition for the time being.
Latest On John Tavares & Free Agency
While New York Islanders fans continue to watch the NHL playoffs and several of their players compete in the IIHF World Championships, there is something eating at the back of their mind. John Tavares remains unsigned, now into May. With less than two months remaining until the Islanders’ superstar captain can test free agency, chatter is beginning to increase once again even without much coming from the Tavares camp.
Recently, Craig Custance of The Athletic listed some teams who could potentially pursue the top free agent this summer. Today, another extremely well-respected hockey insider weighed in. During his latest “Bobcast” TSN’s Bob McKenzie responded to a listener question by explaining his thoughts on Tavares. Though he admits that it’s been quiet, McKenzie’s “gut” tells him that it’s more likely that the centerman ends up on the open market than re-sign with the Islanders.
That seems to be the prevailing idea lately, but one thing has to be made clear. Tavares himself has never wavered from the answer that he would love to stay in New York long-term. He has played it slow, and will review all options before making a decision. The interesting part of that decision is that the Islanders could make a huge splash elsewhere to try and keep their captain at home. With two first and two second round picks thanks to last summer’s Travis Hamonic trade, along with nearly $35MM in cap room for next season, the Islanders could potentially be the biggest spenders this offseason.
Even if Tavares leaves, there’s no reason to think the Islanders will throw in the towel. With another burgeoning superstar talent in Mathew Barzal just now showing how good he can really be, the team could build around him and compete next season. Even without Tavares the team should still have enough offensive talent, and an improved defense corps and goaltending situation could make them contenders in the Metropolitan Division.
Obviously, those chances would be strengthened with Tavares still in the fold. But though their decisions will be based on whether he comes back, don’t think the Islanders are undoubtedly heading for a rebuild should he decide to take his talents somewhere else.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Devils Plan To Make A Splash This Summer
No one could have expected that the New Jersey Devils would improve by 16 wins from last season to this season, transforming from a bottom feeder to a playoff team. The team added impact rookies Nico Hischier and Will Butcher and traded for defenseman Sami Vatanen, but also lost Adam Henrique in that deal and watched 2016-17 top-six forwards Mike Cammalleri and P.A. Parenteau depart. Yet, the team took a major leap forward with only a marginal improvement to their roster. Hoping for a repeat in that trend, NJ.com’s Chris Ryan reports that GM Ray Shero has been given the “green light” by the Devils to spend in free agency this summer.
New Jersey enters the 2018 off-season with substantial cap space. A bottom-five spender this season, the team is likely to lose Patrick Maroon, Michael Grabner, Drew Stafford, and Jimmy Hayes to free agency, which will open up even more room. They will also finally be rid of Ryane Clowe‘s cap hit. Even if the team was to hang on to defenseman John Moore, goaltender Eddie Lack, or forward Brian Gibbons, they would still have more than enough space to make a significant splash this summer.
Ryan addresses several players who Devils fans are intrigued by in his mailbag. He begins by throwing water on the idea that New Jersey will be in hot pursuit of John Tavares if he hits the open market. Seeing as Tavares will command a seven-year deal that could approach nine figures, Ryan rules the Devils out as a destination. New Jersey has its star center of the future in Hischier and must pay he and Hart finalist Taylor Hall in the next few years. However, Ryan does not shy away from any other recommended targets.
Among those other players the Devils could pursue are defenseman John Carlson, who would be the biggest name on the market if Tavares re-signs with the Islanders, fellow blue liners Mike Green and Calvin de Haan, and big winger James van Riemsdyk. Ryan rules out a reunion with Ilya Kovalchuk, but New Jersey could also be a destination for other stars of yesteryear like Joe Thornton or Rick Nash. Evander Kane, Paul Stastny, David Perron and James Neal are other top names who could wind up in Newark.
Ryan does add that the Devils may be content to sign just one of the big-name players on this summer’s free agent market. Given the luck he had making a blockbuster trade this year, Shero could surely explore the trade market instead of exclusively signing free agents. He may also want to give time to forward prospects like Michael McLeod and Joey Anderson, after Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Blake Coleman found success this year. It will be a busy off-season one way or another for New Jersey and will continue to be a fun process of building a contender for team members and fans alike.
Morning Notes: Free Agency, Veilleux, Sweden
Though we’re only partway through the second round of the playoffs, many fans have already started dreaming about what could happen on July 1st in free agency. Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) gives us an update on each of his top-20 free agents, including superstar John Tavares.
Obviously Custance can’t handicap a market, but he does mention the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues as potential pursuers if the New York Islanders’ captain does hit free agency. Tavares would have almost every team checking in should he get to the negotiating window a few days before July 1st.
- The Halifax Mooseheads have hired a new head coach for the 2018-19 season. Eric Veilleux will be behind the bench for the QMJHL squad next season, fresh off his own departure from the Colorado Avalanche AHL affiliate. Veilleux has plenty of experience in the Q, having played there as a junior and coached for nearly a decade.
- The IIHF handed out several suspensions yesterday to the Swedish World Junior squad, after the incidents that occurred after this year’s gold medal game. Players and coaches removed their medals before the post-game event was over, including captain Lias Andersson who tossed it into the crowd in frustration. Interestingly though, of the players suspended only goaltender Olle Eriksson Ek could realistically return to the tournament. The others—Andersson, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Jesper Boqvist and Rasmus Dahlin—have either graduated through age or are expected to be in the NHL full-time next year. Perhaps the biggest hit will be the coaching suspensions, which includes a three-game ban for head coach Tomas Monten.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Mikko Koskinen To One-Year Deal
Though there was plenty of speculation that goaltender Mikko Koskinen had agreed to a two-year $5MM deal, the Edmonton Oilers today announced something different. The team revealed that Koskinen has signed on for just one year, meaning he’ll hit unrestricted free agency once again in the summer of 2019. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic adds that it will be a $2MM salary with $500K signing bonus, meaning the goaltender will carry a $2.5MM cap hit.
Koskinen, originally a draft pick (31st overall) of the New York Islanders, has been playing in the KHL for the past five seasons. This year the 29-year old put up some of the best numbers in his professional career, posting a .931 save percentage and 1.69 GAA in 31 games for SKA St. Petersburg. The monstrous goaltender went 24-4-1 in those games with five shutouts, and will now try his luck in the NHL. He also competed in the Olympics for Finland, posting a .932 in five games.
Interestingly, the Oilers also have Cam Talbot and Al Montoya heading into the final years of their current contracts, leaving some uncertainty about where the goaltending position is headed for Edmonton. Laurent Brossoit will be a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer, and none of the other young goaltenders in the organization look ready to take on a starting role.
That would suggest that this season could be a proving ground for Koskinen, if he’s given the chance to battle Talbot for starts. The Oilers have relied on the 30-year old Talbot heavily over the last few years, giving him the most starts in the league each of the last two seasons. Though he was outstanding in 2016-17 and placed fourth in Vezina trophy voting, his play fell off dramatically this season as he posted the worst numbers of his career.
Talbot obviously has the talent to rebound and become an above average goaltender again, but the Oilers can’t take the chance that he struggles once again. They needed to find another goaltender who could take some of the load off his shoulders, and they believe Koskinen is it.
This deal may actually excite New York Rangers fans the most, as it now opens up the full-time starting job on St. Petersburg to young phenom Igor Shestyorkin. The 22-year old goaltender registered a .933 save percentage in 28 starts this season, but with Koskinen out of the picture should get even more work. They’ll try to bring him over to North America eventually, perhaps to be the successor to Henrik Lundqvist in a few years.
For Edmonton though, this is a worthwhile gamble on a goaltender who has long been considered one of the best playing outside of the NHL. If he can find his game, perhaps they’ll sign him to a longer deal next summer, or use him as trade bait come February. If not, a one-year deal provides little risk for the franchise as it looks to build a perennial contender behind Connor McDavid.
Tomas Plekanec Wants To Return To Montreal
When the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Tomas Plekanec at the trade deadline, they knew he likely would only be there for a few months. The 35-year old center is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and now has made it clear that he would like to return to the Montreal Canadiens if possible. In an interview with TVA Sports this morning, Plekanec spoke about his upcoming free agency.
Obviously as I said before my priority is to play for the Montreal Canadiens, but you know, what’s going to happen? I don’t know. I don’t know what Marc [Bergevin] has planned, I don’t know what Claude Julien has planned so everything is open I guess from now on until July 1st. Like I said, my heart is in Montreal, my family is in Montreal, so that’s my priority…
Plekanec played 17 games down the stretch with the Maple Leafs but didn’t find his groove until after Nazem Kadri was suspended in their first round series with the Boston Bruins. Plekanec slid into a checking role with Patrick Marleau and Mitch Marner—two players he speaks highly of in the interview—and matched up well against the Bruins’ top unit.
His four points in seven playoff games actually doubled the two he recorded during the regular season with the Maple Leafs, part of the lowest season total of his career. The veteran forward is on the last season of a two-year $12MM pact, but will have to take considerably less money to return to Montreal next season.
The Canadiens are weak down the middle, but Plekanec can’t be relied upon as anything more than a checking option at this point. Now closer to 40 than 30 and with dwindling point totals in three consecutive seasons, he may have to take an incentive-laden contract. Montreal is expected to push hard in free agency to try and turn around their franchise after a disappointing season, but they may choose to go in a different direction.