Free Agent Profile: Daniel Winnik
Over the past several years, winger Daniel Winnik has carved out a role as a quality bottom-six checking forward with the ability to score a few goals here and there as well. Despite his reputation though, he still finds himself unsigned more than a month into free agency.
2016-17 was actually a career year for the 32-year-old in terms of goal production as he potted a dozen goals while it was the first time he hit the double digit mark since 2010-11 with Colorado. He also accomplished that while averaging just under 13 minutes per game, the lowest ATOI of his career. He was a regular in Washington’s postseason lineup although he failed to hit the scoresheet in any of their 13 postseason contests.
While his overall ice time dropped, it didn’t affect his usage when it came to the penalty kill. Winnik logged 2:31 per game shorthanded, the second highest among forwards for the Capitals (only behind Jay Beagle). Washington ranked seventh in the league in that department.
What may be working against him a bit here is his contract history. While the league has continued to trend towards going cheaper with bottom forwards, Winnik has managed to buck that trend in each of his three trips through free agency already, most recently landing a two year, $4.5MM deal from the Caps in the summer of 2015. At this stage of free agency, he’s likely not going to be able to command that type of money so teams may be waiting to see how low he may go.
Potential Suitors
Generally speaking, there are two types of potential fits depending on what Winnik is looking to accomplish. If he’s looking to find a soft landing spot on a one-year deal in the hopes of getting a better contract next summer, then looking to a team with less depth on the wing that could give him more playing time. Florida, New Jersey, and Colorado are teams in that situation and if they’re out of the hunt by the trade deadline, he could be flipped for a draft pick as a rental player.
The other possible fit is trying to find a contending team that would see him as more of a depth penalty kill specialist, similar to the role he had with the Capitals. Teams that are in that situation are Calgary, San Jose, and even Washington although Winnik would have to take a substantial pay cut to stick with the Caps.
Projected Contract
Back in June, Winnik ranked 34th on our Top 50 Free Agents list with a projected two-year, $3.5MM contract. With the market drying up both in terms of possible fits and money available to spend, it’s not likely that he will be able to land a contract like that. A one-year pact worth between $1MM and $1.25MM is where his market is at this point although like most free agents at this stage, going the international route to maintain Olympic eligibility is certainly a possibility as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
RFA Extension Candidates
While veteran players like Carey Price and Cam Fowler have received huge extensions this summer a full year before hitting the open market, some younger players aren’t usually locked up as early. We saw the Edmonton Oilers jump on Connor McDavid right away, handing him a $100MM contract before even dealing with their current free agents, and there are others who may see an extension before the season is up.
Teams often don’t want to commit to young players before they have to, unsure of how they’ll react to bigger roles or a full-time NHL position. Still, there are some who are already well established and deserve a long-term deal. It’s obviously up to them to decide whether they want to lock themselves into an extension before playing the year, as many can leverage a solid season into even more money. That said, some players just like the stability of a long-term contract. Here are some who could earn extensions before the end of the season.
Jacob Trouba – Winnipeg Jets
Trouba held out last year until the beginning of November, and made it clear he wanted a bigger role somewhere else. He didn’t see himself getting that opportunity in Winnipeg, where the team had Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers penciled in ahead of him on the right side. As it happens, Myers was hit with injury and Trouba excelled in his increased role, logging 25 minutes a night and registering 33 points in just 60 games.
He’s now established himself as one of the best young defenders in the league and a key piece for Winnipeg going forward. They should try hard to sign him to an extension now, instead of letting this linger again and ending up in another hold out situation. Trouba has overtaken Myers on the depth chart, but allowing him to hold all the cards next summer would make for another messy situation, and it’s clear that he can provide ample value even on a big contract.
J.T. Miller – New York Rangers
Miller has always seemed like a good fit in New York, and signed an early deal with the Rangers last summer. He improved once again and continues to show why the team invested a 15th-overall pick in him. With 56 points in 82 games he was often the most dangerous player on the ice, and coming into his age-24 season he’s poised to put up even bigger numbers.
The Rangers have a ton of money coming off the books next summer with Rick Nash‘s $7.8MM cap hit expiring, but will need all of it for extensions for some of their top young players. After committing big money to Mika Zibanejad this summer, they could lock in Miller now and provide some cap-certainty as they hit what will be a huge summer for the team.
Dylan Larkin – Detroit Red Wings
Larkin is coming off a down year and probably won’t want to take a discount because of it, but Detroit could lock him in as the face of the franchise going forward and start jettisoning other assets to continue the rebuild. They’re in no danger of him going anywhere next year, but it could be a clear sign to their fans that he’ll lead the next wave of Detroit success.
William Nylander – Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have some huge contracts coming up, with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner both entering similar circumstances to these next summer. Nylander is first up, and could be locked up to a long-term deal right now. Like Edmonton the team may want to see how much Matthews will cost them first, but it’s not like they’re heading for a series of bridge deals with Nylander. He’s a key piece who will be there for a long time.
Locking him up now gives you some idea of what there will be left for free agency next season, as it would be tough to go after anyone with Matthews’ negotiations not technically allowed to start until July 1st (though they often are discussed anyway). Toronto might be the busiest team in the league next year, as seven forward contracts are expiring.
Important Contracts Still To Sign For Columbus Blue Jackets
As we approach the start of training camps in a little over a month, the Columbus Blue Jackets still have plenty of work to do in order to have the best players ready from day one. Alexander Wennberg and Josh Anderson both remain unsigned restricted free agents, and as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic points out, those negotiations could be holding up extension talks for Cam Atkinson as well. 
Atkinson will hit unrestricted free agency next summer and is coming off a 35-goal performance in 2016-17. His goal explosion earned him his first all-star appearance, and set career highs in almost every offensive category. Heading into this season at just 28, he would be one of the prized forward options should he end up on the open market.
Wennberg and Anderson on the other hand represent two big parts of the Blue Jackets’ forward group that need contracts just to start the season on time. While there has been no negative reports out of Columbus that either is heading towards a lockout, the team does have to be careful with how they spend their funds. After clearing room by buying out Scott Hartnell, the team has just under $12.9MM left to spend for this season. That number isn’t hard to fit the pair under, but going forward the team has many other contracts to consider.
Along with Atkinson’s UFA status, Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray are both restricted free agents next summer, while Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski are due up in the summer of 2019. Panarin will be looking for a deal closer to $10MM per season than his current $6MM, and Werenski looks like a franchise defenseman that the team needs to lock up long term as soon as possible.
It’s rough waters to navigate for GM Jarmko Kekalainen, but for now the team is in pretty good shape. Not a single long-term deal will pay more than $5.85MM per season, and the team has options at nearly every position. Their solid drafting and development of young defensemen has come in handy, not to mention some successful trading to acquire certain assets. The Blue Jackets should be considered a top contender in the Metropolitan division once again, but it’ll take some more work this summer to get there.
Alex Kerfoot Listening To All Teams
While Will Butcher has dominated many of the headlines lately as the top NCAA prospect closes in on free agency later this month, there is another name that should draw quite a bit of interest. Alex Kerfoot took over from Jimmy Vesey as captain of the Harvard team this season, and is poised to follow in another way in two weeks. Kerfoot, a New Jersey Devils draft pick will not sign before the deadline and is set to become a free agent on August 16th. Rick Dhaliwal of NEWS 1130 in Vancouver spoke with Kerfoot’s agent JP Barry who told him no one had been ruled out just yet. There should be several teams after him, though he’s not a blue-chip name like many considered Vesey to be last year.
Kerfoot had an interesting college career, playing in Vesey’s shadow for several years. Until this season he was a pure playmaker, racking up assists but not cracking 10 goals in a single year. That all changed when Vesey moved on and more offensive responsibility was heaped on Kerfoot, as his goal total spiked to 16 and he registered 45 points in just 34 games. While he always had incredible creativity and vision once inside the zone, he was often pushed off the puck or lacked the straight line speed to create off the rush.
Those weaknesses may be behind him, as he’s increased his physical edge despite still being undersized, and has improved his skating to a point where it’s now a positive for him. It will be tough—but not impossible—to continue in his natural center position, but like many other college and junior players before him he could crack into the league as a winger instead.
Kerfoot is from Vancouver and has been tied to the Canucks in the past, though there will likely be many of the usual suspects trying to go after him. Chicago, Pittsburgh and Detroit have all been linked to Butcher, and could easily pop up in negotiations with Kerfoot as well. It’s hard to handicap where he’ll end up, as it’s not clear if many teams see the 22-year old as a contributor in 2017-18, or more of a long-term depth piece. He’ll have to sign a two-year entry-level contract, but performance and signing bonuses can vary slightly from team to team. Like Butcher, it’s more about opportunity than salary and he’ll find that somewhere in two weeks.
Which Goalie Will Have The Best Season On A New Team?
This unrestricted free agency period saw quite a number of goaltenders shuffle around the league. Even before July 1st, we saw a couple transactions which landed starters in new locations. Scott Darling was moved from Chicago to Carolina. Mike Smith was traded from Arizona to Calgary. Los Angeles was forced to deal Ben Bishop to Dallas or lose him for nothing in expansion. Antti Raanta was shipped from the New York Rangers to Arizona. And Vegas got a former 1st-overall and veteran keeper in Marc-Andre Fleury after all was said and done. Then, on July 1st, Brian Elliott signed with the Philadelphia Flyers to run a tandem with Michal Neuvirth, while former Flyer Steve Mason signed the biggest goalie deal of the off-season ($4.1 MM AAV) to play net for Winnipeg.
In terms of backups, former ‘Pegger Ondrej Pavelec signed on to play a meaningful role for the Rangers behind the aging Henrik Lundqvist. Jonathan Bernier may have been the biggest loser of the day – after winning 21 of his 33 games in Anaheim, he will settle for playing second fiddle in Colorado behind Semyon Varlamov. Antti Niemi signed on to back up Matt Murray after being bought out from Dallas, and at the tender age of 37, Ryan Miller will slot behind John Gibson in Anaheim.
With all this movement, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track. Goaltending is ultimately the foundation for any team’s success, regular season or playoffs. Each of these names has seen struggles, but also past success. Which will rally to the occasion, and which will fall short of living up to their contracts and expectations? Who posts the best save percentage? The most wins? And will any of the backups usurp the starting tenders?
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Islanders’ 2017-18 Season Could Spark Roster Turnover
The New York Islanders have a difficult season ahead of them, not least of which the arena uncertainty which has been plaguing the team for a decade. After a tumultuous season in Brooklyn at the Barclay’s Center, many fans are simply concerned with finding a proper home in the New York area. Additionally, much attention has been paid to the impending unrestricted free agency of John Tavares at the conclusion of the season. There is good reason for the fanbase’s focus to be centered around captain Tavares, as he will likely be the domino that needs to fall first. That said, the Islanders have 11 expiring NHL contracts at the end of the 2017-18 season, and if the team fails to make the playoffs again, even more expansive changes could be on the horizon.
It should be noted that the Islanders weren’t entirely quiet this off-season, as GM Garth Snow made some unorthodox but ultimately effective moves with Vegas to shield younger players and ship out injured Mikhail Grabovski‘s contract. Perhaps more importantly, regards to retaining Tavares, was the acquisition of good friend and skillful finisher Jordan Eberle to play on the star center’s wing. Travis Hamonic was able to be moved for a hefty return from Calgary, and although the team was unable to draw in names from free agency, their young forwards look capable of taking a step forward this season. Although Snow has certainly struggled at times in his tenure, this off-season went about as well as could be expected. All that remains is to sign RFA Calvin de Haan.
The panic begins to set in when you compare the Islanders’ roster with that of the rest of the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh will again be a contender. Washington got worse but still won the President’s Trophy last season. Columbus almost unquestionably improved their roster on paper. Carolina added depth in all areas of the ice, including Scott Darling in net. The New York Rangers saw a massive upgrade on defense by subtracting Dan Girardi and adding Kevin Shattenkirk. And the less intimidating Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils each added a monumental talent to their forward groups at the draft in Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier, respectively. It’s rather arguably the toughest division in the entire league, and the Islanders will have no guarantees of making the playoffs. If they fail to do so, Tavares may only be the beginning of their issues.
Among the unrestricted free agents after the conclusion of the season are Nikolai Kulemin, Josh Bailey, Jason Chimera, Thomas Hickey, Dennis Seidenberg, Jaroslav Halak and the aforementioned Tavares. The restricted free agents on NHL contracts include Brock Nelson, Shane Prince, Alan Quine, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield. Although no name on either list is truly vital, losing 4 or 5 free agents for nothing at the conclusion of the season could be a disastrous error in asset management. Bailey and Hickey in particular may attract solid interest at the trade deadline, but Snow and management will necessarily be determined to make the post-season. If they are still in contention for a spot, it’s hard to see them shipping any roster assets away as long as they are not mathematically eliminated. This situation will only become more dramatic if the Tavares negotiations are still ongoing.
Plainly, the worst case scenario for the Isles would be that Tavares leaves at the conclusion of the year. But it must also be realized that the longer the process drags on, the more consideration might be paid to the feasibility of moving him. The coming season cannot be the entire focus of the franchise. If minimal progress is made by the new year, the team could see a situation where an important cog on the team might leave for absolutely nothing. Worse, his situation may lead to the sacrificing of other assets in the confusion. The Islanders dealt with this last off-season when Frans Nielsen decided to depart for Detroit, stunning Islanders management. Repeating such a mistakewould be absolutely inexcusable, and if unrestricted free agents are unwilling to re-sign or no longer part of the team’s future, they must be moved in the interest of the organization. The same goes for Tavares. Although losing Tavares would be absolutely crippling, it would be fatal to lose him without recouping any assets whatsoever.
Free Agent Profile: Jarome Iginla
In his prime, right winger Jarome Iginla was a premier power forward in the league. Although he has lost a few steps in recent years as he has aged, he could still serve as a potential middle six winger for some teams but remains unsigned as we near the one-month mark of free agency.
Iginla split 2016-17 between the Avalanche and Kings and while his performance with the former wasn’t the greatest, he did provide some signs that he can still help a team with the latter. His role with Colorado diminished throughout the season and as a result, he was often in their bottom six, hardly a good sign for a team that was completely bereft of scoring.
There was plenty of trade speculation as the days ticked down to the trade deadline and the 40-year-old eventually was moved to Los Angeles in what basically amounted to a partial salary dump. That seemed to spark Iginla, who picked up nine points (6-3-9) in 19 games with the Kings while seeing his ice time jump back over 16 minutes a night. If he could sustain that level of production (or even close to it), he could be a bargain for whoever signs him.
However, as the game continues to speed up, Iginla is heading in the wrong direction. He’s far from at his best in transition and is better suited for slower paced situations. That alone will have quite a few teams looking in other directions before even factoring in anything else. But, with 1,300 career points as well as a strong reputation off the ice under his belt, there still should be some teams kicking the tires if he wants to stick around for another year.
Potential Suitors
At this stage of his career, it’s hard to imagine that Iginla would be interested in joining any rebuilding teams. He’d surely prefer a team that’s expected to contend but if one of those teams were to express an interest, it likely would have happened already.
The Bruins have been speculated as a possible fit. While they have some youngsters on the horizon, Iginla would represent an affordable hedge against some of them not being ready right away. He’s also familiar with the organization having played for them back in 2013-14 and he recently bought a house in the area. Calgary is also quite familiar with Iginla as he spent parts of 16 seasons with the team. There could be a third line spot on the wing available for him and it would be an opportunity for his career to come full circle. Iginla fit in well with Los Angeles but they’re looking to transition towards more speed which all but takes them out of the running.
A non-NHL option in play is the Canadian Olympic Team. With the NHL not participating in the 2018 Games, Iginla would be a candidate to suit up for them as well as playing in some pre-Olympic tournaments. That would then open him to potentially signing with an NHL team for the stretch run (though he would have to pass through waivers first). That would allow him to play a more limited schedule than a typical 82-game stretch which might be most beneficial for him.
Projected Contract
Back in June, Iginla ranked 33rd on our Top 50 Free Agents list with a projected one-year, $1MM contract. If he decides to play in the NHL for another year, that’s still a reasonable expectation for a new deal for him although there could be a few bonuses in there as well. As the calendar gets closer to training camp though, the Olympic option will probably become more and more of a serious option if retirement isn’t on the table.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Early Notes: Butcher, Neil, CHL
Will Butcher won’t be signing with the Colorado Avalanche before the August 15th deadline, and his impending free agency has the rest of the league looking back through their notes on the former Denver Pioneer. The two-way defender has some solid upside despite being a fifth-round selection, and should cause a bidding war not unlike the one Jimmy Vesey sparked last summer. Several teams will be interested in bringing the Hobey Baker award winner in, and he should have his pick of destination.
Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught up with Butcher’s agent Brian Bartlett, who told him that if the Penguins called “I’m sure we’d answer the phone.” Bartlett was clear in what he was looking for in Butcher’s first team, noting the Penguins solid track record developing college players and the fact that they’ve had (a bit of) recent success in the NHL. Butcher isn’t looking for a chance to compete in the NHL right away, but a spot to grow his young career.
- Chris Neil won’t be back in Ottawa next season, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be in the NHL. The 38-year old tough guy told Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun that he’s already received one-way offers from a few teams, but is waiting on the right fit for him and his family. Growing up and playing in Ontario for almost his entire life, any departure would be a new adventure for Neil and his young family.
- Craig Button of TSN is at Canada’s Under-17 development camp, and breaks down the three top bantam picks of the CHL. Peyton Krebs (WHL first-overall in 2016) Ryan Suzuki (OHL first-overall in 2017) and Alexis Lafreniere (QMJHL first-overall in 2017) all have incredible talent, and have a good shot to go high in their respective NHL drafts in a few years. Suzuki is on to particularly watch over the next few years, as the younger brother of Vegas first-round pick Nick Suzuki will be playing for the Barrie Colts alongside possible 2018 first-overall pick Andrei Svechnikov. Barrie was the worst team in the OHL this season, but with Suzuki and Svechnikov coming in they could be much improved right away.
- Speaking of prospects the NHL is set to hold a press conference with the Dallas Stars on Saturday, and Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is expecting it to announce the location of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The draft, which was held in Chicago this season, is a huge event that brings people from all corners of the hockey world together for more than a week. The top names like Svechnikov, Joe Veleno and Rasmus Dahlin are all extremely enticing prospects in what should be a very deep draft.
The Summer Of Cody Franson: Part II
It’s late in NHL free agency, midway through the summer months, and defenseman Cody Franson remains unsigned. Sound familiar? Just two years ago, the summer of 2015, the same exact thing happened and, if history is any indication, the waiting game is just beginning.
Fresh off the best season of his career in 2014-15, in which he posted a career-high 36 points with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators, who had acquired the highly sought-after commodity at the NHL Trade Deadline, Franson was expected to be a major player in free agency. Franson entered the market on July 1st at just 27 years old and ready to cash in on his recent success. Only, that isn’t what happened. Even in a relatively weak market for defenseman, highlighted by the likes of Mike Green, Andrej Sekera and Johnny Oduya, Franson could not find a deal to his liking. Perhaps he priced himself out of the range that many teams were willing to pay for him or maybe he just didn’t get the fair market value offer he was expecting. Either way, the rumors surrounding Franson dragged on all summer. Franson stood alone as the major unsigned free agent through July, through August, and into September. It took Franson until September 10th, 72 days into free agency, to finally sign a deal. He agreed to terms with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year, $6.65MM contract. The deal came in at an annual average value of $3.325MM, less than the aging Kevin Bieksa and streaky Michael Del Zotto got and most comparable to Zbynek Michalek, whom Franson had played far superior than in 2014-15. Many has speculated that his negotiation wore on as he decided between a short-term deal with a contender or more money and more term from a team in a rebuild; in the end he got less money and short term from the rebuilding Sabres.
After all the attention that Franson got two years ago, he could not have more invisible during his time in Buffalo. The poor fit with the Sabres was immediately evident, as Franson was denied a major role on the power play, where he had become a big-time weapon in Toronto, and was given nearly five minutes less ice time than he had with the Maple Leafs. Frason also never seemed to settle into a consistent role or on a specific pairing. Between a lesser role and ongoing injury issues, 2015-16 was the worst season of Franson’s career. Although limited to just 59 games, Franson nonetheless scored less than half of the 36 points he had registered in 78 games with the Leafs and Predators the year before. He also saw a massive drop-off in his defensive stats like hits and blocks. Buffalo fans were hoping for a rebound year when Franson returned to full health in 2016-17, but it did not come. Despite being given more ice time, the 6’5″, 224-lb. defenseman often looked sluggish on the ice, as if he had resigned to the fact that joining the Sabres was a bad choice and was simply playing to get through the season and get back on the market. Despite playing in nine more games this season than last and seeing the ice more often in each contest, Franson finished with only two more points than in 2015-16. Overall, the past two seasons in Buffalo were the worst of his career.
Perhaps teams took notice of Franson’s lack of involvement and apparent frustration in Buffalo, because there has not been much noise surrounding his availability this summer. The major difference between this off-season and the 2015 off-season in terms of Franson’s availability is that the rumor mill has not exactly been churning these last few weeks. In 2015, it was clear that the Sabres were just one of several teams courting Franson, with others like the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks hot on the trail all the way until the bitter end. This year, there has hardly been a whisper about Franson. This comes after he surprisingly stayed in Buffalo beyond the Trade Deadline as well, even though there was no doubt that he planned to leave this summer. Considering the size and strength that Franson brings, his track record as a legitimate top-four two-way defenseman during his years with Nashville and Toronto, and his impressive possession numbers (even in Buffalo), there has to be some other reason that Franson remains unsigned with little indication of that status changing soon.
Even coming off back-to-back down seasons, Franson’s availabilty this late in the off-season is shocking, just as it was two years ago. The defensive market this off-season wasn’t impressive to begin with, especially on the right side, yet Franson still sits waiting for the right deal. Ranked #22 in PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents, we expected that Franson would sign a two-year deal worth $5MM, down from his last deal with the Sabres but substantially more than what we felt many other blue liners on the market would demand. Last time around, Franson held out and got a multi-year deal, so it could still happen again. It was a toss-up between Franson and Michael Stone as the best right-handed defenseman behind Kevin Shattenkirk when it came to the 2017 free agent class, but with Stone re-signing in Calgary before July 1st and Shattenkirk going to the New York Rangers not long after, Franson has been the best righty on the market for some time. With Andrei Markov announcing that he will leave the NHL for the KHL next season, Franson is now the best of any defenseman available. So when will the action heat up? With almost no rumors to go off of, it very well could be another September signing for Franson, who may end up as an excellent value addition for some team. The Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils are desperate for some depth on the blue line, while the Los Angeles Kings were one of the few teams eyeing Franson at the deadline and have considerable depth issue of their own. There is always the Toronto Maple Leafs too; always on the lookout for that righty to pair with Morgan Rielly, Franson has always played his best in Toronto and could be a stopgap option in the top four.
There really is no clear answer to the enigma that is Cody Frason’s free agency. For the second time in a row, a seemingly solid defenseman has been unable to find a suitable contract and no one knows exactly why. He may end up signing a long-term deal to play a major role for an NHL team, or he could take a one-year “show me” deal as depth for a contender, or maybe he really has no takers and goes overseas. Who knows? One thing is for certain, no one will ever consider Franson to be priority free agent to watch for on July 1st ever again.
Cap Space: The Washington Salary Situation
The Washington Capitals have had a very interesting offseason. After being knocked out of the playoffs once again by the Pittsburgh Penguins, they’ve seen wholesale changes to their team structure and will head into 2017-18 with a much different look. Out went Justin Williams, Kevin Shattenkirk, Karl Alzner, Nate Schmidt, Daniel Winnik, Marcus Johansson and in came, well, almost nothing. The team did bring in Devante Smith-Pelly as a bottom-six option, but spent most of their time re-signing players like T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov to long-term deals that will keep them in town until at least 2023. Those extensions came with a price—not only were they forced to move Johansson in a salary dump to division rival New Jersey, but they’re in cap trouble heading into the season already.
When taking a look at the CapFriendly page for the Capitals, you will notice that they currently have about $4.1MM in space for the upcoming season. With that knowledge, you might surmise that they’ll be able to add at least a couple of veteran options to help them, or a bounce-back candidate or two. What you have to remember though, is that the Capitals are at their $70.9MM projected cap hit for just 17 players. A regular NHL roster holds 23, meaning there are several names coming up from the minors to fill the ranks.
Yes, the Capitals do have several players in the minor leagues who should be able to contribute positively this year like Christian Djoos, Nathan Walker and Chandler Stephenson, but each one comes with a cost of their own. Just because they’re on entry-level or two-way contracts doesn’t mean they’re free, and with each call up a minimum of $650K is added to that cap number. For some, like Jakub Vrana a top option to make the team after a solid season split between the AHL and NHL last year that number creeps even higher.
Even if you take that minimum $650K number for the six players to be added, it ends up putting the Capitals less than $200K under the cap to start the season meaning even a $1MM contract for a veteran option like Thomas Vanek would be out of their price range. Sure, there are ways they could work around the cap like any team but the clear picture here is that they’ve put themselves in quite a precarious position. Even if they work some magic to be right up against the cap with some help, any performance bonuses earned by those on entry-level deals will carry over to next season and put them in a tough position again when faced with the free agency of John Carlson. Washington relies on Carlson as a huge part of their defense corps, and seeing him walk because they didn’t have the money to pay him would set them back even further.
So when wondering if the Capitals can afford to make any more moves in free agency, or a trade that takes on a bit of salary don’t look at the $4.1MM cap space figure. They’re much closer than that in reality, and could be forced into relying on quite a young roster this season.