Winnipeg’s Forward Depth And Versatility Valuable In Trade Market
The Winnipeg Jets finished just 7 points out of a playoff berth this season. Like the Islanders (41 wins) and Lightning (42 wins), the Jets (40 wins) were on the verge of making it to the show in the final weeks. As such, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff didn’t feel the necessity to spend large this off-season, nor make any substantial trades. Cheveldayoff shored up the goaltending position with Steve Mason on a two-year contract, and hopes that will be enough to push the team over the edge. Still, if management feels that improvements should be made, the team has the assets and the versatility up front to do so. It’s uncertain whether Dmitry Kulikov will be enough to shore up what was a poor-performing defensive group last year. A spare forward could be floated for more help in their own end, even though their 6 slots seem safely filled at the moment.
Particularly at the center position, the Jets have one of the more enviable situations league-wide. By my count, the Jets have 9 roster players who can theoretically slot in for center duties. Mark Scheifele, Bryan Little, Mathieu Perreault, Shawn Matthias, Adam Lowry, Michael Sgarbossa, Marko Dano and Brandon Tanev all can play up the middle. Scheifele is obviously the first line center, and Little is safely pegged at number two. After that, things get a bit interesting. Perreault finished the season while spending some time on the wing, and his goal scoring dried up – he only had 22 in the past two seasons. His point production is still locked in at 40+, but considering his $4.125 MM cap hit for the next four seasons, maybe now is the time to opt out. Matthias is interesting primarily because he only has one season remaining before he hits unrestricted free agency. He can slot on the third or fourth lines and provide mediocre depth production, but his marginal worth wouldn’t be enough to land a difference maker in a trade.
Little also sees his current deal expire at the conclusion off 2017-18, and his new contract could be relatively hefty. With Blake Wheeler due another contract hike after 2018-19, and Jacob Trouba looking for a raise after this year, there is the possibility Little could be moved for the right package. Still, he’s one of the more consistent players on the Jets and has never known another franchise. If he were to be shopped, the return could be quite pricey for many competing teams. He’s perceived as a top-end #2 center and his internal value is quite steep. Following that, Lowry will continue to build on his progression last year, where he tallied 29 points. He’s yet to put it all together, but his size and still tender age of 24 wouldn’t make him the first target for movement. Dano is far more comfortable on the wing, and he’s likely going nowhere. Sgarbossa is essentially a non-factor, as is Tanev, in terms of drawing league interest.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Nicolas Petan should find himself a regular this season, and many expect him to push for that 3rd line center position. As with many of the other names, he can slot on the wing instead, but that might not be the best use of his talents long-term. If he forces Lowry down the depth chart further, does that make a player like Little more expendable for the right move? What would the interest be like for a player of Perreault’s caliber? Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that we’ll know until well into the season. Cheveldayoff has been firm in staying the course with the young and promising Jets, and he’s more likely to wait at least until the conclusion of training camp before making any major transaction.
Free Agent Profile: Brian Gionta
Finding consistent secondary scoring is a challenge for most teams. UFA winger Brian Gionta has been quietly consistent in recent years but remains on the open market through the first month of free agency.
Gionta, who captained the Sabres the past three seasons, had his highest goal output (15) with Buffalo while matching his highest point total (35) in 2016-17. While he is no longer the consistent 25+ goal scorer he was with New Jersey in his prime, he has tallied at least 12 times in each of the last five years while notching at least 33 points in four of those. (The year he didn’t was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season where he had 26 in 48 games, a 44 point pace.)
So why does he remain unsigned so far? He has a few things working against him. For starters, he’s 38 years old and there are quite a few other older players still unsigned so far (including Jaromir Jagr, Jarome Iginla, and Shane Doan, who all also play the right wing). It’s hardly a booming market for the long-term veterans.
Gionta’s smaller stature (5’7) will also scare some teams off. He’s not a bad skater by any stretch but he has lost some of his speed in recent years which doesn’t help either as the pace of play continues to quicken. Nonetheless, with scoring at a premium, his consistent level of production should still have at least a few teams interested at the right price.
Potential Suitors
At this stage of his career, it doesn’t seem likely that Gionta, a Rochester native, will want to move his family too far from the New York area. That will limit his options considerably. He’d best fit in on a team that rolls three offensive lines where he could start on the third unit and move up from time to time when needed.
His most recent team in Buffalo still makes some sense. They have the cap room this season to work with and Gionta won’t need a multi-year deal while there could be a spot in their top nine wings for him to start. New Jersey, where Gionta spent his prime, would also be a fit. Their winger depth isn’t the strongest as things stand and it would allow him to potentially wrap up his career where it all started. If Boston wants to have a capable veteran around in case their prospects aren’t ready, they would make sense as a landing spot as well.
Projected Contract
Six weeks ago, Gionta slotted in 39th on our Top 50 Free Agents list with a projected one-year, $2MM contract. For someone who can somewhat safely be penciled in for 30+ points, that’s still pretty good value but given the number of veteran secondary scorers that are still out there, it doesn’t seem likely he’ll be able to get that unless he’s willing to have some of that in potential performance bonuses. At this point, something closer to $1.25MM may be more of a realistic target if the veteran of over 1,000 games decides he’d like to play for another year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pressure On The Strome Brothers In 2017-18
If Philadelphia Flyers prospect Matthew Strome somehow makes the roster out of camp this fall, it will come as a pleasant surprise to the team and the fans. Strome fell to the fourth round, 106th overall, in the NHL Draft this past June after many believed he would be a first or second-round prospect. Yet, Strome does possess great size and compete level for his age and has the vision and finishing ability to have an outside shot at a bottom-six winger slot for Philly. However, if Strome is simply returned to the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs for another year, maybe two, no one will be upset. There are no expectations for the youngest Strome at this point in time.
The same cannot be said for his older brothers. New Edmonton Oiler Ryan Strome and Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome face some serious stakes in 2017-18. Both are still young at 24 and 20 respectively, but neither has lived up to expectations thus far. With each facing the daunting task of playing a key offensive role for their teams this season, the time is now to show that they have what it takes.
In many ways, the Oilers’ recent trade of Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders for Ryan Strome was a salary cap dump. Eberle was set to make $6MM this year and next, while Strome will be paid just $2.5MM this season. Eberle is also twice the player that Strome is, both subjectively in the minds of most hockey pundits and objectively given the pairs scoring stats in each of the past two seasons. The fact of the matter is that the Oilers were facing a cap crunch with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in need of super-expensive long-term extensions and with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Milan Lucic, and their top-four defenseman all already signed to big-money deals. Someone had to go and the choice was Eberle. However, Edmonton has now lost the only player that has been a consistent scorer for them through many dark years and a crucial member of the top six. Strome may not hold up in comparison, but it is no secret that he is expected to contribute this season and vastly improve from his numbers with the Islanders. After a 50-point campaign and +23 rating in his first full pro season in 2014-15, many thought Strome was on his way to stardom. Two years later, he’s scored just 58 points over two seasons and is a -17 in that span. Strome hit a wall in New York and looked lost in the Isles’ lineup. Edmonton presents a brand new opportunity for him to show that his 5th overall pick status in 2011 and early NHL returns were no fluke. While Strome is a natural center, the Oilers are sorely lacking a right-shot offensive threat in the top six with Eberle gone. Rather than bury Strome on the third line, it seems very likely that he could instead move from center to right wing, where he spent some time in New York, and skate alongside the likes of McDavid, Draisaitl, or Nugent-Hopkins next season. With that role will come the pressure to produce alongside such high-quality players. Strome must improve on his 30 points from 2016-17 and has to become a better even strength player. If he doesn’t, the Oilers may regret this deal as they struggle to find secondary scoring and Strome’s future may be in doubt this time next year as he faces restricted free agency.
Dylan Strome has always been property of the Arizona Coyotes, but playing with the team this season may feel like new scenario. The former Erie Otters superstar has played in just seven NHL games since being drafted third overall in 2015 and has just one assist to show for it. Once considered the Coyotes #1 center of the future, Strome will enter the mix this year as somewhat of an afterthought. The team went out and acquired Derek Stepan from the New York Rangers, who should be the team’s top center and offensive leader for the time being. There is also Calder speculation surrounding young center Clayton Keller who, despite being drafted a year after and four spots later than Strome, has seemingly passed him up on the organizational depth chart. With promising young players like Max Domi, Anthony Duclair Brendan Perlini, Christian Fischer, Christian Dvorak, Lawson Crouse, and Nick Merkley also in the mix, not to mention solid veterans like Jordan Martinook, Tobias Rieder, and Jamie McGinn, it may be hard for Strome to find a top-nine role, nevertheless be a featured forward. Yet, the rebuild in Arizona cannot last forever and “promise” will only hold up for so long on a Coyotes team that should be taking the next step soon. If the ‘Yotes don’t improve in 2017-18 and Strome’s rookie season is underwhelming, many may point to his lack of development as the reason why the rebuild has shown few results. While it is asking a lot to compare Strome to the two picks ahead of him in 2015 – Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel – the early success of those after him, like Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Pavel Zacha, Travis Konecny, Anthony Beauvillier, Sebastian Aho, and more, is likely already frustrating both Arizona fans and executives. Another season without results could be disastrous for his tenure in the desert. The pressure is officially on.
If Ryan and Dylan Strome live up to their draft hype and ample ability this year, the Strome family could be the talk of the hockey town in 2017-18. However, if neither can take advantage of their opportunities this year, there could be some serious doubt cast upon the career prospects of both. Then again, at least there’s always Matthew to watch for.
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?
Please vote on our poll below, and comment with your thoughts!
Which Goalie Will Have The Best Season On A New Team?
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Ben Bishop 29% (344)
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Scott Darling 17% (198)
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Marc-Andre Fleury 15% (171)
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Brian Elliott 9% (102)
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Other 7% (86)
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Antti Raanta 7% (84)
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Steve Mason 6% (67)
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Ryan Miller 4% (45)
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Antti Niemi 3% (32)
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Ondrej Pavelec 2% (29)
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Jonathan Bernier 1% (16)
Total votes: 1,174
Mobile users click here to vote!
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.