Montreal Canadiens Sign Alex Galchenyuk To Three-Year Deal
Despite filing for arbitration earlier today, Alex Galchenyuk has reached a contract with the Montreal Canadiens. The deal will pay him $4.9MM per season for the next three years, taking him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020. According Renaud Lavoie of TVA, the contract does not include a no-movement deal or any additional clauses. This deal buys Montreal one year of service past when Galchenyuk would otherwise have become unrestricted.
Galchenyuk has had trouble finding his role in Montreal, being shifted from wing to center and back again. There was the growing sense that Galchenyuk may have been on the outs, but with the loss Alexander Radulov his signing became a necessity. The Canadiens have been hunting for a number one center for what seems like eons, and the organization must now hope Galchenyuk will round out his game sufficiently and grow into that position. With this contract, the team receives a very productive player at a significant discount, with the extra year providing the team cap relief if he progresses.
Galchenyuk struggled with injuries as well as the aforementioned coaching decisions last year, losing 21 games to a lower body injury. He wasn’t on pace to match the 30 goals of 2015-16, but at only 23 years old, Galchenyuk still has time to develop as an NHL player. Montreal media and management were particularly down on the flashy, creative forward when he went long stretches with few points. He will likely never be a top-tier defensive forward, but he should become more capable in the other two zones under the proper direction. This contract seemingly will put a halt to the trade rumors swirling around the talented playmaker. GM Marc Bergevin had reportedly been seeking a solid hockey trade for Galchenyuk for months.
When you look at Galchenyuk’s career production, he’s very clearly an upper-echelon center, though whether he is a first or second line player is debatable. He’s averaged a .60 PPG through his career, but if we look at his 2015-16 season as a more accurate representation of his abilities, it wouldn’t be unrealistic to see him hitting 60 points nearly every year.
Galchenyuk’s contract brings the team to $65.84 MM against the cap with 13 forwards, 7 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed. The organization only has goalie prospect Charlie Lindgren (an RFA) left to sign, though they may dip into the sparse free agent pool for another depth player.
2017 Arbitration Tracker
The deadline to file for player-elected salary arbitration comes in at 4pm this Wednesday, July 5th, while the next day brings the deadline for team-elected filings. To understand the entire arbitration process, make sure you read Mike Furlano’s Capology 101 posts on the process (part 1, part 2).
Below, you can find a complete list of arbitration eligible players broken down by team, and their decisions as they come in. Refresh this page often as new information will be added as it comes in.
Arbitration Deadline Quickly Approaching
With the heavy lifting of free agency now over, most teams in the NHL will turn their attention to their own restricted free agents and the upcoming deadlines for salary arbitration. Tomorrow, July 5th, is the deadline for player-elected arbitration while teams get until Thursday, July 6th to notify of team-elected arbitration. Those terms may sound similar, but they come with a few key differences.
A team is only allowed to take two players to team-elected arbitration each season, and each player only once in his career. That means, if a team—any team, not only the one he’s currently with—has elected salary arbitration in the past, they may not do so again with that player. Last year, the only club-elected filing was with Petr Mrazek, who ended up signing a two-year deal with the team before his hearing. That won’t change the fact that no team can elect to take him to arbitration again, as the filing is all that counts. 
The opposite side has the decision on whether the resulting contract will be a one-year or two-year, and in certain situations the club has “walk away” rights. If the arbitration award is more than ~$4.0MM (this number changes with the average league salary, and has yet to be set for this arbitration season) the team can decline one year of the contract, meaning if they’d selected a one-year deal the player would become an unrestricted free agent.
For a full breakdown of how the arbitration process works, make sure to check out our own Mike Furlano’s fantastic Capology 101 series from last year. The arbitration sections can be found here and here.
As for potential arbitration cases, it’s important to note that not all restricted free agents are eligible. Leon Draisaitl, and David Pastrnak among many others are still too early in their careers to elect arbitration, making any potential deal come down to their negotiations with the team. The Capology pieces have all the details on how it is determined, but some of the biggest names that are eligible are:
Mikael Granlund – 81 GP, 26 G, 43 A, 69 P
Granlund and fellow Minnesota Wild forward Nino Niederreiter—who has actually already filed according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune—are both eligible for arbitration, and have some of the strongest cases in the group. Coming off his third straight 40+ point season, and a $3MM contract, should the Wild and Granlund not be able to reach a deal before his hearing he would be in line for a big raise.
Ryan Johansen – 82 GP, 14 G, 47 A, 61 P
There has already been reports of Johansen asking for an $8.5MM per year contract, which would make him one of the highest-paid centers in the league. Though his arbitration amount wouldn’t be that high, he has quite the case as one of the premiere up-and-coming talents in the league.
Alex Galchenyuk – 61 GP, 17 G, 27 A, 44 P
One of the most talked about RFAs in the league, Galchenyuk has simultaneously been the talk of much trade speculation and contract negotiation. The Canadiens are in active discussions with him, but if something can’t get done an arbitration date could settle the debate for them.
As with any year, most of the free agents that file for salary arbitration will sign a contract before a hearing ever happens. But with such a strong group of RFAs this year, we might be in for some interesting decisions as the time ticks down. After filing, the league will set hearing dates that should fall between July 20th and August 4th.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Kings Looking To Shift Course
After missing the playoffs two seasons in a row, the L.A. Kings have fallen pretty hard from grace. After winning the cup twice in three years, it’s been one bad story after another for the team from Hollywood. Dustin Brown was stripped of the captaincy and relegated to bottom-six duties, not long after former key contributor Mike Richards found himself terminated due to a combination of on-ice, off-ice, and salary issues. Matt Greene had to be bought out entirely. Marian Gaborik is 35, signed for four more seasons, and just put together two underwhelming performances back-t0-back. The defense has gotten more top-heavy, and after losing Brayden McNabb to Vegas in the expansion draft, is set to lose another valuable piece. The head coach who earned the franchise its two rings was fired and a re-tread coach from Philadelphia will get his opportunity in 2017-18.
In an article with the L.A. Times written by Helene Elliotts, GM Rob Blake details the change in philosophy the Kings will need to adopt if they are going to find success in the near future. Ultimately, he wants to predicate the team’s identity more on speed, while staying true to their defensive style. Los Angeles has played a heavy, physical, stifling game to get their championships, and it appears that Blake is shifting away from that mantra next season. He isolated the “core” of the team as Anze Kopitar, Tanner Pearson, Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli, Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, and Jonathan Quick. It might be drawn from his sentiment thatt other, more expendable pieces that may be available if the Kings continue to merely tread water.
Los Angeles did make a decent bargain-bin signing in Mike Cammalleri, who was sunk by a capsized New Jersey Devils squad last season. The potential for him to rebound and be productive is quite high, but it may not be nearly enough. The Kings beat out only Philadelphia, Colorado, New Jersey and Vancouver in terms of fewest goals scored. Carter and Pearson were the only twenty-goal scorers on the team. Guaranteed offense is an absolute need, and although former coach Darryl Sutter‘s systems were a component of the struggles, the team needs more reliable production. Their defense is still the team’s greatest organizational strength, but it does strike some as odd that a player like McNabb wasn’t shuffled elsewhere for scoring help rather than being sacrificed for nothing to expansion.
If the Kings decide at this late stage to go the free agency route, their options are solid if a bit older. If speed is the determinant factor, that may seem to rule out the likes of Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla, while leaving the possibility of a Thomas Vanek signing open. More likely, however, the Blake and the Kings will need to probe the trade market. From there, the team will likely need to surrender future assets if they hope to receive solid scoring in a returning package. The team could take a lot of offensive pressure off of Kopitar (who himself is more of a two-way player) if they could swing a trade for a solid center. Matt Duchene is likely out of their price range, and Alex Galchenyuk‘s value just skyrocketed. The bottom-six wingers are dreadfully lacking in experience, so an upgrade to the third line couldn’t hurt. Cap space is tight, however, as the team will only have over $5.5 MM after re-signing RFAs Nick Shore and Kevin Gravel. It may take outside-the-box thinking to bring the Kings back into contender status, but Blake seems primed to make moves, albeit on his own timeline.
Snapshots: Franson, Cheveldayoff, Marleau
We’re still all quiet on the Cody Franson front, which has many analysts stumped. Franson is a decent possession player when you look at career Corsi and Fenwick. He’s the youngest “big name” defenseman left un-signed in unrestricted free agency. He played 68 games for the Buffalo Sabres, who were admittedly porous defensively, but finished with a minus 5 on a team where no one broke a plus 3. What’s most intriguing is his ability to skate combined with his overall size – 6’5 and 224 pounds. Franson also has a right-handed shot from the point, something many teams are lacking and actively seeking. He’s the prototype for a #4 defenseman in today’s NHL, and at only 30, has more hockey left in him. There’s been nearly no smoke around this player as we finish the third day of free agency, and that alone is befuddling.
- Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff believes his Jets “are a cap team now”, and he’s willing to spend accordingly per Postmedia’s Ken Weibe. Cheveldayoff has been infamous league-wide for his reluctance to make too many roster moves – it took him the better part of three seasons to even make a trade. That said, he seems to be embracing a more proactive role in management. On July 1st he signed defensemen Dimitri Kulikov and goaltender Steve Mason to expensive contracts, and moved on from veterans Chris Thorburn and Mark Stuart. With his core players entering their primes, the time to compete is apparently now.
- Patrick Marleau had a quality radio interview with TSN 1050 Toronto earlier this evening. There were a few good quotes that resulted, but nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps the most humorous moment in the segment was when Marleau insisted that he’s still “full of (pee) and vinegar…just like these kids”. Marleau apparently mulled over the decision for more than a week, weighing the pros and cons of the decision to move on from San Jose, the only franchise he’s ever played for. Ultimately, he cited his confidence in the management team, the exciting younger players in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and the aggressiveness of the team to compete right away as reasons which tilted the scales in favor of the Leafs. The third year on the contract offer, which will take him to age 40, probably provided him lots of incentive, as well.
Galchenyuk Negotiations Intensify
Alex Galchenyuk has suddenly gone from pariah to absolute necessity. In the wake of losing top scoring threat Alexander Radulov via free agency to the Dallas Stars, Galchenyuk, a restricted free agent, has seen his internal value skyrocket. Radulov, of course, signed with the Stars earlier today for 5 seasons, and the Montreal offense was already severely lacking. Galchenyuk had a respectable 44 points in only 61 games last season, but that was a marginal drop from his 30-goal, 56-point campaign the year prior.
One of the largest issues for Galchenyuk this last season was consistency in his production, and many link that to his constant switching between the center and left wing roles. Galchenyuk is a more natural center, and has stated as such on numerous occasions. His defensive play has left many fans wanting, however. Two separate coaching staffs placed him on the wing at different points, and the organization has stated pretty clearly that he isn’t ready for top-line center duties. The problem for Montreal of course, is that they don’t have anyone else nearly as capable to fill that role. Tomas Plekanec is another year older and Galchenyuk is already arguably the better player. With Radulov (a right-wing) out of the picture, it might be wise to keep Galchenyuk content and comfortable.
According to Darren Dreger, Galchenyuk’s agent Pat Brisson has been in contact with GM Marc Bergevin, who will now turn his attention primarily to this contract. If they can’t come to an agreement, arbitration is always an option that can be utilized. That said, arbitration would probably only serve to fan the flames that have surrounded this player since he was supposedly placed on the block a year ago. Those flames are still not going out until that contract has been signed, and there will always be a market for young, talented centers.
When Jonathan Drouin was acquired for the left side, it seemed as though the writing was on the wall. But now, with Radulov out of the picture, losing Galchenyuk’s top-six offensive abilities would be a massive blow to the team. Montreal finished 13th in Goals For, but only two players hit the 20 goal mark – Max Pacioretty (35) and Paul Byron (22). Losing their top assist man and second-leading point getter in Radulov, it would be entirely devastating to draw the Galchenyuk negotiations out into the season, or worse, to trade him following a down year. Galchenyuk and his agent know they have the leverage in negotiations, and there’s a strong possibility they’ll use every ounce of it to get a better deal for the 23-year-old talent. Considering his production and league wide comparisons, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see him make well above $5 MM.
Poll: Who Has Had The Best Offseason So Far?
Now most of the way through the third day of free agency, and several teams have made substantial upgrades to their teams. Kevin Shattenkirk, Alexander Radulov and Karl Alzner, our top 3 UFAs have all signed long-term deals with new teams, and others have made an impact on the trade market or with their restricted free agents.
So who has had the best offseason so far? Dallas has added several big names with Radulov joining Ben Bishop, Marc Methot and Martin Hanzal, while the New York Islanders found a winger for John Tavares and got a big return for Travis Hamonic. Montreal has added a top free agent, acquired a top line winger and locked up their franchise goaltender, while the Vegas Golden Knights came into existence and acquired a boatload of draft picks.
Vote on who you think has had the best offseason so far, and make sure you leave your thoughts in the comments below. With still lots of trade talk to come it could easily change, but let us know who you think got out to the early lead.
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Joe Thornton Re-Signs With San Jose Sharks
July 2: The Sharks have officially announced the signing. His agency, Top Shelf Hockey, reports via Twitter that Thornton will earn $8MM in 2017-18. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds (Twitter link) that the base salary is $6.75MM while he gets a $1.25MM signing bonus as well.
July 1: After all of the rumor and intrigue surrounding “Jumbo” Joe Thornton seeking a three-year deal and speaking with many teams other than the San Jose Sharks, NBC Sports’ California correspondent Kevin Kurz is reporting that Thornton has actually re-signed in San Jose for just one year. According to Bob McKenzie, the deal is worth more than $6 MM, and Fox Sports Northwest’s Andy Strickland has the exact total at $6.5 MM. This is nowhere near the paycut many experts expected from his previous $6.75 MM. In a weak UFA class, however, he ended up getting more AAV than many of the larger names out there.
The probable future Hall-of-Fame center has 1007 career assists, good for 13th all time. He only had 7 goals last season make up his 50 points in 2016-17, however, his lowest total in a full season. It was anticipated by many that perhaps fellow long-time shark Patrick Marleau would sign first, but the offer from San Jose and the allure of home was too much to keep Thornton from signing on the dotted line.
Thornton is obviously slowing down a step, but he is still one of the best playmakers in the game. His work on the powerplay is masterful and he has jump-started many younger players’ careers. On a one-year deal, there seems to be little downside to the Sharks, as he can still be a productive member of a top-9 offensive unit while providing solid defensive play. The price is a bit high, and it remains to be seen whether that will affect any potential negotiations with Marleau.
Toronto Signs Patrick Marleau To 3-Year Deal
The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that they have signed unrestricted free agent Patrick Marleau to a three-year deal, $18.75MM with the average annual value set for $6.25MM. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweets he has a full no-movement clause included in his deal. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that the deal will include a large signing bonus, just as the case was for Carey Price‘s deal earlier today. He will receive $14.5MM in signing bonus money, split up with $7MM coming to him in the first year, followed by $4.5MM in year two and $3MM in the final year of the contract. The three-year pact means that Marleau will be 40 during the last year of his $6.25 contract.
Reported earlier on PHR, the 37-year-old wing was considering several offers, including a two-year offer from San Jose, but the rumor was that Toronto had the most impressive offer and Marleau took it. Having spent the past 19 years in San Jose, he will move on to the young, rising Maple Leafs squad and team with the young core of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner to help them take the next step. With this move, it seems obvious that the Maple Leafs plan to go all-out in hopes of capturing a Stanley Cup while they have their young core under rookie contracts. It is likely Marleau will be paired with both Matthews and Nylander as their first line.
For San Jose, the veteran team loses one of its most important players in their history. Marleau accumulated 508 goals and 1,082 points in his tenure with the Sharks and was rarely hurt, having played every game for the last eight seasons and only missing a total of 31 games in his career, according to Johnston. Although the team was able to lock up38-year-old Joe Thornton yesterday to a one-year, $6.5MM deal (although that deal is not official yet), the team lost out on one of their top goal scorers and will be hard-pressed to replace him, especially after the team struggled in the playoffs and were bounced in the first round. Those two have been playing together for the last 12 years.
Marleau Deciding Between San Jose, Toronto
Patrick Marleau‘s name has appeared everywhere as one of the top free agents that remain after the first day of free agency. The 37-year-old wing, who will turn 38 before the season gets underway, has played 19 years in San Jose and hasn’t slowed down one bit. His 27 goals are his best since the 2013-14 season and the veteran has always been consistent and healthy. So, what’s taking so long?
NBC Sports’ Kevin Kurz says that while the Sharks offered him a two-year deal on Friday, Marleau is considering other offers, despite the fact that linemate and friend Joe Thornton has already agreed to a one-year deal with the Sharks. It seems that Marleau has received multiple offers that trump San Jose’s offer and Kurz writes that the Toronto Maple Leafs offer is quite a bit better. While it would have to be a tough decision to leave a place after 19 years, it might make sense. Even with Thornton returning, the Sharks failed to get out of the first round last year, suffering a loss to a young and emerging Edmonton team, and the Sharks seem to be developing into a franchise that may have to reverse course soon and begin a youth movement. Heading to Toronto and an up-and-coming team (along with the better offer) might be a better way to go. Playing with the young core of players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner could be enticing to the veteran. According to Kurz, no one has any idea of what Marleau will decide and there is genuine concern among Sharks’ management that he may leave.
On another note, while Thornton has agreed to a one-year deal that TSN’s Bob McKenzie writes will be a $6.5MM deal, it still hasn’t become official. Kurz said that there is nothing to worry about. He believes that Thornton is waiting for Marleau to make his decision so they can be announced together, like he did in 2014. Thornton agreed to a one year deal, although Kurz says he was offered a two-year deal, like Marleau, on Friday. It’s likely that the one-year deal offered more.