Pacific Division Notes: Burns, Kopitar, Virtanen
Assuming he resists overtures from the Sharks to sign a massive extension first, Brent Burns will hit free agency next July as one of, if not the top player on the market. In fact, as Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News writes, his situation closely mirrors that which confronted Steven Stamkos last season.
Like Stamkos, Burns will be a much-desired commodity if he reaches the open market. And just like Tampa Bay, the Sharks surely want to retain their star player. Though again, like Tampa Bay, San Jose will want to do so at a price less than that which Burns will be able find in free agency.
Of course the situation has already generated a lot media attention and will continue to do so until a resolution is reached. For many players, his pending free agency can prove to be a distraction and perhaps even impact his performance on the ice. That doesn’t seem to be the case to date for Burns as the 31-year-old blue liner has already tallied six goals and 14 points through 15 contests. But should Burns struggle with the attention and seek advice on how to handle things, he has a good resource in his friend Stamkos.
As Pashelka notes, the two players have known each other for more than two decades and spent some time together this summer. But according to Stamkos, Burns didn’t broach the subject of his free agency:
“Can’t say we’ve had a lot of discussions about it. I’m definitely open to a conversation if it comes a point where he needs somebody to talk to. But I know Burnzie. He knows what he’s doing.”
Burns certainly enjoys playing in San Jose and likely will give the Sharks every opportunity to extend his contract. Surely the Sharks will hope that Burns, like Stamkos, decided to forsake the probability of more money to remain somewhere he is happy.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- It looks like the Kings may have dodged a bullet as the upper-body-injury suffered by team captain Anze Kopitar is considered day-to-day, reports Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times. Kopitar appeared to injure his wrist/upper arm area when taking a spill along the boards in the third period of the team’s tilt with Ottawa. Kopitar, one of the NHL’s best centers, did miss this afternoon’s game against Winnipeg but the fact he’s been listed as day-to-day is good news for a team that dropped to 7 – 8 – 1 after today’s shootout loss to the Jets. The 29-year-old native of Slovenia is off to a slow start production-wise, with just eight points in 15 games.
- Earlier this week the Vancouver Canucks assigned 20-year-old winger Jake Virtanen to their AHL affiliate in Utica. However, as reported, the team recalled Virtanen today after he saw action in two games this weekend for the Comets. Virtanen is off to a tough start to the campaign with just one point, an assist, in 10 games with Vancouver. He was also held off the scoresheet this weekend while suiting up for Utica. Virtanen did not play today in the Canucks 5 – 4 win OT win over Dallas.
2016 UFA Scoring Leaders
A lot of money changed hands this off-season as teams battled to sign the best unrestricted free agents in the market. But the practice doesn’t guarantee success—sometimes the underrated signings are the ones that pay off. Over the course of the year PHR will list the top-scoring 2016 unrestricted free agents in an effort to gauge the best signings this offseason.
Leading 2016 UFA Scorers (as of 11/11/16)
Jonathan Marchessault (FLA): 13 points (7G, 6A) in 13 games
Alexander Radulov (MTL): 11 points (3G, 8A) in 13 games
Michael Grabner (NYR): 10 points (7G, 3A) in 14 games
Radim Vrbata (ARI): 9 points (4G, 5A) in 12 games
Milan Lucic (EDM): 9 points (5G, 4A) in 14 games
Brandon Pirri (NYR): 9 points (4G, 5A) in 14 games
Thomas Vanek (DET): 8 points (4G, 4A) in 7 games
Eric Staal (MIN): 8 points (4G, 4A) in 11 games
Kyle Okposo (BUF): 8 points (5G, 3A) in 12 games
Colton Sceviour (FLA): 8 points (5G, 3A) in 13 games
Dennis Seidenberg (NYI): 8 points (4G, 4A) in 13 games
Top-Performing Impending Free Agents Thus Far
A month deep the 2016-17 season, several key 2017 unrestricted free agents have gotten off to a strong start in their contract years. With many players slated for free agency in a unique off-season, given the addition of the Las Vegas expansion franchise, it may be more important than ever for impending free agents to perform well. With another competitor in the mix, especially one that needs to build a team from scratch, prices will skyrocket for top-end talent. So far, the following players are in line for a hefty contract this June, if they’re not re-signed even earlier or (surprisingly for many) if they choose to retire:
D Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks – 5 goals/7 assists/12 points
C Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – 2 goals/9 assists/11 points
RW Alexander Radulov, Montreal Canadiens – 3 goals/8 assists/11 points
D Mark Streit, Philadelphia Flyers – 3 goals/7 assists/10 points
D Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues – 3 goals/7 assists/10 points
RW Radim Vrbata, Arizona Coyotes – 4 goals/5 assists/9 points
C Brandon Pirri, New York Rangers – 4 goals/5 assists/9 points
C Matt Cullen, Pittsburgh Penguins – 3 goals/6 assists/9 points
LW Thomas Vanek, Detroit Red Wings – 4 goals/4 assists/8 points
D Dennis Seidenberg, New York Islanders – 4 goals/4 assists/8 points
RW Patrick Eaves, Dallas Stars – 3 goals/5 assists/8 points
G Peter Budaj, Los Angeles Kings – 7 wins/1.86 GAA/.919 SV%
G Jonathan Bernier, Anaheim Ducks – 1 win/2.16 GAA/.939 SV%
G Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning – 5 wins/2.91 GAA/.907 SV%
Disappointments: Martin Hanzal, Brian Elliott, Jarome Iginla, Patrick Sharp, Steve Mason, Patrick Marleau, Drew Stafford
What’s Next For The Vancouver Canucks?
Last season the Vancouver Canucks reached their lowest point in more than fifteen years. They finished with 75 points, better than only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, and missed the playoffs by a mile. As many believed that Daniel and Henrik Sedin were slowing down (as people do when they turn 35), the team looked like they should start a rebuild around some young forwards, and sell off assets for this season. After all, they were likely to get a top-three draft pick and already had Bo Horvat as a potential superstar.
Instead, they dropped to fifth in the draft and missed out on the big forwards, and then had an extremely confusing offseason period. First they traded one of their young prospects, Jared McCann for Erik Gudbranson, a still-young but much more expensive player who many in the analytics community believed was steady but mostly ineffective. McCann is off to a slow start in Florida (no points in eleven games), but still looks like he’ll eventually be a solid NHL centerman.
Next they signed Loui Eriksson, one of the summer’s biggest free agents to a huge six year, $36MM deal that will pay him through his age-36 season. Eriksson is a solid player, but hasn’t found any amount of success in Vancouver; he hasn’t scored a goal in 11 games after notching 30 last year.
Making a financial commitment of that level is usually reserved for teams looking to compete for a Stanley Cup in the near future, but Vancouver doesn’t seem like they’re poised to do that. They’re 4-6-1 this season, and are currently down 2-1 and being out-shot by those same Maple Leafs who finished lower than them last year. While Ryan Miller is having a solid year splitting time with the younger Jacob Markstrom, he’s a free agent next year (and 37 years old).
So what do the Canucks do now? Tearing down a team a few months after committing tens of millions in free agency isn’t a strong plan, but it may be what they have to do. Unfortunately for him, we’ll probably see the ousting of head coach Willie Desjardins, as is usually the case when things go downhill.
Franchise Faceoff: San Jose Sharks vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Tonight in San Jose two teams who went to battle nearly five months ago to determine who could lift hockey’s greatest trophy, will be back at odds fighting for just two points. The Sharks and Penguins will match up in what should be an outstanding game of hockey, not only because of the recent history but the immense skill on each side. The Penguins have followed up their championship season with a great 7-2-2 start, while the Sharks have sputtered a bit at 6-5-0.
Each team has an incredible puck moving defenseman on the back end in Brent Burns and Kris Letang, and deep forward groups. They play very different styles, with Pittsburgh flying in straight lines down the rink, while San Jose prefers a slightly slower, possession based attack. They do both have great futures, with players like Tomas Hertl and Olli Maatta only starting to hit their true potential.
It may lie in the financials that these two teams diverge however, as the Sharks have a number of big name players hitting free agency this summer, while the Penguins are locked into long-term deals with all of their top guns. You might see these differences in different ways however, as the Sharks will have plenty of freedom once Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau move on, while the Penguins will have little room to sign another big ticket.
So tonight, when the two teams who dominated the hockey world last season come together, we ask you to decide which roster (not all the franchise perks that go with it) would you rather have, if you were building a team for this season and the future?
Which roster would you rather have?
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Pittsburgh Penguins 86% (155)
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San Jose Sharks 14% (25)
Total votes: 180
Bergenheim Signs With Frolunda
Another player is headed overseas, but this time it’s one who hasn’t seen meaningful NHL action in some time. Sean Bergenheim has signed on to play with Frolunda HC of the Swedish Elite League, the team announced (link in Swedish). The Finnish winger was back in North America this off-season on a professional tryout agreement with the Anaheim Ducks, but was unable to earn a contract. Last season, Bergenheim played with Bern of the Swiss NLA, with his last big league action coming back in the 2014-15 season split between the Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild.
A first-round pick of the New York Islanders all the way back in 2002, Bergenheim got his NHL start early on, cracking the Islanders’ roster at the young age of 19. By 23, he had carved out a nice top-nine role for himself in New York. Never quite a 20-goal scorer, Bergenheim instead thrived as a strong two-way presence, capable of being a shutdown penalty killer, but also putting up 25+ points per season. After five seasons on the island, Bergenheim signed an affordable one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010-11 and had a breakout year. He followed up a career-high 29 points in a career-high 80 games with nine goals in 16 playoff games for the Lightning. His success translated into a nice raise in the form of a four-year, $11MM contract with the cross-state rival Florida Panthers that off-season. While Bergenheim continued to be a reliable player, his numbers didn’t live up to his contract, and he missed the entire lockout-shortened 2012-13 season with an injury. In the final year of his deal in 2014-15, a fed up Panthers team shipped Bergenheim to the Minnesota Wild, where he was a complete non-factor down the stretch. Bergenheim has not played in the NHL since.
Bergenheim’s contract with Frolunda, one of the most decorated teams in Sweden , is for just one year. Don’t be surprised if the 32-year-old veteran of over 500 NHL games tries his hand at earning a North American gig again next season.
Sharks Notes: Pending UFAs And Their Destinations
The San Jose Sharks may be without one of their big bearded players next season.
Bob McKenzie appeared on TSN 690 on Monday morning, and spoke about the Sharks big three unrestricted free agents. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Brent Burns are all UFAs at the conclusion of this season. McKenzie believes Thornton is in a blank-check type of situation, saying “he’ll probably get another three-year deal at some point, I would think, and it’ll be a fill-in-the-blank type deal.”
McKenzie isn’t so sure that Marleau will be back, however. He points to Marleau requesting a trade last season and the fact that he’s not considered a core player there anymore as reasons that he may not return to the Sharks.
Meanwhile, Burns is one of the premier defensemen in the NHL, scoring 27 goals and 75 points last season and is at a point-per-game pace already this season. While McKenzie believes Burns “in many ways, he wants to be back in San Jose,” he also points to a lack of contract talks this past summer.
McKenzie said Burns appears to be “keeping a little bit of an open mind here to see how the season goes before he makes any commitments.”
“So I can’t sit here and tell you, by any stretch, that he won’t be back with San Jose next year. But I would also caution and say that we shouldn’t assume that it’s an absolute slam-dunk that he will be back with San Jose.”
Should Burns decide to test the market, there will be no shortage of teams interested in the big defender. The Bruins, Coyotes, Devils, Maple Leafs, Oilers, and Red Wings, would all have serious interest in the big righty.
Oilers broadcaster Bob Stauffer has previously hinted that Edmonton will have extreme interest in Burns. Burns has a great relationship with former Sharks coach and current Oilers coach Todd McLellan, and the Oilers desperately need to add a right-handed offensive weapon to their blueline. Stauffer shared a link to McKenzie’s comments with a wink and a nudge. Back in June, Stauffer had mentioned Adam Larsson as a target of the Oilers and also expressed that he wouldn’t be surprised if Taylor Hall was traded for a defenseman.
Slide-Rule: Who’s Staying In The NHL?
As the NHL season approaches the nine-game mark, teams will need to make decisions about whether or not to keep their rookies on their roster.
Should a rookie play more than nine regular season or playoff games in one NHL season, then their entry-level contract will begin. If the player plays nine or less NHL games before being sent back to their junior or their European clubs, then their entry-level contract slides to the next season and no longer counts towards the 50-contract limit. There is also an exception whereby rookies without a major junior affiliation can play a full season in the AHL without burning a year of their entry-level contract. This is why Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen still has a three years left on his entry-level, despite playing nine NHL games and 52 AHL games. Anaheim defenseman Jacob Larsson and Buffalo winger Alexander Nylander are able to slide, should they remain in the AHL for the remainder of the year.
There are 21 players still in the NHL who can slide to next year. Here’s a list, with games played (GP) and where they can be sent (information via Cap Friendly):
Arizona:
D Jakob Chychrun (6 GP, Sarnia Sting, OHL)
LW Lawson Crouse (5 GP, Kingston Frontenacs, OHL)
C Dylan Strome (3 GP, Eerie Otters, OHL)
Boston:
D Brandon Carlo (7 GP, Tri-City Americans, WHL)
Calgary:
LW Matthew Tkachuk (7 GP, London Knights, OHL)
Carolina:
LW Sebastian Aho (7 GP, Charlotte Checkers, AHL or Kärpät, Liiga)
Colorado:
LW Mikko Rantanen (1 GP, San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
Columbus:
D Zach Werenski (7 GP, Cleveland Monsters, AHL)
Edmonton:
RW Jesse Puljujärvi (6 GP, Bakersfield Condors, AHL or Kärpät, Liiga)
Florida:
C Denis Malgin (7 GP, Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL or ZSC Lions, NLA)
Minnesota:
C Joel Eriksson Ek (4 GP, Iowa Wild, AHL or Färjestad, SHL)
Montreal:
D Mikhail Sergachev (3 GP, Windsor Spitfires, OHL) (Assigned to junior Oct. 31)
New Jersey:
C Pavel Zacha (7 GP, Sarnia Sting, OHL)
New York Islanders:
C Mathew Barzal (2 GP, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL)
C Anthony Beauvillier (7 GP, Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL)
Ottawa:
D Thomas Chabot (1 GP, Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL) (Assigned to junior Nov. 2)
Philadelphia:
F Travis Konecny (8 GP, Sarnia Sting, OHL)
D Ivan Provorov (8 GP, Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL)
Toronto:
RW Mitch Marner (7 GP, London Knights, OHL)
C Auston Matthews (7 GP, Toronto Marlies, AHL, or Zurich, NLA)
Winnipeg:
LW Patrik Laine (8 GP, Manitoba Moose, AHL or Tappara, Liiga)
Matthews, Marner, Aho, Konecny, and Laine appear to be locks to remain in the NHL for good, while Werenski, Puljujärvi, and Provorov are more likely than not to stay in the NHL. The remainder of the list could go either way.
Should a player stick beyond nine games, there is another key deadline to be aware of: 40 games. Should a player play 40 games, then that season counts towards unrestricted free agency. A player must play seven seasons in order to qualify. This has happened twice in recent memory: Daniel Sprong played 18 games with the Penguins last season, starting the clock on his entry-level contract, but not burning a year towards UFA; the Oilers kept Leon Draisaitl in the NHL for 37 games in 2014-15.
Off-Season Stories Providing Immediate Results
In the world of professional sports, the off-season has turned into a period of perpetual risk. When even the slightest move is scrutinized and analyzed with such severity, teams are trying harder and harder to minimize those gambles.
This summer saw a few key story lines for some of the leagues biggest franchises, and many of them are providing early dividends. Let’s take a look at some of the most talked about players of the summer, and where they sit just a few games into the seasons.
Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs:
The first big name to drop, Matthews was selected first overall by the Maple Leafs after they held on to their #1 spot in the draft. Seen as a franchise-type talent who could make an impact right away, Matthews proved he could play at this level at both the World Championships and the World Cup, before setting an NHL record in his first game with four goals.
With six points in his first four games (and two more assists tonight), the 19-year old Arizona-born centerman has already made an impact. He was made the second star in the first week of the season, and saw his jersey sales skyrocket to the top of the league. While it’s extremely unlikely he’ll continue at this pace for his entire rookie season, the Maple Leafs have to be please with his play thus far.
Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning
Expected to hit the open market and garner the most interest of any free agent in the history of the NHL, Stamkos instead decided to sign back with the Lightning at the beginning of the summer. GM Steve Yzerman committed long-term to the 26-year old, handing him an eight year, $68MM deal just before free agency started.
Stamkos hasn’t taken the money and sat back, with four points in his first four games (and another goal tonight). The former 60-goal man is off to a blistering start and will again battle for the Rocket Richard trophy. Fans everywhere will wonder what he could have done for their team had he decided to head somewhere else.
Jimmy Vesey – New York Rangers
The biggest (deserved or not) story of the entire center was the saga of Jimmy Vesey, a college standout who refused to sign with first the Nashville Predators, and then the Buffalo Sabres. After months of speculation and build up, the winger decided to go to New York, where he would play with former teammate Kevin Hayes.
Though he had just one goal through his first four, Vesey has two more tonight, making people wonder just how effective he truly will be this season. The pendulum of “top-six winger”-“third line ceiling” that we heard all summer isn’t determined yet, but his three goals are already more than most Rangers fans expected through five games.
Morning Snapshots: Backes, Trouba, Rantanen, Boychuk
Former Blues captain David Backes inked one of the richest deals of the offseason when he left the mid-west to join the Boston Bruins on a five-year, $30MM deal. While Backes is an excellent two-way player, many criticized the length of the contract given to the 32-year-old C/RW. However, teams today seem to realize that is an inherent risk of free agency and generally hope to see surplus value in the earlier years of the pact.
Backes is only four games into his Bruins career yet the early returns are solid – two goals and three points. But as the Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa writes, the biggest benefit of the Backes addition may be in how it’s allowed bench boss Claude Julien to balance out his lines to better take advantage of the skill-sets of his other forwards.
With Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup, he joins Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak on the Bruins top line. Backes, meanwhile, is slotted in as the second line RW with rookie Danton Heinen on the left of veteran pivot David Krejci. The left-handed Heinen and right-handed Backes give Krejci two wings who play on their strong side and allow the gifted center to deliver passes to his linemates’ forehands. As Shinzawa notes, Krejci has had some of his best seasons when he’s “had a right-hand strongman clearing space on his wing.” In past years, Nathan Horton, Jarome Iginla and Blake Wheeler have provided Krejci with just that and now he has Backes.
More from around the NHL:
- The Jacob Trouba saga in Winnipeg appears no closer to a resolution, as ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun writes. Trouba and his agent, Kurt Overhardt, recently made public the defenseman’s request to be traded citing a desire to play top-four minutes on his natural, right side. With Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien under contract with the Jets for at least the next three years, that opportunity didn’t appear to be in Winnipeg. For their part, the Jets have understandably placed a high price tag on Trouba, rumored to be a left-handed defenseman of comparable age and talent to the former first-round draft choice. According to LeBrun, the club hasn’t received an offer to their liking and are prepared to wait it out until they do. There is a hard deadline of December 1st; if Trouba is not under contract at that point he won’t be eligible to play this season.
- The Colorado Avalanche appear poised to recall prospect Mikko Rantanen next week from San Antonio of the AHL, writes Mike Chambers of The Denver Post. Rantanen has been with the Rampage since the start of the season in what has effectively been a conditioning assignment as he works his way back from an ankle injury suffered during training camp. The Avalanche used their first-round selection in the 2015 draft to select Rantanen and the Finnish forward debuted in the NHL in 2015-16, appearing in nine games for the Avalanche. Chambers speculates the team will make room on their 23-man roster by placing veteran center John Mitchell on IR or by sending Gabriel Bourque or Ben Smith to San Antonio.
- Zach Boychuk, who has appeared in 127 NHL games over parts of seven seasons with Carolina, Pittsburgh and Nashville, has inked a pact of HC Sibir of the KHL according to this link, re-tweeted by Cap Friendly (original link in Russian). Boychuk was chosen in the first-round of the 2008 draft by Carolina and has scored 12 goals and 30 points during his NHL career. He has had more success in the minors, once tallying 36 goals and 74 points while playing for Charlotte of the AHL during the 2013-14 campaign.