New York Rangers Expected To Sign Andy Welinski
According to CapFriendly, the New York Rangers have signed defenseman Andy Welinski to a one-year, two-way contract (link). The contract is worth $750K at the NHL level and $400K in the minors. The right-handed defenseman will serve as veteran depth for a Rangers team that had to part with some of their’s earlier today.
A third-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, Welinski has played parts of three NHL seasons, all with Anaheim. Welinski spent four years as a rock-solid defenseman for the University of Minnesota-Duluth before turning pro after the 2015-16 NCAA season. He would spend two full years with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, making his NHL debut during that second season in 2017-18. Welinski split 2018-19 between San Diego and Anaheim, returning to the AHL full-time in 2019-20, splitting 2020-21 once again, getting into just 16 games between both levels. The 29-year-old spent all of last season with the Stockton Heat in the Calgary Flames organization.
On a two-way contract, Welinski is a smart addition for the Rangers, who traded defenseman Patrik Nemeth away earlier today and lost Justin Braun in free agency as well. Though the organization has strong defensive depth between their stars and their prospects, the team did have to rely on depth this year at times too. Between yesterday’s Libor Hajek extension and today’s Welinski deal, the Rangers should have plenty of reserves should they deal with an abundance of injuries.
San Jose Sharks Expected To Sign Andrew Agozzino
The San Jose Sharks are getting depth forward Andrew Agozzino in free agency, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston.
Agozzino is a 31-year-old undrafted forward who has been a top-six scoring forward at the AHL level for the past decade. Agozzino had 43 points in 66 games for the Belleville Senators last season and has multiple point-per-game AHL seasons on his resume.
At the NHL level, Agozzino’s resume is far thinner. He has just nine points in 47 career NHL games and got into only one game this season in Ottawa. This move is likely a move for the San Jose Barracuda, as GM Mike Grier attempts to improve his club’s AHL affiliate. Agozzino will definitely help the Barracuda next year, and Sharks fans can count on him to be among the team’s scoring leaders.
Dallas Stars Sign Mason Marchment
1:07 pm: The Dallas Stars have swooped in under the wire, inking Marchment to a four-year contract worth roughly $4.5MM per season, per a team announcement. Marchment is fresh off of a breakout season for the Florida Panthers, where he scored 47 points in 54 games on the Panthers’ high-powered attack.
Marchment, 27, is a risky investment for the Stars but one with significant upside potential. Marchment was brilliant in 2021-22, scoring at nearly a point-per-game rate and making his impact felt on both ends of the ice. Marchment got his 47 points with very little power play time, making his offensive numbers even more impressive. The biggest risk with Marchment is simply the fact that before this season, it was unthinkable that Marchment could make $4.5MM on a multi-year deal. The production is the production, and the Stars are absolutely not simply basing this deal off of Marchment’s numbers alone, but one has to wonder if he’ll be able to replicate the performance away from the Panthers’ offensive machine.
If he can, this deal will age very, very well. If he can’t, well, it won’t. There is obviously a middle ground here where Marchment settles into a middle-six role, and that is definitely a realistic possibility. But it’s also a possibility that Marchment can’t replicate the success he found in Florida. For a team that wants to continue competing in a difficult Central Division, it’s not a bad risk to take.
12:17 pm: The Carolina Hurricanes have lost a handful of forwards to free agency and trade but they are working to add someone new. The team is closing in on a four-year deal with Mason Marchment according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
Andrew Copp Signs With Detroit Red Wings
12:07 pm: The Detroit Red Wings have officially announced the contract, bringing him to Hockeytown through 2027.
11:34 am: TSN’s Darren Dreger reports a five-year deal worth $5.625MM per season in Detroit for Copp.
07:33 am: The trend this year is going home, and Andrew Copp might be the latest to do so. Multiple reports including from Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie of TSN suggest that Copp will sign with the Detroit Red Wings when things open up, bringing him back to the place where all of his NHL dreams began.
Born in Ann Arbor, Copp would eventually don the maize and blue by heading to the University of Michigan for three seasons, where he developed into one of the most versatile players in college hockey and quickly outpaced his projections as a fourth-round pick in the NHL. By the time he was ready to exit college, the Winnipeg Jets were ready to put him directly into the lineup and Copp skipped the minor leagues entirely (he would play eight games for Manitoba, but not until after his rookie season).
After more than 450 games with the Jets, Copp found himself on the brink of free agency and because of that, traded to the New York Rangers. He excelled with his new team, showing that he could be a perfect complementary piece near the top of a lineup, and racked up 18 points in 16 games down the stretch. Another 14 in 20 playoff games, along with full-time minutes as a center, and Copp was ready for the open market.
A player who can kill penalties, contribute to the powerplay and line up at any of the three forward spots, his value to the Red Wings would likely fall in the middle of the ice. It just so happens that one of his teammates with Michigan was Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, who is also on the verge of a contract extension to lock him into the Detroit future. Should Copp sign, he’ll be surrounded by a glut of talented wingers and the Red Wings’ forward group will quickly start to take shape.
St. Louis Blues Expected To Sign Thomas Greiss
After not being able to retain Ville Husso or Charlie Lindgren, the St. Louis Blues have found a new backup. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports that the Blues are expected to sign Thomas Greiss when free agency opens.
That essentially means the Blues and Detroit Red Wings swapped netminders, as Husso ended up joining Steve Yzerman’s club as their new potential starter. Greiss comes to St. Louis after two years in Detroit, the first of which was much better than this most recent season.
In 2021-22, the 36-year-old Greiss posted an .891 save percentage in 31 appearances, the lowest number of his entire career. For a .912 career netminder it was a huge fall, one that the Blues obviously hope won’t continue.
For St. Louis though, there wasn’t going to be enough money to keep Husso in place and a veteran backup was always the expected outcome.
More to come…
Evander Kane Signs Four-Year Extension
Why sleep when you can sign contract extensions! The Edmonton Oilers and Evander Kane reached a late-night agreement on a new four-year contract, that will bring the winger back before he reaches unrestricted free agency. Kane himself announced the deal, which carries a cap hit of $5.125MM. PuckPedia has the full breakdown:
- 2022-23: $750K salary + $5.5MM signing bonus
- 2023-24: $1.5MM salary + $4.0MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $2.75MM salary + 2.0MM signing bonus
- 2025-26: $4.0MM salary
It also includes a full no-movement clause until February 28, 2025, at which point it will change to a 16-team trade list. While the team hasn’t actually announced the deal, they did amplify Kane’s tweet about it, which included the following message.
A big part of my decision to stay in Edmonton was because of the opportunity given to me only 7 months ago but also the chance to be a part of a championship team. I want to win, and I believe after signing this deal we will be able to add the right pieces along with myself to accomplish that goal, a championship.
There’s no doubting Kane’s ability on the ice. He scored 35 goals in just 58 games between the regular season and playoffs, finding instant chemistry with Connor McDavid and finally offering the kind of high-impact scoring talent that the Oilers have been looking for. It is all the off-ice stuff that has limited his market, as seen by this new contract, which comes in well below what a player of his production level would have earned normally on the open market.
There is also still some uncertainty around his future because of a grievance with the San Jose Sharks over wrongful termination, though it should be noted that this new contract is worth almost exactly the same amount as what was left on his previous deal. Perhaps there is a path to settlement, which would clear up any potential issues with this new deal.
The Oilers, who are also expected to make a big splash in the goaltending market today, get better by bringing Kane back. The team has said goodbye to some of its older players, including Duncan Keith and Zack Kassian, and appears poised to take another run at the Pacific Division crown in 2022-23. For Kane in particular, the risk was always in a long-term deal. Keeping it to four years at least someone protects the Oilers from that risk.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Free Agency Notes: Hague, Marchment, Kulak
We haven’t heard a whole lot of offer sheet talk yet this offseason, but there is one young defenseman who could come into play. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger notes that he believes Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague is “a real possibility” as an offer sheet candidate from general managers league-wide. Hague is an important defenseman on the rise in the Golden Knights organization, and while he doesn’t have a lot of leverage on his next contract as he’s not arbitration-eligible, another team could indeed force Vegas’ hand. A second-round pick from their first 2017 draft class, Hague’s notched a solid 42 points in 142 NHL games over the past three years. While he’s been limited to third-pairing minutes on a deep Vegas team, he’s shown really solid play-driving ability as an up-and-coming two-way defenseman. With the Golden Knights’ tight salary cap situation, it’s a reasonable bet that they couldn’t match a healthy offer for Hague.
- TSN’s Pierre LeBrun expects the Montreal Canadiens to make an offer to bring back defenseman Brett Kulak when free agency opens tomorrow. They won’t be alone, though, as LeBrun notes that six other teams could be interested as well. Dealt to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a package that included William Lagesson and a second-round pick at the trade deadline, Kulak is an underrated defensive commodity who’s extremely valuable in a bottom-four role. He’d spent the last three seasons prior to this year in a Habs uniform, and he was a steadying presence in 2021-22 on a struggling team.
- If the Tampa Bay Lightning can’t come to terms with pending UFA Ondrej Palat, The Athletic’s Joe Smith lists Mason Marchment as someone the team could make an offer to in free agency. He’d certainly add a strong checking element to the team’s middle six, and while he likely wouldn’t replace Palat’s value entirely, he’d be a strong value option with a breakout year last season and great underlying metrics. Marchment finished 2021-22 with 47 points in just 54 games.
Johnny Gaudreau To Test Free Agency
As first reported by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Calgary Flames aren’t expected to reach an agreement with top free-agent forward Johnny Gaudreau prior to the market opening tomorrow at noon Eastern time. He’ll test free agency and hit the open market as a result.
Gaudreau and Calgary haven’t come to an agreement despite steadily increasing offers from general manager Brad Treliving to get him to stay. It was reported earlier today that Calgary had offered Gaudreau an eight-year deal worth more than $10MM per season. Gaudreau either believes he can get more on the open market tomorrow, or he simply wants a change of scenery out of Alberta.
After his electric 115-point season, he’ll have a certain handful of teams willing to pony up eight figures to get his services. While the Philadelphia Flyers have been linked to him constantly for years, they’ve failed to clear enough cap space in order to make signing him a realistic possibility. One team with loads of cap space that’s a logical fit is the New Jersey Devils, who could launch themselves into playoff contention with a Gaudreau/Jack Hughes connection up front.
No matter what, Gaudreau is slated to join the more-than-$10MM cap hit club tomorrow. He’d be the 15th player in the league currently on an eight-figure deal and the only left wing aside from the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin.
Snapshots: Kane, Bowman, Malkin
Forward Evander Kane is nothing if not the most polarizing and interesting free agent on the market this offseason. The 30-year-old power forward has had his fair share of off-ice controversies in his career, including a pending arbitration hearing that may award him back to the San Jose Sharks after the team terminated his contract during the 2021-22 season. Yet Kane was still spectacular on the ice after signing a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers for the remainder of the season, notching 39 points in 43 regular-season games and leading the NHL in scoring during the playoffs with 13 goals in just 15 games.
Yet, reports surfaced earlier this week that Kane and the Oilers weren’t close on an extension. Today, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta adds that there haven’t been any conversations yet today between Kane’s camp and the Oilers, adding to the likelihood Kane hits the open market tomorrow. It doesn’t limit Edmonton’s ability to re-sign him, and quite frankly, it’s still the most likely destination for him. Kane’s risk factor is only increased by the pending arbitration decision, and other teams will be hesitant to commit term to Kane without either having a deal in place with San Jose to trade back for him or having clarity on his future.
- Legendary coach and executive Scott Bowman is moving on from the Chicago Blackhawks organization this summer, per the man himself. Now 88, Bowman had been a senior advisor for the Blackhawks since 2008. A winner of 12 Stanley Cups, Bowman will likely have any job he wants if he wants to continue his management career in the NHL.
- Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke spoke today, denying rumors that the team didn’t offer Evgeni Malkin his desired term of four years. He did say that giving a six-year contract extension to Rickard Rakell yesterday didn’t rule out Malkin’s return, and said that “the window is still open” for Malkin. However, with all the varying reports of Malkin’s unhappiness with the situation, his moving on in free agency is likely still a done deal.
Latest On Johnny Gaudreau
With less than 12 hours remaining before they lose the ability to offer an extra year, the Calgary Flames are putting forward their best offer for Johnny Gaudreau. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff tweets that Calgary has offered an eight-year contract worth more than $10MM per season, which would make the pending free agent winger one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. He notes that if Gaudreau leaves Calgary tomorrow “it likely won’t be because of money.”
Unlike free agency itself, which doesn’t open until midway through Wednesday, a team’s right to sign one of its own players to an eight-year deal expires at midnight (EST). That means if there’s no deal by tomorrow and Gaudreau is to land more than this $80MM+ on the table from Calgary, he would need to sign a seven-year deal worth at least $11.43MM per season. That number would put him fifth in the entire league, behind only Connor McDavid, Artemi Panarin, Auston Matthews, and Erik Karlsson in terms of cap hit.
Total money isn’t always the deciding factor though, especially not for NHL players (or at least their agents) who can see the salary cap rising significantly in a few years. That extra year for Gaudreau might not be as important as seeing what kind of teams are interested, and what is the best fit for his career moving forward.
The Flames, of course, will have a huge hole in their lineup if Gaudreau decides to leave–and a bunch of cap space to fill it with. The team currently sits with more than $26MM in room, though that doesn’t factor in extensions for Matthew Tkachuk, Andrew Mangiapane, and Oliver Kylington, who are all restricted free agents.
Gaudreau was the unanimous top selection in our UFA list, following his outstanding 115-point season.